Chapter 16
Boom goes the Truth
"Some people think that the truth can be hidden with a little cover-up and decoration.
But as time goes by,
what is true is revealed, and what is fake fades away."
-Ismail Haniyeh
It was actually the humming that woke Katie up. The moment her eyes opened and she heard the distant sound, a smile came to her lips. She lifted herself from her bed, looking around the room with a sigh at the clothes that laid strewn about. Then again they never were really concerned about where their clothes ended up when they were pulling them off of each other. It just always sucked the next day when she had to clean it up, and so she stood from the bed and starting cleaning. When she was finished, she grabbed Oliver's t-shirt, and pulled it over herself, before walking out of the room to find her humming man.
A smile curled at the woman's lips when she walked into the kitchen, and found the man stirring something at the stove, his back to her. Her eyes trailed over him for a moment, as he stood in nothing but a pair of pajama pants.
"Are you checking me out?" Oliver finally spoke and Katie couldn't help but laugh as he turned to look over his shoulder.
"I am checking you out." Katie replied walking over to sit at one of the stools at the kitchen counter. "You're making breakfast." she looked at the array of fruits, and toasts, and bacon along the counter. "It actually looks better then my cooking."
"A lot of things look better than your cooking." Oliver replied with a chuckle as he brought over a pan that she could now see were eggs. "And I thought since today was such a big day, that I would do something special."
"Why would you endure my terrible cooking, when you're apparently Emeril Lagassee." Katie said reaching over to grab a piece of bacon.
"I don't know who that is, and even though your food is usually only partly edible, I really like to watch you try." Oliver replied leaning over and meeting the woman's lips with his before going to grab some plates. "So how are you feeling about today?"
"Like I should be nervous." Katie said with a slight shake of her head. "But I'm not. It's weird. I know this deal with Palmer Tech is good, and I know it will do some good."
"That's great." Oliver said as he placed the plates down. "I meant about the meeting part though." Katie looked over to him in confusion. "You tend to make terrible jokes when there are a lot of people around."
"I have no idea what you're talking about Liver." Katie replied as she began grabbing some food.
They soon found themselves in a comfortable silence, and Katie decided that maybe now was a good time to bring up the elephant in the room. "This has been nice." Oliver looked over to her with a smile. "Really nice."
"But..." he said turning around to face her completely.
"I'm just wondering when we get back to real life." Katie said and Oliver let out a sigh. "We still have a problem with Ra's Al Ghul, and the fact that he tried to kill you and didn't succeed. The fact that at some point they are going to realize that Malcolm orchestrated Sara's murder and roped Thea into it against her will." Oliver turned away, and Katie simply watched him. "This is nice, but we should probably get back to real life."
"When Ra's stabbed me, and pushed me off that mountain, I passed out." Oliver started, turning to Katie. "And something happened. I found myself in this dream where you were my wife, and we had a beautiful son named Tommy, and a baby on the way, and that was our real life." a smile came to his lips at the memory as it hit him.
"That sounded like a happy dream." Katie said and he looked over to her. "Why did you wake up?"
"I have this voice in my head, sounds an awful lot like this woman I know." Oliver replied reaching over and taking Katie's hand. "She told me to wake up and make my fantasy a reality. I know the world is still spinning around us, but for just a while I think I would like to just enjoy the little piece of normal, where I cook you breakfast, and you secretly read wedding magazines."
"I so do not read-" Oliver quirked a brow and Katie rolled her eyes. "Fine, one magazine that Felicity dropped off and it was nothing." the woman turned away. "Shut up." Oliver laughed, leaning forward and placing a kiss to the woman's cheek.
"It's alright to-"
"You're going to tell me that it's alright to be excited about this." Katie said glancing over to the man. "To be happy even, but the thing is, in my life the good doesn't last long, and I don't want to jinx this." Oliver let out a huff before spinning his chair toward Katie, and reaching forward and spinning her to face him. "Liver-"
"You are going to be Mrs. Katherine Queen and there is absolutely nothing that can stop that from happening." Oliver declared and Katie smiled leaning forward to bring her lips against his in a slow kiss that soon became quite passionate.
"You better not make me late." Katie muttered against the man's lips.
"I'm not making any promises." Oliver replied, picking the woman up in his arms, and carrying her toward the bedroom.
It was only by luck that they were actually early when they arrived in front of Robins Incorporated. Katie looked out to the front of the building where news outlets seemed to be lined up.
"I guess this really is a big deal." Katie said staring out the window. She looked over to Oliver, her hand in his.
"Nervous?" Oliver asked and Katie turned back and just shook her head.
"I'm nervous, and no one is even here to see me." John spoke from the driver's seat as he too peaked through the window at the crowd. "This thing is opened to every Tom, Dick and Harry in Starling. This could get real ugly, real quick if we're not careful."
"No one is going to get violent." Katie declared. "I am going to sign a contract, there will be a press conference and then we leave, and so begins the next saga in the craziness of our lives." she turned back to John. "We should take the parking structure." John simply nodded before pulling off.
The elevator ride was a bit silent as they all rode up to meet Felicity. John glanced down to his cell phone, before glancing over to where Oliver and Katie stood, huddled very close together. He noted the loving way the couple seemed to stare at each other without even having to utter a word. A smile came to his lips because he knew that if anyone deserved a little light at the end of the tunnel it was the pair in front of him.
When the elevator doors finally opened, they all looked upon a familiar blonde whose eyes were down to her tablet before looking up wit a wide smile.
"Good morning!" Felicity said, her voice unusually high, as she stepped inside to grab Katie's arm and pull her with her. "I have your schedule here. The lawyers should be finishing up on the contract details, and then the board from Palmer Tech and RI will go over any last minute concerns or questions, and then we sign, and after that we head downstairs for the press conference." she finally looked up to Katie with a smile.
"How many hours of sleep have you gotten?"
"Well look at this way, I've had more cups of coffee then I've had hours of sleep." Felicity replied before looking back to John and Oliver who seemed to be having what looked like a serious conversation. "Please tell me that we don't have a problem that needs to be solved with arrows?" Oliver looked over to the woman with a shake of his head.
