Author's note: Since this is an AU, Oliver's initial time on the island is slightly different. But hopefully this will help my story tie into the Arrowverse cannon.

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Taking a deep breath, Oliver typed in the code that would open the cell door and stepped through. His eyes skimmed over the still form in the middle of the room. Nothing moved, he wasn't even sure she was still breathing. He moved to her side and knelt down, spreading out the items. Gently, he reached out and touched the midnight black fur. It was softer then he remembered and the lights of the cell made it look like her fur was made of the shadows it's self as his hand moved. He was in awe that she were still alive. At his touch, the wolf's eyes slitted open. He could barely see the emerald green of her eyes through the slit. "It's ok, Nikki.." He said softly as he reached up and stroked her face. She sighed softly and closed her eyes again. "You can trust me." He sat back on his heels and glanced over to make sure he had everything he needed before he began.

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Oliver sat on the floor of the cell with his back to the glass. Nikita lay stretched out beside him, asleep. It had taken him longer then usual to remove the arrows because of how weak she had been. The arrows and the burns from the letter opener weren't the only fresh injuries she had. She had a cut the run along the edge of her cheek from her ear to her muzzle. It wasn't bleeding but it wasn't healed either. The same could be said about the gash on her haunch and the cuts on her front legs. All of them were not actively bleeding but none of them were fully healed yet. He also knew from experience that they were done as a punishment, not from a fight. That could only mean one thing. Where ever she had been, the bastards had used silver. He leaned his head against the glass and closed his eyes. Yet another sting with loose ends. Did she have any connection to everything else they were working on or was this a new situation presenting it's self.

He sighed lightly and tried to let it go for the moment. He knew it was getting late and that he should be heading home to Felicity but he couldn't. Not right now. He couldn't answer the questions he knew she would ask right now. So he remained sitting. He was the only one of them in the base right now and it was almost peaceful. It reminded him of the better times on the island...or when he had first come back to Star City and was flying solo as the Arrow. The quiet of the night and the soft breathing of the wolf beside him allowed Oliver to truly relax for the first time. Eyes still closed, he reaches over and rests a hand on the wolf's side, taking comfort in the steady rise and fall under his hand.

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(Lian Yu, 7 years ago)

Oliver was curled up at the back of the small cave he called home. He was shivering. The bare stone floor was taking any heat his body could generate and a bad storm was raging beyond the entrance, driving cold moist air in. He coughed into his arm and tried to curl into a tighter ball. He was trying to honor his father's wishes, he was trying to survive but he had been on this island for weeks now and he hadn't seen the first sign of a rescue. No boats, no other people. Even the wild life seemed scarce. He was quickly loosing hope as each day passed. He coughed again. **Damn this cold** he thought as he shivered again. Finally, from sheer exhaustion, Oliver slipped into unconsciousness.

Even in his dreams, he could not escape the unending cold and rain any more then he could escape the Queen's Gambit.

Oliver slowly opened his eyes, he was no longer shivering despite the fact that the storm was still raging on outside. He had been sleeping facing the far wall of the cave, his back to the entrance. There was something warm pressed against his back, trapping him between it and the wall. It blocked a majority of the cold air and kept the warmth in. His breath froze as he carefully glanced over his shoulder. At his movement, the wolf raised her head and looked at him. After a second, she yawned and lay her head down once more.

"We need to give you a name." The only answer he got was a slight flick of her ears. "Wow ..thanks for the cold shoulder. Reminds my of an old girlfriend. " he told her as he shifted to lay on his side facing her. He reached over and gently rubbed her head without thinking about it. "Her name was Nikita ..she was a model...a Russian beauty with a killer bod and sooo flexible.." He laughed lightly as he looked down at the wolf. This was the first time he was able to touch her. "What do you think they would say back home if I told them that I was petting a wild wolf..." He reached over to ruffle the wolf's neck when his fingers brushed across a thick metal band buried in her fur. "What's this?" He sat up and parted her fur, looking closer. "Looks like some kind of collar. Maybe you aren't wild after all..."

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(Lian Yu, 7 years ago)

Oliver stopped on a large rock to rest. He hadn't been out hunting for food more then a few hours but he was exhausted. He was still starving and it was starting to effect him physically. He would have probably already starved if the wolf, Nikita he decided to call her, hadn't come every so often with a fresh rabbit or large rat. But it had been a while since he had seen her and he was beginning to worry. Not just because her small gifts were keeping him alive but because she had truly become a friend to him on this island. He had learned so much from her about the island just by watching some of the things she did. He learned what roots and berries were safe to eat and what to avoid, how to avoid the habitats of some of the more dangerous creatures at the edge of the forests. He still stayed close to the beach, hoping to signal down a passing ship but with her, he was starting to explore a little further into the forest.

A twig snapped off to his right, somewhere deeper in the bush. Oliver grabbed a branch to protect himself. A few seconds later, a dark shape stumbled into the clearing. "Nikki!" He dropped the branch and moved over to her. She was swaying on unsteady legs. He could see the tremble as he got closer. "It's ok...it's me.." He said softly as he knelt down in front of her. He was almost afraid to touch her. She had blood dripping down her legs and soaking into the ground below. Her right shoulder had been split open by something and there were several deep slashes across her muzzle. "What happened to you?"

She shifted her weight and with a bloody paw dug at the ground. The blood smeared the claw marks before she had even pulled her paw away. "Danger?" Oliver asked, looking at her. In reply, she just turned and took a few unsteady steps before stopping and looking over her shoulder. He just nodded to her "Ok...I'll follow." It was a slow, steady process as the wolf lead him back to the beach. When it was in sight, she walked along the edge of the forest.

Oliver hadn't been to this side of the beach in a while. The fact that his father was buried here was still too hard to think of. He let his eyes seek out the pile of rocks and his heart fell. The rocks had been removed, exposing parts of his father. **No** He had to re-bury him. Oliver started to jog to the beach. Nikita tried to block his path but she was too slow. All she could was watch as he went to the rock pile and started to re-place the rocks. Seconds later, an arrow pierced his shoulder. He screamed out in agony and few against the rocks. He glanced over his shoulder. A man in a green hood was raising the bow for another shot. "R..r..run." He told the wolf as his eyes fell on her. Oliver saw her take a hesitant step forward, about to leave the cover of the forest. **No! Run!** He willed her but he could no longer speak as the pain and darkness consumed him and he passed out.