Alright here's part two. Once again nallemorin I hope this meets with your expectations! The aftermath is next. Thanks again for reading, and reviewing, and following. I'm truly humbled my it all.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Arrow or it's characters.
Chapter 11: Daddy's Scars: Rebecca Part 2
If I survived this Felicity was going to kill me herself. As I held her in my arms I felt my own fears and insecurities begin to close in creating a horrible ache in my heart. I had agreed to let her go to work against my better judgment and I wasn't going to be able to go back on that promise in the morning. Slowly extracting myself from her equally strong hold I pulled on my hours ago discarded sweat pants and lightly opened the door as I headed downstairs. Our home was usually filled with the various sounds that a family of six made. The noise our children created always made my day. From them arguing about who did what and who should get the blame; to their constant laughter when their mother or I said something that was totally lame, or even the disgusted sounds they made when Felicity or I showed any type of affection towards the other made my day. Now sitting alone in the usually very filled lair I debated, this was going to end up being perhaps one of the biggest mistakes I had made in recent memory. Not counting the time I had trusted him over my team during my battle with Ra's. I picked up the untraceable phone that was programmed with the only known number of the current Ra's and I pushed dial.
"Oliver what a pleasure to hear from you at 3:30 in the morning." His voice was rough from sleep and filled with annoyance due to the hour. "I'm sorry to disturb you Malcolm but I presume you are aware of my current HIVE problem." I was silently berating myself for even making this call but I was out of options and unwilling to lose my wife or my children to this man. "Yes Nyssa has kept me apprised of the situation via Sara. I assume Felicity's father has decided it's time for his daughter to come home and claim her rightful place as heir to his throne. I also assume he's threatened to take your children along with her." The exhaustion evident in my own voice I let out a long sigh. "Yes he has. Thus far he's attempted to take her three times and I believe tomorrow will be the fourth." I could hear the sadistic smile in his voice. "You're calling for help in taking down Damian… I take it by your lack of an answer that would be a yes. Of course I'll offer the aid of the League after all HIVE has been plaguing us for years." I knew his offer would come with conditions so with my entire body now on high alert I proceeded further into the lion's den. "What are your conditions Malcolm? The last time we made this kind of deal you became the next Ra's. I assume this deal with also come with strings attached." He paused dramatically before responding. "My terms are simple. In exchange for my aide you will give me Damian Darkh. I want his organization and what he stole from Nanda Parbat back. Those are my terms take them or leave them." I pondered this deal. Malcolm was as Felicity so lovingly termed him a lying psychotic jack ass; he was however the devil I knew so before I could talk myself out of this I agreed. "Fine but I have one change I'd like to propose." His interest peaked "Yes…" "I will let you have HIVE to do with what you please however Damian's life belongs to me. He has attacked my family and put them in harm's way. For that alone he will pay." Without an ounce of hesitation he agreed. I ended the call and braced myself for tomorrow when I killed Damian Darkh my wife's father.
I was pacing back and forth in the underground garage going over and over again in my mind how I could have made any deal with Malcolm Merlyn who attempted to destroy Thea and who got Sara killed. My musing's were interrupted when I saw Nyssa out of the corner of my eye. She approached with 15 of the League's best behind her. "Oliver we are here as Ra's has requested. I assume you have a plan for entry and then attack." I smiled slightly at this woman who had been my sort of wife, who would become my ally and who was now a good friend. I leaned forward as she did to pull her into a quick embrace. "Nyssa there is no need to be quite so formal whenever you see me." Smiling slightly or as much as she would allow she grabbed my hand in a comforting embrace. "We'll get her back Oliver; I won't let anything happen to Sara's sister. Your family is Sara's family and therefore my own." I nodded in thanks and gratitude as we planned our fight strategy. We were getting ready to enter the air ducts when my com buzzed. It was an older signal, one that we hadn't used since the Arrow days and therefore one I didn't immediately recognize. The voice on the other end made my blood run cold. "Daddy?" Becca's voice was coming through the old com signal. That hardware was stored in Felicity's lab; the same lab that my wife was currently I assumed being held captive in. In that moment I ran…
The gunmen had been quiet for now a really long time, I was sit hidden between the two tables in the back of the lab praying for my dad to magically appear. I was scared, and I was curious as to who these men where and why they were trying to kidnap my mother. I was so caught up in my own musings that I didn't hear the lab door open, nor did I hear their soft steps as they searched the lab looking for the odd popping sound caused by the old com's device. By the time I realized I needed to change hiding spots it was too late they had found me and were pulling me rather harshly by the arm into the main office. My eyes adjusted to the very bright lights of my mother's main office space. I could see that Uncle Digg was still out and bleeding from the wound on his head, Aunt Sara was still in her crouched position in front of my mother who now looked livid. The first man with his hand holding my arm tight enough to leave a bruise led me toward the other men in black. He then shoved me until my back collided with another man who grabbed my shoulders roughly and pulled me against his body effectively caging me in. I really wished in that moment that I had stayed in bed today.
