AN – the first update of the new year. HAPPY 2016 everyone. Things are busy once again and its this weeks turn to have time on the fic so here is the first chapter hopefully a little more to come throughout the week.

I do not own Arrbirds or Thunderow I just like mixing them up

CHAPTER 35

It had been three months since the Hood's demise and Felicity was able to return to Tracy Island. A lot had changed in the short time period.

Jeff helped Oliver take back the company on the condition that Oliver undertake Jeff's business etiquette and join the Tracy Engineering umbrella. So at the office Oliver was working along side Jeff's current representative and every few weeks Oliver flew to the island for direct tutoring from Jeff and also to see Felicity.

Scott had been offering to do all of the flying trips back and forth to Starling City as he was able to spend some time with Laurel. They had grown close over the three months and when Laurel could she visited the Island.

Alan and Fermat continued working on Thunderbird 5 and on the weeks that Oliver was around John joined them on the space excursions.

The island with all of this activity including the normal rescues had a heavy grim atmosphere hanging around. John spent most of his time at Felicity's side, he would talk about the rescues and how Thunderbird 5 was getting on along with reading his favorite books to her. He helped keep her mobile, every day he was with her he would move all of her joints, reposition her on the bed to prevent sores taking care of her.

Today John was sat with Felicity saying his goodbyes as Oliver had arrived on the island. "Oliver is here, Dad is in a meeting with him then I think he will be straight down to see you. We are on the last trip up to 5 this week adding the finishing touches and going to try a full operational test at the end of the week. If everything run's well she will be back in full service next week. When I get back we can talk about when I'm going to be on rotation. I have a surprise for you too as soon as you wake up I hope you like it."

There was a knock on the door and as John looked up Alan poked his head around the door. "Hey Dad's just finished his meeting do you want to go and get your stuff into 3, I'll wait here until Oliver comes down." Alan offered.

"Thanks Alan. I've got an extra projector to take up on this trip finished working on it last night." John replied.

"Oh yeah what you been working on now?" Alan asked moving into the room fully.

"I had an idea, when Felicity told me about controlling Thunderbird 1 and redesigning the controller based on her cyber merging I wondered if she could use the projectors and instead of being stuck in the monitors she could move about. With the hard light technology she might be able to grab things in a similar way to me manipulating the projections. I won't know until she can try it if it will even work but if I get it installed its there ready." John replied.

"John." Alan started hesitantly. "You know what Virgil said." He gently reminded John.

"I know Alan but I can't think that she's never going to come back. She's in there some where." John slowed his talking as his mind raced ahead his words suddenly causing one of those light bulb moments. A smile spread over his face and he jumped out of his chair. "Alan Tracy you are the best little brother. I need to go try something." John said practically running from the room.

Alan stood there confused at John's outburst, he made a mental note to mention it to Virgil as it looked like he was finally losing it. Shaking his head he took up John's vacated seat next to Felicity. "Hey Sis it looks like John's finally lost it, I thought it would be the long rotations on 5. Between you and me I hope he knows how to help you it's too quiet without you even with all of the new visitors we get." Alan started to feel the pangs of sadness overwhelm him and he changed the topic.

"I've been reading these blogs about this streak in Central City going around saving people but he or she is so fast people only see a red blur. There are other weird things going on there too and I bet anything that it's because of the particle accelerator explosion. The radioactive spider in real life." Alan let the excitement of his comics being real wash over him forcing the sad feelings to the back of his mind. Felicity would love this stuff they would talk about heroes and superpowers for hours at a time about the pros and cons and the credibility of some of them. He missed having someone to share his childish side with.

The door opened and Alan stood up straight away, "See you in a week." He whispered before leaving her side. "Take care of her." He said to Oliver as he passed him.

"I always have." Oliver replied. "Safe trip."

"FAB." Alan called over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

PAUSE

John raced to Brains' lab, he burst through the door and stood panting recovering from the run he had just done. "Brains." He called between breaths.

The man in question lifted his head from the project in front of him on the desk. "Brains." Another breath. "I need to." Deep breath. "Use the base code you have for Felicity." John calmed his breathing and stood watching Brains with a manic grin plastered over his face.

"S-s-sure John but I can't s-s-see what use it w-w-will be." Brains answered.

