Chapter 2
The Search
"Though lovers be lost, love shall not."
Dylan Thomas
Sometimes Gotham City was just dreary. It lacked the colors or even the sparkle of Star City. Felicity noticed it every time she sat near the window of the Wayne mansion and stared out unable to not take on the gloomy feel the city seemed to invoke. She let out a heavy sigh just as Bruce entered the room.
"I don't like that sound," he commented as he walked over to her. She turned to him, a smile coming to her face as it always did when she saw him. "Everything alright?" he moved to stand across from her in front of the window, his eyes glancing out momentarily before turning back to the woman.
"I don't know. I just feel kind of blah today, and the whole lack of color this city has isn't helping any." Felicity replied looking down at the book she was reading.
"We could take another trip," Bruce said finally sitting beside her in the window seat. "Someplace bright and happy. Maybe Dubai?"
"We just came back from London last week, and before that we were in Japan," Felicity said dropping her book. "If this is going to be our home, we should at least stick around."
"You said home." Bruce said with a smile and Felicity shook her head. "You said home and not a museum." the woman chuckled. "Dare I say, you Ms. Smoak are starting to feel at home here."
"No, but I'm starting to feel at home with you," she replied sliding over into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And what have I said about calling me, Ms. Smoak?"
"And what would you prefer I call you, huh?" he asked and she just shook her head. She inched closer to him, her eyes locked on his and she feels his rough palms as the slip underneath her sweater. She smiled as she took in his brown eyes, that tingling feeling in her stomach made it's expected appearance.
"You know my name, Mr. Wayne." her lips were just a breath away from his and the smiled tugged on his lips just as he was about to close the distance, but in walked the pain in his ass.
"Ugh—" both stopped but didn't turn away from each other. "How is this place so huge, but I still get lucky enough to walk in just moments before you two are about to bang each other."
"And there's the crassness that can shatter any mood," Felicity says untangling herself from Bruce's grasp, and the annoyance laced in his features turned to one Richard Grayson. "Hi Dick," she turned to the man who simply waved.
"Hi blondie," he replied and Felicity turned a look of annoyance toward Bruce and he simply nods because he knows she hates the nickname and yet has told him not to say anything because she wanted things to go well for her here.
"Was there something you needed?" Bruce asked turning his agitation to Richard. "Because as you could see we were sort of in the middle of something and-"
"It's not happening Bruce." Felicity said grabbing her book.
"But it could." he said hopeful before turning back to Richard. "What do you want?"
"I think I may have gotten a lead on Dr. Quinzel." the young man replied. "After her escape from ARGUS, I've been able to track her to some of her and the Joker's old contacts."
"You guys don't really think she's going to try to bust him out of Arkham, do you?" Felicity asked.
"Well she's crazy enough to try." Dick replied turning back to Bruce. "I'm going to check this out and-"
"Just recognizance, observe, but don't act. Harley is bat shit crazy, but she's also clever, and I want to see what she's actually planning and whose helping her." Bruce said and Richard simply nodded.
"Well if it's going to be boring, I might bring a date." Richard said already pulling out his phone. "Hey, Troy, how would you like to join me on an exciting mission?"
"That woman is going to murder him." Felicity said with a shake of her head. "And I won't even blame her for it." she turned to Bruce who stood to his feet and began walking toward the doors that lead to the den and sliding them closed. "What are you doing?"
"Preventing anymore interruptions." Bruce said and Felicity laughed as he walked over to the other set of doors and slid them closed as well.
"I think you forgot to hang your tube sock." she said as Bruce began walking toward her. She tossed her book onto the couch as Bruce scooped her up into his arms, and a squeal escaped her lips followed by a laugh. Her arms twisted back around his neck as he held her firmly while lowering her back to the couch. Felicity slid a hand along the skin of his cheek as those beautiful brown eyes looked down in her soul. "I love you so much." Bruce lips seized the nape of her neck first, and Felicity's eyes fluttered closed, as she brought her leg up and over his thigh allowing his body to mesh deeper into hers. A moan escaped her lips the moment his mischievous fingers began searching for something she was positive he would find. "Bruce..." she moaned his name against his ear. "Bruce...wait." he didn't hear those words, too lost in the sensations of his own body. "Bruce,-" she nudged his arm and the man finally stopped, lifting his eyes to look down to her in confusion. "Do you hear that?" both laid there silently when they clearly heard the sound of something vibrating. "I think that's my phone."
"And it can't just ring because-"
"Because I did something stupid by giving total access to the bunker's systems to a teenager and I'm afraid she may misuse that power and get herself into trouble." she nudged him again and he groaned before sitting up to let her stand. The woman quickly picked up her phone and frowned. "It's Oliver?" she looked over to Bruce clearly nervous before answering the phone. She opened her mouth to speak, but she didn't need to.
"Felicity, it's me I need your help." Oliver said, and Felicity could hear the tension in his voice.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Katie's awake, and she's missing."
The moment the words came out of Oliver's mouth, Felicity eyes widened and she turned to Bruce who stood to his feet.
"We're on our way." Felicity said ending the call and slipping her phone into her pocket. She turned rushing for the door, pushing it open before hurrying out, Bruce right behind her.
"You want to tell me what's going on?" Bruce asked jogging behind Felicity up the stairs.
"Katie awake," the moment she said the words out loud, she actually had to stop and take them in. It had been five months, and with every status report she got from Oliver, there was never any change. She turned to Bruce, still trying to make this moment seem real. "She's awake." Bruce had to pause as the shock of the news captured him as well. His mind went racing with thoughts. "He says she's missing." Bruce frowned, now worried.
"Missing?" he asked and Felicity gave a nod. Bruce turned away, now afraid that a darkness they thought they'd gotten rid of may still be dwelling in their friend. "We have to go." they both turned and rushed upstairs.
