Forever Is Composed Of Nows

by so caffeinated

Sometime in the future, things aren't going too well. At least that's the story Oliver and Felicity are told when a supposed time-traveler (their supposed friend and supposed superhero supposedly named The Flash) pops up in the lair with a toddler who calls them momma and daddy. Too bad Slade Wilson catches on that his nemesis has a kid. Cowritten w/ Bre. Art by cherrychapssstick

35. Chapter 35

Author's Note - Longest chapter we've had in a while, so buckle in for the long haul, guys! Bre and I are both still hoping to have an update next Monday while we're at HVFF San Jose, but we can't be sure yet if that's gonna happen. Sorry for the uncertainty. We've had a few people ask if they could meet us while we're there and um... OF COURSE. I'll be wearing a black ballcap that says Java and we will both be updating our Twitter accounts frequently with where we're at and what we're doing. Please come up and say hi if you see us! There's nothing we like more than talking about our fics, really. Side note, we are participating in OFBB again this year and it's a related story to this one. "Five Times Ellie Queen Had The Worst Timing In The World (and one time it was pretty perfect)" will post a chapter a week every Friday for the next six weeks. Keep an eye out if you're interested. Now... I'll leave you with this lengthy chapter. Enjoy!

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The van is silent as they make their way back to the manor.

Despite feeling like one giant bruise and having to fight to breathe normally, Oliver's the one who winds up driving - Sara can't even use one arm and while Diggle is conscious again, his head wound means he won't be getting behind the wheel anytime soon. Roy had fared the best of them, but when it'd come time to go home, he'd just climbed into the back of the van with Thea in his arms. When Oliver had stared at him, Roy had just stared back, making it clear he was unwilling to release her. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he watches as Roy closes his eyes, pressing his cheek to Thea's forehead, cradling her protectively. For all that Oliver would prefer to be the one holding onto Thea, Roy's place in her life is clear. Oliver hadn't even thought it was possible for someone to get through to a person lost in a mirakuru rage as Thea had been.

It makes him wonder if Shado could have broken through to Slade, had she survived.

His thoughts don't linger there though. They don't need to, not anymore.

The man that died back in the hangar wasn't his friend, the man he'd once thought of as a brother, and his death hadn't been Oliver's fault, just like what happened to Shado had been outside his control. It still hits him hard, sometimes, because she was his friend, just like Slade had been. But thinking back on his time with Shado and Slade no longer leaves him with a souring feeling of regret tainting it all.

He's free to move on. To focus on the present - on being fully aware of how precious every joyful moment is - and to look to the future.

When they reach the manor, Oliver pulls around to the back, to an obscured service entrance that's hidden by a healthy wall of trees. As he puts the van in park, he glances in the mirror again. Roy doesn't move to get out, not yet. Instead, he presses his face into Thea's hair, taking a deep breath. It makes Oliver wonder if he's not the only one who has recently gained a better understanding of the importance of savoring each moment.

Sara sits up, letting out a muted grunt before reaching for the door.

"You got it?" Digg asks.

"I do have two arms, you know," she croaks out, her voice as bruised as her body. The words are dismissive, but the way she rolls her eyes and smiles at him betrays her appreciation for his concern.

"Yeah, but both of mine work," Digg tosses back good-naturedly.

It doesn't stop Sara from opening the door with her good arm and sliding out of the van. Oliver can tell she tries to hide her wince, but she can't. Digg gently shakes his head with a sigh, simply following suit. Oliver does the same, making his way around the van in time to see Diggle offering his arm to her, but Sara waves him off, shuffling into the manor on her own.

"I appreciate it, Diggle, but trust me, you'll know when I need help."

"When's that?" Digg asks. "When you're completely unconscious?"

Sara chuckles, but they're too far away for Oliver to hear her answer.

Oliver tries to hide his own injury, hobbling as he reaches the back of the van. It's just in time to catch Roy climbing out awkwardly, Thea limp in his arms.

"I'll get her," Oliver half-offers, half-orders, moving to do just that. "Let me take her."

"No offense," Roy starts, his grip on Thea tightening, as if he's afraid Oliver might just scoop her away, "but I'm not sure how you've got you at this point."

Oliver wants to fight him. His palms itch to hold his sister, to reassure himself that she's here after everything they've just fought through. But Roy's also right. Oliver thinks his bruises might have bruises at this point and the adrenaline of the battle is fading fast, taking with it all the borrowed strength and stamina as it goes.

He gives him a small nod, conceding both Roy's point as well as his place in his sister's life.

A flash of gratitude skates over Roy's face and he nods back before taking Thea into the house.

"Oliver!"

Her voice precedes her by barely a second before he sees Felicity pushing through the service doors and heading straight for him.

"Hey," he breathes just as she reaches him.

She's careful, her hands drifting over his chest and arms, just hovering before she softly pulls him into her arms, so gently it makes his heart hurt. Doing a mental inventory of him, she whispers his name before pulling back. She winces as she takes in his face, pulling her hand up to hover over his cheek where Slade had pummelled him, her fingertips a hairsbreadth from touching his skin, her eyes pained for him. That says a helluva lot more about his physical state than the throbbing of his bruises do. She's seen him after fights before, some every inch as close as this one had been, but he's never seen her react quite like this.

Maybe it's that they're together now. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones. Or maybe it's really just that bad, he's not sure.

"I'm okay," he assures her. It's almost true. He will be okay, after several rounds of ice packs and a fist full of painkillers.

Felicity nods, but her touch is just as gentle as her hands fall down his arms next. "I know I said I'd yell at you and hit you, but that seems redundant at this point."

"I won't object if you pass on that," he replies. He smiles, even though it hurts. "But I will take that kiss you mentioned."

Her smile is uneven and filled to the brim with emotion - she needs it as much as he does.

Felicity pushes up on her toes, cupping his face ever-so-gently before pressing her lips to his. They're unbelievably soft. It's all relief and fortifying reassurance that they're past one more hurdle in the way of the future they both want. There's a hint of passion simmering beneath the surface, a reaction to the life-or-death game they play, the fact that they triumphed once more, but that's not the focus. Not this time. Right now he's just so grateful to be home.

Oliver sags against her, sighing against her lips. The kiss is nothing near their usual level, but a shudder of tingles still spreads out across his skin in response to her loving touch.

The bruises don't hurt quite as much anymore.

When she pulls away, he follows after her, not wanting it to be over. He bites his lips, chasing the taste of her on his skin as he presses his forehead to hers. His hands settle on her hips, his fingers digging in. He can feel the torn skin over his knuckles, the dried blood, but he doesn't care about that. He needs this, needs her. Always.

"How about we get you cleaned up," Felicity says, sliding a hand down his arm. Her touch is so soft he barely feels it. "And have Caitlin look you over."

Oliver shakes his head. "She needs to see to Thea first." He looks up in time to see Roy reaching the doors over Felicity's shoulder, carrying his sister toward the house where their mother hovers. "And Sara. She got the worst of it."

Felicity taps his sternum lightly. "You didn't exactly have it easy either, mister."

"I know," he agrees. He closes his eyes, leaning into her again. "That was…" Oliver lets out a huff of air and shakes his head. "That was hard."

"But you made it," Felicity points out. She looks up at him, pride shining from her eyes, and when she smiles, it makes his heart flip. "We made it."

"We did," he replies, his smile matching hers as he moves in for another chaste kiss. God, it's perfect. It's everything. And then Oliver takes a moment to realize what's missing from this little reunion. "Is Ellie napping?"

Felicity snorts and raises an eyebrow at him before tilting her head toward an upstairs window. "There's a negative percent chance of that happening anytime soon," she informs him. "Not with you back and Thea here."

Oliver looks up to find Ellie bouncing in front of a window of one of the offices, waving wildly with Lyla standing right behind her. He chuckles, waving back. She squeals, loud enough he can hear it through the shut window, before she bends down and cracks it open a couple of inches. She tilts her head sideways and presses her mouth right against the screen. "Hi Daddy!" she shouts, the words coming out slightly muffled as the press of the screen keeps her lips from moving normally.

Felicity wrinkles her nose. "Ellie, baby, that's gross," she yells back up. "That screen is there to catch bugs. Go wash off your mouth. Daddy and I will be up in a minute."

"Okay!" she yells back in a sing-song voice, face still plastered against the screen until Lyla scoops her up, disappearing from view.

"She's a bit hyped. I had to bribe her with candy to keep her from running down and tackling you and Thea." Felicity winces, biting her lip. "Don't judge me. I know that's a definite no in Parenting 101."

Oliver laughs. It hurts, way more than he wants to admit, but it doesn't stop him, because it feels good. He takes a moment to breathe, to savor this moment where everything is finally going right. Peace is an incredible sensation, and he's not even surprised to find he's most definitely getting used to it.

"I love you," he says. Felicity's grin in response is nearly blinding. He grabs her hand, kissing her palm. "Come on." He nods towards the door. "I want to stick with Thea, see what Caitlin has to say. And should you even be out here?" Now it's his turn to look her over. "Have you rested at all?"

Felicity scoffs. "I'm totally better. Caitlin was even impressed. No more stair carrying for me. Especially not by you, because I'm pretty sure you're the one pushing it at the moment."

His answering grumble is blatant annoyance, neither an agreement nor disagreement. She's right, obviously, and he knows that, but it doesn't mean he has to admit it.

She makes some sort of affirmative noise, a 'That's what I thought' noise before wrapping her arm around his waist, turning them back to the house.

In place of an actual response, Oliver lets his hand drift down her hip. His fingers graze over the seam of her pants before getting a healthy handful of her backside.

"Oliver," Felicity says, followed by a disbelieving chuckle as her hand drops to cover his, because this is so not the time or place. Not that that stops him. He may be hurt, but he's not dead, and his appreciation for the curve of her ass is very much alive and well. "Looks worse than it feels, huh?" she asks.

The grin that spreads across his lips is almost boyish as he shrugs one shoulder, palming her ass a little more fully.

"I've been worse," he replies. As much as adrenaline had fueled him before, some silly giddy feeling powers him now. Knowing so much of the danger they'd been terrified of is gone for good, that Thea and Ellie are both safe, that Felicity is finally doing well… He feels like he could fly, and the pain is so very distant… Felicity suddenly stopping in her tracks pulls him right out of that. He stops with her, glancing towards the doorway before looking back to her in confusion. "What is it?"

"I wasn't…" Felicity chews on the inside of her lip - nervously. All playfulness forgotten, Oliver steps closer, sliding his hand back up to her hip. She looks up at him. "I was going to wait, because… well, because I was. But you have had worse, Oliver."

He stares at her, not following. "Yeah…"

She meets his gaze, and her eyes are full of a meaning he can't quite grasp, not until she says, "Ellie didn't flicker." Even then, it takes a moment for them to register, for him to fully grasp what she's trying to say, but before the full impact of them can hit him, she's already talking, "That fight was at least as bad as the one in the kitchen. Your life today was every bit as in danger as it was that day." Her face is gravely serious, but it's the uncertainty along the edges that makes his chest tighten. "But Ellie stayed solid."