"We're just wondering what the security is like downstairs." John said and Felicity looked over to him with a shrug.
"Standard procedure. Everyone's documented, and only allowed in the lobby when the conference is happening. There's metal detector and pat downs for any suspicious people." Felicity looked over with a proud smile. "This place is more secure than Starling City Airport." she noticed how Oliver and John shared a look and sighed. "But I doubt that will stop you from going down and checking it out yourself."
"Just to be on the safe side." Oliver replied before walking over to Katie, bringing his arms around her. "I'll be just downstairs, so if you need anything just call me and I will be here." the man leaned forward, bringing his lips to hers. "You're gonna do great."
"You guys are so adorable." Felicity cooed and the couple sighed glancing over to her. "So I was thinking-"
"If the next words out of your mouth have anything to do with a wedding, then save your breath Smoaks." Katie said before turning back to Oliver. "Don't go too far."
"I wouldn't dream of it." the man said with a smile, and with a final kiss he and John headed for the elevator.
Once they were gone, Katie turned back to Felicity who grabbed her arm and began pulling her with her down the hall. They arrived outside a familiar door, and Katie brought her hand to the "R" that was carved into the wood of the door.
"I'm going to make sure everything is moving on schedule, and I figured you'd be comfortable here." Felicity said as Katie reached forward to open the door. The moment she walked inside, she let her eyes roam across the room. She usually avoided this office when she would come to the company, and now that she was finally in here, a sudden pang of loss hit her as the memories of her father sitting at the desk hit her one after the other.
"Are you alright?" Felicity asked and Katie turned with a nod.
"Yeah." Katie replied as she walked further inside.
"Well I'll give you some time. I'll be back with an update." Felicity said, noticing Katie suddenly lost as she stares out the grand window.
There was a room in A.R.G.U.S' Starling facility that had one wall that was just covered in monitors. At the moment each one of those monitors was on and playing media coverage about the impending merger between Palmer Tech and Robins' Incorporated. Jacob Robins sat watching the screens, a smile on his lips.
"So..." a voice spoke, and the man turned to see his most trusted associate. "Was I right?"
"It's a good deal." Jacob said glancing down to the packet in front of him. He'd gotten a copy of the contract that was about to be signed, he just would never reveal how he got it.
"Good deal?" Martin asked walking over to take a seat.
"Fine, it's a great deal, and I'm proud of her." Jacob said turning away from the man to watch the monitors. "Has it been confirmed?"
"It has." Martin replied with a nod. "They're getting married." A heavy sigh escaped Jacob's lips at the news. "There is still time. No one has told her, not even Ms. Smoak. I think they're giving you the chance to be the one to tell her the truth."
"The truth isn't always easy." Jacob muttered not turning to the man.
"Since when has anything you've done been easy, sir?" Martin asked and Jacob turned to the man. "Hell lying wasn't easy! Hiding wasn't easy and yet you found it in yourself do all of it." Martin stood to his feet to leave. "Sir you made choices. Each and everyone had a purpose, and that's what you have to tell her. After that it's up to her what happens next." and with that the man turned to leave.
Martin always annoyed Jacob, but it was usually because he was usually right. Jacob turned back to the monitors, and smiled at the screen that currently had a picture of his daughter. He stood to his feet and walked a bit closer.
"Oh, baby girl, you're going to hate me." he muttered to himself.
Absolute silence was a myth. Something always seems break through the illusion of silence, whether heard or unheard. Katie stood in a large office alone, her eyes out the large window that made her feel so small. It was only natural that her mind went running. At the moment her thoughts ran rampant with Ra's Al Ghul and if she could really believe he would stand behind his word. Especially after finding out that he broke the code of the League's law and tried to kill Oliver. Thoughts soon drifted to Malcolm Merlyn who was still...here. It had only been a week since the island, and the truth was finally out about what he did to Thea. He'd tried pleading some sort of case to Thea, but she wasn't listening and so he decided to give her space.
A smile came to Katie's lips when a more positive thought flit into her mind, and she lifted her hand to look at the diamond ring that fit perfectly on her finger. Oliver asked her to marry him and she said yes. A very small part of her was nervous. Afraid that marriage so quickly after everything that happened between them may not be the best choice, but the tiny voice got drowned out by her heart that had no other answer to the question. This was real, she could see it in his eyes when he asked, could feel it in his words as he spoke. For the first time in a very long time, she knew this was real.
There was a sudden knock on the door, tearing Katie from her thoughts. She looked down to her watch before looking over her shoulder as the door opened and Katie rolled her eyes.
"I just stopped in to see if you needed anything, Mrs. Queen." Felicity asked. Katie simply sighed before turning back to look out the window.
"Where are we?" Katie asked noting how long she'd been waiting. It seemed longer then what she anticipated.
"The last of the board is arriving, I guess there was a traffic issue. Ray decided to wait in one of your labs, but I told him to wrap it up." Felicity said appearing at Katie's side. "Which I'll probably have to do again in five minutes." she looked over to Katie who looked oddly calm. "This meeting should be happening on schedule."
"Good." Katie replied with a nod, glancing over to her friend.
"You know, since we finally have a moment-"
"Felicity-" Katie warned turning back to look out the window.
"I've just been reading these Bridal magazines, and all you have to do-" Katie turned a quirked brow to the woman. "Right, you said wedding planning and a threat from Ra's couldn't coexist, so we wait. I get it. This is just really exciting. I mean you guys are getting married. Operation reunite Twiver was a success!" the blonde placed a hand on Katie's arm. "Just remember that even with all of this crap, that this is still you and Oliver's moment. Don't let the demon take that away." Katie gave the woman a nod, before turning to look at the view. Felicity looked as well and sighed. "This view is breathtaking."
"I know, right." Katie replied looking around the large office. "Once upon a time, I thought I would not be able to step foot in here." she looked over to the desk that held a picture of her, her father and mother from so very long ago. "I can't believe they kept it exactly the same. I keep looking back at that door as if he could walk in at any moment."
