Notes:

Not sure about this one but I just really wanted to post it, lol.

But a bumpy ride through a rough time, but you're a tough guy, and you won't break Had enough nights full of bloody sweat, at least you know how both tastes

Roy

"Roy!" he barely had time to register the opening of the door when he felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around his neck while he automatically breathed her in. His arms enfolded her as a reflex and he pulled her further into his chest, holding her close.

"Thea." God, he'd missed her so much. He wasn't sure why he'd been surprised by her being the one opening the door for him, he for some reason had expected Sara to be the one, which made little sense, Sara rarely ever answered the door for several reasons and those would only be amplified even more now, with Oliver missing.

They stayed like this for long moments, him just holding her close while she was struggling to keep her composure. This, on the other hand, wasn't a surprise at all. He knew Thea; he knew how worried she got whenever Oliver went MIA or was in danger. Her love for her older brother rivalled none other. Oliver meant the world to her. Adding the fact that she had been with him when he was taken… she would be extremely struggling with this. Feeling like she could've or should've done something to prevent this from happening. He wasn't there, and he had no knowledge of the exact situation that had led to Prometheus being able to take Oliver, so he wasn't going to make any judgment calls. But he could relate to the way Thea was feeling. It was similar to how he had felt when Rip had been taken right in front of him and he hadn't been able to prevent it from happening. Granted, he doubted they were dealing with yet another Speedster, he hoped, but still… sometimes these things just happened with no fault of anyone. Shit happened, and the best laid plans backfired because of the unexpected. He had learnt that during his time with the Legends. And sure, more times than not it was because of his team not keeping in line with the original plan but still… he had to smirk as he had a sudden image of his former mentor trying to handle his team as they went off the rails again and completely blew up the plan… Oliver's head would probably explode… he sobered up the moment Thea loosened her grip around him and slightly stepped back when he followed her lead and let go of her as well.

"Hi, sorry, c'mon in." She smiled at him sheepishly while stepping back across the threshold, gesturing for him to follow her, which he did without hesitation. Taking off his shoes once he was in the entrance room. It was a habit he had picked up from both Oliver and Sara. Oliver preferred to be barefoot, while Sara usually wore some of Oliver's wool socks, 'cause her feet get cold'.

It was sort of a running gag between Sara and Oliver.

He'd learnt that she's been giving him socks for Christmas and birthdays for years, cause he always complains about not having enough socks, while at the same time she was the reason he was regularly out of socks. It was a years old argument between them that they never seemed to end and pick up again from time to time, both always appearing highly amused while also being serious about the issue. Oliver mostly just being annoyed while Sara kept her stance of not being responsible for him misplacing his socks on the regular. Oliver had joked once that Sara gifting him socks was essentially a present she made to herself. And again, he seemed highly amused by it, instead of offended or hurt like other people might have been. It was also rather funny that they were still having this argument, which he had learnt had actually started before they had boarded the Gambit, because Oliver now preferred bare feet to wearing socks or shoes, anyway. It was something he hadn't understood at first but now could totally relate to after training with Oliver and him pointing out how important it was to use all of his senses and trust his body. So, ever since if he didn't have to wear shoes or socks, he wasn't.

Also, both Oliver and Sara were neat freaks and wouldn't appreciate people walking through their home with their shoes on. So, it was a show of respect as well.

Thea led him down the corridor until they reached the entrance to the living room where he saw Sin sitting on the couch her eyes glued to the TV, they had a local channel on, and it looked like some sort of talk show or news segment or a combination of both. His eyes left the screen and roamed across the room until he found Sara, curled up on Oliver's armchair, wearing one of his hoodies and a blanked covering her legs.

He took the image she presented in, studying her. The dark circles under her eyes, the messy bun on her head, the paleness of her skin and the dullness of her usually bright eyes. The way Sara looked reminded him of his last visit less than two weeks ago. And that worried him, a lot. More than the knowledge that Oliver was probably in serious trouble and his team seemed to be incapable of helping him.

