Chapter 1

Eluding the Illusion

"Don't part with your illusions.

When they are gone, you may still exist,

but you have ceased to live. "

-Mark Twain


We live in a fantasy world...a world of illusions. The great task in life is to find reality. That was proving quite difficult for a doctor who thought she'd just climbed out of hell. In the past few moments she finally came to a conclusion. Katherine Robins was dead.

It was the logical conclusion to her current predicament. Her eyes opened and there sat her father. Katie distinctly remembers the last conversation with his doctor, and how he told her that her father's health had significantly declined and how his brain activity had ceased. She expected to come home and hope to find an alternative to just taking her father off life support. She expected to come home and find him in a hospital bed where she would make him a promise that she wouldn't give up until he was better. What she didn't expect was to be the one in the hospital bed, him sitting above her, awake, looking completely healthy. The only way to explain this was that on her way home, she died, and so did he and now they were in some alternate dimension where the dead go. She hadn't decided if this was heaven or hell just yet. She questioned him, and he questioned her, and then she saw a ring on her hand that rested on a specific finger. When she turned back to her father she expected him to explain, but instead he told her to give him a moment before he stood to his feet and rushed out of the door.

Katie looked back down to her hand, and looked down to the ring, and this time she really looked at it. Really looked over the pristine design, and marveled at it's beauty. She let out a sharp breath before dropping her hand and looking back over to the door hoping her father would return. Soon her eyes looked around the room she was in.

"Where the hell am I?" she muttered to herself. She realized she wouldn't get that answer from the bed, and so she decided she'd have to get up. She pushed the covers aside, and slightly lifted her feet, but quickly stopped at the sudden soreness at the move. "What the hell? How long have I been in this bed?" she once again tried again, this time expecting the sensations as she turned to place her feet on the floor. Once she was fully sitting, she paused for a second, taking in a deep breath before she dropped her feet to the cold linoleum floor and lifted herself to stand. Muscles cracked as she moved to a position she figures she hadn't taken in a while. Her eyes lifted to the door, the distance not that far, but to her it looked as if it were miles away. With one more deep breath, she began taking lazy steps toward the door. Her eyes looked down to her feet in frustration at the slow pace. She shook her head because she has no idea how she got to this point. She has no idea why her body seems like it hasn't moved in a long time. She was actually out of breath when she finally reached the door, but she ignored it as she reached forward and grabbed the door knob. A frown fell to her features when she realized the door was locked.

"The hell, " she muttered as she relentlessly tried to pry open the door. Soon she gave up all together and decided the beat a fist against it instead. "Hey! Is someone there!"

Jacob Robins' eyes were locked on the screen that show in front of him. He shook his head at the sight.

"Someone please open the door!" his daughter continued pounding against the door, and he knew at some point he was have to return to her, answer questions he's sure she has.

"Sir," Martin had been standing just a few feet behind his boss watching the screen as well.

"She doesn't remember anything from the past three and a half years." Jacob said as he continues to look to the screen. "The last thing she remembers is returning to Starling after all that shit with ARGUS and Ra's and those months where you lost her." Jacob turned to Martin who stood glancing from his boss to the surveillance footage. "How did this happen?"

"Sir, I'm not sure, on your order we can send in the doctors, but right now we need to make the call." Martin said, and Jacob sighed turning back to the screen.

"She doesn't even know he's alive. Having him walk in there and-"

"He's her husband." Martin interrupted. "And you've made too much progress with that relationship with him and him letting you be apart of their lives for you to just throw it all away by not calling him to tell him that she's awake."

"First, I need to know how the doctors want to handle this. I don't want to bombard her with everything if it will cause her more stress. Right now she's scared, and she's lost and I just want to make sure we handle this carefully." There was a knock at the door.

"That's the doctor." Martin says, and Jacob lets out a sigh before standing to his feet before turning to the man.

"Right, let' go." Jacob says already headed for the door.

Oliver wasn't ready for this. It came too quickly, and too sudden and he wasn't quite sure how to handle this. He sat, eyes closed as he took in another deep breath.

"You're being so over-dramatic." Oliver opened his eyes and turned to the voice of the teenage girl who sat a little too comfortably behind the wheel of his car. "I've read the stupid driver's manual, went to those pointless driver's ed classes and now it's time for you to put on your big boy pants and teach me how to do this because I want to get my license."

"Ari, I just don't understand why you're so in a hurry for this. I mean you have your own driver."

"And I love Hank to death, but I don't want to be the kid in high school who has to be driven everywhere." Ari turned pulling on her seat belt before leaning forward and turning on the car. Oliver only got more nervous as he sat up a bit straighter. "And you have to help me, so you can't freak out."

"I'm not freaking out." Oliver said turning to her and she just gave a knowing look. "Fine, I am freaking out, but we can do this." he turned back to the road. "Hands on the wheel, ten and two." Ari complied raising her hands to the steering wheel. "Ok, now check your mirrors to make sure it's safe to proceed." Ari turned, glancing over to the mirror beside her, before turning and looking to the rearview mirror. "Ok, when you feel comfortable, shift the car into drive and slowly turn and-" Ari grabbed the gear and shift the car into drive, before pressing the gas. Oliver braced himself because she didn't exactly go as slow as he hoped she would. "Ari, slow, slow-"

"Hey, I'm good, just-" she glanced over to him, and he turned to her with wide eyes before turning back to the road just as someone was crossing the street.

"Ari, eyes on the road!" the girl quickly turned and the moment she saw the woman, her feet quickly stomped on the breaks causing both of them to jerk forward, and the woman in front of them turned to stop and glare before continuing.

Oliver and Ari sat there for a few moments in silence as they both try to ignore the ramming of their rapid heard beats.

"Ari, put the car in park." Oliver said, his voice trying to remain calm. She glanced over to him, but he didn't even turn to her.

"Oliver, c'mon, I can-"

"Park the car, Ari!" he said once again turning to her and it was the look that told her she should do nothing but comply. And so she did, before unbuckling he seat belt, turning and grabbing her bag. "Ari, I'm-"

"I'm just going to walk home." the teen said before stepping out of the car and walking away. Oliver sat there for a moment, and let out a deep breath, mentally beating himself up for totally handling this situation all wrong. He unbuckled his own seat belt before getting out and taking the driver's seat and heading home as well. They weren't too far from the house, so Ari was just walking into the house when he pulled into the driveway. Oliver stepped out of the car just as Hank was walking from around the house.

"How did it go?" Hank asked, and Oliver let out a heavy sigh. "That bad, huh?"

"Actually, she was fine, I on the other hand couldn't get over the fact that I was actually teaching my teenager how to drive and I may have had a minor freak out." Oliver shook his head and Hank just chuckled. "I thought I was ready for this."

"Yeah, it's hard when they grow up." Hank replied and Oliver looked over to the man and gave a nod. Oliver had learned a lot about the men he's hired to keep his family safe. Hank was a divorcee, with two kids who were both in college. "Trust me, it never gets any easier to see them start to grow up and not need you anymore. Hey, the offer still stands if you want me to teach her."

