❛ I don't feel like we're meant to be back here ❜ 

"Oliver!" I called out with an unusual sliver of hope sounding in my voice as I set a fire with a large pile of rocks and a single purple-tipped arrow. I caught sight of Oliver hopping on rocks stones, and over trees and branches to reach me, so I set the arrow in my old bow and aimed high and far for the pile of sticks on the island shore below.

To my contentment, the arrow inflamed the pile and created a large explosion, drawing the attention of a fishing boat farther away down the sea. By this time Oliver had finally reached me and we both traveled down the shore to meet our rescuers, the people who would bring us home and return us to our families that we had fought so hard to stay alive to see again.

It had taken a short while for the boat to reach us, but the people were very generous. They didn't speak much English, but we understood every word of Mandarin they had said, or rather Oliver understood, I was familiar with Japanese, not Chinese. But no matter, the few men on the boat had docked and met us halfway on the shore. We must have looked truly atrocious. I know I felt like I did, I hardly felt like I was in my own body, and here these strangers were with the one goal of helping us off the island and making sure we were safe, and they probably thought they were looking at cavemen.

After they had helped us onto the boat, we were given blankets to wrap around our shaking bodies. We appeared as if we were helpless and shipwrecked, yet helpless is not a word I would use to describe Oliver and I. But we needed to return to Starling, our home, and we needed help to do it. So maybe in the sense that we couldn't get off the island ourselves we were helpless, sure, I could accept that.

What I couldn't accept was knowing that five years had gone by, our families had probably since long moved on from us, we couldn't expect them to wait for us.

As one of the fishermen approached me, I lightly smiled and accepted the cup of clean water he handed me. He nodded before stepping away and I glanced over at my boyfriend who was staring at the blue waters. "We're going to be fine," he spoke up, almost like he had known I was looking at him. I sighed and pursed my lips before staring at my cup, "Oliver, we're dead. Remember?" I wondered, hoping that he understood our situation as much as he should have. He closed his eyes, almost as if he were remembering something. "Maybe."

•••

"Oliver Queen and Annabelle Carter are alive," the news reporter announced. "These Starling City residents were found by fishermen in the North China Sea five days ago," he continued. "...five years after they were missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed the 'Queen's Gambit'. Queen was a regular tabloid presence and a fixture at the Starling City club scene. Shortly before his disappearance he was acquited of assault charges stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi.

"Queen is the son of Starling City billionaire, Robert Queen, who was also on board but now officially confirmed as deceased. Annabelle Carter is the daughter of Starling City billionaire, Hank Carter, not released any statements at this time. More on this miracle as more information is provided," the man concluded, his statement being interrupted by the television turning off before he could get to the weather. I sighed, lifting my head to look out the window, just searching for anything recognizable. I couldn't remember exactly how the city had looked prior to my disappearance. It was different, something was different, I just couldn't tell what.

I only looked up slightly once I heard my doctor talking outside my door, but it was nothing I hadn't heard before. He must have been explaining to Moira Queen what he knew about my time on the island. It wasn't much, however, because Oliver and I had hardly said anything. I only opened my mouth to tell him my name, and that was all. "

I was Moira's goddaughter, and I knew she was worried. The doctor was explaining to her all he knew. I would hear their voices in whispers, and I figured that maybe they didn't know my door was cracked open. "Her body is thirty-four percent scar tissue," he told her, "She has second-degree burns on her back and arms. And the x-rays show at least a dozen of fractures that never healed." 

As he discussed my burns, I lifted my left arm and looked at scars dressing underneath the elbow. But the doctor continued talking. "The thing I worry most about Anna is her stomach. We ran many tests, and she's had multiple ulcers, which subject large amounts of pain and can last for a decent amount of time. They can be caused by stress and anxiety, but in her case, I think it was a bacterial infection, and the ulcer can come back at any times in her life," he said, referring to me as 'Anna.' It was a name I hadn't heard in quite a long time. Oliver had called me Bella, sometimes Annie, but Anna was reserved for the Queen family.

"So what's the cure?" Moira questioned, drawing me away from my thoughts. I could practically hear the doctor sigh, and out of the corner of my eye I saw him drop his gaze to the ground. "There isn't one, I'm afraid. But based on how long she keeps it to herself, it could be fatal."

I didn't hear any more hushed voices after that. But I did hear footsteps and assumed the two had moved on to Oliver's room. I couldn't lie, I was a bit disappointed she didn't come into my room, but her son was next door and deserved her full attention at the moment. I could wait, after all, I was used to waiting.

•••

The car that Oliver, Moira and I were in rounded a corner and pulled into the arch of the Queen Mansion. The vehicle stopped moving and I straightened my back to look out the window to the place I certainly remembered well. Nothing had changed, really. I was grateful nothing had, so much had changed that I needed something to stay the same.

