Chapter 3
Empty Graves
"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living."
-Marcus Tullius Cicero
There were many words to describe Katie. Some good and some bad, but whom ever said them usually mentioned just how determined she was. Just like now as she sat across from the blonde agent who threw question after question at her.
"Were there other prisoners with you?"
"I don't remember."
"Did they speak to you?"
"I don't remember."
They had been going back and forth for what seemed like forever, and it was at this moment that agent Grace just got too annoyed to continue. She closed her file of questions before reaching forward and turning off the recorder.
"Can I go home now? Have I answered all your questions?"
"No, actually you haven't answered any of my questions." the woman replied with a shake of her head. "And here I was thinking your father would be great motivation, but I guess I was wrong."
"Or maybe I just don't remember." Katie replied. "People who have suffered through intense trauma can block it out. If I can't remember, then there has to be a reason, and you trying to pull it out of me could have serious consequences."
"This is a small facility." Agent Grace said unexpectedly. "You were moved from the embassy a while ago, to this facility, that's usually just me and a couple of guards."
"Why are you-" the agent suddenly pulled her side arm and sat in on the table in front of the woman. "What are you doing?"
"Look, if you're who I think you are, then it's a blessing more that a curse. I'm tired of all of this. I've done some really fucked up things in my life and if you can make it all just go away, then I would greatly appreciate it." the agent glanced down to the gun. "That's your ticket out of here, doctor. Are you going to take it?" Katie looked at the woman for a moment before glancing down to the gun. Katie's fingers seemed to twitch at the temptation to just grab the gun and shoot her way out of here, but she knew this was a game. She shook her head before glancing back up to Agent Grace, The agent simply smiled before grabbing the gun and placing it back into her holster. "I have questioned the likes of some of the world's worst criminals."
"Let me guess, I'm the worse?" Katie asked and the agent let out a snort.
"Oh, no doctor." the woman replied. "I'm going to break you sooner or later. It's your choice how and when it happens."
Katie was startled awake by her vibrating phone. She jumped up, her eyes looking around her room of pictures realizing she once again never made it back to her bedroom. The phone rang again and she quickly grabbed it.
"Hello?" Katie answered and soon a frantic voice began sobbing. "Laurel?"
"Katie, it's..it's Sara. We were talking and then-" the woman began crying again and Katie could barely understand what she was saying.
"Laurel, I need you to calm down." Katie replied standing to her feet and walking out of the room. "Tell me what happened."
"Sara asked me to meet her, and then we were talking and the someone shot her with an arrow. She fell off the side of the building and I didn't know what else to do, so I brought her to the basement in the club." Laurel said all in one breath.
Katie stood there a bit shell shocked for a few moments.
"Katie?"
"I'm on my way." Katie said ending the call, before grabbing her jacket and keys.
Katie sped down the street, trying to hold all the emotions bubbling inside of her from just spilling out of her. The moment she arrived at the club, she began feeling the nervousness inside of her once again. A part of her just wanted this all to be some kind of trick, but the moment she walked through the alley entrance to the basement, she just knew it wasn't.
When she walked in she saw Ethan standing looking utterly defeated as he stared down to the body of Sara Lance. It was the look in his eyes that she recognized. It's the same look she's seen countless times during her time at GMH. When he looked up and met her eyes, he simply shook his head and for some reason, that just wasn't enough for her. She looked over to Laurel weeping in Oliver's arms before turning back to the body and she doesn't know why, but she strips off her jacket and rushed over to Sara's side. She grabs the woman's wrist in search of a pulse, but there isn't one. She looks to the gauze pressed against her chest and sees the blood that's soaked through.
"She was shot with an arrow, it hit an artery and she lost too much blood before I got to her. "Ethan recounted. "Her heart stopped and I tried-" Ethan found it hard to speak. This was the part of the job every doctor hated. They all have dreams of healing the sick and saving lives, but it was this part, where even when they try their best and it's for nothing.
There are footsteps, and they all look over to see John, Felicity and Roy come down the stairs.
"Oh my god!" Felicity says, clamping a hand over her mouth at the sudden sight of Sara's bloody body. She turns, dropping her head to John's chest as the man brings his arms around her.
"What happened?" Roy asks.
Katie reaches forward, and removed the bandage from Sara's chest to see the wound. She leans in a bit closer, tilting her head slightly as she examines the wound.
"Do you have the arrow that hit her?" Katie asked, her voice slightly deeper. Different from her usual tone.
"Here." Ethan says grabbing the bloody arrow from a nearby table and holding it out to her. They all watch Katie as she looks over the arrow.
"Felicity, it's a long shot, but you should check for prints." Katie says lifting her eyes to look over to the woman who looks to her with tear filled eyes. She glanced around the others, each sharing the same sad look and she turns away looking back to the arrow. She could only imagine how she looked to them, how cold hearted she must seem for not taking the time to grieve. There isn't even an ounce of her that wants to cry. She thinks that part of her was killed a long time ago. She sat the arrow down carefully, before turning to the others. "Sorry, I should-" she shook her head before rushing toward the back exit, grabbing her jacket on her way out. She walked out the back door, a familiar tingling in her fingers, moving underneath her skin. She heard the door open, and foot steps behind her and she didn't need to turn to know who it was. He always followed her.
"Twinkie!" Oliver's voice called and Katie stopped, but she didn't turn to him.
"Don't call me that." Katie muttered before turning to the man. "I can't do that." she pointed toward the door. "I can't sit and cry over death. I know it's a logical reaction, but I can't-" she turned toward the club and imagined Sara's dead body just beyond the doors. "Do we have any idea who could've done this?" Oliver shook his head and Katie simply nodded. "Well when that is over, and everyone is ready to find the bastard that did this, find me." she turned and began walking away. She stopped and Oliver watched her closely. He knew the war that was probably happening inside of her right now. He was only able to take a single step before she walked off toward her car.
Katie's job was one that required a lot of focus. She knew that, and yet she found herself seeing the lifeless body of Sara Lance, even as she was supposed to be filling out the patient file in her hand.
"Did you hear me, doc?" the voice tore Katie from her thoughts and she turned with wide eyes. "I said I'm not taking no pills. That's how they get you, control your brain. I'm no one's puppet."
