Chapter 2
AN: Thank you so much for the support, I am beyond overwhelmed with the support you all have given me. I really hope you like this chapter, and what's to come.
"Well that was a lot," Cisco comments, feeling like that might be the biggest understatement ever.
"No kidding," Kate comments, as everyone looks just as shocked.
"I know this is hard to digest, and that's coming from someone who's been dead for years, but we do have something we need to do," Laurel comments, still trying to digest what Oliver said about what her destiny should have been, but she feels like the best thing to do at the moment is to focus on what they need to do.
"Yeah, sixty minutes to each pick a person to both bless and burden with knowledge," Ray comments. "How do we make this decision?" he asks curious.
"We take the time we have and think, carefully consider," Kara explains.
"None of us can make this choice for anyone else. This is an incredibly personal choice, I know who I want, but I cannot tell anyone else who to choose, none of us can," Clark says, looking between the others.
"Captain Hunter, Ray, you've both been here before, could we spread out?" Barry asks, as he feels that they may need to spread out, he feels like they all might need some space to make this decision.
"Please, call me Rip, and yes you can spread out on this level, but I would not recommend going to any others," Rip explains, as he cannot guarantee that other places are structurally sound.
"So, we can spread out, let's just make sure we're back when Oliver and the Monitor get back," Diggle suggests, and everyone starts to do just that.
As she knows what her sister has gone through since her death, Laurel isn't overly surprised when Rip walks up to her.
"Miss Lance," Rip greats, it feeling extremely odd to call anyone but Sara Miss Lance.
"Please, it's Laurel," Laurel corrects.
"I will choose Sara, there is no one else I want to choose. I thought you deserved to know," Rip tells Laurel.
"Thank you," Laurel says. "And thank you for everything you did for my sister," Laurel tells Rip as they both know that the other knows what happened to everyone since their respective 'deaths'.
"Thank you, but I do not deserve your gratitude," Rip admits, feeling bad for the way he betrayed Sara.
"Yes, you do. You're forgetting I am the one person who is still in this place who understands your reasons. You saved my sister, Captain. Gave her a purpose, and I am thankful for that," Laurel explains to Rip.
"I am sorry that I could not save you, Laurel," Rip admits, realizing that Sara connects the two of them, as does the fact that they have both been dead for a long time.
"It's okay, it seems like it was out of everyone's control," Laurel answers, and as she does she notices Thea sitting alone. "If you excuse me. I need to go talk to Thea," Laurel explains.
"Of course," Rip responds, understanding why, and Laurel walks away.
After walking away from Rip Laurel walks across the room to where Thea is sitting alone, clearly in deep thought.
"Hey Speedy," Laurel greats, and Thea can't help but grin.
"You know, there was a time when I hated that nickname," Thea comments, knowing that now nothing feels righter than hearing Oliver, or Laurel, call her that.
"I remember," Laurel says, looking amused, as she sits down next to her. "Are you okay? I know this is a lot," Laurel says as she isn't sure how to feel and so she is pretty sure that Thea would be just as conflicted.
"I don't know," Thea admits. "I just thinking that you didn't have to die, and how different things would have been," Thea reveals.
"That won't help Thea. What will help is thinking about everything we can do, everything we can change," Laurel explains.
"Malcom is going to be alive, and I don't know if I can handle that," Thea admits, only doing so because it is Laurel, as Oliver is the only other person she would open up to.
"You will, and you won't be alone," Laurel tells her. "You've grown so much Speedy. I am so proud of you, and I know Moria and Robert would be too," Laurel admits, and Thea smiles slightly. "When Ollie left for Ivy Town, I promised I wouldn't leave you, and I am so sorry I couldn't keep that promise then, but I will now," Laurel admits, being able to remember the moment she made that promise vividly, and Thea smiles slightly as it feels right to hear Laurel say Ollie, as she never forgot Felicity calling Oliver Ollie when he joined the league because Felicity was trying to relate to her, and how wrong Thea though it felt.
