A.N.: Kudos to any who will recognize who Daniel is :D Though this will not be a crossover and this will be just a cameo, I will admit that I've been looking forward to including this ever since I accidentally named the guide "Daniel".

Chile 6 – The End of the Beginning

The air was full of suspense. It was hot, heavy and if one dared to breathe through the nose – it stank of sweat and human filth. Not a breeze moved inside. On the outside insects chirped loudly. Birdsong continued. Life went on in its usual manner in the jungle.

"Big words," one of the men drawled, waving slightly with his handgun. "But sit the fuck down now or I'll shoot your friend before I shoot you." There was barely distinguishable British drawl in his heavy voice. The tone he used now was completely different to when he had spoken to Slade Wilson on the satellite phone.

"Better listen to him, chica," another said. "I don't know which one of you killed Vicente, but he was the baby brother of my woman, so you better believe – a step out of the line and I will not give a fuck which one of you did the deed, I'll make all you bitches bleed for it."

A drop of sweat rolled from her hairline, hugged the edge of her face and dropped on her collarbone. Laurel felt like she was standing on a precipice. A part of her despaired – there was a very real threat to Thea. There was a very real possibility that the man she killed had a sister, that he was a brother, a friend. That he had a family.

But the people behind her also had family. They also had people they loved and that they missed. Thea had family that loved and missed her. How were any of them any less worthy of safety, of happiness? Of life?

"He made his choice," Laurel replied. Her voice growing in strength with each syllable. I am sorry. "And so, must you – let us go. I will not ask again." But not sorry enough.

There was a slight tremor in her. Something that started in her hands and rose to her shoulders. Something that squeezed around her heart and lungs. She was wobbling on that precipice of hers.

"Laurel…," Thea was momentarily distracted from the very real danger in front of her – to her it looked like Laurel was about to have a seizure of some kind. "Are you…"

"Shoot one of them," the man with the slight British accent drawled. He was sure he could make it make sense to his boss. "In the leg or something."

The other eagerly aimed his rifle at Laurel and took his time pretending to adjust his aim.

There was still, horrified silence from the captives who had already seen the same and worse.

And Laurel fell.

In her mind she fell off that precipice near which she had been wandering for god knows how long. In her mind it was like that bridge on which she had stood. But it was unlike anything she might have imagined – whatever was waiting for her at the bottom rose up and met her halfway and, in the end, it was no fall at all. It felt like coming home.

In reality, she fell a step forward, landed hard on her right knee and she screamed. Her chest heaved forward with a bubbling power that seemed to explode from her ribcage. Her hands reached backwards – grasping at air, reaching, as if she wanted to hold on to something to keep from being thrown away with the force that came from her lungs. She screamed. Not in pain or fear. It was not even a scream of defiance, nor a roar of challenge. Power exploded from her outwards in waves like a wild river that's broken through a dam. It pulled her with it and she almost wanted to let it take her, because… It felt inevitable. Every nerve and muscle in her body strained like the coasts of a river strain to keep it within its banks. It felt like an effort in vain for the power felt cleansing. It felt right, like it would be the right thing to do to let go.

She ran out of breath. And she ran out of sound. The power stopped with the last of her breath and losing the force that had pulled her with it - it caused her to fall forwards. She was not quick enough to catch herself before she hit the ground face first.

The walls of the building were now bent towards outside. The doors were off their hinges. The traffickers were on the ground – thrown a good distance from where they had stood. Even in silence, the air still rang with power that had went through it just moments before.

"Laurel. Laurel!" Thea ran to Laurel's side, grasping her shoulders, trying to get her up. "What the hell…"

Laurel's mind had gone blank for a second, she blinked, almost sure that she had blacked out for a second too. She felt the dirt beneath her hands and slickness of blood on her face and realized she had tried and failed to break her fall once the scream stopped.

She didn't know to which of Thea's calls she finally managed to react, "It's ok. It's ok. I'm alright…" she said, pushing herself up from the ground, trying to work with Thea's pulling. "I…" she stopped realizing that her voice was normal, her throat didn't hurt. Shouldn't there be some consequence… some price, something…

"What was that?" Thea asked when between both of them they finally managed to get Laurel half-sitting.

Laurel shook her head, "I… I don't know." Her eyes wide, her pulse beating erratically – she looked for any other sign of damage on herself and found none that was new. Whatever had happened had passed through her or… come from me… and left her unharmed.

"Then let's figure it out later," Thea suggested with a highly strained smile, "Let's get these people out first, before those guys come back around."

"Ugh," Laurel tried to get up on unsteady legs. Thea pulled her half the way. A short glance at the crumpled pile of traffickers told her that they were knocked out. Bruised. But alive. And for a short moment she considered killing them. After all, they might wake and follow. They might wake and capture more people that she wouldn't be there to save. They might do a lot of things. Might. She lingered on the thought. If she killed them that would put an end to this whole thing here and now.

"Laurel, I got the key, get the trucks running!" Thea shouted over the clamor of that rose when the people they were with realized that freedom was a very real, very near thing.

Laurel startled from where she had been edging towards a wayward gun and a justification that just might do in the moment. It is not who I am. This fight is over.

"Going!" she still picked up the gun, but she didn't shoot the unconscious men.