Not like last time.

It hits him like a wall of bricks ramming, sucking the air out of his lungs.

"She should have," he says slowly. "You're saying she should have, because…" He closes his eyes, and suddenly he's back in the hangar, Slade's arm wrapped around his throat. It was almost the exact same as it had been in the kitchen, the life being choked out of him, something warm and far-off pulling him further into the darkness. "Slade had me, he almost had me."

"Yeah," Felicity replies weakly.

"Why… why wouldn't she have flickered, like before?" His mind races to explain it, to make sense of it, but it can't. Because she should have, because her life's literally tied to his. "I'm… I'm glad she didn't, obviously. God." He holds Felicity closer, remembering the way she'd described how Ellie had suddenly started disappearing in her arms, and that was how she'd known something was very, very wrong. He pulls her against his chest. "But why? What does it mean?"

Felicity shakes her head, her mouth opening to respond, but she's got nothing. "I don't know, Oliver," she finally replies after a few seconds. "And neither does Cisco. We don't have any theories or anything, I just thought… I thought you should know. Just… because."

"Yeah," he says quietly. This should be a good thing, right? A sign that her place in their time is somehow more permanent. But she isn't from this time. She's from the future, which means her place there is permanent.

So what does that mean for their future, now?

He doesn't realize his hand slips out of hers until Felicity grabs for it again. "Hey," she says, lacing her fingers through his. "I'm not saying we need to be worried about it. It's… different, very different, but it's good. Because she's here. Solid and very here. I just… I thought we should be aware. That's all."

"Yeah," he repeats. The concern and oddly placed fear is still very present, but he also hears what she's saying. Because they don't know, and maybe they can't know. He squeezes her hand, and he's not sure if it's more for him or her. "This could mean everything's more set, right?"

Oliver expects her to agree - hell, he needs it - but she doesn't. Instead her lips part to speak, but she doesn't have anything to say again. Felicity cards her free hand through his hair before saying, "I have no idea. It could mean anything. Literally anything. But she's here, and she's safe. We all are." Her hand drifts down to his cheek, her thumb grazing over his stubble. "I didn't mean to freak you out, or to freak me out. For any freakout, really. Just for now… it happened."

"And she's okay, she's not…?"

"She's fine," Felicity replies. "She's more than fine, you saw her."

He cracks a grin at that, because he definitely did see her, in all her hopped-up-on-sugar glory. His Ellie…

"Let's focus on that," she suggests. "We'll figure out the why's and how's later."

He nods, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He hears her, understands the words she's saying, but the concern doesn't dissipate, any more than hers does. They stare at each other, both of them recognizing that this is something. And they should pay attention. But they just don't know how.

Felicity's hand slips back up to his temple. "You're bleeding again," she says, stroking the tender skin there. The wound stings as sweat drips down the opposite side of his face, into the broken skin at his cheekbone. He grimaces at the fresh pain. "Let's get you to Caitlin."

Talk more later.

When things are less… well, less bloody and they've had a chance to decompress. To process. It's a reminder of their reality, that Ellie isn't theirs, technically, that while things may seem fine right now, they aren't as they're supposed to be. He really, really doesn't want to think about that, about any of that.

He wants to concentrate on the now.

"Come on," Felicity says, pulling him towards the door again. He obeys without second thought, following her, allowing her to lead him into the house and up the stairs.

She moves tenderly - though whether that's for his benefit or hers, he's not sure. She takes tentative steps up to the second floor at a slow pace, and while it's not the speed he would have chosen, he finds himself grateful for it. He holds her up as much as he can, helping her as much as leaning on her, and he loves when she reciprocates.

The sound of soft chatter from the room Caitlin's set up in helps push everything down. It's Thea's room, one that's a few doors down from his and Felicity's bedroom. Felicity knows him well enough that she doesn't say a word when they don't stop for him to clean up, instead heading straight towards the voices to check on his sister. It's not exactly easier to concentrate on her than what Felicity just told him, but it's something he knows how to handle.

Even though it's only been a few minutes, it feels infinitely longer since he's been at her side. Too long. When they enter Caitlin's makeshift hospital room, his eyes fly to where he knows her bed is. Thea is there, laid out on the bedspread, an IV already hooked into her arm. Roy and his mother are at her side, the former holding her hand, the latter pulling the bedspread back, aiming to make her daughter as comfortable as possible.

They may be in his sister's room, but it's not Thea that Caitlin's tending to.

It's Sara.

The assassin can take an incredible amount of pain without so much as a whimper of noise - Oliver knows this first hand - but when Caitlin wrenches her arm, setting it back in place, even she lets out a string of Arabic with enough vitriol that he's certain it's curses.

"Sorry," Caitlin says with a grimace, more than well aware of what she's done. She checks to make sure it's in place, gently placing the still-limp arm in Sara's lap. It means she doesn't miss the next string of acid-filled words. "I'd suggest a painkiller-"

Sara huffs out a quick breath and a, "Nope, I'm good." She doesn't look good; she's far too pale and her lips are trembling from the pain, even as she tries to collect herself.

"A muscle relaxant then," Caitlin tries.

"How about some whisky?" Sara counters, looking up at the doctor.

Caitlin's face falters - she isn't thrilled at the idea, but she's also obviously figured out that it's fairly futile to go toe-to-toe with Sara on anything. "Okay," she agrees. "Take two and call me in the morning."

"Will do," Sara responds, shooting her a wink that probably would be far more salacious were she not shaking in actual pain.

Caitlin shakes her head - in amusement, as ill-placed as it might be - before removing her gloves, looking at Oliver. "Next patient?"

"No," Oliver says, shaking his head. He's far from the priority here, and even though Felicity huffs at his side, he nods to her bed. "Thea. She needs you most."

"Oliver," Felicity says in a low voice at his side, but Caitlin's already moving towards him.

"She's unconscious for at least a few hours," Caitlin advises. "The cure is working it's way through her system and I will be checking on her regularly the entire night." She glances back at Roy and Moira. "And I'm sure I won't be the only one. But," she adds, giving him a pointed look, "she's going to want her brother in one piece once she wakes up. So let me take a look at you. Please."

Caitlin's statements are questionable, at best. They have no way of knowing what Thea will want once she wakes up, much less when she will wake. Even if the cure works exactly like it did on Roy, she'd been so full of anger and rage, and she'd already been through so much trauma…

There's no guessing how it all will affect her, and he really, really wants to tell her to check on Thea, at least once… but he doesn't. Between Caitlin's urging and the press of Felicity's fingers against his spine, Oliver grits his teeth and nods, stepping towards the doctor.

Caitlin takes him in, a clinical once-over, mentally assessing what to do first, when she just stops. She pulls a face, looking more than a little sallow. He sort of starts to question her medical skills - it's not that bad - until she gestures at his shoulder. "You have, uh… you've got some… I think you've got a bit of Slade on you."

He doesn't have to look to where she's pointing to know she's probably right. Slade's death had been messy, to say the least, and he'd been right there for all of it.

It's a thought that clearly hadn't occurred to Felicity, though, and when she makes a sharp gagging noise, he turns in time to see her face taking on a green tinge before she darts for the bathroom.

For a second, Oliver's just as frozen as everyone else is, and even more so when they all turn to stare at him.

"Honestly, Oliver," Moira says. He turns to look at her as she shakes her head at him in disbelief, her hands finding her hips. "Go hold your pregnant girlfriend's hair back while she's ill. You shouldn't need your mother to tell you that."

Oh… oh.

Right.

Oliver follows Felicity into the bathroom. He shuts the door quietly, shedding the sullied remnants of his arrow suit as he goes. He doesn't pause to care about how bad of a shape it's in, instead tossing it and his undershirt onto the floor. He loses his boots and pants - really, loses all chances of her catching any Slade remnants again - before going to her.

Felicity retches into the toilet, her entire body heaving. Oliver crouches on the floor next to her, pulling the loose strands of her hair away from her face. She jolts, groaning miserably, and he smoothes the rest away from her forehead, sliding his other hand up her back.

"Oliver," she gasps, covering her mouth and looking back at him. "I'm not sure I can…"

"I've got you," he interrupts, tracing circles across the span between her shoulderblades. "And I even ditched the clothes."

She lets out a short laugh. "Well," she starts, eyes skimming down his nearly-naked form. "I do generally prefer- Oh God…"

Her own heaving cuts her off and then her face is back in the toilet bowl. Oliver feels more than a little helpless. There's not much he can do beyond rub her back, whispering soothing words and noises. It's something he should probably get used to. It's not like there's much he can do to alleviate the symptoms of pregnancy.

When Felicity finally sits back on her heels, she practically falls against him. Her weight emphasizes his injuries, but there isn't a power in the world that would stop him from being there for her. Oliver instantly wraps her in his arms, holding her up.

He feels more like he's sharing her burden. He's so intensely grateful for that; he wants it more than he might have thought he would. He's never been the kind of man someone relies on, not like this, not on a personal front - at least not consistently - but he craves that now, to be able to offer that kind of support and stability for her, for their children, their family. This is just a small piece of that, of course, but the way she instinctively leans against the hard wall of his chest, knowing he literally has her back… Well, it feels like they're walking the path he wants them to be on, despite the admittedly gross context of this particular moment.

Oliver strokes his fingers across her sweaty brow, pressing a kiss to her heated temple.

"This can't be morning sickness," Felicity groans. "It's not even morning."

He grins. "Pretty sure that's not how it works, honey."

She grumbles out a whimper before shaking her head. "No, no, it'd better be," she says, her voice sharp. "Otherwise that's some serious false advertising."

Oliver chuckles, kissing the top of her head, engulfing her entirely in the safety of his embrace. As they sit there, his arms around her, it becomes clear that this is more for him than for her. He just needs this. After everything they've been through, after what she'd just told him… he needs to hold her. To feel present.

And part of being present means having answers, which he doesn't.

It dawns on him that he and Digg will be having kids a few months apart, and that their wives will have each other through this experience - no, not wives, girlfriends. Their girlfriends… for now. Regardless of the title, it's an exciting notion. And with Lyla barely working at ARGUS right now, Oliver has to think they might very well spend more time together, become a lot closer than they might have otherwise.

That only leads him down the path of wondering what things were like in Ellie's time. Had he battled Slade? Had Queen Consolidated fallen? Had it taken Lyla's career with it? There's no way of knowing, especially now that things aren't at all what they thought they were - particularly in regards to Ellie herself, something that still makes his heart sink with unease. The glimpses his daughter has given him tell him that things are different though. It's almost like they have to be at this point.

"Why don't you ask Lyla about it?" he suggests.

Felicity grunts her agreement. "I think I will." She makes a face. "But maybe I'll brush my teeth first."

Oliver hums. "That's a really great idea."

She weakly slaps his arm, making him chuckle, before she pauses. Felicity looks up at the sink and frowns. "I'm gonna have to get up to do that though, aren't I?"