The driver opened the door for us and we all stepped out while he attended to the luggage in the back. Oliver was quick to stop the man and instead carry it inside himself, and I was left to stare at the wooden trunk. It was filled with secrets. Bows, arrows, hoods, things that no one needed to know about, and I was thankful Oliver opted to carry it himself so the driver wouldn't be able to look at it in case something spilled out.

After the case was in Oliver's hand, we followed Moira into the house. It felt like she was giving us a tour of a place we had never been, and it felt foreign and strange. But again, it didn't look like anything had changed. 

I felt out of place and stood near Oliver the entire time. It wasn't my home, I felt like I didn't have a right to be here. My parents weren't answering calls, nor were they calling me. I figured they needed their space, and maybe needed time to process everything, so I didn't pester. But as Moira told Oliver that she didn't have the heart to change his room, I had to say something. "I-I don't want to intrude. You have Oliver home now and I'm sure you could all use some family time," I said softly, forcing myself to lightly chuckle at the end in an attempt to seem fine. "It was nice of you to offer me stay here, but if it's a problem--"

"It's no problem, Annabelle. You are as much my family as anyone," she quickly objected. I bit my lower lip and looked around, "Are you sure?" I asked, still skeptical of interrupting the family reunion. "She's sure," Oliver jumped in, his lips resting on my forehead for a moment as a sign of reassurance. I smiled and leaned into his shoulder just as someone entered from the living room. 

He was tall, his skin dark, and his suit properly aligned and ironed. I had never seen this man before.

"Oliver," he boomed, a thick English accent rolling off his tongue, making me question his origins and his motives for being in Starling. Oliver placed the trunk down as he continued talking and I noticed that he too had no idea who this was. "It's damn good to see you," the man continued before noticing Oliver's confusion. "It's Walter. Walter Steele," he then added, shaking Oliver's hand. I could have laughed at Oliver's wide eyes and raised eyebrows if it weren't for Moira approaching her son and smiling. "You remember Walter, your father's friend from the company," she tried. 

However, Oliver ignored her and stepped over to the house-keeper who was standing and admiring the reunion from afar., "It's good to see you, Raisa," he smiled genuinely, bringing a grin to my face. It had been a while since I saw Oliver smile without forcing himself to, and it was a nice change.

As Oliver talked with Raisa, I stood by the front door, looking at the mansion that I hadn't seen in five years. It wasn't until the same man who had talked with Oliver wandered to me that I snapped out of my distant reality of looking at the old pictures hanging on the wall. "Annabelle Carter," he said, ultimately breaking the silence.

"Mr. Steele," I replied, shaking his hand. "Please, call me Walter," he returned, then hesitating to ask: "How are you?" he asked.

I sighed and lifted my shoulders, "A little overwhelmed, I guess." Walter nodded, "Of course. I can only imagine after an absence of five years."

Our conversation was cut short from an awkward silence among the two of us, so I went back to looking at photos while someone new joined the room.

Walter and I turned around, seeing Oliver approaching the stairs where Thea ran down and wrapped her arms around her long-lost brother. It was joyous, just watching the two of them hold each other close while trying to leave the past five years in just that, the past.

The siblings separated from the hug with smiles on their faces before Thea turned to face her mother and step-father. There was a big smile on her face, one that I imagined seeing many upon many of times before while I was trapped on the island. It took Thea a moment to see me, but when she did, her eyes lit up even more than they had been and she squealed "Bella!" before running to me.  

I laughed and engulfed Thea in a hug, remembering our old games of chasing each other around and laughing till neither one of us could breathe. "Speedy!" I said happily, slightly swaying her back and forth before pulling away and gripping her shoulders to look at her. "Wow, you've grown so much! What are you - seventeen now?" I asked. Thea grinned proudly, "Yeah, but, I'm almost eighteen," she warned. 

"What a scary day for all of Starling," I joked, a laugh leaving my lips. Thea chuckled and faced her mom as she cleared her throat. "Why don't you show Anna where she'll be staying," she recommended, gesturing to the staircase on the right. Thea smiled and whipped around to face me before her hand wrapped around mine. "You're staying here? Oh my gosh, yes! You have to let me do your makeup!"

•••

I stood in the large room, looking out the window that would soon become my sanctuary. Slowly, I walked to the large full-body mirror and observed myself. Even in a sports bra and leggings, I could see dozens of scars, all varying in sizes and directions, but they were evident, and they would never go away. I had a tattoo on my back, extending from all the way down my left side. It was a phrase, but it was pressed onto my back, as a form of torturing. It said 'Ne skazhite nikomu,' or 'tell no one.' I got it on the freighter, and it was just one of many. I had multiple tattoos, one on my left shoulder, and another on my right shoulder on my backside. The tatoos weren't what scared me, it wasn't even the scars. It was the memories that came with them. The horrors, the nightmares, the flashbacks. Scars trailed down my thighs, my back, my stomach, and everywhere. I would never forget the true horrors that came with each marking.

