Hello, my lovely readers! I am so sorry for it being such a long wait since the last chapter I posted. This past year has been a roller coaster of emotions. I hope there are those of you who are still interested in this story. With the COVID-19 going around and people being stuck indoors, I had time to sit down and finish this chapter. Here is a longer chapter than usual.

josephguy217: Thank you for your continued support of this story! Hope you like this chapter

GiggleboxGirlie: Thank you so much for your review! Yes, I am excited too to see where the couple goes from here.

Coffeesabregirl1492: Thank you for your kind comments! Sorry I haven't updated till now! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

SoraMalfoySlythern: Thank you! Yup! Slade was losing his stuff! Yah! It is awesome having people shipping your OC with Slade! Anywho… Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Lian Yu 2008

Morning light came streaming through the trees.

"I can't believe you are alive," Victoria whispered. Smoothing down Slade's wild dark hair.

He smiled down at her. Then his eyes fell to her shoulder. Blood flowed down from the bullet wound. "Who did that to you?"

"You need that looked after or you are going to continue losing blood. Slade, help me," Shado interrupted

Slade immediately pressed some cloth to the wound.

"Oliver, get some water. Sara, start a fire so that we can have hot water to clean the wound," Shado ordered.

Shado winced in sympathy, "Slade, we are going to have to heat your katana and close up the wound that way."

He handed it to her without comment. Continuing his glare to the wound that blood was still dripping down from. Shado pressed the cloth to Toria's shoulder.

"Clean that and once the fire has got hot enough I need to start placing it in there. Long enough to heat it to seal the skin shut."

He did as she told him and as soon as the fire had been going long enough, he put the blade into the flames. Once it was hot enough he called Shado over to receive it.

"I need you to hold her down. I wish we had a piece of leather for her to bite down on but we have no choice," Shado turned to Victoria. "This is going to hurt like hell. Hold onto Slade."

Slade looked shaken while Toria cried out. She held onto his arms in a death grip but he hardly felt it. He looked so pained and angry. A few times it looked like she was going to pass out but he prevented her from doing so. Gently shaking her awake. Finally, Shado had closed up both sides. Toria hissed in pain and continued holding onto Slade. Rocking forward, her eyes filled with pain and tears.

"Son of a bitch," Toria wheezed out.

"Who did this to you?" Slade asked, his voice low and lethal.

Oliver's jaw tightened before replying, "Ivo. He was going to shoot her in the head. Before you came running."

"He was going to do what?!"

"Ivo was trying to make Oliver choose who to save between the three of us," Shado explained, eyes fiery.

"I'll kill him. He can't get away with that. And what were you going to do huh?" turning to Oliver with a heated glare. "I can't even rely on you to defend your sister?! She almost died!"

"Slade, Slade, calm down. I am alright! I am alright!"

"No thanks to him," Slade protested.

"Hey, hey! It wasn't Oliver's fault! It was Ivo's! It was all Ivo."

He pinned Oliver down with a killer glare.

"Hey, look at me," she spoke up.

Slade continued his heated stare on Oliver.

"Slade Joseph Wilson, look at me!"

Inflamed brown gazed down. She didn't back down as she stared into them. Soon the hatred had melted away. Still, the hint of flame and heat remained. "None of this is Ollie's fault."

Slade's breaths came out shaky and uneven, "You almost..."

"There was nothing Oliver could have done. Ivo wasn't able to do it. See," she caressed his face, he leaned into her touch. "I am fine."

"I was so afraid," Slade's voice broke.

"I was too."

He wrapped her into an embrace, her tears cascaded down her cheeks and dropped onto his shoulders.

##################################################################

Slade almost knocked Oliver over as he pushed past him. The brunette didn't even acknowledge it as he took long strides.

"Hey, you okay?" Oliver asked in concern.

Slade didn't answer, he kept walking.

"Where are you going?"

"To the plane, to get geared up."

"For what?" Shado asked, her eyes flickering over to Oliver.

"Ivo is still out there and when I find him I am going to make sure he can't hurt any of us again. He won't touch Victoria ever again."

Sara walked towards the pair, the crate of mirakuru in her hands, "You can't. Ivo has a ship full of men, of killers. And I don't care what you did before, you can't take them all out. The only play here is to find safe-ground and wait him out."

Slade strode over to her, his voice low and dangerous, "Well, of course, you would say that you were working for him. You're probably still working for him!"

Oliver got between them as Slade kept getting into Sara's space, "Hey, she's not."

"Get out of my way, kid."

"After you step down, she hasn't done anything."

Slade picked Oliver up by his neck, "I said, get out of my way."