The moment I saw my daughter's dark hair and purple rimmed glasses my heart sank in my chest. Thousands of thoughts ran through my head but the only one that mattered was why. Why of all days did she choose today to disobey? Her eyes caught mine affirming that she knew that I was very much aware of her presence in the lab. Hoping to keep her safe and to maybe use her knowledge of the lab to alert her father I used my eyes to direct her to the old com's device that was buried underneath the back 2 lab table's cabinets. I waited nervously still awkwardly holding Digg's gun in my two hands as Sara shielded me with her own body. The silence was deafening as I stood there too scared to move and to angry to speak. I had to keep it together not only for my family but for my little girl who was hopefully safely hidden in the next room. My hopes were dashed when I along with the 15 masked intruders's heard the distinct crack and pop of the old com system. She'd found it and then turned it on. I now only hoped that her overprotective father had been waiting at the end of the line.
My heart began to race even faster than before when two men went to investigate the unknown sound coming from the lab. I hoped and prayed they wouldn't find my baby that she was hidden and safe. However my luck was never that good and they came out no more than three minutes later with my baby girl in the grasp. My hold on the gun tightened as Sara's posture become almost feral she was doing the same thing I was she was preparing to fight. I saw them as they brutally manhandled my daughter passing her from one man to another and then imprisoning her within their grasp. I snapped my self control was gone and I was suddenly moving forward with the gun still held tightly in my hands. "LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER OR I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL SHOOT AND KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU." My voice came out loud and deadly. I was no longer Felicity Queen mild mannered CEO, I was Felicity Queen mother of four and one of my children was in danger. I didn't care what I had to do they weren't going to hurt my daughter. "I mean it release my child or you'll find out just how much training the wife of the Green Arrow has had over the years. My husband has taught me well. So once again RELEASE MY DAUGHTER NOW." Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Digg was fully conscious once again and remaining still waiting for his moment to attack. Sara was now next to me, supporting me as she held out her hand towards Becca. "Gentlemen I'd do what the woman says, I've seen her shoot, she won't miss her target." The ring leader who had also manhandled my daughter stepped forward and removed his mask. His face was slim, his build was muscular and he had what appeared to be claw marks down the left side of his face. I raised the gun higher and pointed it directly at his temple as he stepped closer sneering with what appeared to be glee. His snide cruel expression suited his black and soul less eyes. He now had his forehead pressed up to the barrel of the gun, with his hands resting astride his hips he smiled revealing teeth that a vampire would envy and voice that would rival any villain known to man.
"Mrs. Queen I have orders to return you and your children to your father. We have attempted this process now four times and each time you resist. Now you are threatening fifteen armed men with one pathetic gun. You might be a good shot, but I assure you you'll be dead on the ground before your finger ever pulls that trigger." Feeling my anger rise and my resolve strengthen I said what might be the dumbest and bravest thing yet to date. "At least if I die you'll die with me. After all the orders were alive and I do believe unharmed. That means if you kill me or lay another hand on my daughter than your life is already over. You should just save him the effort and let me kill you right now." My voice was like ice and I took a step closer with the last statement and braced myself for my next poorly thought out move. "Now I'll ask one more time I Felicity Queen…" raising my voice for the fullest impact I could manage "DAUGHTER OF DAMIAN DARKH AND THE RIGHTFUL HEIR TO HIVE DEMAND THAT YOU RELEASE MY DAUGHTER YOU FRACKING BASTARD." Lowering my voice so that only those closest to us could hear I continued. "If you deny my request I swear to god I will find a way to rip you apart one fucking limb at a time. I might look meek but you went too far when you touched my child." Stepping slightly back and raising my voice once again continuing on. "So what's it going to be?" My body tensed from both the exhaustion and panic of those last moments with my hands still firmly around the gun I waited.