"I've seen more far fetched things happen." Felicity muttered turning away from the woman. Felicity Smoak was biting her tongue on the whole Jacob Robins is alive thing. Apparently Oliver wanted to try to convince the man one more time to tell the truth, before he himself would finally tell her. Felicity hated it, because it was still a lie. A lie she had to keep from her friend, a lie that could possibly hurt their relationship which she didn't want at all. She let out a deep sigh, before turning back to the woman desperate to change the subject. " So seriously, did you need anything? Food? Water? Booze?" Katie let out a laugh as she turned to her friend. "This is a big meeting, followed by a flashy press conference. Nervousness is expected."
"I think you may be more nervous then me." Katie replied walking around to sit in her father's chair. "Tell you the truth, I'm not all that nervous." she shrugged. "I wholeheartedly believe in this merger, believe in the good it will accomplish, and I believe it's something my father would be proud of. I think that's why Bruce and Lucius both are mysteriously too busy to actually attend this meeting."
"Wow, look at you sounding like a CEO." Felicity said walking over to sit on the edge of the desk. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were actually enjoying this a little bit." Katie rolled her eyes, once again letting her eyes roam over the office she only has fond memories. "Could this be a career change?"
"I don't know..."
"C'mon the shelter only keeps you around for the publicity and the money you bring in." Felicity replied and Katie turned to her with wide eyes. "You know it's true."
"I do, but you didn't have to say it out loud." Katie replied deflating in her chair. "I actually finally quit. I love being a doctor, love that feeling that I get when I'm helping someone, but there's obstacles."
"I guess being inducted into some weird culty league of assassins was a very big obstacle?"
"Fucking huge obstacle." Katie sighed. "But I don't know. When this is all over and we're no longer looking over our shoulder for the demon, maybe I can focus on my life and what I want to do with it."
"Rich people are so lucky they can just quit their jobs and not worry about bills and-"
"You're the vice president of Palmer Tech, and if you wanted, I'm sure you could take some time off and not worry about finding yourself living on the streets." Katie replied with a shake of her head.
"Whatever, just do something. I don't want you to be one of those rich people I read about in magazines who does nothing with their life but spend money." Felicity said turning toward the window. "Like your future husband." Katie gave the woman a swat on the leg, and Felicity couldn't help but laugh.
"Speaking of Oliver, where is he exactly? I haven't seen him since he said, he and John were going to check out the security for the conference and that was like an hour ago."
"Last time I checked, they were still checking the exits and talking to security." Felicity replied with a roll of her eyes. "I should probably go make sure they aren't yelling at some poor soul because there are too many opened windows or something."
"Well since you're going down there, would you mind telling Oliver that I wouldn't mind seeing him before all of this starts." Katie said with a smile.
"Of course, I will tell him that his future wife demands his presence so they can engage in some smooching before the meeting." Felicity replied as she walked toward the door.
"You're a child!" Katie called after the woman, who simply laughed as she opened the door,and jumping when she sees that she's about to walk into someone.
"Captain!" Felicity said coming to a halt, a hand over her chest not expecting him to be standing there. "Hi, did you need something?"
"I uh just came by to talk to the doc." Lance said stepping into the office, his eyes going to Katie who stood to her feet.
"Of course." Katie said with a smile as she walked around the desk toward the man. She glanced over to Felicity with a nudge of her head.
"Oh, right, I was leaving to find your-" she quickly stopped herself before glancing over to Lance. "Oliver, her Oliver." the moment only got more awkward, and so the blonde turned and rushed out of the office, closing the door behind her.
"She has such a good heart, she's just very strange." Katie said with a light chuckle as she turned back to the man whose face remained serious, not finding any humor at all in the joke. "Is everything alright?"
"Sara is dead." Quentin said and Katie let out a deep sigh. "And from your response, I'd say you already knew that huh." Katie didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. The man simply shook his head before turning to leave.
"I'm sorry!" Katie called and he turned back to her. "Telling someone their child is dead is hard. Telling someone with a heart condition-"
"Don't you dare blame my heart for why you and my daughter chose to keep the fact that my child was dead from me!" Quentin snapped. "How could you-" he shook his head. "Everyone seems to think they know what's best for the guy with the bad heart. I'm stronger then I look and I should've been told the truth from the beginning."
"You're right." Katie said with a nod. "You deserved to know the truth and we shouldn't have hid it from you."
"Doesn't matter because I still don't have my Sara." Quentin replied before turning to leave. He stopped for just a moment, taking a deep breath before finally leaving. Katie stood there unsure if she follow after him, but simply decided not to. There was no excuse, no justification for what they did. She hated keeping the truth from him, hated having to keep such a terrible lie, but she agreed with Laurel. The man's heart was very sensitive, and there was always the risk that the news could've caused anything heart attack. That was something she would never forgive herself for doing.
So Katie let out another sigh before turning and walking back over to stand in front of the window to await the meeting that would soon be starting.
Oliver stood in the lobby of Robins' Incorporated very, very annoyed. The conference was not only opened to the press, but to the public as well, and he currently stood staring at a massive mob of people all waiting for the conference to begin. He didn't like the crowds, didn't like Katie being around so many people. There were too many risks associated with such a large crowd and he just didn't want to take any of them.
"And they were ok that there were going to be this many people?" Oliver turned at John's voice who was suddenly standing beside him. "I just did a sweep, and they're still letting people in."
"Apparently since this merger affects the people of Starling, both Ray and Katie thought it would be a good idea to let the people be apart of this." Oliver replied, his eyes darting across the many faces. "I don't like this at all." he turned back to John. "There are way too many people after us right now, and we're just letting everyone in the front door."
"I get it, but unless you plan on convincing Katie to cancel the press conference, I don't see any solution to this." John replied, looking over the crowd as well.
"That's not happening." Oliver muttered. "This meeting and this conference is big. It's the first big thing she's done since she was name CEO. It's important to her that all of this goes the way she wants, and apparently a room full of possibly harmful people is what she wants."
