"Countless nights, dreaming of taking from you all that you took from me." Slade taunted as he once again glance down to Katie. "It was only fate that the same woman would be the daughter of the man I probably would've murdered if given the chance."

"Jacob's not here!" Oliver snapped. "He's dead, and so is Shado, and killing Katie will not change that."

"This is justice Oliver, it's what I thought you believed in. Why you put on that hood, and shoot arrows at those you deem have failed your city. This is justice."

"By killing the woman I love?" Oliver asks, and Slade nods. "Like you love Shado."

"Yes."

"You see her. Don't you?" Oliver asks, and Slade looks slightly surprised by the statement unsure how Oliver would know something he hasn't told anyone. "Well, what does she look like in your madness, Slade? What does she say to you? I remember her being beautiful. Young. Kind. She would be horrified by what you've done in her name."

"What I have done? What I have done is what you lack the courage to do! To fight for her! So When her body lies at your feet, her blood wet against your skin, then you will know how I feel!"

"I already know how you feel. I know what it's like to hate. To want revenge. And now I know how it feels to see my enemy so distracted, he doesn't see the real danger is right in front of him." So angry, enraged, Slade pulls Katie tighter against him, pushing the blade deeper. "And there is nothing more dangerous than my girl." Slade didn't expect it. He didn't plan for it, so he couldn't even stop it from happening. Katie pulled the syringe from her pocket quickly, jamming it in the man's shoulder. He cried out in pain, releasing her, and she jumped from his grasp into Oliver's awaiting arms. They all turned to Slade, who'd fallen to his knees. He turned to his man that still held Laurel.

"Kill her." he ordered, but before the goon could react, a cure filled dart hit him right in the back. The moment it did, his grip loosened on the woman who pulled from his grasp before turning and punching the man knocking him out. Laurel stood, just as her sister jumped to the floor in front of her.

"Nice right hook."

"Don't forget whose older." Laurel said giving her sister a hug.

"Get her out of here!" Oliver ordered and Sara nodded before taking her sister's arm and leading her out. Oliver looked to Katie, who was still in his arms. "You need to leave." Katie looked at him for a moment before looking over her shoulder to the man already trying to make his way to his feet. "Twinkie—" she turned back to Oliver, before pressing a quick kiss to his lips before pulling out of his arms, and leaving the men to settle something that had been brewing for years.

Katie ran outside, to find Sara waiting on her bike with Laurel behind her.

"You take his bike." Sara urged, revving the engine of her bike.

"I'm not leaving here without him." Katie replied turning back to the plant.

"He's fine. It's a fair fight, one you and I know Oliver will win." Sara replied and Katie turned back to her, with a familiar look of determination. "Look, you know what, fine. We'll meet you at the lair." and with that Sara peeled out of there, leaving Katie standing outside waiting...praying for Oliver's return.

Jacob was pacing. He never paced, it was always something his wife did and it always drove him crazy when she did, but here he was walking back and forth waiting for something, anything about his daughter.

"Sir!" a voice spoke from the speaker on his desk. "We have her in sights. Slade brought her to the oil processing plant, on the industrial sector of Starling."

"Is she safe?"

"Yes sir, the Arrow showed up, along with the Canary, rescuing both Katie and Laurel Lance." Martin spoke. "The Canary has taken her sister from the plant, but Katie has refused to leave."

"Where is Slade now?" Jacob asked.

"We assume he and Oliver are inside." Martin replied.

"So what is my daughter doing waiting outside?"

Katie stood there hating the waiting. She knew Oliver needed to focus, needed to give his all in a fight with the man who has haunted him for so long, but she can't help but feel as if she should be in there. Ever so often, she takes a step and then stops herself.

"You're afraid." a voice spoke, and Katie stood a bit straighter, her fists raising for any fight that may come her way. When she turned, she looked with wide eyes to see none other than Martin Ellis. "You should be in there, it should be you. This is the fight that would prove how ready you truly are."

"Ready for what?" Katie asked and the man shook his head. "Just tell me, what am I supposed to be ready for!" There was a sudden grunt, and Katie turned to see Slade hit the ground. She looked up as Oliver jumped from the roof, and the two continued fighting.

