Racing through the darkened forest as fast as her legs are willing to take her brushing past countless branches one after another ignoring every single one that manages to scrap against her fingers and face feeling as though her heart is about to burst at any second seeing the small of glimpses of light coming from the end of the treeline tightening her hold around Oliver's waist that she finds doing the best he can to keep up with her pace reaching out to brush away a low hanging branch to the side with enough force to cause it to snap off and land to the side in a heap suddenly tears start to trickle down Laurel's cheeks.

Tears of joy of what she sees right in front of her. The boat. The small boat that they had arrived here on.

The boat exactly where she had promised it would be. A promise that makes her glance over her shoulder back into the forest hoping against hope to see even the slightest evidence of white hair finding no such luck before with a look of determination coming across her face with a gentle tug very slowly Laurel leads Oliver in the direction of the boat.

A boat that looked still brand new. Looked undamaged. Something that surprised her greatly but she should have known better.

Her colleagues were known for their stealth after all. Why would this be any different?

A boat that very slowly she helps Oliver onto having him use one of the rails as another crutch before slowly she leads him around towards the controls.

The moment of truth. What good would a boat be without the keys? Key's that as if luck was on her side she finds already in the keyhole causing her eyes to lit up and a lone tear to trickle down her cheek.

Gently lowering Oliver down to rest against the railing next to the controls reaching out gently Laurel takes his head within her hands and gives him a gentle kiss only to pull back to give him one of the biggest smiles.

" We're going home."

Feeling him only nodding his head against her own as tears trickle down his cheeks gently pecking his lips releasing her hold around him rising up to her feet without any hesitation reaching out Laurel twists the key causing the sound of the boat's engine to come roaring to life.

A sound that was like sweet music to her ear. Music she could listen to for hours with what it is about to bring to them.

Bring them back to their lives. Bring him back to her for eternity. Bring them back to their dreams.

Her dreams of starting a family with him someday. Dreams of seeing the streets of Starling City crime free.

Even if the later was a somewhat distant dream but hey she was a Lance afterall and justice is in her blood.

Blinking away the tears that continue to fall despite his best efforts turning his head to get a better glance at her as he finds Laurel looking all around the controls in front of her mumbling to herself reaching out Oliver grasps his ankle before with a surge of energy he moves closer to her gritting his teeth along the way.

" You sure you can drive one of these things?"

Glancing down unable to keep the grin from coming across her face slowly Laurel nods her head.

" Of Course. Someone had to pay attention to your dad's boating lessons."

His father. Yet another topic that would have to be talked about at some other point in time. A man that she could curse herself for mentioning as she sees Oliver's eyes shift away from her own to look across the boat knowing exactly what he was thinking.

Reaching down to gently grasp his hand earning his attention gently she squeezes his hand.

" We'll come back for him. I promise."

Receiving a grateful smile in return feeling her hand being squeezed returning the gesture slowly Laurel slips her hand from his grasps before instantly as though the hours of lessons were paying off she pushes forward on a handle causing the boat to surge forward away from the island.

An island she would make sure they never returned to. An island that if she could have her way would get annihilated off the face of the Earth.

An island that still housed so many prisoners. So many tortured lives. Lives that as she glances over her shoulder back towards the island finding it to be getting smaller and smaller by the second she makes a vow.

A simple promise to do everything she can to save them. To send back help for them. To rid the world of their tormentors.

Just like she hoped another was doing right now. A woman that although she knew her very briefly she couldn't help but call her a friend.

A friend that she hoped would find her peace. A peace that she too wished to find and knew exactly where to start and he was sitting right by her.

Goodbye my friend.

Staring directly into the eyes of her opponent finding that sick twisted one eye staring back towards her with equal intensity as she sees him reach back and grab a hold of a katana that had been strapped to his back unable to help her lips from curling up slightly just at the thought of a true warrior's dual reaching down White unclasps her own blood covered sword from her belt.

A sword that has never did her wrong. Her most faithful companion. An companion that has ended the lives of many.

