Notes:

I feel like I'm constantly apologizing for the long wait for new chapters in all of my stories, I am truly sorry and I am doing my best.

I hope you guys like this one. It turned out different than expected.

It's desperate times, you stress all night so you don't sleep a second just obsess and guess the next surprise

Sara

South Africa May, 2016

Sara wasn't entirely sure how they had ended up talking about Ollie's time in the Bratva but they had this had led to a conversation about his current issues with the Bratva and after several hours of talking to the root of those issues which was still Alexi's death and Ollie's rather disrespectful way of treating his Russian brothers during Slade's stay in Starling, Star City, she wondered for a moment how long it would take her to get used to their home's new name, before focusing back on Ollie and his admission. And she couldn't fucking believe him! She knew he could be an idiot at times, but this was taking the fucking cake. Two years, more even and he had never thought it would be a good idea to talk to Anatoly and explain the series of events that had led to the mess he had created by being on emotional overload and under so much pressure even the strongest person, which he was, would get crushed under and break. Yet he had prevailed and was still standing tall.

She got the whole not wanting to talk about one's feelings and shit, but if the options were talking about feelings or making an enemy and possibly facing the full force of the Bratva if they chose to retaliate, she'd take talking any day. But of course Ollie would prefer a fight. No matter how moronic it was and how bad the odds were for him. He'd much rather go out swinging than having a heart to heart with a friend. Or admitting that he might have been in the wrong and let his emotions guide him, which had led to rash, thoughtless decisions that cost Alexi's life. But the Bratva wasn't the only one who had ended up with losses at the hands of Slade's war and Oliver's missteps, rash and misguided choices because of his emotional response to Slade's actions. No, Ollie's loss was so much greater than the Bratva's. And she was sure, if he'd taken the time to explain the situation to Anatoly, not even in detail, their friend would've understood, more than that, offered to help. Letting Anatoly in on what was going on in Starling at the time, could've made a difference, it might not have, but chances were that things would've turned out differently with the Bratva's help, and not the reluctant one Ollie forced from them but actual help.

And Sara could admit that maybe had she reacted differently, maybe Ollie would've considered asking Anatoly for help after… she wasn't sure if her telling him he was losing his grip for turning to the Bratva had played a part in him not telling Anatoly or not. Given the approach he had chosen, attack instead of asking for help, she doubted it, but with Ollie, one could never know.

"I swear to God Oliver you can be such a fucking moron at times." It might not be the best approach, but she was just so frustrated with him and incredulous given his admission and the possible repercussions his actions could have, which it seemed he had never even considered. Something that both was, but wasn't like him at all. Not when it came to an issue like this, not when it could lead to some serious trouble, not just for him, but also the people he cared about.

"I'm not sure this warrants an 'Oliver', Sara." His reply was rather dry and one of his brows was raised, his reaction making it obvious to her that he still didn't get it. Not really, not to the extent he needed to in order to understand what his actions could lead to and to be prepared in case he needed to be.

"You're right, I apologize. Let me rephrase that. That was one of the stupidest things you have ever done. Seriously, how fucking moronic can you be, Oliver Jonas?!" God, he could be so fucking dense and slow sometimes. It was unbelievably frustrating.

"Seriously? You're Oliver Jonas-ing me?" She ignored the incredulous tone of his voice. For all of his intelligence, he was rather dumb sometimes, especially in some matters. Matters like this one. When he was incapable of understanding how his actions might be perceived by the other party. They made perfect sense to him, so he just naturally assumed they would to everyone else as well. And they did make sense, at least to her. Because she knew him. But she knew him better than anyone else, in ways no one else did, and she understood how he worked and why he made the choices he did. She, different from Anatoly, also had the entire context.

"You knowingly antagonized the fucking Bratva and did nothing to deescalate the situation for over two fucking years, Oliver. That warrants a lot more than an 'Oliver Jonas'. Not only was it plain stupid, it was also extremely dangerous and, on top of that, disrespectful towards your friend. What do you think Anatoly thinks happened? How the hell is he supposed to not feel betrayed and angry if you never provided any context? He's your friend and if nothing else, he deserves better and more from you because of that simple fact alone." She hoped she was getting through to him and he'd understand how his actions could've been perceived by someone not knowing what had been going on here and why he had disregarded every rule the Bratva had.