It was raining. Katie hadn't really paid attention to the weather until she found herself walking through the dark woods, her hoodie pulled over her head, and her socked feet becoming soaked as she walked through the thick mud. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets and her eyes continued to scan the area as she walked forward, hoping to find a road. She heard the sound of an engine up ahead, and she stopped for a moment. She must be close. She began rushing forward, coming to a sliding halt the moment her socked feet find the hard cemented road. She glances down both ends, and shakes her head because there are no cars. Her eyes looks up spotting a sign, and so she walks over to read it.
"Star City, ten miles." she reads out loud. "What the hell is Star City." she turns and glances up the empty dark road, and lets out a sigh. "Looks like I'm walking." and with that the woman begins her trek to the city.
Oliver returned to the bunker, and when he stepped inside he wasn't sure what to do. He'd just spent the last hour driving around hoping to find her, but she was no where to be found. Oliver found himself pacing.
"You don't remember anything." he muttered to himself. He was trying to put himself in the mind of his wife. Trying to think of what her next move would be. "Where would you go?" he closed his eyes trying to answer those questions but he only got more questions. "Who would you run to?" he stopped and his eyes glanced over to the Guardian's suit.
"You're the biggest pain in the ass I have ever met!" he snapped and Katie stopped right outside her door before turning to him. "You were this close-" he held up his thumb and index finger close together. "-to having a bullet in your back. You were almost killed and I almost-" he sighed. "I almost lost you and then you just run away." he shook his head. "Now it doesn't even matter, because I get it now. You got this, right? You can handle all of this on your own, without anyone's help. Good luck with that." he turned about to go back to his room.
"Trust no one!" she yelled so loudly that he just had to stop and turn back to her. "For three years those three words were etched into my brain." she brought her eyes to Oliver who stood unmoving. "You have no idea what it feels like to-" she just shook her head.
Oliver suddenly remembered the version of his wife he met when she returned to Starling. She was surrounded by walls put up to keep everyone out. She trusted no one, and never let anyone in.
"You're not running to anyone." Oliver muttered his eyes glued to his wife's suit. "You don't trust anyone." He took a step forward. "You're going to run." Oliver's phone suddenly rang and he quickly snagged it from his pocket hoping for news about his wife. He saw Thea's name and suddenly thought that maybe Katie came to the house. He quickly answered. "Thea, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, I was just getting worried. It was getting late and I thought you'd be home by now. Plus you really should be sleeping, you have a busy day tomorrow, or more like today." Oliver's eyes looked back to the Guardian's suit and he let out a sighed. "Ollie? Is everything alright?"
"Thea, she's awake." saying the words out loud still didn't make it seem real. He needed to see her, needed to know where she was and if she was alright. "Twinkie's awake."
"Really?" the emotion cracked in Thea's voice as she took in the news. "Are you with her, is she-"
"No, apparently she woke up yesterday, but Jacob decided not to call me." Oliver took a step back, dropping to the step to sit, his eyes still looking at that suit. "She woke up with no memory of the last three and a half years."
"Oh my God, Ollie. She doesn't know you're married, that she has daughter?"
"No, and more than likely she probably thinks I'm dead. Jacob didn't tell her about any of it. He also didn't tell her that she was in an ARGUS facility and that he was an ARGUS agent."
"And given that three years ago ARGUS was just the agency that kidnapped her and tortured her," Thea scoffed. "She freaked out."
"She did, and she also ran away all before I showed up. No one knows where she is, and right now I need to know where she is." Oliver slid his fingers through his hair trying not to let the nervousness and the anxiousness buried inside of him come spewing out. "Speedy-"
"Ollie, just, find her. Don't worry about anything else. I'll cover for you at City Hall, but-" Thea paused. "What should I tell Ari?" Oliver dropped his head to his hand. It was yet another moment where the man was unsure what the right decision is.
"Nothing, I will talk to Ari once I find Katie." Oliver said standing to his feet. "I called Felicity and she's on her way back to Star City. In the mean time, I think I'm going to go out looking for her again. The ARGUS facility is only a couple miles out. There's a chance she's close, if not already here. I just have to find her."
"Call me if you find something...or if you find nothing, just call me."
"I will." Oliver said ending the call. He turned back to the Guardian's suit, his thumb sliding over his wedding band trying to calm his nerves. "I'm going to find you Twinkie."
Felicity was completely focused on the laptop in front of her as their plane neared Star City. Her fingers moving rapidly as the screen continuously changes from various images around the city. The woman chewed on her bottom lip because she was on the second scanning of the city and still hadn't found a facial match for Katie.
"No, we're on our way now." came Bruce's voice as he walked back to take his seat across from the woman. "Right now we don't know." he looked over to Felicity who hadn't turned away from her computer. "Like I said, I don't know. There's a chance, but until I actually see her, I won't know." he paused once again. "Well that could go bad if we're wrong. Right now I want to see what's happening before the cavalry is called. I-" he groaned in annoyance. "This was just a courtesy call, Clark. If something is wrong, I'll give you a call." Bruce ended the call, and looked back over to Felicity who hadn't torn her eyes from the screen in front of her. "Anything?"
"Nothing. I think I should widen my search parameters." Felicity said once again furiously tying. "I mean maybe she didn't head to the city."
"That facility was placed strategically near Star City for a reason. It's close, so if she were searching for some place safe to hide, that's where she would go." Bruce said, and Felicity simply gave a short nod. "Felicity-"
"If the next words out of your mouth is a suggestion that I stop and take a break, I will throw something at you." Felicity said. "My best friend is awake and she's missing, and I wasn't there for her."
