Chapter 25;
I can't keep living this way starting today, I'm breaking out of this cage, I'mma face my demons 'cause my baby knows that her daddy's a soldier
Notes:So, there's no New Team Arrow in my story, since Thea and Laurel are still in the field and Oliver was the only one who had left the team. There were way to many people in the field in the later seasons of Arrow in my opinion.
Plus there was really no reason for NTA to be in the crossover, they didn't do anything the rest of the teams in CC couldn't have managed.
I hope you enjoy the third part of my version of Invasion...
Oliver
He turned around a little more and saw Sara, his beautiful Sara, standing there with their little Hummingbird in her left arm, while her right one was thrown over his son's shoulder, both of them smiling at him encouragingly.
"Together?"He smiled back at her when he heard her words.
"Together."He replied before turning around and stepping through the portal.
The next thing he knew, he woke up in what appeared to be a pod of some kind with wires attached to his head. The first thing he did was remove those to ensure that he would not be put back into whatever trance the Dominators had put them in. He got out of the pod and looked around, seeing his team do the same.
"Where are we?" That was an excellent question, and he was afraid he knew the answer to that. A spaceship. They were on a fucking spaceship. He took in and analyzed their surroundings, hoping to find a way out and off of the alien aircraft. This was when he noticed Digg holding his side.
"You all right?"
"It may not be real, but it still hurts like a son of a bitch." He didn't like the sound of that. John should be fine. If it had simply been a shared hallucination or however you'd want to call it, it shouldn't have any physical after effects on them. His friend should not be feeling a wound that had never actually been inflicted. They needed to get home as fast as possible to get to the source of the problem. Roy might be able to help with that.
The only problem was, they were up in space. Very far up in space. So far up in space they couldn't even see the earth from where they were. As Ray had so nicely pointed out to them. So, now they not only needed to find a way off the spaceship, they needed to find a way off the spaceship that could get them back to earth.
Why couldn't things ever be simple?
Why couldn't getting home ever be easy?
"Okay, so how do we find our way out of an alien spacecraft?" Of course Speedy had to voice his thoughts and expect an actual answer and solution to their current problem.
"This way. Even though it's an alien technology, certain principles of design are universal." Ray took charge and explained to Thea and Laurel. Oliver was grateful for the tech genius' presence, having him around would probably be very helpful, not to forget the fact that Ray has been a part of the Legends for a while now and was much more accustomed to spaceships or time-ships than the rest of them.
The only problem with that was that they were suddenly walking into a group of Dominators. Fuck! He looked around and noticed the weapon on the wall; he hoped Ray was right about universal principles of design, while pointing it towards the aliens and firing. Making sure they could retreat and get a head-start on their capturers. They ran back in the direction they had come from and took a turn until they reached a room filled with what looked like smaller spaceships.
"You think you can fly one of these things?" Digg sounded understandably doubtful.
"I'm hoping that between you, me and Ray, someone can fly one of these things." He admitted. What other choice did they have then try? He wasn't going to stay here, wasn't going to be stuck here until the aliens decided to kill them. He was not going to die on an alien spacecraft up in space. He promised Sara that he would come home to her, that he would not let her go through the pregnancy and especially the birth alone. And he was determined to keep that promise. There had been too many promises between them that had ended up being broken, mostly for reasons that had been out of their control. He would not let that happen again, not this time. Not when it came to their little Hummingbird.
This needed to work.
They walked further into the room and boarded one of the weird-looking spacecrafts. Just for them to be completely stumped as to how to get it to fly. Until Speedy decided to just start touching things. He really needed to go over the dangers of that tactic with her again. It worked this time, and he was grateful for it, but still, it was a reckless approach and could put her in unnecessary danger.
It didn't take long until they got attacked by the Dominators and he wasn't sure how they were going to get out of that situation; they needed to figure out how to steer this thing. They would be dead in no time if they didn't. He couldn't die here. He had too much to live for to die here, like this.
He could suddenly feel a jerk right before they started to move. This was good… he hoped. At least they were no longer being hit and moving. Their spacecraft was pulled into what appeared to be another aircraft of some sorts, and the doors opened. He stepped outside just to see the Cargo-bay of the Waverider. He breathed a sigh of relief.
