First let me apologise for the long wait! I am SO sorry. I have been trying to write through this but am struggling. Again, I know what I want to write but I don't know how to get it out. Especially the Oliver parts of this story BUT this I feel is an ok start for me.

I also said in the first chapter some parts of this story would be me projecting from my life. It starts in this chapter so it a little off the shows storyline but I kinda need it to go with what I have planned later on.

Considering the shit the world is going through at the moment, I hope some of you find some in enjoyment from this.

Please review! :D

Chapter 10 – Fight of Your Life

Tommy knocked gently on the door in front of him, not sure what'd he'd find it and when it opened. He had gone to QC for his weekly Wednesday lunch with Felicity, only to be told that she wasn't in. Which a) was strange because Felicity never took a day off and b) she hadn't messaged him at all to say she wasn't going to be there.

He waited a moment, hearing some sort of shuffling and then the door opening slowly, Felicity's head poking out the side. Upon seeing him, Felicity almost let out a deep sigh, like she was expecting someone else to be standing by the door. "Hey Tommy..." she spoke softly, clearing her throat. She opened the door wider, keeping her head down a little.

But Tommy saw it, he saw the deep blue and purple bruise over her right eye. "What the hell happened?" He took a step forward, placing both his hands against her cheeks, lifting her head up so he could take a better look at her eye. He barely noticed how her eyes slipped closed at his touch, leaning into his touch. "Felicity what happened?" He was more forceful this time, causing her eyes to snap open.

Suddenly Felicity puller away, letting out a small laugh, "Oh it's nothing. I ah...I was carrying too much stuff and tripped on the side table and fell into the coffee table." She waved her hand in the sky, almost as though she was brushing off his question. "I've got a bit of a headache so I stayed home today...did you want something to drink? We can order pizza if you want? I know we usually have lunch now..."

Felicity was already in the kitchen as she was speaking, her words rushed and rambling, changing the subject quickly. Tommy loves further into the apartment, taking a look around. "Ah yeah pizza sounds good." He called out, watching her move around the kitchen. From behind, Tommy watched her, taking in a few of her slower movements.

As he looked around the apartment, his eyes fell on the mantle, where she would usually house her most beloved photos. But the one that caught his eye was the one that was missing. Not long after Oliver had died, Felicity had the Polaroid of the three of them copied and blown up and it stood, in its frame, in the middle of mantel but now it was gone.

Taking the few short steps to said mantel, Tommy was able to reach out for the empty space when his feet crunched on broken glass. Moving his foot back, Tommy's brow furrowed, Felicity was usually fairly clean and broken glass just sitting on the floor was very unlike her. Turning back towards the kitchen, Tommy called out, "Hey Felicity, how did you say you hurt yourself?"

Her voice was suddenly closer than before, handing him a beer, "I was coming around the side of the couch and tripped on the side table..." she handed him the beer before moving to sit on the couch. It didn't escape Tommy that the only side table she had in the living room was the one furthest from the mantle. It did not explain the broken glass at all.

Looking down at her phone, Felicity suddenly looked nervous, "I have an appointment at 3 so we should eat..." pizza was going to be only 20 minutes away so Tommy just moved to her side, leaving the nagging feeling behind.

"How's things going with you and Cooper?"

Cooper Seldon was a guy who Felicity had met during her last year at MIT, he had been in her computer science class and they had apparently hit it off. Felicity had been overly happy, to Tommy she was moving on from her love of Oliver, allowing happiness back into her life but he had never met him.

Quietly Felicity look up at Tommy, her smile widening just a little at Cooper's name. "He is good. We are good..." was all she gave. Tommy nodded, his eyes flickering over her face, landing on her right ear for a moment, noticing the missing industrial bar that she would never have taken out herself. It was the one piece of jewellery, the birthday gift from Oliver that Moira had given her at Oliver's funeral, that Felicity would never have taken off. Not wanting to push her, Tommy let it go, banking the information for later before they both fell into easy conversation.


It was only a few hours later that Felicity had rushed Tommy from the house, again the statement of an appointment falling from her lips and with a final hug - to which Tommy didn't miss the slight intake of her breath and stiffness in her posture when their bodies connected - and a good bye, Tommy made his way down the stairs of her apartment and out onto the street.