"Slade!" Shado cried.

Sara quickly put the crate down and was looking all around. She grabbed a large log in her hand and moved towards Slade.

"Slade!" Victoria shouted.

Slade loosened his hold around Oliver's neck. He shook his head as though clearing his vision. Eyes widened and looked in terror before he pulled away from Oliver like an injured puppy.

"I'm... I'm sorry," Slade said looking at Oliver in concern.

"You aren't well, Slade," Sara spoke up.

He pulled further away from the trio that surrounded Oliver in concern. Shado looked over at him, her eyes wide and scared as she looked up at Slade. Victoria stepped forward.

"No, Tori," Sara hissed. Grasping tighter the large log she held in her hands.

Slade backed away and moved completely away from them until he was well out of hearing range.

"Sara, he needs my help."

"You saw what he did to Oliver. He is dangerous. You shouldn't be around him," she stood in front of Victoria.

"I don't want to fight with you, Sara."

With a scowl, Sara stepped aside. Shaking her head and muttering under her breath. Victoria headed over to the tall Australian. Who towered over her more? Had Slade grown taller? No… that wasn't possible, right?

"Slade, what is wrong?"

"I'm fine now, I don't know what came over me," he shook his head again and his jaw twitched. He looked at her unfocused before looking her in the eye again, "what?"

"I didn't say anything."

"I'm…"

"No, you aren't going to pull the bullshit of saying you are alright. I know you are trying to tough it out but, Slade, you died last night. Thank God, you came back but even that must take a toll on a person. You've been acting strange all fucking day. Please tell me what's wrong."

"I can't… You can't understand. I can't burden you with this."

"When are you going to stop being so stubborn and see that I care about you and I want to help?"

"I can't… I don't know how to stop it… it hurts."

Toria stepped forward to touch him, he immediately pulled away.

"Slade?" she whispered.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Please, let me help."

Opening his mouth, Sara walked closer to the couple. Slade took off in a run. Toria rushed after him. He had already placed a great distance between them before she stopped, out of breath. She could no longer see him in the distance.

"Slade!" she called after him.

"Tori, come back!" Sara came rushing towards her. "It is getting dark. We need to make camp."

"But Slade?"

"We can try to find him in the morning but it isn't safe to go out right now without any rest and no light."

Victoria nodded and silently joined Sara as she led her back to the camp.

"Where is Slade?" Shado asked.

"I wasn't able to catch up with him."

"It's alright, Toria. We will find him in the morning I promise," Oliver reassured her.

"We need to give him some space right now," Sara spoke up.

"What we need is to stick together. Who knows what Ivo has planned next for us."

"He has the mirakuru in his system now. That's why he hurt Oliver."

"I am not following here," Shado spoke up.

"The Japanese experimented with hundreds of men, working to develop mirakuru. And I've read the research. The people who died were the lucky ones. The ones that survived were deformed, either their bones or their minds. They became something else."

"Why didn't you tell us that before? When Slade was dying! You didn't mention that stuff could make him go crazy! Slade had a right to know that information before we gave it to him. I thought it had a chance of either it not working or it would save him."

"I could tell you all wanted to save him… I wasn't sure it was going to work either."

"But you left out an important piece of information that could have changed his option. And you kept it to yourself! Now he is God knows where in pain and not thinking clearly!"

"Are you completely unaware of how desperate you were last night? Do you mean to tell me if given the choice you would have let Slade die without seeing if the mirakuru worked?"

"Enough both of you! We need to stop fighting with each other."

"Ollie is right. We need to get some rest and then go looking for Slade like we planned," Shado explained.

Both Sara and Victoria nodded in agreement and helped the others set things up for camp. When everything was set up they all laid down and tried to get some shut-eye. Victoria fought as long as she could against the pull of sleep but she was so exhausted that it won over her worry for Slade. I hope he'll be alright was her last thought before closing her eyes.

##################################################################

"Sara," a voice called from the walkie.

They all stirred. Oliver was the closest and grasped the walkie talkie.

"Sara, I know you are listening. Answer me," they recognized Ivo's voice.

Sara reached out her hand to grab the talkie but Oliver shook his head and let Ivo continue.

"I know you and your new friends have the mirakuru. You know I will lay waste to this entire island to get it. But it doesn't have to be this way, all I want is the serum. In exchange I will offer safe passage off this island, I promise. Within ten days you and your new friends could be making port in Shanghai. The alternative is I send my men into the jungle to take it from you. They will be under orders not to kill you, instead, you'll be left alive to indulge my um… scientific curiosity. Think about it, Sara."

