Chapter Ten:
Author's note: Going to fast-forward a few days to the day that the ship arrives in Starling. Moira has still been avoiding Walter and Thea's attempts to phone her. Lance had rung them the previous day with Joe and Tommy to tell them that Joe had made it safely. Also if you think Oliver is acting a bit childish in this chapter (again); remember he peed on a cop and there is a link between PTSD and regression.
Oliver woke up before Slade that morning, which he noted with a smile, was a rare occurrence. He could count on one hand how many times he had woken up before the man. Then he realised something else. Today was the day they were docking at Starling. With a bigger smile he got up and put a top on, when he looked over to Slade again he noticed the man was awake and looking at him with a big grin. He had realised what today was too. They finished their morning routine earlier today due to their enthusiasm and the others joined them for breakfast earlier than usual as well. The happiness was infectious to everyone but Shado.
"I think Shado is more of an Aunt person, what do you think Oliver?" Sara asked. Oliver looked completely confused and looked to Slade and Shado for answers who both looked clueless as well.
"Huh?" Oliver questioned.
"What Joe is going to call us, I think Aunt Shado works," Sara clarified. Shado looked shocked, she hadn't really considered labeling the friendship she had with the others in this way. Oliver grinned realizing where this was going.
"Yeah, I don't see her as Auntie Shado," Oliver said. Shado narrowed her eyes at the teasing way Oliver had said 'auntie".
"You forget who is still the student here Ollie," Shado said putting extra emphasis on 'Ollie'. Oliver winced at how she said that.
"He will always be the kid in this relationship," Slade agreed.
"Sara is younger than I am," Oliver exclaimed.
"She is smarter though," Shado told him with a grin.
"Doesn't chuck as many tantrums like you do," Slade added. They were all grinning a part from Oliver.
"I do not chuck tantrums!" Oliver said loudly.
"Eat your breakfast before I give you a time out," Slade told him with mock seriousness. Thea and Walter were highly amused and Sara and Shado were barely containing their laughter. Oliver looked down frustrated at his breakfast plotting ways to get Slade back. It would have to be creative and unexpected and a light bulb moment hit as he took another mouthful of his fruit salad. He was glad he had learnt the basics of how to catapult stuff with Slade, back when it was just the two of them. He lent the spoon in and grabbed a slice of peach covered in juice and began slowly moving it towards himself. At the last second he twisted the spoon slightly and sent the peach slice flying with it making contact a second later on Slade's nose. The whole table froze and watched as the peach slice fell and the juice began running down his face. Slade slowly moved his head so he was looking straight at Oliver, who gulped.
"This seemed like a good idea in my head," Oliver offered desperately. Thea snorted loudly at this, having heard that excuse before.
'You're dead Ollie," Sara told him.
"It was nice to have met you," Shado added.
"Slade," Oliver dragged out his name pleadingly.
"Kid," Slade said back his voice quieter and more serious than usual. Oliver was never more thankful for the nickname Slade had given him.
"Exactly, Kid, Kid's make mistakes." Oliver told him. Slade regarded him.
"And then they get punished for them," Slade reminded him. Oliver groaned.
"What are you going to make me do?" Oliver said dreading whatever physical punishment he was about to receive.
"You said you had a mile long perimeter surrounding your house?" Slade queried. Walter nodded.
"3 laps," Slade told him. Oliver immediately regarded him with suspicion, that wasn't nearly as harsh as he was expecting. After all the training Slade and Shado had put him through, he could run three miles easily.
"With me behind you, and you won't like the consequences of me catching you," Slade added with a raised eyebrow. This resulted in Oliver groaning again. Slade may not look like a runner, but the Island had turned him into a fast long distance runner. Slade was faster than Shado and himself. Walter and Thea looked confused though, not seeing the seriousness of Slade joining in.
"Slade is the fastest runner and the best at running long distances out of all of us," Shado told them to their surprise. The Captain knocked on the door politely.
"We should be docked within the hour if you want to begin packing the belongings you wish to take with you now and the rest will be packed by the staff and delivered later today." He informed them.
"Thank you Captain," Walter told him, the Captain nodded and left.
"We should probably get packing then," Thea said getting up. The others followed suit and went to begin packing.
"I'm nervous," Oliver said quietly. He was in the middle of the group including Thea and Walter waiting on the deck as the crew members were attaching the boat to the docks.
"Why?" Thea asked.
"I've changed a lot Thea, you and Walter have accepted me but what about everyone else. I'm not the same person that I was when I left, and I hope they don't expect me to be. I can't be the Oliver they remember anymore, too much has happened." Oliver trailed off with a haunted look as he remembered killing his first man.
"I'm nervous too, for the exact same reasons," Sara offered. The others stood silently unsure of what to say.
"Joe's waiting for me," Slade said. The closest he would come to admitting that he was scared.
"As you have been telling me since we were rescued, we are family now. We accept each other, even if they need time to adjust to the changes, you will always have us as support," Shado said firmly.
"Shado is right," Walter agreed.
"If you will follow me, I will take you down the ramp and help with your luggage," the Captain announced. They were soon walking down the docks looking for any sign of their families. Tommy had texted to say they were already at the docks twenty minutes ago. Lance, Tommy and Joe were meeting them and then coming back to the Queen Mansion.
"Ollie!" Tommy's voice caused them all to turn to the left towards the toilet block and they saw the three of them running towards the group. Slade dropped to his knees and soon was hugging Joe with all he had as Joe cried into his shoulder. Lance embraced Sara and the both of them were soon crying. Tommy had stopped in front of Oliver and was grinning hugely.
"Welcome home," Tommy told him, and then looked at Shado who was standing next to Oliver.
"It's nice to meet you in person," Tommy said.
"Thank you, and it is nice to meet you in person too," Shado offered with a small smile. Slade stood up, not letting go of Joe but opting for holding his hand instead of a crushing hug.
"Joe this is Thea who I was telling you about on the phone," Slade said pointing out Thea who smiled in return, "your Aunts Shado and Sara," Shado gave a smile but Sara was shocked but soon recovered and smiled at both Joe and Slade, "and Walter." Slade said with Walter giving a warm smile in return. To everyone's, including Tommy and Lance's amusement Slade pointedly ignored Oliver's dropped jaw at not being included.
"Oh, I forgot, the one with the weird face is unfortunately your Uncle Oliver, though I have a feeling you are more mature than he is," Slade said making a subtle reference to that mornings scene with the peach slice.
"What did you do to get on his bad side?" Lance asked.
"He flung a piece of peach at Slade this morning and it hit him on the nose," Thea offered with a grin. Tommy choked with laughter and Lance rolled his eyes at their antics.
"Why?" Tommy asked.
"He said I chucked tantrums and then threatened me with a time out like I was a kid," Oliver said grumpily.
"So you threw food at him, I'm not even seeing how that helped prove you aren't a kid," Joe said. This caused everyone but Oliver to laugh. Oliver watched as his old life and his new life interacted together and the fear he had about them not accepting him and his new family was gone.