"Probably," Oliver agrees, following her gaze. Neither of them move though. "Especially since this isn't our bathroom and your toothbrush isn't here."

She groans and goes to move, but he doesn't let her go. He's not ready to, not even in the most literal sense of the word.

"Oliver."

"Not yet," he counters. He presses his face into the curve of her neck, pulling her between his legs as one hand drops down to stroke her stomach. She covers his hand, following his movements.

"I'm gross," she says. "I have puke-breath."

"Mmhmm." His lips are still pressed against the skin of her neck, completely undeterred.

"Oliver." She laughs, and the sound is music to his ears. She reaches back, pushing on his shoulder lightly, which actually kind of hurts. "You need to clean up, too, you know. I have puke-breath but, clothed or not, you have…" She shudders. "Mirakuru Slade juice all over you."

He winces at that description. "That's… honey, that's just…" He shudders, releasing her.

"You want a shower now, don't you?"

"I really, really do," Oliver agrees. "Possibly a chemical shower."

"That might not be a bad idea if we had one," Felicity admits. She pulls his hand away from her so she can stand before offering him a hand up to join her. He takes it, but doesn't allow her to bear much weight as he rises to his feet. "I'm gonna go see about a toothbrush. You take a quick shower and let Caitlin look you over. Afterwards. Not in the shower. That's my job. And I like my job. It's a good job. I worked hard for it and beat out loads of other applicants." A mischievous glint lights her eye as she says, "And I will happily put in overtime whenever asked."

The promising look on her face is something he plans on enjoying later, but for now it just makes him grin. Oliver kisses her on the forehead.

"Okay," he agrees. "Go brush your teeth. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"You'd better be." She backs away, heading for the door. "Or I'm cutting off the hot water."

That makes him laugh again. And he does hurry. He knows her better than to think she might be kidding.

Even several hours after they returned home, it still doesn't feel quite real.

Having Thea back, Slade, Malcolm, Isabel and Blood all out of the picture, Ellie protected by the tachyon detector, it's enough to bring a wary sense of peace that settles across Oliver like a warm blanket after too long in the cold. Trusting that warmth to stick around doesn't feel like the smartest thing to do, but nothing strips it away, and as the day presses on, he finds he's waiting for the other shoe to drop less and less.

Sitting vigil in Thea's room alongside Roy is strange at first. They might have had their moments recently, but it doesn't change the fact that their relationship before had been strained, to say the least. But there's no doubting they're both devoted to Thea. The air between them stays silent, for the most part. Their bodies may be on the mend, but repairing their relationship is on them. Oliver feels a weird responsibility to say something first, but he has no idea where to start.

Thankfully, Roy does it for him.

After the third time Felicity pops in and out of the room - this time with a fistful of advil, the strongest medicine he's willing to take - Roy clears his throat.

"I'm happy for you."

Oliver's so taken by surprise that he doesn't respond immediately. It's an apology as much as it is a statement. Words don't come easily to Roy. That he speaks at all says a lot. And Oliver had known he was sorry for how he'd treated them all when Thea was missing. Roy's the sort of guy who lashes out when he's scared or hurt, and the mirakuru had only amplified that. He knows the desperation Roy had been living under, he knows it very well.

Still, he isn't really able to do anything other than blink at the younger man in response.

That doesn't matter to Roy, though. He only has eyes for Thea.

Finally, with a tiny smile and nod, Oliver offers him a soft, "Thank you."

Roy slides him a knowing glance. "Glad to see you pulled your head out of your ass."

Oliver raises an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Roy doesn't skip a beat. "I may have been jacked up on mirakuru, but I wasn't blind." That has a tiny herd of butterflies hitting Oliver's stomach, absurdly enough. He must show it on his face, because Roy shrugs. "I only said something because you suddenly aren't biting my head off all the time. I mean, besides earlier. Actually…" He smirks. "Including earlier. She makes you more tolerable."

"Wow. Thanks, Roy."

A long moment of silence passes, both of them watching the muted television.

Without looking away from it, Oliver says, "You should apologize."

It's not a request so much as a softly-given order. He doesn't elaborate because he doesn't need to - they both know exactly what he means, just as Oliver knows Felicity won't follow up on how Roy had treated her. There's a mostly-unspoken understanding between him and Roy about what had gone down, and Oliver's fine with that. But when it comes to his family… he isn't willing to give an inch and Felicity deserves the words.

Roy just nods without meeting his eyes.

He's good to his word. The next time Felicity comes in, he does apologize, stilted and off-putting as it may be for him. It ends with Felicity making a little cooing noise and her face crumpling in appreciation and pride before she rounds the bed to hug him. Roy throws his free hand up to ward her off with a, "Whoa, hey," but she isn't deterred. She half-hugs a glowering Roy as she says, "Thea's lucky to have you."

She isn't just talking about him apologizing for being an ass, and they all know it.

It makes Roy pause. And then smile. A little.

The day passes along with so much calm that it's almost eerie.

Ellie tries to sneak in and see her aunt so many times that Oliver loses count, but she's unsuccessful, mostly because Oliver is there to shoo her out.

The last time Thea had seen Ellie is etched clearly into Oliver's mind. Ellie seems to be dismissing the experience altogether. Either her resilience is shining through or she's just outright blocking the memory. But neither of those options are something Oliver can do. The way Thea had looked when she'd seen Ellie… rather, heard Ellie talk about things that hadn't happened in their time yet… It's something he won't be forgetting anytime soon, nor will he be subjecting Ellie to anything like it again. It'd happened when Thea was in her right mind and it'd been nearly unbearable. Now, with mirakuru and the cure in her system, he's well aware that he needs to be as careful as possible, for both Thea and Ellie's sakes.

His daughter doesn't exactly agree, and even with Moira and Donna keeping an eye on her, Felicity wandering after her and Diggle feeling better enough to have tea with her again, she still manages to find her way in. It's just what she'd been doing when it'd been Felicity laid out like this. The only real difference is that Oliver isn't entirely at his wit's end and feels so much better able to handle it this time.

Still… It's exhausting.

"Don't look at me," Felicity says at one point, when he leaves the room briefly to return the precocious toddler to her mother. "That stubbornness has Oliver Queen written all over it."

He really wishes he could dispute that, but he knows better. And as problematic as her persistence is, it's also awfully endearing. He loves that she cares so deeply, that she's not so easily dissuaded. He can't help but think that these qualities will help her later in life, that the dedication and empathy he sees in her now are the foundation for who she'll become. But for now, she's three and she needs to listen to her parents, as much as she might dislike the notion.

When Oliver wanders back into the room, he finds Roy has slid onto the bed with Thea. He's curled up on his side, facing her, his head pillowed on his arm. His hand covers her arm, like he needs the constant contact, and he's fast asleep.

Oliver completely understands that need. He'd barely left Felicity's side when she'd been unconscious, and the only reason he ever had was because of Ellie and the near-violent need to find Thea. It was because of his daughter that he even remembered to eat, much less drink some water. Although he'd still done very little of both, despite how much energy he expended nearly every night scouring Starling City.

It occurs to Oliver that the only thing the kid's eaten since they'd brought Thea home was half an apple.

He damn well isn't going to let Roy do the same thing to himself that he had.

Oliver makes his way over to Roy's side. His eyes linger on Thea before skipping over to all the machines she's hooked up to. Her heartbeat is strong, and it's only getting stronger with each passing hour. Which is good. And hopefully means she'll be waking soon. He keeps wanting to ask Caitlin how long it took Roy to wake up after the cure. He'd been there, he feels like he should know, but when he looks back at the last week, it's all a blur.

"Roy," he says softly, shaking his shoulder. The other man grumbles, his face scrunching up with irritation. He tries to move away, but Oliver doesn't let him. "Hey, wake up."

"What?" Roy grouches, his voice groggy. Oliver realizes this is the first time he's actually slept in a while. He almost feels guilty before remembering he needs to eat too. He shakes Roy again, who tries to swat at Oliver's hand. He moves at the last second and Roy ends up smacking himself. That wakes him up more and he pushes himself up, jostling the bed as he turns to glare at Oliver. "What the hell do you want?"

"Go eat," Oliver replies, nodding his head towards the door. "I'll watch her for a while."

"I'm not hungry," Roy says, moving to lay back down. Oliver doesn't let him. He grabs the sleeve of Roy's sweatshirt and pulls him back up before his head can find his arm pillow again. "Oliver-"

"You need to eat, Roy," Oliver says before he can get another word in. "She's going to need you at your best when she wakes up, not passing out from near starvation. She's going to lean on you, and you need strength for that." He pulls on his sleeve harder, forcing Roy off the bed. He can see Roy wants to fight him by the way he grits his teeth. But he doesn't, because of Thea. Instead, he settles for a glare when he finds his feet, yanking on his sweatshirt with an exaggerated movement that looks as ridiculous as Oliver's sure it feels. Oliver nods to the door. "Go. I've got her."

Roy's eyes narrow, but when he takes a deep breath, he catches the smell of Raisa's pot roast. His stomach growls, giving him away completely and emphasizing Oliver's point. So he settles for yet another glare. "Why didn't you just bring me some?" he asks Oliver.

"Because last time I checked I'm not your maid and you have two feet all your own," Oliver responds dryly. "Now go. And when you get back, maybe clean up your gear." He nods at Roy's suit, his bow, his quiver full of arrows tossed haphazardly into the corner.

Roy rolls his eyes but he does turn. He looks back, his eyes lingering on Thea. It's clear he doesn't want to leave. "I'll bring some food back up," he says as he moves to the door. Reluctantly.

"No," Oliver says, shaking his head. "Not only because my mother would kill you and you probably want to at least try to stay in her good graces, but because you need a break." It's not entirely true. Oliver's pretty sure his mother wouldn't mind completely, given the circumstances, but the point stands. The guy needs a break. "I've got her, Roy. She'll be here when you get back."

Roy grumbles under his breath, something Oliver doesn't catch, but he does go, with one more glance at Thea.

The open affection on his face is still a little startling - Roy's never been one for showing what he's feeling, and he doesn't even bother trying to talk about it. At least not with Oliver or the team. But with Thea… seeing the look on his face and the devotion he's shown over the last day, it's clear to see that whatever they share is very real.

He'd sent Roy away to protect Thea from Roy. He never would have guessed that it was them being together that was the key to keeping the danger at bay.

Oliver turns back to his sister.

Soft, deep breaths have her chest rising ever so slightly. There's color in her cheeks, and the circles under her eyes aren't as dark as they had been when they'd first brought her home. Her heartbeat is strong and steady. She's getting better. The cure made her better. But the only evidence he sees is physical. He has no idea what she'll be like when she wakes up and his fear has nothing to do with the mirakuru-fueled rage he'd witnessed. No, it has everything to do with the last time they'd talked - before the mirakuru - and the things she'd said to him, when he'd told her he was the Arrow. When she'd seen Ellie.