"Are we in trouble?" Oliver asked his father, walking down the hallways of the yacht. He held my hand in his, and I was honestly terrified of the storm that we were heading into. Thunder cracked in the distance, and the lightning illuminated the sky.

"Not yet," Robert answered, a grin on his face. "Where's the blonde one?" he wondered, glancing at me and giving me a playful wink. "Hopefully asleep," Oliver answered, shrugging his shoulders in response. I rolled my eyes and leaned into Oliver. "I still don't get why she wanted to tag along." 

Oliver chuckled and looked down the hall, "She's got a crush on one of the crew members. Maybe if you annoy her enough she'll tell you who," he said. I smiled and looked at him, "Do you know who it is?" 

He scoffed, "Sara doesn't tell me much about her love life." I sighed in annoyance and held onto Oliver's arm tighter as another boom of thunder sounded from close by. He pulled me closet o reassure me I was safe while his father warned us not to do anything stupid. It was good advice.

I gasped for air as I relived the day the boat went down. The nightmares were back, and so soon, too. They played on a loop. Every day I saw a new memory, something I thought I forgot, but they would come back to haunt me. 

Trying to free my mind, I got ready for the dinner that was starting in thirty minutes. I slid on a denim button-down shirt and neatly brushed my hair before looking in the mirror one last time. I lifted my hand and brushed my fingers over the face of the girl I saw, but I knew that it wasn't the girl that left the docks to vacation on a yacht, and instead, it was the girl that came back, a completely different person.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I hopped down the stairs in black flats, seeing Oliver observing family photos. "Ollie," I said, interrupting his thoughts as he turned around. "Ollie, I really don't know if I should stay here. It's your time with your family," I told him with all honesty, doubting my decision to intrude so openly.

"You are my family, Bella. Besides, where else do you have to go?"

"I - I could go to my parents," I spoke up. 

Oliver sighed and faced me, taking my hand in his, "We both know they still don't believe you're alive. They haven't called, haven't asked. Annabelle, I'm sorry, but they think you're dead," he whispered. I looked down and briefly closed my eyes.,"Remember when you told me that no matter what, we would be fine?"

Oliver nodded carefully. "Ollie, I don't feel fine. I don't feel like we're meant to be back here. My parents don't even want me," I softly said, looking down at my feet. Oliver lifted my chin with his fingers and stared into my hazel eyes, "Who wouldn't want you?" he asked.

Interrupting the intimate moment between my boyfriend and I, the front door opened and my best friend walked in as if he owned the entire house. "What did I tell you?" he rhetorically asked, holding out his arms while cockily stepping forward. Oliver grinned and turned around as I had a smile on her face just seeing the man I hadn't seen in years right in front of me. "Yachts suck," he laughed. Oliver let out a light chuckle and stepped forwards, giving his best friend a hug, "Tommy Merlyn," he spoke, clapping him on the back. "I missed you, buddy," Tommy said.

Releasing, Tommy looked behind his best pal and saw me, his eyes beginning to glimmer with a certain sparkle I could see as he stapped forward. "The stunning Annabelle Carter," he smirked, letting out a large breath. My smile grew and I hugged Tommy tightly, "Still beautiful," he told me, coming out of the hug while he kissed my cheek. "And you're still a flirt. But, you're a handsome flirt," I grinned.

"Yeah, I am!" Tommy cheered.

•••

"Okay, what else did you miss?" Tommy pondered as everyone sat at the dinner table. I sat next to him on his right and across from Thea, who hadn't stopped smiling since our arrival. "Uh, Superbowl winners-- Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again," he counted off, remembering each one.

"A black president, that's new," he continued while tilting his head and smirking at me. I chuckled at my humorous best friend and sneaked a look at Thea who had an amused look on her face. "Oh, and Lost, they were all dead... I think," Tommy concluded, scooping a spoonful of food into his mouth.

"What was it like there?" Thea interjected, folding her arms on the table. I began to lightly choke on the water in my mouth before Tommy patted my back. "I'm fine," I whispered, nodding my thanks to Tommy. The question had certainly caught me off guard, and the moment she said it all my memories returned in one large wave.

Tommy nervously glanced at Oliver and I before going back to silently eating his food. "Cold," Oliver replied, looking at me as I stared down at my plate while trying to focus on the fragment of silence in the room. 

"Please excuse me," I finally spoke, standing up and pushing my chair in. I quickly exited the room and Tommy looked behind himself and at me as I walked away in a rush. 

As I trudged up the stairs, I could hear Thea begin apologizing for my leaving. I knew that I shoud assure her it wasn't her fault, but my feet continued to walk and I didn't have the strength to turn back. Oliver would explain, explain that I needed more time. He had my back like that, and I trusted him to ease himself back into the world slowly so that I could do the same. 

A lot had changed through the years, and it was going to be difficult to continue on. But we would find a way. We always found a way.