"Hey, maybe we're just overreacting. There is still a chance this could all go off without a hitch." John replied optimistically and Oliver just gave him a look that was clearly skeptical of the statement.
"There you guys are." Felicity said coming over. "So, on a scale of one to ten, how secure are we?"
"Negative one hundred." Oliver replied with a shake of his head.
"I know opening this up to the public was a bit of risk-"
"A bit. Felicity half the people in here could possibly be murderers. We don't know."
"Well now you're being over dramatic. Security is checking everyone at door, all entrances are covered, everyone who enters this building is ID'ed, so just calm down and enjoy this day that will be perfect."
"Perfection is a myth." Oliver muttered.
"Tell that to your future wife." Felicity whispered giving the man a swat to the arm. "She asked me to tear you away from your worrying and send you upstairs where she would like to see you."
"Is everything alright?" Oliver asked and Felicity rolled her eyes.
"Everything is fine, I think she's just missing her Liver, now go." Felicity replied and the man just shook his head before rushing off toward the elevator. "I can't wait until this day is over." Felicity turned to the crowd of people still filing in and taking their seats.
"You're not the only one." John muttered.
Katie once again glanced down to her watch, knowing any minute someone should be walking in to tell her that the meeting is starting. As if on cue, the door to her office opened and she let out a deep breath before turning with a smile...that instantly fell the moment she saw who was standing in her office.
"David?"
"Hey Rob. Long time no see."
Oliver impatiently waited for the elevators to open up. In the entire week that he couldn't see Katie, he found himself too anxious, never completely focused, and now that she was here, there's a shift in his life. And he couldn't quite describe it, but he knew one of the results was impatience with things and people that seem to keep distance between him and Katie.
When the door finally opened, Oliver rushed on practically bumping into the person walking off. Oliver looked up with wide eyes when he realized who it was.
"Captain, I'm sorry-" Oliver started but Lance simply held up a hand to stop him before stepping off, and Oliver stepped on. The moment the Captain's feet stepped off the elevator, his phone suddenly rang and he brought it to his ear.
"Yeah, this is Lance." the Captain answered before suddenly shooting out a hand to stop the elevator from closing. "I'm here now, are you sure?" Oliver watched the man in confusion as he stepped back onto the elevator. "No, I want a team covering this block, if he's here, I want him found." and with that the man hung up the phone before reaching forward and pressing a button on the elevator.
"Is everything alright Captain?" Oliver asked and Lance let out a heavy breath before turning to the man. "What's wrong?"
"A call came in, someone matching David Parker's description was seen on the premises." Lance said and Oliver's eyes darkened before he turned and began repeatedly pushing the button for Katie's floor.
There was absolutely no action happening in the lobby of Robin's Incorporated. That was the single thought one Lois Lane, star reporter for the Daily Planet, had as she sat letting her eyes scan over the other reporters and Starling Citizens who were all waiting for the press conference to begin. She really hadn't been waiting that long, but she was always impatient and so she decided to go search for a story. And so the woman stood to her feet, slyly walking over to the crowd of reporters.
"Oh my God, is that Katherine Robins?!" she yelled and as expected they were like moths to a flame. Cameras started flashing, reporters were yelling and Lois was using the distraction to sneak away toward the elevators. She pressed the button hoping it would hurry before security spotted her.
"Hey!" a voice yelled and Lois turned finding she was caught, as the dark suited man began walking toward her. "Press area is in the lobby."
"Oh, I know, I was just uh-" the woman cleared her throat hoping a believable story would magically appear in her head.
"She's with me." a familiar voice spoke, and Lois turned with wide eyes to see someone she didn't expect. "Clark Kent from the Deaily planet. Me and Ms. Lane have a personal interview with Dr. Robins before the conference." The guard quirked a brow before turning and speaking into the comlink in his ear. Lois and Clark shared a look before turning back to the man.
"Alright, everything checks out." the guard replied just as the elevator doors opened. The reporters gave a nod before stepping inside. The moment the doors closed, Lois couldn't hold her tongue any longer.
"What the fuck was that?!" Lois asked turning to Clark. "What are you doing here?"
"Like I said, I have an interview with the doctor before the conference." Clark replied with a bit of a smile.
"So Perry sent you all the way here for an interview, when I'm actually here?" Lois asked with a shake of her head. "That makes no sense."
"Well he's been getting complaints about you and your interactions with Katie and figured you probably wouldn't conduct the interview to his liking."
"He wants a puff piece?" Lois asked and Clark just gave a nod. "Oh, well he's probably right. Enough time in a confined room with that woman and she would tell me what she hiding."
"Exactly what do you think she's hiding Lois? Do you think she killed her father? That she's hiding his body?"
"No, despite my dislike for the woman I can honestly say that from what I've seen, she really did love her father and wouldn't hurt him, it's just this disappearance is odd. I mean who would steal a dead body?" she looked back over to her partner. "Plus I've been looking into this Martin Ellis guy who seems like a ghost, but I'm sure he could shed some light on this."
"And Katherine?"
"She's hiding something about this." Lois said turning back to the elevator doors. "Whatever it is I think may actually lead to what really happened to her father."
Oliver didn't expect to run today. Today was supposed to be a normal day and yet he was running down the empty hall of RI. The Captain tried to keep up, but ran out of breath half way there and had to stop. The moment Oliver stopped in front of Jacob's office, he was about to just walk inside when Lance called his name. He looked over to see the man walking toward him as he pulled his gun from his holster.
"Get behind me." Lance said still a bit out of breath. Oliver wanted to argue, to actually tell the man to stand behind him, but at the moment he had to fight the instincts of the Arrow and just be Oliver the rich guy. So the man begrudgingly took a step back and watched as Lance reached for the door knob, turning it slowly before pushing the door open. Oliver was right behind him, stopping the moment his feet were in the office. Oliver and Lance watch as the familiar face of David Parker stares with a smile, and a gun aimed at them. Lance kept his gun held firmly as well aimed at the man.
"Ollie, boss, it's been a while." David said. "Would one of you mind closing the door, there's a bit of a draft." both Oliver and Lance ignore him as they looked over to where Katie sat, her back to them not saying a word.