"No, Albert, you just suffer from some very bad arthritis." Katie said before tearing the prescription from the pad and handing it to the man. "It's just some very mild pain killer that probably won't completely take the pain away, but at least you'll be able to get some sleep." the man looked at the paper in the woman's hand before shaking his head and standing from his seat and leaving the room. Katie balled up the script and tossed it in the trash before tossing down the file, and dropping to her seat, and letting her head drop to the palms of her hands. She heard the door open and sighed.
"You're supposed to wait until I come out to get you." Katie replied before lifting her head to see that it wasn't another patient. "David? What are you doing here?"
"Hi dear, it's good to see you too." David replied walking over and handing Katie one of the cups of coffee in his hand.
"Thanks." Katie replied taking the cup as she stood to her feet. David leaned in to kiss her and he instantly knew something was wrong.
"What's up?" he asked and Katie shook her head before turning and walking across her office to sit on the couch beside her desk. "I haven't seen or heard from you since I picked you up from the hospital. Is something going on?"
"Nothing is going on." Katie said with a shake of her head as she looked down to the cup in her hand.
"You do know I'm trained to spot a lie from a mile away." David said and Katie looked up to meet his eyes. "Look, I get the explosion was serious, but if you're not really alright-"
"David stop." Katie says standing to her feet and sitting the cup down. She walks over and places her hands on his chest and looks up to him with a smile. "I'm fine." he looks at her for a few moments, unable to shake the thought that she wasn't being completely honest with him, but he doesn't push. Instead he brings his hands to cup the side of her face, before pulling her into another kiss, that's slow and searing.
"Cut out early." he whispered and Katie smiled against his lips. "Play hooky with me."
"I just started. I want to make a good impression. " Katie replied.
"It's not like you really need this job." David said, leaning in for another kiss, only for Katie to pull back. "What?" she looks at him for a moment before shaking her head. "I didn't mean it like you were here for the money, I know-" he turned her head, to meet her eyes once again. "Rob, I think at this point in our lives, you would be aware that sometimes I say stupid shit. I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Katie says placing a quick kiss to his lips before pulling from his grasp and walking around to take the seat behind her desk. "I would love to play hooky, but I'm still getting a feel for this place, and I want the people here to know I'm here and that they are free to come here whenever they want."
"I get it." the detective replied with a nod. "I should go." he nudged his head toward the door before pointing toward the woman. "You are going to call me when you get off, and I am going to come by and make you dinner."
"You don't have to do that."
"I know, but I want to." David replied before turning and walking toward the door, before stopping and turning back to the woman. "You know you can talk to me, right? Anything on your mind, I'm right here. "
"I know." Katie says with a nod and a smile. "Now go, I think you've distracted me enough as it is."
"Alright, I'm leaving." the man said before giving the woman a wave, before turning and finally leaving.
Katie sat there for a few moments, her eyes staring blankly at her door before there was loud beep. She looked to the blinking light beside her door, that let her know there was another patient waiting for her. So she stood to her feet, took a deep breath and got back to work.
The sun was gone, and the light from the moon shone through Katie's windows as she finished up her last patient file. She was filing it away in her cabinet when she heard the door behind her open.
"How many times do I have to tell you guys that you're supposed to wait until I come out to get you." Katie says before closing the cabinet and turning to see that it wasn't a patient. "What are you doing here Oliver?" his eyes glanced around the small office, a smile coming to his lips. "How did you know where I worked?" he turned back to her with a quirked brow and Katie rolled her eyes. "Right, you're you." she shook her head as she slipped off her lab coat and walked over to hang it up.
"This-" he spoke as he looked walked further into the office. "This is really cool." he turned back to Katie. "I'm glad you're practicing medicine again."
"Yeah, well my dad spent a lot of money on a medical degree." Katie replied unsure why the mention of her father caused a chill down her spine. "You still haven't told me why you're here."
"I was going to check out where Sara-" the man cleared his throat hoping to get rid of the emotion that came to his voice. "The roof, and I wanted you to come with me."
"Why?" Katie asked and Oliver shook his head with shrug. Even the shrug was a lie. Oliver knew why he was here, why he wanted her help. and yet he just couldn't just admit. Katie simply stared at him for a moment before walking around him to grab her jacket and bag and turning to him. "Lead the way."
The air was stale and cold on the roof that Oliver and Katie found themselves. Both felt the emotions poking from their skin at the thought of their friend taking her last breath in the spot where they stood, but neither would even show it. Both kept their eyes peeled as they scanned the area for any clue to who could've shot the arrow.
"The killer had to be standing here." Katie spoke suddenly, before looking over to Oliver who stood near the edge of the roof. "There's loose gravel here." he nodded as he noticed the scuff marks.
"Sara was here."Oliver replied before crouching down to see the marks.
"There's nothing here." Katie muttered with a shake of her head. "Nothing we don't already know. Sara was here and her killer was here, that's all we get from this roof." she turned looking around hoping something will jump out at her. She turned back to Oliver. "Why did she leave Nanda Parbat?"
"She didn't say. Just that she wanted to come home. You think the league could've done this?" Oliver asked and Katie thought for a moment before shook her head.
"No, Nyssa loved Sara, she would never-" she turned to Oliver and released a deep sigh. "Nyssa loved Sara enough to let her go, I don't think she'd have a change of heart if Sara wanted to come back home." Katie turned closing her eyes and inhaling another deep breath.
"Are you alright?" Oliver asked taking a few steps toward the woman, only to stop himself from getting too close.
"No, but that's as expected after losing a close friend." Katie says opening her eyes to look at the man. "What about you?" Katie knew Oliver wasn't the type of person to dive into his feelings, so she was sure they weren't going to get too deep.
"I don't know." Oliver replied honestly. "It's strange. I feel angry and sad, but-"
"It's hasn't made it to the outside yet." Katie said and Oliver nodded. "As much as I hate to say this, you and I are really two screwed up individuals."
"That's an understatement."Oliver said and a smile came to Katie's lips. It was the first one he'd seen since their break up and even after all this time, it still took his breath away. They both turned at the sound of footsteps, where they saw John walking over to them. Katie was about to ask him what he was doing here when her phone suddenly rang. She pulled it from her pocket.
"Shit!" she muttered when she saw the caller ID. "I have to go. It's-" she glanced over to Oliver, suddenly unable to even say David's name without feeling guilty which didn't make sense. It only took him a moment before he realized who was calling. He turned away, letting out a sigh and Katie turned to John. "Call me if there's any news." John simply nodded before they watched the woman hurry from the roof.