I thought about this as I rested on my window bench in my pajamas. The tank top I wore showed my many scars, but at this point, they were a reminder of strength, not weakness. I needed to tell myself this in order to fully grasp the concept.

It had been several minutes of me sitting alone with my arms wrapped around my knees that were pulled to my chest before I was interrupted. I had heard the knock on the door, but I said nothing and instead listened to the rain beating outside. It was peaceful and calming, something so strange yet so wonderful.

I was pulled out of my lost-gaze once a hand touched my knee, and I found myself staring into the eyes of my boyfriend. He sighed and scooted back on the bench, his eyes never leaving mine. "Hey," he whispered, the slight tilt of his head making me pull a fake smile onto my face to show him I was alright. "Hi," I quietly voiced in return.

"I'm sorry about dinner. I didn't know she was going to ask," he tried convincing me, leaving me to shake my head and slide my hand into his, "It's fine, it was just a question."

"But it wasn't fine, it's not fine. I know you, Bella."

"It's just ... it's the memories. I can't get rid of them. Every time I close my eyes, I can hear my own screams. I hear you, and Sara, and the water rushing. A-and I just ... I don't know how to stop it," I admitted. Oliver scooted closer to me and placed a hand on my knee, "Hey," he softly said, "I hear it, too. You, Sara, myself. I hear them all, too. But I know it's just a dream."

"But it's not just a dream, because I remember every single day on the island. Every moment, every decision, everything. I remember all of it, and I don't even want to," I finished, a lost look in my eyes as I stared at Oliver.

He gave me a supportive smile and sighed, "The doctors said your body is thirty-four percent scar tissue. That's fourteen percent more than me. So I know that for the time I wasn't there with you, you had gone through a lot more than me. But I'm not going to ask, because I wouldn't want to be asked. But I do hope you know that I'm not going anywhere for a long time. And I will always love you."

I looked up and bit my upper lip, fighting to keep the tears in my eyes. "I love you, too," I whispered. It was then Oliver noticed how hard I had been fighting to not cry and he carefully set my legs down to scoot closer to me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I leaned in and rested my head on his chest, finally letting a few tears roll down my cheeks.

•••

"One ... two ... three ..." I counted, sitting on the bed of the yacht in a pair of black leggings, black sneakers and a violet colored short sleeve. "It's getting closer," I worried as I looked at Oliver walk across the room toward me.

Oliver chuckled and held up his glass of wine to his mouth, "That's not very scientific," he retorted. I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the wine, "What would you know about science, Mr. Ivy League Dropout?"

"I happen to know a lot about science," he grinned, placing his glass down on the tray beside the bed. He sat down and leaned closer to me, "I know about fermentation. I know biology," he told me in a hushed voice as he continued to lean in. His lips brushed mine and I put her cup on the tray, leaning into his touch. I smiled as we pulled away from each other until a large crack of thunder startled me and wiped the smile away. "Okay, that one was really close," she trembled.

"Anna, we're going to be fine," Oliver assured me. Suddenly, as Oliver kissed me, the bed flipped and chucked us into the wall, taking us by surprise. I yelped as I was flung across the room and I could feel blood trickling down the side of my face. It was sticky, warm, bright red. My parents, my friends, everyone I loved, I never had the chance to say goodbye, I wasn't going to make it. 

I landed on the ground with a thump and groaned in pain. "Anna?" Oliver asked me from a bit farther away. I lifted my eyes to meet his scared one's and by the time he reached for my hand, an ear-piercing scream erupted from my lips as I was sucked into the water like a dust-bunny with a vacuum cleaner.

I was tumbling under the water, heavy debris weighing me down. My lungs were contracting, wishing for air that I was fighting so hard to get. Oliver was gone, the boat was gone, I was sure to be gone, too. I had finally made it to the surface when I was dragged under again and I knew I was drowning.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, the sound echoing off the walls in the mansion. The door to my room slammed open and Oliver sprinted in faster than he may have ever run. He had quickly stepped onto the bed where I struggled to kick my legs furiously out of the many blankets covering me. Once he finally had me free, he placed a hand on my shoulder and pulled me into him as I tried to regain my breath I had lost.

•••

I made the bed the morning after my horrid nightmare, and I folded the blanket on the edge. Footsteps trailed behind me and I turned around to see Tommy. "Hey," I murmured, throwing my hair into a messy bun. "Hey," he smiled, leaning against the door frame with his signature pose.

"Are you okay? From last night?" he asked, referring to dinner not the dream. "Yeah, I just need some time to adjust. It's not really my favorite thing to remember," I told him. "Come out to the city with Oliver and I, it might help take your mind off things," he suggested.

"Tommy," I sighed, stepping in front of the mirror to look at myself. I was wearing my normal denim skinny jeans and  black sweater, but it still didn't jog a thing of memory from my past self. "Come on, we're the three musketeers. I just got my two best friends back," he pleaded.