"Someone took the mirakuru!" Shado declared as she rushed over to Sara and Oliver.

"What?!" Victoria and Oliver exclaimed at once.

"Someone must have taken it while we slept,"

"Damn it! I knew I should have stayed up guarding it. Fuck! First Slade now the mirakuru," Victoria cursed.

"The only good thing is we know Ivo isn't the one who has it," Oliver spoke up.

"Then who else could have taken it? Slade?" Sara suggested.

"I don't think so. He was trying to get away from us all earlier. Sara, there is another person on this island who has been stuck here with us," Oliver explained.

"What?"

"You don't mean?" Shado started.

"Yeah… Billy Wintergreen."

##################################################################

"Slade!?" Victoria called as they entered the crashed plane.

"Slade?" Oliver shouted. "I thought he might come back here."

"He has the mirakuru in his bloodstream, he isn't thinking straight."

"So what do we do now?" Shado asked.

"I'm not sure… The only good news is this is still working," Oliver picked up the sensor grid. "So we will know when Ivo's men return to the island."

"You are suggesting we just sit here and wait? While Slade is still out there? When we have no idea what Billy has planned for the serum?" Victoria's voice rose and she stepped towards her brother.

"Do you have any other ideas? Cause I am open to suggestions."

"Oliver, we need to find Slade. I thought that was the plan. That has been the plan since last evening."

"And then we consider Ivo's offer," Sara suggested.

"What the hell, Sara?" Victoria shouted.

"Look, if we give him the serum, we can go home. I can talk to Ivo. I can get him to listen to me."

"You mean like how he listened and nearly shot my sister in the head?"

"He is just tired and frustrated." Both Oliver and Victoria scoffed in disbelief. "You don't understand how much finding the mirakuru has meant to him."

"You are right, I don't understand. And I can not believe you can even consider trusting him after what he did."

"He isn't evil. He kept me safe on that ship for over a year. I mean not just safe, he taught me things. And I learned a lot," Sara defended.

"Oh my gosh, Sara, don't tell me you slept with that psychopath!"

"What about you? Your boyfriend is so unstable we have no idea where he is and he almost killed Oliver."

"Don't you go there! He is only like that because of that horrible drug. Which he won't have needed if your crazy lover wasn't trying to kill us!"

"Enough! Both of you!" Shado exclaimed.

"She is right," Oliver placed his hand on Shado.

Victoria caught the surprise mixed with the mistrust glare that Shado sent Oliver. He pulled back as though she had slapped him.

"Shado is right. We need to find Slade. The only problem is it won't be light out for much longer," Victoria tried to break up the tension. "Oliver and I will take the first watch, Shado, take the sensor and please go get us some dinner. Please be careful and let us know if you run into Billy."

Shado nodded in agreement.

"What should I do?" Sara asked.

"Get some rest, we will need you to be on lookout duty later this evening."

Sara nodded before settling down on one of the makeshift cots. Shado headed out with her bow and arrows. While Oliver and Victoria sat outside the crashed plane. Victoria waited until Shado was well out of hearing range before she spoke to Oliver.

"What is going on with you and Shado? I couldn't help but see that exchange earlier."

"I'm not entirely sure. She has been acting strange since Sara came or at least…"

"At least? Come on Oliver, spill it."

"Shado knows about how Sara was with me when the Gambit sank."

"Yeah, but I am sure you told her that a while ago. I mean I would feel weird if one of Slade's ex-lovers just happened to end up on the island with us."

"Well you see, the thing is I didn't tell her until Sara was with us a few days ago."

Victoria's mouth hung open and she looked over at Oliver like he had lost his mind, "You didn't tell her before that? So she didn't know you cheated on Laurel for her sister?"

"Yeah… well, it wasn't something I liked to bring up."

"But it was kind of a big deal to leave out, Oliver," Victoria chided him.

"Like you are keen to mention exes to Slade."

"That has nothing to do why we are on this island though. Whereas Sara was in danger because of being on the Gambit. We both thought she had died."

"I guess I felt too ashamed to tell her. I'm sorry that was immature of me. Everything was going so well for us before Ivo came. Between me and Shado, I mean. Slade and you. It wasn't ideal but."

"It wasn't complicated, yeah, I know."

"I am sorry about Slade taking off," Oliver squeezing her hand.

"He felt out of control. I can understand why he left. I wish he hadn't. I wish he would have stayed here. I want him to be alright."

"I know. I can tell how much he matters to you. You love him, don't you?"

"I do," Victoria whispered, hugging her legs closer to herself.

"He loves you too. It is pretty obvious to us all. Remember what Sara said, he isn't thinking straight. I am sure you'll be able to talk him through this."