"Twinkie are you alright?" Oliver asked, but there was no response. He turned his glare to David. "What the hell did you do to her?"
"I gave her a gift that just keeps on giving." David replied before grabbing Katie's chair and spinning it around so the men could see the woman who was tied to the chair, her mouth bound with rope. That wasn't where their eyes were though. It was on the device surrounded by wires, attached to her chest that caught their attention. "Now Oliver-" Oliver glanced back over to the man. "Close the door."
Felicity Smoak let out an annoyed sigh when she stepped off the elevator and saw Ray Palmer still in the empty lab. All the staff was probably downstairs waiting on the conference to begin. She knocked on the glass door before pushing it open, and the man didn't even budge.
"You know I'm a bit of a science geek too, but when a billion dollar business deal is just moments away I prioritize." Felicity said appearing on the other side of the holo computer where the man was working on some kind of computer code. "Ray you were supposed to be ready ten minutes ago. What happened?"
"I just need five more minutes." the man said his eyes darting across the code. Felicity simply rolled her eyes before typing in a few keys and cutting off the computer. Ray looked over to the woman who simply folded her arms over her chest. "Right, this is kind of a big day, huh?" he looked down to his watch and his eyes went wide. "Shit." he looked back over to Felicity. "Sorry." he grabbed his suit jacket and tie, tossing it around his neck.
"Ray!" Felicity said and the man stopped. "Just calm down." she walked over and began tying the man's tie as he stared down with a smile. "Today is a very important day for a lot of people." she looked up to the man's eyes. "There is a crowd of people downstairs who came here because you and Katie are giving them an opportunity they didn't think they would have again. You should try to be in this moment and worry about-" she looked over to the computer still not able to fully believe what the man had revealed to her. "Your A.T.O.M later."
"I just want it to be right." Ray said and Felicity turned to him with a smile. "This city needs someone who can be their beacon of hope, especially after that whole Brickwell thing."
"Well the Arrow is back."
"Yeah, but he can't save the whole city with an arrow." Ray replied with a nod as Felicity finished tying his tie. "Plus I think this city is big enough for the both of us." he slipped on his jacket and held out his arm for the woman to take. "But you're right about today. This is one of those moments I'm going to remember for a long time, so I think I should be a little more present." Felicity simply smiled before taking looping her arm through his and heading out of the lab toward the elevator.
"All the members of both boards should be here by now." Felicity said with a nod. "I just have to grab Katie and we can get this-"
"Road on the Show!" Ray said and Felicity turned to him with a quirked brow. "I've always wanted to say that."
Oliver and Quentin found themselves sitting on the floor, on the other side of the office after David took the Captain's gun.
"This isn't going to end well for you Parker." Lance spoke. "You do know that don't you? There's no way you're getting out of here clean. Security is covering this place, and the SCPD is outside right now looking for you."
"And yet none of it was enough to keep me out of here." David spoke from his spot perched on the desk looking down to Katie who kept her eyes closed. "You can't ignore me forever, sweetie."
"What do you want?" Oliver asked and David chuckled before looking over to the man.
"You know what I want Oliver." David said turning back to Katie, and placing a hand on her knee. "What I've always wanted." she jerked away from his touch, her eyes opening with a dark glare aimed right at him. "And I would've had her-"
"If you didn't take pleasure in killing innocent people?" Oliver asked and David growled, grabbing his gun and walking over to the man.
"No Oliver, if it wasn't for you!" David snapped angrily with the gun aimed at the man who didn't even flinch. "You were always so perfect. Every girl wanted you, even the one who was too damn good for you. I'm glad you're here though Oliver because it's time for your streak of luck to end." he walked over and crouched in front of the man. "I know your secret." Oliver's eyes darkened, as a smile came to David's lips. "The one you've been trying extra hard to keep from her." that confused Oliver for a moment until he realized there was only one thing he'd been keeping from Katie. There were unexpected voices outside the door, and David quickly stood to his feet. "Did you lock the door."
"You just said to close it." Oliver replied when suddenly the door opened, and two surprised faces walked in at the sight of the gun aimed at them.
"Damn it Lane!" Quentin snapped as the woman glanced over to him. "What the hell are you doing up here?"
"I'm here for the interview." Clark spoke, pushing Lois behind him. "Lois came with. You're Detective David Parker."
"You know who I am. I think I'm flattered." David said glancing over to Lois. "You, close the door, and make sure it's locked." Lois didn't move as her eyes looked over to a tied up Katie and the bomb clearly attached to her. "Now!" the brunette quickly turned and closed the door, making sure to lock it before turning back to the man with the gun. "Now both of you, over against the wall." Clark brought an arm around Lois, keeping his eyes on David as they walked over to sit on the floor beside Oliver and Lance.
"I guess now it's a party!" David said before stripping off his jacket and turning back to Katie. He didn't see the look that passed between Oliver and Clark.
Felicity stood smiling and waving to the members of the board as they filled into the boardroom. She watched as Ray, always the charmer, Palmer shook hands and had nice small talk with everyone in the room. A hand on Felicity's back caused her to turn around, and meet the serious face of John Diggle. The man nudged his head to the hall where Felicity followed.
"What's up?" Felicity asked once they were out of ear shot of the boardroom.
"Well I was downstairs when I noticed an increased in people with badges in the lobby." John asked glancing down both ends of the hall. "Something's going on."
"Where's Oliver?" Felicity asked and John turned to the blonde with a shake of his head.
"No idea, and he's not answering his phone."
"He's probably still with Katie in Jacob's office." Felicity replied when she heard footsteps and turned to see Ray. "Hey."
"Hey, is everything alright?" Ray asked glancing between John and Felicity.
"Yeah, John here was just letting me know about an issue downstairs, but I will handle it." Felicity replied before turning back to John. "Right now." she looked over to Ray with a smile. "I'm going to get Katie now and send her down ok." Ray gave a nod before turning back into the boardroom. "Alright, let's go."