"End this." Martin said from behind her and Katie turned to see him holding out a bow toward her. Katie took the bow from his hand and suddenly memories of her twisted archery lessons with Lian struck her. That's when she felt it. That darkness tingling in her finger tips. That buzzing she could never ignore no matter how much she tried. She glanced over to Oliver and Slade, their fight still going strong. At the moment, there was a shot. Oliver had Slade pinned down, and Katie saw that she had a clear shot to the man's head. "End this now." She glanced over to Martin. It wasn't the first time she'd heard those words after being handed a weapon. And each time she complied out of fear. Right now she wasn't afraid of disobeying an order and so she shoved the bow into Martin's chest.

"No!" She said. "I'm not playing these games anymore. These ridiculous lessons end here. This is Oliver's fight and he needs to see it through to the end. Whatever you think you're preparing me for, whatever fight you think is coming my way, believe I will take care of it on my terms. This is over." Katie turned just as Oliver shot a pair of bolo arrows at Slade, tying him to the cement column behind him. Katie let out a sigh. It was finally over.

"Here." Martin said and Katie turned back to him to see a comlink in his hand. "If I were you I would let our friend Agent Waller know she doesn't have to blow up the city any more."

"How did you—" Katie simply shook her head before taking the com and placing it in her ear. "Amanda! It's done. Slade has been neutralized. Do not send that drone, or God help me, I will—" the transmission ended and Katie sighed turning to find Martin gone. She heard footsteps and turned to see Oliver coming over to her. "I called Waller, hopefully stopping any drones from hitting—" Oliver's lips crashed into Katie's, releasing all of the pent up tension, and fear he held the moment he left her alone in that mansion. When they finally pulled from the kiss, Oliver brought his arms around her in a hug, that Katie couldn't help but return. "You weren't worried about me, were you?"

"You're such a smart ass." Oliver muttered, before pulling back and once again meeting his lips with hers.

The day after a war, everything just seems quieter. The city was damaged, but nothing that couldn't be rebuilt. The last thing any of them wanted to do was go back to the ARGUS facility. But it was Waller who would be accommodating Slade's imprisonment, and she surprisingly accepted Oliver's suggestion for placing the man in a secure prison on Lian Yu.

It only took a couple of days, two actually to prepare for Slade's transport to the island. It was a trip Oliver was insistent on supervising and of course he would not go back to Lian Yu without his team. Katie still found it weird to be on this island, especially when she could practically feel the horrible vibes the place seemed to radiate. At the moment Oliver was down in the prison, probably having his final words with Slade before finally leaving the man and letting him go.

"Anybody else hate this place?" Felicity spoke, and Katie and John chuckled from beside her. "I mean how can a place so beautiful, just hold so much bad juujuu?"

"I have no idea, but I can honestly say that I can't wait to get out of here and back—"

"To your hotel room?" John asked and Katie sent him a glare. "You have to go home at some point."

"I'm not sure." Katie sighed, as Felicity linked her arm with hers, dropping her head to Katie's shoulder. "Yes, Ms. Smoak?"

"Can we talk about it yet?" Felicity asked and Katie rolled her eyes. "Please, I just—"

"Felicity, no. Oliver and I haven't even talked about it yet, so until then, no, there will be no planning of anything." Katie said looking over to the woman who looked slightly disappointed. "I mean maybe it really was a show for Slade."

"He wouldn't do that." Felicity said with a shake of her head. "Not with this—" she lifted Katie's hand that still held a ring, she doesn't even attempt to remove. "This is his mother's ring, not a tool to capture an enemy. "They heard the metal hatch lift, and turned to see Oliver climbing out. "Talk to him." Felicity unlinked her arm, before she and John scurried off toward the plane.

"Good chat?" Katie asked and Oliver walked over, stopping in front of her. "So, I guess it's over. You stop being a little bitch, and you did it." she gave him a playful punch to the shoulder before smiling up to him.