"No, I can do this. I just have to get over my own anxiety." Oliver sighed before continuing into the house. The moment he stepped inside, he smiled at the sound of his daughter's breathless laughter coming from the living room.

"Oh thank God, there you are!" Thea called and Oliver frowned as he walked in just as his sister was picking up Robyn into her arms. She turned to Oliver with wide eyes. "You're back."

"I am." Oliver said walking over, and the moment Robyn saw him she began squirming in Thea's hands.

"Dah Dah!" she yelled, and Oliver smiled as he reached forward pulling the baby into his arms.

"Did your auntie Thea lose you again?" he looked over to his sister who just shook her head.

"It's so not my fault. I placed her on the floor to play, I turned for two seconds and by the time I turned back around, she was gone." Thea looked over to the baby who was content with squirming in her father's arms as she tried climbing up, "She's like a little baby ninja." Thea shook her head before turning to pick up the baby's toys. "So I heard Ari stomp up the stairs a few minutes ago. I take it the driving lesson didn't go well."

"It could've gone better." Oliver replied looking down to his daughter who was now tugging at the zipper on his jacket. "I may have freaked out a little bit." Thea turned to him and laughed. "It's not funny. I should be able to do this. This is one of the things that is in the dad hand book." Thea gave the man a smile and he shook his head. "And I know I'm not her dad, but-"

"Ollie, you're the closest thing Ari has to a dad right now, and I think she sees that too and it doesn't bother her." she turned to her brother and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"I don't know, I just got in that car and saw her sitting behind the wheel and I just—" he shook his head. "She's about to turn sixteen, and in two years she's going to be eighteen and going off to college, and just the thought makes me nervous." Oliver held up his daughter who giggled as she reached forward and placed her tiny hands on her dad's face. "I'm not ready to lose her." he placed a kiss to Robyn's head before turning to his sister.

"Ollie, you're not losing her. You're just freaking out because she's getting older and you don't feel you're ready for it, but I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but she's going to grow up, she's going to drive, she's going to have a boyfriend—" Oliver groaned at those words and turned away before carrying his daughter into the kitchen. Thea laughed as she followed behind him. "I should head out, we're still planning the kick off for the Anti-Crime Initiative this weekend."

"How's that coming along?" Oliver asked as he strapped Robyn into her high chair.

"Everything is going as planned. Everything should run smoothly. You just have to make sure you show up on time." Thea said and Oliver didn't say anything as he turned back to his daughter whose babbling caught his attention. He looked down to her and smiled. "Ollie, your day-"

"Jammed pack like every other day. I know Thea." he said before placing a kiss to the top of his daughter's head. "But that day doesn't start for a couple of hours."

"Ollie, I know-"

"Speedy," Oliver turned back to his sister. "You have no idea how much of my time is not dedicated to this little girl. I get pictures sent to me from her day care of her standing up, or of her calling out my name when I'm not there." Oliver shook his head before looking back down to the little girl who contently ate her dry cereal that was scattered in front of her. "A few hours of my day is hers." he looked back to his sister. "A few hours of the day I'm not the mayor, and I'm not the Green Arrow. I'm just her dad and I won't rush those few hours for anything."

"Ollie, really I get it. You're balancing a lot and I know Robyn and Ari are your priorities. You don't have to explain that to me. I know doing all of this is stretching you a bit thin, I just don't want you to forget about your other responsibilities."

"I won't." Oliver assured and Thea gave him a nod before grabbing her jacket and pulling it on.

"So during your City budget meeting-" Oliver stared down to his daughter and just shook his head. "Try to look like you actually want to be there. Afterward, you have the ribbon cutting for the opening of the Star City's job resource center. That's where I will meet you. I have to keep an eye on that-"

"Speedy-" Oliver's warning tone caused the woman to purse her lips and just pull on a smile as she looked over to her niece. "If the next words out of your mouth is something we don't want my daughter to repeat then how about you just keep it to yourself." Thea simply nodded before grabbing her purse. "And Annabelle-"

"Nope." Thea said with a shake of her head and Oliver looked over to the woman. They'd had many conversations about said woman and every single time it ended the exact same way and Thea just wasn't in the mood to argue once again. "I know how this conversation will go and I for one don't have time for it. You're a guy, you don't see it."

"Thea, that's not fair and you know it."

"Whatever Ollie, I will see you at the opening, and if she starts crossing a line, I will gladly push her back over it." Thea said with a smile before walking over and peppering kisses on Robyn's cheeks causing the girl to erupt in laughter. "And I will see you later my little peanut butter cup. I just want to put you in my purse and take you with me." she looked up to her brother who just shook his head and the woman gave a pout. "But your daddy won't let me." she turned back to her niece and with one final kiss she turned and headed for the door.

Oliver chuckled before turning and picking up his daughter in his arms.

"Your aunt is crazy." he muttered before turning and heading upstairs get ready for their day.

Katie's eyes moved as instructed following the doctor's small flashlight as he moved it from one side to the other. He hummed before he slipped the flashlight back into his lab coat pocket.

"It's as I thought." the doctor says before looking over to where Jacob stood on the other side of the room where he'd been impatiently waiting for the doctor to say something. "Physically I don't see a cause for the memory loss." he turned back to Katie. "Your CT scan was clear, and so was your MRI. I don't think the memory loss is caused by any neurological damage."

"Wait memory loss." Katie says glancing over to her father before turning back to the doctor in front of her and then her eyes looked down to the wedding ring on her finger she has no idea where it came from. "What year is it?" she looked back up to the doctor."

"It's 2016." the doctor says, and Katie's eyes go wide as she turns away from him and once again looks to her father. "Katherine-"

"Four years have passed?" she asked and Jacob let out a sigh and she shakes her head before turning back to the doctor.

"Tell me, what do you remember about your life." the doctor asks. Katie's eyes drifted because she couldn't get it out of her head that there's four years of her life that she just doesn't remember. "Katherine-" she shakes her head before standing from the bed, this time not feeling the soreness at all as she walks over to stand near the window. " I know this is all lot to take in, so I don't want to rush in to this. We can take our time." the doctor glanced over to Jacob and nodded his head toward the door.

"Sweet heart, I'm going to just be outside." he began following after the doctor.

"Do not lock that door." Katie says and Jacob stops and turns to her. "I've spent an awful lot of time in rooms with locked doors, and I would absolutely appreciate if you didn't lock that one."

"Of course." Jacob says before turning and heading out to the hall. "I'm going to need this entire floor cleared." Jacob ordered as they took a few steps away from the door. He glanced up to the walls noticing the ARGUS emblem and shook his head. He turned as Martin headed down the hall over to them. "I need everything that screams ARGUS covered, do you understand?"

"Of course, but sir-" Martin starts but Jacob simply holds up a hand before turning to the doctor.

"What's going on Phillips? Why can't she remember anything?

"Given what I know, no sign of cranial damage and all of her head scans coming back clean, I believe this is dissociative amnesia." he glanced over to Martin who too waited for the man to continue. "It results from the effects of severe stress or psychological trauma on the brain." Martin glanced over to Jacob who turned away now starting to understand the cause of all of this. "Sir, I don't know much about the injuries your daughter was brought in with. Physically there was only a stab wound, but if there is something else-"

"How do we go about treating this?" Jacob asked shutting the man's line of questioning down. Doctor Philips knew enough about Jacob to understand and just move on.