"Laurel, it wasn't your fault," Thea assures her, feeling like they have to find a way to kill Damian Darkh before he even comes to Starling. "I missed you so much, but I also felt like you were always with me. So many times, I thought about what you would do, and what you'd want me to do," Thea admits. "And I wasn't the only one. Ollie never forgot about you, you were constantly on his mind. It was why he had such a complicated relationship with your Earth Two doppelganger, and more than once when we were working together Nyssa talked about you," Thea explains. "You were never forgotten, you were always with us," Thea reveals, and Laurel smiles slightly.
"Thank you for looking after my father, for helping him," Laurel says as she puts her arm around Thea's shoulder.
"I just did what I could. What I knew you would want," Thea admits, as she leans into the arm Laurel has around her, thinking about how amazed she is to have her 'Big Sister' back again.
In a Corner of the Vanishing Point, Iris and Barry are sitting on the floor together, Barry having his arms around Iris, holding her close, not wanting to be away from her, or her him.
"I just can't believe it. They're all gone," Iris says, sounding horrified.
"We'll get them back, we'll get them all back," Barry promises, trying to convince himself as much as Iris.
"I'm choosing my Dad, Barry. I know it might not be the kindest thing to do considering everything we can't give him, but I need him to know the truth," Iris explains.
"It's okay, I think this is the one decision that can be selfish," Barry comments, even though he isn't completely sure who he is going to choose to give memories too, and the two of them sit in silence as Iris moves closer to Barry.
For a few moments Barry and Iris sit together until Cisco walks up to them.
"There you are," Cisco says, to his two closest friends.
"Hey, how you doing?" Barry asks curious.
"I don't even know if I can answer that," Cisco admits. "Except I can feel my powers. Since the Monitor returned them I still have my powers," Cisco explains.
"How does that make you feel?" Iris asks curious, as she knows how determined Cisco was to get rid of his powers.
"I don't know," Cisco admits. "But considering everything else, it seems like the least of my troubles," Cisco says, with a shrug. "The Multiverse has literally ended, new one beginning, and we're it's only hope," Cisco comments.
"We won't be alone though," Barry comments. "Even if it is just twenty-five of us, we're all going to be there for each other, we can make things right together," Barry says, needing to believe that considering everything they have lost.
Back in the 'Main' area of the Vanishing point Kate and Kara walk up to where Laurel and Thea are still sitting together.
"Laurel, it's a real pleasure to meet you," Kara admits, failing to hide her excitement, "Your sister told my sister about you, and Alex told me, ever since I wished I had a chance to meet you," Kara admits, as she has been curious about Laurel since Barry first mentioned her that first time he came to her earth.
"I wished for the same thing," Laurel admits, smiling at Kara, before turning to look at her old friend. "Kate, I know all about Beth, and when we're out of here I want you to know that no matter what, if you need anything, I am just a phone call away," Laurel says to her old friend, stressing the anything.
"Right back at you," Kate responds and once she does she sits down next to Laurel, squeezing her arm as she does, while Kara sits down next to Thea, and the four woman start to talk together.
In another part of the Vanishing point Ray has gone in search of Diggle, who he finds standing alone.
"Diggle," Ray says, causing Diggle to turn and look at him. "Do you want to talk?" he asks.
"I wouldn't even know where to start," Diggle admits. "My best friend, my brother, died without me, and now he's back, but not really, but will be soon, and now everyone I have ever known and loved is dead too and I have to choose one person to give memories too," Diggle comments, though he knows exactly who he is going to choose, looking upset.
"So much has happened, and we can choose to focus on the good, or we can focus on the fact that we are going to get Oliver and everyone we lost back," Ray comments.
"But unless they are someone who gets given their memories, they aren't going to be the same," Diggle comments.
"Maybe that's okay. Our lives won't be completely the same, we won't be," Ray points out. "We'll all just have to figure it out," Ray explains, needing to focus on the good.
"I don't know if I can have your optimism man," Diggle responds, and the two of them drift into silence.
