CHAPTER ONE
LIAN YU
"Kid, get up. Get up, there's a ship. It's time to go home."
Oliver opened his eyes groggily. The voice seemed oddly familiar but Oliver could put a finger to it. His head was fuzzy and it was difficult to concentrate with them. He could feel his head against something soft and crackling, it was leaves.
"Hey kid, get up!"
It was then that Oliver realised that the voice was Australian, causing him to open his eyes wide with shock. He shot up like lightning and turned to meet the source of the voice. It was Slade. What was going on?
"Seriously kid, is now the time to sleep? There's a ship on its way, the time has come." Slade said as he left Oliver to pack his things.
It was then that Oliver noticed how different Slade looked than before. His clothes were black and ragged, his beard looked like he had not shaved in months. Then Oliver took a look at himself. His hair and beard were long and had not been shaved for a long time. His clothes were also ragged and torn just like Slade's. And then took notice of his surroundings, it was a forest. A forest that Oliver could recognise instantly.
He was on Lian Yu.
How did he get here? What was going on?
"Oliver, quit standing there like a tree and move on."
A woman came out of the bush, torn shirt and torn jeans. Someone whom he had not seen in years.
"Shado?"
Shado turned and stared at Oliver frustratingly. "Oliver, I have had enough time on this island and could you for once get started and pack?" Then she turned to Slade. "What's wrong with him?"
"Probably the shock of meeting his mother, sister...you know, his family?" Slade said as he packed their weapons in a box. "He'll wear off it soon."
"Well, it better be fast." Shado said in annoyance.
Oliver stared at them in confusion as small amounts of tears tried to escape his eyes. Then he remembered something that Slade had said.
...the shock of meeting his mother...
His mother was alive. But how? What was going on?
STARLING CITY
Oliver stared at the city from the window, his long hair and beard gone and replaced by a well cut short hair and trimmed beard. He also wore a white shirt with blue sweatpants. It had taken sometime but he could finally recall the events that had occured. He and the other heroes had just defeated the Anti-Monitor and he had died in the arms of Barry and Sara before he had woken up at the island. He didn't know what had happened but all he could say was that, he had been sent back to the past to the year 2012. Back to when the Arrow had began. He had parted ways with Slade and Shado at the airport. Oliver had told Slade to look for his children and forge a relationship with them. Slade had agreed and Shado, who was willing to follow the love of her life and be with him until her death.
During his time on the plane with Slade and Shado, he had done his homework. Apparently, he had been stranded on the island for two years, and he had met Slade and Shado over there. Then, they had been found by Ra's Al-Ghul's assassins and had trained and worked with the league for five years. Oliver had made a request to Ra's Al-Ghul to return home, a request that the Demon granted to him. Oliver, Slade and Shado then went back to the island for the next sixteen months to make themselves ready to go back home (they needed to make themselves appear stranded on an island to be true). So in all, he had been stranded on the island for nearly nine years, and now at thirty, he had been rescued. Another thing that Oliver recalled was that, Sara had not gone to the Gambit with him and had stayed behind at Starling. His father had also died the same way, shot the other man before killing himself. Oliver blinked back tears as memories of his father appeared in his mind. He will always respect the one man who had always believed in his son despite his spoilt behaviour.
"Oliver?"
He froze. It was a voice he had not heard in a long time. It was the voice of the woman that he had always and will always love. He turned slowly to see the one face that he had always wanted to see.
"Laurel?"
Laurel smiled as tears flowed down her face as she ran and hugged the love of her life. "You're here, you're actually here. I can't believe it."
"Hey, I'm here." He took her hand and placed on his chest. "Do feel that? It means I'm here Laurel. I'm home." He said as he caressed her face, tears threatening to escape his eyes. The last time he had seen her beautiful face, she had been on a hospital bed, from being stabbed with a sword by Damien Darhk before finally dying. But here she was, awake and alive.
More tears flowed down her cheeks and Oliver wiped them with the back of his hand. Then, raising her chin, he kissed her fevershly, savouring the lips that he had not touched in years. It felt as if it had been waiting for him all these years.
"Oliver?"
They broke from their kiss and Oliver turned to see a woman at the entrance staring at him with tears in her eyes. He walked slowly to her, more tears threatening to escape.
"Mom?"
Moira nodded her head before engulfing her son into a hug. Tears left their eyes, crying so much that they were shaking feverently.