He could not let go of the nagging feeling in his stomach at the few hours he had spent with Felicity. Something was wrong, he just didn't what to admit to himself what it could be. Sitting back in his car, parked just outside her apartment, Tommy could see into her living room window. From there he noticed a man walking up, flowers in hand. He knew, just knew that that had to be Cooper. Moments later Cooper's silhouette appeared in the window of Felicity's apartments.

He watched closely as Cooper handed the flowers to Felicity, who hadn't moved, her hands staying by her side of a moment longer before hesitantly reaching for them. Cooper then pulled Felicity into a tight hug, one that she didn't return, staying in her place.

Tommy now knew what was going on. He just still hoped that he was wrong. Turner the key in the ignition, Tommy made his way to Laurel's apartment, he needed someone to talk to and knew she would be able to help him.

He finally made it to Laurel's front door, thankfully she had been working from home, which meant that she would be home. "Hey!" He called out as he entered the apartment, finding Laurel exactly where he thought he would, seated at her kitchen table, papers surrounding her. Looking at her, he smiled, her hair was up in a loose bun on the top of her head, her right leg seated on the chair so that it rested against her chest.

Laurel smiled back at him, pulling her glasses off her face. "Hey, what's going on? I wasn't expecting to see you here during the day." She leaned up slightly to place a kiss against his lips, reaching for his hand as he sat next to her. Tommy sighed, not really knowing where to start. "Tommy…what's wrong?" His silence had her full attention, she was scared, wondering what was going on.

"I ah…I went to have lunch with Felicity today and she wasn't at QC, they said she was sick or something but she hadn't messaged me to cancel, so I went by her place to check on her." Laurel knew that after Oliver went missing, Tommy and Felicity had started having weekly lunches, she was happy that Tommy had someone to turn to but she was also happy that Felicity had someone to turn to as well. Laurel didn't hate Felicity; she had no reason to hate her.

She may have hated Oliver for sleeping with her sister but she knew that there were people who cared about Oliver and were hurting after losing him. She had never had any ill will towards those people. It was true though, even Laurel had noticed that Oliver had changed a little when he was around Felicity, he was different around her.

"Once I got to Felicity's, she was there but when she opened the door…she had a bruise on her eye. It was bad, nasty and black. She ah…she told me that she tripped on something and hit the coffee table but when she was getting coffee, I noticed that the photo of me, her and Ollie that is always on the mantle was gone and the glass was broken. She wouldn't explain that to me and didn't even mention the photo."

Laurel scrunched her nose, she wasn't sure what to make of what Tommy was telling her, "What do you think happened?"

Tommy just shook his head, "Her industrial bar was missing, the one Ollie had bought her for her birthday but hadn't given her. The same one she had been wearing since the day Moira had given it to Felicity at Ollie funeral. It's the last thing she has of Oliver, she would never have taken it out…"

Tommy ran his hands over his face, scrubbing his eyes before sighing deeply, "I don't know Laurel. She was so dismissive about it all. I'm worried about her and I really don't know about her boyfriend. I saw him arrive not long after I left. He was bringing her flowers and when he hugged her, she seemed, I don't know…hard maybe. She didn't hug him back. She seemed to tense maybe." He shrugged; he really didn't know what to think.

Laurel's hand clamped around his forearm; she knew what he was thinking. "You think it's her boyfriend who did it?" Tommy nodded; Felicity was never the sort of person would let people just walk all over her. She may not bite at anyone who comes at her but she has never shrunk away from holding herself higher than most.

"Yeah, I do. And that really scares me Laurel. I don't know how to help her if she won't let me help her. How long has this been going on? How the hell could I have not known about it?" Laurel moved closer to Tommy, bringing her hands to his face. She hated seeing her boyfriend so conflicted and so frustrated when he couldn't help those around him.

She sighed, dropping her forehead to his, "When someone is in the situation that she is in, they get good at hiding. They make excuses and just write things off. It's not your fault you haven't noticed anything Tommy, Felicity has more than likely been hiding everything very well since all this started." Tommy nodded against her, listening to her words but he could not help the dreaded feeling in his stomach that he had missed something so major in the life of someone he cares so deeply about.