Anxious fear fills his chest and he takes an unsteady breath. One step at a time. How many times has he told himself that over the last day? How many more times is he going to before she wakes?

How many times after?

Oliver would be lying to himself if he hadn't spent the last several hours silently bracing himself for his sister waking up and looking at him with the same distrust and anger and hurt in her eyes. It doesn't work. He knows if that is the case, it will be just as brutal as it was the first time.

"Hey, Thea," he whispers, making his way around the bed to her side. He's made a point of talking whenever it's just them. She isn't in a coma, but he wants her to know that he's there, that she's safe, that he will be her anchor to come back to if she needs him to be. Him and Roy. Oliver snorts under his breath - if anyone had told him he would be thinking 'him and Roy' when it came to his sister a few weeks ago, he would have simply shaken his head. Because it was Roy. And yet… Oliver sighs, leaning over her, taking her hand. "You sure know how to pick 'em."

No response, not that he'd been expecting one.

He finds the chair he'd been occupying most of the day and tugs it closer, sitting down. He never once lets go of her hand.

Oliver continues to talk, about anything and everything that comes to his mind. It's mostly about Roy and their mom, but then he goes into Felicity… and Ellie. There's a lot to say, and most of it is surface stuff, stuff he knows he'll tell her again. He doesn't talk about Malcolm or Slade, and he saves the apologies and explanations for when she's awake.

Minutes pass, the only sounds his voice and the steady beeping of the heart monitor. The sun sets outside, but the lamps in her room maintain the warm glow, her dulled skin reflecting the images on the muted television.

Roy heeds his request and he stays away, hopefully getting some sustenance. It probably helps that Oliver employed Felicity's assistance. She'd been a force to be reckoned with before, but now that she has a month of mothering a three-year-old under her belt and another child growing inside her? Well, when she says to do something, you should probably do it.

He smirks at the thought of her chastising Roy until he sits down and eats. The mental image of Roy shoveling food in his mouth as he glowers at Felicity, her smiling brightly in return, has him chuckling.

"It works," he says absently to Thea. "In a weird way, it works really well. I can't wait for you to wake up to see it." He pauses. "I know it won't be easy, but if…" Oliver stares at her. "Please come back to me."

One of her lids twitches, barely, and he wonders if he's seeing things.

Oliver brushes her hair off her forehead, pushing the wild strands behind her ear. There's still some sweat-dried dirt along her hairline, and her skin's a little sticky.

"Hang on," he says, squeezing her hand once. He goes to the bathroom, grabbing a washcloth. Running it under the water, he wrings it out and snaps the light off again, before heading back out. He glances around. Nothing's amiss. Oliver sits back down, pressing the warm compress to Thea's forehead. He cleans her face, rambling absently about knowing how dirty airplane hangars are before going into just how he knows that. "The first one I was ever in was in Russia. Half the roof was missing and…"

Something rustles.

Oliver freezes, instantly sitting up. His eyes snap over Thea, wondering if she'd been moving, but she's as still as ever. He glances at the open door, but he doesn't see anything.

"Great," he says. "Now I'm hearing…"

Another rustle. This time Oliver's paying attention and he's up on his feet, tossing the washcloth onto the nightstand before rounding the bed…

Just in time to see Ellie's feet as she tries to push herself under the bed.

"Ellie," Oliver says with just enough snap in it to make her try to scramble further in. He grabs her feet before she can get very far though. She lets out a startled squeak, one he instantly shushes as he pulls her out. She turns onto her back the instant she's out and moves to put her hands up - like she has a chance of warding Oliver off - but he swoops in, hauling her up. The movement has a vicious twinge pulling in his neck, one he feels all the way through his back. He grits his teeth, breathing through it as he asks, "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to be with Aunt Thea," she replies, trying to turn in his arms to see her aunt. But Oliver's already moving to the door. "Daddy, no, I wanna stay!"

"Shh," he says again, hiking her closer. "I said no more sneaking in, Ellie. Didn't I?"

"Well…" Ellie hesitates, because he's got her, but she's nothing if not resilient. "But you won't let me help, and I wanna help! I'm a good helper, Daddy."

"I know you are, Ellie-bug."

"And I did stay downstairs, I stayed with my Grammas and I drew them pictures and I showed them where the fairies live." Oliver nods, even though she'd already told him all about it at dinner. "I've been good, Daddy. I have. I'm a good girl!"

Oliver sighs, pausing at the door, looking at her. She's staring over his shoulder, at Thea. He grips her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I thought you were getting ready for bed."

Guilt colors her face for a split second before she pushes it away. She's sneaky, his daughter, a master manipulator. Especially when she purses her lip, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"Ellie…"

"I just… I wanted to see Aunt Thea. I wanted to brush her hair."

Oliver raises an eyebrow, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Brush her hair?"

Ellie nods. She slips her fingers into the collar of his shirt, her eyes slipping down to follow their path as she tugs on it. "She lets me do it when I go over to hers and Uncle Roy's house."

"She's still sleeping, baby," Oliver replies.

"I know," she says. She presses her lips together, concentrating on the collar of his shirt. "But Aunt Thea likes when her hair's pretty." She meets his eye again. "And she says I make it the prettiest of all time."

Oliver sighs. She is playing the hell out of him. And his reasons for wanting to keep her away from Thea are just as valid as they had been before… but he still feels himself giving in. A few minutes won't hurt, and if brushing her aunt's hair is enough to placate her and get her into bed - at least until tomorrow when it starts all over again - then…

Sometimes you have to pick your battles.

"Okay," he says. Her eyes brighten and she straightens, nearly ready to leap out of his arms. He tightens them though. He's suddenly very aware of the ache in his muscles. His lungs clench with pain as he says, "But we're gonna be very quiet, okay? Because she needs her rest. And I'm going to help."

Ellie nods. "Okay, Daddy. I'll be really, really quiet. Promise." She wiggles. "Imma get her brush!"

With a smile, he nods. "Okay, Ellie-bug." He moves to set her down, but he takes his time, adding "Very quiet, remember."

"Very quiet," Ellie repeats. And she stays true to her word. The second her feet touch the ground, she pauses, looking at Thea, before making her way to the bathroom. She practically tiptoes, an exaggerated move that Oliver almost thinks she does for his benefit, but the way she looks at Thea the entire time tells him she's doing it to be as quiet as possible. It's absurdly adorable.

Felicity doesn't have to be there for him to hear her, "You are such a pushover, Oliver Queen."

He is, he absolutely is. But only for his girls.

Oliver makes his way over to the bed just as Ellie appears again with Thea's comb. How in the world she knew where to look for it is beyond him. It's the same one Thea's had since she was ten years old, an heirloom made of ivory with silver-plating that their grandmother had passed on. It brings out an odd feeling of nostalgia in him and for a quick second tears burn his eyes, before he blinks them away. The thought of his daughter using that on her aunt's hair weighs heavy in his chest.

He scoots the chair closer to the bed before hoisting Ellie up into his lap.

They work together, Oliver leaning over, keeping her balanced and making sure she doesn't brush too hard or accidentally stab Thea. It turns out that she really does know exactly what she's doing - she's overly cautious and gentle, taking her time, careful not to scrape over any exposed skin too hard - which tells Oliver that she does spend time at Thea's brushing her hair. Thankfully the comb she's using is wide-toothed and easy to navigate, avoiding getting tangled all on its own.

Emotion clogs his throat as he watches his daughter work. At some point she starts humming under her breath, singing something he can't quite hear or follow, but it carries her along as she works. Oliver doesn't let her climb on the bed to get to the other side, but he does hold her so she can reach it.

"No more tangles, Aunt Thea," Ellie says, and it's so clearly just for her aunt's ears that Oliver almost feels like an intruder. All the more reason to ease into this, into Thea meeting Ellie again, into her hopefully understanding everything that's transpired. He doesn't want her to miss this. He doesn't want either of them to miss this. But he also has to make sure it's done right.

A shuffle of feet outside the door has Oliver turning to find that Roy's back.

The younger man pauses, his eyes latching instantly latching onto Ellie. He hesitates, half-turning, like he'll come back. It's been his signature move around Ellie since he lost his temper that morning.

"Hey," Oliver says.

Ellie looks back to see who he's talking to. She sits up with Oliver's help, smiling at Roy before pointing at Thea. "I'm brushing Aunt Thea's hair just like she likes. Right, Uncle Roy?"

Yeah, that still completely throws Roy for a loop. The first time she said hi to him earlier this afternoon, someone could have pushed Roy and he would have fallen over with how frozen he'd been, his eyes glued on Ellie. His reaction is much the same now, although he recovers quicker.

"Uh, yeah," Roy replies, taking a few steps in. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, his eyes darting to Oliver and then Thea before finding Ellie again. He nods, a little uncertainly - he gets that Ellie is from some point in the future and he's heard that he and Thea are together and babysit them, but it's still a lot to wrap his head around. "Yeah, sure."

As if she knows that's all she's going to get from him, Ellie turns back to the task at hand.

Oliver offers him a smile, but Roy just watches Ellie combing through Thea's hair. He takes a few steps closer, but he doesn't sit down. Almost like he feels like an intruder, too. Oliver's glad it's not just him.

It takes Roy a full minute before he clears his throat. "Hey, uh… kid."

Oliver almost rolls his eyes, about to correct him that his child does not - and will not - respond to "kid," but Ellie looks back at Roy with open, curious eyes. Like Roy calls her that all the time. That almost makes Oliver roll his eyes again, and he would, save for the look on Roy's face.

He's hesitant, and nervous as hell.

Roy clears his throat again. "Sorry I was a jerk earlier."

Oliver bites his tongue to keep his chuckle in, settling for smiling at Roy and shaking his head slightly. He knows Roy means well, but he also feels the need to remind him he's talking to a toddler.

"It's okay, Uncle Roy," she tells him. "You were grumpy and worried about Aunt Thea. Daddy was worried, too." She lowers her voice in what's supposed to be a whisper. "He was grumpy, too."

Roy cracks a grin at that.

Oliver nudges Ellie with a playful, "I don't get grumpy."

With a little giggle, she replies, "You do too, Daddy." Looking back at Roy, she sobers, adding, "He was really sad when Momma was sick, remember? He had Sad Eyes, and Sad Eyes make him grumpy. And that's why you were grumpy, so it's okay, Uncle Roy."

Wonder washes through Oliver. It never ceases to amaze him how aware she is. No, not just aware, perceptive. That level of understanding with her parents would make sense, but that she can read Thea and Roy that well, too? She's remarkable.

He shares a look with Roy, one of understanding. They wouldn't have been capable of it of a few weeks before.

As Ellie goes back to brushing Thea's hair - it's really re-brushing at this point - Oliver says, "We'll watch her for a little while longer, if you want to catch a shower or something."

"What, do I stink?" Roy asked.

"A little bit," Oliver deadpans.