At yet another different part of the Vanishing point Clark is standing alone, almost staring out to space, when J'onn walks up to him, which Clark realizes.
"Two planets, Krypton and Earth, I've lost them both," Clark comments, pain in his voice. "So, have you," he says, looking at J'onn.
"We have, so has Kara," J'onn comments.
"I don't remember Krypton, I was too young when it was destroyed," Clark says, as Kara who heard what her cousin said, pauses. "All I've got is what Kara told me, what I learnt on Argo," Clark reveals. "But Earth, our Earth, I remember. I know everything I've lost, everything we've lost," Clark comments, thinking of Lois and his son, as well as all his friends, and all the people he failed to save.
"We'll get them back," J'onn says.
"Not everyone," Clark comments, as while he knows he will get Lois, his Lois, back what he won't get back is the version of his son that he has spent months getting to know. "J'onn, how do we live in this new Universe when we know what's happened?" Clark asks curious, hoping that the being that seems so full of wisdom has some for him.
"By doing everything we can to make sure history never repeats," Kara says, making her presence knows, as she walks up to J'onn and Clark. "We failed this universe, we have to make sure we don't fail the new one. We can't," Kara says. "We haven't lost all hope. This new universe has hope, and we have to make sure it doesn't lose it," Kara explains. "As the strongest we have to make sure of that," Kara says, looking between Clark and J'onn.
"We will," J'onn promises and the three aliens drift into silence.
After leaving Thea with Kate Laurel has gone in search of Diggle who she finds alone, in the same place Ray left him.
"Hey John," Laurel greats, as she walks up to him, not wanting to surprise him.
"Laurel," Diggle says, turning to look at her. "Laurel, I owe you an…" Diggle starts to say, and Laurel knows exactly what he is going to say.
"You don't owe me anything," Laurel assures him. "Nothing that happened was your fault," Laurel says, as she moves so that she is standing next to him.
"Laurel, he was my brother, I trusted him, and because of him…." Diggle starts to say.
"Exactly, because of him," Laurel says. "Not you. John, you are my friend, and you choose to trust your bother. I understand that more than anyone," Laurel admits. "That doesn't mean that what he did was your fault. I don't blame you, never have, and you need to stop blaming yourself," Laurel reveals. "Don't take that guilt into this new Universe," Laurel explains, leaning on his shoulder.
Not trusting his worlds John just nods, feeling like a weight has lifted off him as he can't help but remember the summer when Oliver and Felicity were gone, when he and Laurel became friends, family, and realizing that it feels good to have his family back.
After leaving John Ray has gone in search of his friend, and considering everything Ray isn't surprised to find Rip standing near the ruins of the Oculus.
"I thought you said nowhere else was safe," Ray comments as he approaches his old captain.
"I told the truth, this is not safe, Doctor Palmer," Rip responds.
"It's really good to see you, we all missed you," Ray comments. "Captain Lance especially," he reveals.
"I very much doubt that," Rip comments, as considering the way he and Sara left things he feels like Sara wouldn't miss him, despite what he knows but cannot bring himself to believe.
"Well I know she misses you," Ray reveals. "She told me," Ray says as he, and Mick, found Sara In the Parlour one night and because they both knew Rip, and Sara was drunk, she admitted some things to them. "You'll see, I am sure that when Sara gets here, she will be thrilled to see you," Ray says as he is sure that either Laurel or Rip himself will choose to give Sara her memories.
"We will see, Doctor Palmer," Rip says and the two old friends drift into silence.
Exactly sixty minutes after Oliver and The Monitor left everyone else is waiting in the same place they were when the two cosmic beings left. Just like the pair said they would exactly sixty minutes after Oliver and The Monitor disappear, they reappear in exactly the same places they disappeared from.
"All the time we are able to give you have passed," The Monitor reveals.
"Have you all made your decision?" Oliver asks, looking around the room, and everyone nods, or does some kind of gesture that answers yes.