"You can't possibly think any of this is your fault." Bruce said, but Felicity didn't respond. "Felicity-"
"Of course I don't think this is my fault Bruce. "She stopped typing and finally met his eyes. "But my best friend was in a coma and I wasn't there for her." Bruce opened his mouth to speak, but Felicity just continued. "And I don't regret leaving, that's not what I'm saying. I just-" she shook her head. "I wished I could've been there. She woke up to Jacob who probably lied to her and that's why she ran off. She thinks she's alone...that we're not here for her. I need to find her so she knows she doesn't have to go through this by herself."
The rain had finally stopped the moment Katie finally crossed over into the city limits. She could see the lights, and so she ignored the pain of her sore feet and legs as she was taught, and continued. It was late, like seriously late, and so the people she first spotted didn't look like the people she should walk up to for help. Katie kept her head down, kept her hood up hiding her face. She vaguely remembered her surroundings, some of the buildings looked familiar. Her eyes continued scanning the block, noting a couple of eyes on her and so she walked a bit faster. She needed to get off of the street, for a variety of reasons. The sound of a church bell began ringing and Katie lifted her head as she followed the sound before it stopped. Soon her eyes landed on the large church and she didn't hesitate as she ran across the street and up the stairs. She reached for the door handle and pulled open the door, relieved that it actually was unlocked.
Katie dropped into the pews, finally letting out a heavy sigh. The moment she stopped moving everything seemed to catch up to her. Her mind began analyzing everything that occurred since waking up and how her entire world was turned upside down. Katie lifted her eyes to the the alter up front, and the hanging crucifixion. She was never a religious person...never had that sense of belief in a higher power that rights the wrongs of the world. And given the horrible things that have been done to her, that hasn't really changed. "Don't worry, I won't be here long. In the morning you and I can just go our separate ways." Katie pulled off the hoodie that was still a bit damp. She balled it up and placed it on the pew beside her before twisting her body to lay down. She didn't want to go to sleep, she actually wanted to keep moving, to place as much distance between her and ARGUS and her father as possible, but right now she was exhausted, and given that not even forty eight hours earlier, she was in a coma, trying to travel cross country so quickly probably wasn't the best idea. So she would rest, get her strength back, and then keep going.
It was almost dawn when Felicity and Bruce arrived at the bunker. They both stood silently in the elevator, and the moment the doors opened, Felicity rushed off, her eyes seeing Curtis immediately.
"Hey," Curtis said standing to his feet, hoping for a proper greeting, but Felicity simply nudged him out of the way before dropping in her seat.
"Hi Curtis," she said, not even glancing up to him as she began typing. "Has your search for Katie turned up any results?"
"No, not yet, and I've been trying for a couple of hours. Are we sure she's in the city?" he asked and Felicity didn't say anything and so he looked over to Bruce.
"Right now, we're hoping she hasn't left the city." Bruce said walking over to stand behind Felicity. "Where's Oliver?"
"I think he's still out looking for her." Curtis replies with a shake of his head. "I can't believe this. I mean I know we were all hoping that this would happen, but after all these months-"
"I knew she would wake up." Felicity said her eyes still staring at the computer. "I knew she would come back." the sound of the elevator made them lift their heads to see Oliver as he rushed inside. He looked to Bruce first before turning to Felicity who he should've known would already be working away.
"Anything?" Oliver asked and Felicity just shook her head. Oliver turned away, sliding a hand over his face. Too much time was passing by. And with every passing second, his fear that he was getting further and further away from Katie only grew. "So we have nothing?" he turned back to the others.
"Well I was able to get that surveillance footage from ARGUS you said would be coming." Curtis said and Oliver nodded before walking over as Curtis typed a few keys and soon the video began playing. They all stopped, and looked to the monitor their eyes wide at the sight of Katie standing there with a gun pointed at Jacob.
"How do I get out of here?" Oliver took a step toward the monitor, his eyes on his wife "How the hell do I get out of this place?"
"And go where?" Jacob asked and she turned back to the man. "Katherine, in your state-"
"In my state, I'm holding a gun that I can successfully use to shoot you right in your head before you could say another word. Do not placate me! Do not try to talk in calm and soothing tones, because there is absolutely no way in hell I'm staying another night in this place. I am going to get out of here, and I am going to get as far away as possible." They all watched as silence followed the statement. Katie's eyes glanced around the hall and that's when she noticed a sprinkler overhead, and no one expected her to fire off a couple of shots activating the sprinkler system, before shooting into the lights above them bringing the hall into darkness. The video stopped and Oliver took a step back, his eyes once again looking over to the Guardian's suit and swallowing the emotions now settling in his throat.
"What if she's gone?" Oliver asked, more to himself. It was the question that had been playing in his head after the first couple of hours after she'd been missing. Now it was almost morning and they had nothing. He turned back to his friends who heard his question but didn't seem to have an answer.
"She's not gone." It was Felicity who broke the silence and firmly declared. "She's in this city, Oliver. We will find her...or she might find us." Oliver looked over to the woman and simply gave a nod before watching as she and Curtis each turned back to their computers and began typing away. He looked over to Bruce who nudged his head, and so Oliver walked over to him.
"Have you talked to Jacob? Is there a search in progress."
"There better not be." Oliver replied with a shake of his head. "From this point on, I want Jacob or ARGUS no where near my wife. I actually thought—" Oliver turned back to Bruce. "I thought he was different now, but he's still Jacob. Still making moves that best suit him."
"Look I get it. He's an asshole, but ARGUS has resources we could use right now. I'm going to head over, see what they've got, and I'll give you a call." Oliver watched as Bruce walked over to Felicity, whispering something to her that made her stop and turn to him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she simply nodded before he placed a kiss to her cheek.
Once Bruce was gone, Oliver found himself standing there unsure what to do. Felicity lifted her eyes to the man and sighed before standing to her feet and walking over. She could see the nervousness oozing from him and knew the waiting around wasn't helping.
