Chapter 2
"Oliver Queen is alive. The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China sea 5 days ago, 5 years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed "The Queen's Gambit." Queen was a regular tabloid presence and a fixture at the Starling City club scene. Shortly before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault charges stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi. Queen is the son of Starling City billionaire Robert Queen, who was also on board but now officially confirmed as deceased. Queen has confirmed that he and fellow Starling City resident Sara Lance were the only survivors of the sinking of the Queen's Gambit. However, they were found with an as yet unidentified female."
Oliver looked out the window at the city. At his city. Still alive, still full of life. Not yet the empty husk that it would become so many years later. He closed his eyes as images flashed through his mind. Malcolm's Undertaking. Slade's assault. Ra's Al Ghul's attempt at using the bio weapon he and Museo had retrieved from Japan during his forced servitude to Amanda Waller. Damian Dahrk burning Star City to the ground. Thea's death. Laurel's.
"That's enough Ollie." Sara spoke up from beside him. He felt her hand over his, slowly unclenching his fists.
"Sara, I-"
"It will be alright Oliver. We can make things better now. We will make them better." Nyssa said as she came to stand on his other side. The other two had tried to convince her to return to Nanda Parbat, not wanting to incur the wrath of Ra's Al Ghul until they had to, but she had refused saying that her place was by their side. And right now, Oliver couldn't be more grateful that she was there with him and Sara. He knew that with both of them by his side, there was nothing he couldn't do. And if Ra's Al Ghul decided to interfere, he would be facing a very different Oliver Queen then he had during their first encounter. This time, there would be no surviving the Demon's sword. This time, he would end Ra's Al Ghul during their first duel.
Outside the room, Moira Queen stood next to Quentin and Laurel Lance, listening to Doctor Lamb discuss the state of her son and his fellow survivor's.
"20% of his body is covered in scar tissue. Second-degree burns on his back and arms. X-rays show at least 12 fractures that never properly healed. Miss Lance's wounds are similar, but less severe. Only six fractures that never properly healed, and fifteen percent of her body is covered in scars. However, there are several burn marks on her body that are not present on Oliver's. The woman, Miss Raatko has more scars then either of them, and some of them even look self-inflicted."
All three nodded, but they weren't really listening. They were staring into the room, each of them afraid that the missing member of their family would disappear the moment they looked away.
"Has he said anything?" Moira asked.
"Barely a word. That's all any of them have said. I'd like you all to prepare yourselves as best you can. The Oliver and Sara you lost...might not be the ones they found."
They each nodded before walking towards the door, the three occupants turning as they saw it open.
"Mom." Oliver said softly as he saw his mother walk into the room. His mind flashed to the last time he had seen her. When she had been killed by Slade. And it took everything he had to keep his expression blank and simply return her embrace. He made a silent promise that he wouldn't let her die this time around. He wouldn't lose his mother again.
"Daddy." Sara said as she embraced her father, Quentin Lance returning the embrace. Laurel Lance stood off to the side, as though unable to comprehend the scene in front of her.
"Laurel." Oliver spoke up once his mother had released him from her embrace. The sound of her name seemed to make the older Lance sister come to her senses, and her eyes zeroed in on the man who she had loved. The man who had been gone for five years. The man who had cheated on her with her own sister. She walked over to Oliver Queen and slapped him across the face. Or rather she tried to. She found her wrist caught by the dark-haired woman on Oliver's left.
"I would advise you not to try that again." She said calmly, and Laurel glared.
"Stay out of this. It is none of your concern." She replied, and the woman glared.
"I promise you Laurel Lance, any attack on my loved one's is my concern."
"Let her go Nyssa." Oliver said calmly.
"Very well." She replied after a moment, letting Laurel's wrist go.
"Don't do that again. And as for you" She said, looking at Oliver. "I hoped that you would rot in hell a whole lot longer than five years."
"Laurel!" Sara and Quentin said simultaneously, only for Laurel to laugh.
"Don't Laurel me, either of you. Especially not you." She said, turning her glare on Sara.
"We buried an empty coffin because we thought you were at the bottom of the ocean. I couldn't grieve because I was angry, and I couldn't be angry because I was grieving. That's what happens when your sister DIES while she's screwing your boyfriend! Did you think about my feeling's at all before you got on that boat or were you just happy to be Oliver Queen's latest trophy?"