"You two actually working together. That's a good sign." John says turning to Oliver who shakes his head before crouching down to see the scuff marks again. "This David guy-"
"John, just don't." Oliver replied sending a hard look toward his friend just as his phone rang. He stood to his feet, and brought the phone to his ear. "Yeah?"
"Oliver, Detective Lance called, he says it's important." Felicity spoke. "Do you think he knows about Sara?" Oliver stared over to John and sighed before ending the call and walking off to face the father of the woman still lying lifeless in their basement.
When Katie walked through the door of her loft it was either extremely late or crazy early. What she didn't expect was to be struck with the distinctive smell of food cooking.
"Hello?" she called and soon David walked over, wearing an apron, and holding a wooden spoon in his hand.
"Oh, hey. I hope you don't mind I let myself in. I know it's crazy late, but when I stopped by and saw you weren't here, I figured you were working late and would be hungry when you got home." David said before rushing back over to the stove to tend to the cooking food and Katie followed behind him.
"I don't mind, just would like to know how you got in." Katie asked taking a seat at the counter to watch the man.
"Well I wasn't a cop all my life." David said, glancing over his shoulder to give the woman a wink.
"So you found my spare?" Katie asked with a laugh. David looked offended for a moment, but sighed and nodded.
"Above the door is too obvious Rob, you're gonna have to move it." David said before turning back to the pot he was currently stirring. Katie glanced around the place before turning back to the man.
"So did you snoop?"
"No, I respect your privacy, babe." the man said glancing over his shoulder to the woman who looked at him with a quirked brow. "Fine, being a detective is in my blood, so maybe I looked around a bit."
"So you broke into my loft and you searched through my stuff." Katie said with a nod before standing to her feet and stripping off her jacket. "So did you find the drugs and the weapons?"
"No, but maybe their behind that nifty door and it's fancy lock!" David called and Katie rolled her eyes. "You don't have to tell me what's in your little secret room."
"Good, because I wasn't!" Katie called back as she walked into her bedroom, and closed the door behind her, letting her back fall against it. She looked over to her laptop that was sitting on the table beside her bed and she walked over, grabbing it and placing it in her lap, flipping it open. It was a long shot, but she decided to see if there were any other arrow related deaths lately.
She found a recent story, that seemed to match the M.O of Sara's death. John Burke, killed by arrow through the chest. Katie closed her laptop and stood to her feet, emerging from her room, just as David was placing plates on the table.
"Hey, so I-" he stopped when he turned to her. "I thought you were taking a shower." Katie looked at him with a quirked brow. "Not that you smell or anything, it's just your usual routine." She looked at the man for a moment, unsure why she found it easy to just lie to him.
"I just got a call from Safe Haven, a guy came in with multiple contusions, and he's refusing to go to the hospital." Katie said grabbing her jacket.
"Can't they call someone who wasn't there for eight hours?" David asked. "I kind of had a nice evening planned to take your mind of whatever is going on with you."
"I know, and I'm sorry, but this is my job." Katie replied walking over and placing a quick kiss to his lips. She moved to leave, but he grasped her waist. "I promise to make it up to you." she placed her hands on his chest and the man let out a sigh.
"Will you let me throw you a birthday party?" David asked and Katie sent him a narrow look. "I know you hate your birthday, but I would love to throw you a party. Invite some of my friends, so they know I'm not totally making up this relationship."
"I will think about it." Katie replied pulling from his grasp and heading for the door, only to stop and turn back to him. "You've already started planning, haven't you?" the man just mimed a zipper closing along his mouth and she rolled her eyes before leaving. "It will not be crazy."
"Hey, I'm a cop now, how crazy can it be?"
"I just feel that you will get to the legal allowance for crazy." Katie replied with a shake of her head before turning and leaving. The moment she was gone, the smile fell from David's lips as he pulled his phone from his back pocket and sent a quick text. He waited for a few moments for a reply, and the moment he got it, he cursed under his breath.
"Shit." he muttered walking over to grab his jacket, and head out the door as well.
Katie arrived at the foundry where she found everyone crowded around Felicity and her computer. They didn't seem to notice her walking in, and moving to where Sara still laid on display, her skin now pale.
"Hey." a voice spoke, startling her. She glanced up to see Oliver coming over to her, as the others turned to her. "When did you get here?"
"Uh, just now." Katie replied taking a step away from Sara's body and looking only to the man. "Did you guys hear about the attack on Ninth and Lemrie? Guy shot with an arrow through the chest, just like-" her eyes once again moved back to Sara.
"I talked to Lance, he told us about the attack. Felicity is working on finding someone who may be a witness. John headed over to ARGUS to see if if there are any local archers who could be connected to this." Oliver said staring at the woman, who couldn't take her eyes from the body. "You should go home." she turned her eyes back to him. He looked over to the others and waved a hand for them to give them privacy, and they all simply went back to stand behind Felicity and her computer. "If this-"
"It doesn't make sense." Katie interrupted the man with a shake of her head. "You're gonna have to move her soon or there's going to be a smell." she glanced up to Oliver before she looked back to Sara's body before turning and walking away.
"Katie-" Oliver moved to go after her, but stopped himself. Oliver simply sighed glancing over to the others before turning and heading up to the club.
Oliver sat in the empty bar, starring at the empty shelves that hadn't been filled in months. He glanced down to his phone with a shake of his head at another failed attempt to contact his sister. This whole thing with Sara, just made him want to hear his Speedy's voice and just know she was alright. There were footsteps and he turned to see Laurel.
"Felicity find something?"
"Not yet." Laurel replied walking over to take the seat beside the man.
"How are you doing?" Oliver asked reaching over to give the woman a reassuring arm squeeze.
"Alright, but I will be much better when we find the bastard who killed my sister." Laurel sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep, always picturing the moment she saw the life leave her sister's eyes. She wasn't even sure how she was going to tell her father, especially with his heart problems. "You should've went after her." Oliver turned to the woman with a quirked brow. "Twinkie, you should've went after her."
"Laurel, I don't think I can talk to you about this." Oliver replied with a shake of his head.
"Why not? We're friends."
"We're also in the middle of trying to find the guy who murdered your sister." Oliver said before standing from the bar.
"I know that Oliver and me sitting here trying to help you doesn't mean I don't love my sister. It means that I realized how short life is, and how important it is to hold on to the things that made us happy. There are so many things I wish I could tell my sister, but I don't get to because she's gone." Laurel turned away from the man, as the emotions that were eating away at her started showing once again. "You ran away from me because you loved her." she turned back to Oliver. "So why did you run away from her?"
