Chapter 6

They found some packets to make soup as well as a carton of power bars.

"I wonder how these were overlooked," Felicity commented as she tore into a power bar.

"Slade probably thought they tasted like cardboard and left them on purpose. There are some things even a hungry man won't eat."

"Slade was your friend?"

"Yeah," Oliver sadly agreed. "He's the one who taught me how to fight...how to really survive here. I couldn't bring myself to come back to this camp, so he always made scavenger runs with Shado. She taught me how to shoot an arrow."

"You must miss them."

"You have no idea how much." Oliver gave her a watery smile before changing the subject. "Well, since this wasn't as fruitless as I'd thought, I guess we should check out the other tents after all."

They found some extra clothes, extra blankets, several flashlights, a couple of towels, some paper and pencils, and lots of weapons.

"I'm surprised your friend left so many of the weapons here," Felicity said, standing back as Oliver inspected one of them.

"We had a few around, but I guess Slade figured he could always come back for more if he needed them. He preferred his swords, anyway."

"Do you know how to use that thing?"

"Point and shoot," Oliver said. "I'm not a great shot, but I can sometimes hit something. I'm better with the bow."

"Interesting choice of weapon," Felicity commented. "I wouldn't have thought it was the most efficient weapon."

"Well, for one thing, it's much quieter than a gun, and stealth was usually needed with the people we were hiding from."

"These people?" Felicity gestured around them.

"Them, and later others," Oliver agreed. "Trouble had a way of finding us no matter what. There was very little quiet time, and when there was, Slade and Shado were training me to become a better fighter."

"For the record, I do not want to learn how to fight," Felicity said.

"Noted," Oliver agreed. "Not that I think you'll need to know."

"Unless those Triad people track me down," Felicity pointed out.

"Hey," Oliver said, coming to stand before her, "I won't let them hurt you."

"Thank you." The air crackled between them for a moment before Felicity turned away. "You said something about wash basins for laundry?"

Oliver took a deep breath, taking a step back. He ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to tamp down his suddenly raging libido. "Yeah. Come on."

He grabbed some of the extra clothes they'd found along with a couple of towels and followed Felicity to her tent to get the clothes she'd arrived in.

When he led them away from the camp, Felicity had to ask, "Where are we going?"

"Wash basins are by the river. It's not that far. They probably figured it was easier to just bring their clothes to the water than to cart it back to the camp for washing."

"But what about the showers?" Felicity asked. "Do we need to bring water back for that?"

"No. I think they must have tapped into a well or something where the showers are," Oliver said.

"What about…"

"I don't know, Felicity," Oliver said, cutting her off. "I didn't make the camp and I didn't live there. I don't know why these things are the way they are."

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

"I've just always been naturally curious," Felicity said.

"It's fine. Really," Oliver said. "Here we are."

He passed through an opening in the trees and they found themselves beside a rushing river.

"Wow," Felicity said, stunned by the beauty before her. "Okay, I get bringing the laundry to the water now."

Near the edge of the trees were a couple of metal basins with washboards and bars of soap inside. Oliver handed one set to Felicity and grabbed the other for himself and they carried them to the water. They carefully filled the basins and began washing their clothes.

After taking a few minutes to get the hang of using the washboard, Felicity laughed and said, "I feel like I'm back in Colonial times. You know, like in those re-enactment villages?"

Oliver chuckled. "I've never been, but I know what you mean. Being here is often like going back in time; especially with the lack of technology and electricity."

"Don't remind me," Felicity whimpered.

It didn't take them long to wash the few things they'd brought, and get them back to the camp and hung up to dry.

With that chore out of the way, they were left with nothing to do since they couldn't shower until the towels were dry.

"Now what?" Felicity asked.

Oliver glanced at the sky, thoughtfully. "Do you still want to watch the sunset?"

"I'd love to," Felicity exclaimed. "But isn't it just past midday?"

"It's going to take us a while to get to the spot I'm thinking about," Oliver said. "I want to go slowly since you're not used to hiking on mountains."

Felicity was going to take offense, but realized he was right. "Fair point."

"Why don't you grab a couple of those power bars and flashlights and bring them with us in your bag," Oliver suggested.