"There isn't an all out cure for this. There's just a wide range of treatment options, but with those options we have to take something into consideration. Something happened to her, something so traumatic that she has blocked it out of her memory completely. Before we start any treatment we should make sure she is psychologically safe to reconnect with these memories. Because if she's not, we could be opening a door she's not ready to open and that could possibly cause her even worse psychological distress." Jacob let out a heavy sigh as he slid a hand over his face hoping to calm his nerves but that was impossible at the moment. "Right now you're her anchor. The only thing she really remembers so I think you should talk to her, see how she feels about all of this. Try to get a sense of how she wants to proceed with this. I will come by a little later to talk to her and see if we can come up with a plan." The doctor turned to leave.

"Doctor Philips-" it was Martin who spoke, and the doctor stopped and turned to him. "Her husband, do you think we should call him, have him come see her, talk to her."

"Well I would definitely inform him that his wife is no longer in a coma. I've met Mr. Queen a few times so I can say with confidence that he will be happy with the news. On whether he should see her, that's a whole different matter all together."

"How so?"

"Well since we don't know what this traumatic event was that caused her to block out her memories, we're not sure if anyone she knows is tied to them."

"You're saying that seeing Oliver could trigger something inside of her and those bad things you mentioned could happen if she's not ready to remember them." Jacob says glancing over to Martin. "You know Oliver, you think we can call him, tell him that she's awake and then tell him he can't see her."

"I think given what we were just told, explaining that to him, I think he would see the bigger picture and think about his wife before himself." Martin says and Jacob simply shook his head.

"Thanks Philips." Jacob says dismissing the doctor who simply nodded before turning and walking away. "I should get back in there." Jacob headed back to his daughter's room.

"You don't want to call him?" Martin asked and Jacob stopped and turned back to him. "You do know where that decision could lead."

"Right now the only thing I care about is the safety of my daughter. And that thing that was inside of her-" Jacob closed the distance between the man. "The things it made her do is causing my baby to block out the last three and a half years of her life. I don't know what will happen if she remembers those things and if Oliver-"

"Oliver had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to her. If anyone is a trigger it's you. Do you know what her life was like three and a half years ago. three and a half years ago she didn't know who you were and she didn't know what you did." Martin noticed that Jacob turned away at those words. "And you're glad about that, aren't you?" Jacob turned a glare to the man before turning and stalking back over to his daughter's room.

Martin let out a deep sigh as the moral dilemma he now faced tugged on the edges of his conscience. The man shook his head before slipping out his cell phone and dialing a number.

"Yeah, medical floor two needs to be completely cleared." he glance around the hall. "And we're going to need pictures." the statement confused the agent on the phone and Martin thew up his hands in frustration. "I don't care, just pictures!"

Sometimes Oliver felt as if one day his lips would just fall off his face with the amount of smiling his new job as mayor entailed. He was always shaking someones hand while simultaneously smiling giving the illusion that he actually knew what he was doing. No one had quite caught on that he was usually playing the role of mayor by ear. It was usually Thea who made sure he at least was saying the right things at the right times. At the moment, Oliver had a moment of peace to himself as he stood looking up to a wall of monitors all showing different job openings from various businesses around the city. He smiled because he could imagine his wife standing here, imagine the pride and happiness she would feel as she stood here to see yet another stem of the dream her and Ray created.

"It's unbelievable, isn't it?" a voice spoke from beside Oliver, pulling him from his thoughts of his wife. He turned, pulling on that smile to see the familiar face of one Annabelle Grey, the current CEO of Robins Incorporated. Oliver simply gave a nod before glancing behind him in search of his sister who he knows is somewhere watching. Thea is always somewhere watching whenever the tall, blonde haired woman beside him appears. He just hopes Thea doesn't come through on the promise she made earlier. "The New Beginning Initiative is one of Star City's shining accomplishments, and to be apart of it is just-" the woman shook her head unable to think of the words. "We actually were talking about another idea for NBI I would love to pick your brain about." the woman said and Oliver turned to see the bright smile on her face as she stared at him. "Having the Mayor's inclusion in this really does show this city just how invested you are in it's citizens and helping them improve their lives."

"Ms. Grey, Mayor Queen, can we get a picture?" a voice spoke from behind them, and the pair turned to see a few photographers already aiming their cameras.

"Of course!" Annabelle said, before moving in closer to Oliver, their arm's touching as she smiles to the cameras. Oliver politely smiled at the camera while also attempting to subtly place a bit of distance between him and the woman. When he first met the woman, he thought she was nice, friendly even, but after many conversations with his sister, there were always moments of realization that struck him whenever the woman was around. Moments like this one, where she moved herself into his personal space. Now Oliver still doesn't think the woman is doing it out of some nefarious reasoning as Thea believes, but he also knows that certain actions just shouldn't happen. Suddenly the woman clasped her hand with his and if possible, moved in even closer to him, and the smile on Oliver's face dropped and it was this point that Oliver finally decided to say something, but alas his sister was there to save the day.

"Oliver, there's some people I'd like you to meet." Thea says slipping passed the photographers, and reaching over to pull her brother's hand, the one Annabelle now was forced to release. Thea didn't wait for any words as she pulled her brother with her. "You can't tell me that wasn't suspect?" Thea whispered over to her brother.

"I can definitely see a line being crossed." Oliver said as he glanced over to the blonde who met his eyes with a smile. 'Maybe I've given her the wrong idea."

"Well I can give her the right idea about my married brother." Thea says, and Oliver turns back to her. "You told them all that Katie was alive, and yet you have women like her who still try to whore themselves out." Oliver looked down to his sister who turned meeting his eyes. "What?"

"Tell me how you really feel Thea." Oliver says as more cameras appeared in front of them, and so he pulled on another tight smile as he brought an arm around his sister as the cameras began flashing.

"She thinks because Twinkie is out of sight, that she's also out of mind." Thea muttered through her smile. "I'm here to remind her how wrong she is." once the photographers were done, the turned and sifted out through the crowd and Oliver turned back to his sister. "No one puts the moves on my sister's husband."

What Katie knew was that it was no longer 2012. Her father was no longer in a coma, She was married and for some reason she couldn't remember the last three and a half years of her life. Her eyes stared intently out of the window where she looked out to scene of a tall wire fence and on the other side, nothing but trees. Another question reared it's head and so she turned back to her father.

"Where are we right now?" Jacob didn't answer right away and Katie quirked a brow, "Dad-"

"Hospital." Jacob said as he walked over to stand beside her. Katie noticed the way his Adams apple bobbed nervously and she looked up to meet his eyes. "Sunshine, I spoke to your doctor, and he seems to believe that your memory loss isn't connected to a head injury." Katie turned away to look back out of the window.

"Dissociative amnesia." Katie says turning back to her father who simply nods. "I kind of find that impossible that I would block out just the last three and a half years of my life." she shakes her head. "There's so much more I wish I didn't remember right now." she meets her father's eyes and knows he's probably wondering what she means. She turns away and walks over to take a seat on the edge of her bed. "How much of my time before 2012 do you know about?" Jacob walked over an took a seat in the chair in front of her and she saw that look in his eyes and so she dropped her head. "So all of it."