"My beautiful boy. You are back."
Oliver nodded his head. "I'm back mom, and I'm not going anywhere." Then, looking at Laurel, he opened his left arm and gestured for her to join them. She joined them and Oliver engulfed her as well, both of them in his arms and kissing their heads.
He had made it.
He was home.
But, then, was this a dream? Like the Denominators? Had he been trapped in a dream device? He didn't know the answers, but standing here hugging the love of his life and his mother, one thing was certain, he didn't want this to end. And he would make sure that it wouldn't.
"What is your relationship with Shado?" Laurel asked as she, Oliver and Moira were sitting at the back of the car while Slade and Shado were in another. They were all on their way to the Queen Mansion. Oliver had asked his mother to let them stay with them until they later settled and moved into their place. Oliver smiled at her teasingly. "You jealous?"
"No, just curious." She had noticed the way Shado looked attractive and she had wondered if Oliver had been with while they were on the island. She wouldn't have blamed him since he was all alone on the island.
Oliver chuckled. "If you say so, but you have no need to worry. She's Slade's girl, not mine." She nodded her head before going silent for some minutes. Oliver noticed the way she and his mother were unnervingly quiet. He wondered what had happened while he had been gone. "What happened while I was dead?"
He noticed the way Laurel shivered slightly when he had used the word dead but quickly hid it. Moira decided to speak first. "A lot has happened while you gone Oliver. Like Thea is almost seventeen in a few months, and I got married three years ago." She said the last part a bit uneasingly.
Oliver smiled at her softly. "So who is the lucky man?" he asked, already knowing who it was.
"Um, I got married to Walter."
"If it's Walter, I know that he wil treat you with the utmost of respect. You deserve some happiness in your life."
Moira smiled. "Thank you Oliver."
"You're welcome, mom." he said, taking her left hand with his right and kissing it. Then he turned to Laurel. "What about you, found anyone special?"
Laurel nodded her head as she smiled. "I'm not married or dating but I found two people who are my pride and joy. They have made my world brighter ever since they came into my life."
"Our lives Laurel." Moira said with a smile. "They are the light of the family."
Oliver looked at both them confusingly, what did they mean? Laurel noticed his confusion and smiled softly at him. "It's a surprise. One that you will love."
Oliver nodded his head as Laurel placed her head on his shoulder and held his hands. Oliver kissed her forehead as Oliver looked at them adoringly.
He was glad to have them back.
QUEEN MANSION
They got to the mansion minutes later. The driver had offered to help Oliver with his luggage (which was a box).
He told the driver to send it to his room. He told him that the box contained gifts that he had for the family. He added that he will give them a raise if they managed to send it without anyone knowing. Then, he followed his mother and Laurel into the mansion.
The moment they entered, Oliver felt a pit in his stomach. They had lost the mansion in the old timeline to Slade and Isabel when they had acquired Queen Industries. Thankfuly, Slade wa an ally in this timeline and he and Shado were in Australia to visit Slade's family. Still, he would make it one of his priorities to not repeat the same mistakes he had made. The house will be safe and will not be taken from them. It had been almost a lifetime, since he was here and he was not ready to leave here. Not now, not ever.
"Oliver?" a masculine voice called out as they entered the place. Walter came forward to greet them. He looked just the same as before in the old timeline. "Am I glad to see you." he said with a smile.
Oliver smiled back at him and took his hand. "And it's great to see you Walter. Glad my mother picked a good person for her husband."
Walter laughed softly. "Glad you approve of it." To be frank, his nerves calmed when he saw that Oliver was not fustrated but was genuinely happy for them.
Oliver walked passed him to the living room, were he noticed Raisa. He smiled as he walked towards her.
"Welcome home, Mr Queen." she greeted with a smile.
Oliver smiled and pulled her to a hug. Raisa was one woman whom he had always cared for. He loved her so much that he considered her to be his first mother over his own mother. She had always been there for him as a child and had even helped to instill good morals into the spoilt rich boy. "I missed you Raisa."
"I missed you as well Oliver." They pulled away from each other before Raisa nodded her head towards Moira Queen. "Congratulations Ms Moira."
"Thank you Raisa." Moira said softly.
Oliver heard footsteps coming from the stairs. He went toward it and saw Thea. One thing he had discovered was that, he was older than Thea by thirteen years! He wondered what had happened for them to have a difference in age but at that moment it didn't matter. Thea ran down the stairs before engulfing him in a hug.