IKYWT

They had freed the people and helped them get in the trucks. Some had cried. Some had tried to thank them. A woman with a small child, tried to kiss Laurel's hands and Laurel had taken her hands instead and kissed her cheek– no, no, it was the right thing to do, please don't thank me like that, please, let's just get away from here.

They had also chained up the traffickers. With the same chains they had used on the captives. Left them some water and food within reach. They should be able to last until the law enforcement gets here. But other than that Laurel found her sympathy for them in short supply. Now there was just one more thing…

"I can't find him anywhere," Thea came around the corner of one of the shacks. "He's not here."

"Damn it," Laurel sighed. "We can't just leave without him, but…"

"He could be dead," Thea replied. And winced from her own tone. "I… I looked everywhere; I swear Daniel is not here. Maybe… Maybe if we could go back where we were captured, but..."

"I couldn't tell which way was which right now either," Laurel admitted. The way they had been taken after capture was a haze in her mind. "We have to get to a safe place and then come back for him," she said the reasonable thing and felt her ribcage tighten. If Daniel was injured, then what was reasonable for them all was also a likely death sentence for Daniel.

Thea nodded unhappily. She was painfully aware of the same reality.

"It'll be better with help," Laurel said. She felt she needed to say it just to convince herself

Thea's mouth was in straight line as she agreed even though it felt wrong.

"Let's go," they said both at the same time, resigned.

IKYWT

They had been on the road for a few hours. The afternoon was giving way to evening and it felt strange to finally take notice of the time of day in a more than perfunctory manner. The horizon was starting to color pink and violet. The glare of the sun softened into a softer look and the heat was letting off too – enough that sweat was now just stickiness that clung to skin rather than a constantly flowing puddle.

The dirt road they had been following had been going downhill for a while now. Every root and bump in the road made the people in the trucks jump a little and Laurel apologized every now and then when everyone was jostled a bit too much. In a way it felt like an escape from purgatory. In a way it felt endless.

Finally, the road opened up into a clearing – they had made their way out of hills into a plateau and in what seemed like seconds they were surrounded by a swarm of activity. Like bees upon honey they were beset by vehicles and as Laurel slammed on the brakes to stop, she heard the angry buzz of helicopter blades.

She gripped the wheel tight. For a moment her heart was in her throat. But then the first men got off the car. She didn't recognize the uniform of one, but she did recognize the United States military uniform on the other - a silver haired man. She killed the car engine and slowly got out of the car, hoping that it was the right thing to do. Hadn't she and Thea theorized what could be behind the traffickers to make them so confident in setting up a base here?

She was still suspicious and stiff when she heard Thea yell behind her, "Daniel!"

Laurel barely managed to track the missile that was Thea as she shot from the second truck, which she had been driving, forward, past Laurel, past the men and launched herself at Daniel who – while visibly surprised – still caught her. And Laurel felt herself exhale. A weight dropped from her shoulders. If their guide was here – then these must be the good guys.

It's over. She went weak with relief.

It took her a few moments more to gather herself enough to approach the company. The helicopters moved away – Laurel noted that it was in the direction of the traffickers' camp.

"You are the hostages, yes?" asked the man in a uniform Laurel did not recognize.

"Yes," she said, words heavy in her mouth. Only now she realized her throat was parched. Had been for hours.

The man in the US uniform handed her a flask of water. She counted stars on his uniform. A general? An Air force general she realized. That would explain the helicopters. She gratefully drank. "There are more people in the trucks. They need help."

"You saved them?" Daniel asked, wonder in his voice.

"We had to," replied Thea, nearly bouncing now – her energy renewed at this unexpected but welcome turn of events. "We would have saved you too – we looked for you, we were afraid you were dead…"

"Ah," Daniel ducked his head. "I am sorry, I managed to, ah, escape, and I figured the best chance you all had was with Jack," he motioned towards the general. The general seemed somewhat amused by something, but didn't share it with the group.

"You got help," Laurel said softly, passing the water to Thea. "That is all that matters."

"I am sorry we are so late," Daniel continued with apologies.

"Not Danny's fault though, unfortunately, getting the right equipment here took longer than expected even if we were already in the area."

Laurel blinked at the familiarity between their guide and the general, but at the moment was just too exhausted to question it, especially, since – it was safe now. They were safe. Thea was safe. The people they had found – they were safe. Laurel was safe.

"Let's get you all checked out by the medic and see how we can best help the people you rescued," the general, Jack, seemed to sense that Laurel was about to collapse. "We can talk through the details later, but you are heroes in my book, and the rest is just red tape."

"Yes, yes, of course, come, we have provisions, and, no offence, but a doctor really should look at you and…" Daniel went on and started leading them away while Laurel saw the general start giving out orders as officers approached the trucks with water and other supplies.

"Should we… Maybe I or Thea go with them? I feel like…" like she was still responsible. Laurel stopped, gesturing back at the trucks.

Daniel smiled, kindly and patiently. "It'll be alright. They're experienced at first contact situations."

"What?" Thea frowned.

"I mean," Daniel stumbled. "They've done this before," he covered with a smile. "And you need help too."

Reluctantly Laurel followed. Thea fired question after question off at Daniel, who answered patiently. And Laurel let herself be lost in the noise of conversation, in the lull that came when the action stopped. It was alright now.