"Hey, why don't you head home." Felicity said and Oliver shook his head.
"No, if you guys find something-"
"If we find something, you will be the first person we call. Oliver you haven't slept, and your kids will be awake soon wondering where you are." Felicity said and Oliver turned away from her. "Does Ari know?"
"I'm not even sure how to have that conversation." Oliver sighed sliding a hand over his face. "I don't want to get her hopes up if this isn't the reunion we were all hoping for. I just don't want her worrying about this." his eyes veered to the damn suit once again, and he knew if he didn't get out of here, he was going to go crazy. "Alright, fine-" he turned back to Felicity. "But if you find anything-"
"First call, Oliver," she said, and even though she could see the hesitance in his eyes, he gave a nod before turning and stepping onto the elevator.
The sun was barely up when Oliver stepped through the doors of his home. The house was quiet, but he knew in a couple of hours that would change. He walked into the living room where he found his sister asleep on the couch, clutching her cell phone in her hand.
"Thea," Oliver whispered, and the woman suddenly jolted up, bringing the phone to her ear.
"Hello? Oliver, did you find her?" her eyes turned to her brother before looking down to her phone and shaking her head and tossing it aside. She looked back up to Oliver before standing to her feet. "Any luck?"
"No, not yet. Curtis and Felicity are still searching, but they haven't found anything yet." Oliver replied sliding a hand across the back of his neck to help relieve some of the tension,
"Hey, " Thea placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "This is Felicity we're talking about. She's going to find her." Oliver simply nodded before looking down to his watch. "Don't worry about any Mayor stuff, I've cleared your schedule for the day."
"Thanks Thea, I don't think I would be able to focus on anything else today. I just-" he looked over to his sister. "I need to find her, and I need to make sure she's ok."
"And you will." she gave her brother a comforting pat to his shoulder. "You should try to get some sleep." he looked over to her and she smiled. "And I know sleep is the last thing you want to do right now, but you look exhausted." Oliver nods before turning and heading for the stairs, but he stopped and turned back to his sister.
"Thanks again Thea for, well, everything."
"You never have to thank me, Oliver." Thea replies before watching her exhausted and nervous brother finally head upstairs to get some rest.
The smell of blood lingered from Katie's nightmare, and she jilted awake. Moments after her eyes opened, Katie forgot where she was and sat up, remembering that she stumbled into this church. She let out a sigh as she ran a hand across her face.
"Oh, you're awake." a voice spoke, and Katie jumped to her feet, her eyes going to the man dressed in the black clerical attire, she assumes is the priest of the church.
"Uh, I'm sorry-" Katie turned and grabbed her hoodie. "I shouldn't have—"
"Hey, it's fine, you don't have to go." the priest said quickly stepped a bit closer. "The doors of this church are always open to anyone who needs help." Katie turned back to the man and she noticed he seemed a bit younger than she would think a priest would be. He looked like he was maybe even younger than her. " One of the sisters saw you earlier, but didn't want to wake you."
"Uh, yeah, it was raining, and I literally had no where else to go." Katie said slipping on her hoodie that hadn't completely dried from the rain. "But I should go." she stepped into the aisle, and the priest was able to get a good look at her damp and crumpled clothing, and also noticed that she wasn't wearing any shoes.
"Were you hungry?" he asked and Katie turned back to him. "I was just about to head down to the kitchen for breakfast and Sister Agnes makes the best pancakes I've ever had. Don't tell my mother I said that though." Katie looked hesitant, her eyes glancing over her shoulder back to the doors. She wasn't sure she should stay in one place for too long. "Plus we get donated shoes and clothes." she turned back to the man.
"I really should go." Katie said with a shake of her head before turning to the door and only taking a step. It was the fact that she had no idea where she was going to go when she stepped outside that stopped her. She took in a deep breath before turning back to the priest and he simply smiled. "So how good are these pancakes?"
"They're going to knock your socks off." he said with a laugh that died off when he realized the woman's shoeless feet only had socks. "I didn't mean-"
"I'm the last person you're going to offend." Katie said before holding out her hand to the man. "I'm-" she wasn't really sure about using her real name and so she decided that maybe she should lie. "I'm Robin."
"Robin, I'm Father Samuel, but you can call me Sam." he said shaking her hand. He nudged his head. "We should head down. Sister Agnes will never let me hear the end of it if I'm late for breakfast." Katie glanced once more to the doors before turning and following behind the priest.
The annoying alarm clock blared, and Ari's eyes snapped open before she reached over to turn it off. She let out a huff before standing out of bed and opening the door. She glanced out wondering why it was so quiet. She quirked a brow before heading down the hall and peeking inside of Robyn's room to find the girl bouncing up and down in her crib.
"Ree!" the baby called and and Ari just shook her head as she walked over to pluck the girl from her crib.
"Where's your dad, stinker?" Ari asked as she brought the baby to the changing table to change her diaper. "This so better get tacked on as good behavior to have this grounding sentence reduced." Ari picked up the baby, nuzzling her a bit before heading out into the hall. "Lets go find the warden." Ari glanced down to Oliver's bedroom door, and she heard his voice and so she headed over. She was about to knock, but then she stopped.
"How is that possible, Felicity?" Oliver asked and Ari's brow furrowed. She didn't think Oliver and Felicity talked much since she and Bruce took off months ago. Soon her eyes widened at the thought that maybe Felicity was telling Oliver how she was able to access the bunker's systems.
"I'm so dead meat." Ari muttered.
"Ree! Ree!" Robyn squealed and Ari glanced up to the door before turning, about to make a run for it, but suddenly the door opened. Ari turned back to see Oliver staring down to her, phone still pressed to his ear.
"Felicity, I'll call you back." Oliver said before looking down to the teen. "What's up?"