Ollie had eventually begrudgingly and rather unwillingly admitted that she might have a point. Potentially, but... It was the best she was going to get, and she took his reluctant agreement even with the rather bullshit excuse and reasons why he hadn't talked to Anatoly about it yet. He was a stubborn mule who hated to admit when he was wrong and made an unnecessary mess of things. So she took what she got, and she knew for a fact she got through to him when he got his phone out and called the Pakhan.

It was a good thing, even if she was slightly worried about Anatoly's reaction to Ollie's sudden need to talk to him. Would he expect Ollie to want yet another favor for free? Or would he see it as the peace offering it was? Would he refuse Ollie's wish to talk or agree? There were so many options on how this could play out, and every single one was understandable to some degree.

She watched Ollie pace. He was close enough for her to read his body language, but too far to make out his words. She hoped this was going to turn out well, hoped her pushing him into trying to solve their issues wouldn't backfire and make things between him and the Bratva worse. This was why she usually stayed out of other people's shit, but... Ollie sometimes needed a push to understand a situation he got himself into and the severity of the consequences his actions could have.

He'd gotten a lot better when it came to reading people and understanding their motives and what those might lead to compared to before they boarded the Gambit but it was still something he regularly struggled with, he was still rather naïve in some aspects related to interpersonal stuff, just like he had the tendency to assume people would just magically know and understand his actions even if they had zero context. So yeah, he needed a push sometimes to make him understand how the other side would feel given the lack of information and explanation they received from him.

So she usually stayed out of other people's shit and only got involved in Ollie's when realizing he wouldn't figure out the issue himself given that particular weakness of his.

He was raised in an environment that believed, given their economic standing and privilege, there was no need for them to explain their behavior or actions to anyone. That they didn't owe anyone an explanation, that it might even be looked at as a weakness to do so. It was an entitled way of thinking, and it wasn't that Ollie was entitled, he was not, but being raised within that environment left its traces. So explaining his actions to anyone wasn't something he'd been taught, adding the plentitude of issues he'd gathered along the way during the last nine years of his life was only adding to the difficulty of explaining himself.

Which was why she usually wasn't that direct, and her approach was more guiding him towards the issue and solutions, helping him figure them out himself and not call him out as an idiot as she'd done earlier but this was something he could and should have figured out himself. It wasn't particularly complex or hidden within the intricacy of human emotions and behavior. She knew he'd been aware that he had stepped on dangerous ground when confronting the Bratva the way he had, she'd seen it in the look on his face when she'd called him out and told him he was losing his grip. He had known, he'd been fully aware of what he was doing, that he had crossed a line he shouldn't have and that knowledge was what had pissed her off and led her to calling him out.

It didn't take long for Ollie to return, cell phone back in his pocket. He sat down across from her and they stayed like this, in silence for a long time. She wondered what had been said between the two men and what the outcome of the conversation was, but she wasn't going to push him. Whatever it was, he'd share it with her eventually, or parts of it.

"You know this might not have happened if Oliver hadn't been so adamant not to recruit anyone new. There would've been more people there and someone could've helped him with Prometheus or stayed with him while Dig brought Doris to safety. Maybe if we ask and get some more people here, have more heads to come up with a plan, more people out there looking for Oliver, we might actually find him. We should at least consider asking the other vigilantes for help." The words sounded almost booming and Sara wasn't sure if it was her imagination that amplified them because of how outlandish they were or if it simply seemed like it given the silence that had followed after she'd finished handing out tasks to everyone almost an hour ago. The fact that the spoken words stopped everyone in their tracks didn't help to clarify it, but made her assume it was probably the latter.

In addition to that Sara wasn't sure she had heard Felicity right given the absurdity of her words and was surprised she decided to bring the subject of recruiting new people up given the way she had lost it with her before and knowing full well what Ollie's opinion on the matter was. It wouldn't be too difficult to assume she'd agree with him. Wondering if Felicity was aware that this was just as much of a touchy subject as the last one had been and might lead to a similar reaction from her. She doubted it. Felicity had looked extremely taken aback and slightly scared at her outburst, and she doubted the younger woman would knowingly put herself in the line of fire again.

Sara could admit that she might have been too harsh and maybe a little unfair before, even if only to herself, but Felicity pointing out how little she had added to help against the current threat, how she hadn't been with Ollie when he got taken and just how useless she currently was had hit a nerve or more like a nerve cluster. As if she had needed anyone pointing that out to her, even less Felicity of all people. After everything she had done to her and Ollie, it had all just been too much, and she had snapped.