Roy watched Sara get up and rush out of the room, hand over her mouth in an unmistakable gesture. Never mind how pale she had gotten during his explanation, or the way her hand had been shaking while she had moved it towards her mouth. This was exactly why he had been against telling Sara. Not that he had expected this reaction, but he had known there was going to be a rather powerful reaction given the information she had just gained.

Oliver was going to kill him, or at the very least shoot him again. And he'd deserve it. Fuck!

This was the last thing he had wanted. To cause such a visceral reaction from Sara, even though this was not what he had expected. He had expected her to be furious, not to get sick to her stomach.

He exchanged worried glances with Thea and Sin, no one really sure what they should do. Should they go right after her or give her some time to process everything? He tried to put himself in her shoes, how he would feel if he had just learnt that his sister and his friend had used recordings of him to trick his father into believing he was talking to him while he was dead.

Yeah, maybe they should give her a minute or so.

Fuck, had it really only been around two weeks since he'd last been here and dropped that atomic bomb on her? No wonder she was a fucking mess. How much more would she have to take, and could she ever just get a break and the chance to actually deal with some of the trauma that was constantly being inflicted on her before even more was added to it?

It had also been such a contrast to the way their time spent together had started out after Oliver had left to seek out Talia. Sure, she'd been worried about him, but not to the extent she was now, understandably so and he had decided to keep her mind from spiraling and thinking about the worst-case scenarios in the most extreme way he could find. It had both been a stupid move and highly amusing.

"So, what shall we do now, Mrs. Queen?" He spoke the words several minutes after Oliver had left, and Sara still hadn't broken the silence that had followed his departure yet. She seemed too absorbed with whatever was going through her mind and, given her expression, whatever it was, wasn't good. The look he received from Sara, given how he addressed her, was priceless. Damn, he was pretty sure he had never managed to get this type of reaction from her before. He completely took her by surprise. That was a first. But it also had the desired effect of getting her mind off of Oliver's recent departure and towards something else.

"What did you just… how?" Her eyebrow was raised inquiringly before her eyes turned to slits and there was that underlying threat in her voice and demeanor again, one he was certain came to her naturally whenever she felt pushed into a corner or threatened, Oliver did the same thing, it was a reflex she might not even be aware of. It was very unnerving, even in the position he was in, knowing she was no threat to him, and she wouldn't do anything to him, simply for knowing about her marital status. At least he was pretty sure she wouldn't.

"Gideon. She told me, I made sure she will not share the information with anyone. I figured you probably wouldn't want just anyone to know." He quickly elaborated, just to be on the safe side and also to ease her mind. Not wanting to give her something else to worry about.

"Oh, okay. Thank you. It was just… an impulse decision, I guess." Sara smiled at him gratefully and in understanding before throwing one of her famous smirks at him. He had to laugh at the last part. Yeah, that checked out. He could totally see those two just suddenly out of the blue deciding to get hitched and definitely not make a spectacle of it. They'd both hate that, he was sure. It was why he had been surprised when he had learnt about the rather grandiose wedding that Felicity had been planning. It hadn't seemed like Oliver at all. He didn't like making a spectacle or public affair out of his personal life, but then again, he had been the one to very publicly propose to her. That had seemed a bit strange as well.

This here seemed more his style.

"That sounds like the motto of your relationships." He teased her while grinning at her, liking the change in mood she had provided with her reply. It felt lighter and more fun. Plus, bantering with Sara was always a lot of fun. Her quick wit and unique sense of humor were highly amusing and something he'd missed.

"Now, that's an idea. I'll have to bring it up with Ollie. We could make a t-shirt or something. It does seem fitting. We've never been too good when it comes to planning and our relationships, seriously working on it now, though. It's kinda nice." Sara sounded just as amused about it as he was until she decided to get more serious again and share the latest developments in their relationship with him. Which was also nice, having her confide in him in a way.

