A\N: This is my first Lauriver oneshot since my birthday. I've recently gotten back into Arrow. Arrow is one of my favourite shows I've ever watched, though the crossovers confuse me. I wished Laurel didn't die and that Oliver didn't end up with Felicity though he clearly loved her, I felt like he loved Laurel more. I hope you enjoy this one, Angels.


He wrote the letter on a scrap piece of paper and a pen he had snatched from Fyers's camp and had written the words while sitting on the edge of the cliff below the water, hearing as it crashed against the rocks. After he had written what he wanted to say he folded the letter up and put it with the picture of Laurel, the last thing she had given him beside one last smile, before he stepped onto that boat with his father and Sara.

The picture, and the letter, gave him hope that one day he would return home, to give the letter to Laurel, the love of his life, the girl who could see no wrong in him, the one girl, besides his mother and little sister, who he would do anything and everything for if it meant her happiness, the one girl who was his will to not give up, to fight to get home. Laurel Lance would always be the reason he chose to fight instead of simply giving up.

Now he's home and all he wants to do is go and see her and hand her the letter that he's carried around for five years, the letter that has gotten him through the hellest of hells but she wants nothing to do with him, not that he blames her, he did cheat on her multiple times with her little sister, and got her sister killed. He has to find some way to give the letter to her without actually giving it to her. He wants her to read his words from five years ago and not just throw them away.


Laurel Lance looks up from her cup of coffee when she hears her doorbell ringing. It's early, 7:30 am. She opens the door but doesn't see anyone standing in front of it so she shrugs and goes to close it when something catches her attention on her doorstep.

On the doorstep is a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream and an envelope with her name on it. She picks up the items and takes them inside, putting the ice cream into the freezer with a smile. She knows who rang her doorbell, but what she doesn't know is why he didn't stay or how quickly he left before she opened the door. She puts the envelope in her purse and leaves for work before she's late.

Laurel arrives home 13 hours later, the envelope still unsealed in her purse, buried between case files she has brought home with her. Kicking off her heels, she places her purse on the kitchen counter, retrieves the letter and sits on the couch, tucking her feet underneath her. She knows who wrote this just by the way her name is spelt on the front of the white envelope.

She unseals the envelope and takes out a piece of paper and unfolds it. She reads the words written, hearing his voice in her head as she reads.

Laurel,

I'm cold, hungry and in pain, both physically and emotionally. I don't know how long I've been here, the days all bleed into one another after the first one or so. The only thing getting me through this hell is the thought of possibly seeing you again one day, no matter how angry or how much you hate me.

I regret taking Sara on the boat, and not trying hard enough to save her, her death is my fault and I'll carry that around with me for as long as I live.

I'm sorry, Laurel, I'm so sorry for what you're going through, though my apology probably doesn't hold an ounce of water now.

I hope you're taking care of yourself and becoming a lawyer like you've always dreamt of being.

I also hope you know that despite everything I've done to you, everything I've put you through, I still love you, I'll always love you. You're the only girl I will ever love even if you don't love me anymore, and know that I'm fighting my way back to you, no matter how long it takes, I will come home to you. I'll always come home to you.

I love you, Dinah Laurel Lance.

Love always,

Ollie.

She finishes the letter and places it on the coffee table as tears rush down her face. The letter is small, only a few paragraphs and written sloppily and almost illegible, but after years of reading his handwriting, she can read what he's written just fine. It's clear to her that he wrote while he had some damage to his wrist. God, she can, doesn't, even what to begin what he went through those five years he was in hell over there and is somewhat glad he's only told her the bare minimum he went through but that might of been for his sake rather than her own.

She grabs her phone from her blazer pocket and messages the now most frequent number in her contact list.

Laurel: Thank you for the letter and for fighting your way back home to me. I love you too, Oliver Queen.

She's not even lowered her phone yet before it buzzes with a text from him.

Ollie: You've always been my reason to fight, even when I didn't know I needed to fight. I love you, always.

The smile from this morning returns as she texts him again.

Laurel: I have a tub of mint chocolate ice cream, spoons and a pile of DVDs that need watching.

His reply comes 5 seconds after she's sent it.

Ollie: Is that way of inviting me over, Miss Lance?

She laughs to herself.

Laurel: Why yes it is, Mr Queen.

Ollie: Give me a half hour.

Laurel: A half hour, Mr Queen.

She runs to her bedroom and changes into faded jeans and one of his t-shirts he had forgotten to take home after he crashed on her couch when the arguing between his mother and sister had triggered him into a flashback and he had came here in floods of tears and rain water.

After changing, she tidies up her apartment, moves all her files into her room, gets two spoons out of the drawer, lets the ice cream defrost a little bit and pulls out a small collection of DVDs just as the doorbell rings for the second time in the day and for the second time in a day, she opens it and sees Ollie standing in the doorway with a grin on his face. Before she can open her mouth to invite him in, he's kissing her deeply. She returns the kiss and snakes her arms around his neck and pulls him inside the apartment.

It's Ollie who breaks the kiss when the need to breathe becomes too much to ignore. He pulls away and leans his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes.

"Thank you for coming home to me, Ollie." She whispers, Ollie smiles and kisses her once more.

"I'll always come home to you, Laurel, no matter how long it takes." He replies.


A\N: The ending isn't what I had in mind but oh well. I love Lauriver so so much. This has taken me days to write because I keep getting distracted. I hope you enjoy this one, Angels.