Chapter 2
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AN1: Thank you to everyone who has added to alerts, left Kudos, reviewed or less a comment. It means so much to me. Please, please, please, please leave a review/comment.
AN2: For the purpose of this story I have messed with the timeline a little and the end scenes of 4x09 take place on December 17th a week before Christmas.
It has been four months since Laurel was diagnosed with cancer and chose not to undergo treatment and apart from the occasional headaches, nose bleeds and even shortness of breath on a couple of rare occasions, there have been no signs that Laurel is dying. No one, not even Thea, Diggle and Lyla who are the only ones who know the truth, have been able to determine whether or not Laurel is getting sicker by just looking, and being around her, but the tests indicate that she is.
In the four months since Laurel was diagnosed Oliver and Felicity have come back to Star City, causing Oliver to become the Green Arrow, Laurel has brought Sara, who has since left, back to life and Oliver, Laurel, Thea, Diggle and Felicity have been working together to protect Star City.
After Laurel rescued Oliver, Diggle, Thea and Felicity from Damien Darhk, with the help of Malcolm Merlyn, Team Arrow are back at the new Arrow cave.
"Where is Merlyn?" Laurel asks, trying to ignore the headache that is starting as in the last few months she has learnt what the different pains mean and this means that it is going to be a bad one, and because she won't take pain medication because of her history, she's going to experience a couple of hours that are very, very far from pleasant.
"Said he had to attend to League business. Can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I owe him one." Oliver admits, not being able to admit that he saying those words.
"I helped out a little bit, too." Laurel says with a grin, one that is partly forced.
"Yes, you did." Oliver confirms as Laurel has to reach out and grab the table for support, "Laurel? Are you alright?" Oliver asks concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine." Laurel says as she closes her eyes, trying to get rid of the double vision that has just started, something which she hasn't experienced before.
"It's starting, isn't it?" Thea asks as she rushes to Laurel's side as for months she has been watching Laurel, waiting for a sign that she is getting sicker.
"What's starting?" Felicity ask confused as Diggle heads over to Laurel as well a look of worry on his face.
"I…." Laurel starts to say, but before she can finish her sentence she collapses, but Diggle is close enough to catch her before she can hit the floor.
"Damn it." Diggle says as he slowly lowers Laurel to the ground.
"It wasn't meant to start yet! She was mean to have eight more months." Thea says, sounding heartbroken.
"All three of us knew that that was the best case scenario." Diggle reminds Thea, ignoring the looks of confusion and worry that are on Oliver and Felicity's faces, "Call Doctor Wilson." He tells Thea.
"What's going on?" Oliver asks as he hurries to Laurel's side too, "What did Thea mean by saying that Laurel meant to have eight more months?" He asks, looking at Diggle, who is avoiding looking at him.
"Doctor Wilson, it's Thea Queen. Laurel just collapsed, what do we do?" Everyone hears Thea says into her phone, before Diggle can answer Oliver or more specifically before he can think of a way to avoid the question.
"Laurel's sick, isn't she?" Felicity asks, as it's where her mind automatically went.
"Okay, yes, we can do that." Thea responds before hanging up, "Doctor Wilson said that he can be at the apartment in half an hour and asses to see whether Laurel needs to go to the hospital." She tells Diggle.
"Okay. Let's go." Diggle says as he starts to pick Laurel up.
"No. We're not going anywhere until you two tell me what is going on." Oliver says, stopping Diggle from picking up Laurel, while he looks between Diggle and Thea.
"We'll explain when we're at the apartment." Diggle says, after exchanging a look with Thea.
"I'll call Lance." Felicity says, pulling out her phone.
"NO." Thea and Diggle say together, causing both Felicity and Oliver to look at them.
"We made one promise to Laurel when this started and that was that we wouldn't tell Lance until she was ready to tell him herself." Diggle says as he picks up Laurel.
"She has her reasons and honesty I get them, I don't agree, but I get them." Thea tells her brother and Felicity, "You two should head to the thing. We've got this." She tells them.
"What thing?" Oliver asks confused.
"No way." Felicity says, not wanting to leave Laurel, "I'll call Alex, say that something's come up. We'll reschedule it."
"Fine then, follow us." Thea says as she and Diggle, who is holding Laurel, head across the lair.
Fifteen minutes later, Diggle, Thea, Oliver, Felicity and unconscious Laurel are back at Laurel and Thea's apartment.
"What are we going to tell them?" Thea asks as she and Diggle put Laurel down in her bed and Thea removes her shoes while Diggle removes her jacket.
"The truth." Diggle answers.
"She didn't want them to know." Thea reminds Diggle.