"That does sound nice, and I'm really happy for you guys. Is there anyone you've told about it yet? Not implying that you should because it's totally your business if and who you want to share this with. Just curious, I guess." It was important to him to make sure she knew he was not at all judging them for their choice. He sort of got it, given everything… and the way people still reacted to their involvements. One would think they'd gotten over it by now and let it rest. It has been like ten years after all…

"Well, Thea knows. Ollie told her last night before she went home. And Walter, he's taking care of all the legal and financial stuff for us. But otherwise, no one and we don't really feel like telling anyone yet. I mean, I'll probably tell Sin tomorrow, but that's it. We're not ready to have people make a big deal out of it. It isn't, not to us. It was just the natural progression, I guess. It was important to Ollie, so it's important to me. He's pretty old-fashioned when it comes to things like this. And he needed to know…it was important that he knows that I'm here to stay, that we're in this together, that we're a family." This made perfect sense, not just the people they told about it or planned to, but the entire explanation as to why they got married and decided to keep it to themselves. It had been just about them, or Oliver, in a way from what she said. That was such a beautiful gesture of hers.

"Your secret's safe with me. I won't tell anyone, I swear." He would never betray their trust or share something that wasn't his to share with anyone. Especially not concerning those two, understanding how much they valued their privacy.

He was sure there was no way to distract her now. Not given everything that was going on now and the fact that they knew who Oliver was with and just how dangerous a man Prometheus was. No, Sara wouldn't stop worrying about Oliver until he was safely back at home. Her singlemindedness was as much a gift as it was a curse in situations like this. He recalled her reaction when Oliver, Thea and Moira had been in danger when Slade had showed up at their house. He had no trouble recollecting the icy terror in her eyes if only for a split second before pushing it aside as she took charge of the situation, determined to save Oliver's life and doing whatever it would take. That had been a new side to Sara they had all discovered that night. And he was sure even now, while she was currently sitting on the armchair staring into nothingness and looking exhausted, she was probably just as determined now as she had been then, the only difference was she had been able to go protect him herself three years ago, something she couldn't do now. So he was going to be the one doing it for her this time around. He would be the body she could use to get her husband back. He'd do whatever she'd ask of him. Because he wanted to get Oliver back home to her too, and following Sara's lead seemed the surest way to achieve that goal.

He wanted to be there and watch their reunion and this time around, he wouldn't mess with them like he had when Oliver had come back from his trip to see Talia.

He watched the couple deepen the kiss, Oliver's hand grab Sara's ass and contemplated what he should do, he could just turn around and leave them to it, as Thea wanted him to, pulling at his arm to get him to move, or he could mess with them like he really wanted to... what to do, what to do.

He cleared his throat loudly to get the couple's attention and was punched in the shoulder by Sin while Thea pulled at his arm even harder. Just as Sara broke off the kiss and Oliver found his eyes over Sara's head, glaring daggers at him. He had to smirk.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt anything." He just loved fucking with them and hadn't been able to do that nearly often enough. Oliver's reaction to being interrupted whenever things between him and Sara were getting heated had always been worth the serious ass kicking he'd gotten in the next training session with his mentor.

He seriously missed working out with Oliver. He'd have to schedule a training session in next time he came to visit them.

At least not right away… not like last time. Which had been a lot of fun and he was sure Oliver was still going to give him an ass kicking for it the next time they trained together and he was looking forward to it. Both the work out and Oliver pushing him way past his limit as a punishment of sorts. Once he was back home.

He studied Sara a little longer before deciding to get her attention and let her know he was here, in case she'd been too far inside of her mind to notice, she had given no sign that she was aware of his presence but that didn't mean that she wasn't.

Oliver

"What's next?" Adrian removed the last arrow, and he had to fight the darkness pushing at the edge of his vision. He couldn't give in. Couldn't pass out. Couldn't show weakness.

"You said something when I brought you here about how your family is your strength. Now... They didn't even know I was in their apartment." Recognizing the little porcelain angel figurine in his hand wasn't difficult at all. It used to be his great-grandmother's. His mom had gotten it after her death. It had been on the fireplace in their sitting room for almost as long as he could remember.

"Oh, I swear to God, if you hurt either of them…" Thea had taken it with her when she had moved in with Laurel, it was standing in between a photo of Tommy and one of his parents in Laurel and Thea's living room.