Oliver turned away, because it was a question he really didn't want to answer. He'd come up with a million reasons for his decision, and yet none of them seemed completely true. He was afraid of the truth.
"You're still crazy about her, and she's still crazy about you. That's pretty much obvious to everyone." Laurel replied standing to her feet.
"I thought you didn't like her." Oliver commented and it made Laurel smirk.
"Well like you said, I didn't know her. Now, I have a pretty good idea of who she is and I have to say she's not so bad. I can see why you're in love with her. What I can't see is why you're voluntarily repeating history." with that Laurel turned and headed back down to the basement to see if there was any luck finding their witness.
A few months ago, Katie thought she was successfully on the road back to pulling her life together. She had a great job, normal boyfriend, she was working through her issues with a therapist, and everything was just calm. It was a nice break from the drama and the never ending battle of good and evil that came with the mask she once wore. Now her friend was dead and she felt as if years of emotional walls were crashing inside of her.
It was the early parts of the morning, the sun barely even up. She should be home, should be in her bed about to get up and get ready for work. Instead she sat on the cold blades of grass that sat in front of her parent's graves. She glanced over to her father's headstone, and even though after all these months there was still no sign of his body, she still felt his presence here.
"You guys left entirely way too soon." Katie whispered looking between the headstones of Grace and Jacob Robins. "I'm sort of in a crisis, one where I could really use a parent to talk to." there was no reply, which she knew wouldn't come and so she simply stretched out on the grass laying between the graves, before closing her eyes.
Like her other prisons, Katie found the moment when she would have to think up a way to escape. This escape plan would be a bit more difficult seeing as she had no idea where she was, or how many guards were surveying the place. She tried her best to analyze each guard she came in contact with, without making it too obvious. They were definitely military, with military grade weapons. There was no way she was fighting her way out of this, and so she had to find a way to sneak out unnoticed.
There was only one point of escape Katie could think of, and that was when her meals arrived. Three times a day, a woman dressed as a nurse brought Katie a tray of food. The woman was always accompanied by an armed guard, but Katie knew how to overcome that obstacle.
Katie waited as she always did, sitting on the edge of her bed, and the moment she heard the turning of the knob of her room, she stood to her feet. It was her medical background that was going to help her in this moment, so when that door open, and the nurse and guard appeared, she began gasping while placing her hands below her neck. Both the nurse and guard looked to her with wide eyes as she dropped to her knees. The nurse quickly dropped the tray and ran over to her.
"Go get the doctor!" she yelled looking over to the guard who simply nodded before running out of the room. The nurse turned back to Katie. "I think you're suffering from anaphylactic shock." Katie's eyes turned to the open door, and without hesitation she jumped up and ran for the door. "Wait!" the nurse called but Katie was already in the hall. She began running, but came to a sliding halt when she saw the guards walking down the hall with who she figured was the doctor from the white lab coat he wore.
"Doctor Robins-" was all the doctor said, before Katie turned and ran down the opposite end of the hall.
"The Robin is loose." one of the guards yelled into his walkie talkie as he and his partner ran after the woman." I repeat, the Robin is loose."
"Ma'am." a voice spoke and Katie snapped her eyes open and quickly sat up. She looked into the unfamiliar eyes of a man wearing a guard's uniform, before looking around to see she was still at the cemetery. "I'm sorry, but you can't sleep out here."
"Right." Katie says before standing to her feet. She took a deep breath before turning and and walking off, back to her car.
Katie didn't notice it at first, not until she was sitting in Nick's office and he spoke to her. She lifted her head to see him, and for the life of her she doesn't even remember walking through his door and sitting down.
"Did you hear me?" Doctor Adams asked, looking at the faraway look in Katie's eyes. The man stood to his feet and walked over and sat on the edge of the table in front of the woman. He pulled out his tiny flashlight, and shined it in the woman's eyes. "Did something happen to you?"
"No." Katie replied, nudging the man's light from blinding her.
"Well you're wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday, and you look like crap." the doctor said, still watching the woman closely. "Is it a patient?" Katie simply shook her head before standing to her feet, and going to the only place she found comforting in the room, and that was the window across the room. "You know I thought we came to the conclusion a while ago, that me helping you was a two way thing. You have to actually talk-"
"This isn't working." Katie said suddenly, not even turning to the man. "I thought it was, but now I just think I was ignoring the truth."
"And what's the truth?" Nick asked standing to his feet and walking over to lean against the wall beside the woman.
"You can't help me." she said turning to meet the man's eyes. "The problems I had when I walked through the doors of this office all those months ago, are the same problems I have right now." she turned back to look out the window. "He's still in here-" she closed her eyes and sighed. "And no amount of therapy is going to get him out."
"The infamous "He". We haven't talked about him for a while." Nick said still watching the woman. "This ghost from your past that you think still has power over you."
"I don't think-" she shook her head before turning and grabbing her jacket and bag.
"So your answer is to run again?" Nick asked and Katie stopped and turned to the man. "It's your go to answer for when things get tough. Is that what you're going to do now?" Katie turned away, seeming to think over the question.
"No." Katie replied glancing over to the man before gathering her things and leaving.
Oliver stood in the small bathroom in the basement of the lair simply staring at himself, telling himself that he just had to keep going. They had long moved Sara's body to the freezer upstairs, but the image of her dead body was always on his mind. He stretched his neck, as he tightened his vest. Tonight was the night he spoke with the witness he hoped would lead him to the archer who did this to Sara. Oliver took one final deep breath, before turning and walking back out, only to stop when he notices the new person standing there. Felicity, Laurel and Katie all turned to Oliver who found himself once again blatantly staring at the woman.
"Felicity called, said there was a lead." Katie says fulling turning to the man. "I can come with if you would like?" Oliver wasn't sure that was a good idea, especially seeing that he was barely even focused at the moment. "I-" Katie was interrupted by her ringing phone, and quickly pulled it from her pocket and sighed. "It's David, I have to take this."
"Take it." Oliver replied and Katie met his eyes. "But I have to go." he didn't wait for a reply before grabbing his quiver of arrows and turning and leaving the three women.
"He's such an asshole." Katie muttered before walking off to take the call. "David, hi, what's up?"
"What's up is that I wanted to surprise you for lunch today, but they said you called in sick, so I stopped by your place, and guess who wasn't there?"
"I just needed a day, David." Katie sighed, rubbing her tired eyes.