Justified or not, she should've kept a hold of her emotions and she probably would have, were it not for her pregnancy. She really hated the way she currently had little to no control over her emotions, which were currently being ruled by pregnancy hormones. And she really didn't like the way they made her feel. Literally and figuratively. Thanks to her pregnancy, she was constantly feeling too much. Every feeling, no matter how small, was amplified and things that wouldn't have bothered her felt like the end of the world and she hated it. It made her feel like a teenager again. She hadn't been able to control her emotions back then either, and that had led to some very, very bad choices. Not that she was going to go back to those, or even could if she would want to, which she didn't. Because all the ways to take charge that she had used back then would be very harmful to Mila now. She was seriously looking forward to the time when her emotions were no longer ruled by her hormones, and she would be able to control them again and keep a firm hold on them as she was used to and preferred.

She hated nothing more than being an emotional mess. Even though Ollie claimed she wasn't nearly as bad as she thought she was, but it didn't matter. She couldn't stand that part of the pregnancy and the way she perceived herself true or not. But it was nice to know that Ollie was willing to put up with her even in that highly emotional and at times very irrational state and felt it wasn't bad at all while doing so.

Her eyes strayed to Felicity again, maybe in direct comparison she wasn't quite as bad, the younger woman was all emotions and highly irrational at times with a severe need for drama, at least it felt like it at times and Ollie had put up with her and been willing to spend the rest of his life with her. Plus, Laurel was very similar to Felicity in that regard. She'd been all drama during her and Ollie's relationship. So, it probably was all about perspective for him. Be that as it may, and she might actually bring it up with him and ask, it didn't change the fact that she really didn't like what the hormones were currently doing to her.

Because throwing blame around wasn't solving anything and didn't bring Ollie back. Just like the issue hadn't been that there weren't enough people with Ollie when he went to save Joanna and ended up being forced into confronting Adrian. There was a good chance things would've gone better had he been all by himself. More people was not the answer. It never had been and it never would be. Having the right people with him might have made a difference, but she'd still preferred he'd gone alone. He could've easily grabbed Joanna and left in less time than it had taken him with his team there and without a hitch given the detailed recount she'd gotten from Dig. Ollie wouldn't have ended up wasting precious time first freeing Laurel and Thea and then trying to get Dig and Doris out unharmed, which he hadn't managed to do. Had he been there alone, he would've never been confronted with Adrian because he wouldn't have ended up trapped in the basement. Plus, Ollie usually either started at the bottom and worked his way up or he came in from the top and worked his way down. He also normally sent his team in the direction he assumed was less likely for them to run into trouble and chose to take the one he perceived as more dangerous himself. So he'd probably still gone for the elevator, had he been alone and not gone up and ended up trapped. Basements were usually a sure way to run into trouble and there were limited ways to escape. Top floor, no problem; one could jump out of the window, while a basement's only entrance or exit could easily be blocked, and you'd have to go through your enemy to get back out. Ollie knew that Ollie lived by that knowledge, which was why he would've never gone down there had he been by himself and with no reason to go down there. And setting foot into the basement had been the mistake that might as well prove fatal. The thought entered her mind unbidden and made her want to throw up. She forced her mind away from the possibility and the best way to do that was to get involved in the debate now taking place.

"We are not getting help from people we don't know!" Sara broke up the discussion Felicity's words had started with a firm tone that left no room for argument and still couldn't fucking believe it. How could they even consider this now? How could they think about asking strangers for help in finding Ollie? Putting him in even more danger? This was the worst possible time to recruit anyone. They wouldn't know how good they were, whether they could fight or follow orders, depending on the situation one wrong move and she'd be a widow. No, this was the last thing they needed right now. New people meant an unknown quantity, they couldn't work into any of their plans, which would with almost a hundred percent certainty lead to any of her and Roy's plans failing.

Strangers who might just as well be working for Adrian, as far as they knew. The new vigilantes could be part of his or Ruvé's plan. A way to infiltrate the Green Arrow's operation. A way to spy on him, gain his trust and serve him up on a silver platter. They had enough trust issues with the current members of the so-called team. No, this wasn't even an option. Not even something they should consider. Talking about it was wasting precious time they might not have. Who knew what Prometheus was doing to Ollie right now, if he was even still alive. The thought brought another bout of nausea with it, and she could feel a cold shiver run down her spine. God, she hated this. Hated thinking like this, but she just couldn't help it. She had almost no control over her thoughts and emotions, and trying to stay rational and not focus on the worst-case scenario was getting more and more difficult by the minute. Sara forced them away and tried to ignore the feeling of terror begging for her attention at the back of her mind. Now was not the time to give in to it. She had a feeling that if Ollie were dead, they would know. Prometheus was sure to make a spectacle of it. He seemed to love theatrics. So she honed in on the knowledge they had of Adrian, the way he had operated so far. Ollie was alive for now.