"You'll do absolutely nothing because you're here. I heard so much about that pretty wife of yours… I heard she's a screamer… I can't wait to see if I can make her scream too… what do you think? Maybe I'll bring her here, … I wonder if what they're saying about her is true… it's an old building, abandoned, not sure how sound the structure still is… you think she could bring it down around us?" The almost giddy look on Adrian's face while talking about Sara made him sick to his stomach. He didn't like the way he talked about her, the way he seemed excited at the concept of using her and her powers as an experiment. It reminded him too much of Ivo, and with that, everything Sara had been through already. No, there was no way he was going to let this sick and twisted psychopath use his wife for his own deprived pleasure.

"Touch Sara and I swear to god it'll be the last thing you'll ever do." Sara, there was no way he could get to her. His Pretty Bird knew who he was. She wouldn't let him into their apartment. And he couldn't just get in. Their security system was A.R.G.U.S standard, a moving in present from Lyla, and he knew Roy had upgraded it even more while staying with Sara.

Besides, Sara would've made sure by now that she wouldn't be alone. He had been gone for a while. She would never risk it. She was safe. Adrian couldn't reach her. And even if his words would probably still be proven true in more than one way. Sara would kill him, or at the very least try to, if he touched her. Honestly, if he came near her, chances were Sara'd go for the kill right away. Without a moment's hesitation.

"Why would you do this?" He was sure he had been with Adrian for several days by now, yet he still wasn't any further to knowing why or what it was his tormentor wanted him to confess. He had hoped he'd get some more insight, but so far, there had been little that was revealed to him. And it became difficult to focus on Adrian instead of the pain from his new wounds. But talking to him, trying to figure him out, focusing on Adrian instead of his injuries helped. At least a little. He'd also gotten a couple of sips of water before the arrows had been removed from his body, well the three new ones that had been added, not the one that was curtesy of Talia and it made him wonder if there was a deeper reason as simply torture or not caring that led to them leaving it inside, while taking the others out. Were they worried the damage would be too great, that they wouldn't be able to keep him from bleeding out? Adrian had mentioned several times that the goal was not to kill him. So if they wanted him to stay alive, maybe they weren't willing to risk it.

"Because you murdered my father." Oliver was starting to get seriously confused on top of the frustration he was feeling. He thought it "was nothing so pedestrian" and yet, here they were again. Was this the root of all of this? If so, it was a misunderstanding that should quickly be solved and Adrian could then be on his merry way to torture Malcolm instead. He was so not going to take the punishment for yet another crime his godfather had committed.

"I never touched Clayborne, Adrian." He was getting tired of this and having to repeat himself. Could they just move on from this already? The arrow that had been used was different from his were, so that must have been in the coroner's and police report as well. And it was not too difficult to find out the type of arrows he was using and compare them to the ones Malcolm used.

"Oh, I know. I'm talking about my real father who was murdered by you and your degenerate little whore, not that pitiful excuse of a human being mother and I used to create a backstory that would ensure Talia would let me join her order and train me. She's got leaps on Nyssa, but still isn't anywhere near the level her father had been on. No surprise he looked for an heir outside of his less than impressive offspring." The way his perception of Sara seemed to change from one moment to the next was almost fascinating, but his words reminded him of the way Malcolm had referred to her after her murder, and that similarity was all he needed to know for sure what Adrian would do to her if he got his hands on her. Malcolm had killed her because she got in his way and the unique position she had held, because of her importance to not only him and his family but Nyssa and the League as well. Sara had been a danger to Malcolm, and that was why he had removed her. She had been a part of the League more than twice the time he had been with them. He was almost certain Adrian would do the same. He seemed to look at her as dispensable.

"I don't…" his mind was going a million miles a minute trying to make the connections and solve the puzzle given the limited information Adrian was providing him with.

"You see, until you confess your secret, Oliver, everyone that you love is at play, even your pregnant wife and your estranged son." He glanced at the picture in Adrian's hands and couldn't hold back the tears. William was a wound that was still too raw and too deep to ever disappear or not hurt.

