"There are two types of every legacy. Two versions of what we leave behind. There's the good and the bad. You just have a lousy habit of focusing only on the bad." Thea Queen to Oliver Queen in Arrow Season Five, Episode Nine, What We Leave Behind.

Chapter 1:

When Thea Queen first learned about the island of Lian Yu, she never imagined that she would visit it twice. She never thought that she would likely die on that island. But here she was, chasing after her nephew's mother, Samantha Clayton, right before the island was going to be destroyed.

"Samantha," As she repeatedly shouted the woman's name, Thea doubted that she would find her in time. A maniac named Adrian Chase had decided to rig the island with explosive devices that were due to erupt at any moment.

Thea struggled to put her fear to the back of her mind as she ran deeper into the island. She needed to save the woman who was desperate to reach her son. If that was even possible. Thea coughed as she ran past trees, keeping an eye out for possible landmines. It would be just her luck to step on another one.

Her mouth felt so dry. It had been hours since she last drank anything. Thea would do anything for a moment of peace to drink some water right now. But times were desperate. The explosives all over the island could discharge at any moment, and she and Samantha Clayton could die if they continued towards the center of the island.

Where did the woman go? Thea looked around her; all she saw were the plethora of trees that caked the island. Finally, she saw Samantha's familiar brown jacket. She remembered envying it. The damn cold would have been so much more bearable in khaki than her thin linen jacket. Oliver wasn't lying when he described the island as cold all those years ago. At least Thea chose to wear boots yesterday. They made it easy enough to run in the ragged landscape of dirt and leaves.

Thea heard a loud blast and the sounds of trees falling in the distance. She jumped when she saw the ground below her rumble.

Within moment's the earth below her exploded. Thea felt like she was reliving several minutes before when she heard a man she once considered her father die. But this time she was in the thick of it. Trees were falling all around her. Before she could try to twist around, she felt something fall against her head and Thea gasped and pushed the object that lodged against her forehead. It was a muddy stick that was dripping some of her blood.

As she lay alone in the forest, all Thea felt was a terrible ringing in her ears. She struggled to stay conscious, trying to wiggle herself away from another falling tree. A branch pressed into her left hand. Another object, likely another tree branch dropped against her head, and the island continued to explode as she lost consciousness.

After what felt like no time had passed, Thea awoke and found herself somewhere else. She was no longer at the island. She was now surrounded by civilization.

It was so loud. Yet the ringing in her ears had finally stopped. Thea opened her eyes and felt a whiplash of nausea at the sight before her. She was in the middle of a club room she hadn't seen in years. She recalled all the times she went to this very club as a teenager, and the time she tried to push off her mother's mayoral campaign event to this club instead. Bright blue lights flickered rapidly in the darkness, and someone's brass elbows hit her shoulders.

Was this another fake reality created by the Dominators? Probably not. Thea remembered living in a fake world created by aliens, but she hadn't realized it wasn't her real life until she started receiving flashbacks of her life. Thea remembered everything here.

Was this the afterlife? It could be. Thea didn't remember what happened the last time she died; the time before she rose from the Lazarus Pit and wanted nothing more than to kill. This time there would be no coming back.

Thea strutted past the throngs of people, pushing people in her path. She ignored the irritable shouts of people behind her. Thea felt something wet drop on her shoulder. Disgusting. A mix of someone's wine and saliva had spilled on her. She glared at the people around her; so many of them were drinking and dancing. All of them appeared reckless and unconcerned about the people around them.

It figured that her afterlife would turn out to be a scene from her past. She even felt the familiar wooziness and addicting alleviation from pain that came from Roxies. After what felt like forever, Thea reached an empty hallway. As she leaned against a cold wall, Thea reflected about her death, well, to be more accurate, her second death.

