Work Text:
Olive awoke with a start, a child was crying somewhere outside of his room. As he became more aware of his surroundings he realized he was back in his childhood home. He got out of bed realizing he was wearing pajamas, not his usual nighttime attire. When he looked in the mirror he was shocked by what he saw. He was no longer 29 but 16. Trying not to freak out, he hurried out of the bathroom and followed the sounds of the crying child. He stopped outside of Thea’s room, she was crying and he could hear someone murmuring to her, when he opened the door he saw that it was his father. Both Thea and Robert turned to look at Oliver, before either could say anything Oliver ran and wrapped his arms around his dad. He did not know how this was possible, and he didn’t even care he father was alive and that was all that mattered.
“Whoa, what’s all this” Robert asked.
“Nothing, just glad to see you” was Oliver’s reply.
“Glad to see you too son, but you need to get ready for school; today is the first day of school. Thea is worried that she won’t make friends.”
Olive sat on Thea’s bed and took her hand. “Don’t worry, if you need me I will come and get you, I will always watch over you Thea.”
Robert silently listened to his son; this was not the same boy that went to bed last night complaining of his annoying little sister. “You okay son?”
“Fine dad, I’ll go and get ready, see you at breakfast” Oliver said heading out the door to go back to his room.
As Oliver got dressed he realized that for some unknown reason he was getting a second chance. He could change the way he had lived his life. Before going down stairs, he took some time to write down everything that was to happen, so that he would remember and hopefully change the outcome. He locked the notebook away in his desk so that no one else could find it. As he walked down the stairs to breakfast he thought about all the things he would change. There was one that he would not, meeting Miss Felicity Smoak. He would do whatever it took to make sure that they met.
As time passed Oliver did change the things he could. He never dated Laurel or Sara. He did not get on the Gambit with his father. Instead his dad flew and was only there a few days. Robert and Moira Queen remained together until the passed away well into their 90’s.
Malcom Merlyn, was arrested and convicted after the state’s attorney general received an anonymous tip and documentation about what he was planning to do to the Glades. Nothing Oliver could have changed would have stopped Malcom from seeking revenge for his wife Rebecca.
While he and Tommy were still best friends, the partying had stopped when they were sixteen. Tommy went on to run Merlyn Industries, after his father went to prison for trying to destroy the Glades. He married Laurel had children and lived a long and full life. Tommy never understood the change that occurred in his friend but he accepted it as part of growing up.
Oliver still struggled in school but he managed to graduate from college and then he did something totally unexpected, he joined the military. Coincidently or not he was assigned to a unit that included Mr. John Diggle and Miss Lyla Michaels, they became good friends. Such good friends that when their tours of duty were up, they started a security firm together in Starling, it went on to become one the best in the country. Oliver wasn’t able to save Diggle’s brother, but he was there for his friend when his brother died. He also kept encouraging Diggle to fight for Lyla, that what they had together was worth it. He was the best man at their wedding, and god father to their daughter Sara.
Thea grew up into the vibrant, intelligent woman that Oliver new she would become. She met Roy at school, and they went to college together and started Verdant together. They were totally devoted to each other through out their lives, giving Robert and Moira several grandchildren to spoil.
Roy Harper was the little brother Oliver never had. He made sure that social services stepped in and took care of Roy. He pulled strings and had Roy placed with friends of the Queens. Whenever Roy ran into trouble Oliver was always there to help. Roy would later in his life tell his children that the first time he saw Thea in school he new that she was the one for him.
Laurel did become a lawyer in fact she actually became the District Attorney for Starling. She married Tommy, had children and basically had the life Oliver always wished for her.
Sara went away for a few years, but when she came back she started working with at risk kids in the glades.
Oliver met Felicity at Queen Consolidated. He didn’t work for the company but being the owner’s son did have some perks. He purposely damaged his laptop and took it to the IT department and there she was. He stood for a few minutes in the doorway looking at her. She was as beautiful as he remembered. She was also chewing on red pen. It took numerous visits to the IT department before he convinced her to go out with him. They went on many dates before she agreed that they were a couple; even longer for her to accept his marriage proposal. They were married in the spring; both of Oliver’s parents were there along with Felicity’s mother Donna, Thea, Roy, John and Lyla. Everyone that he loved was here to celebrate with them. As he watched her walk down the aisle towards him, he briefly closed his eyes and thanked the fates for giving him this chance, to change what he could and to still have Felicity has his partner in life.
After Oliver passed away at the age of 95, his son was going through his desk and found the note book he had wrote in all those years ago. It did not make sense to him to see the items on it, but what surprised him more was the writing in red at the bottom.
No Slade Wilson!
No Ra’s al Ghul!
NO ARROW!
ALWAYS FELICITY!