I have never appreciated my husband's sense of timing more than at that very moment. The scarred snide son of a bitch was about to give his answer when just like when we had returned from Nanda Parbat doubting him; he appeared from above and landed with Nyssa in tow. His critical eye appraised the situation around him looking to assess everything in the room including the location of our daughter. Once he had spotted her and knew that she was fairly safe and unharmed he along with Nyssa moved to each take up a position by my side. With his body slightly in front of mine he used his hands to lower mine and the gun within. I allowed him to lower my arms and then I allowed him to push me slightly behind him so that now he and Nyssa were standing abreast with Sara and I behind them. His attention never left the unmasked man nor the 14 other's behind him. His laser focus trained on our daughter for a second and then moved back to the ringleader. "Mr. Queen or should I say the Green Arrow how lovely, now that you've joined us we can have a little family reunion." Suddenly the man who was still holding my daughter moved forward with her and tow and removed his mask. There before me for the first time in a long time was my father… Damian Darkh.
"I had hoped that we could do this without a lot of fuss but sadly you my daughter and you her husband have proven to be quite adept at ruining my plans." My heart froze in my chest here was here right in front of me and holding half of my family hostage. However Oliver had no intention of letting him come close to what he had claimed as his. "Release my daughter and then we'll talk just you and I." My father smiled and finally released his hold on our baby girl.
Our daughter ran straight for her mother's open arms, sobbing and crying and repeating the same thing over and over again. "I'm so sorry mommy, I'm so sorry." Felicity leaned down holding our daughter tightly to her chest until they were both on the ground my daughter wrapped tightly around her mother, Felicity holding on equally as tight. I didn't begin to speak until I heard Felicity's voice whispering soft soothing words into our daughter's dark brown hair as she gently rocked them back and forth while rubbing her hands up and down her back. "its ok baby mommy's got you, it's alright mommy and daddy are right here baby, no one is going to hurt you." I glanced down to her eyes to check if it was alright to proceed. I saw the fire that I had fallen for so many years ago and that was my answer. I moved forward with Nyssa by my side. This was going to end tonight.
"I had no intention of hurting my own granddaughter what kind of monster do you think I am?" My face still obscured by the hood allowed for me to remain distraught without having it show. My voice however was another story entirely. "You had… and my voice rose as I lost all control MY WIFE, YOU HAD FOURTEEN MEN POINTING GUNS AT YOUR OWN DAUGHTER, THEN YOU PROCEEDED TO MANHANDLE MINE. YOU ARE HOLDING MY FAMILY HOSTAGE AND YOU WONDER WHY I THINK YOU'RE A MONSTER!" I was still so angry that it was coming off me in waves. I raised the bow and with the arrow notched I was ready to deliver my final blow. "Before you kill me Oliver consider this your wife and child are still in this room, your little girl is going to witness you taking another man's life right in front of her. I do wonder what kind of emotional toll that would take on a nine year old." He was right I had to remove them from the room, I had to get them to safety and then he had to die. Lowering the bow I stepped back closer towards where my wife and child still sat. "Good Oliver I knew you had enough sense to listen to reason." He was tall and muscular and looked barely older than 30. His dark hair matched his smooth pale skin. I kept staring at him attempting to find a link between this man and the woman I loved. I could find none because this man wasn't her father; he had left her and Donna to pick up the pieces of their shattered hearts. No matter what this man wasn't my wife's father.
"I can see the wheels turning Oliver and let me assure you I've been waiting a long time for this moment. I put this plan into play 7 months ago when my brilliant daughter developed a new software that was able to find holes in any firewall in the world and then repair them. I reached out by another name of course Tame Industries." I thought back through all of our work for the past 7 months and realized with a sickening shock that he was the investor for the new project Felicity was so invested in. He had played us all along. "You knew she wouldn't be able to pass up that project you planned this from the start. All the previous attempts were just a game all leading up to the final show. He smiled smugly and went to sit down in one of the still standing office chairs. "Yes tame is what the name Damian actually means. So you see I used my name just in a different way. The fact is I'm dying Oliver. I'm running out of time. I want to hand over HIVE to my rightful heir. To my Felicity." I stood shocked to the very core with my bow still tightly grasped in my hand. "Yes let that sink in the water's of the Lazarus pit are wonderful indeed but they do have some nasty side effects. I've been 30 for hundreds of years now, I haven't aged a day. However immortally has its limits for us all. The water's effect is waning and I'm soon going to begin rapidly aging until I die. Hence why I'm here I wanted my daughter to take my place to keep my life's work alive. She is my heir after all."