"And what if I can't? What if he won't listen to me, Ollie?"

"Hey," he moved closer towards her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Almost as long as I've known Slade you have been his soft spot. You'll get through to him, I know it."

"Thank you, Ollie," she leaned her head on his shoulder.

He placed a quick kiss to her forehead before they took in the silence together. Victoria felt some of her tense muscles relax. Silently she pinched the bridge of her nose to prevent the tears from spilling out of her eyes.

##################################################################

Victoria shut her eyes. She couldn't sleep but her eyes needed the rest. Someone got into the camp. The footsteps sounded soft like someone was sneaking around. She became very still as she opened her eyes and waited for the person to become visible. Having to hold back a relieved sigh when she saw that it was Sara. Remaining quiet, wondering what Sara was doing back already. Sara took slow, quiet strides as she leaned over and picked up the talkie right beside Oliver. As quietly as she came, she crept out of the wreckage. Victoria waited a few moments before she followed behind her. Making sure she didn't make any sound and that Sara didn't know she was there.

"Anthony, are you there?" Sara whispered into the talkie.

"I'm here, Sara. I was hoping you would reach out to me. Are you alone?"

"Yes."

"Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?" his voice laced with concern.

"Do you even care? You were going to shoot me."

"No Sara, I swear you were never in any danger. I swear."

"So it is all okay cause you were just planning on killing Victoria instead? You were going to kill her, Ivo."

"Her name was Victoria."

"Yes, and you were going to shoot her in the head, Anthony. She is my friend. And you almost took away her from her brother."

"I am so sorry, Sara. I had never meant to do that. To make you afraid of me. I don't know what came over me. I didn't set out to hurt anyone. I started this quest to save people. To save the human race."

"I know."

"Sara, I know you think that this ship saved you. The truth is that you rescued me. I need you, Sara. You are the only one who can keep me sane. Please," he begged.

There was a long moment of silence, before Ivo spoke again, "Sara, are you still there?"

"When I first came on the ship, I was so grateful to you for saving me, for letting me help you with your work. It made me feel like I was part of something bigger,"

"You are, Sara," Ivo interrupted.

"I didn't want to see what you were doing. What you did to those people on the boat. How you tortured them for science. I was glad I wasn't one of them. But I refuse to be a part of that anymore."

"You ungrateful bitch. Do you think you know what torture is? You have no idea. I will hunt you down, all of you and you will…" she shut off the walkie.

Victoria startled when someone stood right beside her. A smile tugged at her mouth when she noticed it was Oliver. They both were still in the doorway when Sara came back. She looked slightly surprised but she handed Oliver the walkie.

"Let's find Slade," Sara declared.

##################################################################

The group of four headed out as soon as the first light of dawn touched the sky. Victoria tightly held the sensor grid in her hand as they moved.

"If I am reading this right, Slade or Billy should be at the cave."

"Why would he go to the graves?" Sara asked.

"I'm not sure… crap. No don't die on me," Victoria whacked the sensor against her hand.

She let out an audible sigh when the whole thing shut down, "Just great!"

"You remember how to get there, right?"

"Yes," Shado replied.

Shado then went in the lead as the others followed after her. No conversation was made while they headed towards the graves. They all were too caught up in their thoughts. It wasn't long before they were walking through the entrance.

"He isn't here," Oliver shouted.

Victoria pinched her nose to hold back the tears of frustration starting to collect in her eyes.

"Where else could he be? We already checked the plane."

"Hey," Oliver placed a hand on Victoria's shoulder. "We'll find him, I promise."

Victoria nodded her head but wrapped her arms around herself. She looked more closely at the wall in confusion. Oliver turned towards it, his brows quirked up. Those hadn't been there before? Had they?

"Hey, have you seen these before?" he posed his question to Sara.

"I didn't look around," Sara confused.

"They look familiar," Shado commented.

"This could be Lian Yu," Sara started.

"Yes it is but the calculations, I've seen those before," Oliver stressed.

"Maybe the first time you were in the cave?" Victoria supplied.

"I don't think so," Oliver whispered. "Fyers launcher!" he put it together.

"What?" Sara asked, confusion plain on her face.

"There were soldiers on the island last year, and they had a missile launcher. I saw one of these on the display. Firing calculations… He is going to blow it up."

"He is going to blow up Ivo's freighter," Victoria's voice rose.

Oliver nodded before he raced out of the cave. Victoria followed close behind him. They needed to find Slade, and soon, or they were going to be stuck here forever.