"Nothing, the place was just unusually quiet and so I went to check on the stinker who was stinky." Ari looked down to Robyn who was suddenly lifting her hands to her father who smiled as he pulled the child into his arms and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "So, you were talking to Felicity?"
"I was." Oliver said and he noticed how she suddenly seemed nervous.
"Interesting conversation?" Ari asked and Oliver quirked a brow.
"If by interesting you mean did she tell me how she granted you access to the bunker's mainframe, no she didn't mention it, but I was going to bring that up to her later." Ari sighed, dropping her head before looking back up to the man with a smile.
"I changed a diaper this morning, that has to reduce my sentence by at least a week." Oliver couldn't help but chuckle.
"Try a day, now, c'mon, I'll make breakfast." He said, ignoring the groan from the teenager.
Katie felt their eyes on her as she at her breakfast. The priest and the two nuns who seemed nervous for some reason.
"So..." Father Samuel said, and Katie lifted her eyes from her plate to look over to the man, He glanced over to sister Agnes before turning back to Katie with a smile. "We can take you over to check out some of the clothes to see if you can find anything and-"
"That's really not necessary." Katie says dropping her fork with a shake of her head. "This is really a lot, and I don't want to put anyone out or anything." she stands to her feet and gives the man a smile before turning and heading out of the kitchen.
"How far will you get?" the question was asked out loud, but it was a question Katie hadn't stopped asking herself. She turned to the woman who asked it. It was Sister Agnes. The older woman, her hair hidden underneath her habit. It had came up in conversation during breakfast that Sister Agnes had been at the church the longest. "There's nothing wrong with accepting help."
"There are some out there that wouldn't agree with you." Katie said, her eyes turning away as a stray thought of the demon struck her, only adding to her nervousness. She shook her head before turning back to the nun. "I just can't be here. Thank you so much for everything, but I-"
"Clean clothes, shoes... I believe they will help you on your journey, don't you think?" Agnes asked taking a step forward. "I know trusting people is hard, trusting their intentions can be even more difficult, but sometimes you just have to trust yourself, trust what deep down you know is true." the woman took another step toward Katie who sighed. Katie glanced over her shoulder, that nagging fear that at some point the people chasing her will be right there on her tail. Sister Agnes was right though. She looked down to the dingy shirt and sweat pants, the muddy socks that were now dried and crusting. Right now she didn't blend in, and whatever her next step was, she knew she couldn't stand out.
"Ok," Katie says turning back to the nun, before glancing over to the priest. "Where can I find these clothes?"
Oliver's eyes were closed, for only a few moments as he rode the elevator down to the bunker. It was a tough morning, trying to pretend as if he weren't going crazy with worry for his wife. He didn't want to tip Ari off that something was wrong, and even though he's sure she senses something isn't quite right, she still doesn't know the truth, which he would tell her. He really just needed to find Katie, and ensure she was truly alright, and that the darkness was truly gone.
When the doors finally opened, Oliver opened his eyes, walking out and stopping because there was no one there. He glanced around, and when he didn't see anyone, he pulled out his cell phone.
"Hey," Oliver pulled the phone from his ear turning to the voice to see Bruce.
"Hey," Oliver say walking over to the man. "Where is everyone?"
"Well Curtis and Felicity were burning the candle at both ends so I told them to take a break." Bruce saw the look on Oliver's face, and when his mouth opened Bruce continued. "And I know you want to find her, Oliver, we all do, but we weren't going to do it by killing ourselves. The search is still going and we all would've been notified if there had been a match." Oliver shook his head before turning, and sliding his fingers over his eyes. He hadn't slept a wink.
"I spoke to Felicity this morning," he turned back to Bruce. "Even after searching all night, you guys weren't able to find anything."
"No, but when I went to ARGUS, we were able to trace the route she took from the facility." Bruce said nudging his head to the monitor before heading over. Oliver was right behind him as they both turned to the large screen. Bruce typed a few keys and soon a grainy black and white video appeared. It looked to be the back door of the facility. The door opened, and Oliver leaned in closer. He saw a figure that he couldn't really make out. "we tried to clean the video up as much as we could without causing any distortion, but-"
"It's her." Oliver said as he watched the woman cautiously step outside the door, her eyes scanning the area as if expecting someone to pop out and grab her. When no one showed, Oliver watched as his wife turned and bolted out into the surrounding woods.
"They have cameras set up in various points in the area surrounding the facility,-" soon multiple screens appeared, each showing a shot of Katie quickly running past. "She seems to be moving toward the highway, and if we're right then she would've ended up right..." a map appeared on the screen, a blinking red dot flashing below his finger. "Here. That's ten miles from the city." Bruce turned to Oliver who hadn't turned away from the monitor. "You're right, she has to be somewhere in this city."
"Yeah, but where?" Oliver muttered.
"Have you considered police involvement?" Bruce asked and Oliver turned to the man with a furrowed brow. "We could use more eyes on the streets right now."
"Absolutely not. She's running because she's completely freaked out. Right now, in her mind, she just found out her father works for the people who completely destroyed her. She will not trust anyone she doesn't know, and the woman I ran into four years ago would not hesitate to attack someone she thought was a threat." Bruce turned away figuring the man was right. Mixing the police with an amnesic Robins could possibly cause more troubles. "It's just-" Oliver walked over to the display case that held the Guardian's suit. "I've been thinking all night about what she would do, where she would go?"
"And?"
"If she's in this city, that's only a couple of miles from ARGUS—" Oliver turned back to Bruce.
"She plans on getting further away." Bruce said and Oliver gave a nod. "She's gonna need money, and an ID, all of which she didn't have when she ran away."
"Well my wife doesn't let things like semantics get in her way." Oliver replied turning back to the suits and letting out a heavy sigh. "She's going to find a way out of this city, we just need to find her before she does." Both men turned at the sound of the elevator doors opening to see Felicity rushing off.