There was nothing he wanted more than to have him in his life, but Adrian was just now making the point for the choice he had made and why he hadn't seen his son in almost a year and had no way of contacting him. And it was killing him. It hurt more than any wound he'd ever suffered. But given the fact that Sara had mostly stayed at their apartment the last few months, primarily because they had figured at least Prometheus had it in for him, if not Ruvé as well and they weren't willing to take any risks with Sara and Mila's lives. But that meant, had William still been a part of his life, he'd have been forced into either what would've equaled a prison for a young boy his age, or to have protection with him at all times which again, would've felt like a punishment to him, he knew, he'd been in that situation several times during his childhood. And he didn't want that for his son. He didn't want that for Mila either, but there was a difference: Mila would grow up in an environment where she'd be aware of the dangers, whether he and Sara wanted her to know or not. Having someone with her at all times, protecting her, would be a normal occurrence to her, because she wouldn't know any different.

But for William, it would've been something new, something scary and bewildering. It would've been an enormous change in his life and it wouldn't have been fair to ask his son to suddenly make such a tremendous sacrifice for him. No. It would've been selfish of him to risk his son's life, freedom and innocence simply to have him in his life.

"You're bluffing. He… he's in hiding. I…I…I don't even know where he is." Oliver could feel the fear and panic set in. He was bluffing. He had to be. Adrian couldn't possibly know where William was, could he? He wasn't lying by telling him he didn't know where his son was, but then again, he'd never actually looked for him. How easy would it be to find him?

"'Cause you haven't really looked. But for me, we both know it's just a matter of time. It would be a shame though, my sister seemed to be very fond of him. Confess." A fact Chase seemed to be aware of, but still. Samantha knew the danger she and William would be in if they were found. Lyla had personally overlooked the mission to make them disappear. And he trusted Lyla. He trusted she had taken all the precautions needed and would've, and still would do anything in her power to make sure his son was safe. He knew his friend would put his son's safety on the same level as she did her own daughter's. Lyla wouldn't screw this up. But even all the precautions in the world couldn't provide a one-hundred percent guarantee.

He just had to trust her because there was no way to check on William now, not without potentially leading Adrian straight to him. This could be a bluff to get him to do exactly that, panic and seek his son out and, with that, giving Chase what he wanted. Or it could be the truth and he already knew where William was or was seriously looking for him.

"I don't know what you want me to say." This was the truth as well. At this moment in time, he'd tell him whatever the hell he wanted to hear if it meant William and Sara would stay safe and out of the crossfire. He'd sell his soul, or what was left of it, to make sure they'd stay safe. He'd do anything, but he didn't know what Adrian wanted from him, not yet.

"Then I guess I should leave you here to think about it and wonder who I might kill while I'm gone." Fear gripped his heart at his words. He had threatened both Sara and William. He had been in Thea and Laurel's apartment.

"Adrian! Adrian, please." He didn't want him to leave him alone again, because having Adrian here with him meant getting tortured, sure, but it also meant he was here with him and not out there hurting or killing anyone else while he was trapped in here incapable of stopping him.

"All you have to do is say the words. " God, he wished he knew which words he wanted to hear. Wished he could just give him what he wanted.

"I…I…" Alas, he still had no clue what he wanted of him. So there was nothing he could say, nothing to stop him. His mind drew a complete blank as the realization and with that, the terror set in.

"That's what I thought. See you soon." He was once again left in darkness. Alone with his thoughts, the paralyzing fear that had him in a death grip at the threats Adrian had made against his family and with the pain from his numerous wounds.

The only good thing about Adrian holding his sister's angel meant he hadn't got into his and Sara's apartment. Chances were Thea would be staying with Sara, as she had the last time he'd been gone. It meant for now, as long as Sara would stay there, Adrian couldn't get to her and he knew it. That meant at least his wife and daughter were safe and untouchable for the moment and, if his assumption was right, Speedy as well.

He, unfortunately, could no longer say the same about his son. Unsure whether Adrian had been bluffing or not. The fact that the only thing of William's he had for now was an older photograph at least gave him some hope that Adrian might be looking for him, but as of right now, he hadn't found him yet.

Notes:

I know Roy was mostly filler but I missed him and it was sort of nice to have a little less heavy stuff in it.

There have been some major hints this chapter and I'd love to know your thoughts and theories...

Chapter title is once again from "Just a Man" by Tom MacDonald.