"She just has to know that you are there for her if she needs anything. Show her that you have her back. You can't force her thought Tommy, she will shut down if you try to force to open up." Tommy nodded against Laurel's forehead, letting his eyes slip closed.

"God if Oliver were here and he had idea that Felicity could be hurt, he would be losing his mind right now…" Tommy never felt the tightening of Laurel's hand against him, the sudden stiffening at the idea that Oliver cared about Felicity, even though Laurel knew that he did.


It wasn't hard to find Felicity's office by the end of the next week. Laurel had the idea that she would give Tommy some time to work out his feeling and his thoughts and then she would go and see Felicity for herself. There was a part of her that didn't want to believe that Felicity was being abused by her boyfriend, she honestly hoped that Tommy was wrong.

But after Tommy had had lunch with Felicity again on the Wednesday, he had mentioned that her wrist was wrapped up in a bandage that she didn't have the week before. Laurel wanted to confront Felicity, wanted to see what story she would get from the young girl.

"Hey Felicity…" It took a moment for Felicity to recognise the voice of the person in her office cubicle, she and Laurel weren't exactly close, they had spent time together when spending time with together with Tommy but they weren't exactly what you would call friends.

Felicity blinked for a moment, a brief look of fear crossed her eyes before she moved, slipping her bandaged right hand under the desk, something that Laurel did not miss. "Oh, hey Laurel, what brings you by?" Felicity seemed almost nervous at Laurel being there.

"Nothing really, I had some business I had to work through with someone from finance here and Tommy mentioned that you worked here so I thought I would just drop by and say hello. Thought it would be rude if I didn't."

Felicity just nodded, smiling a little more, relaxing just a little. Instinctively, Felicity brought her right hand up to her glasses, readjusting them, Laurel's eyes flickered to the movement, a look of concern taking over, "Felicity…what happened?" Laurel took a seat opposite Felicity's desk, trying to get her to open up.

Felicity let out a short laugh, pulling down the sleeve of her shirt a little more to try and cover the bandage, "Oh, yeah this. Ah nothing I just hurt it while I was out. I slipped on some of the black ice in the street and landed on it. It's not too bad." Before slipping her hand back under the desk and out of sight.

A soft – albeit, completely fake smile, found its way on to Laurel's lips, that was not the story that Felicity had told Tommy, the same story that Tommy had then told to Laurel. Laurel's heart sank, Felicity was making up stories to cover her injuries, which meant that Tommy was not wrong.

A sadness came over Laurel, she knew enough about Felicity to know that she was good person, a kind and loving person who just wanted to see the best in everyone, she did not deserve to be hurt this way. No one did.


The early morning had rushed by for Oliver, the darkness giving him all the over he needed. He, Anatoly and Yao Fe had quietly rushed into the camp, rousing the sleeping occupants, ushering them towards the outskirts of the camp and towards where the plane was waiting for them. It was quiet out; the only sounds being heard was the soft rustling of the tents moving. Thankfully for them, not enough to wake the guards.

It had been a whole two weeks before they had been able to come up with a decent plan to get off the island, including every one of the prisoners. Oliver was not going to leave anyone behind, he wasn't going to save himself knowing how many people there going to be there still, waiting to die.

So, in the dead of the night, Oliver and Anatoly, both armed with weapons they had taken from the guard Oliver had killed weeks earlier, and Yao Fe - who had armed himself with a bow and arrow set he had hidden away in the old skeleton of the plane they had called home - made their way into the camps as quietly as they could.

During their time away, Anatoly had trained Oliver to use a gun properly, not to line up the sites, how to angel the barrel depending on what he wanted to look at, how to squeeze the trigger the right way to ensure the recoil didn't throw the gun completely off line. Oliver was a quick study though, it didn't take him long to work it out, although it was hard to really judge when they were usually an unloaded gun to ensure that they were not bringing attention to themselves with the sounds of gun fire.

The men were almost at the last tents when the sound of gun fire echoed through the quiet night, the continuous pop, pop, pop of rapid-fire whistling through the air. And then the shouting began, Oliver and Anatoly shouting at the prisoners to run, motioning towards where Yao Fe was waiting to point the way through the bush land.