I moved forward with ease while Nyssa stayed behind to watch over my family. Diggle by now had moved from his position on the floor, having retrieved the gun from Felicity moved with me gun trained on Damian's head. "You know I won't let that happen, I'll die first." He smirked and slightly raised his hand ordering his men to come surrounding us and Damian in an isolated circle. "Yes I know. I do hope you enjoyed your life Oliver for it's now going to end." With a wave of his head they moved but they were two seconds two slow my 15 men had just fallen from their hiding space above the office ceiling.
Mommy had moved with me still wrapped tightly in her arms towards the lab followed closely by Nyssa and Sara. They stood at the door guarding the entrance as she checked over my body looking for any injuries. I wasn't standing for it and once she released me I ran to the glass windows. All I could see was black, black moving parts everywhere. I couldn't find Daddy in the crowd. I watched with awe as one by one all the original black masked men fell. The battle was swift leaving no room for error. Finally enough of the men had fallen to the ground that I could once again see my father, the Green Arrow. I mean I always knew it was him since that night when I was three. Finding the lair when I was six just confirmed the knowledge. I was so transfixed that I hadn't felt my mother attempting to pull me away from the window; I didn't understand why her hand was coming across my eyes. Sadly she was too late I finally understood why she started screaming my father's name when the other man the man who claimed he was my grandfather stood with three arrows in his chest holding a sword that was going straight through my father.
The next few minutes went by in a blur, my mother was no longer trying to avert my gaze from the scene beyond the glass walls. Instead I watched as she ran across the wide expanse of her office towards my father's now very still form. I tried to look away I really did but I just couldn't do it. I had watched the battle as multiple men fell to the ground, I watched as various swords and staffs were used to cut, hit, slice, and shatter the other side. However it was what was happening in the center of the circle that held my attention most of all. My daddy who has been my hero since I was two was no longer standing but fighting against the other man who looked younger than both parents and claimed to be my grandfather. I was confused and scared, all I wanted to do was go back to earlier in the afternoon and change my mind, listen to mommy and, stay in bed. I kept my eyes trained on my father's form. He was amazing I had never seen someone move so fast, nor had I ever seen my father so much as attempt to harm another person. I just wished I hadn't seen the moment where Uncle Digg was knocked down leaving daddy open on the right side. I wished I hadn't seen Damian aim the sword, I wished that my daddy was faster as the sword found its new home. I kept replying the nightmare over and over in my head, I didn't even feel it when Nyssa picked me up, I didn't hear Aunt Sara as she held my face between her hands and kept calling my name, I suddenly felt cold and numb. I realized that I might have just seen my father die.
"Felicity!, Felicity! FELICITY!" I heard them calling me over and over again but ignored them as I ran across my office and knelt down beside his body. My eyes raked over his face searching for any sign or flicker that he was still there, that he was still here with me. My hands trembled as I trailed them down his face, over his lips, down his throat, over his chest and finally I landed on the sword. This damn weapon that had almost taken him away from me once, I'd be damned if it happened again. I heard a sputter erupt from the other form directly in front of Oliver. He was choking on his own blood and struggling to speak. Oliver's arrows had done their damage and now I was going to do mine. I repositioned my body so that one hand rested on my husband's leg but the rest of me faced Damian. This man who abandoned me, who gave me more emotional scars than I knew what to do with; I looked into his eyes and I knew that his end was near. I expected to feel something, to feel pain, or loss, or even remorse. Instead I felt cold, I felt anger, I felt rage and I honestly hoped that his life would end and Oliver's would be spared. He kept sputtering attempting to speak so I leaned closer trying to hear what his final words would be. "Fel..ic..ty… I'm… sor…ry. Nev..er…mea..nt…to…hurt…you, loved…you…" The sputtering stopped as his eyes went dark. I cried for myself, for him, and for the fact that I had once again lost him. Placing my fingertips over his eyes I softly closed the lids so that I would no longer have to see the eyes that had caused my family so much pain.