He owed Roy another one.
"Where are we?" Laurel looked around curiously before turning towards him.
"The Waverider. Roy must have found us." He explained before turning towards the door that led inside the time-ship.
"Oliver, nice clothes. Shop at alien Gap?" Nate could be grateful that he owed him for saving them.
"Not funny." He still looked at him sternly to let him know how he felt about the joke. Knowing very well that Sara would've found it hilarious, probably even more so because of the stern look on his face.
Nate told them about the fabrication room and introduce himself to both Thea and Laurel. He couldn't help but roll his eyes because of the other man's flirting. Now was so not the time. But… he should talk to Roy and Sara after… maybe… no, he should just stay out of everyone's personal lives, just like he appreciates everyone staying out of his.
"How did you find us?" He changed the subject to something that was more relevant.
"Well, with the help of our nerd army. Roy let us know what had happened, so he, Jax, Gideon, Felicity, Cisco and I put our heads together and figured out where you were." Nate explained to them.
"Sorry it took us so long. How bout I take Digg to the Med-bay and have Gideon fix him up?" Oliver, just like the rest of his team, turned towards the familiar voice. Roy was walking towards them, being stopped by Thea rushing into his arms, thanking him for saving them.
"Whoever Gideon is." Digg agreed and followed their former team member once he had released Speedy from his hug.
They proceeded to the Bridge, where Ray started to share his observations. He did not like where Ray's thoughts were going. It made sense, everything the other man said made sense, but that did not ease his worry at all. The opposite, actually. Why would they want to know intel about the Meta-humans?
"We are nearing completion of the weapon." Gideon translated the words Ray had heard the Dominators say.
They were looking for intel about meta-humans. They were creating a weapon. And they were on a direct course for Earth. Why did he have the sudden feeling that they were fucked! They needed to get back to Central City, and he was pretty sure they needed to hit the ground running. Time was running out to stop whatever the Dominators were planning. They just needed to make one stop on the way. Thea needed to go home. Everything that had happened to them, everything they had experienced in their shared hallucination had really affected her and he worried that her emotions would impede her performance in the field. He would not risk her making a mistake because she was emotionally raw. Besides, they could drop her off at his and Sara's place, so she could help keep Sara and baby Sara safe, should they fail or things not go according to plan.
Barry's team really needed to learn that there were wrong moments and there were right moments, mostly wrong ones though, to want information about events and things that played no significant part in the overall issue. Cisco especially. He did not have the patience to deal with him right now. They had dropped Thea off in Star City, with little to no objection on her side, thankfully. He would've preferred to leave Laurel, too. He knew that seeing Tommy had thrown her and was something that she was struggling with, but he knew better than to try and bring it up. He had neither the time nor the energy to partake in the argument that would arise if he brought her staying back up. So, they dropped Speedy of taking as little time as possible, which meant that he had gone against every fiber of his being and had not gone home to see Sara. He had wanted to, more than anything. Making sure that she was fine. Reassuring himself that she was still here, and to ensure himself of what was real. He really needed to see her after the fantasy life that the Dominators had forced him into, that had seemed so very real. But he knew that him going home would've led to a lot of questions from Sara, which he did not have the time to answer right now. And he wasn't sure whether he would've been able to walk away from her again, knowing that it might be to his death.
He forced himself to put his thoughts about Sara and his feelings aside to focus on the matter at hand.
Kara was right, Metas posed the biggest threat to the Dominators invasion, so getting intel on them would make sense. It was what he would do. Kidnapping one of them to get their own intel was only fair.
Good thing they had a historian on their team who knew how to find them. He watched the exchange and couldn't believe it when Cisco and Barry once again behaved like children. Ray stepped in and suggested he help Professor Stein and Caitlin with the creation of a possible way to take down the aliens while Cisco joined Nate on the Waverider. Oliver had to shake his head in amusement about Felicity's antics and shared a grin with Roy. Of course she would be excited by the concept of time travel and wanting to be a part of it. Nate, Cisco and Felicity left to get the Dominator, while Digg left to check in with Lyla and Barry and Kara turned to him, Laurel and Roy.