They needed to rely on the people they knew. Not strangers.

She got Roy here. He had his team working on trying to find out where Ollie was. They could ask Barry if they wanted to, maybe he could put the entire city on its damn head and find him like this, or Kara, maybe she would be able to locate him with any of her powers… those were options she'd be willing to discuss, consider or maybe even agree to. They were people they knew, well sort of. The team knew them and knew how they worked. Roy knew how they worked, which would be helpful, should they decided to go down that route.

Hell, she'd even called Anatoly and asked for the Bratva's help, less than twenty-four hours into learning about Oliver's disappearance, not that she had shared that information with anyone. There was no need for that. They probably wouldn't understand. She was pretty sure no one on Ollie's team was aware she knew Anatoly personally or would approve that choice of hers. Or the fact that he adored her and would pretty much do anything she asked of him… except stop a certain branch of his organization's work, but that was an argument for another day. Once Ollie was back home. And Mila was born and nothing else was going on. Ollie was regularly thwarting those shipments from the Bratva, and Anatoly was looking the other way. So, maybe that was as far as he could go, without risking mutiny, and the last thing they wanted was the Bratva in a stranger's hands.

She really didn't like some of the choices Anatoly had made when it came to the Bratva and the business they were in, but she was also aware of the positive changes he had made and the efficiency and usefulness of the organization. It was one of the reasons she had given Ollie hell in South Africa when she had found out he had never taken the time to explain to their friend why and how Alexi had died, and Ollie had "turned" on them. She had eventually managed to get him to call Anatoly, which had led to the Pakhan himself travelling to South Africa too and the boys sitting down and hashing things out, under her watchful eyes.

Because someone had needed to make sure things would stay civil and they would not come to blows.

This was a friendship that was too important for Ollie but also for the Green Arrow. Once Ollie had mentioned Slade and explained his survival, Anatoly was understanding and forgiving, but also angry that Ollie hadn't told him about the situation right away. She could understand that. But she also understood why he hadn't. Anyway, they had patched things up, had some drinks, and parted on good terms. Thankfully. The last thing Ollie needed on top of everything he was currently dealing with was having the Bratva as his enemy too. They couldn't afford a war at two, possibly three, fronts, depending on whether Adrian and Ruvé were working together or not.

Anatoly promised her to put his brothers in Star and the surrounding areas up to look for Ollie. She wasn't making any bets, but the Bratva had connections and resources Team Arrow could only dream about. They could get information no current vigilante could get. They had no issues getting their hands as dirty as they had to, to get the information they wanted. And honestly, she'd be right there tearing the underworld apart and leaving a river of red flooding it, were it not for Mila.

They took her heart, and no punishment was too harsh as retaliation for that.

And Sara knew that his Russian brothers would make sure whoever was involved in this, no matter how small their part was, would pay for it in blood. The demons under her skin purred in satisfaction at that knowledge. Yes, there were no silk gloves when the Bratva was involved, which was why she was sure they would get results. No one in their right mind wanted to fuck with the Russians.

Oliver

Oliver still couldn't believe it and he kept replaying all the events that led up to this in his mind. Adrian's every word, his actions. His mind was still reeling from the realization he's had. There were still things Adrian had done that made little to no sense to him, yet, but so much of what he had done was put into perspective now. Damien Darhk was Adrian's father. So whatever Damien had been working on, that he was sure Ruvé was now trying to accomplish in her husband's stead, Adrian was probably involved in as well. So was he doing all of this out of revenge, or was it also meant as a distraction? Was Adrian trying to keep them on their toes, stopping him to keep them from focusing on whatever it was Ruvé was working towards?

If Adrian's end goal wasn't to kill him, what was it?

Was he keeping him here, locked up, to make sure his team would be spending all of their time and attention looking for him while Ruvé was free to do whatever she wanted? And if so, how bad was it going to be? What would he and his team have to face once he was released from his prison? Ruvé was the mayor. There was a lot of damage she could do in very little time given the right incentive and approaching the right people. Which he and his team would consider the wrong ones. The city seemed to only get worse under her reign, and it made him seriously wonder what her goal was. Sure, most of Star City looked shiny and perfect, but it was simply a fresh coat of color applied over the same old shithole. Nothing had really changed or improved. And the Glades were worse than ever.