"I missed you Ollie." she said tearingly.
Ollie.
It was a name he had not heard in a long time.
"Don't worry Thea, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."
They pulled away from each other as they smiled. "I think Laurel has a surprise for you." she said as she gestured to behind him with her head. Oliver turned to see what Thea was talking about and froze.
Laurel was at the living room with two children by her side, a boy and a girl. Oliver recognised both of them instantly from the old timeline. He walked slowly toward them, tears in his eyes.
"Oliver," Laurel began, "I would like you to meet two special friends of mine. Meet William and Mia Queen, our twins." There were tears in her eyes as she saw what was happening before her eyes. She had always dreamt of this, her children meeting their father for the first time.
Oliver knelt shakingly before them, tears leaving his eyes. "Hi," he choked disbelievingly. He had been a father all this time and never knew he had kids. What will they think of him?
Mia went towards him and looked at him in shock. "Dad?"
Oliver nodded his head tearfully. "Yes baby, I'm your dad." Tears escaped Mia's eyes as she hugged her father. She had seen him in pictures but today was the first time that she was seeing him. Today, he was here.
William looked at his father curiously as he hugged his sister. Was this real? Could his father be actually here? He walked towards them as the separated from each other. Then, to his father's confusion, he took his right arm and pushed the suit and the sleeve. And then, he saw it.
The arrowhead birthmark.
He took his hand and showed it to the man in front of him. "Mom and Aunt Raisa told me that I have your arrowhead birthmark. I just wanted to make sure it's true."
Oliver smiled gently at him. "It's cute you know."
William laughed softly. "That's what they always say." They stared at each other, smiles on their faces before Oliver opened his arms and engulfed his son into a hug. "Can't wait for you to show me the tricks to get the ladies." Willam added, causing a laugh from his father.
"Let me guess, Uncle Tommy told you, huh?"
"Yep."
"He's so dead."
"GROUP HUG!" Mia yelled as she lept at her father. Laurel, Thea and Moira joined them. Oliver gestured for Raisa, and Walter to also join them. Oliver smiled as he hugged his loved ones. He had made it.
It was good to be home.
LANCE RESIDENCE
Sara woke up with a jerk, her head aching as she tried to sit up from the bed. What te hell was going on? After sometime, she took a look at her surroundings. She was in her bedroom at her family home. But what going on? How did she get here? Had she made it home? She quickly got out of bed and relised that she was in her pajamas. She looked at the window and noticed that it was in the afternoon. Had she by any chance overslept? She went to the living room to turn on the TV. As she took the remote, she noticed the date on the calendar.
3rd October, 2012.
How on earth had she gotten there? Had the Legends left her back in time? Had she probably gone back in time without realising?
"Good morning, baby. Or should I say good afternoon?"
Sara immediately turned to see whom it was. It was her father. And he was alive. He wasn't dead. She immediately hugged him with so much speed that she almost fell on the floor.
"Whoa, Sara, are you okay?"
"I'm great, dad." she choked, tears escaping her eyes. "I'm just glad you're here. I've missed you so badly."
Quentin didn't understand why she was behaving strangely but he still held her in his arms as she cried in his chest.
She probably had a bad dream, he told himself. But he told himself that if that was the case, then it had been a serious nightmare. He held her in his arms for the next few minutes, Sara crying in his chest and Quentin comforting her. After some moments, they slowly parted.
"Are you alright, baby?" Quentin asked with concern.
Sara nodded her head. "Just a bad dream." She couldn't tell him that he was dead from where she was coming from. But where was she coming from?
"I have news for you." her father said. He took the remote and turned on the TV. The local news were talking about Oliver Queen.
"LOST BILLIONAIRE FOUND."
Sara covered her mouth in shock. She had seen Oliver die in her and Barry's arms and here he was alive. Had she gone to a new earth or gone back in time? And if it was the latter, why hadn't she been on the Gambit like she was before? What was going on?
"As much as I don't like him, I'm a bit glad that he's alive. At least, my grandkids don't have to grow up without father." Quentin said in annoyance. It was clear that he still didn't like Oliver Queen, Sara noticed. Her father had always hated Oliver because of his arrogant, playboy attitude. Then a thought struck her.
...my grandkids don't have to grow without a father.