"Well I had help." Oliver says bringing an arm around the woman and pulling her to him. Katie smiled, placing her hands on his chest and Oliver slid a hand up her arm, until it found the hand that held the ring.

"We should probably talk about that, huh?"

"Yeah, but not here." Oliver says glancing around the island, with a shake of his head. "Definitely not here." Katie simply nodded before Oliver took her hand and lead her toward the plane with the others.

They ended up back at their lair, that was still a total wreck. Felicity stood over her computers, trying to analyze the damage to see if anything was salvageable, while the others tried finding anything they may need.

"You know what?" Oliver spoke and they all turned to him. "It has been a very long couple of days, and I say we just take a break. We'll come back to this, but now just go home."

"I think that might be a good idea." John said glancing around the mess.

"I'm not sure how much rest I can get knowing my babies are in pieces." Felicity says still eyeing the computers, as John brought an arm around her shoulder and began pulling her toward the stairs. They all walked up to the empty club, where Oliver and Katie waved goodbye to their friends before turning to each other.

"Hawaii." Katie said suddenly and Oliver looked at her in confusion. "C'mon, after the week we've had, we could use a beautiful beach, and calming waters."

"That does sound enticing." Oliver replied before once again glancing to her hand. "We should talk." Katie simply nodded before walking over to take a seat at the bar and he followed behind her, taking the seat beside her. She watched him closely, how he seemed nervous for some reason. He took a deep breath, about to speak before Katie held up a hand.

"Stop." she said with a shake of her head before looking down to the ring. "You had to make it look real. Authentic, I get it."

"Katie—"

"Oliver, it's fine." she slipped the ring off her finger, hoping the disappointment didn't show on her face as she did. She simply put on a smile before handing it back to him. "It was too soon anyway, right?"

"Twinkie, don't do that." Oliver said and Katie turned away. "Don't pretend that you're alright, when—"

"I don't want to argue with you Oliver." Katie interrupted as she turned back to him. "After everything we've been through, the last thing I want to do is argue about something I have no control over. You asked me to marry you—" she looked down to the ring in her hand. "With your mother's ring, as a ploy to capture Slade. I get it. It worked, so kudos, now please take it back." Oliver dropped his head, and Katie simply placed the ring on the bar in front of him. She watched him, just knowing there was something else, something he wasn't saying. "Oliver, I don't care if now isn't the right time, I don't care if there never is a right time." he looked up meeting her eyes, and she saw something she didn't quite understand. It was guilt and for some reason, she just knew. "Say it."

"Katie—"

"Oliver, don't try to distract me with words to make me feel better, just say what it is you have to say." Katie said, and Oliver shook his head, unable to let the words come out of his mouth, but he knew he had to.

"Starling needs protection. From people like Slade and people like Sebastian, and I—" he cleared his throat, before continuing. "I decided that I would be that person, but something happened. I didn't see the darkness they brought to my city until it was too late, and yeah in the end it didn't matter because we beat them." he shook his head as the words that had been building up inside of him, just came bubbling out. "But look at all the shit that happened that should've been prevented. What happened to Roy, and my mother, I should've prevented those things."

"Then why didn't you, Oliver?" Katie asked, knowing what the logic in his brain was telling him, but she needed him to say it. She needed the words to be spoken. So she decided to say them herself. "It was Twinkie. I was too busy playing the boyfriend role in my life, too busy being happy with the woman that I loved to be the messiah to my city. Is that what you're saying?"

Katie stood to her feet and walked away, placing distance between them.

"You're making a choice." Katie said turning back to Oliver. "That battle between Oliver and the Arrow, you're finally picking a side and it's just not the side I'm on."

"This is bigger than us." Oliver says standing to his feet and walking over to her, but she simply backed away. "I love you, you know—"

"Don't you dare!" Katie snapped when a tear unexpectantly fell from her eye and she turned away, because she didn't want him to see her cry. He did not get to see her cry and especially not over him. "You know what, you're so...predictable, because I knew this moment was coming. I expected it." she turned back to him. "It was getting deep, and then you threw caution to the wind and asked me to marry you and something happened, just like it always does. You got scared, and this time, like every other time, I don't even know of what." she stalked over to stand in front of him. "So you want to end this Oliver, then fine, but you remember this was it. The last chance you were ever gonna get." she shook her head before turning to leave, and he tried to catch her arm, tried to stop her so he could explain, so she could understand and not walk away hating him.