The next time the door to his cell opened and light flooded the darkness, another body was pushed in. It took him a moment to recognize her because his eyes needed to adjust to the brightness. And he hadn't seen her in years.

His mind needed a moment to make the connection. Having her here was just so wild, and it made no sense to him.

Why would Adrian bring her, of all people? How had he even known where to find her and about their connection?

She hadn't been a part of his life in years. There was no reason for her to get dragged into this.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the light and took in her appearance. She looked horrible, as in because of what had obviously been done to her, taken that away she looked as gorgeous and hot as ever.

"What did you do to her?" This was the first thing that passed his lips while studying her. Still trying to make sense of her presence here. Because Adrian going out of his way to locate her was so outlandish and he was struggling to make it feel real and find out what game he was playing now.

"I made her more compliant." Adrian's smirk was a stark contrast to her coughing and groaning and he wished he could rush at him and beat it off of his face. The seething fury he felt at his tormentor now was almost blinding. How dare he? She had nothing to do with this. She was an innocent party. Her life wasn't even connected with his anymore.

"I told you, Oliver. Everything you touch dies! Get up. Give yourself a chance." What the hell was he talking about? His eyes were still focused on the woman lying in front of him. Her dark hair falling into her beautiful, but severely damaged, face. Her lip was split and one of her eyes was obviously bruised. God, he wanted to kill him right now. Most of all, because of the meek impression the usually spunky and headstrong woman now displayed.

What had he done to her?

"I'm not gonna fight her." This was why it took him a moment to grasp what Adrian was saying and only once he could tear his eyes away from her to look at the man responsible for the marks on her body. But once he understood what he wanted from him, he was sure to point that out. Every fiber of his being was appalled and shied away at the implication. All he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms, protect her, care for her, take care of her wounds, and bring her to safety. The last thing he was going to do was hurt her further.

"I don't want you to fight her. I want you to kill her. I'm gonna leave now. When I come back, either she's killed you and I let her go or you kill her, and I let you go." The almost crazed look on his tormentor's face worried him. This wasn't good. Why would he…

"No. Neither one of those things is gonna happen." There was no way in hell he was going to kill her. She was someone he cared about. Someone he cherished, and had been very important to him once. Still was now. Just differently.

"If you don't kill her, you're gonna watch me snap her neck." A cold shiver ran down his spine at those words. No. God, please no! He couldn't… he wasn't sure he'd get through helplessly watching yet another woman he cared about die in front of his eyes. He didn't think he could take it. They needed to work together to get out of this. It was their only option.

"Adrian! What is the point of this?!" He hoped he'd get an answer because he was at a loss right now. This had completely blindsided him. She had absolutely nothing to do with any of this. She wasn't even a part of his life anymore. Hadn't been in years. Why would he drag her into this? What would he gain from this?

"You seem to be having a little bit of trouble figuring out what your secret is. I thought this might remind you. Good luck." It seemed that Adrian had revealed all he was going to for the time being. He stepped out of the room, but not before he dropped a dagger onto the floor. The buzzing of the door as it shut behind the madman was almost deafening and seemed to shake her out of the almost trancelike state she'd been in ever since Adrian had harshly shoved her into the room.

"I'm sorry, Oliver. I can't take another day here." She slowly pushed herself up onto her knees before turning towards him, with the knife Adrian had left on the floor in her hand, pointing it at him. Fuck! He was chained up. She was not. He didn't want to fight her, yet she seemed willing to do whatever it took to get out of here alive, even if it was killing him. And he couldn't blame her, not after all the pain he'd caused her. But he had too much to live for to go down without at least trying to convince her to trust him. Difficult as it might be. There was still a slim chance that he could convince her to free him instead and that they could fight together, get out of here alive, by working together.

Notes:

Sorry about the cliffhanger, wasn't my intention but it felt like the right place to start. I would love to hear your thoughts about the chapter and your theories on who Oliver's new roommate is.

Chapter title is from the song "Just a man" by Tom MacDonald.

Any feedback would be appreciated, it's the only thing that lets me know whether or not anyone is still reading this story, if people like or don't like a chapter and it would just be really nice to know how many people are actually still invested in this story...