What did her father mean by that? Was Sara pregnant? Was she already a mother with Oliver's kids? Or...was Laurel the mother of Oliver's kids?
Laurel.
Was her sister alive? Sara knew that she couldn't be in the house any longer. She needed to get answers. Asking her father would raise suspision from her father and she didn't want that. She needed to get out of the place and get her answers, and she was sure that she would get them at the Queen Mansion.
QUEEN MANSION
Oliver stared at the family photos that he had missed all these years, his main focus on the phtos taken of his children. He smiled as he noticed the way his family looked happy in each of the photos taken. He saw the happy smile of his mother in her wedding with Walter, the smile reached her eyes. He saw another photo of Laurel, Thea and his twins at a funfair; they had paintings on their faces along with smiles. He smiled as he noticed the silly face that Thea put on. He put it down and picked another photo. It was one of him as a kid with his father.
He looked at it with a sad smile. It felt so long since he laid eyes on his father, thirteen years to be precise. The door to the mansion opened and someone stepped inside.
"Ollie?" He smiled as he placed the picture back down. Apart from Thea, the only other person to call him Ollie was Sara. He turned slowly to face her, he saw that she had tears in her eyes. "Are you really alive?"
Oliver nodded his head. "I'm not ready to die, Sara."
Sara choked before going to him and giving him a hug. "It's good to have you back, Oliver." she said. Then the door of the mansion opened again and this time, Tommy entered.
"Told you the yatch sucked." Tommy said jokingly.
Oliver gave a chukle. "Tommy Merlyn, the one and only."
Tommy smiled and went towards Oliver and engulfed him into a hug. "Welcome back from the dead." he said as he patted Oliver's back. He noticed Sara standing behind Oliver. "Looks like you have met our new detective."
Sara eyes opened in surprise. She was a detective? How on earth did that happen?
Oliver patted Tommy's back and smiled at him and Sara. "Since you guys are here, why not join us for dinner?"
"Sure, why not. How about you Lance?" Tommy asked heartedly. They turned to face Sara, waiting for her response. She nodded her head. "Great, the more the merrier."
In the dinning room, it was a bit overcrowded than it usually was because of Oliver, Tommy and Sara. Oliver sat at the head of one end while Moira sat at the other. It was his first dinner with his new family and it was fun. Tommy kept the table in his conversations and stories, something he did best. The table which consisted of Oliver, Laurel, Mia, William, Thea, Sara, Moira and Walter were all smiling as Tommy managed to carry on the conversation.
"So you missed a lot of stuff," Tommy said as he ate his food. "We've got a black president, the Harry Potter series is over, you missed a lot of Super Bowls, oh and there was Twilight and Lost...they all died, I think. Plus, you missed the chance to see the wonderful ending of Gossip Girl."
Oliver smiled as Tommy explained what he had missed. One thing about Tommy was that he always found ways to keep a conversation going and live up the mood. Suddenly, an image of Tommy impaled by a rod from a collapsed building flashed in his mind. The image sent a twist in his heart but he managed to hide it from the group of people in front of him.
"Ollie, what was the island like?" Thea asked curiously, it was a question that had been bugging her mind since Oliver came home.
Oliver sighed and smiled before looking at Slade and Shado. He felt everyone's gaze on him as they waited for his answer. "At first, it was lonely, cold, scary...but, I met Slade and he showed me the ropes for survival and he helped me to make it out alive. He was like a big brother protecting his sibling. Always on the lookout for me."
"Sounds like he helped you a lot." Thea said.
"He did. I don't think I would have made it alive in my first weeks if it weren't for him. Later, we found Shado at a cave, and she helped us to survive in the island. Helping us to hunt for food, finding a cave...she made us modern-day Robinson Crusoes." Oliver continued.
"So, what was your favourite food?" William asked curiously.
"Um, I liked taking rice with mango stew and snake meat." Oliver said with a grin.
"You ate snakes?!" Laurel asked a bit loudly in shock.
"Don't worry, they were tree snakes. No venom and they don't bite." He had intentionally said that to draw their attention to life on the island. He knew that they would be curious if he didn't give them much details about his life there.
"Anyway, enough about the island." Tommy said as he wiped his mouth with the napkin. "I think, that Oliver needs to celebrate. You know maybe, a party, a semi-formal one."
"Really, Tommy?" Laurel asked, she hoped that Tommy was not sending her boyfriend back to his partying life.