This was not where she imagined her life as a young child. Dying on an island because some mad man blamed her brother for his own failings, and the death of his corrupt father. Thea knew what it was like to blame Oliver. After Slade Wilson, she hated how he refused to warn her, and their mother, of the danger Slade posed to their family. If he just trusted them, her mother could have survived. But all that condemnation had dispitated after she trusted the wrong person far too many times, and he told her the truth.

Malcolm had pushed her from a landmine to save her life just hours earlier. Thea refused to have that change her feelings towards him. She still hated him. She would never forgive him for the pain he caused, for the deaths of hundreds of people, for making her kill Sara Lance and for endangering her nephew's life. She had given him plenty of chances.

"Thea. Are you all right?"

Thea smiled at the sight of her long-dead half-brother. How was she so ignorant before Slade destroyed her world for the first time? Tommy Merlyn had the same thick, dark hair as her and his nose; it was just like hers and the domestic terrorist they were both related to. The main difference was her blue eyes; the eyes she shared with Oliver and their mother.

"Mmm. Fine," Thea muttered, leaning her head against the cold door. "Not every day I get to see my dead brother again." She grinned upwards at him.

Tommy smirked. "I think you had too much to drink."

Thea shrugged. "I had nothing. It's not like we have to drink when we're dead." She looked beyond him at a few stragglers dancing past the exit. Looks like they were having their very own afterlife party. "But I see there's plenty of dancing. What's your favorite thing about the afterlife?"

Tommy's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Thea, I think you should go home."

"Does it really matter what we do anymore? We lost our lives to a madman. It is what it is. Who knew that we could party our hearts' content afterwards?" Thea rolled her eyes and laughed. "My teenage self would be thrilled."

"Thea," Tommy lifted her up. God, the world started to spin. "Come with me. "I'll get you a ride home."

Thea nodded, flickering her eyes as she tried to stop the mismatch of shapes that were clouding her eyes. "Do the spinning and strange shapes ever stop? I really don't want to deal with this for eternity."

Instead of answering, her brother pulled her forward and led her out of the club to a valet stand. As she watched Tommy hand his key to the valet, Thea laughed, amused that he still bothered to drive. Couldn't they, as ghosts, just teleport wherever they wanted?

"I guess there's not much different from real life here. It's just like living any other night in Star City, right?"

Tommy shook his head, grinning. "I know I should tell you to not do drugs, but whatever, you're on, it must be good."

Thea sighed. "You're acting like I'm on drugs or drunk. I'm just adjusting to what happens after, you know."

"Thea, you don't have to lie to me. I'm not going to judge you. I'm not Moira or Oliver."

Thea snorted. "Where's mom anyways? I would have thought I'd see her first. Not that I mind it being you. I'm glad to see you again. After you died, nothing was ever the same. Five years. Wow! It's been almost five years." Thea hugged him and for a moment all the dizziness went away. She needed to get it all out. To tell him all the words she said to an empty space for far too long. "When I learned the truth, when I …" No, she shouldn't lead with that. What if he had no clue? "Do you even know? I would think mom would have told you. But, here it is, my brother, you're my brother."

Tommy smiled. "That's sweet. You're like a sister to me too, Speedy."

"Look," Thea began. A loud clang rang from somewhere in the distance. Thea turned to see glass falling from the windows of a nearby skyscraper. From a distance, Thea could almost make out a familiar man-like shape in a hood.

"Thea! There you are," a shrill voice called out to her. "Were you able to get more?"

Thea turned to find her high-school best friend, Margo Weinberg, and some girls Thea used to party with. The brunette strutted over and grinned over at Tommy. Typical Margo- her old friend loved to flirt with older guys. If Thea remembered correctly Margo would marry some rich guy that was ten years her senior in a year.

"Margo. What are you doing here?" Thea pressed a hand over her eyes. "You're supposed to be alive."

"Don't tell me you had the whole bottle without me!" Margo laughed and the girls giggled behind her.

"Thea." Tommy put a hand on her shoulders. "Where's the drugs? How much did you have?"

"I hadn't had drugs in about four years." Thea snapped. "Not since Vertigo and the car crash."