"I get it, I really do Rob, but you know as your boyfriend, I figured I'd know more about you wanting to fall off the map for a while." she heard the man let out a deep sigh. "Is it me? Are we not good, because-"
"David stop, it's not you or us, it's all me. I'm just going through some stuff right now."
"That you can't tell me about?" he asked and Katie's silence seemed answer enough. "Once upon a time we were completely open with each other, but then we run into Oliver Queen at a party-"
"Please don't do that. I don't want to have this conversation. I told you that this is all me, no one else. I have to work through it and once I do, I promise I will talk to you." the line was silent for a few moments. "Dave?"
"I'm going to keep calling you so I know you're alright."
"I would expect nothing less detective." Katie replied, before turning to where Felicity and Laurel stood. "I'm going to go, but I will talk to you later." she ended the call before walking over to the women. "John still at ARGUS?"
"Yeah, I guess he's combing through their files with a fine tooth comb." Felicity replied and Katie simply nodded before grabbing one of the ear pieces and dialing the man's number as she sat one the computer beside Felicity.
"Yeah."
"Mr. Diggle, any luck yet?"
"At the moment, I'm looking at a very long list that need's to be narrowed down." John replied, the exhaustion very clear in his voice. "Oliver have any luck with the witness."
"He should be on his way now. Hey is there any way you can email me that list?" Katie asked.
"I've been given strict instructions that every thing here, stays here." John replied.
Katie simply glanced over to Felicity.
"Just give me two seconds." the blonde replied before her fingers began furiously typing.
"Alright John, hopefully we will have something to narrow your list down soon." Katie replied before ending the call.
"Alright, incoming file should be coming in...now!" soon the screen in front of Katie changed suddenly an ARGUS screen was there.
"You're the man, Smoaks." Katie replied before beginning her search through the list.
"I know." the woman replied, when Oliver's voice came through her comlink. "He's got our witness."
Katie didn't even hear a word as she began searching through the files. Her eyes dashed across the screen reading the detailed accounts, and known information before glancing to artist reconstructed images. File after file, and nothing stood out. The men on this lists were mercenaries, pretty much had link between their killing, and Katie couldn't find one. Sara Lance for all intents and purposes was a ghost the moment that yacht exploded. The truth was, Sara Lance was dead, and there was no one but the Canary. Anyone who serves the demon knows that they leave no clues behind, nothing that can be tracked back to them. So Katie found herself wondering how anyone could even track the dead woman back to Starling, to a random roof and shoot an arrow at her. All these names, and she saw absolutely no one she believed would such a thing.
"Put him on speaker." Laurel said, and Katie lifted her head to listen.
"Ok, indexing all active burner cell phones within the city limits." Felicity spoke as she began typing. "We got a lead?" Katie asked
" Guy named Simon Lacroix. The witness says the archer he saw wearing a mask, and the only archer who fits the description in this area is Simon." Laurel spoke, her eyes still on Felicity.
"Got him! I have dozens of calls made to his dear old mom in Saint-Sophie, Quebec." Felicity continued typing until she had a location. "I got him. He's on the move."
"I'm coming." Katie says standing to her feet to head to get her suit.
"No!" Oliver called and she stopped and turned back to the phone. "I will handle this." the call ended and both Felicity and Laurel turned back to the woman who inhaled deeply before releasing a long breath.
"Katie-" Felicity didn't even get her sentence out before Katie turned and continued to grabbing her suit.
"Does this ever end well?" Laurel asked over to Felicity.
"For the mission, some times, but for those two-" Felicity simply shook her head before turning back to her computer.
"How is she-"
"Oliver crashes his bike so many times, he keeps a couple of spares." Felicity replied.
Katie walked down the dark alley toward the abandoned building behind the club where Oliver kept his bikes. She pushed open the door and slightly smiled before grabbing the handles of one and moving it out of the door.
Katie sped down the street, heading to this guy Lacroix last know location.
"Katie, Oliver is following behind him on third." Felicity said.
"Well then how about we box him in." Katie replied, accelerating a bit faster. The moment she saw the biker headed toward her, Katie came to a stop before pulling a pair of glocks from their holsters at her side, and shooting at the driver. The bullets surprised him, and he quickly turned down an alley, Oliver right behind him. Katie placed her guns back into their holster, before grabbing the handles about to help.
"Katie, don't." Oliver's voice ordered before Katie even moved. Katie's fingers twitched as a battle erupted inside of her. She was now in a battle with her instincts and that was to say screw Oliver and go help him anyway, and then there was the other part who couldn't figure out why she was so intent on a fight he seemed to be pushing her out of.
That's when she felt eyes on her, and when she turned her head, there he was once again. Lian Yu, standing on the sidewalk, in League clothing just staring at her and she could feel herself begin to fall apart at the sight of him. He was her constant reminder that she would always be chained to her past. Katie cranked the engine before turning and speeding away.
When Katie arrived back to the lair, she didn't say a word as she began pulling off her suit.
"He got away." Felicity said and Katie didn't even seemed surprised. "Did you hear me?"
"I did." Katie says turning to Felicity who was now alone. "I can't say I'm surprised though. As much as Oliver wants to pretend that he isn't affected by all of this, the truth is, that he's as much a wreck as everyone else is." Katie turned grabbing her clothes and heading off to the bathroom to change. When she emerged fully dressed, she found Felicity standing right outside the door, waiting.
"Oliver was chasing the man who we think may have murdered our friend." Felicity stated and Katie stared in confusion.
"Felicity, I know-"
"No, I don't think you do because like him you try to be this rock that lets nothing in and never lets anything out, so it's up to people like me to translate these emotions you two refuse to even acknowledge." the blonde said letting out a deep sigh. "Oliver was chasing the man who we think murdered Sara, and he didn't want you near that man. It wasn't his way of saying he didn't need your help or that you weren't good enough, it was the simply fact that this guy, this Simon Lacroix took one of our team and the last thing Oliver wanted was to give him the chance to take another." Felicity took a step forward. "So if you plan on leaving again, make sure you know that." with that Felicity turned and walked back to her computers.
John arrived first, already knowing what had happened. He glanced over to Katie who seemed to have began pacing, but the look in her eyes let him know that she was thinking on something very intently. Oliver arrived, expectantly upset as he tossed down his bow and arrows.
"He got away." Oliver said angrily. "I had him, Diggle."
"The way you look, he almost had you." John says, seeing the arrow size hole in Oliver's shoulder.