"I'm just not feeling up to it. I need to call my parents and see how Carter Provision is doing, and ... I just ... I don't really have any need to go see the city. It's fallen to dump, I looked up some articles this morning, and it's not anything I want to see," I objected.

"Your whole company is based on helping those people. Your parents haven't had the heart to do what they are capable of since you left But maybe if you see it, then you can try to save it," he urged.

"Tommy, take this time to be brothers with Oliver. I promise you and I can grab dinner one night and talk about everything I've missed, okay? But you and Ollie should get back into the swing of things," I recommended.

Tommy sighed and nodded, "Fine, alright. We'll do dinner," he smiled. I nodded and gave him a hug, "But hey, he's still my boyfriend. So, no strippers, hookers, anything of the sort," I laughed.

"He's taken, I'll let them know," Tommy promised.

•••

I watched the two trouble-makers leave, the car driving out of the mansion round-about. Stepping inside to grab my coat, I tugged the tan trench coat over my sweater and walked outside, closing the door behind me. I didn't want to explore the city with my friends, but I wanted to see some of the city and what had become of it in the past five years.

I walked by myself, traveling the sidewalks of the once perfect Starling City. People pointed and whispered as I walked by, but I wasn't looking for anyone particular. With my hands in my pockets, I walked down an empty road. It was quiet. Too quiet.

As I passed a building, someone jumped out and cupped his hand over my mouth. It was sudden, but I was prepared. I swung my elbow back and grabbed his hand, flipping him over onto the hard ground. He groaned in pain and rolled over as I turned to spot another attacker. 

He sported a mask.

I ducked under his incoming fist and kicked my left foot out, hitting him in the stomach. The man punched me square in the eye as I was distracted for a second and I fell on the ground. I was ready to get up, it was a fight I had fought before. So as I scrambled to my feet, the man I had defeated before shot a tranquilizer dart at me and embedded itself into my shoulder. I began t feel dizzy, and the last thing I remembered was my body falling limp into someone's arms.

•••

Two men dragged me in by the arms, not caring about my pain at all. I coughed lightly and looked at my surroundings, seeing dozens upon dozens of people locked in cells. I didn't know what was happening, I was petrified that I would end up like these people.

The prisoners all looked up to see me and I saw some stare at their feet in disappointment that someone else was thrown into this life of hell. "Where am I?" I asked. "Please, please answer me!" I begged, tears rolling down my cheeks. "Where are you taking me?" I cried out.

One of the men unclocked a cell door and pulled it open, allowing the two guards to throw me inside. I scrambled to my feet as the door locked and I banged repeatedly on the bars. "Please! Please don't leave me here!" I pleaded.

The dream slowly faded as I blinked open my eyes and I heard someone repeating my name over and over. "Ms. Carter," the voice demanded. "Ms. Carter!" the voice snapped, a black hood being pulled off of my head. 

"Don't hurt her!" Oliver's voice boomed in the warehouse we were trapped in. I blinked many times, trying to free my blurry vision so I could see exactly where I was, and also find out why. I took deep breaths, looking at the masked people in front of me. This wasn't a new situation, and I wasn't shocked to find my hands zip-tied behind me. 

"Who are you?" I asked, only to be replied to very rudely. "We ask the questions, Ms. Carter," the one in charge said.

I took notice of the taser in his hands, and I narrowed her eyes at the man. Standing in the middle of Oliver and I, the man buzzed his taser in attempt to scare us. Oliver quickly glanced behind the men to someone behind them and I straightened up once I found myself looking at Tommy laying unconscious on a plank of wood.

"Did your father survive that accident?" the man who kidnapped us asked Oliver. "I ask the questions, you give me the answers," he said once he was met with dead silence.

Still, Oliver said nothing. The man turned to his accomplices and stretched his arms out in confusion. Still, no answer.

The man stepped over to me next and pressed the taser near my upper left shoulder, that I wasn't expecting. I clenched my teeth in pain and let out a large growl. After the taser was removed, I started to breathe heavier and my eyes glared daggers at the man.

"Don't hurt her!" Oliver yelled, seeing me in pain. "Did he make it to the island?" the masked man demanded once more. "Did he tell you anything?"

Still, no answer.

The man pressed the taser against me again and I clenched her jaw in pain, feeling electricity course through my veins. I let out another cry of pain and tried to catch my breath by leaning forward and I felt the slip-tie tighten around my wrists but I didn't care, due to the loss of breath I was enduring.

"Anna!" Oliver called out, seeing me whimper and close my eyes. "Better answer the questions, Mr. Queen. I don't know how much more Ms. Carter can take," he growled.

"Don't ..." I breathed, "Don't answer them," I shivered, trying to recover from the volts. Oliver looked down and shook his head, "Yes, he did," he said. I closed her eyes and bit my lip, I hadn't wanted him to respond, and yet he did. "What did he tell you, Mr. Queen?" the masked man asked, looking over at me. I could tell he was staring at my eye, and I knew it was going to bruise.