"And the new President called, which would be cool under different circumstances. But she wants to meet with us." Barry shared with them.
"Let's bring Roy and Laurel as backup." He suggested, but really it was a statement. There was no way he and Barry would go alone, and there was no one present that he trusted more than Laurel and Roy. So, bringing them was a no-brainer. What he needed right now, after everything that had happened in the last twenty-four-hours, was the familiarity and security the people he knew provided him with. The Dominator's violation of his mind had thrown him more than he cared to admit he knew that it would end up being something that he would be dealing with for a long time but now was not the time for that. He needed to stay focused on saving their planet and to do that, he needed to be surrounded by reminders of his actual life.
"What about me? I can be backup." Kara insisted, looking a little taken aback to be left behind with nothing to do. He was once again reminded why he rather worked alone or with his Canary. They understood each other without words, and there was no need to explain most decisions. She'd get it.
"Let me talk to you for a second." He really didn't feel like doing this right now, but it was apparent by the look on Kara and everyone else's faces that he had to do this right now. So, he stepped away from everyone to get some privacy for what he was about to say.
"I would like to minimize your involvement in this." He came right out. He had learnt that the direct approach was the best in most situations.
"Why? Because I'm an alien? I also happen to be your biggest weapon." Kara looked and sounded offended.
"You are an unknown quantity and this is not personal." He tried to make her understand why he chose people that he had known and fought with for years.
"Except that's exactly how this feels." Right, he was dealing with a female version of Barry.
"Kara, when I started living this life, it was just me. I was going up against human threats. That I could handle. Then it was meta-humans, and I can handle that, with the help of my team, a team Roy used to be, and Laurel has been a part of for years. Now I learn that there are multiple Earths, and I was brainwashed aboard an alien spacecraft—" He went on to explain where he was coming from, just like he would do with Barry.
"I'm sure that was unnerving." The young woman looked at him in understanding.
"I don't get unnerved. But when I go up against something new, I push back. Right or wrong, it is who I am, and it is what I do. So, I am asking for a little bit of space because I have to draw the line somewhere. I need to claw back a sense of normalcy. Please stay here." He hoped she could understand his reasoning, but he didn't have the time to get further into it and didn't feel like baring himself to a stranger.
Something didn't feel right. Why would the President be late? She asked them to meet them here. Like Laurel pointed out, she must have a lot on her plate, which meant they probably planned her schedule down to the very last minute, so why would she shift things around to meet with them just to be late?
He had a bad feeling.
And the longer they waited, the worse it got.
He turned his head slightly so he could catch Roy's eye. The Legends' leader looked as uneasy as he felt. This was not good, which was why he couldn't believe that Barry chose this moment to ask him about his conversation with Kara. What was it with Team Flash and horrible timing for personal conversations?
Thankfully, Roy pointing out movement put an end to that. The arrival of several government issued vehicles saved him from answering the question. But they also intensified the negative feeling he's had when they circled around and trapped them and an old man got out of the car.
Fuck!
The President wasn't going to come. It had been a bait, and they had walked right into the trap. He only hoped that they were here to talk and find a solution to the problem and that they wanted to collaborate to face the common threat.
Not that he actually believed that.
He had too many negative encounters with governments to believe anything but the worst. The raising of guns and the answer to Laurel's question was all he needed to have his suspicions confirmed.
Fuck!
Why couldn't just one thing work out the way they had planned or it was supposed to? He should've taken the time to see Sara when they dropped Thea off.
"Barry, I think it's time we do something. And fast." He whispered. He wasn't going to die here. He couldn't die here. He had a promise to keep.
Barry took care of the guns and the snippers they hadn't noticed before. They should've swept the place, why the hell hadn't they swept the place before? He pushed the thought aside in order to concentrate on the ensuing fight.
Learning the reason why the Earth was being attacked, and how at least one arm of the government agreed with the Dominators reasons, was useful information, but also very troubling. Not only not having the government backing them but actively trying to destroy them would make this entire mission even more difficult. The intel that their mystery man was providing them with was crucial, Oliver realized when he told them why the Dominators had come back.