"Everyone move! Now!" Oliver called out as he rushed towards the closes guard, reaching for him before he had the chance to pull the trigger. Oliver shoulder tackled him to the ground, the heavy connection of his shoulder with the guard's stomach sent them both flying to the ground, the rifle cluttering to the wet ground. It took a moment for Oliver to realise that he was suddenly sitting on top of the guard, instantly his fits connected with the flesh below him, blood spurting from the guard's nose, lip and eye. Oliver did not let up, his own anger taking over, memories of the pain and fear he held on while he was being held captive buy these men.

Anatoly pulled Oliver off the guard, momentarily checking the man's pulse – there was none – before he pushed him towards to the bushland as well. "Come. We must leave." He spoke, both Anatoly's hands in Oliver's chest, pushing him away. "Oliver!" The loud call of his name pulled Oliver from his tunnel vision on the man on the ground.

Oliver nodded at Anatoly, reaching for the rifle that had fallen to the ground, instantly Oliver lined it up to where the shouting was coming from, the flashes of light indicating where the gun fire and the guards were. He and Anatoly took aim, not really sure they were hitting targets until the cries of pain started and the only sounds were their own gun fire.

After a few moments, the men looked at each other, listening closely to the sounds around them, making sure that there was no one still alive. The number of bodies that Oliver was adding to his list was growing and part of him felt nothing. In the back of his mind the only word that echoed was monster. That was what he was becoming. Only a monster could take lives like he had and not feel anything at all.

Nodding to each other, Oliver and Anatoly slowly stalked off towards the field where the plane was, Oliver dropping the empty rifle on the ground along the way. It was only weighing him down and he did not have a magazine to reload anyway.

When Anatoly and Oliver were on the other side of the field when Oliver noticed that Yao Fe was not by their side. "Where is Yao Fe?" He looked around, neither men knew. "Go, get the plane started, make sure everyone is ready to leave. I am going to find him." Oliver rushed away from Anatoly seconds later, he was not leaving Yao Fe behind.

The bushland was thick but thankfully over the long months that Oliver had been on the island, he had learned to navigate his way, mostly thanks to Yao Fe. His movements slowed as he moved past trees, not wanting to give himself up or bring attention to himself if there was anyone in forest but considering there was no sounds of gun fire, no sounds of movement or shouting, it seemed that Anatoly and Yao Fe had done their jobs and in the plan and had killed all the remaining guards.

The snapping of a branch behind Oliver caught is attention, the hair on the back of his neck standing up instantly, his entire body stiffening. He knew that it wasn't Yao Fe behind him, he knew he was in trouble and he knew that he had no chance of calling out for help. Slowly, Oliver turned to face the noise behind him, coming face to face with what seemed to be the last guard on the island. "They are all dead. How?"

Oliver stood dead still, his hands were shaking at his sides as he watched the guard opposite him raise his gun, the sound of the thundering rain around the drowned out the idea that this was it, he would not speak, Oliver would not give the information he was seeking. After all the fight he had put up while he had been on the island for over 12 months, after all the dreaming and wishing to get back to his family and Tommy…and Felicity, he was now, for the first time, staring down the barrel of a gun that he honestly didn't think he was going to survive.

He could feel his hair plastering to his face, the rain coming heavier the longer he stayed outside, he vaguely heard Felicity's voice in his head, "God you need to cut your hair Oliver. It looks terrible long." He would laugh at the voice if it wasn't for the situation he was in. She had always hated how long his hair was and now, in the pouring rain, it was sticking to the sides of his face in a really annoying way.

"Who are you?" The guards voice was rough over the sounds of the rain and thick with a Russian accent but Oliver had understood him, after all these months, he had grown to understand the thick accents.

But Oliver did not speak, what was the point? He was not going to give away the one thing that was truly his, the one thing that would keep his family safe just to appease the man with the gun. But he did see the finger on the trigger twitch, the deep, heavy feeling in Oliver's stomach was just a heavy as the first time he had woken up on the island.

He was going to die.

However, a small part of him was ok with the idea of dying because he knew that he had saved so many people on the island. He had taken lives too, Oliver had lost himself on that island, taking lives of the people around him, granted they planned on hurting him or the other prisoners but Oliver never thought he would take another life and at this point, he honestly couldn't tell you what he body count was if you'd asked.

