AN: Thank you, everyone, for your overwhelming support with this fic! Can you believe this is chapter 50?! You have all supported me and encouraged me along the way and for that I am extremely grateful.
Rennie75 and Mic RiddyBanon. You are both amazing friends and have encouraged me from day one. Thank you so much for always being there for me, helping me, and putting up with all my stupid mistakes along the way. You both have taught me so much about writing! Mic, also another thanks for the great, quick beta work on this chapter.
Disclaimer: I still do not own Arrow and eagerly anticipate it's return in a week and a half!
"I'm sorry that you had to watch that and I wish there was a way that I could erase those images from your mind." Oliver said to her quietly. "But I am not going anywhere. Do you want to know why?"
Felicity looked up to Oliver's eyes at his declaration. She was curious what he was going to say and couldn't miss the grin on his face. "No Oliver, tell me why." She stated simply.
"Because I love you." Oliver said, the grin growing on his face. "And because you're too stubborn to let me die." He couldn't help the laugh that escaped as she punched him in the arm. Apparently she didn't like being called stubborn. He pulled her in for a gentle kiss and when they finally pulled away he noticed a small smile on her face as well.
"I love you too Oliver." Felicity told Oliver, all her emotions and the depth of her love for him evident in the way that she said the words so softly. Suddenly her look of love morphed into a look of pure evil, including a wicked grin that graced her beautiful face.
"And if you ever scare me like that again... I will kill you myself!"
Chapter 50 - Closure
Moira woke again at about five in the morning. She had been unable to sleep well due to the fact that she knew her son was seriously injured and her imagination was giving her images of what his injuries could look like. She had seen his scars, thought she knew what the new cuts would look like in five years after he had completely healed. However, she was not sure of exactly how his back looked, just how bad it was, or how much pain Oliver was really in. She knew what he had looked like after Malcolm had whipped him just a few times, her heart sank at the thought of how much worse it was after Slade and she didn't even know how many times he had been whipped this time, just what Walter had said about it being pretty gruesome. Oliver had downplayed the pain in order to not worry his friends and family, however, she knew that they had to stop with the secrets between them if they were to rebuild their relationship. At this realization Moira rose and dressed for the day, before then heading out to check on everyone who was staying at the mansion, and to find out for herself just how bad Oliver's injuries really were.
As Moira walked down the hallway she noted that Diggle and Sara were both standing outside Oliver's room. They look like they are standing guard. She thought as she recognized Diggle's stance as one he often took when out with the family. I'm glad they are able to watch out for him, but what could he need protecting from here?
"Good morning Mrs. Queen." Sara said as she saw Oliver's mom walking towards them. She had just been telling Diggle how the evening had gone, including Felicity's nightmare and Oliver's comforting of her, when Moira rounded the corner. "Is everything okay?" She asked, noting the look of slight confusion on Moira's face.
"I believe so." Moira said as she came to stand near the other two. "Why are you standing guard? Is the mansion not protected well enough?" She finally asked.
"The mansion is perfectly safe." Diggle explained with an encouraging smile. "We just know that Oliver rarely gets the rest that he needs and so we are making sure Felicity and he are not disturbed as long as they are resting."
Moira nodded her head in understanding. She had seen firsthand how tired Oliver could get, as well as how stubborn he could be in getting the needed rest. She knew that if his injuries were half as bad as Walter said then he would need all the rest he could get. She found she was suddenly extremely thankful for the Team that constantly looked out for Oliver.
It was as Diggle finished his explanation for his and Sara's presence outside Oliver's door that he saw Roy ascending the stairs with a bag that could only be the medical supplies that they had been waiting for. It's about time. I didn't even have enough left to re-bandage his back.
"Thought you would want this stuff ASAP so I went and picked it up." Roy offered in explanation as he handed the bag of medical supplies to Diggle. "Thankfully it was all there and waiting. I'll go back later and organize the rest of the supplies."
"Thanks Roy." Diggle thanked his younger Teammate with complete sincerity as he took the bag from the younger man. Diggle took a few short moments to decide whether or not he was going to knock on Oliver's door to see if he was awake, however, before he came to a decision the door opened and Felicity emerged. She still looked tired and as though she hadn't rested well, however, she did not look as tired as she had the night before and Diggle, Sara, and Roy were all thankful that she had beenable to get a little bit of sleep.
"Good morning everyone." Felicity said a bit startled. She had expected to see either Diggle or Sara, or maybe even both, outside Oliver's door, but she had not expected to see Moira or Roy as well at this early hour. As she offered them all a small smile she noticed the bag of supplies in Diggle's hands and smiled knowing the bag must contain the medical supplies that she had rush ordered. "You can go in John. He's awake." She told her Teammate, knowing he needed to check on Oliver.
"May I join you?" Moira asked tentatively. She needed to see for herself how bad Oliver's injuries were, and yet was afraid that they would not let her in to see her son. She noticed Diggle glance into Oliver's room for a moment before turning back to her and nodding his head in agreement. "Thank you."