"You did, Mr. Allen. You threatened the entire universe when you used your powers to upset the normal course of time." Seriously? Oliver couldn't believe it. It seemed that everything was leading back to Barry's thoughtless actions.
"How would you even know about Flashpoint?" Laurel looked at the old man confused, and Oliver could understand why he shouldn't know about that. He turned towards Roy, wondering if maybe he knew about the government having a branch that specialized in actual time travel, the course of time and changes in the timeline, as far as he knew Roy and his team were the only ones keeping the timeline intact. They received the answer before Roy could jump into the conversation, when their 'friend' let them know that the Dominators had told them about it.
Barry tried to reason and promised it wouldn't happen again, but their 'friend' wasn't fazed by it and told them about the deal he had negotiated with the aliens. Barry in exchange for peace. That wasn't even an option. There was no way they would even consider going along with that plan. He would not let Barry get sacrificed for a mistake.
Oliver had tried to reason with Barry and make him see that sacrificing himself would do nothing. There was no way that the Dominators would just turn around and leave simply because they got one meta-human. It was a view Sara had shared. More than that, she had been the one who questioned the sincerity behind that deal. Why would they be satisfied with only one if they had a weapon that could erase all of them? It made no sense. And he had to agree. She was right.
He had called her to talk to her about the recent developments in the war. Just to keep her updated and to get her thoughts on the matter, she was the smarter and more rational one out of the two of them, plus she could probably give him some tips what to tell Barry to convince him to not take the deal. And he liked to bounce off ideas of her. She had an unique way of looking at situations that always led to improvement of his plans.
Unfortunately, he wasn't able to convince Barry to not sacrifice himself. He hoped he and the rest of their team would have a better result talking to their team leader as a united front. It didn't appear to work.
"Barry. I'm not letting you leave." There was more than one way of dealing with a situation. If reasoning didn't work…
"No offense, Oliver, but you and what army?" Yep, he was definitely going to shoot him again, once they've dealt with the alien invasion. Barry was way too cocky and once again relied too much on his speed.
"This one." Came the reply from the one person in their mists that was fast and strong enough to stop Barry without the use of a weapon.
Surprising enough, it was Mike who actually drove the point home to Barry and got him to see reason. And finally Cisco and Barry seemed to get past their issues. Just as Roy and Jax returned with more bad news and the start of the actual battle. They talked battle strategy, Roy and Cisco already on their way to the Waverider to stop the meta-bomb. They had left the moment they realized what the Dominators were planning.
Oliver gave himself a brief moment, a moment when he stepped back from everyone and removed two pictures from his suit's inside pocket. He looked at both of them. One of Sara, his Sara, smiling softly while gazing at the scenery that had presented itself to her, from the top of the cliff they had been resting on after their climb up, during their travels. She had looked so peaceful and relaxed that he hadn't been able to stop himself from capturing that moment with his cellphone's camera. He had taken the photo two days before they had found out that she was pregnant. He lifted the photo up and softly kissed it before focusing on the other one, the one of their little Hummingbird. He let his finger trace her familiar shape before kissing it softly too. He stored both photos securely in the inside pocket of his suit, right above his heart again, and pushed the thoughts of his two girls from his mind to focus on the battle ahead.
"Ollie!"
Oliver turned around at the sound of his name and the next thing he knew he had two arms full of Sara. She had rushed to him and jumped into his arms the moment she was within reach. Her legs wrapping around his hips while her arms were tightly enfolding his neck and her face was being shoved into his neck. All of this happened before he could comprehend what was going on and question what she was doing in Central City. His arms had gone around her automatically to support her actions and to help her balance and stabilize herself. Once he was sure that she was settled he moved one of his hands to the back of her head while the other one was in the middle of her back, holding her close, breathing her in. The proof of their little Hummingbird's existence was being pushed into his chest by the strength of Sara's embrace. He kissed her head, let his hands wander across her body to ensure himself that she was really here, that this was real.
That home was safely enclosed in his arms.
"It's okay, Pretty Bird, I'm okay." He whispered into her hair when he noticed her tears on his skin.