"Sweetheart-"

"What have you done so far?" she asked looking back to the man. "I mean you hired lawyers right, talked to the police." Jacob didn't say anything, and Katie once again noticed that bob of his Adams apple, and she frowned. "Dad?"

"The people who hurt will never hurt you again. I can promise that." Jacob said with a smile and Katie wanted to ask questions, but she didn't. She felt as if she wouldn't get the answers she wanted and so she would continue to simply pay attention to what she didn't see. She looked down to her hand, once again tugged to the realization that the ring on her finger meant she was somebody's wife. It was still too impossible to believe. That after everything she's been through, everything she's seen that she could find herself as someone's wife. She doesn't understand it, because she remembers stepping off of that plane in Starling and once lesson from the demon was still etched into her brain. Never trust anyone.

So how does someone with that train of thought find themselves married. She looked back up to her father and lifted her hand and his eyes went to the ring. "We should probably talk about this, huh?"

"We can, but I think we should be very careful about how much I share. I just don't want-" he shook his head because he still wasn't sure what remembering what she's done will do to her and he doesn't want to risk anything. "We don't know what caused this, so I don't want to move too far, too quickly until I know it's safe to do so."

"That only matters if you think he's connected to the traumatic event I'm blocking out." Katie replied and she watched her father turn away. "Is that what you think?" Jacob turned back to her and he didn't want to lie. Despite what was happening he did feel as if this was the second chance he could have with his daughter. He didn't want to tip the scale at all.

"No." Jacob answered honestly. "I don't. He's a good man and he loves you." Katie thought he would say more, but instead his phone buzzed in his pocket and so he pulled it out. "Um, I have to take this-" he looked back up to his daughter with a smile. "I will see about getting you some food. I can imagine you're probably hungry." he stood to his feet.

"Maybe some clothes." Katie requested and he turned to her. "I'd like to shower and change." the man gave a nod.

"I will get you some clothes and food. I shouldn't be gone long." Jacob placed a kiss to the top of his daughter's head, and the fact that she didn't pull away just warmed his heart. He smiled before turning and heading out of the room. Katie sat there for a moment, the silence of the room swallowing her up. She closed her eyes, hoping something would strike her, a memory of something would prove to her that this was real. Her eyes lift to the bathroom, and so she stood and walked inside, her eyes finally happening upon her reflection and she gasped at what she saw.

Her hair was longer, and her skin seemed brighter. She leaned in to the mirror, her eyes really analyzing features that weren't there before. She slid her hands along her cheeks, really able to see the age of three and a half years. It was subtle, but there was something different about her. She slid her hands down, and and stopped above her stomach. She lifted the hospital gown a bit and frowned. Even her body seemed different. There was more weight in her hips and thighs. Not a lot, she was still fit, but there seemed to be a bit more curves she doesn't remember having. She lifted her eyes back to the mirror as she dropped her gown.

"Who are you?" she muttered.

Oliver's days were usually filled with boring meetings, hand shaking, forced smiles while he tried his best to bring a light back to this city. Oliver prided himself in doing everything he could to stand up for this city and protecting them in anyway he could. But there's not a moment as the mayor that compares to the moment at the end of the day when Oliver walks into the ARGUS daycare classroom and he finally gets to see his daughter. He has made it a point to be the one to drop her off and pick her up. It's always in his schedule, and everyone who works for him is aware that nothing else should be scheduled because he's made it perfectly clear what he will choose.

Oliver's never quite sure how he will find his daughter when he walks into the room honestly. Sometimes she's sleeping, sometimes she's playing with toys, or sometimes he walks in to see the staff looking completely freaked out. Oliver quickly rushes inside, and he turns to one of her teachers.

"Mrs. Finch?" she turns to him and just holds up her hands. "Is she-"

"Found her!" a voice called and they all turned to see another teacher walking over with a giggling Robyn in his arms. "Your daughter is a quick one." he says says before handing the baby to Oliver. The moment she's in his arms, the girl excitedly bounces.

"Dah dah, dah dah, dah." she repeats over and over again, and Oliver laughs as he places a few kisses to the side of her head. He looks back over to the teacher.

"I'm sorry, ever since she started crawling she's just-"

"Oliver, it's alright. She's at the age where she's curious about everything. We're just going to have to be extra diligent, aren't we Mr. Clay?"

"Yes, ma'am." the young man replied before turning back to Oliver, and then down to the baby. "See you tomorrow, baby Flash." the young man chuckled not noticing the annoyed look on Oliver's face at the nickname.

"Why don't we get Robyn's things." Mrs. Finch said and Oliver simply nodded.

When Oliver walked though the doors of his house, Robyn was out like a light, her head on his shoulder as she lightly snores. Oliver quietly carries her up the stairs and into her room before carefully pulling off her jacket and lying her in her crib. He reached down and pulled off her shoes as well before leaning down and placing a kiss to the top her head. He flicked off the light before quietly leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Oliver heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, and glanced down to his watch figuring that at this time it was probably Ari, and so he headed downstairs.

As always when she came home from school, Oliver found the girl's head inside the refrigerator looking for a snack.

"How was school?" Oliver asked and Ari glanced over to him and shrugged.

"Still has walls and floors." she replies before grabbing some cold cuts, and cheese. She sat them on the counter before going to grab some bread.

"Ari, about this morning-"

"You mean you totally freaking out and making me get out of the car?" Ari asked looking over to the man.

"To be fair, you took your eyes off the road and nearly hit someone."

"Because you distracted me!" she replied as she went about making her sandwich.

"I know, and I'm sorry about that. I'm just trying to get use to the idea of you driving."

"Why, it's not that big of a deal." she replies looking over to him.

"It is, trust me. The day I got my license, as promised my dad bought me a new car. The moment I got behind the wheel of that car, I was rarely home." Oliver sighed as he shook his head. "My mom would tell me that I shouldn't go out all the time, that I should stay home sometimes, and I just brushed her off, but now I get it." Oliver looked over to Ari and in the past couple of months he really has seen her change, and grow up and it feels like it's happening too quickly. He knows she isn't his daughter, that no blood is shared between the two of them, but to Oliver she is one of his girls. One of the few people placed on this earth that he would do anything to protect. "I just don't want you to grow up too fast." Ari looked at him for a moment before letting out an exaggerated sigh before walking around the counter to the kitchen table and pulling out a chair and gesturing for him to sit. Oliver looked over to the chair and chuckled before walking over and sitting down in front of the teen.

"Oliver, do you want to know why I want to learn how to drive?" she asked and Oliver looked at her for a moment.

"I assumed so you can get away whenever you wanted?"

"Well honestly I could get away whenever I wanted now-" Oliver quirked a brow and Ari shook her head. "But no, that's not why. I wanted to learn how to drive because I wanted you to teach me you big oaf." she grabbed the chair beside him and took a seat and he turned to her. "You being the Mayor is cool, and you're doing a lot of good things for the city, and I really am proud that you're my guardian." she turns away and lets out a sigh before turning back to him. "But during the day, you're the Mayor, and at night you're the Green Arrow, so your schedule doesn't really allow for the normal stuff." the girl shrugged, and Oliver sighed suddenly feeling guilty.