Many men and women that chose to oppose her. But none that were what she considered to be worthy opponents.

This man however was different. This man however is truly a worthy adversary. The legendary Slade Wilson.

The masked assassin for hire. A mask that has sent chills up and down the spines of all those that dare oppose him.

But not her. She did not fear the man. He was just that. He was only a man. A man that could bleed. A man that could die just like everyone else.

Now that word death. Such a lovely word to her. A death that she has been waiting for years. An opponent worthy enough of killing her.

To give her what ancient warriors called an honorable death. Something she hoped to find one day. And that honorable death was staring her in the eye.

The deadliest opponent she has ever faced. A man that was thought of to have no weaknesses. But she knew better.

Everyone has a weakness and she could see his. His armor. His very heavy armor. His armor that could stop a bullet.

That had been proven but an armor that made him slow. Made him vulnerable to quick attacks. An weakness she would exploit as slowly she makes her way through the clearing and over towards him meeting him a couple of feet away from the center of the treeline.

A treeline that as though fate had this in store for them was simply perfect for them. A clear area for them to battle.

No loose branches or stumps anywhere in sight for either to gain advantage over the other in the fight.

No loose stones barely sticking up from the dirt that could cause the opening the other was looking for.

No it was simply perfect but she couldn't dwell on this. No she had an opponent staring directly at her. An opponent she would not allow to make the first move as she sends a slash his way only for him to raise up his sword just in time for the sound of metal on metal to echo loudly through the air.

A clang that is followed by another as she blocks a retaliation strike coming from him followed by another.

Then another proving her theory was accurate. His armor was making him slow. So slow that despite his strength she could see his strikes coming.

Even if others couldn't but she was a master's swordsman afterall. A master with the blade that makes for a slight moment get cocky causing her to get sliced slightly in her leg thigh causing her to jump back slightly.

A stupid mistake on her part. A mistake she is paying for as she feels blood start to trickle down her leg to her boot.

A blood trail that makes her narrow her eyes angrily at the man before with a surge of speed she sends slash one after another towards the assassin feeling him blocking every single one with ease.

Blocking until an opening presents itself from him blocking an slash that was intended to strike his face giving her time to send a slash down that hits him in his side just before his sword can come down to block the attack.

A strike she can feel going through his armor hitting nothing but flesh until before she knows it she feels a hard fist landing clean against her chin sending her flying back first to the ground with a thud only for her to spin to the side and end up in a kneeling position staring angrily up towards the masked assassin.

An assassin she can't help but grin at as she sees one of his hands clutching his opened up side with blood noticeably trickling down through his finger tips.

The very same blood she can feel on her lips from her busted open lip. Blood she can't help but lick off from her lips before she slowly rises up to her feet with her sword ready.

A scene that she sees make him remove his hand from his side to grab a tight hold of the katana in his hand before a sound echoes through the air.

A sound that makes her grin as his eye goes wide. The sound of an engine. The sound of the boat's engine coming to life.

The slightest of sounds that she sees have an effect on him causing him to lose focus for just a second causing her to quickly reach into her jacket and unleash a blade soaring through the air at him.

A blade she watches get smacked away with his blade before she follows with another. Then another only to watch the same result.

Him batting away the throwing knives as though they were nothing. A scene that repeats itself as she continues to unleash concealed throwing knives one after another at the approaching assassin before she has to quickly block an slash with her sword when he closes the distance between them.

Block an high sword slash before as though the wind is knocked out of her instantly she feels herself soaring through the air from a well placed boot to her exposed stomach causing her to land hard down on her back.

Land down hard only for her to leap to her feet and block another incoming strike coming from the furious assassin above her in a test for strength.

A battle that she knew she couldn't win as she watches his sword slowly drive her own down before in a sudden move she breaks them off and whirls around delivering a spinning low kick causing him to be taken off from his feet.

The opening she was looking for as she quickly pounces on top of him driving her sword down only to feel him block her attack.

Block her attack as he stares angrily up towards her before in a sudden move she rears back grabbing a hold of another concealed throwing blade and drives it down.