Jacob Robins' office was brutally quiet as a group of hostages sat staring at their captor as he paced back and forth on the other side of the room.
"Any idea how we're getting out of here?" Lois whispered to the others.
"We're not going anywhere until that bomb is taken off of Katie." Oliver said, looking over to the woman who simply stared back at him.
"Which is going to be tough without knowing what type of bomb it is."
"Looks like a high grade binary setup." Lois said and all eyes went to her as she looked over the bomb. "Only problem is that it has a remote detonation." she finally noticed the eyes on her and shrugged. "I did a story on a Metropolis bomber a couple of years back." she looked back over to David who was still pacing, and muttering to himself. "This guy is too unstable to have a bomb at his finger tips."
"I got it!" David said suddenly before walking over to the others. "Lois Lane. You're the one who was pestering my Rob about her father, right?" Lois glanced over to Clark before turning back to David. "Today is your lucky day, because that interview you've been dying to have, well you're about to get it." he took a step back. "Stand up."
"Look David-"
"Detective Parker!" David snapped, his gun now aimed at Clark. "I am a detective and you will address me as such."
"Fine, Detective Parker, whatever this is, you still have time to just think this out." Clark said. "No one has been hurt, there's still a chance you could walk out of here."
"I lost that chance the moment I met her." David said glancing over his shoulder to Katie. "I was the stoner kid, I had no friends, and the only people who talked to me just wanted some pot." he shook his head with a smile. "And then one day-"
"You're pathetic." Oliver suddenly interrupted and David turned a darkened glare to the man. "She doesn't want you, get over it, and let us go."
"Definitely not the thing you say to the guy with a bomb."Lois muttered before standing to her feet. "Interview, let's do that ok." David turned to the woman with a nod before pointing to the seat across from Katie. Lois quickly walked over to take the seat as David went to Katie. He slid a hand along her cheek, but she jerked away from his touch.
"Alright, Rob, I'm going to take this gag from your mouth, and you are going to answer all of the nice reporters questions honestly. If I even think you're lying then people start getting shot." he grabbed the back of her hair and pulled it back, so her eyes were forced to meet his eyes. "Do you understand?" she gave a short nod before the man reach up and pulled the gag from her mouth.
"I'm going to kill you, you know that don't you?" Katie asked and David simply smiled. "And I think I might take way more pleasure out of it, then I should."
"Aw, no sweet talk in front of company dear." David said before turning her chair so she could look right at Lois. "You have an interview to give." he glanced over to Lois and gave a nod for her to begin.
"Uh, Dr. Robins, when was the last time you laid eyes on your father?" Lois asked. Katie turned away, not wanting to play this game.
"Oh Rob, I think you better answer the question, or our dear Ollie gets a shot to the leg." David growled and Katie grit her teeth before turning back to Lois.
"The day of his funeral." Katie replied, her eyes cold.
"Ok, and uh when you found out that his body was taken, what was your first thought?"
"This is bullshit." Katie said turning to David. "There is no point to this. I don't know where my father is." she turned back to Lois. "Someone took him and-"
"Not someone. Martin Ellis." Lois interrupted and Katie shook her head. "I'm right, aren't I?"
"I'm sitting here with a bomb strapped to my chest and you're digging for a story. Very classy Ms. Lane." Katie looked over to Oliver whose eyes were still on her.
"Answer the question, Rob." David ordered and Katie let out a heavy sigh before turning back to Lois.
"I don't know if Martin took my father, but I've always suspected."
"Why would he take your father's corpse?"
"Well that's the million dollar question, isn't it Ms. Lane? He had absolutely nothing valuable except his suit. There were never any ransom demands, or any taunting of any kind." Katie replied angrily. Lois stared for a few moments silently, her next question was something she's really wanted to ask.
"Doctor, how well did you know your father?" Lois asked and Katie laughed. No one in the room saw the humor in the question, and simply stared in confusion. "What's so funny?"
"How well does anyone know anyone Ms. Lane?" Katie asked with a shake of her head. "The man that raised me was apparently an impostor. A myth." Katie chuckled again. "Nothing was ever real. Hell his death probably isn't even real." there was a sudden shift in the room, and Katie stopped laughing because that was the first time the thought had came to her, and now that it did, it wouldn't let her go.
"What if it isn't?" Lois asked and Katie lifted her eyes to meet the woman.
"That's not—" Katie started before turning to Oliver. There was something in his eyes, something she'd seen before. He turned away from her and she felt her insides twisting.
"Did we just stumble upon a revelation?!" David asked sliding to sit on the corner of the desk. "Could it really be possible, that dear ole daddy Robins is alive and-" David turned to Oliver a smile. "Our perfect Mr. Queen knew this whole time and never uttered a word."
"Twinkie, I can-"
"Stop talking." Katie said turning away from the man and looking to David. "Was that all you needed? Has today gone the way you would like?"
"Twinkie, please-"
"I said stop talking Oliver!" Katie snapped. "Do what you're good at and just shut the hell up." she looked back to David. "What now?"
David didn't even get a chance to answer, before a knock on the door startled the room. Everyone's eyes turned to the door, as David slid from the desk and began walking toward the door.
"Katie!" Felicity's voice called from the other side of the door before trying to turn the handle. "Oliver? Is everything alright!"
"Everything is fine!" Katie called back, her voice trying to feign a lightness that she hoped she was portraying, as David inched closer to the door. "What's up?"
"The meeting is starting."
"Oh, ok. Give us like ten minutes, and we'll be out all smiles!" Katie replied.
"Alright." Felicity replied.
On the other side of the door, Felicity stepped away about to head back toward the elevator, but stopped when she noticed John not moving.
"What's up?"
"We'll be out, all smiles." John said with a shake of his head before looking over to Felicity. "That sounded a bit off coming from her, didn't it."
"Well I guess, she's never all smiles..." Felicity said as John turned away, grabbing his gun that was tucked in his pant. "John, what-"
"It's David." John said taking a step back from the door. Felicity took a step back as well before John took a couple of shots at the doorknob and barreled through the door. His gun went right to the man he suspected was on the other side, who had a gun as well aimed right at him.
