Chapter 15 Destiny Part 1
AN – So this is the final 2 part chapter! Again, many thanks for taking this journey with me! I hope it's made your Arrow withdrawal a little more bearable! ;)
*Please see Chapter 2 for SPOILER ALERT and DISCLAIMER!*
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Barry was amused by the interactions which again felt so natural to him but also so very different. He gave a soft sigh and spoke up. "I hate to break up the party but I need to run…literally."
All eyes turned to him in surprise but it was Oliver who spoke. "Thank you for your help. I wish we could return the favor."
Felicity added more to the sentiment. "You found us, Barry. We're here if you need us."
"I think you may have helped me." Barry wasn't sure if his new plan would work but he hoped when he saw Team Arrow again, it would be different than this time.
Farewells were exchanged and then Barry moved toward the door. Giving the group of heroes a final look, he closed the door behind him. It wasn't a bad life and they were all together but he still wanted to set things right.
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Barry burst into the familiar lair to find the same group he had just left. Oliver knelt next to Felicity's chair as they reviewed something on her computer. Diggle, Roy, and Thea were seated near a med table chatting while they appeared to compare several blades and arrows. All eyes turned to him when he continued to stare. They looked the same – healing bruises and scrapes but trouble seemed to follow the group in any timeline. He had thought he had finally corrected everything but obviously he was wrong again.
"Barry, are you okay?" Oliver quizzed when the younger man didn't say a word.
Felicity stepped close as she spoke. "I've been trying to reach you. It's been crazy here and Cisco said umph—"
Barry's tight hug stopped the flow of her words at the mention of their mutual friend. The others exchanged worried looks while they too approached. Felicity pushed back and frowned before she spoke again.
"Really, are you okay? You're acting kinda weird." Felicity already had a lot on her mind already but Barry's strange behavior worried her.
"Is everything okay here? Is it the same? I'm not sure if you would know though—" Barry's words gained speed until Oliver gave him a quick strike to the chest.
"Slow down and tell us what happened. Did you time jump again?" Oliver couldn't help but tense. Barry's future knowledge had helped before but, as Barry said, the past always exacted a price for any changes. Oliver also found that he was as uncomfortable with time travel as he was magic. He preferred both feet planted firmly on the ground with his bow in his hand and his friends next to him.
Taking a deep breath, Barry looked around for changes and differences. He didn't want to make any new mistakes. It also hadn't gone well when he had quizzed Felicity in the other timeline so he was hesitant to try again. "I hope there's nothing to tell. So what is going on here?"
Barry watched as Team Arrow exchanged looks. It was Oliver who answered despite a wary grimace.
"Someone has Slade's Mirakuru serum and set a trap for us. Curtis caught the brunt of it but he's with Paul and is recovering. We're fine but we need to figure out who's in charge and stop them."
"We're making progress but there's a lot of missing information." Thea commented with a worried frown of her own.
Diggle clapped a hand on Barry's back before speaking. "It's good to see you, Barry."
"And just in time for the fun too!" Roy added with a grin and offered his hand.
As the Team continued to provide updates and discuss the problem of the decoy army, Barry sat back and closed his eyes to focus on their words. It may be that he had been able to correct his mistake. His mother was dead but it wasn't by his hand. No one else had died for his decision either. He hoped the weight of the guilt eased enough for him to breathe again soon.
"You've spent too much time with Oliver. That's a classic brooding face you're wearing, Barry." Felicity teased and took a seat beside him.
Jerking upright, Barry actually laughed at her insight. After a moment though, he gave Felicity a serious look. "Do you believe in destiny? I mean that we are all meant to be here right now?"
Felicity's eyes found Oliver who stood smiling as Roy spoke to them all. She thought about everything they had been through - the losses, the victories, the pain, the laughter. They still stood together.
Seeing the loving smile on Felicity's face while she stared at Oliver, Barry knew that she did. She had always yearned for the fairy tale with Oliver and she had gotten it – not the happily ever after yet but Barry believed they would have that too. When Oliver turned to meet Felicity's eyes, his expression was also one of love. He couldn't help but think of the Oliver and Felicity he had just left and how they had found their way together too. Maybe it didn't matter what he did, maybe some things just happened.
"No, I don't believe in Destiny, at least not with a capital D anyway."
Felicity's denial shocked Barry. He didn't even mind that she laughed at him.