"Hey, I thought—"
"I was resting Bruce, and now I'm completely rested. Something's happening." Felicity said nudging her head for the men to follow her over to the computers. "I've been monitoring surveillance video all over the city—"
"Did you find something?" Oliver asked as he hovered over Felicity's shoulder, watching her type away.
"Not exactly. I've also may have placed a few ears and eyes inside of ARGUS central system in case they found something we didn't."
"Jacob isn't supposed to be doing anything." Oliver said angrily. "I told him to stay out of this."
"I'm sure that's what you told him, but everyone here knows that probably wasn't going to happen." Bruce said looking down to the screen as well. "Is this a search order?"
"Yes—" soon a map appeared on the screen. "ARGUS seems to think Katie may have taken this route into the city. Jacob has sent a few agents around this area to see if she's been there or if anyone spotted her."
"You got all of this from your eyes and ears in ARGUS?" Bruce asked turning to the woman who glanced over to him for a second before turning back to the monitor. "Ms. Smoak—"
"Well I am monitoring their central system, and I really did get the search notice, but I had to get the details from Lyla." Felicity replied before turning to Oliver. "She didn't know you weren't informed about Katie waking up. She wants to help us find her."
"Felicity send that map to my phone. Hopefully I can track her before those agents." Oliver said already heading out.
"Hey wait up, I'm coming with you!" Bruce called before placing a kiss to the top of Felicity's head and hurrying after the man.
The clothes didn't quite fit, but they would do. Katie stood in the large bathroom as she pulled her dark hair back, and twisting it into a bun. She zipped up the slightly over sized hoodie before gathering up her old clothes. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she glanced around the large room filled with beds. Sister Agnes mentioned that there was a shelter under the church that had just been renovated for more space. She expected someone to be here waiting for her. When she didn't see anyone, she turned spotting the jacket the sister had went searching for while Katie took her shower. She walked over, noticing the laundry bag as well and so she toss the old clothes inside. Pulling on the jacket, Katie walked from the sleeping quarters, back into the long hall in hopes of finding someone. After only a few moments, she realized that maybe now was the time to disappear.
Katie hurried up the stairs, finally finding a familiar hall. The doors weren't too far, and hopefully she could make it out without running into the father or the nun. She'd found the door that lead to nave and only took a step out before stopping. Her eyes looked over to the back of the church where she spotted Father Samuel speaking with two men in suits.
"And you're sure you haven't seen this woman around, father?" one of the men asked, and Samuel looked down to the picture studying the familiar face of the woman before looking up to the men and shaking his head.
"Can't say that I have." the priest replied.
Katie heard footsteps behind her and quickly turned to see Sister Agnes, who held a finger to her lips and gestured for Katie to step back into the hall. Katie glanced back to the men still talking to the priest, before she quietly backed into the hall, letting the door close without a sound.
"Who are those people?" Katie whispered.
"I'm not sure, but they're men with badges asking about you." Katie's eyes went wide as she turned away.
"I'm so sorry about this." Katie says turning back to the woman. "I shouldn't have came here, and he shouldn't have lied for me." Katie shook her head.
"Hey, Father Sam may be new here, but he's a great judge of character." the woman said before nudging her head for Katie to follow her. Both woman quickly and quietly headed down the hall, before the nun pushed open a door that lead to the back of the church. She only opened it a bit, peaking out to make sure the coast was clear. "I don't see anyone." she turned back to Katie who moved around her to look out as well.
"I have to go." Katie says before turning to the woman. "Thanks so much for your help, and tell the Father thanks too." with that Katie stepped out into the back alley about to make a run for it.
"Wait!" Sister Agnes called and Katie stopped and turned to her. "I just—you told Father Sam your name is Robin." Katie didn't say anything as she continued to stare at the woman. "He's been overseas doing Missionary work for a few years, so when you told him your name was Robin, he honestly believed you, but I—I know who you are." the sound of voices from down the alley made Katie turn her head before turning back to the woman.
"But I don't." Katie replied before pulling her hood over her head and running away.
The moment the car stopped, both Bruce and Oliver stepped out of the car, letting their eyes scan the area. The neighborhood had been familiar to Oliver during his campaign days, so he recognized a few of the buildings. His eyes zeroed in on a a few men in suits who were posted around the neighborhood.
"He has an entire team here." Oliver said with a shake of his head before looking over to Bruce. "If they corner her—"
"Yeah, that won't be pretty." Bruce replied as he continued scanning the area. "I can't believe Jacob thought this would be a good idea."
"Well Jacob's decision making has been shit lately." Oliver sighed before nudging his head. "I'll go this way."
"And I guess I'll go the other." Bruce muttered before turning and heading across the street.
Oliver found himself walking down the sidewalk, pulling on a smile as he passed by people who were probably wondering what he was doing there. Pair that with the men in suits probably flashing around pictures of his wife, he was sure the news that she was awake wouldn't be a secret for long. He just hoped that he could find her first. Oliver continued down the side walk, his eyes scanning the area, so focused on the area around him, but not the path in front of him. His shoulder bumped into someone who didn't even stop walking.
"Hey, I'm sorry!" he called after the quickly moving person whose face had been hidden underneath a hood.
"It's fine," it was her voice that made Oliver freeze. It was her voice that touched the inner beings of his soul. She didn't turn around, or look at him. He didn't actually see her face, but from those two words he knew exactly who she was.
"Twinkie!" he called, but she was moving too quickly. He ran after her as quickly as he could. He could still see her up ahead, now across the street. His heart sank when he saw the city bus stop right in front of her and her step on. "Wait!" she stepped inside, and by the time he was about to cross the street the bus was pulling off. "Wait!" Oliver stood there in the middle of the street watching the bus get further and further away. A horn honked and he turned to see the cars behind him waiting for him the move. He simply held up a hand in apology before moving back to the side walk, quickly taking out his phone.