"Ari, I need you to know that being the Mayor, and being the Green Arrow doesn't come before this." he says looking around the kitchen. He smiled at a thought. "This is our home. Here there are no heroes or villains." he looks back to Ari. "Here I am your-" Oliver suddenly felt a pang of emotion in his chest. "I'm your guardian. I'm Robyn's dad, and whenever you need me to be just those things, I will. Every time I will." Ari gave the man a nod. "And you're right, my schedule has been crazy lately. I promise to do something about that and make more time to just be here with you and Robyn." A chirping noise made Ari quickly stand to her feet and rush over to her backpack. She pulled out her lap top and flipped it open before her fingers began rapidly typing. "What's going on?" Oliver stood to his feet and walked over, his eyes glancing to the screen and he let out a frustrated sigh. "Ari-"

"Before you start, let me at least tell you what I've found." Ari says before typing a few keys before turning the lap top toward Oliver. "Lonnie Machin, look familiar?" she glanced over to Oliver who stared down to the man's face on the screen. He hoped Machin had died in the explosion at Tevat Noah, but he knew there was always a chance he'd show up again some day. "Well he popped up in one of Felicity's facial recon searches she has for all your bad guys who got away." Ari turned the laptop back and once again began typing. "Want to know where he popped up?" she turned back to Oliver who had absolutely not a trace of amusement in his features. "Uh, some underground club where bad guys hang out. From what I could find-" Oliver reached forward, and slammed the laptop shut.

"I'm taking this, and you're not getting it back until you finally listen." Oliver moved around the girl and headed upstairs.

"Aren't you the least bit curious about what I found?"

"Not really," Oliver replies and Ari let out a huff. "I've told you countless times that you won't be involved with this."

"Oliver you're all alone-"

"I'm not all alone. I have Curtis." Ari scoffed as she followed Oliver into his room. "Ari, look I know you want to help, but it's too dangerous."

"I've been kidnapped by a guy who could move things with his mind, and I made it out alive." Ari said and Oliver turned to her.

"No you made it out, and ended up in the hospital. I won't let that happen again, so that means that you will stay away from all things Green Arrow."

"Do you know how impossible that is given you're actually the Green Arrow." Ari says watching as the man pulls off his tie. "Oliver you will save us all a lot of time if you just stop fighting this." Oliver turned to her and she smiled. "I can be useful, totally more useful than Curtis."

"I'm sorry Ari, but I'm definitely not drafting a high school kid to the team." he replies and Ari frowns with a shake of her head before turning and stalking out of the room. Oliver listened as she slammed her door and he waited for a moment to see if the sound would wake his daughter. He let out a sigh of relief in realizing it hadn't, before going about getting changed.

When Oliver was changed he headed back downstairs where he found Thea placing bags of food on the counter.

"I brought chinese." Thea said with a smile as she pulled off her jacket, but noticed her brother was wearing his. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah, something has come up, and I need to head out." Oliver says and Thea looks over to the laptop in his hand.

"Isn't that Ari's?"

"Yeah, she's not getting this back for a while." Oliver said with a shake of his head. "I'll tell you about it later. Robyn is sleeping, but you should get her up in a bit for her bath and pajamas, and just so she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night."

"This isn't my first rodeo Ollie. Super Aunt, remember?" Oliver laughed.

"Right, I will call if I'm late. I'll see you later." Oliver said before turning and heading out.

Katie's eyes snapped open, and for a moment she was confused because she didn't instantly recognize the room she was in. Soon the memories of the day flood back to her and so she sighed and sat up. A nurse had delivered her some clothes and toiletries earlier. After her shower Katie fell back into bed and must've dozed off. Now the room was dark, and when she walked over to window she realized the night sky hung above. Her eyes glanced over to a tray of food that must've been delivered while she was sleeping. She walked over picking up the lid to see a a turkey sandwich, and a bowl of soup. She dropped the lid back onto the plate, honestly not really having an appetite for anything right now. Her eyes drifted back to the door to her room, and so she decided to see what was on the other side. When she walked over, Katie grabbed the doorknob, twisting it, relieved that it actually opened. Katie pulled open the door carefully, her eyes looking out into the hall, frowning a bit when she didn't see anyone. She stepped further into the hall, stuffing her hands in to the pockets of the hoodie she was wearing. She let her eyes glance down both ends of the hall, finding the scene like something plucked from a horror movie. Her eyes looked over to the walls, noticing the strange pictures of different breeds of dogs, and cats. She shook her head as she continued down the hall way. She stopped at a nurses station, but there was no one in sight.

"What the hell?" She muttered once again looking around hoping someone would appear and make this moment less creepy. She continued, eyes scanning for some form of life, or even a way outside. She had the need for fresh air, and to at least prove to herself that she really was home and could move about as she wished. Up ahead was an elevator, and so she quickened her steps. She once again glance around almost expecting someone to jump out at her, but no one did, and so she reached forward pressing the button. It didn't take long before the doors opened and without a second thought, she stepped inside.

Curtis Holt could usually navigate through anything with a motherboard. He could count on one hand the number of systems that have stumped him and today another would be added to the list.

"Tell me have something Curtis." came the somewhat annoyed voice of Oliver Queen who was currently speeding along the back streets of Star City as the Green Arrow. Just before Oliver left, he handed Curtis Ari's laptop, telling him there was information on Lonnie Machin. What he knew was that Machin had been to an underground club he was familiar with which is why Oliver was headed there now. What he needed to know was if Machin had been anywhere else that could point to what he was planning.

"I'm still working on it, but your cousin's system is locked down tight for someone whose just in high school." Curtis says with a shake of his head after once again being forced out of the mainframe by another firewall. "Almost makes me wonder what she's hiding in this thing."

"All I care about is Lonnie Machin and where he's been. If he's back in Star City, then he's definitely planning something and I want to know what."

"And asking Ari to just tell you-"

"Not happening. She doesn't get involved with any of this. That's why you're here Curtis." there was a brief pause and Curtis stopped typing before turning to the monitor to his left. Oliver had reached the club. "She's just a kid Curtis, I'm sure you can figure it out." and with that the transmission ended and Curtis let out a heavy sigh before turning back to the laptop. He once again tried another algorithm to gain access to the files, but he was once again blocked.

"Pathetic," Curtis jumped at the sudden voice, before turning to see Ari standing behind him pulling off her hoodie that was soaked from the rain.

"Uh, what are you doing here?" Curtis asked turning to the girl fully. "I'm like completely sure you're not supposed to be here."

"I know. Oliver doesn't want me here because he thinks he's keeping me safe, but he's too blind to see that I can help him. " Ari walked over grabbing her laptop and plopping into the seat across from Curtis. He looked over her shoulder as she typed a few keys finally revealing the files. "Now if Oliver had let me finish I would've told him that I was able to hack into the clubs' surveillance footage and I was able to see who Machin was meeting."