"That was when they were away, and before she collapsed in front of them." Diggle says, as he looks down at Laurel, "We've got to tell them. Things have changed since she was first diagnosed." He says as Thea puts the blanket over Laurel.
"That they have." Thea confirms, "Okay." she says and after making sure that Laurel is okay both Thea and Diggle head out into the living area.
"What's going on? Why did Laurel collapse?" Oliver asks as soon as Thea and Diggle walk out.
"You might want to sit down." Thea says, "Both of you." She says looing between the pair, knowing that neither of them are going to take this well.
"No, just tell us." Felicity requests.
"Before we do you need to know that the two of us, and Lyla, are the only people who know this and that it needs to stay that way until Laurel decides otherwise. That was Laurel's choice and we need to respect that." Diggle explains as he doesn't agree, but knows that he has to respect Laurel's choice.
"Dig, what is it?" Oliver asks, fearing the worse.
"Four months ago Laurel was diagnosed with Paranasal Sinus and Nasal Cavity Cancer that had spread to her lungs." Thea reveals.
"No." Felicity says, sounding horrified as Oliver steps backwards and falls back onto the couch, looking shocked.
"How bad is it?" Oliver ask, having no idea what he is feeling right now, but knowing that even with everything that has happened between them that he can't imagine his life without Laurel in it.
"Laurel had a surgery to remove as much as the tumours as they could. They were able to remove the ones in her lungs, but they couldn't get the entirely of the ones in her nose and sinuses." Diggle explains.
"And? What treatment is she having?" Felicity asks, being amazed that she hasn't noticed Laurel disappearing for treatment.
"None, not exactly anyway." Thea answers, confirming what Oliver was fearing, "Laurel's cancer is advanced, even with treatment she would have two and a half years at the most, and those two years wouldn't be pleasant. She chose a year of fighting for the city, living the way she wanted to, over two years of barely living at all." Thea explains.
"She's not having treatment?" Felicity asks shocked as Oliver gets up, "Oliver?" she asks concerned as he walks across the room.
"I need some air." Oliver says before leaving and no one makes an effort to follow her.
"How have I not noticed any symptoms?" Felicity asks as she looks between Diggle and Thea.
"It's the way this type of cancer works. Her doctor told us that Laurel would be fine until she's not." Diggle explains, deciding not to mention that the symptoms that Laurel has had are minor enough that Laurel has been able to hide them.
"And we're at the not stage." Felicity realises, heading to the couch and collapsing onto it, looking hurt, distressed and shocked.
"No, we can't be. It's too soon." Thea says, "She's meant to have eight more months." She says before leaving the room and heading back to Laurel's room.
"Thea hasn't taken this well." Diggle explains, "She doesn't want to accept that Laurel is going to die, and honestly neither do I." he admits as he too sits down.
After leaving Laurel's apartment Oliver heads back to the new Arrow Cave where he gets changed before heading out, needing to do something other than just thinking about Laurel and the fact that she is dying, and so he decides to take what he is feeling out on any ghosts, or any other criminals, that he can find.
"So? What do you think?" Thea asks Doctor Wilson once he finishes his exam on Laurel, Thea being the only other one in the room.
"I believe that she has just exhausted herself. I'll run some blood to make sure." Doctor Wilson says as he puts the blood that he just drew into a container, "but all her vitals are her normal. Has she been doing a lot of exercise lately?" Doctor Wilson asks Thea curious as he puts his stethoscope around his neck.
"Um, yeah, you could say that." Thea answers, "We did an obstacle course earlier today and have been going on runs together, and going to some boxing classes. But, Laurel said she was feeling fine." Thea says, it being the closest thing to the truth that she can think to say.
"And she likely was." Doctor Wilson tells Thea, "Laurel's condition won't stop her from doing things, but it will cause her to take longer to recover from doing them." He explains.
"So, she'll be okay once she wakes?" Thea asks.
"I'm not sure that okay is the right word. The same as she has been the past four months is." Doctor Wilson explains, "She'll likely wake in the morning. Call me tomorrow if she's not. If she is then tell Laurel that I'll see her at her appointment on Monday." He explains as Laurel has been having weekly Doctor's appointments to check on the progression of her cancer and where he administers treatment and measures to help other than chemotherapy and radiation.
"Will do." Thea responds and Doctor Wilson closes his bag.
"I'll see myself out." Doctor Wilson says, "I'll see you on Monday." He says as Thea always comes with Laurel to her appointments, in fact Laurel has made it clear that Thea is to be informed on everything and she is down as Laurel's emergency contact in her paperwork.
