++++++ Sorry if this chapter is short but I didn't know what else to add to it.

I hope you enjoy.

I do not own ++++++

Twenty-Three

"Such a supple beauty," Joseph whispered. "You're mine now. I think I might keep you." He put his pants back on and puffed some smoke in my face. Crossing the room, he looked out the window. "Ah-sister mine is back…and she has her prize."

I awoke suddenly and rather violently, ripping myself out of bed. If there was anything in my stomach there would be now after I threw up in the bucket beside the bed. I looked around the room to try and get my bearings but seeing the classical black and red gothic decoration I instantly knew I was in Suki and Dick's bedroom.

My entire body ached.

I looked under the covers to see that I was wearing an oversized shirt with BPD on the front, underneath that I was a canvas of black, blue and red-my ability to heal hadn't kicked in yet.

The door to the bedroom opened and Dick came in with some food. "Was wondering when you'd wake up. There still some of the drug in your system so I had to dig out the first aid kit. Don't worry," he added, seeing the panic all over my face, "Suki did it. I just made you soup."

He came and sat the food down on the nightstand. It was just soup but my stomach violently protested its being there. I threw up a second time in the bucket. "Get rid of it," I croaked before bursting into tears.

Clearly Dick had never been in the company of a crying woman before but he gently rubbed my back and let me cry. "Suki hugs this when she's upset." He handed me a stuffed animal-it looked like a dog or something.

I hugged it to my chest and cried. I didn't know how long we were sitting there for but every time the realisation of what had happened slowly crept up on me I just broke down and cried more.

"Barry's coming," Dick told me. "Suki went to the station to get him." Dick got off the bed and went into the bathroom off their bedroom and turned the shower on. "Take a shower, Charlie, you need water. It'll make you feel better." He came out and crossed to a dresser to take out some of what I could only assume were Suki's training clothes. He sat them in the bathroom and left me alone to my devices.

The moment my skin touched the water it was like I was brand new again. Looking down at the bruises I watched as they slowly faded away, cuts and bits healed themselves and my skin became like nothing had ever really happened…scrubbing myself until I was red raw didn't help in the slightest.

I sat on the floor or the shower until the water ran from hot to cold and my skin turned pale, lips blue and my finger pruned.

Why me? I couldn't help but wonder as I dressed like a total zombie.

What was happening back home? The date on the calendar in the bedroom was three days after the opening of Bìnàn. I'd been gone for four days. Was Joe going out of his mind? Was Barry looking all over the country for me?

Most of all the thought foremost in the front of my mind was where were they?

Joseph Wilson and Rose Wilson.

I went to lay back down in bed with the stuffed dog I could hear people arguing outside in the lounge room.

The voices in the still packed lounge room belonged to Dick, Suki, Barry and Oliver?

I stood there in the doorway and made the tiniest little squeak that made the four arguing voices shut up. Barry crossed the room and immediately hugged me. I started muttering under my breath over and over, the same thing. It's my fault.

Barry held me away at arms-length. "It is not your fault, Charlie. Don't you ever, ever think that. None of this is your fault. What happened?"

"She…she attacked me in the alley," I sniffed. "Said her name was Rose…she and her brother were after Suki."

"Joseph is Slade Wilson's son," Oliver explained to Dick. "Obviously he has spread himself out more so then we thought."

"I brought them back here and went back to search the warehouse, they were gone," Dick replied. "Like they weren't even there. I've got the big man looking out for them but I doubt anything will come of it."

"River and I have chartered a fight to China," Oliver explained. "We're going to pay Slade a visit."

"And I'm going with you," Suki reminded him.

"Not if you want to change your last name to Queen you won't be," Oliver threatened. It felt to me like an argument they must have had before. "You need to stay with your friend. Remember last time you acted before thinking?"

"I wanna go back to bed," I whispered, grabbing their attention.

"I'll come with you," Suki smiled softly. She reached out to steer me back into the bedroom but I pushed her straight into the wall.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed.

"Charlie she's only trying to help," Barry objected.

"This is your fault!" I snapped. "They wanted you!" I shouted at Suki. "I was going to be the thing they broke instead of torturing you!" I reached out and slapped her. She just stood there and looked at me, stunned as my hand left a red mark on her face. "I hate you!" I shouted, slapping her a second time.

"Charlie, no don't," Barry asked. He grabbed my arms and I yanked them free, hitting in the face.

"Charlie would you like to go for a walk?" Oliver suggested, cutting through the tension. He picked up what was clearly Suki's jacket but gave it to me to wear. He didn't seem to care that I left with him without wearing any shoes.

It was raining when we got outside, I didn't put the jacket on, instead leaving the rain free reign to soak into my skin. Oliver walked beside me in silence, stopping at a bakery to get something to eat before we sat on a set of swings in the park down the road. He'd already eaten his pie but I just picked at the pastry, eating little bits at a time. "You don't really hate her do you?" he asked me.

I shook my head. "No…I don't think so…" I whispered. "I just…it's hard articulating my thoughts…it-it keeps jumping into my mind."

"I won't press for specifics," Oliver assured me. "But from what we know it's pretty clear that it could have been anyone close to Suki. Felicity, River, Thea, Laurel-anyone. I'd say Tessa but we'd probably be picking bits of organs and skin from Suki's hair by now. The drug that they used on you in unknown. Felicity is still trying to pull it apart-she had to send a sample of it away. I don't think you could have done anything Charlie. Put the blame where it belongs-On the asshole that did this."

"The look in their eyes, the panic," Joseph whispered, biting the space between my shoulder and my neck.

I flinched and stared down at the pie in my hands. A slight wind was starting to pick up. Oliver shifted on the swing but we didn't leave. I think I'd underestimated Oliver over his fight with Suki. What the hell was I going to do now?