Margo laughed again. "Don't worry. Thea can handle a bunch of pills. She's not going to die over it."

Tommy grabbed a bag from Thea's shoulder. Thea stared at it; she hadn't realized it was there. It was the small black purse she used to bring around during her party girl days.

The lightheadedness impacting her judgment, and the strange shapes and lights pulsing in front of her eyes. Being in Star City instead of the island with Tommy actually talking to her instead of her talking to an empty space. Oliver and his arrows crashing a skyscraper across the street from a club. Margo and the girls that asked her if she was able to get more drugs.

It was like Thea had returned to a night during the first year after Oliver's return from Lian Yu. Time travel. During her brief return home, Sara Lane had described how time travel generally worked. Thea shouldn't be surprised. Her whole world was full of strange occurrences from people with special powers to evil doppelgangers from other worlds. Oliver had told her that Lian Yu was a point of mystical convergence and magic.

Did the island return her to this point of time? If so, was her younger self also around? From what she heard, the Legends always time traveled as themselves. Thea needed to check a mirror. If she looked seventeen, maybe she took over her younger self's body. Thea shivered at the thought. Her taking over the existence of her own self.

"-mine now. I'm not letting you girls get any more messed up tonight."

"But Tommy." Margo was whining.

Good. Tommy was distracted with Margo and the drugs. Thea scurried back inside and asked a bouncer for the location of the nearest bathroom. After twisting around the throngs of people for several minutes, Thea finally reached the bathroom.

She felt bile rising in her throat as she stared at her younger reflection. Her blue eyes were puffy and her pupils were dilated. She definitely had taken too much Roxies. Her hair was long again. She must cut it short again as soon as possible. This wasn't her anymore.

"Damn. That police officer really has it out for Queen." A woman said behind her to her giggling friends.

"Glad that asshole is getting it handed to him," said a woman at the sink next to Thea.

"What's happening to Ollie?" Thea asked.

"A police officer is arresting the pathetic scumbag," the woman next to Thea said gleefully.

"You shouldn't be calling you host names." Thea snapped. Ungrateful bitches. They shouldn't have come to the party if they didn't respect the host. "I can't believe no one's helping him. Everyone knows Quentin had it out for him back then."

Ignoring the bile logging in her throat, Thea raced out of the bathroom and to the main room. Some random pop song was playing, but no one was dancing. Everyone was watching Quentin slamming Oliver against a bar stool to hand-cuff him.

"Quentin! Stop!" Thea yelled.

Quentin abruptly stopped, causing Oliver's chest to slam against the stool.

"He couldn't have been across the street with Laurel's latest corrupt CEO." If Thea remembered correctly, Oliver started his crusade helping Laurel Lance with the rich men she targeted at CNRI. "He was with me ten minutes ago."

Quentin stared at her for a moment. It was strange to see him with hair again. "It's Detective Lance, Ms.. Queen. But I shouldn't expect you Queens to be respectful. You're all trash, after all."

Oliver shook upwards. Thea saw his fingers starting to slip through the handcuffs.

"Don't," Thea shouted at her brother. She couldn't let him attack Quentin, especially in front of all these people.

Pressing a hand on her aching forehead, Thea turned back to Quentin. "Detective Lance, I'm sor …"

Quentin interrupted her. "Still a drug addicted slut, I see."

Thea forced herself not to cry. Quentin didn't mean this. He was her closest friend. The only father who stayed. "If I didn't love you, I would …" Thea paused. If she finished her sentence, she would only anger her friend.

Oliver punched Quentin. He must have gotten out of the handcuffs while Thea was focused on the detective.

Quentin brought his gun out of its holster. Thea was sure he was going to threaten to shoot Oliver when Detective Lucas Hilton, Tommy and Margo raced in.

Detective Hilton immediately reprimanded his fellow police officer and Quentin sighed.

"He was with us." Tommy said. Margo nodded in agreement. "You would be only arresting an innocent man, Detective Lance."