"I'll see you then." Thea responds and Doctor Wilson leaves.
"So, what's the Doctor say?" Felicity asks as she and Diggle walk in the room a few seconds after Doctor Wilson left.
"Laurel's exhausted herself." Thea explains, "Doctor Wilson explained that her condition doesn't affect how much she can do, but does affect how long she takes to recover." She explains.
"So, she's okay?" Felicity asks, it being clear that she is worried.
"She's as okay as she can be." Thea explains and Felicity looks relived about that.
"Good, that's good." Diggle answers as they all hear Felicity's phone going off.
"It's my Mom. She's getting suspicious about what is going on." Felicity explains.
"Go, Laurel won't be awake until the morning." Thea explains.
"Okay. Call if anything changes." Felicity says reluctantly as honestly she doesn't want to leave Laurel, nor does she want to see her mother right now, "I'll see you tomorrow." Felicity says before leaving.
"Wait, I'll give you a lift home." Diggle says, "Call if you need anything, and I'll lock the door on my way out." He tells Thea who nods and he follows after Felicity and leaves.
"Looks like it's just you and me." Thea says as she sits on Laurel's bed, next to her.
Even though she feels tired Thea can't bring herself to head to her own bedroom instead she just sits next to Laurel, watching her.
"Thea, Speedy." A voice says and Thea looks up to see the Oliver's outline standing at the door and so with one last look at Laurel Thea gets up and heads out to the living area.
"How's Laurel?" Oliver asks as soon as he sees Thea.
"Okay, I think." Thea says, "Doctor Wilson, that's her Doctor, said that he doesn't believe that it is anything to worry about and that she should wake in the morning." Thea explains, "She just exhausted herself."
"Okay." Oliver says, "Why didn't you call me when it was first diagnosed?" he asks.
"Laurel knew that you were living a normal life with Felicity. She didn't want you to come back for her, she didn't want you to ruin what you had for her." Thea explains, "She wanted you to keep being happy." Thea reveal, knowing that thanks to the times that she and Laurel have talked about it.
"I wish I knew; I would have come back for this." Oliver says, looking out at Laurel who is asleep in her bed, "Did you and Diggle try to convince her to do the treatment?" he asks.
"Of course." Thea answers, "But Laurel said that she is going to use her last year to spend as much time with me as possible and that she is going to fight for her city until she can't anymore. That it was her choice." She explains, "But Ollie, I don't accept that. Sara was brought back to life, I was healed, Ray and Andy turned out not to be dead, there has to be something we can do to heal her. I can't lose Laurel too." Thea says, looking upset.
"I know, me either." Oliver says, looking upset as he hugs his little sister, telling the complete truth, "But I promise you, Thea if there is a way to heal Laurel I will find it, no matter what it takes. I won't give up." Oliver says, not just promising Thea, but himself and Laurel.
"Thank you." Thea says as she buries her head into her brother's shoulder.
"You don't have to thank me." Oliver explains, "I can stay, if you want." he offers as they break apart.
"No, it's okay. Laurel will be asleep until the morning. Go home, Ollie. I'll call if something happens." Thea tells him.
"Okay. I'll be right back if you need anything." Oliver promises.
"I know." Thea responds and while she heads back to Laurel's room Oliver leaves the apartment. Needing to pause just outside the door to collect himself before he heads back to the loft.
In the hours following Oliver leaving Thea manages to get a couple of hours of sleep in Laurel's bed, not wanting to leave her in case something happened, but she has woken up when Laurel opens her eyes at about seven am.
"Thea?" Laurel asks confused, "What happened?"
"What do you remember?" Thea asks curious.
"Um…" Laurel says, trying to remember, "We were in the lair. I got a headache and my vision blurred. Did I collapse?" Laurel asks curious.
"Yeah. Dig carried you back here." Thea explains, feeling that it is a good thing that Laurel remembers.
"Felicity and Ollie." Laurel suddenly says, "They know now, don't they?" Laurel asks as she knows that she collapsed in front of them so Thea and Diggle didn't really have many choices other than telling them.
"I'm sorry. We had to tell them." Thea explains, feeling bad about that.
"I figured it was coming." Laurel admits with a sigh, as she had hoped that she would have more time before they knew, "What did Doctor Wilson say?" she asks, knowing that Thea and Diggle would have called him.
"That you were exhausted. Your vitals were fine, but he took blood to be sure." Thea explains, "He said that what you did doesn't change how much you can do, but does affect how long it takes you to recover. It's why you've been sleeping so much, isn't it?" she asks as she knows that Laurel has been going to bed earlier, when she can, and sleeping longer.