John had come up beside me to get my attention. I could grieve later right now I had to save Oliver. Placing his hand on my shoulder and speaking with a low sad voice "Felicity we have to move, Oliver's losing way too much blood we don't have a lot of time." Nodding I shifted my body back towards him with my hands clutching the sides of his face and my voice raw from too many swirling emotions I called out to him, saying his name like a prayer hoping he could hear me. "Oliver, Oliver baby please just open your eyes for me, come on it's over, our daughter is safe, I'm safe, you won, please baby, please you can't leave me, I won't allow it." I felt my voice rising as my tears finally broke through their final dam and came down my face in small little rivers. "OLIVER WAKE UP, BABY WAKE UP!" I felt his face begin to twitch and then slowly almost painfully his eyes started to open. I released the breath that had been trapped in my chest feeling a second of relief before it all came crashing down. "Felicity… why is the sword… still in my… chest." He struggled to say each word. Lowering my lips to his ear and latching my hands to his I attempted to explain. "Oliver, Digg said if we removed the sword based on the entry point than you'd bleed out in minutes. We have to leave it in until we get you to a hospital, baby we have to get help or you'll die." I struggled with each word as they left my trembling lips. "Where's… becca…" I smiled slightly through the tears even almost dead he still thinks of his daughter, with my heart now firmly in my throat I once again attempted to console my husband. "She's safe, she's with Nyssa and Sara, baby she's not doing so good, she just keeps saying she's cold I think she's going into shock so you have to hold for me, you have to hold on for her, Oliver baby you just have to hold on." I could feel his grip beginning to wane as his eyes started to shut he was almost unconscious again when I heard his last thoughts pass from his lips… "I love you…" Then he was out and any strength I had left was almost gone with him; but then I looked up and saw that my daughter had managed to get away from Nyssa and was headed straight for me.
Extracting myself from Oliver I moved with a speed that I didn't even know I could manage and caught my daughter before she could get any closer to her father's wounded body. Wrapping her body around mine I picked her up and carried her past the lab, to the private elevator for this level. With her face nuzzled in my neck and her legs wrapped around me I walked silently wondering how the hell I was managing to do this towards Sara. "Baby mommy has to help daddy now. I need you to go with Sara right now. Can you do that for mommy?" My lips were next to her ear as I spoke attempting to keep my own fear from creeping back into my own voice. All she did was nod her little head and instead of attempting to put her down I just passed her from my embrace to Sara's. "Get her into the car and drive to the secondary site. Sara keep her calm and get her ready for the next few days. If I'm right than we'll all be in close quarters until he's out of the woods." Sara's sad eyes bore into mine. "Felicity he might not…he might not recover." The last part was barely more than a whisper. My voice came out harsher than I had intended but I wasn't giving up and neither were they. "Sara he will wake up, he will be fine, and we will be raising our children together. He once told me that the history books said he'd die when he was 86. He's not 86 and I refuse to have the history books be wrong unless it's him dying at a much older age like 100. I will not lose him I refuse. So get my daughter out of here and I'll contact you once we have a plan." With that my sister and Nyssa entered the elevator and headed down. The rest of Nyssa's death squad had cleared out long ago most likely returning back to their original missions.
"Digg don't he's not dying." Digg held up his arms in defeat and followed me back to his almost lifeless form. "Alright so now what do we do?" I was once again leaning down to check my husband's body, his pulse was rapid and thready but still present, his respirations were coming slower and slower as each new minute passed. "Call Ray." Digg must have been doubting my sanity in that moment. Now he was eye level with me bending down on Oliver's other side and leveling a stare of valid concern. "Felicity what can Ray really do? Fly him to the nearest medical facility?" My head shot up and my voice was firm and now deadly calm. "Ray has nanotech that is how he survived the explosion years ago, I want him to inject Oliver with the revamped nanites. Last year he was gravely injured and those little buggers managed to heal him with no lasting side effects." Finally seeing my point his phone was in his hand and dialing Ray's number before I could tell him twice. I leaned down closer holding his hands and moving my thumbs back and forth over his knuckles. I pressed my lips to his ice cold skin, I kissed his closed eyes, his frozen cheeks, his forehead, finally kissing his slightly blue lips. Resting my forehead against his and softly touching my nose to his I whispered all that I needed to say but feared I never would. "I love you, I need you, I'm going to be pissed if you die on me. I will save you; Ray's nanotech is going to work. You're going to wake up, and we're going to grow old together in that damn porch swing with our grandkids surrounding us. I won't lose you again. I won't." Pressing one last kiss to his lips I readied myself for Ray's arrival.