"He told me I'm gonna' kill you," Oliver warned. "You're delusional. You're zip-cuffed to that chair," the man laughed. "Not anymore," Oliver told them, lifting his hands to reveal he was indeed free. The men were all confused and one pulled his gun, but a little too late. Oliver began hand to hand combat with the men, stabbing one in the chest with the stake of the chair leg. Holding up another man in a headlock, the other masked man shot his friend multiple times. Two down, one to go.

The final man ran with his gun and Oliver waited. He ran to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, only to find me gasping for air. Knowing he couldn't do anything for me, he ran to Tommy to feel for a pulse. By the look of relief on his face, I was glad to know he was alive.

He untied Tommy's binds and then raced after the other man who ran away. I sat in the chair trying to recover and find a steady breathing pattern. I had been through torturing before, but it had been so long and the volts of the taser were raised significantly this time that it caused me a hell of a lot of pain.

I looked down at the ground, not finding the energy to lift my head. I heard Tommy groan and he carefully sat up, ache overcoming his whole body. He slowly made to his feet and I heard himself pushing to his feet. He looked at me first and ran to me, trying to get me to look at him. But I stayed looking at the ground, I refused to show him my weak nature. 

"Anna!" his voice called out, his fingers reaching for my shoulder before I veered away from his touch. I grunted in pain and allowed him to work my ties off from behind my back. "I'm fine, Tom," I assured him, bringing myself slowly to the ground and using my chair as a support for my back. 

Tommy smiled and knelt next to me. "Do you remember everything?" he asked. "Yes, they wanted to know about the accident, the boat," I replied. "They were interrogating Oliver and used me as the bait for him to answer," I said softly. Tommy looked at the taser and knew what I was talking about. "Where's Oliver?" he questioned. "I-I don't know," I admitted, even though I did. He had gone to kill the men.

Tommy believed me and ran a hand through my hair before letting me lean into him. We had to wait for Oliver, and when he returned, he immediately helped me up and wrapped an arm around my waist since I was - not going to lie - feeling a bit under the weather.

"She just needs rest," Oliver told Tommy after seeing his concern. "She needs a hospital," he retorted, not agreeing with his best friend. "Tommy, a hospital won't do anything for her. Believe me, she just needs to rest," Oliver denied. Tommy was enaging himself in an argument he wouldn't win and backed down. 

•••

"So that's your story? A guy in a green hood flew in and single-handedly took out three armed kidnappers," Lance summarized as everyone sat in the Queen's living room. "I mean, who is he?" Lance wondered. Oliver and Tommy sat beside one another on the couch, while I was curled in a ball in the chair next to Tommy. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. Find him and you can ask," Oliver answered.

"Yeah," Lance nodded, looking at Tommy now. "What about you? You see the Hood guy?"

"I saw... just movement. Everything blurry. I was kind of out of it," Tommy shrugged. "I mean, when I did come to, I noticed Annabelle first. She wasn't looking too good, and that's the only thing I really paid attention to," Tommy added.

Lance looked over at me and gave her a slight smile which I returned. Lance was definitely a father figure to me, and we had our reunion days ago, I just didn't think I would be seeing him so very soon. "Yeah, what happened to you in there? You've had self-defense lessons," he chuckled, and I couldn't help but think to myself that he didn't know that half of it.

"Uh, well. Where do I start? I was walking down the street, when someone jumped in front of me. Then someone else jumped in, and shot a tranquilizer dart at me. The next thing you know, I'm in a warehouse, tied to a chair, and they're grilling Oliver with questions. And they used me as the bait," she explained.

"How?"

"Fifty-thousand volts... twice," I replied, yawning in the middle of my sentence. "A taser? They had guns and a taser," Lance said, raising his eyebrows.

"Like I said, she wasn't looking too good," Tommy told him. "It's funny, isn't it? One day back, and already somebody's gunning for you," Lance sighed. "Aren't you popular?" he asked Oliver.

"Were you able to identify the men?" Moira asked. "Scrubbed identities, untraceable weapons," Hilton answered. "These were pros."

"Yeah, well, they probably figured you'd pay a King's ransom to get your boy back. Or, a Queen's ransom, as it were," Lance added in. "After all, a parent would do anything to keep their child safe," he said, looking directly to Oliver. I looked down at the ground in disappointment. I knew what really happened to Sara, that she didn't die in the crash and had made it to the freighter with me. I knew it all, and yet I stayed silent.

"I don't find your tone appropriate, detective," Moira intruded. "If Oliver or Annabelle can think of anything else, they'll be in touch," Walter added, standing up from the couch. "Thank you, gentlemen, for coming."

Lance pursed his lips together and stood up, putting the picture into his folder case. Oliver stood next, "You're luck never seems to run out, does it?"