"Barry, it wasn't Destiny that brought us here. We all made choices. Good or bad. Right or wrong. We made the choices that brought us together, separated us, and brought us back together again." Felicity nodded as much to herself as to Barry as she continued. "I'm learning that it's not just about what happens but what you choose to do afterwards that defines your path, changes what you become."
Barry opened his mouth to speak but then saw Felicity's gaze move away from him. He turned slightly and saw Oliver, Diggle, Roy, and Thea were still talking, even smiling. It seemed perfectly average but he knew they were anything but average. When Felicity spoke in a quiet voice he kept his focus on the others and listened to her words.
"Oliver was thought to be dead and buried for five years. Thea practically died twice due to magic. Roy faked his own death. Diggle lived with his brother's murder for years before finding him alive only to lose him again." Felicity didn't go into any details but she let her words sink in before she continued.
"They have all been literally surrounded by death and darkness for years but look at them. They continue living. Diggle even has a beautiful baby daughter. Oliver's son is safe and will come find us some day in the future. We aren't just alive, we're living our lives and we have a future ahead of us too. It has to be a choice though…and it's not always an easy choice to make."
Seeing them in that light, Barry grinned. "You are all here despite Destiny then. Is that what you're saying?"
Laughing, Felicity again let her eyes find Oliver and she smiled when he met her gaze. "I'm saying sometimes you have to fight for something even when you don't think you're strong enough. You have to make the choice and fight anyway. The fighting then makes you stronger for the next time you have doubts. That's life. You just keep moving forward and, if you're lucky, you don't have to move forward alone."
Felicity pulled her eyes away from Oliver to look at Barry again. "Get some rest – you look like you could use it. You're safe here and we aren't going anywhere."
When Felicity rejoined the topic turned serious again and various diagrams and files appeared on her computer monitors. Barry half listened as they strategized together once again. It felt familiar, right, and very comforting. A single name jarred him fully awake though.
"Wait, what did you just say?"
All again turned to Barry. Felicity's brow furrowed but she still repeated her words. "Oliver and I have a follow-up with meeting about a new business contact."
"But who did you say you were meeting?" Barry pressed.
"Lillian Worth." Felicity replied and with a few clicks brought up her bio. "You probably don't know her as she's new to Star City but she has a background in the biotech field since she was a former military researcher. She wants to build an office here and has been talking to Oliver and me about rebuilding the city."
"What's that alert?" Thea asked and pointed to a monitor.
Felicity replied without checking. "Another news bulletin. I'm tracking her but she's always in the news."
"Is she always in handcuffs?" Roy asked with a laugh.
Felicity turned and maximized the video file. They all stared as Lillian Worth was led out of her office in handcuffs. The news reporter provided the details.
"In a shocking development, Lillian Worth has been arrested. The new District Attorney Adrian Chase revealed that an undercover operation with the help of an anonymous tip had led them to her criminal ring. Sources close to the investigation cite illegal drugs as well as ties to the recent string of violence in the city. No details have been officially released though as it is an ongoing investigation. Ms. Worth's daughter, Rose Wilson, is considered to be a person of interest but she is not currently in custody."
Team Arrow remained silent, staring at the report until Barry spoke. However reluctant he was to alter the future, he couldn't let them walk into a trap. "You'll want to look into her further. I think there may be a connection to Slade Wilson."
"You've been absolutely unreachable. How could you possibly know that?" Felicity asked before she took a seat to modify her searches on both Lillian Worth and to start one on Rose Wilson.
Oliver moved closer to Barry and asked his question quietly. "You did jump again, didn't you?"
Barry gave him a single nod. "I made a mistake but I think I've fixed it now."
"And if there's a price to pay?" Oliver couldn't help but ask.
"I didn't change the past; I changed it back the way it was." Barry corrected. He still didn't want to go into details and he was grateful that Oliver wasn't a talker. "I need to get back to Central City and make sure everything is okay there."
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Oliver decided not to push. "If you're sure everything is okay then go. We're here if you need us, Barry."
Barry actually chuckled since the other Felicity had been the one to express that sentiment previously. He took a moment to look at all them. They were all bruised and scarred but they were still together and still fighting. They were superheroes…and friends, family really, regardless of the timeline. Another glance brought his eyes to Lillian Worth's scowling image on the screen. It seemed there would always be villains too regardless of the timeline. Felicity might not believe in Destiny but he wasn't sure he didn't. With a final nod, Barry sped away.
/
To be continued…the final chapter will be posted tomorrow and will include the OTA and Olicity focused ending that I personally need so I hope you'll join for that final part.
