Episode 23: The Proposal
Anna chuckled against Oliver's lips as he pushed her against the shower wall. The water ran behind them, all but forgotten. She pulled away enough to see the smile on his face. "You seem awfully interested," she said, causing him to chuckle. "What's the deal?" he kissed her for a long minute before answering. "I love you" he said, kissing her again.
On a Plane Five Hundred Miles from Starling City…
Talia shifted her weight as she sat in a plush chair. She leaned on her left elbow to look out the small airplane window. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she heard a familiar voice getting closer. Ra's sat in the chair across from her, shoving his phone into the inside pocket on his suit jacket.
"Cheer up, Talia," he said. "You'll get to see Anastasia soon." Talia inwardly screamed but outwardly continued looking out the window. "What will become of her?" Talia asked.
"We had this discussion before we boarded the plane" he said.
"But, father, what if she refuses to come home with us? What will you do to her then?" Talia asked, trying to hide her worry.
"Then she will be forcibly removed and then taken back with us. Then once we get her home we'll use Aquarius to tweak her a bit so she's more to the League's standards" he said. Talia noticed he almost sounded proud of himself for coming up with the plan.
Talia hated the thought of her father misusing her daughter. But she had no say in the matter. It was happening and all she could do is try to make it a little less painful. She straightened her face to erase any emotion and stood form the chair. "I think I'll retire" she said. She walked behind her chair and into a hall.
She slipped into her room and shut the door. She pulled open her suitcase and dug out one of the only pictures she had of Anna. She sat on her bed and gazed at it, trying to will her fate not to become a reality.
Anna and Oliver's Apartment…
Anna finished getting dressed and walked down the staircase. Oliver came to her from the couch and she raised an eyebrow questioningly upon seeing his mischievous smile. "I want to take you somewhere. Grab your jacket" he said. She chuckled and looked at him curiously as she swung on her jacket. She zipped it up and Oliver led the way out of the apartment.
He drove her to a familiar hotel and Anna raised her eyebrow again. It was the hotel her sister, Sophia, got married in. he got out of the car and motioned for her to follow. When they walked inside Oliver covered her eyes with his hands from behind. "Okay, what is going on?" she asked.
"Just humor me" he said, leading her somewhere unknown to her. They walked up who knows how many flights of stairs. They Anna heard him opened a door and she felt a cool breeze tugging at her hair. They shuffled forward several more feet before they stopped. He removed his hands from her eyes and she blinked a second to clear the purple spots from her vision.
Once she could see again she noticed the scene. It the roof the League used for the first attempt at her life, when the 'hood' first saved her life. Anna chuckled and smiled. "Why here?" she asked.
"Because I need to ask you something very, very important. And it can only be done here" he said, coming around to stand a few feet in front of her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little, velvet black box before kneeling in front of her. At first she thought he was joking but then she realized he was serious. "Oh, Olly-" she started.
He held up a finger and she went quiet. "Anna, I haven't known you for long. But the time I've spent with you has been the best time of my life. And I want to spend the rest of my life feeling this way with you. So I have to ask…will you marry me?" he asked.
"I don't think no is an option" she said, feeling tears brim her eyes. He pulled the diamond ring form the box and slid it onto her left hand. He stood and enveloped her in a hug. Anna couldn't help crying she felt so happy. She'd never felt happier than she did right then. Knowing she would spend the rest of her life with Oliver. However long that may be…