(Season Two starts here! If you haven't seen season two, be prepared for spoilers!)

***Three months later***

I flipped through a medical ad featuring different knee braces, but none of them were sturdy enough. I sighed heavily and dropped the magazine onto the table in front of me.

I clenched my jaw and rubbed at my jaw, then looked at the TV as the reporter began to talk about S.T.A.R. Lab's particle accelerator and their goal to set it off in a month or two. I clenched my jaw and considered for a moment, then nodded once.

I got up slowly and limped awkwardly away from the table and to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water.

A knock sounded at the apartment's door and I set the glass down and made my way over to the door and opened it, gasping as Felicity and Diggle stepped aside to reveal Oliver.

"O-Olly?" I managed weakly. "W-Where have you been? You left. For three months." I say, eyes watering.

"I'm sorry, Mia." He said softly.

"We'll leave you two to talk." Felicity said with a gentle smile and squeezed my shoulder before motioning for Diggle to follow her. Dig smiled a little at me before he followed Felicity away from the door.

I swallowed hard and said, "Come in."

I stepped aside and he came in and I shut the door with a click. I turned to him and asked, "The Island?"

He nodded and didn't say anything and I just stepped forward and rested my hands on his cheeks.
"Are you back now?"

"Yes." He said and lifted his hands to rest over mine.

I nodded and just wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. His arms circled around my waist and we just stood in the entryway to Laurel and I's apartment for a long time, not saying anything.

When he did speak, he said softly, "I'm sorry for leaving. I just...needed time. Time to process. To get away."

I nodded. "I understand. But I don't think Thea does. She's mad at you and even more so at Moira. She's been here a lot."

He flinched and asked, "How are you doing?"

"The doctor's said my injury isn't permanent, but I need a better brace."

"You never did tell me how that happened." He said seriously.

I looked at him and said, "Maybe I'll tell you later. Right now, I just want to order a custom brace from S.T.A.R. Labs, and I think you should go see your family, whether you want to or not. Because Thea really needs you right now, ok?" I kissed his cheek.

******

I hated trains. They were always cramped and I oftentimes ended up next to people who liked to snore. Today was no exception.

I sat with my bag between my legs and my phone in my clenched fists, music playing in my headphones.

My phone buzzed and I looked at it to see a message from my cousin, Nysa.

I am coming to Starling City in two weeks. I will collect Sara. I have been told to use any means necessary. How is your leg? My father would like to see you in Nanda Parbat as soon as possible regarding Malcolm.

I clenched my jaw as I read the message and replied,

Good luck with Sara. And it's fine. I'm getting fitted for a better brace. I'll go once I can walk properly.

This is good news. I hope to see you soon, Maria.

Her reply was terse, but I felt as though I had a good relationship with Nysa.

I hadn't seen Sara once since she showed up and crashed my motorcycle and attacked me. Frankly, if I did see her again, I'd cut off her damn head.

"What's on your mind?" Diggle asks from his seat across from me. He had insisted he come into Star City with me, seeing as my knee problem was something of a detriment. I appreciated his company, and was glad he came.

"A lot of things." I mumbled. "I lost Malcolm. The whole League is basically throwing the 'you had one job' card in my face. My uncle also wants to see me. I have no idea how long that will take or what it is that he wants. But after I get fitted for this brace, I will probably pack up and catch a plane to Nanda Parbat."

"Can someone go with you?" He asked. There was a look on his face that made it sound as if he was asking if he could accompany me.

I smiled at him and said, "I wish you could. Only members of the League are allowed in or upon invitation. I'll probably be training to work around this new handicap as well." I paused then asked, "Can I trust you with a huge secret?"

He tilted his head to the side and nodded once. "You know you can trust me with anything, Mia."

I nodded and said, "I know. But this wasn't an accident. I mean that the injury wasn't caused by me getting into an accident as I said. Sara Lance. She ended up at the League with me. We got into some disagreements. I ended up back on the Island with Oliver. She stayed. But I got the position she wanted. A position that would put her closer to her lover- my cousin, Nysa. She got mad at me. We had a fight. There were other factors, too. But she did this. She made me crash and then attacked me, telling me to leave Starling City or die. I didn't have the heart to tell Oliver considering they've had a positive history."

Diggle let out a slow breath. "Wow. Thank you for telling me. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. That's something you should tell Oliver yourself."

"I just feel strange. It feels as if the moment he's back from the Island is the moment that I leave for who knows how long." I say with a sigh and look out the window.

"Hey." Dig says and reaches over to rest a hand on my shoulder. "Not everything in life can go to plan, you know."

"I know." I said with a small smile.

******

S.T.A.R. Labs was unlike anything I had ever seen. As I was buzzed in, I was amazed at the amount of technology. Felicity would probably drool.

I was lead by a worker into a main corridor where a man in all black with thick framed glasses stood. He was skinny, and when he smiled at me, a chill went down my spine.

"Hello. You must be Maria Walker." The man said and held a hand out to shake. It was ice cold in mine. "My name is Harrison Wells. It's good to meet you."

I nodded. "It's good to meet you, too. Thank you for meeting with me. I honestly didn't think you'd agree."

"Well, walking is important. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your new brace and it's designers, Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow."

I merely nodded and let him lead me through the Lab and I looked around at everything. "So," I say, trying to close the silence. "What's the particle accelerator?"

"Oh. It's a new invention that will change the future. It will- once we turn it on- it will advance everything we know about science. Power. Medicine. Physics. Everything."

I didn't like how he talked about the "everything" part, but I smiled and said, "Wow. That sounds amazing."

"And it will be, Miss Walker. Here we are." He waved us into a room and I saw two people standing around a brace on the table. It looked different from the one I had on. It was smaller, curved with my leg, and made of clear plastic.

"Shall we get you fitted, Maria?" The young man behind me I assumed to be Cisco asked.

I glanced at Diggle and just nodded. "Yeah."