"Oh my god." Felicity said and John glanced over to her, following her eyes to Katie who sat tied to a chair, a bomb strapped to her chest.
"John, Lis, good to see you." David said and Felicity turned a glare to the man. "I think the only person missing is Roy, and then this really would be like a little reunion."
"What have you done, you bastard!" Felicity snapped.
"Oh Lis, I just brought a little truth to the room." David replied with a wide smile. "Now my Rob sees the man Oliver is, and can see that I really was the lesser of two evils."
"Yeah, because the guy who rapes and murders women is the guy any girl would love to spend the rest of her life with." Oliver said before standing to his feet. The move seemed to surprise everyone a bit, and soon the captain and Clark stood as well. "Where's the detonator David?"
"You mean this?" David asked before reaching into the pocket of his pants and pulling out a little remote like device. "Yeah, I really do have it, and I really will kill everyone in this room if you don't sit back down."
"Let them go." Katie said and David glanced over to her with a quirked brow. "It's me and you, right? We're the only two that matter. Let them go, and then it's just us."
"I'm not leaving you in here with him." Oliver said, taking a step toward her.
"Yeah you are." Katie said turning to the man. "David was right. I thought I was choosing the lesser of two evils, but the truth is that wasn't you. You're just like the rest of them, you lie and you hurt my feelings and I really just want you to leave." she looked back to David. "I don't want to see any of them anymore, please, just make them leave." the man stared long and hard before giving a sharp nod.
"Alright people, you heard the lady." David said with a smile. "Everyone out." No one moved for a moment, and David let out an annoyed sigh. "I said-" he pointed his gun to the ceiling and pulled the trigger. "Everyone out!"
"Go." Oliver said, his eyes still on Katie who refused to look at him. "Everyone go." Oliver's words seemed to spur movement as everyone began moving toward the door. Lance was the only one who stopped in front of the man.
"Boss."
"You were a good cop. I'm disappointed in you Parker. You're not getting away with this." Lance said taking a dangerous step toward the man. "And if you hurt that woman over there, you better believe I will not rest until you're rotting in the deepest darkest hole I can find."
"I'll mark my calendar, boss." David quipped as Quentin simply grit his teeth before turning to leave with the others.
When David turned around, he found Oliver still standing in his spot, and he couldn't help the slight chuckle that escaped his lips.
"It's over Oliver." David said walking over to the man. "You screwed up, keep what little dignity you have and just leave."
"Oliver, go." Katie said turning to meet the man's eyes.
It took all the will power Oliver had to finally turn and walk toward the door. He knew there was nothing more he could do here as Oliver Queen. He cast one final glare to David before finally stepping out of the office.
"How did you know about my father?" Katie asked and David turned to her with a shrug. "He didn't tell you, and no one in this room told, so who was it?" David let out a sigh as he took the seat across from her. "Was it your yellow friend who moves really fast?"
"He's not my friend anymore." David muttered dropping his head. "If I make it out of this alive, I'm pretty sure he's going to kill me."
"Who is he?" Katie asked and the man look up to her with a smile. "It's the Reverse Flash, isn't it? Why did he help you get to me?"
"I don't even know anymore." David said with a shake of his head. He'd asked himself that question many times, but simply chucked it off to good luck. "He said he needed you. Needed your spark."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"I never found out." David said before standing to his feet. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. We need to find a way out of here, I already have a car and I know a guy who can get us to Mexico."
"David-"
"We're just going to need some money, which luckily you have."
"David-"
"We're actually going to do this Rob." David said with a smile that almost broke Katie's heart. The smile was so honest, so innocent, and it hid the monster inside of him so well.
"My dad had a thing for hidden compartments." Katie said unexpectedly. "He liked the old school stuff like safes behind pictures, and hidden spaces underneath his desks. I thought he was just a history buff you know, but the more I learn about him, the more I realize they were all survival techniques." David heard something hit the floor, and suddenly Katie stood to her feet, tossing a knife to the desk. "Take this desk for example. Underneath the left drawer was this old pocket knife that I was able to grab when you weren't looking. And underneath the right one-" Katie bent forward to reach under the desk, a smile coming to her lips as she suddenly pulls out a gun, aiming it right at the man. "Of course it's a Smith and Wesson." David lifted his gun as well. "Drop the gun David."
"Have we forgotten so quickly that I also have this!" David said pulling out the detonator. "So how about you drop the gun, Rob."
"You know this thing was kind of warm when you put it on me." Katie said slowly stepping around the desk, never dropping the gun. "Now not so much. How much you want to bet that this bomb of yours some way, some how, could be wirelessly disarmed and in that case your good friend Lis couldn't wait to get out of here." David pressed the button on the detonator, but nothing happened. He kept pushing it and kept pushing, but it was no use. "It's over David. Drop your gun." the man cursed as he tossed the remote aside. He closed his eyes and ran a hand across his head trying to figure out his next move, but there wasn't one. "David-" the man opened his eyes and just smiled.
"Always remember that I love you, Rob."
Before she could even say a word, David brought the gun to his mouth and without hesitation, just pulled the trigger.
It was the humming that pulled Katie from lucidity. His blood splattered around the room, even hitting her face, but her eyes seemed drawn to the strange colors and patterns David's brain seemed to create on the wall behind him. At some point there were people swarming her, talking to her, but all she heard was that humming.
Oliver's face appeared in front of her, his mouth moving, but absolutely none of his words made it to her ears. He was suddenly pushed aside as people in strange suits began looking at the device on her chest. Her eyes only drifted back to the wall, to the color and patterns left behind.
Soon they all found themselves at Starling General Hospital where Katie was whisked away into one of the exam rooms, while they were left to wait. Oliver Queen had taken on a nervous pace, back and forth along the hall, a scowl carved into his face.
"So she knows?" Felicity spoke, breaking the brutally uncomfortable silence. "Everything?"
"She knows everything." Oliver muttered, not breaking his stride or casting a glance to the woman. "She knows Jacob is alive, and that I knew as well."
