Disclaimer: Don't own a thing. So I wrote the Felicity version of this first. She travels back to an earlier point than Oliver and her priorities are slightly different. Hope you enjoy this Oliver version which is a bit later and I just like looking at their different mindsets and strategies when given similar information and starting points.
This one was running a bit longer, so I will spread it over several chapters.


One moment he's telling Barry and Sara that it's not the end, just a new beginning – and then, before he knows it, it is.

He isn't back on Lian Yu. He's not in a pocket dimension with his wife. He's not become Spectre.

And yet… he has.

He has glimpses of it, fragments – moments.

Of living with Felicity.

Of watching over the multiverse.

Of fixing things.

And that's when epiphany strikes.

Because that's what he was doing – fixing things.

He remembers finding a universe where Oliver Jonas Queen died upon arrival in Starling City.

Felicity likely would find someone to love, someone she adored, someone she could have a family with.

Someone who was not him. Not any version of him.

And that's how he ended up here. Oliver Queen died and was revived with CPR on the table in the hospital. But the Oliver Queen who came back to life was another few years older, had been through more struggles, more death, more violence – and more love than he'd ever known he could experience or feel.

He's looking out at the city, the city before the Undertaking, before all the damage in the Glades and across the city.

Before he became the Mayor.

Before he became the Hood or the Green Arrow.

He's yanked back into the moment when he hears the door click, hears his mother's trembling voice calling his name.

"Mom," he finds himself saying softly, before hugging her.

He's got a new list now – not the one his father gave him, but a new one. And the top priority should probably lie elsewhere – with Unidac, with the Undertaking, with Malcolm, or his mother – Thea. His other half-sister Emiko. Tommy and Laurel, alive and well. William and Samantha. Sara and Nyssa with the League. Ra's. Ninth Circle. Andy, Digg's brother, the Ghosts and HIVE. A thousand things, hundreds of people to save, to put behind bars… and yet…

The priority number one on Oliver's list is really rather simple. And, possibly, the most difficult and long-term mission.

Find Felicity Smoak and get her to fall in love with him. Be her always. Amend his one regret and tell her that he loves her as soon as he could without making her run away screaming.

After that came finding William and Samantha. Saving Tommy. Finding Emiko.

But he could do none of that without her – without Felicity.

Still, he needs to find a way of introducing himself. But for now, his mother is taking him home.

It's weird. It shouldn't be, but it is. The Queen mansion is home – and yet not.

He's kinder to Walter this time, greets him, smiles at him, shakes his hand.

"Oliver! It is damn good to see you," the man says, reaching out. And this time Oliver reaches back, clasps his hand, and shakes it.

"I remember," he says when his mother tries to prompt him. "It has been too long, Walter. Excuse me, but there is someone else I have to greet."

He bypasses the man to greet the maid – the woman who raised him and Thea more than their own mother did – standing unobtrusively in the corner of the room.

"It is good to see you, Raisa," he tells her and he can see her clasping her hands together so she doesn't pull him into a hug in front of his mother and pats them gently.

"Welcome Home, Mr. Oliver," she tells him and he smiles warmly at her. Then Raisa turns to address his mother about Tommy joining them for dinner and Oliver steps away, knowing what's coming.

He hears the door upstairs click shut and Thea appears at the top of the stairs.

It's funny; Oliver remembers last time he returned after five years and thinking that his sister had grown up so much from the tiny twelve-year-old who tried to follow her big brother everywhere.

Now he can't help but think how young and innocent she looks – despite her current drug-taking and partying-habits. Everything had twisted his little sister up and down sideways for years before she'd found her footing, coming back all the stronger. He is so fucking proud of his little sister – but if he can take even just the tiniest little bit of pain away from her, then he will. This little Thea will never suffer what his sister had. Not if he can help it.

"Hey sis," he offers, eyes softening, remembering their farewell. He can see the smile blooming on her face, the tremble in her voice, the shaky breathing as she runs down, telling him how she knew he was alive and jumping into his arms for a hug like she used to do when she was younger and he catches her just as easily now as he did then.

"I missed you so much," Thea whispers into his ear, her voice trembling and full of grief.

"You were with me the whole time," he reassures her, tightening his hold on the fragile teenager. He hopes he can help her have an easier life this time around.


It is funny. Or almost funny – it would be funny if he had Dig and his wife by his side.

Instead, he's back in the body fresh from the island. Unused to the heavy cuisine offered at home. He feels like a stranger, an invader, at home – too many secrets, too many lies and he doesn't know where to start or what to say. And then Speedy asks him what it was like there.

And he wants more open communication, wants to share – Felicity taught him how to, taught him to communicate, to be a partner, to be a family, to share his struggles.

But his family – his current family – has never shared. They've never sat down and talked about difficulties or how to fight together, or communicated or shared their feelings. The 'I love you's' were both obligatory and heart-felt, but it wasn't the kind of love and family Oliver had gotten used to with his friends.

With people who trusted him, believed in him, and yet would hold him to account, would listen to him.

Oliver fumbles, words caught in his throat, missing his wife more than he already had – the supporting hand on his shoulder or knee, the slight hip bump, letting him know she was there and on his side.