"Haha," Roy replies. But he doesn't come any closer to the bed, and when his eyes dart to Ellie, it's clear he's still not entirely comfortable. Or maybe he wants the room to himself. But that's something Oliver's not ready to give up just yet. He glances at the television before looking back at Oliver with a nod. "Okay, yeah. I'll just…" He points to Thea's bathroom. "I'll be fast."

When he shuts the door, Ellie says, "He got a really big owie from someone mean once and Aunt Thea was really, really grumpy when that happened."

Oliver furrows his brow at the back of his daughter's head. It occurs to him not for the first time that a lot of Ellie's stories from the future involve a lot of injuries. And yet she's still so incredibly stable. "Oh yeah?" he asks.

"Mmhmm," Ellie replies, but she doesn't elaborate. Instead she sits back with a definitive nod. "All done. Look, Daddy…" She slides back and Oliver catches her easily, settling back in the chair with her in his lap. "Her hair's really shiny."

"Yes, it is," Oliver agrees, kissing the side of her head. "You did a great job, Ellie-bug."

His daughter preens.

Oliver smiles back before wrapping his arms around her to keep her still as he lifts his legs up, crossing them at the ankle before resting them on the bed next to Thea's legs. Ellie settles back against Oliver's chest, her little fingers running along the teeth of the comb as her eyes find the television. Before she can fully comprehend the movie on the screen - anything with guns and explosions and Bruce Willis is probably something his daughter absolutely does not need to be watching - Oliver grabs the remote and changes the channel to something more kid-friendly.

As Ellie's eyes widen with interest, he finally notices her hair. It's not tangled or ratty, but the loose blond curls are wild as always, and just about everywhere.

"Hey, Ellie-bug," Oliver says, holding his hand out. "Can I brush your hair now?"

"Okay," she replies easily, handing him the comb. She sits up, repositioning herself so she's still perched in his lap, still facing the TV, but so he can access her hair. It's effortless on her part, easy - like maybe they do this a lot.

He's brushed Ellie's hair a few times since she came into their lives in this time, but never at a leisurely pace. He's always been rushed, in some fashion, either they're due to go somewhere or Ellie's too full of energy to sit in one spot for longer than five seconds. So Oliver takes his time, enjoying the hell out of it. He separates Ellie's hair out into sections, brushing through each of them thoroughly. The comb is perfect for her unruly curls, taming them, turning them into shiny rolling masses of blonde, shiny enough to match Thea's.

Ellie's head moves gently, leaning into his hand when he catches a tangle, but she doesn't complain. She just watches TV, perfectly content to be there at her Aunt Thea's side and in her father's lap.

Which is good, because there's no other place he'd rather they be.

As if summoned, the only thing that could possibly make it better appears in the doorway.

Oliver glances over in time to see the beatific smile that cross Felicity's face at the sight they must make.

"Hey," he says, his voice softening.

"Hey," she replies, stepping in. His hands pause as he takes her in, his eyes dancing down her form. He can tell she's tired, read the exhaustion in her limbs, but she is walking better than earlier. Still… Felicity puts a hand up to stop him. "No lectures from you, I was running around looking for this little thing." As she reaches them, she tickles the side of Ellie's neck. The toddler giggles and veers away, forcing Oliver to grab her so she doesn't fall off his lap. His heart warms at the realization that Ellie just knows he's going to be there to catch her. Felicity steps up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "This is, of course, the last place I looked because I thought…"

"Yeah," Oliver interrupts sheepishly. "She got me."

Felicity snorts before curling around him, kissing the top of his head.

Oliver closes his eyes with a soft sigh, leaning back. Contentment settles deep in his bones. They haven't really had a chance for just them yet, not since everything that happened that morning with Slade. If he wasn't in here with Thea, he was somewhere else in the manor, usually doing something involving Ellie. The yearning for it is definitely there. He wants to crawl into bed with her and wrap himself around her, never letting go. He wants to sleep for a full day, with his girls, cocooning them in his arms, Ellie safe between them…

For a moment, they take their them time. Felicity leans into him, resting her cheek on the top of his head. He accepts her weight gladly. Keeping one arm wrapped around Ellie, he wraps his other behind him, finding the back of her thigh. He rubs her there, squeezing her leg gently. The evidence of the fight from that morning pulls at his muscles, but it's so easy to ignore.

Because this is perfection.

Home.

Not opening his eyes, Oliver asks, "Any more morning sickness?"

She hums, shaking her head against him. "No. Thank God. Although there isn't any disgusting Slade goo to make me want to vomit, so that's good. Hopefully that was a one-time thing and I never have morning sickness ever again."

Oliver chuckles, pushing his hand up higher on her leg. "I'm all for that denial." His fingers graze the underside of her bottom, making her twitch and huff out a tiny breath into his hair. "Although I don't think that's gonna happen."

"Let me dream, Oliver," she says, her voice dragging slightly, giving away just how much toll the day's taken on her.

He chuckles again before patting her leg. "Why don't you go lay down? I'll bring Ellie in when Roy's out of the shower."

"Okay," Felicity replies, but she doesn't budge. Instead, she leans over Oliver's shoulder, aiming to tickle Ellie again, but she doesn't get the chance.

A sharp spike in the heart rate monitor sounds and then…

"Hey," Thea croaks from the bed.

Oliver's heart grinds to a halt. He spins so fast to face the bed he feels that twinge in his neck again, but he doesn't care because Thea's awake. Equal parts joy and terror clash together in his chest as his entire world narrows in on the bed, on his sister.

The rage he'd come to associate with her in the last few days is completely gone, replaced with confusion and a little tinge of fear as she shifts on the bed, blinking at her surroundings before focusing on him.

She's awake. She's okay.

"Thea," he breathes. Some part of him tells his limbs to move, to get up and go to her, but shock has him frozen. Shock and his own brand of fear. Like if he moves, if he does anything adverse to her, the world will revert back to what it was and he'll wake up somewhere else, in a strange, ugly world where his sister really is gone, where he did fail her.

But then her face scrunches up, like she's in pain. "Ollie?"

The sound of his name on her lips is like a splash of cold water against his face - she's okay, everything's okay - and he snaps into action.

Oliver grabs a suddenly silent Ellie off his lap. In one movement he sets her down on the floor and is up, moving to sit on the bed. Thea lifts her arm, moving to touch her face, but the IV stuck in her hand hinders her. She frowns at it, not liking what she's seeing. Oliver grabs both of her hands before she can try to rip the IV out, squeezing them gently.

Thea's eyes fly up to his, her brow furrowing.

It's just confusion staring back at him, and he's never been so grateful in his entire life. None of the anger from earlier clouds her face, none of the hatred or vitriol. Although… if she's confused, looking like she doesn't understand what's happening…

Oliver vaguely remembers Roy describing to Caitlin what he remembered from when he'd lost himself in a mirakuru rage - it's like a black hole, little bits and pieces coming back, sometimes altogether and sometimes not at all.

It's painfully evident she doesn't remember everything that's happened.

He closes his eyes.

Later.

For now, it's enough that she's awake and she's seemingly alright.

"What…?" Thea starts.

"Hey, hey, you're okay," he says softly. She squeezes his hands, weakly, and it's the best feeling in the entire world. He lets out a relieved breath. "You're okay."

"What happened?"

That is a loaded question, and one he has no idea how to answer.

"What do you remember?" he asks instead.

For a quick second, it's obvious she doesn't have an answer. She stares at him, looking so lost, but then she closes her eyes with a grimace. Thea's face crumples as she concentrates, searching her mind… She shakes her head, her words coming out in halted hoarse whispers as she says, "Not much. Why can't I… remember anything? It's like this… vacuum in my head, I don't…"

"It's okay…"

"I was… somewhere dark?" she continues, talking over him. A sharp pain hits in him in the chest and it has absolutely nothing to do with his physical injuries as he watches her remember the weeks she was missing. The weeks he didn't even know she was missing. "I remember… salt. The air was salty. And then…"

Her eyes snap open, finding his before they flicker to something over his shoulder.

Oliver knows exactly what she's looking at.

He turns, following her gaze to Felicity and Ellie. His daughter stands in front of her mother, her back pressed against Felicity's legs, her lower lip stuck between her teeth as she watches her aunt. Felicity is bent over, her hands splayed over Ellie's chest, partially to keep her there and to give the suddenly anxious toddler some comfort. And her anxiety is so clear. Oliver can't blame her - she's all gusto and action when Thea's asleep, but now that she's awake, the last time she saw her aunt is probably very present in her mind.

When Thea doesn't do anything, though, relief and curiosity floods Ellie's face and she visibly relaxes. She moves to step forward, but Felicity stops her with a quiet, "Hang on, sweetie."

Felicity's eyes dart to his, the question clear in them: should we go?

Oliver doesn't get the chance to respond as Thea whispers, "Ollie…" behind him, but before she can say anything else, the dryness in her throat gets the better of her. She coughs, and it turns into an ugly hacking noise that sounds like she's trying to heave up her lungs.

"Easy," he says, turning to grab her some water, but there isn't any on the nightstand. He whips back to look at Felicity, the question, "Can you…?"

She's already nodding, saying, "We'll go get some water." He can hear her relief at having something to do, something that doesn't involve standing there, waiting to see what Thea's second reaction to this whole new side of Oliver will be. Felicity leans down and grabs Ellie's hand, whispering in her ear, "Come on, Ellie-bug, let's go get some water for your aunt." It's just loud enough for Ellie - obviously so Thea can't hear - but Oliver still catches it.

Thea's coughing starts to abate, but Oliver can hear how dry her throat is in the way she's breathing. He's about to turn back to her when Ellie shakes her head. Her little eyes never leave Thea as she tries to tug her hand out of Felicity's.

"I wanna stay," she protests.

Felicity purses her lips. Oliver can see she wants to haul Ellie up and take her out, whether she wants it or not, but she clearly doesn't trust her own strength right now. "We'll come back in a bit, okay? She just woke up."

"No, Momma…"

"Ellie," Felicity says, talking over her, voice low but sharp. The little girl's jaw snaps shut, her eyes flying up to her mother. The tentative look on her face slowly morphs into a stubborn line that has Felicity sighing.

Before she can say anything though, Oliver says, "Ellie," in a deep, hard voice that leaves no room for argument. "You need to listen. Go get some water for your… for Thea. Please."

"But, Daddy…"

"Now, Ellie."

Her brow furrows with displeasure and Oliver's suddenly back to the week when Felicity had been in their bed, unconscious, barely surviving. She's giving him the same look as she had then - she doesn't like not being included, she doesn't like missing things.

Tough.

Without another word, Ellie turns. She drops Felicity's hand and this time her mother lets her, turning to watch the little girl stomp out of the room with drooped shoulders and her eyes fixed on the floor in front of her before facing Oliver and Thea again with a wounded gaze.