"Thea told me about the abduction… You can't leave me, Ollie. I can't do this without you." His neck muffled Sara's words, but he had no trouble making out every single one of them and they broke his heart. He lifted her body a little higher and pulled her even closer.
"I won't, you won't have to do this alone. I promise. 'Not without you' and 'together', remember?" He could feel her lift her head from his shoulder by the end of his promise and his use of those familiar words both spoken by her, at different points in their lives, as a statement of her devotion, loyalty and commitment. The meaning had not changed in the years that had followed those words, and it never would, not where they were concerned. He would always come for her, just like she would always come for him. Willing to do whatever, whatever it would take to keep each other alive.
She shifted in his arms so she could look him straight in the eyes.
"Together." She repeated with conviction, looking at him with such intensity that he nearly buckled over and wound up completely entrapped within her blue-eyed stare.
Fuck!
He felt like she was looking right through him, stripping him off all his layers until she reached his very core and saw right into his heart and soul. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this vulnerable or like he was being stripped completely bare in front of anyone.
For a moment he recalled the life, the fantasy the dominators had imprisoned him with. A simpler life, a gift and a curse... a life he had wished for countless times, but now being in this moment with his Sara, feeling the proof of their daughter's existence he knew with a certainty he never had before that this was right, this was where he was supposed to, who he was supposed to be and that he wouldn't change it, not for anything in the world. He would never give up his Sara for anything, not even another, less haunted and scarred version of herself.
Things had never been clearer to him than in this very moment.
He was the Green Arrow.
He needed to be the Green Arrow, to be the man Sara, and the father their daughter deserved. To make sure that their little Hummingbird would grow up in a city that was not infested by cancer and ruled by the corrupt.
Their little Hummingbird.
Their daughter.
Someone he had come so very close to never meet.
Someone he was desperate to meet. To hold, to get to know and to watch grow up. Just to see what parts she had inherited from the amazing woman her mother was. He couldn't wait to see if he was right and his little Hummingbird really was a smaller version of his Pretty Bird. And whether she had some traits that were clearly inherited from him.
And most importantly everything that was purely and simply hers and hers alone, all the characteristics and traits that would make her unique.
He couldn't give her up.
He wouldn't give her up.
Nothing in his life had ever been clearer than the knowledge he had right now. The knowledge that he was going to be a part of his daughter's life, that he would be there every step of the way. He would be by her side in the good times and especially the bad.
If there was one thing the Dominators reality had shown him it was how desperately he wished, he had been a part of William's life from the beginning. How much the knowledge about all the things, all the steps he had missed and never really getting the chance to get to know him tore him apart. There was nothing he could do about that. He had never been given a choice in the matter, not really, not until it had been too late, too late to keep William safe from the life he lived. Too late to make sure all the safety precautions had been put in place. He had assumed William would be safe because no one was supposed to know about his existence; he had been a fool. So, when he had been given a choice, the only thing he could do in the situation he had found himself in was to give him up. There hadn't really been any other choice.
But he had a choice now.
And his choice was his daughter, to be the father she deserves or at least try to be for the rest of his life. To keep her close, to keep her safe, just like John had told him to do with William.
"Sara…" her name left his lips like a statement, a prayer even though his voice was chocked from his emotions. He moved his hand from her shoulder to the back of her head, softly pushing it towards his until he could capture her lips with his in a searing, desperate kiss. Trying to convey to her just how much she meant to him. It was the only thing he could think of doing to escape her soul-baring stare.
"I love you." The words escaped him the second they parted to catch their breaths and before he realized what he was saying. Not that it mattered, he had never been surer of that fact than right now. It had been the truth for years, a truth he had never before shared with her, at least not in words. He should have told her, he should have told her years ago. Never telling her he loved her had been one of his biggest regrets after she had died. Believing that she had died never knowing just how much she meant to him, how much he loved her had been hell.