"Twinkie—"

"I'm not your Twinkie anymore!" she called, her words like a knife through the heart as she walked out the door, leaving the man alone.

Katie was barely conscious, barely able to form words when she was suddenly pushed out of the van, hitting the hard cement. Soon there were people standing above her, military she gathered from their uniforms, all with guns pointed down to her.

"My name is Doctor Katherine Robins, I am an American and I need my country's help."

She blacked out after that moment, and didn't wake up until she felt cold steel against her chest. She grabbed the hand of the perpetrator about to attack, when she was suddenly held down by strong arms.

"Doctor Robins!" Katie's eyes opened, and she looked up to blue eyes she'd never seen before. "It's alright. You're safe."

"Who are you?" Katie asked looking over the dark haired man.

"My name is Special Agent Benjamin Lockwood. I'm with the CIA, the embassy called us when you arrived outside the gates." the man said. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

Katie remembered every last detail of the last two years of her life down to the day, and yet Martin's words came back to her, telling her that the truth wouldn't get her home.

"No." Katie replied with a shake of her head. "I don't remember anything." The man simply nodded before glancing over his shoulder. He looked back to Katie before taking the seat beside her bed.

"Well, we'll give it a few days. I'm sure your time has been very traumatic. You'll remember something."

"It seems like you're hoping I remember something specific." Katie said studying the man who shook his head. "Look I just want to go home and forget about all of this."

"Don't worry you will, after you're fully debriefed."

"Debriefed?"

"Doctor, the extremist groups in this country all have motive, they do everything and anything to get something in return. Your captors gave no demands in all the years you were taken, and then out of the blue you were just returned alive."

"Some would call that lucky."

"Others would call it suspicious, and until we figure out what happened to you, why you were taken, then you will be placed in our custody."

"For how long?"

"How ever long it takes doctor."

"Hey." a voice says, snapping Katie from her thoughts. She turns from looking out the window to Felicity who moves to see what she was staring at. It was the Realtor, hammering the for sale sign in the lawn in front of the house. "You sure you want to go through with this?" Katie turned back her once beautifully furnished house, now everything either moved out or packed in boxes. "I know what happened with you and Oliver—"

"Felicity, don't. You agreed that I would be the one to bring up the topic if I ever wanted to talk, and I'm not ready." she walked off, toward the stairs where Roy was walking down with a box.

"You sure you want to just toss all this stuff in storage?" the man asked and Katie nodded. "Well do you mind if I raid the boxes?"

"Go nuts." Katie laughed before climbing the stairs. She walked down the hall, passing one of the spare bedrooms, where John and Lyla were currently arguing about whether they really needed another lamp. Katie stepped into the room that she'd been putting off packing up, but knew at some point it would have to get done. She opened the door to her parent's room, and took a deep breath before walking inside. She stood there for a few moments, unsure where she should start.

"I would start in the closet. " a voice said from behind her and Katie sighed before turning to see Bruce standing at the door. "The good stuff is always in the closets."

"I told you not to come here." Katie said crossing her arms over her chest. "Felicity's here and—"

"I know, we exchanged greetings. I think we're moving past the "I hate you Bruce" part of our break up and now we're moving toward friends."

"You're delusional." Katie replied with a shake of her head before looking around the room.

"John told me you still don't have a place lined up." Bruce said and Katie looked over to him. "This is the part where I'm supposed to say that there's always room on my plane back to Gotham, but I'm not."

"Really?" Katie asked genuinely surprised. "What is it that you say now?"

"Do what you want Robins." Bruce said walking over to her. "For the longest time, people have been telling you what to do, telling you who you are or who you're supposed to be, but in the end it doesn't matter what I think, or what Oliver does. In the end, it's your choice." Katie looked at the man with a smile before giving him a nod. "So what do you want to do?"

"Now?" Katie asked and the man gave