"What if she merged with something, her body is working perfectly normal but her conscious mind isn't waking what if its not there to wake? I need to at least try." John explained his idea.

"I-i-in theory that is c-c-c right however her eyes are not in a t-t-typical state of merging and w-w-we know she h-h-h needs to be in physical c-c-contact with technology." Brains pointed out the holes in John's hypothesis.

"She told me that she didn't know much about what she could do. What if being in danger triggered a level of self preservation she was unaware of?" John protested he started to feel as if he was clutching at straws, maybe Virgil was right after all.

"Y-y-y a valid theory. What devices c-c-could she have had a-a-access to?" Brains asked as he slid his stool over to his computer area.

"She didn't have anything on her, there was the Hood's helicopter and the barn looked like your run of the mill plain building. The Hood had a phone do you think we could locate where it is?" John listed out loud what he could think of.

"From w-w-what I was told Miss L-L-Lance dealt with the legal p-p-proceedings." Brains informed, his attention was on the computer screen now as he was locating what John had asked for. "I will s-s-s transfer it to your private folder." He informed John.

"Thanks Brains." John said turning and racing from the lab.

PAUSE

When John arrived in the Lounge Tin-Tin was sat with Grandma Tracy. "Have you seen Scott?" He asked breathless.

"John dear what's gotten you in such a state?" Grandma asked.

"Nothing. I just need to find Scott." He brushed her off.

"He's on the beach, Laurel came back with him." Grandma replied.

"Excellent. Thanks Grandma. Bye." John shouted over his shoulder now racing towards the decking and off down to the beach.

John spotted his oldest brother and Laurel sat near the waters edge on the beach. He raced faster down to them his excitement at finally being able to do something to help Felicity almost making him feel at though he would explode.

"SCOTT!" He shouted to get their attention, he didn't want to inadvertently interrupt anything private.

Two heads spun to face him his brother looked confused and worried while Laurel smiled at him.

"Whoa slow down John what's wrong?" Scott asked his adrenaline starting to spike ready for an emergency.

"Nothing bad. Alan gave me an idea I think I know how to help Felicity at least in theory." John started to explain he dropped to his knees behind Scott and Laurel and they turned around onto their own knees to face him.

"Right take a deep breath and start at the beginning." Scott instructed resting his hands on John. A flicker of hope started to stir inside him at John's words.

After a few breaths John started to talk. "Alan tried to remind me to expect the worse with Felicity and I told him I couldn't that she was still in there somewhere. But what if she isn't in there Scott remember what she can do? If she did that she might be hiding somewhere. I've spoken to Brains and I'm going to look for her but I need Laurel's help." John turned to face Laurel. "You dealt with the Hood after we left what happened to the helicopter and any technology he had on his person?"

Laurel hesitated a moment processing everything that was said. What could Felicity do? She was just an IT/EA with connections. "All of his possessions were taken into evidence storage why?" She asked.

"Can you pull some strings and get them either into our possession or for someone to turn them on and connect them to either the internet or communication network?" John asked.

Laurel through about what he was asking, she hadn't spent much time with this brother he was always at Felicity's side or up in space. She had seen how destroyed he had been when they first met him at the oil refinery and he found Felicity was gone. She had tried to help where she could but even though they had gotten Felicity back she was still very much missing. Right now though John sounded like he had lost his mind but it was the happiest she had seen him.

"I really have no idea but I can ring a few people see what can be done." She said.

"Thank you as soon as you know anything let me know, I've got an hour before I need to leave." John said trying to get to his feet.

Scott stopped him drawing his attention back to him. "John think about what your saying. I know you miss her, we all do, but don't get your hopes up please." Scott pleaded with his brother, it hurt him to see the flicker of sadness cross his eyes but it would hurt him worse to see his brother fall again when this failed.

"I know what I'm doing Scott trust me I've never been so sure of anything except I know I love her." John replied sobering up from the excitement at the serious turn of the conversation.

"Okay we will do what we can." Scott replied loosening his grip on John's shoulders.

His brother rose to his feet and raced off back towards the villa. "Do you want to explain what just happened?" Laurel asked when John was out of earshot.

"I'd say a desperate last attempt at finding happiness and we are going to help him. Can you make those phone calls?" Scott asked.