As Lance was leaving, he looked at me as I stood up and he gave me a hug before saying, "You be careful, alright?" I nodded with a faint chuckle, "Of course, Lance".

He walked away and Oliver skeptically looked at him as he left the house. Tommy looked towards Oliver with a raised eyebrow of confusion, but he didn't question it any longer as I plopped on the couch next to him.

"Well, that was fun," Tommy chuckled. I sighed through my smile and nodded, leaning my head on my best friend's shoulder. "Yes, it was."

•••

"Annabelle, sweetheart," Moira's voice rang throughout my room. I looked up from where I was sitting on the bed, looking through files of Adam Hunt on my laptop. I had a new project after Oliver decided to pull out his father's dusty book and I wanted to get a jumpstart on whatever we needed to look into. And after hearing reports of this Adam Hunt over and over I decided to see what all the commotion was, or if he was truly only a rich man with no heart.

I saw Moira standing at the door with someone new behind her. I smiled and stood up, walking over to greet them. "Annabelle, this is John Diggle, an ex-military man. He'll be your bodyguard, if you will, from now on," she announced.

I stuck my hand out politely and shook his hand. "Ever since you were abducted, and then to put frankly, injured, Walter and I both agreed that armed protection would benefit you and Oliver," she explained.

"What if Oliver and I are in two different places?" I wondered, not quite understanding how one bodyguard could watch the two of us. "Well, you two are mostly together. But if you are apart, I suggest you stay in contact. Besides, usually if one of you is out, then one of you is also here," she smiled.

I nodded, "Of course, Moira. Thank you."

Moira nodded at me, and gave the man a smile before walking off. "So, any specific name you would prefer I call you?" I asked the man before me.

"Diggle's good. Dig if you want," he said. "I like it, very unique," I warmed. "Thank you, ma'am," he replied. "Ex-military, huh? I feel safe," I laughed.

He grinned, "105th Airborne out of Kandahar, retired. I've been in the private sector for a little more than four years now. But I don't want any confusion, Ms. Carter, my ability to keep you from harm will outweigh your comfort," he admitted. "Is that alright?"

"Yes, and please, I have many nicknames, but Ms. Carter is not one of them," I laughed. "What do you prefer?" he wondered.

"Well, Anna, Belle, Annabelle, and people I'm close to call me Bella. You can take your pick."

Diggle nodded and left me to myself as he was summoned by Moira to meet the other trouble-maker. Only this time, the welcoming wouldn't be very wanted.

•••

I sneaked out of the house once Diggle left with Oliver. I had stuffed her laptop into a small tan backpack and changed into training clothes: black yoga pants, a black sports bra, and a black jacket.

Getting to the warehouse was the easy part, knowing what Oliver had already started there was the not so easy part.

Once I arrived, I noticed that Oliver had already cleared the basement and set up the desks of computers and lamps. With a sigh, I hopped down and stepped in front of Oliver who was already starting with the pull-ups that jump to the next level on, a salmon-bar, one very difficult apparatus.

I rolled her eyes and folded my arms across my chest. "Diggle is going to be pissed," I told him, finally setting my bag on a table. "What he doesn't know can't hurt him," Oliver grunted.

I pulled off her jacket, leaving me in my sports bra - which I would never wear alone unless I was training in front of Oliver because then I would have to explain my many scars.

"Have you gotten more abs since the island?" Oliver asked as he looked at me. I rolled my eyes and jumped under a beam, grabbing the metal of a large pipe. I pulled myself up and lifted my legs, swinging them under the pipe.

Letting my hands go, I hung upside down by my feet and folded my arms across my chest, curling my body up. "You never answered my question," he called out, letting himself drop from the bar. He grabbed a bottle of water from my bag and took a large sip before stepping over to where I was training.

"No, you just never see me shirtless," I scoffed. Oliver chuckled and walked over to me, standing in front of my face. "So, who'd Tommy set you up with today? Girls at the sushi bar?" I wondered, pulling up again.

"Come on, you know I have no interest in anyone but you," he responded. "The island changed us, Ollie. It gave me less trust for people, it changed my thoughts on everything and everyone. If there's someone better out here," I started, being cut off by Oliver who interrupted quickly.  "You were the only reason I survived. You kept me sane and there is no one better out there," Oliver retorted. "Do you still have feelings for Laurel? You can be honest," I blurted out, curling up again.

"No, okay? I stopped having those feelings before I started dating you. We've been together for like, seven years," he reminded me. "That's a long time," I breathed out, beginning to feel pain on my left shoulder from where I was tasered.

"Alright, come down. I shouldn't even be letting you train since the ordeal two hours ago," Oliver scolded. I rolled her eyes and curled up once more, latching my hands onto the bar. He was being overprotective, because after the island this seemed like a scraped knee after a bicycle failure.

I dropped my legs and swung for a second before lightly falling to my feet. Oliver placed his hands on my hips and turned me around, looking into my eyes. " I love you, did you know that?" he asked me. "You tell me every day," she smiled.