"Where's Roy?" Oliver asks, glancing across the lair, spotting Katie who seems oblivious to his presence.
"He's out canvassing." Felicity spoke walking back over to her computer.
"Tell me about the driver of the car."
"His name is Erlich Kelso. He just got out of Starling General-
"And where are we with Lacroix?" Oliver asked interrupting the unnecessary information.
"He ditched his burner. I'm searching the city for any calls made to Quebec."
"We used that to track him once; He's not going to let it happen again." Oliver replied with a shake of his head.
"Now you sound like her." Felicity muttered pointing to Katie who was still pacing.
" All right, so why don't we stop searching for Lacroix and start searching for his target?" John suggested.
"Because there must be a connection with his victims." Oliver replied looking to Felicity.
"Already on it." Felicity said, taking her seat and working away. Oliver turned about to head over to the first aid, but stopped. There was a pull to the other side of the room where a woman he couldn't even try to get out of his head walked back and forth. He let out a sigh before walking over and placing himself in her way to stop her from walking.
"Oh!" she said finally noticing him and looking over to see John as well. "When did you guys get here?" she turned back to the tired angry eyes of Oliver before shaking her head. "Lacroix got away."
"Yeah, and you didn't listen when-" Katie held up her hands to stop whatever lecture Oliver was about to give her.
"Please stop because you and I both know that I wasn't going to listen to you telling me not to back you up." she replied finally noticing the blood on his vest, and without thinking took a step forward, placing a hand on his chest to analyze the wound. "See, when you're without your guardian, you get shot with arrows." Katie seemed to regret the words coming out of her mouth. She hadn't referred to herself as 'his' in a long time and now that she'd said it out loud she couldn't even take it back. Her eyes looked up meeting his before she nudged her head. "C'mon, I'll bandage you up."
"It's fine, I can do it." Oliver says even though he would love nothing more that to feel he woman's touch, but he thinks it would probably tear what little concentration he had away in just moments. Katie looked at him for a moment, before simply nodding.
"Whatever." she muttered before walking away, not seeing the look on the man's face, as if he'd just been punched in the gut.
Katie once again found herself pacing, only this time she would also cast a look over to Oliver who was annoying her by not letting her stitch him up.
"Alright, I think I'm calling it for the night." John says standing to his feet. "I have to get back to Lyla. Call me if you get something."
"Will do." Felicity said as they all waved their goodbyes to the man.
Katie glanced over to Felicity, who stared somberly at the screen, before she stopped pacing and walked over to the woman.
"You need to take a break." Katie said and the blonde looked up with a shake of her head.
"No, I'm fine. Plus I need to be here in case my search turns up something." Felicity replied with a shake of her head.
"Will there be bells and whistles when that happens?" Katie asked and Felicity nodded. "Well then go, get some air, get out of this basement. If something's found, I will call you." Felicity looked unsure, before looking over to Oliver who was placing a bandage over his wound before pulling on a shirt.
"I'll just take a couple of minutes." The moment Felicity stood to her feet, Oliver looked over to her before standing to his feet.
"Do you have something?" Oliver asked.
"Not yet." Felicity replied. "I was just-"
"Well, why isn't it working!?"
"It's running an NSA algorithm aggregating the victims' personal information using every government database known, and unknown." Felicity tried to explain, but Oliver didn't even seem to care. All he wanted were results.
"Well, it's taking too long." Oliver countered. "Sara's killer is still out there, which means that every minute that we waste down here-"
"We know that!" Katie snapped taking a step forward to stand between the pair before turning to Felicity. "It's fine, you can go get some air." Felicity looked unsure, before turning a glare to Oliver before walking toward the back exit. Oliver let out an annoyed huff as the woman left.
"We don't have time for this."
"Sit down Oliver." Katie said and the man turned to her with a look of confusion as the woman grabbed one of the chairs and rolled it over for him to sit, as she sat in the other. He stood there as if unsure for a few moments, before walking over and taking the seat across from the woman. "Sara is dead. Everyone knows that, and everyone wants to find the person who killed her." Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but Katie held up a hand to stop him. "Everyone else also didn't build up a tolerance to certain emotions because they were emotionally abused on random islands, or by a league of assassins." she pointed toward him. "We feel it, but we can't show it. That's our issue, but them, they mourn like normal people. They cry and they sob and they can't give their best because they're too sad. You will understand that and you will be sensitive to that." Oliver stared at the woman silently, before letting out a deep sigh. He knew he needed to hear those words, and knew they probably would only come from the woman sitting across from him. "Ok, moment over. We can go on avoiding each other," she began standing when Oliver finally spoke.
"Earlier today, I was looking at Sara, I realized something." he said, turning to Katie. "One of these days it's going to be me. And this..." he glanced around the lair, and let out another sigh. "This life that I've chosen... It only ends one way." Katie looked at him for a moment before dropping back into her seat and folding her arms over her chest.
"Death?" Katie asked and Oliver nodded. "Is that why you-" she stopped herself, because she promised herself that she wouldn't bring up the topic of their break up with him. It would only upset her, and mostly distract her which she didn't need right now. "Oliver all life, no matter if it's the one hiding down here under your hood, or if it's spent in a nice house, married to the woman you love, it all ends the same way. Death." Katie shook her head. "For so long I expected death around every corner, and I somehow was ok with that, but then-" she turned back to the man. "And then I found you, and I met John and Felicity, and I had this family again that I just wanted to experience it." she shook her head. "What's the point of living life just waiting for death?" The woman turned away, letting out a sigh before standing to her feet. "I'm going to go check on Felicity."
Katie was half way to the door when her cell phone rang. She stopped and glanced down to the screen to see that it was Laurel.
"Hey." Katie answered, "What's up?"
"I've got something. Meet me at Verdant." Laurel said, before ending the call.
Katie looked down to her phone in confusion, before turning back to Oliver who still sat slumped in his chair.
"Laurel has something. She didn't say what, but she's on her way here." Katie spoke and Oliver turned to her. "Maybe this is it."
"Yeah, maybe." Oliver replied, before standing to his feet and walking over to grab his cell phone. "Have you spoken to Thea lately."
"Recently, no." Katie replied and the man glanced over to her. "She has randomly called me at all hours of the night to talk."
"Does she sound alright?" Oliver asked and Katie could see that he was truly worried.
"From our conversations, sure. I never detected in her voice that she was in any type of danger." Katie replied before taking a step toward the man. "Has something happened that would make you believe that she isn't."