"Sure." Laurel replied

"Then lets get to it." Scott said enthusiastically jumping to his feet and offering a hand out to Laurel.

PAUSE

Scott burst into John's room with Laurel in tow. "We did it." Scott announced with a wide smile.

John lifted his head up and away from the computer screen he was hunched over to look at his brother. He had no look so far in finding Felicity on the internet or communication networks that they had access to.

"How long?" John asked eager to get cracking.

Laurel covered the microphone on her phone and spoke. "My Dad is just turning the phone on now." She said.

John returned to his computer and started to locate the mobile phone. After a couple of minutes he turned back and shook his head. "Nothing it's empty." He said disappointment evident.

Laurel went straight to talking to who ever was on the phone. "Thanks that's it for the phone. I'll be home at the end of the week. Love you too Dad." She finished the call. "Sorry John. There is still the helicopter let me just ring the compound see if they have found it." Before receiving an answer Laurel was putting the phone back to her ear.

"I'm sorry John." Scott said.

"No it's okay there is still the helicopter." John replied keeping hope.

"John they have turned on all the systems." Laurel interrupted. When John's attention turned to her she continued. "The helicopter call sign is JE-AIFM."

Fast as his fingers could type John accessed the communication frequency of the Helicopter and started to search the system for Felicity. A few minutes passed in utter silence before John slumped back in his chair, shoulders dropping and he threw his head into his hands on the desk.

"Nothing?" Scott clarified he could tell the answer from his brothers reaction.

"Not a trace. Where could she be?" John asked desperation thick in his voice.

Scott thought about broaching the topic that she was gone whatever the Hood did had taken away Felicity's conscious and just let behind the working body. Then it hit him there was something John had missed, it was a massively long shot but worth the check then at least they can say they did everything. "John." Scott broached carefully. "How did you find Felicity?"

John answered automatically. "Tracker that Oliver had on her."

"It's that also a device?" Scott probed further.

As it slicked into place John reacted lifting his head to face Scott's a bright smile back. "Yeah, and it was the closest to her. Once we had the location I cut the transmission, if in the time it was active she merged it might have trapped her."

"So what are you waiting for?" Scott asked.

John started typing at his laptop with a new vigor. Laurel looked between the two men, recently things had changed a lot and what was once normal seemed ancient history but the Tracy family put a new twist on strange behavior.

PAUSE

Time had no relevance, it could have been 30 seconds, 5 minutes or a month Felicity had no clue.

She was fighting a war within her thoughts, scared that the Hood was still trying to get hold of what was left of her and the need to know what was going on.

The fear kept winning…

And winning…

Then something changed Felicity had an idea, if someone was inside her computer after information she would hide it from them until she could remove them. Deciding it was a day of new things she imagined all of the memories she had of John, the Tracy family and International Rescue into a folder which she locked behind several firewalls that she would typically use then added her DNAbinary code as the final seal, it was always evolving so difficult to replicate. Something she, Brains and John had been looking into when they had the chance since Brains had noticed it on her trip into International Rescues' computers.

Next she spun around trying to remember where she had come from to get in, there were no access points, it was sealed. She knew she had blocked the way but it could not have been so well to have made a seamless patch.

Panic now rose and she felt a new fear take hold, she was trapped somewhere and no one would have a clue where. The situation had gone from bad to worse.

Felicity took her memories back and resigned herself to reminiscing of the good times she had had and tried hard not to think about the very real fact she was not going to see John, his family, Oliver or Team Arrow again.

PAUSE

"Is that Oliver's computers?" Laurel said peeking over John's shoulders.

"Yes and don't worry I didn't technically break in." John replied his voice sounded distant as he moved through various screens, retaking the path he followed by Oliver's instruction a lifetime ago.

"Tracker activated." John stated eyes fixed to the screen.

"And?" Scott asked eager leaning closer to his brother and the laptop.

"It's establishing a connection. Give it a few minutes Oliver is running on outdated technology." John sounded annoyed.

"I know you to aren't on speaking terms but you could give him some credit at least he had a tracker on her." Laurel defended him.

"But at least we didn't hide it from her that she had one. Oliver has made it quite clear that he does not want to see me around so I keep clear. He has a tech expert and when he needs the tech he avoids using the help he has its just bad practice." John snapped a little a Laurel the wait was making him impatient and tetchy.