"Yeah." Laurel confirms, "How'd they react?" Laurel asks worried about how Felicity, and Oliver especially, would have handled the news.
"They're upset, shocked and Oliver disappeared for a few hours, came back after everyone else have left." Thea explains, "But he promised that he would find a way to heal you, no matter what it takes."
"I won't let him destroy everything for me or sacrifice anything." Laurel tells Thea as Oliver is finally in the light, he's finally doing well, and the right thing, and she won't let him that sacrifice that for her.
"Well Ollie won't care, and neither do I." Thea tells the person who she considers to be her big sister, "You fight for this city, you fight for Sara, you fight for me, and it's about time you let someone fight for you, and whether you like it or not that's going to be me." Thea tells her, "Ollie promised me that he would find a way to heal you and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he keeps that promise, whether you like it or not." Thea says determinably, "That's what family does, that's what you taught me to do." She says.
"Thank you." Laurel says, looking amazed and touched, "I love you, Thea." She says as she hugs her.
"I love you too." Thea responds and once they break apart the two of them drift into silence, "You should tell your, Dad. Its time he knew."
"He told me yesterday that if something happened to me then what he would do would be dark." Laurel explains, "I can't do that to him."
"It would be worse if you waited." Thea says, "If you tell him now then he has time to prepare, just in case Oliver and I don't succeed. He deserves to know, Laurel and we both know that keeping secrets never ends well, that all it causes is pain." She reminds Laurel, trying to get her to see that Lance deserves to know, especially now that Oliver and Felicity know.
"You're right." Laurel admits, "I know you are…."
"But?" Thea asks, "What aren't you saying?" she asks as thanks to the training she did with Malcolm she can tell that there is something that Laurel isn't saying, "Tell me, Laurel. Whatever it is." Thea gently prods.
"Once I tell Dad it makes this real." Laurel explains.
"What do you mean? You accepted that you were dying months ago." Thea says, confused as she knows that Laurel has accepted everything a lot more than she has.
"I don't mean that, I mean… As soon as I tell him, as soon as I cause that look that is going to be on his face, everything will be about me dying." Laurel explains a tear coming to his eye, "Every time I see him, every time I talk to him, everything, will be about me dying and that will make everything so much worse. So, much more real." Laurel explains, "You, Lyla, and John treat me normally, but he won't, and I don't think Ollie and Felicity will either." Laurel says being pretty sure that now everything will be about her dying.
"That's because we've had more time to digest all this." Thea says as she puts her arm around Laurel, "And it's why you need to tell him." Thea says as she puts her arm around Laurel, "You need him, Laurel. I know that you do." She says and not exactly trusting her voice Laurel gives a nod and leans into the arm that Thea has around her.
"Where's my phone?" Laurel asks after a few minutes of silence and Thea takes Laurel's phone off the bedside table and hands it to her. Once she has her phone Laurel wipes her eye and sends a message to her Dad, asking him to come round, and a few seconds later she gets a response, "He's going to stop in on his way to work. He'll be here in about fifteen minutes." Laurel says, reading the message, "Guess I should get up and get ready."
"Guess so." Thea responds, "You're doing the right thing, Laurel."
"I hope you're right." Laurel says as she slowly gets up and heads out of the room. Once Laurel leaves Thea pulls out her own phone and sends the exact same message to Diggle, Oliver and Felicity a message saying, 'Don't come round, Laurel is telling her Dad, they could use the privacy.' Once she has sent the messages she gets up too.
Ten minutes later both Laurel and Thea have gotten changed and Laurel is waiting for her Dad. Once she finishes getting ready Thea walks over and sits on the couch next to where Laurel is.
"You know, why don't I go and get us some breakfast give you and your Dad a chance to talk in private." Thea suggests.
"You don't have to leave." Laurel tells her.
"I can stay if you want." Thea offers, "but it might be best if I'm not here."
"Yeah, you might be right." Laurel admits, "Breakfast would be good."
"Okay. I'll give you enough time to talk to your Dad then I'll be back." Thea offers as they hear a knock on the door, "Good luck. I'm just a call away if you need anything."
"Thank you." Laurel says as Thea gets up and heads to the door.
"Captain." Thea says as she opens the door and lets Lance in.
"Thea." Lance greats.
"I'll be back soon. Remember what I said." Thea says to Laurel as she grabs her jacket and walks out.
"Okay." Lance says confused as he closes the door, "Do you want to tell me why I had to rush over hear at seven am?" Lance asks his daughter.
"Yes, I think I should." Laurel tells her father, as she stands up, "You might want to sit down." Laurel tell she father, being terrified about how her father is going to handle what she has to tell him.