It took Barry 10 seconds after Digg hung up the phone to get Ray to Starling City. It took them another 20 seconds to fly up the stairs and enter my now utterly destroyed office. I saw them start to open their mouths to speak but frankly we didn't have the time. I put my hand up to silence the oncoming words and started to bark orders before they had time to question me. "Ray the nanites better be ready, he has a sword right below his pectoral muscles, the moment we pull that sword out we better be ready to inject. I want you both to understand my husband is not dying today so we can catch up, and console each other later but right now you are here for one reason and that is to save Oliver." With the needle in my hand I motioned for Digg to remove the sword. Ray had given me all the warnings and I just nodded not caring as long as he had a heart beat I could deal with the rest. "Alright Felicity you've got one shot make it count… alright on 1…2…3" My stomach lurched at the sound of the sword leaving his body, I felt faint as I watched the blood begin to steadily pool. Ray had told me for the fastest effect I had to inject straight into the wounded part of the body. Lowering my bare hands into the deep wound below his chest I searched and felt gently for a muscle for which to inject the nanites. I felt sick, and woozy, Ray volunteered to do it but I was resolute I was going to do this he was my husband and I was going to be the one to inject nanotech into his chest. That way if something went wrong I only had myself to blame. Finally feeling a muscle through all the bone, blood, and flesh I plunged the needle into his chest cavity and prayed.
I had been through a lot of pain in my lifetime. All four births were awful; I honestly thought that my body was being split apart from the inside out. The pain was so intense I swore each time that Oliver Queen would never be able to bury himself within me again. Clearly that horrific thought passed once my head cleared from the body altering pain. I had felt my heart break when Malcolm came down the foundry stairs holding the sword that he claimed had taken my Oliver's life. I can still feel the tip of that blasted sword as it pricked my finger. It felt like a knife I had been plunged directly into my soul when he came back only to state he was going to be working with Malcolm after I stated in no uncertain terms that he would never do such a thing. All those moments paled in comparison to when Oliver was pretending to be Alshaim. After everything we had been through, after finally declaring my feelings for him, after finally baring our souls and making love for the first time, after I tried to sneak him out of Nanda Parbat realizing that he intended to die to kill Ra's destroyed me. Once I had given him my heart it was his to break, but thankfully it was also his to mend. However all that paled next to this moment; it might have been 5 minutes but it was 5 minutes of pure torture. I had taken my now blood stained hands and cradled his within them. I had my forehead once again against his kissing his skin softly every few seconds, and muttering I love you's over and over again. The ice that had started to form around my heart began to crack when I felt his hand begin to close around mine. I kept my forehead pressed to his with eyes open waiting for his to finally flutter and then open.
I was drowning; the sword had entered my body as I let the last arrow fly. I saw as his hand released the scabbard of the blade, and I relaxed as his body fell to the floor. It was over it was done he was dead, but then I realized I soon might be joining him. My body was cold and I could still feel the sting of the blade where it was buried against the sternum of my ribcage. My world was coming in and out, filled with distant sounds and hazy images. The last thing I saw before I thought I was gone was her face. Felicity's bright beautiful mournful face filled my vision, I could smell her perfume as she leaned towards me, I could feel her smooth soft skin as it raked across my face. Her voice is what made my vastly cold world become slightly bright. Her voice telling me to hold on, that she was safe, that Becca was safe, that she loved me allowed for a crack of light to shine through as my world was enveloped in darkness. I could feel my body once again responding my heart growing stronger, my respirations coming stronger and faster gasping for the oxygen I so clearly craved. Feeling her sticky hands in mine I finally opened my tired frozen eyes. Her blue orbs were the first thing I could see, her forehead was pressed against mine and together we let out a sigh of relief. Her face looked beautiful covered in dirt and grime. I examined her closely at first seeing her eyes were red, bright , and puffy. Her nose was red from crying, and her cheeks were lined with her dried tears. I then noticed that I could see blood streaks across her forehead and staining her golden hair. I swallowed the lump that was in my throat from my own tears and finally spoke.