"I know, I've known since Lian Yu." He looked at her surprised by that. He definitely hadn't known then. Looking back now he realized that she was right, but during that time almost a decade ago he hadn't known that what he was feeling for her was love. That he loved her, unwaveringly, unfalteringly, desperately and unconditionally. There had been absolutely nothing he hadn't been willing to do for her. He would've died for her, he killed for her, he had given up his chance to go home to save her. He should've realized that he loved her then. That he loved her desperately and undeniably. It had hurt more every single time he lost her. Until that last time, that last time that had mirrored the first so eerily. Both times she had been scared and pointed out the danger they were in. Trying to prevent what was about to happen. Both times he hadn't listened to her. Simply not taking her fears seriously the first time and too proud to admit his failure and defeat the second time. Just to pay the ultimate prize, losing her. Sometimes he felt all he ever did was lose Sara.
He could vividly recall those first few days and weeks in Hongkong, how he had tried to get an answer from Amanda as to what had happened to Sara, if they had saved her too. But she wouldn't answer him, just ignoring his questions, his pleading for her to go back and look for her. That they needed to save her, needed to make sure she was safe, that she was alright. It hadn't been until he had promised her to do whatever she wanted him to and stop trying to escape if they would go back to Lian Yu to look for his Tweety Bird that Amanda had even acknowledged Sara's existence. Telling him she would send a team to go look for his friend. Only for her to come back days later to tell him that there had been no sign of Sara anywhere. It hadn't been until Sara had come back into his life and Lyla had taken a more prominent role in their team and at A.R.G.U.S. that Oliver had learnt that Amanda had lied. No one had ever gone back to Lian Yu to look for her. Yet, Amanda had learnt of Sara's survival a year after she had fished him out of the waters of the North China Sea. Never bothering to share her findings with him.
"You've always been a little slow and had serious issues when it came to sorting your emotions." Sara just smiled at him in understanding. One of her hands had moved from his neck to his cheek, now softly stroking it, moving her head forward so she could rest her forehead against his. Giving his nose a quick kiss.
Oliver was suddenly reminded that they were not alone by the snippets of whispered conversations that reached him, and he became very aware that everyone was watching their unintendedly public show of affection. He hoisted Sara up a little, moved his hands to support her and turned towards the door to move them away from everyone and give them the privacy neither of them had ever intended to forego.
Oliver decided since Sara was in Central City, thanks to Roy that she was going to be on that stage with everyone, that she was finally going to get the recognition she deserves and get honored with the rest of them.
He didn't care how they were going to do it, or how they were going to conceal Sara's pregnancy, or that theoretically she had not fought the Dominators, Sara was going to be there and get honored by the president like everyone else. Because she deserved it, she deserved to finally be publicly recognized for everything she had done as the Canary. Every life she had saved, every woman she had provided justice for the crimes or intended crimes against them. For the hope she gave the overlooked and underappreciated women in the bad parts of the cities by seeing them, recognizing the danger, the pain and the blindness society was bestowing towards them.
Sara had ensured with her actions that the police could no longer turn a blind eye towards the prostitution and human trafficking rings, that the police could no longer pretend not to see or hear the violence and danger that the women faced within the city they called their home. How walking alone outside after dark in the Glades had turned into a dangerous and potentially fatal endeavor for women. Sara had not stood for that. She had even pointed out an issue to him he had not been aware of, not the way he should have been. He had known about the prostitution and human trafficking rings, yet he had not been aware of the danger women had been in every evening when they left their homes. He would forever feel guilty for not realizing it before Sara had come back home and pointed it out to him and his team with her actions.
He should've been aware of it.
Even if his Pretty Bird had pointed out to him it was an issue, he had no personal experience with, something that he, as a six feet something tall, muscular man was never confronted with. A thought that would never cross his mind because the thought of forcing any woman to do something against her will was so far beyond his comprehension that it was not difficult to understand why he hadn't seen it. But even so, he should've seen it. Even if Sara had tried to absolve him of this particular sin of his.
Thanks to Roy and his actions the common belief was that the Arrow and the Green Arrow were two separate beings yet, the public believed that the Canary and the Black Canary were one and the same. It was way pastime for them to learn that they were not interchangeable. They are two different women with very different reasons and approaches to doing what they do. Sara had never been recognized for hers as the Canary, and Laurel had been praised for some of her sister's actions and her very unique approach to justice.