"No." he sighed with a shake of his head. "I just-"
"I get it. If she calls me again, I'll tell her to call you." Katie replied and the man simply nodded before turning and finally deciding to go check on Felicity.
When she walked out the back exit, she didn't expect to find that Felicity wasn't alone. She was lost in an embrace with someone Katie hadn't seen in months.
"Bruce?" Katie spoke and the pair pulled apart and turned to her. "What are you-" she looked over to Felicity who wiped stray tears away. "Felicity called you, told you about Sara."
"Yeah, I thought I would lend a hand." Bruce replied, an arm still around the blonde beside him.
"I should go check on the search." Felicity said, pulling from the man's grasp, and heading back to the club. Once she was gone, Katie turned back to Bruce.
"This is bad." Katie said walking over to the man. "We're doing everything we can to find this guy, but if we don't-"
"I know. Nyssa will tear this city apart until she does." Bruce replied. "Are there any leads?"
"One, some guy named Simon Lacroix. He's an archer in the area who has the same M.O." Katie said with a shake of her head. Bruce watched her for a moment.
"You don't think he's the guy do you?"
"This guy's last victim was a construction foreman." Katie replied sliding a hand across her face. "I don't get it. Sara wasn't even in town that long."
"You tell the others what you're thinking?" Bruce asked and Katie gave them a look.
"They're all too emotionally raw right now. They need to know who did this, and they're not giving up anything until they look under every rock."
"Why don't I start looking under some new rocks." Bruce suggested. "I'll be in Starling for a while for business-"
"What kind of business?"
"Well I was vague on purpose, Robins." The man replied. "Don't worry, it's not bad, but I'll look into this, because I just can't believe the moment she leaves the league someone shoots her with an arrow."
"I was thinking the same thing. Like I know this wasn't done by the league. Death from the league wouldn't be as nice as a arrow through the chest, but I think they're connected." the woman slid a hand across her face, and sighed. "You coming in?"
"I don't think I can." Bruce said. "I mean this is Sara. Sara was one of us and now she's just gone." he looked back down to the woman who had yet to show even an ounce of emotion. "It's alright to cry, you know. There isn't some big bad demon to come out and torture you for crying." Katie looked to the man and shook her head.
"I've just accepted that I'm too damaged to be so sad about this that I would cry." Katie replied. "I should head back inside, Laurel called and said she may have some intel on Lacroix."
"Laurel?"
"Long story, but Laurel is now part of team Robins." Katie said with a shake of her head,
"And so are you?" Bruce asked and the woman looked at him confused. "I just thought after you and Oliver-" Katie turned away. "Are you back?"
"I don't know." Katie replied turning back to the man with a shrug. "Right now all I know is my friend is dead, and I'm going to help find the person who did it. After that I don't know what happens." with that the woman turned and headed back for the club.
When Laurel finally arrived, there was no hesitation in her news. She'd stopped by to talk to the latest almost dead victim who Oliver saved. She knew he had answers and she wasn't leaving until she did. She got a name, and that's all Felicity Smoak needed now as she sat in front of her computer.
"Amertek industries. It's an oil company based in Starling City." the woman spoke as her fingers danced across the keys effortlessly. "Now that I've consolidated all of Lacroix's victim's records, I can run the algorithm, scan the data and see who received money from Amertek.."
"How long is that going to take?" Laurel asked moving to stand beside the woman, and look down to the screen.
"Not long." Felicity replied as the figures appeared on the screen. The guys walked over as well to see the names, and the amounts deposited into the accounts. Katie stood off to the side, standing in front of the display case that held her suit, not really looking at the suit, but thinking.
"Where do you think you're going?" Katie heard Oliver ask, and she turned to see Laurel walk over to one of the weapons cabinets and pull out a gun.
"I'm coming with you." Laurel stated and Katie looked over to the woman totally amused.
"Absolutely not." Oliver argued, and Laurel's eyes darkened.
"Oliver, the only reason why you know where to find him is because- " the woman sighed before she gestured toward him. "You were reckless. And Lacroix almost put an arrow in you."
"Let me handle this."
"Don't you dare-"
"You're not coming." Katie interrupted the woman and they both turned to her. "Your dad taught you how to shoot when you were younger, that's fine and dandy, but you taking on an experienced archer is not happening."
"Sara was trained by some of the greatest killers in human history-"
"And I was one of those people!" Katie snapped walking over to stand in front of Laurel. "Do not stand there as if you're the only one who wants to bring this guy to justice." Katie reached forward and took the gun from Laurel's hand, before removing the clip and sitting both pieces of the table. "Tonight is the night we finally come face to face with Simon Lacroix. You stay with Felicity, and don't touch my guns." with that Katie walked over to the display to grab her suit before heading off to get changed.
The room fell silent when the woman was gone, before John smirked before looking to Oliver.
"So are you going to tell her to stay put?" John joked, and Oliver turned a darkened glare before shaking his head and going to grab his bow.
Katie paced back and forth on the roof of QC, mindlessly twirling one of her knives from her holster as she waited for her signal to swoop in.
"You still do that stupid pacing thing." a voice said, stopping Katie's feet. She turned and there standing was a man, his face hidden by his hood. Once he removed it, Katie let out a deep sigh before continuing her pace.
"You know I thought I got rid of you." Katie muttered with a shake of her head. "I mean I never figured out why I even see you, but I assume you were the past I just couldn't let go."
"Is that what that therapist is telling you?"
"No, Nick doesn't know anything about you. I'm afraid if he did, I'd been in a nice comfy padded cell." Katie sighed. "Go away figment of my imagination, die in the darkest corner of my mind."
"Figment?" he said and Katie let out a snort as the man's footsteps starting getting closer, and yet she didn't stop her pace. "You think I'm not real."
"I also think you're annoying." Katie muttered glancing over to him. "And now I'm imagining you wearing their clothes. This is really starting to become a classic PTSD episode. I may have to get medication or some-" the man's leg swooped underneath Katie's feet sending her falling right on her back, with wide eyes right on him. The man bent over, so the woman could see his eyes and he just smirked before standing up straight and stalking away. Katie watched until he was gone, and she wasn't sure how sane she was at this moment.
She stood to her feet to follow, and the moment she did, memory after memory assaulted her of being in that underground bunker, being totally and completely terrified that each day was going to be her last and it was his face, his smiling cocky face at the forefront.