"I'm going to go get some breakfast." Felicity said as she turned to her Team, knowing that Moira and Oliver would need some privacy from the look on the older woman's face. "Anyone want to join me? Oliver said he'd come down later." Felicity told the rest of the Team as she moved to the stairs. She was pleased to see that Roy and Sara took the hint and followed her. She looked back one last time before descending the stairs and saw Moira take in a deep breath, as though she were preparing herself for some extremely challenging task, before she turned to follow Diggle into Oliver's room, closing the door behind her. She turned and walked down the rest of the stairs hoping that this discussion would go well, for both of their sakes.
Diggle was sure that the reason Moira wanted to join him was so that she could assess Oliver's injuries for herself. He was aware of the fact that Moira had talked to Walter, not to mention himself, about the injuries and apparently that only fueled her need to know. Diggle had checked with Oliver first to see if the younger man was okay with his mom joining them as he redressed those of Oliver's wounds that required it and could see the brief play of emotions across his face. Oliver clearly wasn't pleased with the prospect of Moira seeing him as vulnerable as he currently was, however, Oliver apparently came to the same conclusion that he had, she was not going to give up until she knew for herself how bad Oliver's injuries were.
Moira followed Diggle into Oliver's room and was slightly surprised that her son had yet to get out of bed. She found herself wondering if he simply hadn't gotten up yet as it was still early, or if he was in too much pain to move on his own. As she watched him slowly stand she realized that it was probably a bit of both. He was moving quite slowly and didn't have the same grace in his steps that he usually had. Once he was seated on a stool, she assumed to make it easier for Diggle to have access to both his back and chest wounds, she walked over to him and gently touched his left shoulder, just above his dragon tattoo.
"Good morning Oliver." Moira said with a forced smile. She could see that a large amount of his upper body was covered in bandages and the sight made her heart sink.
"Mom." Oliver replied with a smile, however his happiness faded as he took in the look of worry on his mom's face. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"Oliver, I need to see." Moira said simply. At the questioning look from Oliver she continued. "Our family has a bad habit of keeping secrets." Moira said as walked a few steps away before turning back to look at her son. "That needs to change. Secrets are what's been tearing our family apart for years. Oliver..." She walked back to where Oliver sat and placed a hand gently on his cheek. "...I need to see what that man did to you. I need to know how much pain you are really in. Please!"
Oliver studied his mom for a moment. It was apparent that she was struggling with what had happened still and that it was eating her up not knowing just how badly he had been hurt. However, she was right, secrets had torn his family apart. He decided that no matter how difficult this was for them, in all reality this really was a simple thing to be completely honest about. And how can I deny her this if it helps put her mind at ease and allows her to move on. He thought to himself. He took a deep breath before he nodded his head and turned to Diggle.
"Go ahead Digg." Oliver said to him quietly. Diggle knew how hard this was for Oliver. The kid never wants to show people his wounds and scars, not unless he has to. Diggle thought as he moved behind Oliver and began to slowly remove the bandages on the other man's back. As he did so Moira stayed at her place in front of Oliver. It seemed that they were drawing strength from each other for once.
Moira stood in front of Oliver, gently holding his face in her hands, as Diggle removed the bandages from her son's back. She had chosen to wait until the other man was finished removing the bandages before she would then move around to look at Oliver's back. Oliver sat quietly, unmoving, as Diggle worked and she saw, yet again, the complete determination and strength that was now such a prominent part of Oliver.
Once Diggle finished removing the bandages that covered Oliver's back he looked up at Moira, letting her know that he was finished, before stepping back and moving over to the supplies to prepare what he would need to redress Oliver's wounds. He tried to tune out what was going on between mother and son, however the scene that unfolded before him was one that held his attention completely, even if he was careful to seem unaware of what was happening.
Moira caught the look that Diggle gave her, letting her know that he was done removing the bandages. She released Oliver's face and again placed a hand gently on his left shoulder, the only place that she could tell wasn't injured badly, in order to not only keep physical contact with her son but to steady herself as well. She slowly walked around Oliver, noting that he hung his head slightly as she moved around behind him, to look at the damage to her son's back. She was totally unprepared for the sight before her and a small gasp escaped before she placed her hand to her mouth to muffle the quiet cries that were trying to escape.
Moira couldn't believe the sight before her eyes. Diggle had told her that Oliver was fine... he clearly wasn't. Even Walter's description of Oliver's back as 'quite gruesome' had not prepared her adequately for what she now saw. She could see the layers upon layers of cuts across Oliver's back which was covered in black and blue bruising. Some of the cuts, as Walter had said, had been stitched and as Moira looked at the pattern of those stitches she thought that it looked like they were holding entire patches of his skin together. If those stitches weren't there would his skin be hanging loose? She thought to herself as she had to work to keep from reaching out and touching Oliver's back.