##################################################################

Victoria's heart rate was so fast she thought it was going to pound out of her chest. What had made Slade think that blowing up their only way to get home was a good idea? She kept up with Oliver's speed as he took long runs and strides to get closer to Fyer's old camp. Fear began sinking in, what if they didn't get there in time? What if Slade blew up the freighter? Or if he hurt himself?

"Slade!?" Victoria called.

They just needed to clear these brushes and then they would make it to where the launcher last was. She looked to her left and began rushing towards the figure that was climbing on the launcher.

"Slade!" she rushed towards him.

"Keep back!" Slade replied.

"We know that you are targeting the freighter," Oliver explained. Right on Victoria's heels.

"I'm going to send that son of a bitch into the bottom of the ocean."

"No you are going to destroy our only way off of the island," Oliver reasoned.

"As long as Ivo is dead and no longer a threat to us, it's fine."

The launcher got into position.

"Slade!" Victoria shouted.

He looked down at her before his attention turned to the launcher once more.

"Slade, please," Victoria begged.

Slade's jaw twitched but he forced his attention to the blonde.

"Please, don't do this, Slade. Think about your kids. If you blow up that freighter you might never see them again. Please."

"I can't… I can't let you get hurt again. What if… He could have killed you, Toria. He might kill us all if I don't stop him now."

"I know… I know, Slade. I am scared. I am. But that boat is our only way off of here. And I know that you want to see Joe, Grant, and Rose again, I want to meet them, " tears fell from Toria's eyes.

Slade's hand shook as he fell into a seated position on the launcher, "What is happening to me?"

"I don't know, my love. But I am not going to let you go through it alone," Victoria placed a hand on his cheek.

Shado, Sara, and Oliver all pulled back and let Victoria and Slade have a moment. Sara silently kept an eye on them to make sure that Toria had it all under control.

Slade pressed his mouth up against Toria's hand as he let out shaky breaths.

"I don't know what to do… I don't… I don't want to hurt you."

"Then let me help you calm down, please."

"How do you know you can?"

"I can try," she let out a humorless laugh.

"Toria," Slade chided.

"Hey, you've helped me so much. Please let me help you."

A moment passed while Slade internally battled his thoughts before he gave her a small nod in reply.

"Listen to my voice," Toria's voice dropped volume. "Please give me your hand."

She peeled off his giant black glove. His large, calloused hand was shaky as he slowly took hers.

"Breath slowly. Deep shallow breaths," she did exaggerated breaths for him to match.

He matched hers, it took a long time before he got into the rhythm of it.

"Now… place your hand on my chest."

"What?" Slade looked up in surprise. His calm breathes hitched.

Toria smirked as she replied, "Just do it."

He looked confused but did so anyway.

"Now pay close attention to the beating of my heart. Focus as much in it as you can, while you continue taking those deep breaths."

Again she breathed for him to match her, "close your eyes and focus on my heartbeat."

They stood there like that until Slade felt the peace rush over him and he heard his heartbeat start to slow. He opened his eyes and was greeted to one of Toria's gorgeous smiles.

"How did you know that was going to work?"

"I didn't. But it was something my father used to do whenever I would get stage fright before a performance. It always helped me then."

"Thank you," Slade voiced. His hand was no longer shaky as he cupped her cheek. "I don't deserve you." A small smile tugged at his mouth.

"Come on," Victoria tugged him forward. Sending a quick kiss to his hand. "I am sure the others are going to start worrying about us soon."

They walked hand-in-hand into the small group.

"You alright now?" Oliver asked, his eyes wandering to their enjoined hands.

"Yeah," Slade muttered, tightening his grip on Toria's hand.

"We need to figure out our next play," Shado prompted. "Slade, Billy took the mirakuru."

"Damn, then our first play should be getting it back from him."

"What if Billy takes the serum?" Toria brought up.

"We don't know the full effects of it yet," Oliver voiced.

Slade nodded in agreement, "I feel like… I think it is making me stronger."

"Yeah, it's like some weird version of Captain American's super serum," Oliver quipped.

"Yes, but they never mentioned it messing with his head, Oliver," Victoria hissed.

They all remained silent for a few moments. Their thoughts and plans swirling in each of their brains.

"And whether that boat is at the bottom of the ocean or not, we are still stuck on this island," Slade broke the silence.

"Not for long," Oliver spoke up. He turned to Sara and Shado, "Cause we are going to take the freighter."

So what did you all think? I hope the super long chapter sort of makes up for the over a year of not updating. I am super happy with all the Toria and Oliver scenes that made their way into the chapter. And fear not. I am already working on plans for the next chapter. Please Follow, Favorite and Review. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. And let me know if you are excited for the next one!