"Good idea," she agreed. It didn't take her long to find the items and after emptying out her bag, she put them, The Odyssey, and one of the non-washed towels they'd found, into her bag.

She met Oliver between their tents and saw that he was carrying a canteen and was once again wearing his quiver and carrying his bow.

"What's that for? Expecting trouble?"

"Always." He waited a beat. "It's in case we see anything worth hunting for dinner."

Felicity put a hand on her chest. "Oh, thank goodness."

Oliver hoped he was telling the truth. That the only thing he'd need to shoot was a rabbit or bird. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that the Triad was still looking for Felicity Smoak.

 

Chapter 7

It was a long hike. A very long hike. Felicity was wondering why she had agreed to do this when they crested a hill and the island dropped away beneath them.

"Wow," Felicity said between panted breaths. "This is…"

"Worth it?" Oliver grinned, knowingly.

"So worth it."

Oliver took a sip from the canteen and passed it to Felicity. She drank gratefully, but sparingly, knowing it was all they had until they got back to the camp.

"How did you find this place?"

"I've had a lot of time to explore," Oliver said, setting the bow and quiver down against a boulder, along with the rabbit he'd found in one of his traps along the way.

Felicity looked over her shoulder at him, saddened to think that he'd been stranded here for so long.

"I brought The Odyssey," she offered. "I could read it while you take care of that." She gestured to the dead rabbit. If she was reading she wouldn't have to watch him prepare the animal to eat. While she'd always been a carnivore, she'd never had to see her meat go from furry animal to delicious meat before.

"I promise not to fall asleep on you," Oliver said by way of agreement.

"Ha ha," Felicity dryly commented. She removed the towel from her bag and spread it so she could lean against a boulder; she settled down and pulled out the book.

It took her a while to get used to the poetic phrasing of the book, but soon she was lost in the rhythm of the words and the story.

Oliver set to work skinning the rabbit with the knife he kept at his hip. There was a time he was as repulsed by this activity as Felicity, but with repetition, he'd gotten used to it. Now skinning rabbits was one more skill he could add to his "I survived on an island" resume. He set the skin aside to dry in case Felicity wanted to keep it. The fur was soft, after all.

"Keep reading," he interrupted her at one point, "I'm going to gather some wood for a fire, but I won't be far."

Felicity nodded and continued, raising her voice as Oliver moved away.

As she read aloud, a foreign noise seemed to grow on the edge of her awareness. It wasn't the birds that she'd been hearing all day, either. She closed her eyes and cocked her head to the side, listening.

"Why'd you stop?" Oliver asked, hurrying back, his arms laden with downed tree branches.

"Do you hear that?" Felicity asked; eyes still closed. "It almost sounds like a motor," she said dreamily. "That's silly, though. There are no motors here."

Immediately on alert, Oliver tensed and began to look out over the water. He concentrated on listening, just as Felicity had. His stomach dropped as he pointed to a spec on the water. "There."

Felicity scrambled to her feet, looking in the direction that Oliver was pointing. "Do you think it's a rescue party?" she asked hopefully, grabbing his arm.

Oliver turned to look at her, sadness written across his face. Solemnly he said, "No, I don't think they're here to rescue you."

"The Triad."

"That would be my guess," Oliver said. "Pack up your stuff, we're moving."

Felicity hustled to do as he suggested, shoving the book and towel back in her bag. Oliver was waiting for her, weapons in hand.

"What about the rabbit?" she asked.

"Leave it," Oliver said. "If we survive, we can come back for it if you want. If we don't, it won't matter."

Felicity gulped, but didn't ask any more questions.

Oliver led her quickly and quietly down the mountain towards the beach she'd washed ashore on. It was the most likely spot for the boat to pull in to, as well.

Oliver reached under the back of his shirt and pulled out a revolver when they reached the tree line, which he handed to Felicity.

She held her hands up, "I don't like guns."

"I don't care. Take it," he ordered.

She did. It was heavier than she'd thought it would be.

"Hold it with two hands, like this," he took it back to show her. "When they land I'll take the safety off. Then just point and pull the trigger. Try to aim for their chests."