"And every day, I mean it."

I blushed and looked into Oliver's blue eyes, beginning to get lost in them. He brought his lips to mine and kissed me passionately. Both releasing, I looked up at him, "I love you, too," I whispered.

•••

Oliver pulled out two bows and handed one to me. I held it firmly in my hands and smirked, "How long's it been?" I playfully joked around. Both Oliver and I walked over to a wall and Oliver dropped tennis balls on the ground, bouncing high and uncontrolled. He quickly pulled an arrow and so did I, both aiming and shooting one after another. I stepped backward and drew an arrow, taking less than a second to aim. Letting the arrow go, it pierced the ball and flew to the wall where it stuck. With a satisfied smile, Oliver nodded, "Nice aim," he congratulated. "I could say the same to you," I grinned.

Oliver sat down in a chair in front of one of the desks with a PC computer hooked up. The computer was playing the news of Adam Hunt and Laurel Lance, "The suit alleges that Hunt committed multiple acts of fraud and theft against the City's underprivileged," the anchor spoke.

"Carter Provision should be filing this suit, I don't understand. Does my father not even care about the company anymore?" I wondered, pacing back and forth behind Oliver. "You need to relax, I'm sure they're fine," Oliver said.

"I'm going to deal with Hunt, you are going to stay here and rest," Oliver told her. I groaned and continued pacing back and forth. "That's not resting," Oliver pointed out, grabbing his hood from the trunk. "Whatever," I mumbled.

•••

Opening the car door, Oliver saw Diggle sitting in the backseat with a grin on his face. "Put on your seat belt, sir. Wouldn't want you to miss your party," he said.

Oliver sighed and got into the car, closing the door behind him. "Aren't we waiting on, Anna?" Oliver asked. Diggle checked his watch and shook his head, "She told me she wasn't feeling too well. Something about her parents," Diggle replied. Oliver leaned his head back on the chair and motioned the driver to go, mentally cursing at leaving Annabelle from the welcome home party that was for the both of them.

Once Oliver arrived at the party, he saw that Annabelle wouldn't have enjoyed it anyways, she never really drinks, and she wouldn't be especially fond over having strippers dancing in front of her boyfriend.

Tommy cued the music off and walked over to meet Oliver on the stairs. "Where's Annabelle?" he muttered. "She wasn't feeling well, besides, I think she might've actually killed you if she saw all this," Oliver smiled.

Tommy smirked, "Man of the hour!" Tommy shouted, clapping a hand on Oliver's chest. "Whoo! And ladies, please give this man a proper homecoming," Tommy told the girls. Oliver was instantly rushed onto the stage and he tried his best to act like the man everyone lost, and though it was hard, he was successful.

•••

I waited anxiously for a call from Oliver, waiting for him to tell me he was okay. But the call never came, and I was waiting all night, practically welcoming the nightmares in to my head..

I leaned against the metal bars of my cell on the large freighter. I was confused and scared, and the person next to me was not much help. "You come from island?" the stranger asked. I let out a cry and looked at him, "I've never seen the island, I just want to go home," I told him, hugging myself to keep warm. "My name Anatoly," he said.

"I am Anna. How long have you been here?" I questioned. "Month, maybe more," he shrugged, leaning against the bars to his cell. Suddenly, there was more commotion in the boat. Two men were dragging a girl with blonde hair, she was wearing a pink robe and pajamas, but barefoot. I looked up and raced to the door of my cell. A guard opened the door and dragged me out, then tossing Sara in.

"Anna!" Sara cried out, grabbing the bars of the cell. Two guards dragged me away and I looked back at the terrified girl, "Sara! Sara!" I shouted, struggling against the grip of the two men.

But freedom didn't come.

I stared at the careless writing in my notebook. The words were close togther and I could tell I wrote it in a hurry. I wrote every memory, every dream, everything. I wrote it all down because even though I wanted my life on the island put in the past, I needed to be able to evaluate my progress. I just hoped it would count for something in the future.

I closed the book and placed it beside me on the bed before noticing my phone lighting up with an incoming call from Oliver. I rushed to pick it up and held it to my ear. "Hey, Bella," Oliver answered, only after the sixth time I called. "Ollie! My gosh, Ollie. I was worried, I thought something happened! I thought I could stop worrying about you after the island, but I can't! I just- I can't lose you, too. You are all I've got, Ollie," I said, not stopping to take a breath.

"Bella, breathe. I'm on my way right now, I just got held up. I needed to see it through that the money was transferred," he told me, referring to the Adam Hunt job even though he was supposed to be at a party.

I ran a hand through my hair and sat down on the chair at my desk, "Okay, yeah. I'll see you soon," I said, hanging up the call. I tossed the phone onto the desk and walked to my bed where I crawled under the covers and laid my head on the pillow. I knew Oliver would be here soon, and while waiting, I tried my best to get my sleep.