I am so sorry guys, these last couple months have been stressful and busy but here the next chapter, (FINALLY). Hope you guys enjoy.
Oliver didn't sleep the rest of the night, lost in his mind. He tries to figure out how Slade got out in the first place, where he is now; his mind wouldn't shut down.
It took him half an hour to calm Tommy down and get everyone back in bed, but he feels that no one got sleep either.
By the time the time the sun appears over the mountains, he already has people cleaning up the disaster and erasing the visions of the night before.
"Hey" Felicity whispers, wrapping her arms around his waist and lays her head on the space between his shoulder blades. While she eases his mind with her comfort, he continues to look out on the veranda.
"Hi" he says laying his head on hers and kisses her hair. "Did you get any sleep?"
"Not really, and judging by the way you're standing, neither have you."
"Slade is free, there is no time for sleep."
"Oliver"
He turns in her embrace.
"I should have known."
"You couldn't have known that Slade escaped and the he would come here."
"But if I had just had my guard up, Tommy wouldn't be hurt and scarred for life."
Knowing that she can't change his mind she keeps her lips sealed.
"Look I know you well enough to know that I can't dig you out of your self-loathing, so let's just skip all that and have breakfast, what do you say?"
Sighing he gives in, "Alright"
Taking his hand, she laces his fingers with hers and guides him off the deck and towards the hallway. When they reach the hall, they stop right in front of Tommy's room.
"We should make sure he's ok" Oliver said pushing the door open gently.
The sight they are welcomed to is their little boy holding tightly onto a teddy bear, fast asleep. But Felicity can see the lines of fear across his face.
"Oh Tommy" she whispers and walks over to him. When she takes a seat on his bed, she sees the hint of sweat coasting down his forehead.
She carefully picks him up, and without warning he jolts up and cries.
"Hey, hey it's ok, it's just me" Felicity whispers into his hair.
"Buddy it's ok, you're safe" Oliver says as he quickly comes over to soothe the little boy with his hand to his back, drawing comforting circles on his spine.
"It's ok" she says once more.
When the toddler realizes that he is in his mother's arms, he immediately loops his arms around her neck with all his strength, to the point if he holds any tighter, she might start choking.
"Mommy, I had a bad dream" he says whimpering and still crying.
"I know, and it's ok, mommy and daddy are here."
"I promise the bad man is gone" Oliver whispers into his hair.
After a few more minutes in the morning silence, with rays of sunlight shining through the clear window, Felicity finally stands up.
"Alright I was promised breakfast and intend to get it. What about you little guy, are you hungry?"
The only acknowledgment she receives is a head nod to her chest.
"I will take that as a yes."
With that, Oliver also stands up and wraps his arms around her and guides his little family to the kitchen.
With smells escaping the large modern, four people slowly make their way down the stairs to the wonderful aroma.
"What's going on?" Moira asks as she walks through the threshold.
Felicity is sitting at the table, swaying gently holding Tommy to her chest. While this is going on Oliver is on the other side of the kitchen flipping omelets.
"Oh, Oliver are you ok? Are you hurt?" Laurel says practically running to him and taking him in. "I was so worried."
"Are we just going to pretend that last night didn't happen?" Moira asked ignoring Laurel's actions.
"Yeah Ollie, you were attacked by a psycho maniac, and you're just going to brush it under the rug?" Tommy asked.
"Who was that man, Oliver?" Moira asks.
Looking to Felicity worried, all he sees in her eyes is trust. "I don't know. I've never seen that man before in my life." He says while taking Laurel's hands off his chest gently.
"Oliver don't you need to get ready for work?" Felicity asked eyeing him with a deeper meaning.
"Yeah" he says bringing a plate over to her and kisses her head.
"I should clean up…"
"I've got it." She says looking him in the eye to reassure him. "Go, I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm not letting this little guy go anytime soon." Then she whispers, "I'll figure this out, I promise."
After a smile of reassurance, Oliver leaves the kitchen and goes upstairs to get ready for his day.