"I don't want to kill anyone," Felicity insisted, on the verge of tears.

"I know you don't. I don't want you to kill anyone either," Oliver said, softly. "But if it comes down to them or us, I choose us."

"I choose us, too," Felicity agreed, liking the sound of us referring to the two of them.

The boat was closer now.

"Hey, Oliver," Felicity tentatively said, looking away from the approaching danger.

"Yeah?" he distractedly answered.

Gathering her nerve, Felicity reached up and pulled Oliver's face to hers and kissed him.

"For luck," she said, cheekily when they broke apart. She had never felt so much like Kaylee from Firefly as she did at that moment. "To hell with this. I'm gonna live."

Oliver blinked at her owlishly a few times before grinning. They were definitely going to have to survive this.

 

Chapter 8

Once the boat was a few hundred feet from shore, Felicity recognized it as the boat she'd gone out on with Chien Na Wei. She whispered this information in Oliver's ear, which he acknowledged with a nod.

Her heart felt like it was in her throat and she could barely hear anything above the rushing of blood in her ears. As panic started to rise, she closed her eyes and forced herself to take deep breaths.

When she opened her eyes again, Chien Na Wei and the two henchmen - she was now calling them Jasper and Horace in her head - were in a lifeboat coming towards shore.

A glance to her side showed Oliver standing ready, arrow nocked and focused on Chien Na Wei.

She looked down at the gun in her hands, safety now off, and prayed that she wouldn't have to use it.

Chien Na Wei stepped onto the sand first, gun down but in hand. She spoke in Chinese to the men. While Jasper pulled the raft all the way onto the shore, Horace ran farther down the beach, away from them, but towards the woods at the same time. Jasper did the same in the opposite direction once the raft was secure.

Oliver tracked the first man with his arrow and let loose before the trees blocked his target. Horace went down, an arrow in his chest.

"Come out, now," Chien Na Wei called out in English, "and we won't kill you."

Jasper cried out as he fell, downed by another of Oliver's arrows.

"You should have brought more men," Oliver called back.

Chien Na Wei stopped in her tracks when she heard him speak.

"I know that voice," she commented.

"You know the face, too," Oliver agreed, stepping into view.

"No, what are you doing?" Felicity whispered, trying to grab his leg before he moved away.

He ignored her, moving closer to Chien Na Wei.

"I see A.R.G.U.S. has no more use of you," she taunted.

Oliver shrugged. "It was a crappy job. How did you escape from them?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she asked with a smirking grin. She dropped into a fighting stance and demanded, "Give me the girl."

"Over my dead body," Oliver replied.

"As you wish."

A shot rang out, which Oliver ducked. He smoothly launched an arrow, which was also ducked.

Chien Na Wei dropped the gun and charged Oliver. He kicked out, but she was too close and his foot barely grazed her hip. She landed a punch to his face before kicking his feet out from under him.

Oliver went down hard, but rolled as he landed; avoiding the foot she tried to kick him with, and pulling his knife as he rose to his feet.

Chien Na Wei also had a knife out by now and they traded slashes, neither succeeding until Oliver caught her forearm. She hissed, and renewed her attack.

Felicity watched, paralyzed. She held the gun up in front of her, but was too afraid to use it. The fight was too fast and she didn't want to hit Oliver by mistake.

Chien Na Wei got Oliver on his back, his knife having already fallen, and kneeled on his chest. She held her knife to his throat.

"Tell me where to find the girl or I'll slit your throat."

Before Oliver could respond, Felicity stepped out, her hands in the air.

"Please, don't hurt him," Felicity begged. "I'm right here."

She grinned up at Felicity. "You've been more trouble than you're worth. Give me the tablet."

"I don't have it," Felicity said, wincing.

"What?" the other woman growled, pressing the knife hard enough against Oliver that he began to bleed.

"When I jumped in the water, I lost it. It must have fallen out of my bag while I was unconscious. I lost everything in my bag," Felicity said.

"I don't believe you," Chien Na Wei said.

Felicity slowly moved to lift the strap of her bag over her head and tossed it to the white-haired woman.

"See for yourself," Felicity offered, winking at Oliver.