"Did you find her?" Felicity asked the moment she answered.
"I think so, she—" Oliver looked down the street, no longer able to see the bus anymore. "I bumped into her, but she didn't even look at me. She was moving quickly—"
"She was running. She must've realized ARGUS was in the area and was trying to get away. Did you see where she went?"
"She got on a city bus, the street is 17th and Roosevelt. Any idea where she could be going?" Oliver asked as he turned already heading back to his car.
"I think so. That bus stops two blocks from the train station. I mean if she's trying to get away—" Felicity trailed off. "Could she have gotten an ID and money since last night?"
"No idea. I'm going to head to the train station and hopefully beat her there before anyone sees her." Oliver said sliding into the drivers seat of his car. "If anyone sees her up and about—"
"Yeah, a lot of craziness will ensure. I'm going to see if I can get into the cameras of the station." she heard the sound of Oliver's car starting and pulling off. "And call Bruce to tell him he's going to need a new ride."
Stepping into the train station was a bit daunting. Katie stood there, staring at the people as the bustled about right in front of her. For so long she'd been kept away from the general public, trapped in cages, and assassin fortresses. Her eyes lifted to a large monitor that was showing the trains leaving today, and their destinations and arrivals. The screen changed, and Katie frowned.
"Star City Railway Station." Katie read, and the screen changed again. "Proudly sponsored by the New Beginning's Project of Star City." she glanced around spotting more signs, and she shook her head. "When the hell did they change the name of this city?" she muttered before being bumped, and stumbling back. She turned to see the offender, scurrying off in a hurry as the dragged their suit case behind them. "Home sweet home." Katie turned glancing around trying to figure out how to solve her next problem. She needed a ticket, but first she needed money to pay for that ticket which she didn't have at the moment. She spotted a woman who sat intently reading a book, her purse in the seat beside her. Katie let out a heavy sigh before walking over to sit.
Katie repeated over and over again in her head, how one day she'd pay this woman back. That it was really just borrowing not even stealing. She glanced around, glad no one was really paying attention to her. She glanced over, the woman's purse was slightly opened, her wallet right there. She had to do it. She looked around once more, only this time she noticed eyes on her. There sitting across from her was a little boy who was blatantly staring right at Katie. Katie shook her head turning away from him, now coming to the conclusion that she really couldn't do this. She dropped her face to her hands and really tried to think of what she should do next. She lifted her head, to see the boy still staring at her. She simply stuck out her tongue at him before standing to her feet and venturing to the bathroom.
Oliver wasn't even sure he turned off his car before rushing out and pulling open the doors to the train station. He let his eyes scan over the many faces, for some reason really noticing how huge this place way. If his wife was here, she could be anywhere.
"Hey!" Oliver turned, not expecting to see his sister rushing over to him.
"Thea, what are you doing here?"
"I called Felicity, and she told me she thinks Katie could be here and that you were on your way. I figured since this place was like Fort Knox, you could use some help looking around."
"Yeah," Oliver lifted his eyes once again, just hoping to see her face in the crowd of people moving about. "I'll look up here, you want to check downstairs?"
"Sure, but Oliver—" the man turned to his sister. "We're going to find her, ok." Oliver gave her a nod before turning off and sifting into the crowd. Thea stood there a moment longer letting out a long sigh. "We have to find her."
Katie splashed the water of her eyes hoping for clarity in a moment of absolute uncertainty. For so long her mission was to come home, because this is where she would be safe. Now she's home and it's not as safe as she thought it would be. She pulled back her hand, her eyes glancing down to the diamond ring still covering her finger. She has no idea why she hasn't taken it off. She could probably sell it for the money she needs, and yet she doesn't. She has no idea who put this ring on her finger, but she feels so deeply that she just can't take it off.
The door to the bathroom squeaked open and in walked a man and woman both laughing at something before they looked over to Katie. Katie glanced over to them through the mirror. She noticed both looked a little grungy. It was the man, who looked up noticing the ring on Katie's finger.
"That looks nice." he said, a cringy smile curling on his lips as he steps toward Katie. "I think it'll look even better on my old lady's finger. What do you think, baby?" he looks over his shoulder to the ashy blonde haired woman who smiled as she walked over as well, her eyes look to the ring.
"Oh, yes, it most certainly will." she said as she looked up to Katie and laughed. Katie watched as the man pulled out a small blade that he pointed toward her.
"Hand it over." he demanded, and Katie looked down to the blade before looking back up to the couple. "Did you hear me, I said—"
"Wait, do you two have money on you?" Katie asked, and the couple looked over to her in confusion. "Actually, never mind, I'll find out soon enough."
There were way too many people Oliver thought as he continued his search. He looked at the faces of every person that passed him, and it was never her. He was getting more nervous as thought he didn't want to have filtered into his mind. What if missed her? What if she were already on a train getting further and further away. Oliver stopped walking, and just let his eyes move over the faces around him, when suddenly he's bumped.
"Sorry about that," was the rushed response of a security guard that was now running. Oliver followed the guard with his eyes as he joined a small group of guards that seemed to be running as well. Oliver suddenly got nervous and decided to follow.
When Oliver arrived, there was already a small crowd gathered around. He sifted through the crowd, only to be stopped by a guard who held out a hand to stop him.
"I'm sorry sir, but you're—" the guard stopped and looked to Oliver as if only now realizing who was standing in front of him. "Mr. Mayor? I'm sorry, I—"
"What's going on?" Oliver asked, trying to look around the guard. Something was going on in the women's bathroom.