"No but your hiding something now." Laurel started to argue back but John interrupted her.

"I've got access."

PAUSE

Suddenly light burst into the void Felicity found herself in. The walls of the small room illuminated with flickering lights, circuitry and activity. As she spun to survey the entire room she found a sight that brought tears and relief to her, a doorway of sorts.

It was a transmission line to some where but it was at least a way out and Felicity was going to take it the fear of being trapped again far out weighing the fear of the Hood.

Without any further hesitation she moved into the steam of data and followed it through to the other end, into a laptop. What greeted her was not what she had expected.

Déjà vu struck her. She had been in this situation once before but there were many differences this time clarifying to Felicity that it was in fact happening and she hadn't gone crazy and was reminiscing again.

Instead of a shocked face she was greeted with a happy relieved face of her blonde rescuer, he looked tired and thinner than she remembered but still as handsome as ever. Over his shoulder she saw Laurel who bore a similar expression to John the first time Felicity had met him, and next to her was Scott with a matching grin to John.

"I never thought I would see you again and of you." Felicity blurted, she felt tears running down her cheeks in relief and happiness.

"It's good to see you again too Felicity." Scott said after several moments silence John seemed to have lost all ability to speak.

Rubbing at her tears Felicity took a breath calming down the turmoil of feelings inside of her. "You make it sound like I have been gone a while."

"Three months." John answered. He rested his hand on the screen still not believing he had found her.

"Phew I was worried it might have been years then, although you don't look years older so I'm not sure why I jumped to that idea but it's always the answer in the movies where someone comes back and I am babbling, it is so good to have someone to talk to again and light, colours, sound… Where was I?" Felicity stumbled over the harsh reality that she had been gone for as long as it had been.

"You cyber merged into a tracking beacon Oliver put in your glasses. When I closed it down after locating you after the Hood took you it must have closed your way out too." John answered with the short version still aware of Laurel being present.

"OLIVER DID WHAT NOW!" Felicity cried out. How could he have bugged her with out her knowing and him not even telling her?

"You can bust his ass later right now we need to get you back to you." Scott interjected.

Felicity heard Scott and felt the rage vanish instantly. Where was her body, she couldn't feel it, normally when she merged a connection to her physical body remained. The implications of her action towards the Hood floored her and she felt her knees give way, the world blurred for the briefest of seconds and she hit the ground hard.

"CITY!" John shouted his face right up in the screen now.

"I can't find my body John." Felicity whispered voicing her revelation.

"City look at me." John spoke softly and waited for her eyes to meet his. The fear in them pulled at his heartstrings. "We can get through this. Your alive, we thought you were in a coma. At a quick guess cutting the link to the tracker severed your own connection maybe we just need to put you back in physical touch." John said.

Felicity nodded slowly listening to John's words maybe he was right that might fix everything. "I don't think the tracker was responsible, I did it." She admitted.

"Right now the how's and why's don't matter let's get you fully back with us. Can you find my phone?" John asked as he pulled the device from his pocket and placed it onto the keypad. "It's touching the laptop." He added.

Felicity concentrated, she could feel the laptop and the data racing around, all of the wires and circuit boards working together. Then she felt the data streams of the phone mingling within the laptop, she grabbed onto it and followed it into the phone.

The view of John changed, it was an unglamorous angle, she was looking directly up into his nose and chin. "Down here." She called and watched as all three heads lowered.

"So that still works. Ready to get reacquainted with yourself?"

Felicity nodded. "Yes."

John picked up his phone keeping Felicity within his sight, he didn't trust that this wasn't a dream that might shatter any minute.

In the background they all heard Scott talking. "Virgil can you pop down to Felicity. Keep it quiet but we think we have a development."

"Sure be there in five." Virgil replied sounding confused.

John stood and led the way down to the medical room.

AN – I hope this is okay, we are drawing to the end but I still have plenty little tidbits to get in there before I bring this to a complete close. Please drop me a review as these do inspire and feed my fuel to write.

I have also been getting addicted to Smallville and I may have an idea for a crossover if there is any interest. And in my little travel jotters book I have been doing a supernatural (not the tv show) take on the Tracy family so that may appear when we draw to a close on this little adventure.