"Ok, I got to ask, why is your laptop encrypted up the whazoo?" Curtis asked. "If I didn't know any better I'd think-" he paused, and Ari turned to him. "Felicity is helping you isn't she? That's the only way you'd have such a sophisticated and impeccably coded hard drive." the girl turned away back to her laptop. "Has to be Felicity."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ari said before typing a few more keys. "I'm sending you a picture of the guy Machin was meeting, and according to his priors it doesn't look good." Curtis frowned before walking over to take his seat and pulling open the file Ari had sent. "Andre Mendoza, seems to have a wrap sheet as long as your arm. And they all seem to be centered around-"

"Bombs." Curtis says before glancing over to Ari. "Machin is building a bomb."

"If he hasn't already." Ari replies before standing to her feet and walking over to the monitor in front of Curtis. "We need to find find out what he has and where he's going to plant it and I think our friend Mr. Mendoza will be a good start." she looked over to Curtis. "You need to tell Oliver this, and I will start searching for any heat signatures around town, or anywhere consuming large amounts of energy, then-"

"No," Curtis says, and Ari looks over to him in confusion. "I'm positive that you're dead when Oliver walks in here, and I'm also positive that I will be dead if I don't stop this right now."

"You can't be serious. I just gave you your lead, I can help you-"

"And I really don't doubt that, but Oliver doesn't want you here Ari. I'm not even completely sure you understand what this place is and what you're trying to do."

"I'm trying to help. Just like you, like Oliver and like-" Ari turned, her eyes catching sight of the Guardian's suit, her mind flashed back to that moment her cousin hidden behind that mask found her and saved her from Damien Darhk. "Like my cousin." she turned back to Curtis and shook her head. "I know what this is. I'm not a kid."

"Well legally-" the girl scoffed turning about to grab her laptop when she stopped at the ding of the elevator opening and the girl froze at the sight of Oliver who she thought would be gone a little bit longer.

"For the record I was kicking her out." Curtis says raising his hands and backing away as Oliver stalked toward the teenager. "And I'm going to go over here." he turned away, making himself scarce. The look in Oliver's eyes caused a chill to run down Ari's spine. He was still wearing his gear, with the hood and the mask and the sight of the Green Arrow glaring at her right now was really starting to freak her out.

"Ok, so I know what you're going to say and-"

"You snuck out of the house, again."

"And I know-"

"No, Ari, I'm going to talk now and you're going to listen, and I mean really listen." Oliver said before pulling back his hood and slipping the mask from his eyes. "I am your parent. It is my job to keep you safe and happy, and it is my decision that you have absolutely part in anything that happens here."

"But Oliver-"

"For me to do this, for me go out there and protect this city, I have to know you're home, and that you're safe, and that you're happy. Right now you're making that really hard for me Ari." he took a step forward. "I understand your desire to help, but I need you to understand why I can't let that happen. And I can't have you sneaking around and going behind my back and doing things like this. Dangerous things like sneaking out of your window and taking the bus here by yourself." he shook his head. "I don't even want to know how you snuck around the security we have at the house, and I will definitely be having that conversation when we get home." he looked back down to the girl. "Ari for me to do this I need to know where you are at all times. If I have to hang up this hood just to know exactly where you are, I will." the girl frowned and shook her head.

"You can't do that, you-"

"And yet I will, if that's what it takes for me to have a peace of mind for my family." Oliver said and Ari turned away from him and he could see that she was upset. "Ari-"

"Fine," she turned back to face him and gave him a nod. "I just want you to know that I would've been the best damn Overwatch 2.0 you ever had." she turned grabbing her hoodie and pulling it back on before grabbing her backpack off the floor. "I'll wait for you by the elevator." And with that she stalked away from and Oliver let out a heavy sigh before walking over to Curtis.

"Kids, right?" Curtis said and the annoyed look on Oliver's face.

"Tell me you have something Curtis."

"I have something, well-" Curtis turned to the man. "Ari found something," he noticed the annoyed look on Oliver's face as he lifted his head and glanced over to the girl waiting by the elevator. "She was able to hack into the surveillance video from the club and was able to see who Machin was meeting." Oliver looked back down to the phone to the snap shot of the video. The screen expanded on the face of the man Machin was talking to before information appeared below it. "He's the bad guy other bad guys turn to when they want to blow things up."

"Machin is building a bomb?" Oliver asked and Curtis turned and just shrugged.

"That I don't know, but I can try a couple of searches just to see if I can pick up anything. But for now I think our friend, Andre might know where we should start."

"Get me an address. I'm going to change and take Ari back home. Call me when you have something." Oliver said before turning to walk away, but he stopped and looked back over to Curtis. "And uh, thanks for your help." Oliver felt the need to show his appreciation to the man, he felt it was something he lacked with the old team and so he thought he would try things differently now.

"Um...you're welcome." Curtis replied awkwardly not expecting the words. Oliver simply nodded before turning and going off to get changed.

The car ride home was brutally silent. Ari kept her eyes out the window, looking at the passing houses still upset that Oliver wasn't even considering letting her help.

"So, uh, how's school?" Oliver asked breaking the silence, and Ari turned to him as if he'd grown a second head. She couldn't believe he was really trying to pretend as if she wasn't upset with him right now and would try to fill their silence with small talk. She simply scoffed before turning away to look back out the window. Oliver glanced over to her and sighed before turning back to the road. Raising a teenager was one of the biggest challenges he thinks he's ever had to face. "Ari, I get you're upset, but-"

"I don't think you do get it." Ari said with a shake of her head refusing to look at him. "I'm the kid of a man who laundered millions of dollars from his family's company before trying to kill a man. I'm the kid of a woman who held a restaurant filled with people hostage and threatened to kill them one by one if the police didn't arrest my cousin." She turned to the man and shrugged. "This was my opportunity to prove that those people, those people who I love dearly, didn't-" she shook her head. "they didn't imprint their flaws on me. I could've been the Locke that actually did some good in this world." she turned to look back out the window just as Oliver pulled into the driveway. She made to get out of the car, but Oliver called her name.

"Ari, I'm not sure how much of my family you're familiar with, but I'm the kid of a man who conspired with other bad people to do harm to this city. And I'm the kid of the woman who stood by silently and watched a man plan the destruction of this city." Oliver looked over to the girl who still refused to look at him. "We don't have to make up for the sins of our parents."

"Says the guy who dawns a hood at night and fights crime." she deadpanned. "Look, whatever, I'll stay out of it." she turned and finally stepped out of the car, and Oliver just sat there letting out a sigh as he watched her go into the house. He closed his eyes and dropped his head back against the seat. Oliver found himself in moments like this where he felt as if he was failing as a parent. He wasn't sure how to fix this and it was one of the most frustrating things about being a parent.

There was a knock on his window, and he opened his eyes and looked up to see his sister who was looking at him in confusion. He turned off the car before finally stepping out.

"What are you still doing in the car?" Thea asked.

"I just needed a moment." Oliver replied, his eyes turning and scanning the area. Even in this moment he was still vigilant to the dangers that always seemed to creep around them. "Did you talk to Steve?"