"Felicity, baby how… I should be dead… I thought I was… I love you." I rushed through it all just to release that words that had been among my last thoughts. Her lips gently touched mine and my own responded. She gently pulled away with her soft clear voice she eased my worries slightly away. "Ray, nanites directly into the wound, I love you." She had rushed every word except for the last three, the only ones that truly mattered. Realizing that I was still lying on the floor she looked up to Ray, Digg, and Barry for instruction. "Ray can I move him, we have to get him out of here and then destroy the office." Ray nodded and looked confused to her last statement. "Yeah he can be moved but based on the site of the wound it has to be slowly and carefully. I'll want to monitor him for the next three days but other than that he woke up quickly and that is a great sign. Oh and destroy the office?"
Felicity had started moving me upwards and towards Digg's body. It took him and Ray together to pull me up with her nestled underneath my right side. She had us walking toward the elevators and button pressed before she responded. "We'll take him home; get him in the lair and that way I along with the rest of the extended family can keep watch until he is in the clear. Also I'm going to blow up my office." I turned my head towards hers and looked down with utter confusion mixed with exhaustion. "Baby what do you mean blow up your office?" She just smiled as she moved us into the elevator with most of my weight remaining on Ray Digg removed himself and started to set various charges throughout the lab and office space. "Oliver Damian Darkh is lying dead in my office, there are 14 other dead HIVE agents littering the floor. Do you have a better way to rid the office of the evidence because if so now would be a great time to speak up." I didn't and she knew it so I just nodded and waited for Digg to join us in the elevator seeing as Barry had already raced down to get the car ready. The charges were set to go in 10 minutes; the building had been cleared before I had entered with the league so no one was going to be harmed. We were in the car headed home with Digg and Ray upfront and Felicity and I in the back. Barry had gone to get Sara, Nyssa, and our daughter from the secondary site. I had my head leaning down against Felicity's with her legs draped across my own. Her arms were encased together as she snuggled against my side glancing at her blood red hands I winced. "You injected the nanites didn't you?" She just nodded her head slightly and buried her face into my chest. I grasped her hands in my own silently thanking whoever decided that this woman was supposed to love me. I was pressing light kisses into her hair when she finally asked the question that I knew would be revisited once I was strong enough to fight. "So what was Malcolm's price this time?"
Granted those next three days had been sheer torture for me I had forgotten that my parents had suffered as well. With our story mostly over all three of us were emotional empty, those days had been some of the worst in recent history and reliving them was painful. I looked towards my siblings looking to see if they could ever forgive me for my part in the almost death of our father. Jake as always knew my mind just as well as I did. "Becks it wasn't your fault. He had planned that attack for seven months he had an endgame it wasn't your fault. I'm pissed that you lied to me but I'll get over it. You went through something that none of us ever have. You're were 9 and somehow you've still continued to be my constant cheerleader and protector. No matter what you and I that's a bond that won't break, ever." I smiled and now slightly crying I released my parent's hands and started to move towards my brother. He of course met me half way. His arms enveloping me told me beyond any remaining doubt that our bond would indeed never break. He was still holding me when Tommy and Riley each came up and hugged us both. So there we were the four of us all hanging on to each other reaffirming our own special bonds. "I love you all. I'm so sorry that I lied but I we just didn't know how to tell you." Without breaking their holds they all together stated "We know. We love you too Becks." Tommy released his hold leaving the three of us standing there still hugging each other tightly and went towards our parents. I couldn't see them but I could hear them. "Now that we have the events that led up to those three days, I need to know what else happened back then. I need to know what happened in those three days and why everyone was so damn terrified if you were quote on quote fine." My father's voice responded "You're right we've told you the story now you need to hear about the aftermath." The aftermath was almost harder than the hours leading up to it. I was really going to hate that family cleansing.
So keep going? Who's excited for the aftermath, any thoughts on how that should play out?