She caught the bag with one hand and placed it on Oliver's chest. Once she was distracted, Felicity grabbed the gun from the back of her pants, swung it around and fired.

She missed, but the sound of the shot was enough to startle the other woman, giving Oliver the opportunity to twist out from under her. He punched Chien Na Wei hard, knocking her out. He kicked the knife out of her hand as he stood and ran to Felicity.

"That was incredible," he said, cupping her face with his hands. He kissed her, unable to stop himself.

"I was so scared," Felicity said when they parted. "I knew I had to do something, and then I remembered that I had taken everything out of my bag that was mine back at the camp so even if she had gone through it all she wouldn't have found what she was looking for."

"Felicity, you're remarkable," Oliver said, grinning.

"Thank you for remarking on it." She grinned back. Looking out at the beach, she asked, "Are they all dead?"

"She's not," Oliver said. "Not sure about the others yet."

He pulled some zip ties from one of the many pockets on his cargo pants and cautiously approached Chien Na Wei. Luckily she was still out cold. He was able to maneuver her so that he could tie her arms behind her back and then tied her feet together.

"You wait here while I check on the other two," Oliver suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Felicity agreed. She picked up her bag, replaced the book that had been tossed aside, and slung it over her body.

She watched as Oliver tied up Jasper, which meant that he was still alive. Horace wasn't so lucky.

When Oliver came back to her, she asked, "Does this mean it's over?"

Oliver had tears in his eyes when he said, "It's over. It's really over. We're going home." He looked out at the boat.

"You're going home," Felicity squealed, jumping into his arms.

 

Chapter 9

They practically ran back to the camp, eager to collect Felicity's belongings and get off the island.

"I need you to wait here for a little while," Oliver told her once they reached the camp.

"Alone? Why?" Felicity asked.

"I need to get some things from the plane," Oliver said.

"Oh, right, you didn't actually live on this part of the island," Felicity said.

"Right. I may not have much in the way of belongings, but there are a few things I want to take home with me."

"It's fine. I think my dress is mostly dry by now anyway, so I may as well leave wearing what I arrived in."

"I should only be a few hours," Oliver promised. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Felicity said, waving him off.

Oliver ran off in the direction she assumed the plane was in, leaving her alone in the abandoned camp.

She tested her clothes first, and decided to give them a little more time since Oliver had said 'hours'.

Instead, she sat at the table with her disassembled tablet and phone and began to reassemble them. She was very curious about what exactly was on this tablet that had nearly gotten her killed, twice.

Felicity had barely gotten her dress over her head when she heard footsteps approaching. She quickly yanked it down, spinning so she was facing the direction she thought the person was coming from.

"I'm armed," she called out, frantically looking around for the gun.

"No you're not," Oliver called back, stepping into her tent.

She let out a squeak and reached behind her, trying to hold her dress closed. "Don't look," she squealed.

"You're just getting changed now?" Oliver asked, turning away from her.

"I got distracted," Felicity huffed, struggling to pull the zip up on the dress. "Ugh, I think the salt water warped the zipper."

"Want some help?" Oliver offered.

"Fine," she sighed.

Oliver turned and moved behind her. He grasped the zipper in one hand and held the material closed with the other, doing his best to ignore the smooth expanse of her back. He easily slid the zipper up, resting his hands on her shoulders when he was done.

"Ready?" he asked, his mouth near her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Almost as much as you," she said.

Felicity grabbed her sweater and her re-packed bag and headed out of her tent. There was a large wood box sitting out there, which Oliver picked up.

"When you said you had some stuff to pick up, I was expecting a backpack, not a trunk."

"At least you don't have to carry it," Oliver pointed out.

"Very true. Let's get out of here."

The walk back to the beach felt like it took forever. Their attackers were right where they had left them, only now awake.

"We'll keep coming after it," Chien Na Wei called out as they placed their belongings in the raft and pushed it into the water. "When you make it back and tell them what we were after they won't destroy it. We'll get it one way or another."

"Not if I can help it," Felicity called back. "I will personally destroy whatever it is that you're after. Thanks for the ride."