When he comes down 15 minutes later he is carrying two jackets with him.
"As of last night, this place has been compromised, but unfortunately I can't let you leave." Oliver says in his commanding tone.
"Why not Ollie?" Laurel asks. "What if he comes back? There is a whole world out there and even if we get caught, I would rather take those odds than be a sitting duck here. "
"Laurel, we've been over this, it's too dangerous for you to leave. You could change something, and I'm not risking that."
"Since when have you been so concerned about science fiction? Because that's all it is, Ollie, SCIENCE FICTION."
"Well not quite" Felicity mutters.
Taking a deep breath in through his nose, Oliver ignores his friends comment. "Look I have a friend who is going to keep watch, and make sure this man doesn't make an appearance."
After he says this, he gives the two jackets to Felicity, for her to put on her and Tommy.
"A friend?" Moira asks boarder line disgusted.
"A Lieutenant actually" Felicity says defending her friend through clench teeth.
Oliver takes Tommy and gets up.
"Oh, and where are you going?" Laurel asks Felicity.
"You know Laurel not all of us are going to make it as Trophy wives."
"Felicity" Oliver says in a warning tone. "Go"
Rolling her eyes, she exits the room.
"Just stay here. And call me if anything, and I mean anything happens."
And with that he leaves behind his family to wallow in their confusion.
When the elevator doors open, sounds of worried voices fill Oliver's ears.
"Oliver ok?"
"Are you guys ok?"
"What happened Hoss?"
But the only one he processes is the one who steps in front of him.
"Oliver, what happened?" Barry asked looking his friend in the eye.
"Slade. He attacked last night." Oliver says directing Felicity to her chair. The wondering eyes follow every step. When Felicity is settled in her chair, Tommy lifts his head from his mother's chest.
Barry immediately sees the tear tracks on the little boy's face. "Oh, Tommy. What did he do?" Barry asks almost seething.
Knowing who Barry was talking about, he puts his hands over his face as the memory comes back full force. Trying several times to speak and failing, he finally takes a deep breath and retells the story.
"He took Tommy from his bed and when I got down there he… he had a sword to his throat."
At the confession the room goes into an eerie silence.
"Oh my god" Caitlyn whispers in disbelief as she bows her head down and shuts her eyes.
Barry is the first to speak, "Where is he?" he asks with anger evident in his voice.
"He got away, my family woke up and I couldn't expose myself. But I did get in the shoulder."
"Oliver we're going to find him" Felicity says with determination.
The moment is quickly broken when his phone goes off. "I have to go, I have a mess to clean up."
"We'll look for Slade" Cisco says sitting down.
"Yeah, and I'll check you both out, make sure everything's ok" Caitlyn says to Felicity who simply nods.
"Thank you and let me know if you find anything." And with that he turns back to the elevator with Barry following closely behind.
"Oliver, we will find him and we will make him pay."
"Please watch them guard and protect them."
"With my life."
And with one final nod of understanding Oliver steps in the elevator and prepares himself for the next disaster awaiting him.
After leaving the bunker Oliver heads straight to City Hall and is instantly bombarded by questions of concern and questions of accusations if the events from last night actually happened.
Eventually making his way to his office, he immediately closes his door and takes a calming breath before proceeding to his desk. Sitting down he looks down at all of the paperwork littering his workspace.
"Oliver"
"Ollie"
"Thea. Lance"
"Are you ok?" Lance asks with a sense of worry lacing his tone and features.
"Yes, I'm fine- we're fine."
"Why didn't you call me last night?" Thea asked irritated.
"Honestly it didn't really cross my mind to talk to anyone, I was more focused on getting my 3-year-old to stop crying and back to bed and my wife to not get anymore stressed out then she already was."
Sighing he leans back into the chair and feels the adrenaline leaving him all at once and the whole night catching up to him full force.
"Ollie I'm sorry I…" not really knowing what to say she trails off and Quentin quickly picks up where she left off.