Without waiting for a response, she walked out of the room, leaving the rest of the occupants momentarily stunned into silence. Oliver remembered that Laurel had been angry with him for what happened to Sara, but he had thought with Sara being alive she might be less like the Laurel of his first two years back, and more like the woman who would eventually call herself the Black Canary. He placed an arm around Sara's shoulder as Nyssa did the same from her other side, the blonde looking as though she might cry. She had been told that Laurel had been angry when Oliver first returned, but she had never expected that Laurel would be angry with her. Her sister had been so pleased when she had come back during Oliver's second year as the Arrow that Sara had expected her to have a similar reaction this time. Obviously that had been a mistake.
Nyssa just stared at where Laurel had left, wondering how the woman who had just left could be the same woman who would eventually become her best student.
"I'm sorry about that." Quentin Lance said as he looked over to the door. He understood Laurel's anger, but this was neither the time or place for it. And while Oliver Queen may not be his favorite person, the SCPD Detective no longer hated him as he once did. How could he possibly hate the man who had brought his daughter back?
"Don't apologize Detective." Oliver replied softly.
"I deserved all of that and more. What I did five years ago...I put you through hell. And for that, I am so very sorry."
"I was a grown woman Ollie. I made the choice to go on that boat." Sara reminded him, and he nodded once.
"I don't blame you Oliver. You brought my daughter home, and I thank you for that. Just stay out of jail, and we'll call it even okay?"
"Fair enough." He responded, already thinking of when he would have to get himself arrested. Maybe there was another way to do it this time.
"And thank you Miss Raatko." Quentin said, and Nyssa smiled. Though neither one had cared for the other in the beginning, the Detective and Heir to the Demon had eventually found common ground over their love for Sara and their relationship had changed. Quentin had come to regard Nyssa as another daughter while Nyssa had come to see the Detective as the father she wished she had had. He was definitely more of a father than Ra's Al Ghul had been.
"Call me Nyssa Detective." She replied, and he nodded.
A few minutes later they were all on their way to Queen Mansion, Moira having offered to have everyone over for dinner, as well as to allow Nyssa and Sara to stay at the manor for a couple days so that they could adjust to civilization again. They had all accepted, and Quentin had called Laurel to tell her of their plans. She hadn't been happy about it, but had agreed to meet them at the manor.
A few moments later they arrived at the manor, Oliver stopping the driver from grabbing the three cases.
"I've got it." He said, taking his own case and handing one to each of his ladies. He could have carried them all, but he knew they preferred to handle their own weapons. If anyone else thought his actions odd, they didn't say anything.
"Your room is just as you left it. I never had the heart to chance a thing." Moira said as they walked into the house.
"Oliver. It's damn good to see you again." Walter Steele said as he walked over to them.
"It's nice to be seen Mr. Steele." He replied, shaking the older man's hand, refusing to allow his memories of Walter's death to come back into his mind.
"Walter please. Mr. Steele was my father." He replied, and Oliver nodded.
"Walter. I don't know if you've met Sara Lance and Nyssa Raatko?" He asked, and Walter smiled.
"No, I have not had the pleasure. It's good to meet you both."
"Likewise Mr. Steele." Nyssa said as she and Sara both shook his hand before walking over to where Oliver was embracing Raisa, who told them that Tommy would also be there for dinner.
"Hi Speedy." Oliver said as he saw his sister at the top of the stairs.
"I knew you were alive." She said as she ran down the stairs and embraced him.
"You were with me the whole time." He replied, tightening his embrace.
A moment later he released her, and she raced over to Sara, who embraced her as well.
After Thea was introduced to Nyssa, the three castaways followed Thea up the stairs so that she could show them to their rooms.
"What'd I tell ya buddy? Yacht's suck."
"Tommy Merlyn." Oliver and Sara said at the same time.
"That is really creepy how you two do that." He said, and they laughed.
"You get used to it." Nyssa said, coming up behind him, making Tommy jump. She chuckled, Tommy eventually joining in.
"Tommy Merlyn." He said, and she laughed.
"So I gathered. Nyssa Raatko."
"Ollie, your mom wanted me to tell you it was time for dinner." He replied, and Oliver nodded, the four walking downstairs to the dining room.
As she heard them come down the stairs, Moira turned from the person she was speaking with.
"Oliver, Sara, Nyssa, we have another guest." She said, and the man turned.
"Oliver, Sara, it's good to see you again. But I don't believe we have been introduced." The man said as he looked at Nyssa.
"I am Nyssa Raatko." She said, and the man smiled.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Nyssa. My name is Malcolm Merlyn."
A/N: And there we have it! Chapter 2! Please read and review, and thanks to everyone who has followed, reviewed and favorited this story! I have family coming to town so the next chapter will most likely not be posted until after Christmas. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's to you all!