Oliver steered the raft to the boat and got it secure before helping Felicity onto it. He passed her his trunk before following it onto the boat. It came to life easily and he turned it away from the place he'd spent the worst years of his life.

"So, uh, any idea which direction Hong Kong is?" Oliver asked a few minutes later.

Felicity laughed, coming to stand by him. She looked over the instruments before pointing at one. "I'm pretty sure that's for navigation. I thought you were good on boats."

"I was good at riding on boats. We always had a captain and crew for driving and navigating," Oliver pointed out.

"How is your Chinese? Maybe there's a way to get reverse directions?"

"Not great, but let me see what I can make out. I think I'll recognize Hong Kong."

In fact, he did, and between the two of them they were able to get the boat pointed in the right direction.

"What will you do first when we get to shore?" Felicity asked.

"Call my mom," Oliver said without hesitation.

"You can call from my hotel," Felicity offered. "I'm sure the company won't mind the international phone bill considering it's your company. You can even spend the night with me." Felicity winced at how that came out.

"I don't want to impose," Oliver said, his mind already imagining sharing a bed with Felicity.

"It's no imposition. There are two beds," she explained. Even though she'd much prefer to share one. "Besides, I've gotten kind of used to having you around."

"I'd be happy to," Oliver agreed.

Felicity beamed up at him. "And just think - it has a real shower and food you don't have to catch yourself."

"We never did get you that shower on the island," Oliver realized.

"It's okay. This will be so much better."

Oliver's mind immediately envisioned her naked in the shower. He had to bite back a groan.

He could hardly believe that he was headed back to civilization, with no bodyguard; no one watching his every move. He was going home.

"I'm going to see if there's any food in the cabin," Felicity said, heading below deck.

Oliver stared at the horizon, trying to remember what his life had been like before the island, and if he even wanted that life anymore.

"Score!" she called out a few minutes later. She emerged carrying some packages of cookies and a couple bottles of water. She handed half of her bounty to Oliver and dug in.

"Thanks," he absently said.

"Penny for them?"

"Hmm?"

"Your thoughts," Felicity clarified. "You looked lost in thought."

"I was." Oliver sighed. "I was thinking about who I was before the island. I don't think I want to be that boy anymore. I can't be him again. Too much has happened. Laurel... My dad…"

His hand fell to the pocket that hid his father's notebook.

"Who's Laurel?" Felicity asked, vaguely recalling that name in association with Oliver's.

"She was my girlfriend," he said, wistfully.

"Do you think she will be when you get back?" She forced herself to ask.

"I don't know. No, I don't think she will," Oliver admitted. He pulled out his father's notebook and removed the photo of Laurel that was tucked inside. When he spoke again, it was mostly to himself. "When I first washed up on Lian Yu, I spent hours looking at this photo every day. All that I wanted was to get home to her; to make things right." He gave a bitter laugh. "I was so naive. I actually believed that she'd be so grateful that I was alive that she'd forget that I'd taken her sister with me on that boat. That I'd killed her sister."

Felicity gasped and he looked up at her with moist eyes. "You didn't kill her, Oliver."

"I may as well have. She never would have been on that boat if it wasn't for me; if I hadn't been such a coward."

"You're not…"

"I was," Oliver cut her off. "Things were getting serious with Laurel. She wanted to move in together. So what did I do? Instead of talking to her about my reservations I found the first available woman I could to sleep with. It just happened to be her baby sister. What kind of a man does that?"

Felicity had nothing to say to that. She wasn't going to lie and say that it was okay because he was scared. He was right; a good man didn't act like that. However, the fact that he felt such remorse, such revulsion, towards his former behavior showed that he was no longer that insensitive boy.

In lieu of saying anything, she moved to stand next to Oliver and wrapped an arm around his waist. He stood stiffly for a minute before letting out a shuddering breath and wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Nodding to the left, he whispered, "Looks like you'll get your sunset after all."

Sure enough, the sun was beginning to head towards the horizon, just as the city began to rise up before them.

 

Chapter 10

It was dark by the time they had pulled into the harbor Felicity had left from just a couple of days earlier. They left the keys in the boat, not caring what happened to it once they were ashore.