Sighing deeply, Oliver closed his eyes, images of sunlight and warmth finding their way into his mind, Felicity's laughter, her smile, her bright eyes the only thing he wanted to see when he died, when the trigger was pulled.

Moments past, Oliver wasn't sure how long but the world around him shook when the sound of the trigger was pulled, the loud pop of the gun firing on his direction, his body instinctively jumping at the sound but then there was nothing, no pain, no fear. Just nothing.

Opening his eyes, Oliver let out a deep, gut cry, at his feet lay Yao Fe, blood seeping from the bullet wound in his stomach. Dropping to his knees, Oliver rolled Yao Fe over, "No, no, no, no. Yao Fe…please…" his hands travelled over him, trying to stop the bleeding but the movement from the guard caught his attention once, Oliver found the gun still raised at his head. The next few moments happened quickly, Yao Fe had a gun stashed in his pants, something that Oliver had noticed, raised himself and before the guard could even realise what was happened, Oliver had pulled the trigger, a small trail of blood dripping down the guards nose from the direct hit between the eyes.

Oliver hadn't even aimed, his eyes were cloudy with tears when he pulled trigger, dropping the gun the moment the body hit the ground. "Come on Yao Fe…we've got to go…" With whatever strength Oliver had left, he pulled Yao Fe to his feet, dragging him through the bushland towards where he knew the plane waiting.

It was in sight, the plane was so close he could almost touch it but the weight of Yao Fe was becoming too much, the pain in Oliver's side telling him that he had a lot more damage from the fighting than he had previously through.

Both men stumbled, Yao Fe hitting the ground with a thud, Oliver by his side, wheezing himself from pain. The storm was getting worse, the rain heavier and the lightning and thunder closer. The plane had to leave, and it had to leave now. Looking up towards the cockpit, Oliver's eyes locked with Anatoly, the conversation flowing between the men without words.

"Anatoly! You have to go! NOW!" Oliver's voice echoed through the bushland, the sounds of the pouring rain and the last of the gun fire ringing out. Oliver knew that Anatoly couldn't understand him, he couldn't hear him through the elements around him but his hand movements were enough to get his point across. Most of the prisoners had survived and had been loaded onto the awaiting plane.

The last look that Anatoly gave Oliver was a short sharp nod, a thank you and an I'm sorry for leaving but they both knew that Oliver was not going to make it and they had to leave before the storm rolled in too close to the island. The sounds of gunfire had long passed, overtaken by the sound of the roaring engine of the plane. Oliver watched as it gained speed off the very edge of the runway, lifting off into the air before disappearing into the dark clouds.

And then they were gone.

A deep sob slipped from Oliver's chest, he was so close to getting home but Yao Fe had taken a bullet for him and there was no way that he would have been able to live with himself if he had left Yao Fe there on his own. He his last chance of getting home, of getting back to his sister and Tommy and Felicity, it was gone.

Glancing down at Yao Fe, Oliver had found that the man was sitting up slightly, his own breath was laboured but he was awake. "We must leave this place…" Oliver nodded, lifting Yao Fe to his feet once more, the two injured men moved from the open field and back towards their previous hiding place. The last sounds of their only way home disappearing into the night sky.


It was day light by the time Oliver was able to get Yao Fe into their old hiding spot, the rain had not settled, in fact the thunder around them roared, shaking their cover. "You need to rest Yao Fe…" he placed Yao Fe onto the blankets that they had made as a bed weeks before, watching as the older man settled down, his breath evening out from exhaustion.

Instantly Oliver did the same, his whole body all but collapsing to the ground in a heap, his knees brought to his chest and his eyes slipping closed. The suddenly onslaught of thoughts surrounding the fact that his only way home was now gone and he really was stuck on this island. Clutching his hands to his heart tighter, Oliver let his tears fall, tears for himself, tears for his family and tear for Yao Fe.

Instinctively his hand found its way to his pocket, pulling out the small folded wallet that had somehow survived through everything he had been through. He knew what was inside, knew the faces that would be staring back at him when he pulled out the photo but he was too heartbroken to look at the photo, to look at the people he missed most in the world and now he was never going to see again.

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