"What I don't get is how did David know all of this." John said. "Jacob has been covering his tracks this entire time, how could he let himself be caught by a crazy person."
"It doesn't matter." Felicity said with a shake of her head. "She now knows and it came from him and not us."
"She doesn't know any of you were involved." Oliver replied still pacing. "She doesn't have to-"
"If you are about to suggest more lies, more secrets, then I really will hit you." Felicity said standing to her feet. "This was not how this was supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to find this out from David."
They all turned at the sight of Dr. James. Oliver stopped and walked to meet the man who stopped.
"Is she alright?" Oliver asked.
"She's fine. She just went into shock. I guess that's a normal response after seeing someone blow their brains out in front of you." Christian said with a shake of his head. "I gave her a sedative, and I was able to get her to talking."
"Can I see her?" Oliver asked and Christian shook his head.
"She doesn't want to see you. That she made perfectly clear." Christian replied before turning to Felicity. "I wanted to keep her here just to observe, but she refused and demanded to be released. Since there isn't anything physically wrong, I had to comply. She wanted you to take her home." Felicity turned away for a moment, before turning back to the doctor and giving him a nod. "I'll show you to her room."
Oliver stood there and watched them walk away. He felt everything inside of him crumbling in this moment. He promised himself that he wouldn't mess this up again, that if he ever got another chance with Katie, he would hold on to it. But just like that, he lost her again.
"Oliver-"
Oliver held up a hand toward the man, before turning and stalking off down the hall.
When Felicity walked into Katie's room, Katie was already dressed in a pair of scrubs, sitting on the edge of the bed. Katie lifted her eyes to Felicity and quickly stood to her feet.
"I just want to get home, Smoaks." Katie said before the woman could say a word. She grabbed her jacket and pulled it on before heading for the door.
"I knew." Felicity said suddenly and Katie stopped walking. "I found out when you were in Nanda Parbat and even then I didn't really believe it." Katie turned to face the woman who now had tears in her eyes. "But then he showed up at the foundry. He was right there, telling us not to go to you, that it would only make matters worse, and that you would find your way out." a smile pulled at Felicity's lips. "And you did. You-" she took a step forward and Katie only backed away. "I wanted to tell you. Every day, I wanted to tell you the truth."
"But you didn't." Katie sighed turning away. "None of you did."
"Katie-"
"I guess that's karma." Katie muttered to herself before looking back over to Felicity. "I'm going to take a cab home." Katie turned to leave, but Felicity couldn't let this moment end like this.
"Katie, I'm sorry. I really am. We never meant to hurt you."
"No one really means to hurt the people they love." Katie said looking back over to the blonde. "But I guess sometimes it happens, and you just have to live with the consequences." with that the woman walked out of that room, not even looking back.
That night Katie found herself sitting in her dark living room, nursing a bottle whiskey. Drunk Twinkie was out and in full force, but she wasn't cheery or ready to party. Drunk Twinkie was sad, and debating if she should grab the keys to her car and leave Starling forever.
There was a knock at her door, but Katie didn't even move. She simply brought the bottle to her lips and took another long swig, wincing at the burn as it went down her throat. The knocking continued and Katie continued to ignore it, before she heard someone tinkering with her doorknob. The woman reached under her couch and grabbed the hidden gun before standing to her feet.
Suddenly the door opened, and Katie watched as someone entered. She reached over flicking on the light, and the moment she did, all air left her lungs. The bottle in her hand dropped, shattering to pieces on the floor.
"Hey there Sunshine." Jacob greeted nervously, but Katie didn't even utter a peep. "I uh, heard what happened today. About David, and I got a call. Well not directly, but I got wind of Oliver not so nicely demanding that I get my ass here." Katie still didn't say a word as her eyes stared blankly at him. It was strange. It was as if the switch keeping her together just suddenly flicked off. "This is shocking I know, but-" Katie rose her gun and aimed it at the man. "Katherine, if you would just-"
Katie pulled the trigger without hesitation. Without regret or a twitch of her hand.
It was the humming that should've frightened her. The fact that she could hum as she walked over and grabbed the man's foot, pulling him further inside the loft, should unease her.
And yet it didn't.
Author's note :
She knows! That last scene was just priceless.
Review Replies:
rockyroyal,dr: Yes, Thea is definitely a voice of the readers sometimes. I definitely loved the hallucinations because it shows that internal battle still happening inside of himself even though he's awake. Those dreams aren't letting him go, and he's finally accepting that there is a reason. I think Thea is that piece of innocence Oliver and Katie get to hold onto and they don't want anything to take that away. Plus I think what Katie was giving Thea the one thing she wasn't given, and that was a choice. The engagement was something that was a long time coming, now lets just hope they make it to the altar.
Adela: I'm so glad you like this story. For me a sequel is always in the stars, but only time will tell. Real lift sucks all my time sometimes, but I will hold on to this story for as long as it takes.
Elliebelle4444: I really liked this chapter as well. Yes marriage is now the endgame, but with Twiver there will probably all sorts of twists and turns that try to thwart those plans. Oh, and now worries. I'm glad you're sticking around to see where this craziness goes.
kuppcake: Why thank you! I'm an Olicity fan as well, but I love OCs that can be done right. I know OCs can be very difficult to incorporate into a story and make it seem natural. I hope I'm doing that with Twinkie. I'm glad you've tagged along for the ride.
Moving right along. So sorry for the wait, but no excuses just chapters lol. Thanks to everyone both heard and unheard. You're all great. I'm half sleep trying to get this posted, so I'll just keep this short and sweet.
As always, here's your sneak peek
"So you don't want an apology and you don't want to hear my side of this story, then tell me what do you want?"
"I want you to leave and-"
There was a noise, and they both heard it and both turned. Oliver moved to check it out, but Katie quickly moved to block him from leaving the kitchen.
"What are you doing?"
"It was nothing."
"How do you—is someone here?"
"Oliver, just please leave and we'll talk about this-" before Katie could even finish the sentence, Oliver had slipped passed her and was now searching for the source of the noise.