"I guess I'll go deal with that bundle of fun," Felicity says, pointing over her shoulder towards the door, "and leave you two to… do…" She waves her hands between them. "This. Talk. Okay, I'm… I'll bring water. I'll go get some water, because you have to be parched. I so get that, I was…" Felicity makes a face, pointing at her own throat, even though Thea has absolutely no context for what she's referring to. She's nervous, not that Oliver can blame her. The last time she saw Thea in her right mind, she hadn't been very receptive, not just to Oliver and the idea of his being the Arrow and having a child, but seemingly to Felicity herself. Which Oliver knows isn't true. Felicity takes a step back, but then she stops, and the nervousness melts into real genuine concern, a sight that makes Oliver love her all the more as she says to Thea, "I'm glad you're awake. And that you're okay."

Thea doesn't respond. She just blinks at Felicity, who takes that as her cue and turns. She spares Oliver a quick glance, almost apologizing that she's leaving him alone in there, before taking off after their daughter.

Leaving the Queen siblings alone.

"Ellie," Thea repeats.

Oliver's heart skips a beat and he turns back to his sister. Her eyes are still on the doorway, and instead of responding, he takes a moment to look her over. Her eyes are dry, bloodshot. The cure is still working its way through her body, trying to eradicate the damage the mirakuru's done, and it's taking its toll. Her voice is ragged and harsh, and it matches the lines of exhaustion etched across her face. Despite that though, she looks a thousand times better than she had before, before the cure, before Slade, before everything.

She looks like Thea.

And instead of the vicious anger that he remembers very well from Verdant when she'd first seen Ellie, Oliver sees something that looks like wonder on his sister's face. It's tinged with sadness and confusion, but still…

Wonder.

Because she's an aunt. Because Ellie's her niece.

"She's from the future," Oliver says without thinking.

Thea's eyes snap back to his with a frown. "What?"

It doesn't escape his attention that she doesn't pull her hands away.

"Ellie isn't from this time," he explains, knowing full well how ridiculous he sounds, especially since this is really not the kind of conversation to be having a bare few minutes after she's woken up after a truly horrendous couple of weeks… But it is the right time. Because she needs to know. And maybe he's being selfish in needing her to recognize that he would never hide something like this from her, but he doesn't care. Thea doesn't respond and Oliver clears his throat, glancing down at her hands where they rest in his. Cuts and bruises litter her delicate skin, a clear indicator the cure is working. "She's from a few years in the future. We're not sure how many, exactly. Seven or eight, we think. It sounds just as crazy as it is." He glances back at her and the look on her face has him chuckling. "I saw it with my own two eyes. She's here, from a few years in the future. My daughter."

"Wow, that is…" Thea lets out a sardonic laugh. "That is really not the explanation I was expecting."

"I wouldn't keep something like this from you, Thea," Oliver says. He shakes his head, his eyes dropping down to her hands again. He rubs a thumb over her knuckles. "Not if I could help it. I never wanted to keep anything from you."

"You mean like being The Arrow?"

He freezes, his breath catching in his throat. Some part of him had irrationally hoped that she'd magically forgotten their entire last conversation, but that's asking for too much, and he knows it. He'd known this was going to come up, he'd tried to prepare for it…

She continues before he can gather his thoughts to speak. "I thought I was never going to see you again." Her voice is small, barely there, and so full of fear that it has Oliver's head snapping up to look at her again. Tears fill her eyes as she stares at him. "It wasn't like before, this was different. It felt different, when they took me, where they kept me. I was left alone for days, I barely got water or food, and… and I didn't think I'd ever see you again, Ollie. Which…" She laughs, but it's just for the sake of filling the empty space between them. "I was glad for it, the first few days. But then… but then all of it wasn't that… important. Not anymore."

Oliver's voice chokes as he whispers, "Thea."

"I'm so…" She lets go of one of his hands - the other still clasps his - and covers her chest. The agony that covers her face for a split second tears through him and all Oliver wants to do is erase it from her, take it on himself. "I'm so sad, Ollie. I'm sad and I don't know why and I'm… something's missing and…"

Thea shakes her head, a soft huff of frustration slipping past her lips at her inability to articulate her thoughts. God, she doesn't remember. She doesn't remember the last week, she doesn't remember the mirakuru, what had happened since it'd been injected in her.

Acid burns the back of Oliver's throat and he grits his teeth. He doesn't want her to remember. He doesn't care how selfish it is, how wrong it is, how much she'd hate him for it. So much for not wanting to keep anything from her. If he could spare her those thoughts, those memories? He would in a heartbeat. Because he wants that for her. There's no getting around telling her about Malcolm - he will - but… but if she can escape without having to remember what it was like being under the control of mirakuru?

Isn't that better?

Yes. It has to be. Because otherwise… he honestly doesn't know.

"I don't know what it is," Thea continues, "or what… what even happened, but I had a lot of time to remember that I'd already lost you once…" Her voice cracks, more tears filling her eyes. "And I didn't want to lose you again, Ollie, I didn't want that."

"You didn't lose me," Oliver whispers, leaning closer. He smiles through his own tears burning his eyes. "I'm right here. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you, but I… I was trying to protect you. I only wanted to protect you. That's all I've ever wanted. To keep you safe. To protect everyone."

"I'm still upset about it," Thea says, laughing under her breath. "Like really upset. That you lied to me, about so much. That you've been the crazy guy running around the city putting arrows in people. That you have a kid that I didn't know about… although I guess you have a reason for that. I'm still mad at you, Ollie, but now it's like… I'd rather yell at your face and then sit down and drink hot chocolate with those gross colored marshmallows you like."

Oliver laughs at that, at the memory of the times right before bed when they'd been little, when Robert and Moira were out late, whether it was out of town or at a benefit, and Raisa made them hot chocolate. It's so incredibly random, but so perfect at the same time.

Thea wipes her cheeks, rolling her eyes at herself. "I thought about that a lot."

"Yeah?" Oliver asks, wiping his own tears from his face.

"Yeah. It's stupid."

"No." He shakes his head. He takes a short, cleansing breath, letting the moment wash through him. Nothing's really over, or this easy, he knows that. But he's going to enjoy this simple moment while he can. Oliver gives her a soft smile. "It's really not."

He absently remembers that Roy is still in the bathroom, that he could come out at any moment. He's also very aware that Thea can't possibly know he's there, that she might not even be expecting him, that she might really want to yell at Oliver even more if she knew why Roy had left in the first place.

God, he almost wants that. He wants Thea there, in his face, instead of running away from him.

Still, Oliver hopes Roy stays in there for hours.

"Is Mom…?"

"She's still here, I think," he replies. "Downstairs."

"And… I'm sorry, what's… What's her name? Felicity?"

The smile that pulls at his lips is completely involuntary and he knows Thea can see it as he answers, "Yes. Felicity."

"You love her," Thea says, seeing right through him as only his sister can.

"I do. I really do."

"I can see it." She stares at him. "I can oddly enough totally see you having a kid now." He chuckles at that, which makes Thea smile. "I'm happy for you."

"Thank you," he whispers. A quiet smile spreads across his lips as he realizes there's more to say on that front. Ellie had told just about everyone in their lives about the baby, but not Thea. He gets to have this, gets to tell his sister he's going to be a dad. And the idea of that sends a surge of excitement flooding through his veins. "Actually… it's not just one kid. At least, it won't be in about eight months or so."

Thea's eyes widen, her lips parting in surprise. "Seriously?" she asks. "Like, she's pregnant? You're not expecting another kid to pop back in time and join the current one, right?"

Oliver laughs at that, sharp and loud. "Seriously. There's morning sickness and everything."

"But it's not Ellie?" Thea asks. "You said she's from seven or eight years or so?"

"Yeah, not Ellie," he agrees. "I guess her being here changed a few things. Maybe sped it up. We don't know. But, Thea…" He stares at her, trying to find a way to express what he's feeling. And he wants to, he wants to tell Thea, especially with the way she's looking at him. He wants to share this with her. "I'm not sure I've ever been this happy before. It feels like missing pieces of my life just finally showed up. I can't even explain it."

For a long moment, Thea doesn't say anything. It's not a strained or awkward or bad silence though, it's something else. Something better. Tears fill her eyes again as she nods. She blinks them away before they can go anywhere.

"I'm so glad for you, Ollie," Thea says. "And you're gonna be an awesome dad. Actually, I think maybe you already are."

That's too much of a statement, too big for him to respond to with words. It hits him deep, rocking his foundations in the best way possible. It's such a far cry from the greeting he'd feared he'd get from her when she woke up. Oliver nods, unable to articulate anything. He grabs her hand, looking down at it. Her fingers curl into his palm until she's squeezing him tightly.

"I mean it," she says, so soft it's barely audible.

"Thank you," he says.

With a small nod, Thea relaxes back into her pillow, and it's only then that Oliver realizes how much she'd been moving as she'd talked. She's waking up more fully, more life starting to fill in the tired spots between the lines. It's not physical exhaustion making her fall back, not like it'd been with Felicity. This is all emotional.

"I guess we have a lot to talk about," he says.

Thea snorts. "Yeah. That's sort of an understatement."

Oliver smiles at her, taking a moment to simply enjoy. "I'm really glad you're okay, Speedy."

"Me, too." She smiles. "I missed you, big brother."

His voice is uneven as he says, "I missed you, too."

A soft noise pulls their attention to the doorway.

Oliver turns to look over his shoulder to see Felicity leaning around the doorjamb, her face tentative. "Is it okay if we drop off some water?" she asks. The question is loaded with double meaning - 'Is it okay if Ellie comes back in?'

Before he can answer, Thea nods gently and says, "Yeah."

It's all Ellie needs to hear before she's stepping around her mother and carrying in an almost-full glass of water into the room. Her bottom lip is stuck between her teeth with concentration, her eyes focused on the glass as she makes her way to the bed.

"I was going to bring Moira up with us," Felicity says, following Ellie. "But she had to run to City Hall. That whole being mayor thing is more than a full-time job." She smiles at Thea. "She'll be back in a few hours."

"Mayor?" Thea repeats. "She won?" She pauses, trying to make sense of that bit of information and how that applies to just how much time has passed since she'd seen everyone. It hasn't hit her yet, Oliver realizes, the full magnitude of, well… any of it. Not just that she seems to be really missing time courtesy of the mirakuru, but that she was kidnapped and held somewhere for two full weeks. And then the last week… "Wow," she says absently. "Okay. I definitely missed a lot."

Ellie steps in before she can fall too deep down that well, and it's the perfect distraction. Thea's eyes latch onto the toddler as she makes a direct beeline to the nightstand. She carefully places the water down, hissing slightly when some of it sloshes despite her best efforts.

"Thank you," Thea says, her voice gentle.

The smile on his sister's lips is very evident in her voice as she looks at Ellie. She is the complete opposite of the woman he'd encountered in Verdant, and the person he'd met when she'd had mirakuru in her is nowhere to be found.

Now she's all soft edges and smiles as she looks at his daughter.

At her niece.

A grin of pure delight lights up Ellie's face. She bites her lip with excitement this time, her joy to maybe be seeing the aunt she remembers so well taking over, but she stops herself from leaping right at her. Oliver almost compliments her on it right then and there, but he doesn't want to ruin the moment. She glances at Oliver, but Thea's already moving.