Sara came from a place of understanding. She knew what those women were going through, had been subjected to it herself. She recognized the women and the issue and knew how to approach and what those women needed because she used to be one of them, a victim that rose above the hell she had been subjected to, who stood up for those who couldn't, to make sure that they would never have to endure what she had.
It was something no one in this room was capable of doing because Sara was the only one who had experienced that particular pain.
Laurel had done a lot of good and an amazing job as the Black Canary, but she was not the Canary and people needed to know that. They needed to know that their protector, the woman in black that had shown up after the Undertaking and had helped people in the Glades out, the woman attacking attackers, was not the Black Canary.
And there would be no Black Canary if there hadn't been a Canary first. Just like there wouldn't be a Green Arrow if he hadn't been the Arrow first.
Besides, he's had more than one phone conversation with her talking tactics and team issues and how to handle them. Which made her as much a part of the team as the rest of them as far as he was concerned.
"Oliver, hey. Where's Sara?" Roy ripped him from his thoughts, walking towards him, looking around.
"She went to make sure Laurel's all right. What…" He explained and looked at his former protégé, confused.
"Look man, sorry, I should've told you I was going to go get Thea and Sara. But you know I figured they should be here. You know how many times do we actually get recognition for what we do? Even less from the President. So, I figured Thea should be here. She was a part of this too. And Sara, well, I figured if anyone deserves to be recognized for what they've done to help and to get honored, it'd be her. She has done so much for Star City in general and especially the Glades and the women in it, yet she has never gotten any recognition or thanks for it, while everyone else has. And I know it's not why she did it, why she does what she does, but still, she deserves to be honored for everything she has done. Plus, I think it's about time the world was made aware of the fact that Black Canary is not Canary. That they are two different women. People need to know that the Canary is not interchangeable with Black Canary, that they are not one and the same. She at least deserves that. And I feel that she could really use an event like this to remind her of all the good she has, and I'm sure she will do in the future. And don't worry about the public finding out about the pregnancy, Thea and I had an idea and you know, I'm the Captain of a time-travelling space ship with a fabrication room." Roy didn't let him finish his question before he started his explanation and the longer the young man talked the more touched he felt and his respect for his former student grew exponentially with every word that was spoken. The fact that he and Roy had thought along the same lines when it came to the Canary, made him miss having his friend around regularly even more. And Oliver had to grin when Roy teasingly brought up the fabrication room to lighten the mood.
"So, what have you and Thea come up with?" He questioned amusedly. If those two stuck their heads together he was sure the outcome would be rather interesting.
Oliver was not disappointed.
They put Sara in his old suit jacket, the one he had worn when she had first come home, thanks to the Waverider's fabrication room they ensured that her pregnancy would not be detected and she was also provided with a pair of her black suit pants, but as Thea so lovingly called them "maternity edition, a must have for every pregnant vigilante", that comment had made Sara laugh.
Iris ended up being the one writing the article about their honoring, mentioning in it that the Canary was wearing the Arrow aka Hood's suit jacket in order to honor her old partner, the man who had started it all and had been hunted by the police and criminals alike, ending in his murder, as a sign of recognition and thanks for everything he had done for Star City and essentially the world, because none of the heroes would be here if it hadn't been for him.
Oliver stood next to Sara and smiled at her softly. This felt right, having her next to him in their suits again, felt right.
All of this had started with the two of them, after all.
Notes:So, I did it! I rewrote Invasion... there might be another part to it... from other people's POV but I'm not yet sure, so no promises... I was thinking maybe Kara or Roy and possibly some Team Flash and Sara... let me know if you would like for me to write those...
I know I still sidelined a lot of characters but again, I put the focus on Oliver because some of the events that happened to him played a huge part in his character development and getting him to where he needs to be going forward.
Yes, I might be a little bitter about the way Sara had been treated as the Canary... or in general, she deserved so much more...
This is definitely the longest chapter I have ever written...
Let me know what you thought or if you have any questions or I forgot something or you know just anything really...
Chapter title is from the songs "Not Afraid" and "Hailie's Song" by Eminem.