"There seems to have been an attack. A man and woman inside were badly beaten and robbed. We're still searching for a suspect. The SCPD is on the way." Oliver turned back to the guard and gave a nod. "Sir, did you—" Oliver didn't even let the man finish before turning and walking off. He couldn't explain it, but he knew this was Katie. She was here, but he just wasn't sure for how long.
Katie kept her head down and her hood over her head as she waited in line. She noticed an increase of security presence, they were searching for someone, specifically her. She just needed to get the hell out of here before they realized it. Soon it was her turn and so she stepped forward to the ticket window.
"Hi, yes, I need a ticket to the earliest train leaving the station." Katie said not even meeting the ticket agent's eyes.
"Uh, ok—" the agent turned back her computer looking at the schedules. "We have a train leaving in 10 minutes to Coast City."
"Perfect, I'll take it." Katie says sliding the agent some crumpled bills. The agent grabbed the money, before looking back up the woman in front of her who still wasn't really meeting her gaze which made her seem like a red flag.
"And your ID?" the agent asked, and Katie turned to her.
"My what?"
"Your ID, we need it to book your ticket." the agent watched as Katie dropped her head and let out a deep sigh.
"Look, I don't have an ID. I just really need to get out of this city." Katie lifted her eyes to the woman behind the glass. "If there's something you could do or—"
"Wait a minute." the agent stood from her chair, and moved in closer to the window. "You're—oh my gosh, I thought you were in a coma." Katie's eyes went wide as she looked to the woman. How the hell did she know that, Katie thought. She didn't have time to get an answer to the question, she really just needed to get out of here before anyone else noticed her. Katie didn't say anything before turning around and bumping into a guy standing behind her.
"Sorry, I wasn't—" she looked up to the man who was now staring at her with wide eyes."You're Katherine!" he yelled before pulling out his phone.
Katie pushed him aside trying to get away, but soon that was impossible because people must've heard him and were now crowding around her. This couldn't be happening. Katie spun around, her heart now drumming in her chest. She was supposed be in the shadows, and now it was like the entire train station was looking right at her. They were all talking at once, yelling out things to her as they held up their phones to record her. She closed her eyes dropping her head as she clamped her hands over her ears. She felt her body begin to shake and she doesn't know if it's fear she's feeling right now, or panic. She has to go...now. She lifts her eyes and pushes her way through the growing crowd. Cameras are now flashing, and they're all still talking, still yelling and at this point it's all just incoherent.
"Please, I just—" shoving past them was getting harder. "I just want to go. Please just let me—" hands were suddenly on her shoulders, and Katie lifted her eyes up quickly fully prepared to attack, but she couldn't. It was the eyes staring back at her. The eyes she never expected to see in a million years staring back at her in the middle of this damn train station. Those eyes that were still blue...still so breathtakingly blue. For a moment she thought she was hallucinating. She figured at this point, this moment being a creation in her mind just seemed logical, but then he spoke.
"Twinkie?" and that was it. That was the straw that broke the camel's back on this entire crazy fucking day. Her brain and reality didn't seem to be computing well at the moment.
"I—" she thinks the sound came out of her mouth, but she's not completely sure. She isn't completely sure of anything at the moment.
Which is probably why in the next moment, she faints.
Author's notes:
BlueBloodsSVUOrder : Yes! so sorry for the wait, I'm hoping you're liking it so far!
Adela: So happy to see you're back and willing to jump into more of the craziness that is this story
Panther-10 - Yes, these first few scenes will be a little bit before season five. If I had to give you a hint on how she gets her memories, I'd say...it's like anything else that's been lost. SOmetimes you have to retrace your steps. I know that's totally vague, but it will make sense when the time comes. I'm actually now question who her villain should be. I've had some thoughts and I'm kind of torn. Should it be an original character, or maybe I pull in another DC character. There will be subtle hint to this omnious character before they're revealed. But hey I'm accepting suggestions!
Asma20: Yes Jacob is doing all the wrong things for the right reasons. Hopefully he'll learn from this.
Purplestan: Hi, yes, glad you're back! Aw, yes Ari is really liking her life with her hero guardian. And yes, some times Oliver just has a sixth sense about his Twinkie and her needing him. Plus there was no way around Jacob hiding the fact that Katie wasn't there, especially since there were quite a few people that probably wouldn't have let him. Amnesia Katie is very confused and will only get more confused when she gets tibits of a life she never imagined she'd have.
Apologies for the wait...I'd like to shout out everyone jumping on this crazy train that is this story. At this point the only thing I have is the destination, it's the journey that will be tricky part, but I'm working though it.
Sneak peek
"You shouldn't-" she pulled her hands from him before walking around the man and placing distance between him. "Ok, I believe you but you shouldn't touch me like that, or-" he turned to face her with that look on his face. "Or look at me like that. You're married, and-" she looked down to her own hand. "And I'm married, and I doubt either one of them would appreciate the amount of touches and looks happening right now." she frowned as she turned away. "I mean I would assume since I know nothing about these people we've married." she turned back to Oliver who looked slightly amused. "What?"
"Nothing, I just don't think you should worry about my wife being upset, or your husband either." he said and she furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Wait, this isn't like some weird swingers thing, because that would be-" he began laughing again, and she still couldn't see the amusement because here she was totally and completely confused and he was laughing at her. "Hey, don't laugh at me! I don't know what's going on and I just want to understand."
"I'm sorry Twinkie—" ugh, this was going to be a hard habit to quit, Oliver thought. "sorry, Katie. I didn't mean to laugh, but c'mon swingers?" she turned away now seeing the amusement and couldn't stop the smile from curling on her lips.
"Well, give me a better possibility." she said turning back to him and the smile widened on his face. "What?"
"What if I was your husband, and you were my wife?" Oliver asked and this time Katie burst out laughing, because of all the theories tossed around today, that was the most ridiculous.