"Not the type you have in mind." Tommy clarified. "I'm talking about something simple, like a bowling party. Something casual, not extravegant."
Oliver nodded his head. "That would be perfect." At that moment, Raisa tripped as she was placing the bowl on the table.
"Sorry, Mr Queen."
"No need to worry about it, Raisa." Oliver said in Russian to the surprise of those on the table.
"You know how to speak Russian?"Mia asked, to Oliver's surprise, using the same language.
"Yes...I learnt how speak Russian. How do you know how to speak?"
"Aunt Raisa." William answered proudly.
"Didn't know you could speak Russian Oliver." Walter said in surprise.
"Me too," Sara added, "I remember how much you sucked in Spanish. Looked like it was not meant for you." She already knew that Oliver had learnt it 'on the island' but she needed to play along if she wanted to get her answers.
"Shado, one of the other surivors, taught it to some of us on the island." Oliver said, before turning to Raisa. "Thank you, Raisa."
"You're welcome, Oliver." the woman said before leaving the table to the kitchen.
"Looks like we already have something in common." Oliver told his twins.
"That put us off to a great start." Mia said as she swallowed her food.
"Exactly Mia. We can share secrets and no one will know a thing of what we are talking about."
"Like right now?" William asked as he gestured to the others on the table. Oliver and Mia looked at the direction William was pointing to. Moira, Walter, Thea and Tommy had confused looks on their faces as if they were trying to understand what they were talking about while Laurel and Sara were trying to hold their laughter.
"Why does it feel like they are plotting evil stuff against us?" Tommy said when he saw their expressions.
"No need to worry Tommy, just a father talking to his children." Oliver said. He noticed Sara was eating her food and had not said much so far and decided to get her into a conversation. "So Sara, how're you doing?"
Sara looked at Oliver a bit surprised, she had not expected him to turn his attention to her. Her mind had been on how she had managed to come this place. "I'm good. Why do you ask?"
"Just noticed how quiet you've been and thought something might be bothering you."
"Oh, it's nothing, just a dream I had." Sara lied.
"About what?" Tommy asked, cleaning his mouth with his napkin.
"Oh nothing really. Besides, it's silly and Oliver is home, today is his day, not mine." Sara said, trying to avoid the attention drawing to her.
"It is my day, Sara. But I also care about my friends, and you are my friend." Oliver said. He took his glass of wine and sipped it as he waited for Sara to speak.
Sara sighed before finally giving in. "Ok, if you are so interested in listening to my dream, which sucks, then here it goes." She took a sip of her raspberry wine before continuing. "I dreamt that I met some friends and we time travelled a couple of times." Oliver froze while Laurel nearly choked at Sara's statement. "Told you it was silly." she said before putting her food into her mouth.
"Sara, do you happen to know a Barry Allen?" Oliver asked, he wanted to know if it was not by coincidence that Sara's dream was exactly to what happened in the old timeline.
Oliver's question made Sara chew her food softly. Did Oliver know what was going on? Was he also in the same situation as her? Did he happen to know why they were here? "He lives in Central City, right?" she asked him. Oliver nodded his head, glad that they were getting off somewhere. "Fastest man alive, right?"
"Yep, that Barry Allen." Oliver said, happy that he was not the only one in their new environment and situation. He had been a bit worried that she knew a Barry Allen in their new timeline already.
"Does he have a friend that wanted to make me a Canary Halloween superhero costume?"
This time it was Laurel. The look on her face was one of fear and pain but she quickly masked it with a happy smile. The others on the table did not notice but Oliver and Sara did.
"Cisco Ramon." Oliver said, answering her question. So she too was also in this situation. That made it three of them. He wondered if they weren't the only ones, and if that was the case, who else was included.
Oliver noticed how Laurel was suddenly quiet, lost in her thoughts as she played with her food. He wondered what was going on in her mind. Maybe, it was what had happened to her in the old timeline.
Her death.
He reached for her hand and rubbed it softly. Laurel looked at him and reciprocated his affection with a smile. Their hands remained like that for the entire dinner and Sara, who had seen what had happened, smiled at them, happy that her sister had found happiness in the man that she had always loved.
The rest of the evening was spent exchanging stories about what had happened while Oliver had gone. Sara and Laurel were listening half-attentively, their thoughts on how they had gotten to their new timeline while Oliver, spent the evening sending glances at Laurel, Tommy and Moira, promising himself over and over again that they would not die again.