They found a taxi and got back to Felicity's hotel without incident. There was a moment of fear when the key card didn't want to work, but on the third try the door opened. She automatically brought the Do Not Disturb sign in with them and halted in her tracks barely inside the door.

"What is it?" Oliver asked, pushing ahead of her.

The room had been ransacked. The sheets were off the beds, mattresses askew, clothes were all over the place.

"They must have searched your room as a precaution when you jumped ship," Oliver guessed. "Before going in search of you."

"I get why," Felicity said, numbly moving into the room. Oliver shut the door and secured the safety bar. "Doesn't make it any easier to see."

"Is anything missing?"

"I doubt it."

Oliver set his trunk down and started to straighten the beds. "Do you want me to call housekeeping? Get them to remake the beds?"

Felicity blushed, shaking her head. "I don't want them wondering how they got that way. It'll be fine. I can make the beds myself." She set her bag on a table and looked around. "Why don't you grab a shower first while I put all my clothes away again and then I'll take a turn and you can have some privacy while you call home?"

"Sounds like a plan." Oliver brought his trunk over to the long dresser and set it on top. He unlocked it and grabbed a fresh change of clothes out of it before heading for the bathroom.

Felicity pushed aside her feelings of violation and began to re-order the room. It didn't take her very long since she was only going to be here a week. She was happy to discover that everything appeared to be there.

Glancing at the clock, she realized it wasn't even that late. She'd found her personal tablet among the mess, unscathed, and looked up the phone number for the lab she was working at here in Hong Kong. Luckily the team leader she was working with, Dr. Zhang, was still in the lab and she briefly explained what had happened to her and where she had been for the past two days.

He said he'd been concerned when she hadn't shown up, and was ashamed to admit that he thought she had been blowing off work to go sightseeing, apologizing profusely. While Felicity was offended that someone could think she'd do something like that, that she was a flighty American, a blonde one at that - she could understand the stereotyping. She said that she would call Mr. Steele herself and inform him of what had happened, promising to be at work bright and early the next day.

The shower had turned off by the time she hung up the phone, feeling lighter already. She grabbed her pajamas (a tank top and shorts) which she'd left out on the bed, getting ready for her turn in the shower.

Oliver emerged from the bathroom dressed similarly to how she'd always seen him, rubbing a towel over his hair.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked, sitting on what he assumed would be his bed.

"I called the Team Leader at QC to let him know where I've been. Can you believe he actually thought I had just blown off work to go sightseeing?"

"Didn't you? Isn't that how you ended up out on the water?"

"Yes, but not on purpose! I thought it was company sanctioned sightseeing, not work-shirking sightseeing."

Oliver laughed. She was adorable when she got all worked up.

"Go ahead and take your well-earned shower. I'll order room service and call home."

"Food sounds great. Order me anything, as long as it doesn't have nuts. You do not want to see what happens if I eat nuts."

"Noted. Enjoy your shower."

"I will," she beamed, closing the door behind her.

Oliver found the room service menu and called down to place the order, taking care of the easy part first.

He rubbed his hands on his thighs, preparing to make the next call.

Holding his breath, he dialed the mansion.

It would be early there, so he expected Raisa or one of the other household staff to answer; he was therefore surprised to hear his mother's voice at the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

His voice caught in his throat.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"M-mom?" Oliver croaked, tears suddenly streaming down his face. "Mom, it's Oliver. I'm alive."

"I don't know who this is, but that isn't funny. I'm hanging up."

"Mom, no, wait," Oliver shouted. "My name is Oliver Jonas Queen and I am your son. I've been trapped on an island in the North China Sea for three years. Ever since the Queen's Gambit went down in a storm. I'm the only one who survived. It's me, Mom. I'm alive."

"O-Oliver?" Moira weakly asked, wanting so hard to believe the voice she was hearing was her darling boy's. It sounded so much like him. "Can that really be you?"

"It's me. I finally escaped the island today. It's a long story, but I'm in Hong Kong now. There was a girl from Queen Consolidated who… got lost... and ended up on the island I've been trapped on. Her name is Felicity Smoak. Walter Steele sent her to Hong Kong. You can check with him. She's going to call him when I get off the phone. He'll verify my story once he talks to her."