"Oh, I have a very long profanity filled conversation with Steve." Thea said with a shake of her head. "Apparently Ari has memorized their rounds, so when Hank was leaving for the day, and the new guy Greg was taking over, she made a fake call to the police about a disturbance happening across the street."

"And when the police appeared-"

"Greg, and Steve, and I think there's another new guy, but they all went to check out what was happening and that's when Ari climbed out of her window." Thea glanced over to her brother. "She even manged to avoid being detected by the security cameras."

"She's probably been planning this for a while. There's no telling how often she's been sneaking out." Oliver let out another sigh as he slid a hand over his face. "I seriously don't know how to handle this situation."

"Ollie, she's a teenager. Teenagers sneak out sometimes. I mean when I was her age I-" Oliver glanced over to his sister. "Well let's just hope she isn't going to the places I was going. Look Ari is a smart kid, I'm sure where ever she goes she's being safe and making smart decisions."

"I don't even want to think about what will happen when she gets her license." Oliver groaned as he turned back to look at the house and he had one thought. "I have to go." Thea turned back to the man with a furrowed brow. "I need see Twinkie."

"Now? It's kind of late."

"Yeah, but it's been a long day, and I've been too busy to visit which I promised myself would never happen."

"I think she would understand."

"I know she would." Oliver said. "She'd wouldn't make me feel guilty about living our lives, but I would, and right now I just need to see her face."

"What about Ari?"

"I will try to think up a punishment that might actually change her behavior." Oliver said before turning back to get into his car.

"Hey Ollie-" Oliver stopped and turned back to his sister. "You're...you're ok, aren't you?" Oliver didn't answer the question right away because the answer wasn't instantaneous. He looked at his sister for moment and just shrugged.

"I miss her." he replied honestly, and Thea took a step forward placing a hand on his arm. "Like I really miss her, and it's-" he shook his head because he knew if he really dug too deep into these emotions he's successfully bottled up, then he probably wouldn't be able to stand up right now. He turned back to his sister. "I just need to see my wife." and with that the man turned and got back into his car and drove off.

When the elevator doors opened, for the first time, Katie saw life. People besides her father and her doctor. She didn't move for a moment as she stood peering out of the open elevator watching the people in suits moving about totally unaware of her presence. The first thing she noticed was the fact that this didn't look like a hospital. The walls were pale, gray, and she noticed a few of the men walking by had guns holstered at their hip. Her eyes continued to dance over the floor until she caught sight of something she didn't expect. And so she padded her socked feet off of the elevator and in those few steps, the people around her stopped and finally noticed her. She was no longer paying attention to the people around her. Only the emblem painted on the wall in front of her, and the sight made her question so many things. It made her suspicious, and anxious.

"Katie?" a voice spoke from behind Katie, but she didn't turn around. She recognized the voice instantly, and she swallowed the nerves in her throat as her eyes eyes shifted slightly, instinctively looking for something she could use as a weapon. She stuffed her hands in her pockets before slowly turning around to the face of someone she thought she'd never see again. "Hi," the woman smiled a honest smile, and Katie stared back still piecing together the bits of truth that was coming to her. "I'm so glad to see you awake, and up and walking, and-" Lyla took a step, and in a move no one expected, Katie grabbed the woman's arm, twisting it behind her back before slamming her face against the wall. In the following moment, she heard the sound gun safetys being switched off, and when she turned she was greeted with the sight of gun barrels all aimed at her. "Drop your weapons!" Lyla ordered, straining to pull herself free. "That is an order!" the suited men and women seemed hesitant, but they lowered their guns. "Katie, you're safe here!"

"Here being ARGUS?" she asked and Lyla was confused by the question. "This is ARGUS right? You being an agent of ARGUS, that would make sense." Katie tightened her grip on Lyla's arm. "Where is she? Where's that bitch Amanda Waller?!"

"Waller isn't here!" Katie turned at the voice, and her eyes went wide as she saw her father walking toward her. "Sunshine—" Katie's eyes looked to the man standing beside her father who looked oddly familiar. She finally released Lyla's arm, and turned to her father fully as he began slowly moving in closer to her. "I know you're probably confused right now."

"I'm totally confused right now." Katie says glancing from her father to Lyla, not understanding what was happening. "ARGUS kidnapped me," she turned back to her father. "They hurt me, and you-" she slid a hand across her forehead because there was a sudden twitch of pain. She felt her heart begin to race, and her breaths start to quicken. "You-" she glanced over to Lyla once again and just shook her head as her hands began to shake. She looked back to her father still trying to draw a connection.

"Look at me sweetie." Jacob said and Katie turned back to face him, but it was strange. Her vision began to blur a bit, and she swayed and Jacob took another step toward her but she held up a hand to stop.

"Don't you come near me!" she snapped angrily, and Jacob stopped abruptly, caught by the familiar look in her eyes. That look he thought he could prevent, and yet it was just inevitable. "The truth, tell me the truth."

"Sweetheart-"

"The truth!" she yelled taking in a shaky breath. Jacob looked at his daughter and decided in that moment that he was going to do as she asked. "Is this ARGUS?"

"Yes." he replied honestly. "And I am an ARGUS agent." he replies and her eyes go wide because she doesn't understand what's happening. She glanced over to Lyla who was still silently staring at her with that annoying look of concern.

"You work for the people who kidnapped me?" Katie asked turning back to her father. "The people who tortured me and forced me to do unspeakable things. They broke me, or at least they were one of many." she waited for her father to say something and yet she noticed the sadness and guilt in his eyes and she just dropped her head. "You let them do that to me?" she looked up to her father and the look in her eyes was like a knife to the gut. "Speak!"

"Katie why don't we get you back down to your room?" Lyla suggested and Katie turned to the woman and just shook her head. "This is all a bit much, and-" Lyla took a step forward, the move no one expected, Katie pulled a gun from the pocket of her hoodie. Lyla's eyes looked down to her holster only now realizing it was empty. Katie aimed the gun at her father, and he didn't bat an eye. The appearance of a gun caused the surrounding agents to lift their own weapons and aim them at the woman. "I said lower your weapons!"

"Ma'am, agency protocol-" one of the agents began, but didn't even finish.

"Fuck protocol! I gave you an order. Everyone lower your weapons, and I want this floor cleared right now!" the tone in her voice told her agents that they should do nothing but comply. And so they holstered their weapons and hesitantly began clearing from the floor leaving only Katie, Lyla, Jacob and Martin in the intense moment. "Katie, you're in no danger. I promise you, you're safe." Katie glanced over to the woman and just shook her head.

"Safe?" she turned back to her father. "They put me in some underground bunker with a crazy person who put weapons in my hand and forced me to fight, and if I refused-" she shook her head. "Well if I refused he made damn sure I'd comply in the end." she looked at her father and just began laughing. "I just can't believe this. I just got on a plane home, thinking I finally escaped the hell they put me in and now I'm standing right here in front of my father who just told me that he works for the people who hurt me."she slid a hand across her forehead because that twitching was getting worse, and she could feel the disorientation settling in. "I thought I was escaping hell, but I just walked into a even worse one." she eyed her father who no longer had excuses for her, no longer had justifications for his actions that at this point he knows were wrong. "Am I prisoner?"