She lifts her hand, holding it out to Ellie. "It's nice to meet you, Ellie."

"We already know each other, silly," the little girl replies.

"Ellie," Oliver softly chastises, but Thea just chuckles, nodding.

"I guess we do," she says.

Ellie presses her lips together tightly, staring at Thea, before she looks up at Oliver. Her voice is quiet, meant to be a whisper as she asks, "Can I give her a hug, Daddy?"

Oliver has to bite his lip to keep himself from grinning at the earnest question. "You'll have to ask her, Ellie-bug."

From the corner of his eye, he sees the second Thea recognizes the nickname. She mouths, 'Ellie-bug,' her eyes finding his. He nods, answering her unspoken question.

Ellie looks at Thea. Her voice is tentative as she asks, "Can I give you a hug, Aunt Thea?"

The tears that fill Thea's eyes are unexpected, but the smile isn't as she nods, opening her arms with a, "Yeah. Okay."

And then Ellie's climbing onto the bed, with Oliver's help, and she gently - to the point of being overly cautious - hugs her aunt. It's feels like a moment weeks in the making and it pulls at something in Oliver's heart with a strength he could not possibly have anticipated, especially when Thea's breath hitches at the feel of the little girl in her arms. It's the same recognition Oliver felt the first time he held her, he's sure of it - she's family. She belongs to them.

Thea wraps her arms around Ellie as much as she can. Oliver melts at the sight - he'd needed this for them. He hadn't even known how much.

As Ellie starts talking about brushing her hair and doing it just how she likes, Oliver feels Felicity step up behind him, her hand finding his shoulder. He covers it, threading their fingers together, both of them watching their daughter reconnect with their aunt.

Things aren't perfect just yet, and they won't be for a while, but for right now? They are. They really are.

Ellie settles onto the bed next to her aunt, curling into her. Her soft blonde curls drape over Thea's shoulder as they talk in quietly animated voices, both of them all smiles. For her part, Ellie's seems to be all joy at finally having a sense of familiarity with her aunt. But for Thea, it's entirely wonder, and it only grows with each new word that falls from Ellie's lips. That this little girl has that sort of connection with her seems to astound her. It has a strange nostalgia burning his gut - he'd had the same reaction during those first few days after Ellie had shown up in their lives.

"An' you can be my Vice President," Ellie says with a nod, all seriousness, "when you're all the way better."

Amusement colors Thea's voice as she asks, "Your Vice President?"

Ellie nods. "Of the fairies."

"You don't want your mom or dad to be your Vice President?" Thea asks her.

"No," the toddler says, shaking her head. The movement has her curls fluttering against Thea's neck. "Daddy's the Captain of the Fairy Knights."

"And your mom?"

"Momma's my momma," Ellie replies. "That's a big enough job."

Oliver chuckles at that. He looks back at the woman in question and finds her already staring at him. He stands, pulling her in front of him. Oliver wraps his arms around her, pressing his face into her neck. He kisses her softly, breathing her in, savoring her warm scent as it floods his senses.

Ellie's not wrong. Keeping up with her is a job all its own, a job they'll be doubling up on soon with the new baby. He's sure that should freak him the hell out, but it doesn't. He's excited. He's so excited about it. Holding her tight, one of his hands settles low on Felicity's belly. His thumb strokes against her stomach. Gratitude washes over him, so strong it nearly makes his knees buckle.

"It is a big job," Thea agrees, bopping Ellie lightly on the nose. "I guess you do need help running the fairy kingdom."

"Yes," Ellie says before cupping her hands around her mouth like she's about to tell a secret, but what comes out is far from a whisper. "The fairies like you already, Aunt Thea. They said they miss you."

Thea's face quirks in confusion. "Miss me?"

"In their fairy castle in the yard," Ellie tells her. "They said they haven't seen you in so long."

Comprehension slowly dawns on Thea's face and her eyes dart up to meet her brother's. "You took her out to the playhouse you and Tommy made me?"

He smiles. "Yeah."

A new understanding passes between the siblings. Even with Thea gone - even before she'd been given mirakuru, when she'd just been angry - he'd made sure that she was part of her niece's life. Even if it was just through a shared treehouse.

Swallowing through the emotion clouding her face, Thea turns to Ellie. "I would love to be your Vice President. Thank you for the offer. How about we-"

The bathroom door opening cuts her off. Oliver silently curses - everything else had disappeared the instant Ellie and Thea had connected. Roy freezes in his tracks when he sees her awake. Oliver's not sure which one is more surprised - Thea to see Roy at all, or Roy to see her conscious.

"Thea," Roy whispers. He takes a stilted step forward, reaching out before clenching his hands into fists. He shoves them into the pockets of his hoodie, like he's trying to keep himself from going to her. Which he probably is. "You're awake."

"You're…" Thea blinks, confusion and a cautious wash of hope coloring her face. "Here."

"Uncle Roy's been here the whole time," Ellie chimes in.

"What?" Thea jerks at that pronouncement, eyes widening as she looks toward Ellie. "That's… Uncle? Uncle Roy?" she asks incredulously. Oliver doesn't miss Roy's reaction - his eyes widen, very aware of the magnitude of that proclamation, but he also blushes slightly. As if he likes the idea. Which makes Oliver's head spin slightly.

"Uh huh," Ellie agrees, completely oblivious to the earth-shattering news she'd just dropped on her aunt. "I'm so glad you're awake, Aunt Thea, so everybody can stop having Sad Eyes now. Everybody keeps getting hurt and they need to stop."

She's not wrong. The level of stress and worry they've all been under is utterly exhausting and he, too, is looking forward to a much needed injury-free lull in the near future.

Roy clears his throat. "Can we, uh… Can we have a minute?" he asks. He glances toward Oliver. "Just… there's some things I need to say, and…"

He doesn't need to finish. As much as Oliver doesn't want to leave his sister's side, he will. He's very aware of what kind of terms Roy and Thea left things on and he really doesn't want to be on hand for their reunion. At least, what he hopes is a reunion. It's a new desire he feels for them, especially considering he'd played a part in their breaking up. Something he suddenly finds himself hoping Roy doesn't tell Thea just yet. It's not a secret, there won't be any more secrets between him and his sister if he can help it, but that's something that's best explained with… well, with an explanation.

Later.

With a nod, Oliver lets go of Felicity and steps forward to pick up Ellie.

"It's her bedtime anyhow," Felicity says, something that makes Ellie pout in an exaggerated fashion.

Thea shifts, sitting up a little more, going to help put Ellie into her father's arms, but she stops mid-movement. She sways, groaning under her breath, her face twisting. She puts her hand to her head, shuddering like she's walked into a wall of cobwebs. Her reaction looks instinctive, not a conscious move, and it has Oliver grabbing Ellie a little more swiftly, cradling her against his chest.

His brow furrows with worry as he asks Thea, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she says. "I think so." Thea shakes her head again, blinking harder. "I just… I don't know. It felt weird for a minute. But it's…" She looks down at her hands before looking back at him. "I'm fine now."

"It takes time," Roy says, stepping closer. "The cure. It'll hit you in weird moments for a while. It's not… it doesn't make everything go away, and it doesn't help all at once."

Thea's gaze turns to Roy. He's in a unique position to help Thea with this. He's been where she is, knows what she's going through. The look they share is something that Oliver definitely doesn't need to be there for.

"We're going to go get Ellie to bed," Oliver says, "and then grab Caitlin. She'll want to look you over."

Thea blinks. "Caitlin?"

"Doctor friend of Felicity's," Roy supplies. "She's been looking after all of us."

"We should call your mom, too," Felicity says, sliding her hand down Oliver's arm until it cups his elbow. "She'll want to know Thea's awake."

"Yeah," Oliver agrees. "Okay." He hoists the toddler up higher in his arms. "Say goodnight, Ellie-bug."

Ellie grins widely. "Goodnight, Ellie-bug," she says before laughing at her own joke.

Oliver chuckles. "You think you're so funny, don't you?" he asks, tickling her side, making her scream in delight.

"Daddy, stop… stop!" she yelps through her giggles as he turns, taking a step to the door. When she realizes where they're going, she switches gears. "Wait, Daddy! I gotta kiss Aunt Thea goodnight."

Ellie's already reaching for Thea and it takes all of Oliver's reflexes and bruised muscles to keep hold of her. He steps back to the bed, holding her parallel to the floor, breathing through the strain on his body as Ellie puckers up and makes kissing noises at her aunt. Thea shakes her head and laughs, pushing herself up to kiss Ellie on the cheek before accepting one from her. She brushes Ellie's curls away from her face.

"Sleep well, Madam President," Thea says.

That has Ellie grinning like mad as she responds with, "You too, Madam Vice President." Oliver pulls her back up into his arms and Ellie turns to him with a nod."Okay, Daddy. Now we can do bedtime."

"Oh, okay, now we can," Oliver says, shaking his head at his daughter. He glances at Thea and then Roy. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Roy-"

"I'll keep an eye on her," Roy cuts him off.

None of them miss Thea protesting that she doesn't need anyone to keep an eye on her - she's perfectly fine - but the two men nod in shared understanding anyhow. Oliver leaves the room with Ellie and Felicity, secure in the knowledge that Thea is awake and doing okay and under Roy's watchful eye.

"Can I wear my Doc McStuffins p'jamas?" Ellie asks brightly. "I wanna be a stuffed animal doctor when I grow up. 'Cause I like helping people, like a doctor does, but I really like stuffed animals."

"Sure," Felicity agrees. "If they're clean."

"'Kay." Ellie nods. "If they're not, then I wanna wear WordGirl. She's a kid and a superhero and she's from another planet. That's pretty awesome."

"It definitely is." Felicity smiles at her daughter, ruffling her hair before reaching out for her. "Come here, baby. Your poor Daddy's arms probably hurt after the day he's had."

As much as he doesn't mind the pain, he also wouldn't mind letting Felicity take over for a bit. His body does ache, and it'll be worse tomorrow. He knows that from experience. Advil is really too weak for the kind of injuries he sustained, but it'll have to do since the thought of taking anything stronger makes him cringe.

Ellie shifts easily into Felicity's embrace as the three of them walk down the hall toward their room. Felicity turns the light on, turning to Ellie to ask her where she'd put her clothes, because they definitely aren't in her drawer where they're supposed to be, when a thin trill sounding from downstairs interrupts her.

The doorbell.

Oliver glances at the clock - it's not late enough to be concerned, but it's definitely not early enough to be a casual visit. He hears Raisa downstairs heading to greet whomever is calling. There's enough going on that he wants to check on it himself.

"You okay with her?" he asks Felicity.

She's nodding before the words are even out. "Daddy's gonna see who's at the door," Felicity tells Ellie. "Wanna give him a goodnight kiss?"

"'Night, Daddy," Ellie says, giving him a goodnight kiss, leaning out of Felicity's arms much as she had when it'd been Thea.