Quentin growled, but lowered his gun and grabbed the handcuffs from the stool Oliver left them on. "Next time. I'll get the three of you next time. You're time getting away with everything is over."

Thea watched Quentin and Detective Hilton walk away. Despite his words, Thea wanted to follow him and offer him a shoulder to cry on. He needed her. A friend who knew exactly what he was feeling.

Instead the bile finally got out, and Thea started puking on the floor. She heard screams of disgust, laughter at her embarrassing scene, and Oliver's voice calling for water.


As Tommy's Porsche drove past the gates that led to the Queen's mansion, Thea found herself admiring her old home. She noticed that the outer walls were a darker brown than she remembered. As they walked through the front door, Thea was surprised to see a coat closet right next to the door. While the dominators created a realistic depiction of the mansion, they left out little details that they wouldn't think about.

"Thea!" Her mother, Moira Queen, hurried down the entrance staircase. Thea's former stepfather, Walter Steele, was right at her heels. "I heard what happened." Oliver likely told her over the phone while Thea and Tommy dropped Margo off. "Are you all right, sweetheart. Don't listen to a word Detective Lance says. He's still grieving Sara and is jealous that he's not lucky as we are."

Poor Sara Lance, who was still forced to be a member of the League of Assassins. At least Sara wasn't alone; Sara was with Nyssa al Ghul right now who cared deeply for her.

Thea would love to tell Quentin that Sara was still alive, but that would only endanger everyone. Despite Nyssa's love for Sara, the cult would likely murder Quentin and Laurel, if Thea told either of them the truth. Plus, she would hate to be the one who caused Nyssa to lose a year with Sara. Or maybe, she was being selfish; the last thing Thea wanted was to confront the man who temporarily killed her.

At least her mother was here. Thea raced forward and hugged her mother tightly, crying all the while. "I'm sorry," Thea whispered. She wished she could babble about how much she missed her and how sorry she was too weak to stop her death. She wished she could tell her the whole story of her past five years. But Thea was more self-aware now. She knew better than to be honest with her mother when she was a Tempest member.

"Come with me to the living room, sweetie." Her mother led Thea to the living room. "I'll have Raisa make you some hot cocoa."

That was sweet. She forgot that her mother could act like this. All Thea remembered was how controlling and devious her mother was. She forgot the nights of her mother comforting after a rough day; the days when the grieving for Oliver and her father, Robert Queen, grew too much.

Thea heard Walter thanking Tommy in the hallway and asking him to stay the night. Thea was happy to hear that he agreed. It would be nice to be near most of the family she lost tonight. If only Quentin could be as lucky as her tonight.

"Thea, do you want to tell me anything?" Moira sat at the end of a chair across from her. Her mother's face was firm.

"What?" Thea stared at her mother. It was still so surreal to see her alive.

"I mean, you came to Oliver's party tonight. I think that was a bad idea."

"Mom, do we have to talk about that tonight? Can't we just enjoy each other's company tonight and talk about serious stuff tomorrow." Thea lacked the energy to discuss her life with her mother. Especially when it would be discussing the life of her younger self. "What did you do tonight?"

Her mother nodded and began talking about her dinner at some fancy restaurant with Walter. Soon their housekeeper, Raisa Denisova, came in with a mug of hot chocolate, which Thea accepted, and Oliver, Tommy and Walter joined them.

Tommy cheerfully talked about the fun parts at the party, highlighting Oliver's speech. Oliver interjected here and there. Thankfully he left out the part about taking her younger self's drugs.

Soon, Thea became engrossed in her family's conversation. She longed for this moment for so long. She would worry about the future tomorrow.

Author's note: Thank you for reading my new story! If you have any recommendations of time travel stories in this fandom, I will love to hear about them in the comments. I'm especially interested in reading stories where Thea, Tommy and/or Quentin are the time-traveler.

My recommendation is Back to the Beginning by NarutoDimensions.