"Absolutely not." Lyla said. "You're my friend." Katie looked over to the woman who gave her a smile. "You can't remember, but you are my friend. You were my maid of honor at my wedding." Katie looked back to the woman in confusion because nothing she said was making any sense. Friends? Maid of honor? That's impossible...unthinkable. Katie didn't spend years being shredded to pieces to come back to Starling to be someone's maid of honor, especially not for the woman who stood by and did nothing while she was held against her will.

"How do I get out of here?" Katie asked looking around not caring who answered the question. "How the hell do I get out of this place?"

"And go where?" Jacob asked and she turned back to the man. "Katherine, in your state-"

"In my state?! I'm holding a gun that I can successfully use to shoot you right in your head before you could say another word. Do not placate me! Do not try to talk in calm and soothing tones, because there is absolutely no way in hell I'm staying another night in this place. I am going to get out of here, and I am going to get as far away as possible." she waited for someone to speak, and when no one did, her eyes glanced around the hall and that's when she noticed a sprinkler overhead, and without thinking she fired off a couple of shots activating the sprinkler system, before shooting into the lights above them bringing the hall into darkness. Soon the security system activated, and an alarm blared, and by the time the back up lights powered on, Lyla, Jacob and Martin stood staring at one another as water falls on them, making the realization that Katie had ran off. Lyla and Martin turned to Jacob who just continued to stare to the spot his daughter was just standing.

"Sir-" Martin took a step forward, and Jacob suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest. He reached up a hand, placing it above his heart as a pained groan escaped his lips and the feeling in his legs just gave out. "Sir!" Martin reached forward to try to stop his fall, but both men ended up collapsing to the floor. Lyla rushed over, dropping to her knees beside them. "He's having a heart attack, you have to get help now!" Lyla jumped to her feet before rushing off. "You're alright Jacob, just keep breathing."

In all the months that Oliver had visited this facility, he never felt quite comfortable. Sure he knows ARGUS isn't the same agency that turned his life upside down so many years ago, but it was just something about this place he just didn't trust. He wanted to move his wife so many times to another hospital, and yet Jacob was always able to convince him that Katie staying here was safest place for her, and Oliver couldn't disagree. This place was definitely hard to break into, and even if someone did get inside, there were hundreds of armed agents to stand between them and his wife which always gave Oliver a bit of peace of mind. Today when Oliver stepped inside and went about the normal checking in process, he was stopped.

"Sir, the director would like to see you." the entry guard said upon Oliver's arrival. "Could you wait here?" Oliver looked to the man in confusion, but gave a nod. Soon Lyla appeared from off the elevator, and he noticed her hair and clothes looked wet. He walked over to her.

"What happened?" Oliver asked, and Lyla opened her mouth and yet no words came out. "Lyla?"

"Oliver follow me."

Soon Oliver stood at the foot of Jacob's hospital bed staring to the man who sat up staring right back to him, the only sound from the cardiac monitor connected to the patches along his chest. Just moments earlier they'd finally come clean to Oliver about the past two days, and now they were just waiting for him to respond.

Oliver's brain was trying to compute and come to grips with the words just told to him, and it was hard, because it didn't seem real.

"So my wife woke up from her coma, yesterday." Oliver said the words out loud hoping to solidify them and make them seem real. He'd hoped and prayed for the moment everyday since Katie was brought in, but he always imagined that the day it happened he would be here. He'd be the first person she'd see so she knows that he was there, and that she wasn't alone. Now he can't have that moment. "My wife woke up from her coma, and you didn't call me." he held Jacob's gaze. He felt he and his father in law over the past couple of months had grown closer. They shared a common interest and that was Katie and Oliver thought that Jacob was turning out to be that man he knew when he was a little boy. Oliver shook his head.

"Oliver, we thought-" Martin tried explaining, but at this point Oliver didn't care about excuses.

"My wife woke up from her coma, and-"

"She doesn't know you're her husband." Jacob said and Oliver stopped talking. "She doesn't remember anything from the past three and a half years. Her last memory was stepping off the airplane in Starling. She thought I was still in a coma, and I'm pretty sure she probably thinks you're dead." Oliver turned away from the man. "Her doctor seems to think she has dissociative amnesia." Oliver turned back. "She's hiding from the memory of something traumatic by forgetting it and most of the last couple years of her life."

"So our life together, being married, our kids-" Oliver said, and Jacob just shook his head. "She doesn't remember any of it? And you didn't tell her?!" Oliver took a step toward the man not caring about his heart attack or the fact that he was lying in a hospital bed. Martin stepped forward to push the man back. "She woke up and you didn't tell her who she was?!"

"Yeah I did!" Jacob said angrily as he sat up a bit in the bed. "Her doctor said that we should be careful with what we share with her because we don't know what can set her off. My baby girl can't remember the last three and a half years of her life because that thing inside of her-" Oliver turned away and slid a hand over his face. "She doesn't want to remember it, and we don't why or what will happen if she does. We have to be careful."

"No," Oliver said turning to the man. "You don't have to do anything. Not anymore. I will find my wife, and I will help her, and you will stay the hell away from her and my family." and with that Oliver turned storming out of the room. Lyla followed after him.

"Oliver-"

"Lyla, I just can't." he said not even looking back to her as he stalked toward the elevator. He reached forward, and pressed the button impatiently waiting for the doors to open as he pulled out his cell phone. Right now only one thing mattered, and that was finding his wife. And when he thought of who could help him, only one person came to mind. Oliver pulled out his cell phone and pressed a button before bringing the phone to his ear. The elevator doors opened and he quickly stepped inside, just as line picked up. "Felicity, it's me. I need your help." his eyes looked back up to Lyla who was still standing at the other end of the hall watching him. "Katie's awake, and she's missing." the elevator doors slide closed and the man inside was finally ready to venture out of his created illusion of being this guy who said he was ok when he really wasn't. It was time to step back into his reality, and that started with finding his wife.


Author's Note:

We're back and we're just starting a little bit before the first episode of Season Five. Prepare for another doozy of a story.

Review Replies (Chapter 30 Sanctuary, Secrets, Sacrifice)

Purplestan - Yes, she lives! But she doesn't remember much at the moment.

BlueBloodsSVUOrder- Yes, prepare for another whirlwind story! Oliver is now searching for his wife, and if memory does serves me right, Oliver Queen is not someone she's gonna expect to see much less learned he's her husband and that they have a daughter.

Adela- Thank you! I'm so glad you like it, and hopefully you like this story as well.

So I'm starting this story with no idea of how it ends which is first for me. I usually know where I want to go, but this time I don't. I'm unsure what that means for this story, but I'm sure my imagination will start to percolate some possibilities. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me on this adventure, and I would like to welcome all newcomers.

Next chapter's sneak peak below

She heard the sound of an engine up ahead, and she stopped for a moment. She must be close. She began rushing forward, coming to a sliding halt the moment her socked feet find the hard graveled road. She glances down both ends, and shakes her head because there are no cars. Her eyes looks up spotting a sign, and so she walks over to read it.

"Star City, ten miles." she reads out loud with a furrowed brow. "What the hell is Star City."