"Oliver." Moira whispered. All the emotions that she was feeling were evident in her voice as well and Oliver suddenly stood and faced his mom as she spoke. "My beautiful boy." Oliver reached up and wiped away the tears that were now streaming down his mom's face.
"Mom. I'm fine." Oliver said, trying to gain her attention. He could see that she was struggling with everything and he suddenly wished that he had denied her the chance to see his back. However, he also knew that her seeing what had happened would provide her with some closure as she would no longer have to wonder about his injuries.
"There's a big difference you know." Moira said in a quiet whisper, almost as if to herself. At the questioning look from Oliver she explained what she meant. "There's a big difference between being told about something and seeing it for yourself. Walter told me about your back, and I imagined all sorts of things, but nothing I could imagine compares with the reality of seeing it for myself. You must be in so much pain."
Oliver pulled his mother into a tight hug. "I'm going to be fine mom." He said as he pulled back after a couple of minutes. "When I was on the Island I didn't have anyone to help me when I was injured. I had to rely on myself and a few little herbs that were available. But I'm not on the Island anymore. There are modern medicines, medical supplies to help me. But mostly I have my Team, my friends, who know how to patch me up when I'm hurt, and how to help me work through my pain. Most importantly though I have my family. You, Walter, and Thea, to help me stay strong and heal. I know I'll be fine because there are too many people under this roof right now who would kill me themselves if I didn't recover." Oliver finished with a bit of a laugh.
Moira couldn't help but laugh at Oliver's comment. "You're probably right." She said, finally managing a smile. "I'm glad you're alright. You're not in too much pain?" She asked, needing to know the answer to this one final question before she could leave him.
"I am in pain." Oliver told her honestly after taking a deep breath. "But that will fade in time. You don't have to worry about me mom, I'm in good hands."
Moira nodded as she looked at Diggle, ready to redress the wounds on Oliver's back. She gave him a brief smile before turning one last time to Oliver.
"You're right Oliver. I'm glad you have friends who look out for you as well as your Team does. Don't ever let them go." Moira said with all sincerity. She offered Oliver one last smile before she turned and left his room, reminding him on her way out the door that Felicity was waiting for him. She smiled to herself as she realized that not only did Oliver have a good Team, good friends, but he had quite a remarkable woman looking out for him as well.
Four Months Later
Roy walked tiredly up to the front door of his house. It had been a long week of crime fighting. Thankfully Oliver had fully healed from his injuries inflicted by Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson meaning that the Team was once again at full crime fighting capacity. However, that didn't change the fact that they had had several long nights this week breaking up a gang dispute. He was hungry, tired, and in dire need of a nice, long, hot shower. He pulled his key from his pocket and unlocked his front door, flipping on the lights as he walked into his house. Locking his door back behind him he dropped his duffel bag on the floor just inside the door and walked to his kitchen, feet dragging with exhaustion.
"Hello Roy."
Roy stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the voice in his house, his body immediately on high alert. There was only one person in his life that had that voice, and he was supposed to be dead. He turned to face the man sitting on his bed.
"Well, aren't you going to welcome me home...Son?"
It had been four months since they escaped from the clutches of Slade Wilson. The Team had been kept fairly busy with a gang dispute that broke out and things were just now starting to calm down again. Felicity sat at her desk in the lair, supposedly working, instead she was watching Oliver on the Salmon Ladder, again. His body had finally healed from all of the wounds that Malcolm and Slade had given him and in her eyes he had never looked better. He did have new scars mixed in with the old ones. The cuts on his chest had simply been inflicted over previous scars so even though they were fresh scars they simply replaced old ones. The scars that most often drew her attention though were the ones on his back, from where Slade had brutally whipped him. The wounds had healed, leaving in their place a myriad of faded white lines where his back had been laid open with the whip, patches of thick silver wedges in places where the lashes had crossed. He was still a handsome man, nothing could change that, he simply held new marks. Marks that continually reminded her of just how strong he really was and that he would always fight back.
Felicity watched as Oliver smoothly transitioned from the Salmon Ladder to the beams overhead, moving into inverted crunches. He smiled at her as he caught her watching him and she returned the smile just as genuinely. She truly did love this man! She looked around then to the rest of the Team, all except Roy who had gone home for a shower and some sleep. Sara and Diggle were sparring on the mats not far away. This place would always be home to her now and she couldn't think of a better place to be.
She looked once more to her Archer above her before then looking down to her left hand and she couldn't stop the huge smile that crossed her face as she looked at her emerald. Felicity was indeed a very happy woman!
AN: Well guys that's it. The end of the story... Well, at least this portion of it! Please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts!
Also, You all will be pleased to know that I've already decided to do one last installment in this Abducted series. The title will the "The Emerald". Keep an eye out for it as it will appear shortly!
Thank you all, yet again, for sticking with me through this entire fic, as well as "Abducted". You are all remarkable!