It doesn't feel like there's anyone on his side at this table. He's back in his childhood home and yet he hasn't felt this alone in a long, long time.

He ends up swallowing his words and tells Thea Lian Yu was cold. He'll do better next time, Oliver assures himself, but knows he will likely cop out unless his favourite bottle-blonde is right there by his side. Everyone diverts attention immediately, jumping in as if Thea had committed some great faux pas.

He mouths sorry to her and sees how her tightened shoulders relax again, how Thea uncurls slightly and offers him a smile back, accepting his apology and happier to know he wasn't upset with her for asking him questions.

Oliver tells them he intends to come by the office – he doesn't tell them that his first and last and maybe only stop will be the IT department. With Felicity Smoak in it.

This time when he gets called out on speaking Russian, he doesn't go on the offensive, doesn't try and hide his new skills – he will have to talk to them, he knows that – but he does still prod them about their marital status. He grabs some fresh fruit from the table – even just the smells are enough to make him nauseated – and leaves after being excused.

So that went… not so well. Not horrendously, to be fair, but no better than the original dinner that he can barely recall now. That night doesn't end up any beter.

How his mother and Walter think waking someone up from nightmares by going into their personal space is acceptable – or a good idea – boggles him. Oliver is so used to his bedroom being off-limits at night that when he dreamed of Slade Wilson coming to Starling City early, kidnapping Felicity to execute her, he doesn't think – he reacts. Because he knows it's not his wife.

It takes him a lot longer to recognise Moira – his mother – and fling himself away this time, begging her to leave him alone, apologising, until they're finally out of the room and Oliver can feel like he can breathe again.

He'd forgotten all these small things about living with his family and it's harder than he thought it would be to try and fit in because he isn't sure he wants to conform, wants to hide himself again. He still watches Thea's 'friend' leave her room – and the drugs – behind and as soon as he's offered and explained the meaning of the Hozen, he hears his best friend – aside from Digg – mocking him from behind. He can't help the wide smile; last night's family dinner was stifled but this is his true reunion with his old friend.

"A rock! That's sweet! I want a t-shirt that says 'my friend was a castaway and all I got was this crappy shirt'."

They all chuckle slightly and Thea tells him to take it slow after just coming back. Oliver can't help but pull her into another hug. He'd forgotten how soft and tiny and hurt teenaged Thea was.

One thing he definitely hadn't remembered was Tommy asking if Oliver had noticed how hot his sister had gotten. There's a slight nausea and that incredible protectiveness rising up inside of him – remembering that world without Speedy in it, because Oliver hadn't protected her, hadn't watched over her.

"Tommy," he bites out, voice a deep growl and he can see Tommy's eyes widen, hands rising defensively as he defends himself, saying he hadn't noticed either – they both know it's a lie. God, he needs to tell Tommy soon that Thea's his half-sister and then, at least, they can be overprotective together over Speedy rather than this incredibly uncomfortable situation.

Giving his best friend another hard glare, he shoos Tommy out ahead of him.

They joke about his funeral even though Oliver knew Tommy had been desperately searching for him for years, never really gave up on him. Maybe Felicity had been onto something when she told him he doesn't really share his emotions – or invite others to do so.

Still, he ends up meeting with Laurel. Only this time he doesn't try the small talk thing.

He'd forgotten just how angry she was. How full of raw hatred – directed at him, at Sara, at too many things and people around her. He remembers how she'd drowned herself in her work. In risking her life without thought. In her father's drunkenness – one she followed him into just a year later.

Oliver sighs. His relationship with the Lance family is long and riddled with mistakes and grudges, with hatred and affection in equal measure.

"I wanted to apologise," he tells her, "it was my fault."

It wasn't. It was meant to be a three-week trip. His and Laurel's breakup, sure, his fault. Him cheating on her – definitely his fault. With her sister – yep, that's all his. But Sara was a consenting adult. The trip, the bomb, the storm – that's on Frank and Malcolm and the Ninth Circle. Not on him.

But that's not something he can fit into a short conversation – and if it helps Laurel get past all – well, all of it, then it's worth it.

Felicity would have hit him over the head if she could have heard what he was thinking and wouldn't have agreed to him taking on guilt or blame for more things than he already does. He stops the thought before he starts rather inappropriately smiling at his upset ex-girlfriend.

"If you and your father and your mother wanted, I – I can sit down with you and tell you about what happened to Sara."

Oliver clenches his fists, trying to steady his breathing. He doesn't know if he can, if he wants to – but he knows they deserve it, that they have earned the right and should hear about their daughter and sister from him. Quentin's become such a good friend and colleague over the years, he really owes the man.

This time there is a pause, a hesitation – after telling him she wanted him to rot in hell for a lot longer than five years and that he deserved to die instead of Sara, that it should have been him, he'll take what he can get. She doesn't agree, but it's something. Maybe a step in the right direction. Hopefully, at least.

For a moment, as Laurel walks away, Oliver thinks about going to see Quentin at the Police station and making the same offer – but he thinks he's taken as much of an emotional beating as he can, for today, and instead directs Tommy to Queen Consolidated.

He needs something good to happen today.


Please review and share what you think :) Thanks! Also there's a Felicity Time Travel oneshot if you're interested. I'm curious what you think of my characterisation and of their differing priorities :)