"With that much detail I probably don't need to check with Walter, but I will. I-If it is you, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too. You and Thea. I can't wait to see how much Speedy has grown," Oliver said. "I can't wait to come home."

"If Walter confirms your story, we'll be on the family jet as soon as we're able."

"I better let Felicity make that call," Oliver said, joy swelling inside him. "She'll give Walter the number of the hotel."

"Agreed," Moira said.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too."

Oliver hung up the phone and wiped his cheeks. He hadn't realized he'd been crying the entire time he'd been on the phone, even though he also couldn't stop grinning.

He could understand his mother's reluctance to believe he was who he said he was on the phone. Other men may have called her over the years, claiming to be her son back from the dead. He knew using Walter's name would help her to believe him, though. Not everyone would be able to know to use him as a reference.

Felicity emerged from the bathroom some time later, a cloud of steam following her out. Her hair was wet and loose around her shoulders.

Oliver rushed over to her and lifted her up, spinning her in circles.

"I take it the call went well?" Felicity giggled, clutching at his shoulders.

"I talked to my mom!" Oliver eagerly told her. "She doesn't really believe that it's me, yet, but she will. I need you to call Walter, right now." He carried her over to the bed and dropped her on it.

"Right now?" Felicity laughed.

"He's going to confirm that I am who I said I am. I told her that Felicity Smoak was sent to Hong Kong by Walter Steele and she - you - got lost and ended up on the island and we just got back here. I said that you were going to call Walter to tell him what had happened and then he could confirm my story," he eagerly told her. He was babbling like a little boy in his excitement.

There was a knock at the door and they both tensed. The call of "room service" helped them to relax.

"I'll go get that. You call Walter," Oliver suggested.

In response, Felicity picked up the phone and called the Queen Consolidated main number in Starling City. She asked for Mr. Steele, gave her name, and said it was urgent.

"Ms. Smoak, it's good to hear your voice," Walter greeted her. "I trust everything is going smoothly in Hong Kong?"

"Actually, that's why I'm calling," Felicity said, watching as Oliver brought the food over to the table and watched her expectantly. "It appears that there's something going on with the tablet I was given here in Hong Kong; something probably not entirely legal. I was kidnapped by people who I found out are from the Chinese Triad and they wanted the tablet I was given upon my arrival here."

"I'm sorry; did you just say you were kidnapped?" Walter interrupted. She could almost hear him sitting up straighter in his chair.

"Uh huh," Felicity said, nodding even though he couldn't see her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I got away. They'd taken me out on a boat and I jumped overboard and managed to swim away. I washed up on this island and you'll never guess who I found there."

"I wouldn't be able to fathom a guess."

Felicity took a deep breath. "Oliver Queen."

"That's not possible," Walter said. "Oliver drowned in the North…"

"China Sea," Felicity finished. "Yeah. He was the only one to survive when the Queen's Gambit went down. He's been on this island ever since."

"Oliver's alive?" Walter said, wonder in his voice.

"Do you want to talk to him? He's right here." Felicity beckoned Oliver over, not that he needed the prompting.

Oliver didn't even wait for her to hand her the phone. He snatched it from her to say, "Hello, Mr. Steele."

"Oliver? My God, it sounds like you."

"It is me," Oliver said, growing tired of having to convince people of his identity.

"Robert? Is he with you?"

"My father went down with the ship," Oliver said, sticking to the less painful version of the truth. "Everyone else went down but somehow I survived. I ended up on an island named Lian Yu with no way to get off and too far from anywhere to swim."

"And Ms. Smoak coincidentally ended up on this same island?"

"She did," Oliver agreed, smiling down at her. "The people after her tablet must have been searching all of the islands because they showed up on mine today. We were able to subdue them and took their boat. I called my mom the first chance I got when we got to shore. I'm with Felicity, in the hotel room you put her up in. I told my mom that Felicity would tell you her story and you would call Mom to make sure that the stories match. That she really is the person you sent to Hong Kong so I really must be me. Are you convinced? Will you tell my mom to bring me home?"

"Yes, Oliver, let's bring you home."

 

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