"Katie, now!" she heard Oliver yell through her comlink and for the life of her she couldn't move. "Katie-"
"I-" she stammered spinning around unsure if what had just happened were real, or she really was going crazy. "I can't. I can't do this I'm sorry." Katie shook her head before running toward the roof exit.
It happened again. One moment she somewhere and in the next she's somewhere else without any memory in between. This time Katie found her self sitting in her shower, clutching her knees to her chest as the water fell over her. When she realized where she was, she stood from the shower, turning off the water before reaching for a towel. The moment she stepped out of the bathroom was the moment there was banging on her door. Katie froze, this time, in fear. Her heart began racing in her chest at the thought of Lian Yu possibly standing outside her door.
"Katie!" a familiar voice called. "It's Oliver! You're not answering your phone, and-" the man paused and Katie walked over to pull open the door. "I'm worried." Oliver seemed momentarily stunned at the sight of the woman wearing nothing but a towel in front of him. He cleared his throat before looking back to the woman, and he knew something was wrong. It was something in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. "Hey what's-"
"I'm sorry I just left like that." Katie said with a shake of her head. "That was totally-"
"Hey." Oliver says placing his hands on the woman's shoulders and that's when he realized she was shaking. "Katie, what happened?"
Katie stared at the man and couldn't even find it in herself to tell her that she thinks she's finally going crazy. She didn't want his pity or his worry, and definitely didn't want him trying to play her hero again. She shook her head turning away.
"Uh, Simon Lacroix, he didn't kill Sara, right?" Katie asked turning back to the man whose look of concern didn't seem to change at her blatant subject change. "Oliver, I'm fine. I guess the whole Sara thing just hit me and I'm sorry it was in the middle of a mission. If you don't want me to go out with you anymore then I-"
"Katie stop." the man interrupted. "You're my guardian. That never changes." those words held far more meaning than he would ever admit at the moment. "No, Lacroix didn't kill Sara. He was in Bludhaven when she was killed." the man shook his head. "At this point the trail is cold and-"
"The trail is never cold. We missed something, and we will find or it will find us, but this world just can't go on spinning with the bastard who killed her living without seeing justice." Oliver had yet fell into another moment where he wanted to just grab the woman in front of him and kiss her until he just couldn't breathe.
"We're finally going to bury Sara tonight." Oliver said, "I came by to check in on you and to see if you-"
"Of course." Katie said before waving for him to come inside. "I just have to-" she glanced down to her towel clothed body and sighed. "Put actual clothes on."
"Hey I've always like this look." Oliver said and Katie looked back to him with a quirked brow. "Too soon?"
"Entirely." Katie replied before turning and heading for her bedroom.
The cemetery was very cold, and equally eerie as group of friends, and family mourned the death of a woman who the world already thought dead.
Katie's eyes were locked on the head stone that read Sara's name. It was weird having her buried in the same grave, it was as if nothing had happened. Sara was really dead now. Katie was silent as the others spoke, but she felt she should say something, but she couldn't even begin to find the words to express how she was feeling.
"Laurel, we'll know." John says, taking a step forward toward the woman who couldn't stop crying. "I know this doesn't count for much, but me and Lyla, we're naming the baby Sara. We will never forget."
"Thank you." Laurel said, before dropping her head back to Oliver's chest who held her in a hug. Katie took a step forward, placing a palm to the head stone.
"I'm sorry." she whispered before turning back to the others and giving a nod before walking away.
Katie found herself once again seated on the cold grass between her parent's headstones. She'd been sitting there for a while before she heard the footsteps behind her but she didn't turn, she didn't need to.
"You should take Laurel home. I can find a way back to my place." Katie said before picking at the grass in front of her.
"John's taking Laurel home, and Felicity and Roy have already gone. So that leaves you." came Oliver's voice behind her. "Do you want me to leave?"
"Yes." Katie said automatically, sure she didn't really believe it but she would never say otherwise. She didn't hear movement for a few moments, but then she turned to see the man take a seat on the grass beside her. "What are you doing?"
"Being there for you." Oliver spoke and Katie rolled her eyes. "Just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean-"
"It means that we aren't together anymore, Oliver." Katie interrupted. "It means you should let me come to you, instead of the other way around, because this hurts, having you here, having you always there. It just reminds me that something good is gone, and you're the one who took it away." she turned back to her parent's graves. "That's what happens. The good, it's just taken away." Katie felt the tear before she knew she was crying. Her entire body began shaking, as more tears poured from her eyes. It all seemed to hit her at once, her mother's death, and then her father's, Tommy, and Moira, and she couldn't stop. Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder, and she jerked away from his touch before standing to her feet before turning and walking away, but she stopped. She probably should've kept going, but for the life of her she couldn't. Katie turned to see Oliver stand to his feet. "I don't need you to be there for me. I need you to fight, and I'll do the same and that's the extent of anything between us." with those words, she turned and walked away taking a part of him with her.
"Yeah, she just left." spoke the whispered voice of Detective David Parker who stood behind a tree in the shadows, watching as Katie walked away from Oliver who just stood there. "I think it's really over. I should make my move, right?"
Author's note:
What are you up to David?
Review Replies
Elliebelle4444: Oh, I know. That whole baby topic isn't going away either, and like you said maybe it'll happen. There's always a chance with our Twiver.
Adela: Thanks, I'm glad you're liking it. You know I actually started this story on Wattpad and got absolutely no response from readers. So I moved it here. But maybe I'll try it again once I finish this story.
rockyroyal,dr: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're liking it so far, and that scene between Lian and Katie was a bit intense. He's really messing with her head, and it's starting to affect her on missions.
So sorry that this took a little longer to post, but life doesn't really allow for writing all the time. I want to thank everyone who has joined in with this story, and special thanks to those who've added this story to your fav and follow lists. And I would like to send virtual cookies to those who reviewed the last chapter. I love hearing from you all, and I think you should know that some pretty big spoilers are usually left in those reviews. So keep reviewing!
And now for your sneak peek
The moment he reached the roof, he came to a stop when he finally saw Katie standing on the edge of the roof. He heard the steps behind him.
"Oh my God, Kit-"
"Don't." Oliver said stopping the man before he could get too close. "Just let me handle this." he turned back to the woman who stood wearing barely anything is the middle of the heavy rain. "Twinkie."
"Go away!" she called over her shoulder as she looked down to the city below her.
"That's not happening until I get you down from that ledge." Oliver said taking careful steps forward. "I need you to come down."
"Why?" she asked turning to him. "What's the point if I can't have you."