Drives it down into the assassin's throat causing his eye to widen but not before her own eyes widen when she feels a sharp object smashing into her side.

A sensation that she had never felt before. An sensation that makes her quickly roll away from him before she glances down to find a trail of blood rolling down her side.

A trail of blood coming from the side of her shirt that starts to become crimson. Crimson as the light in her eyes start to darken slightly causing her to shake her head and look back towards him.

Look back towards her opponent finding him staggering to his feet holding his throat as blood comes pouring out through his fingertips.

A scene that quickly changes when she sees him falling down to one knee before she quickly races over.

Races over to deliver a stab into his side with the throwing knife when she feels her sword being blocked before she follows with another.

Then another as she feels his wound opening up even more with her quick stabs. Stabs that suddenly come to an halt when she feels the end of a blade penetrating straight through her chest.

A moment she would never forget. Her honorable death. A death that would not be forgotten. A death that she would make sure to take her opponent with her as with the last surge of energy she drives the knife straight through the side of the assassin's neck.

One last attack that proved to be enough as she feels his limp body falling back causing the sword within her chest to come thrusting out causing a line of her blood to hit his armor before as though all of the strength had been sucked out of her instantly she rolls down onto her side next to him and closes her eyes.

3 Years Later….

Unable to keep the bright smile from across her face that seems to be getting wider and wider by the second as she listens to the sound of children's laughter coming from a short distance away by a group of kids ruffly between eight and ten playing a game of tag snuggling closer into her husband's side feeling him kissing the top of her head letting out a sigh gently Laurel rests her head down on Oliver's shoulder as she gives his hand a gentle squeeze.

Three long years. But it was all worth it. All worth it to be here now. Inside of a local park inside of the heart of New York.

Years that so much has happened. Too much for many to take in. All first starting with his return. A return that was like a circus.

Countless news stations looking to get an exclusive story with him. So many of the city's citizens looking over towards him as though he was to be pitied.

But she was always there. Always there by his side. There every single minute he rested inside of the hospital.

There to encourage him on through his countless hours of rehab. There to hold him and tell him everything would be alright when he awoke from a horrible nightmare.

A nightmare that had finally ended for others as well. The other prisoners of the island when the national guard had been sent out along with the marines to secure the island away from this pack of unknown men and women.

To ensure justice had been received much like another. Another that had passed. A man whose remains had been unburied and brought home to have a proper funeral.

A funeral where no eye was left misty. An affair that she had held him and her sister in law just wishing to take away their pain.

Just wishing to shield them from a world she knew to be so cruel. But a world that has its moments as well.

Has given them memories as they have for the past year and a half traveled all across the globe never staying in one place no longer than a few weeks.

Their adventure. That was what she liked to call it anyways.

" So where to next Mrs Queen?"

Feeling her smile only widening reaching into her jean pocket to pull out a folded up map and a marker gently unfolding the map looking up finding her target almost instantly slowly Laurel crosses out New York with an x that could be seen on many other different area around the map before a wide smile forms across her face.

" Paris sounds nice."

Shifting her head slightly to meet his gaze as she finds him smiling down towards her returning the smile leaning up gently Laurel presses her lips to Oliver's own.

" Paris it is then."

Smiling brightly up towards him returning her head back down towards her shoulder returning her gaze back forward as she finds the group of children laughing amongst themselves feeling her lips curling upward suddenly as she hears a silent chuckle coming from above slightly Laurel shifts her head to look back towards Oliver finding his eyes glued to the kids.

" What?"

" I was just thinking. Our kids are gonna be so badass."

Unable to contain it instantly Laurel bursts out laughing before after a couple of seconds to catch her breath she returns her gaze back towards Oliver with a bright smile coming across her face.

" Is that a proposal?"

Author's Notes: And that concludes another one of Pootamis's Arrow stories. Looking forward to hearing your reviews. Check out some of my latest stories if you are DC Universe fans. I may have some Arrow ideas coming but you never know.

Pootamis