He would save them.
He would save them all. And he would never leave his family again.
Later, Oliver and Laurel laid together in bed, Oliver's arms around her, consumed in a deafening silence. Ever since they had eaten their dinner, none had spoken a word to the other. Both were scared of what was happening and feared that this new world would be gone as quickly as it had happened.
Earlier, they had both said their goodbyes to Sara separately. Sara had told Oliver to enjoy the moment for now and would focus on what was happening tomorrow. She had jokingly threatened to kill him if he died again, saying that shewould resurrect him and kill him again. Sara then talked to her sister, giving her a teary, long hug that she didn't want to let go. She repeatedly told her how sorry she was for not being there for her but Laurel kept telling her not to blame herself. After that, they reluctantly parted ways but promised to meet tomorrow.
That had been hours ago, to be precise, three hours. It was now 1:33am, but yet they were both awake. Laurel had slept on the bed as early as she could to avoid speaking to Oliver about the matter. She told herself that she was not ready to face the reality of the situation, that she was just a replacement for Felicity and that when she came, Oliver would leave her and go to her. She didn't want to see that happen and she didn't want to be there, but at the same time, she wanted to enjoy Oliver for herself and keep him. Later, Oliver joined her after putting the twins to sleep. The moment the door had opened, she instantly closed her eyes to sleep but when Oliver had put his arms around her arms, she found it difficult to do so.
That had been two hours ago, and now, they still laid in bed, eyes closed but too scared to sleep. They were both aware that the other was awake but neither had spoken to the other. Oliver for his part, didn't want to address the elephant in the room but as time went on, he realised that they had to talk about it now if they wanted to get on an agreement.
He took a deep breath. He felt nervous and he didn't know why he was. He was not the type to easily get nervous to talk about a particular matter and sometimes, he was blunt if he wanted an immediate answer. But then, this was a whole new matter that he hadn't faced before.
"Laurel?" he finally called after minutes of debating mentally. He received no response from her, so he decided to try again. "Laurel?"
He received no movement or response from her for some seconds before finally, she turned to face him. It was then that Oliver took a moment to look at her and admire her beautiful face. He could see the blue eyes that was, most at times, filled with vigor but now, it was filled with sadness and fear. He used his right hand and caressed her cheek. He felt tears on them.
She was crying.
And it broke his heart anytime she cried. He used his thumb to dry away her tears. He stared at her, unable to say anything but rather, use his fingers to caress her face.
"I don't want this to go." Laurel finally said tearfully.
Oliver smiled softly. He understood exactly what she was going through. It had been the same for him when the denominators had 'whammied' him. It was the perfect dream world and he didn't want it go. "I also don't want all this to disappear, Laurel. I'm even scared to sleep because I'm afraid that when I wake up, you are gone. And I don't want you to go Laurel."
"Me too, Oliver. I don't want you to go." she choked. Oliver brought her close to him as she sobbed in his chest.
"I want to promise you that it's not going to happen but I don't want to lie and break my promise."
Laurel nodded her head in understanding. She knew what Oliver was talking about because she too felt the same. "Oliver?"
"Yes, Laurie?"
She chuckled a bit at the name before going back towhat she wanted them to do. "I think it's best if we sleep. We'll know what tomorrow has in store for us. If fate wants us to be together, we'll be together. But if it doesn't, we'll wake up knowing that we had a chane to be with each other for the last time."
Oliver didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell er nt to think of that but he knew that she was right. That was the best option and choice that they had. They'll see what tomorrow had for them, and whatever choice it had for them, they would be content with it.
"If that's the case," he finally said, "then I want you to know that I love you, and you are forever in my heart until the day I die."
Laurel smiled at his statement. She didn't care if he loved Felicity or not, she wanted to sleep with a happy memory, and that was what it was going to be. A happy memory. She gave him a deep, long, passionate kiss. A kiss that was mixed in a swirl of their tears and their love for each other.
After the kiss, she finally said barely above a whisper, "I love you too, Oliver. And I want you to know that if you happen to not see me again, know that you have always and will always be in my heart."
Oliver smiled at her confession, happy to know that she still loved him. Then wrapping her in his arms, they both fell asleep with smiles on their faes, enjoying the warmth of each other, and waiting to see what tomorrow held for both of them.