Oliver gives her a soft peck and a quiet, "Goodnight, Ellie-bug," before turning to Felicity. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," she replies, leaning up for her own goodnight kiss. Although if he has anything to say about it, they'll be having a few more when he gets back. The kiss is simple, because there's no time for lingering, but it says everything they need it to, as always.

With a little wink, he turns, jogging down the hallway and then the stairs.

Oliver has no idea who to expect when he hits the bottom landing, but when he sees who it is standing in the foyer, to say he's surprised is an understatement.

"Laurel."

"Sara called me," she says by way of greeting. She moves towards him and he takes the rest of the stairs down, meeting her halfway. "She said you found Thea. I'm glad."

"Thank you," he says. "She's not really up for visitors yet, though."

When Laurel doesn't respond right away, that tells him everything he needs to know. She sighs, shifting a handful of file folders and loose papers from one arm to the other.

"This isn't a social call," she says. "Sebastian Blood has one hell of a defense team, and I need to interview Thea…"

"What?" he immediately snaps, trying to cut her off. "Absolutely not."

Laurel talks over him. "... about what happened during those two weeks when she was being held captive by him. We need her statement."

"No, Laurel," Oliver repeats, shaking his head, unable to hide his annoyance that she's even asking. They just brought her home. She's barely been awake for all of twenty minutes. And considering what she does remember is next to nothing, the last thing she needs is to be questioned about it. Not now. "She needs to get better. She doesn't remember a lot of it right now."

"Ollie…"

"No. I don't want her badgered about an experience she's only partially even aware happened."

"This isn't really a choice, Ollie," Laurel says, raising her voice. Oliver narrows his eyes. "The judge is going to grant Blood bail unless I can get a compelling statement from your sister about his role in her kidnapping. I don't think you want him out on the streets again, do you?"

Oliver grits his teeth. No, of course he doesn't want that, but he also doesn't want Thea to have to face any of this until she's ready to do it on her own terms. And especially tonight, of all nights, when she just woke up, when she just met Ellie and when emotions are probably closer to the higher side than normal.

Not. Today.

Still, as much as he hates it, he knows how this is going to go.

He must not answer fast enough because Laurel sighs. "Ollie… please."

"Fine," he says, a little harsher than intended. He levels her with a look. "But it's up to her. Neither of us are going to force her to talk about it if she says she's not ready." Laurel inhales quickly, moving to argue but he swipes his hand through the air, cutting her off. "If Blood gets out… I'll deal with it however I have to."

As much as the idea of pounding Blood's face in has a dark pleasure unfurling inside him, he really hopes it doesn't come to that. Because he's nowhere near ready to suit up again.

Laurel purses her lips. "I'm going to pretend as the local assistant DA that you meant by upping security around here and leave it at that, okay?"

Instead of playing the part, he ignores the question and turns to go up the stairs. "Come on. Roy's with her right now. She just woke up."

"In her room?" Laurel asks, following him up.

"Yeah."

His aggravation is painfully evident and as they make their way up the stairs, Laurel adds, "I'm sorry I have to do this now, Ollie."

Oliver specifically chooses to not point out that she doesn't have to do this now. He gets why she thinks she does, that Blood can very well walk, but she doesn't have to do this. And none of it is helped that he knows Laurel won't back down until she's tried everything within her power.

His knee aches as he goes up the stairs, and he feels his aggravation mounting with each step, realizing he could be getting ready for bed with his family. Instead, he's here. And while it might not directly be her fault, he finds it surprisingly easy to put all the frustrations he's been keeping at bay all day on her.

"It's okay," he finally says. "It's just… it's been a very long day."

"I am glad she's okay."

The genuine tone in her voice has him pausing. Oliver offers a tight smile over his shoulder, saying, "Thank you," just as they reach Thea's room.

Oliver knocks, but he doesn't wait before opening the door.

Thea and Roy's foreheads are pressed together in a quietly intimate moment, one that's clearly meant for just them. Thea looks at Oliver, but Roy turns away. Oliver bites the tip of his tongue. He's going to have to get used to giving them their space.

"Sorry to interrupt," Oliver says.

"It's okay," Thea replies. "You said you'd be coming right back."

"Yeah," he agrees. "I did. It's just…"

"What?" his sister asks. Instead of answering, Oliver opens the door further, letting them see Laurel in the hallway. Thea frowns in confusion. "Laurel?"

"Hi, Thea," she says, stepping into the room.

"You don't have to do this right now," Oliver says, following her in. "If you aren't ready, that's more than…"

"Do what, Ollie?" Thea asks.

The tension in her voice is obvious as her eyes dart between Oliver and Laurel. The sound of it has Roy turning. His eyes dance between them, too, almost accusatory. His eyes are bloodshot from tears, the skin around his eyes strained, and Oliver wishes he'd just turned Laurel away.

"I need to talk to you about Sebastian Blood," Laurel says.

"The hell you do," Roy interjects, standing up, putting himself between Laurel and Thea. He glares at the lawyer, but the look he shoots Oliver could have turned him to ash. "That's not happening."

"Roy," Thea starts, sitting up, putting her hand on his arm.

"No, you just woke up," he says, turning to give her a sharp look before turning back to Oliver and Laurel. "She's been through hell and she doesn't even remember half of it. It can wait."

"He's going to be out tomorrow if I don't get something," Laurel responds, advancing a few steps. Oliver's quick to follow, especially when the look Laurel gives Roy is almost challenging before she looks at Thea. "And I know you don't want that."

Roy clenches his jaw so tight Oliver can see his muscle twitching.

"He…" Thea sits up more fully, but the movement doesn't do anything to back up the lost sound of her voice as she says, "They can't possibly let him go. Not after what he's done. There's… there has to be evidence, right?"

"There is," Laurel agrees. "But it's not enough to deny him bail."

"So he'll just… walk?" Thea asks, the words coming out in stilted breaths. Her breathing speeds up and her face pinches in a pained look. She squeezes her eyes shut before looking down at her hands. They're shaking, uncontrollably, and when she makes a fist, the exertion has her arm trembling. She stares at it like she can't quite believe it's hers.

God, Oliver wishes he'd just turned Laurel away.

"Thea," he says, "you don't have to-"

"I do," she interrupts. She nods, and it's almost manic as she says, "I do and you know it, or you wouldn't have let Laurel up here in the first place."

"Thea," Roy starts, but she cuts him off with a shake of her head.

"I'm doing this," she says. "I have to. If my… if my statement can keep that man behind bars? That man… he told me he could make things better, but he didn't. He kept me locked up, away from my family, away from you. It's… I don't think I'd ever forgive myself for not trying. You have to let me do this, Roy. For me."

"Does it have to be right now?"

"Yes," Laurel says, answering for her.

Roy barely keeps himself from throwing her a hard glare. Instead, he keeps his eyes on Thea. She nods and he sighs, letting go. He nods, once, solid and decisive.

"Thank you," she whispers. She tugs on his arm until he's leaning down and she can kiss him softly. Some of the anger saps right out of him at that and Oliver's left wondering which one of them balances the other one more. It's an amazing thing to see.

The second they part, all that softness disappears and Roy turns to Oliver with a pointed look. "Can I have a word with you outside?"

With a tired sigh, Oliver says, "Yeah," before looking past him at Thea. "We'll be right out here if you need anything. If it's too much, stop. Okay. You are completely in control of this."

Thea snorts. "Sure, Ollie. I'm in control. Got it."

The sarcasm dripping from her words are like a physical punch. It's a dumb thing to say, to a degree, because she hasn't been in control for the last several weeks. But it's also true, and he needs her to know it. Oliver wants to say more, wants to reassure her, or somehow just make it all better, but he doesn't know how. So instead he gives Laurel a warning look and heads out the door with Roy hot on his heels.

When Laurel follows them, clearly moving to close the door, Oliver shakes his head with a sharp, "Leave it open."

It's a tone she's not used to from him, and for a split second, she's so startled she just stares at him. But then she nods.

Roy doesn't stop until he's a good ten feet from the door before he spins around. "What the hell was that all about?"

"She deserved to be the one to make the choice, Roy," Oliver replies, keeping his voice as low as possible so it doesn't carry. He runs his hands through his hair, glancing back at the room. "In case you've forgotten, she hasn't been able to do that herself in weeks. I wasn't going to take it away from her now."

"But she just woke up," Roy argues, as if Oliver hadn't spoken at all. "And she doesn't remember it at all yet. When it hits her, it's… It's going to be bad. Okay? And she doesn't need Laurel making it worse. Or asking her questions that make her remember when she isn't ready."

"You think I want that for her, Roy?" Oliver snaps. "It's the last thing I want for her, but it wasn't my choice. It's hers, Roy. It's her choice. Not mine. Not yours. Not Laurel's. Thea's. You and I might not like it, but she made a decision and we're going to stand by her. She needs that from us."

"Of course I'm standing by her!" Roy says, forcing his voice into a low whisper that comes out in a hoarse shout. "She's my… she's…" He growls under his breath, at the entire situation, at everything, before saying, "Obviously I'm here. But she shouldn't have had to make that choice in the first place. Not yet."

Oliver sighs. "We agree on that. But I couldn't turn Laurel away without giving Thea the option to talk to her. You know that. We have both done more than our fair share making decisions for Thea that we had no business making. So I'm letting her make her own choices."

Roy opens his mouth to respond, but he's cut off by the rapid sound of footsteps running up the stairs. They both turn in time to see Caitlin reaching the top and running towards them down the hallway. She's frazzled, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Hey," Oliver says. "What…?"

"Thea's awake," Caitlin says. "Felicity said she's awake."

"Yeah," Roy answers, confusion twisting his brow. "So?"

"I just got some of her bloodwork back."

A chill runs down Oliver's spine. It's not her words, but the urgency in her tone. Worry and anxiety roll off of her, spreading out to both him and Roy.

"Explain," is the only thing Oliver can choke out.

"It wasn't just mirakuru they dosed her with," Caitlin says. "It was Vertigo, too."

Shock and terror turn Oliver's blood to ice. "What?" he breathes.

"And I don't know how those chemicals will work together with the cure. It might be nothing. It might be fine. Or maybe… I think maybe it could-"

A scream from the bedroom cuts her off.

"No," Oliver gasps. It's coming from Thea's room. Thea. Oliver spins, darting for her door. He knows Roy's following him, knows Caitlin is there, too. He hears someone shouting - he'll realize later it was him, shouting his sister's name - but it's nothing compared to the fear pounding a horrifying beat in his ears.

Thea, Thea, Thea…

When he reaches her door…

It takes him far too long to comprehend what he's seeing.

A ragged, "Oh my God," comes from behind him - Caitlin - but that's all background noise because his sister is crouched on the ground, twitching, snarling, jerking like her body's possessed…

And blood.

There's so much blood.

Laying before her, on the ground, is Laurel. A thin stream of blood slips from the corner of her lips as she stares with wide, shocked eyes at the ceiling, gripping one of Roy's arrows where it'd been driven right into her chest.