"Slade, where is he?"
"How did you know that it was..."
"Diggle. When I heard that the Mayor's home was attacked he was the first person I contacted."
"Right" taking a deep breath Oliver continues, "I don't know where he went, he disappeared, Felicity's tracking him down but she hasn't gotten anything yet."
"Is Tommy alright?" Thea asked.
"He's… Slade had him, a blade to his tiny throat."
"Oh my god" she said gasping and Quinten not fairing much better.
"I don't think he'll be ok for a while." Oliver said looking down guilty.
Seeing the sad look on her brother's face, she walks over to him and puts a hand to his shoulder. "Ollie, we're going to find him and this time he's not going to have a cell to go back to."
Once the clock strikes 5 O'clock, Oliver sighs realizing that he didn't really get anything done because he's been so focused on the safety of his family. His mind had strayed every time he tried to focus on the papers hovering on his desk. Slade's whereabouts and his motive, and how he even got out in the first place were far more important.
Shaking his head, he finally calls it a day and quickly leaves to go pick up Tommy and Felicity. He had been texting her and Barry constantly all day to make sure Slade didn't make a surprise appearance. He also contacted Dinah and Tommy a couple times to stay in the know.
When he arrives to the lair, he is met with Felicity quickly typing away and an intense glare glued on her face. Sensing the tension in her shoulders, he goes over to her and massages them.
"Hi" she murmurs looking up to meet his eyes.
"Hi. Any luck?"
"Nope. He's a ghost." She says irritated.
"You'll find him, I have faith in you."
"I hope so."
He kisses the crown of her head, and then hears a bubble of laughter from the other side of the room. Barry is playing with Tommy. It's a laugh he feared he wouldn't hear again.
"Keep looking."
Later that night after everyone is safely in bed he finds himself outside on the porch admiring the beautiful night.
"Mind if I join you?"
Oliver looks up from his glass and is met with eyes that used to haunt his dreams every night.
"Yeah, sure."
"Well one thing that hasn't changed, is the stars. Their beautiful and shine brighter than ever, especially out here."
"Yeah their Tommy's favorite. He is fascinated by the them, and I never truly understood it until one day it dawned on me, they're kind of like his protector when he sleeps."
Meeting his father's eyes, he holds his hands up in surrender "his words not mine…well as accurate as a 3-year-old can get."
Smiling Robert looks at his son for a second longer before something catches his eye. "Vodka? And pure Russian Vodka at that. I didn't know you drank this."
"Yeah well I went through a rough patch down the road that led me to that. Here" Oliver says pouring another glass and offering it to his father.
"Thank you" Simply nodding Oliver goes back to looking ahead of him.
After a couple minutes of the only sound between them is the night crickets, Robert finally speaks up.
"That was very brave, what you did last night."
"I would do anything for my son… for my family."
"I could see that, and I couldn't be prouder. Oliver look, I know I wasn't always there and I wasn't the best father"
"Dad-"
"But I am so glad that you didn't follow in my footsteps and took the high road."
"Dad, I couldn't have done it without you. You don't give yourself enough credit, I may not have known back then but I get it now, you were doing everything you could to provide and protect your family. And dad that is one of the most important lessons I have ever learned from anyone, and I'm really glad that you were the one that taught me that."
"Wow, Felicity really must have done a number on you."
Smirking Oliver looks at his father questioningly "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that she has helped you become the man that I always knew you could be."
Turning serious and sincere Oliver says the one thing that he has wanted to say since the day he came back to civilization, "Thank you dad."
Without even realizing it, tears form and make his eyes go misty and a few run down his cheek.
"I love you dad. I love you" and not wasting another second he leans over and embraces his father in a hug that he has been wanting to give him for the last 20 years.
Clearly being caught off guard by his son's affection, Robert sits stunned but then quickly comes back to his bearings and returns the hug.
"I love you too son. More than you will ever know."
This last scene is how I imagine Oliver's conversation with his dad would go. Thank you for reading.
