xxxvi. tied ends & dead flowers
Before you guys start reading this chapter (thanks btw) I'd just like to show you a story I'll be working on when I wrap up Hozen, I just started. It a Sherlock Homes fanfic. If you're into that, give it a peek❤️ thanks Hozeners!
This is the story of Sherlock Homes and Arabella Baelli😃
"It is paradoxical, yet true, to say, that the more we know, the more ignorant we become in the absolute sense, for it is only through enlightenment that we become conscious of our limitations. Precisely one of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects."
"Sherlock what does that have to do this the-"
"Today's scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality, do you see the paradox?"
"I just wanted to know if you had sugar, I've run out."
"What? No." He closed the door in front of her face. She looked embarrassed to the door cursing herself.
Watson looked at him shaking his head.
"Not good?"
"Not good."
He opened the door back again and smiled at her which usually came unnaturally. "Would you like me to accompany you to the shop to get some of your soluble carbohydrates?"
She quickly tried to hide the warmth radiating off her russet cheeks and smiled up at him nodding as she thought to herself, what was she going to do with the bag of sugar she had at home now?
Okay now back to the story:
Work the next day was agonizingly slow.
Oliver and I, well mostly me since he didn't care, decided to keep it PG at work. It was pretty easy since he left suddenly to go 'talk to Diggle ' which probably meant that he was off beating someone up.
Sara was around, I was surprised to see that she was actually pretty good with numbers, she 'helped' me out with some work.
I felt for her, she came back expecting her sweet family and Oliver, the only good things were probably just her mom and dad. I promised myself I'd make a friend out of her. And it was working.
She and I talked for what seemed like hours about things that people usually fight about. Religion, government, views of life. It surprised me that aside from Religion, we both had very similar views.
Oliver wasn't the only one battling a foe, I decided to cool it on my crusade for a while, with Slade about to come after me, I didn't want him to suspect my abilities. Talia and her men where always watching me. Like right then, across the building, I could sense that someone was watching me.
I am flattered that she cared so much but I hated feeling like I was being babysat.
Sara left later on to go 'talk to her dad', I had a few moments of silence before Ray busted in with a metal box looking freaked out.
"Violet! Hel-"
"Ray? What the hell is going on?"
"My suit is glitching after that guy tried to steal it, that Captain Cold guy, I decided to put a self destruct mode on the machine, but he somehow got remote access to it. I moved the suit somewhere safe but I can't lose it, it took years to finish."
He was shaking in fear, he was still handsome though.
"Look, I know we don't talk as much as we used to, but I need your help."
I stood up from my desk, "put the box on the floor, I'll handle it."
I walked over as he slowly put the metal contraption on the floor. I opened it and tried to calculate my chances of getting this right. The model of the transmitter seemed to be fairly modern, which meant there should only be about five wires , the blue one, orange, purple, yellow, and red.
Red usually meant self implosion and the yellow would separate the transmission. But I couldn't be sure.
Ray was pacing around freaking out. "Palmer honey, you need to stop moving, I'm trying to think."
"Sorry, sorry, I just..."
"What is it?"
"I have another prototype linked to this transmitter in my company building basement-"
"Ray!"
"I know, I didn't think this would happen, so you know this means-"
"The yellow differentiator may be wrong."
He nodded running his fingers through his hair.
"Okay, I know what to do, we have he cut the orange one as a stabilizer and the yellow one, but listen, we have to do it exactly at the same time."
"Oh god, you know I can't do that, I have bad rhythm."
"I can't do it at the same time, I have to hold down the base so it doesn't shake and explode." I referred to the machine, it was five feet by two, inside was infused with codes and copper wire , cooler as well to kept from overheating.
"Okay." He tried to breath calmly, I could tell he could handle this. "Where are we going to get something sharp enough to cut the wires?"
I pulled out a dagger gracefully hidden in the hem on the jeans, and another one that I kept in my bra and tossed him one.
"Oh...right."
Our backs were facing the door and Ray crouched down next to me taking the orange wire in his hands, he shook.
"How long so we have?"
"Fifteen seconds, you have to make the first cut at the tip, second in the middle-"
"For optimum impact, but what if the wires are wrong?"
"Let's hope not."
He looked at me for assurance and I smiled at him, "you can do this Ray."
He nodded, "ready, and...cut."
We both snipped simultaneously.
"Five seconds, middle clip, ready and,"
We snipped and Ray quickly went on his watch and went to the live video footage of his suit.
Nothing, we did it.
Ray sighed, he was sweating and his breath and slowly became less rapid. He smiled, "well that worked out." I hugged quickly happy that it was a success.
I took a deep breath, "Ray Palmer, you are the stupidest genius that have ever met! Why didn't you just get a more secure base so Leonard Snart couldn't get to you, noooo, instead you attach a fucking bomb to you. You could've been killed!" I hit his chest making him fall down. "I'm happy you're alive." I pulled him up and hugged him again.
"Uh.."
I kept hugging him, Ray was such a good hearted man, I don't know what I would do if he'd gotten himself blow up.
"Violet, lets go home." Oliver said waking into my office expecting to see me alone, I could see the jealous written all over us face.
Ray being the sweetheart he was didn't notice the tension that suddenly filled the room. I quickly hid my knives as Ray picked up his bomber transmitter.
Ray hugged me once more kissing my cheek, he walked past Oliver awkwardly, "hay dude, I'm happy you broke up with Laurel, that girl was nasty-"
"Ray." Oliver began.
"Awkward?"
"Yes."
Ray smiled brightly with his goofiness, "okay, bye." He walked off and Oliver came inside my office looking at me as I crossed my arms at him. I could tell he was jealous.
"So... Ray Palmer." He walked up to my chair were I was sitting. I thought he was so cute like this. The tiny frown in his face, his little jabs trying to get my attention. "Why aren't you listening to me?" He whined.
I laughed and stood up, "Oliver, sit your cute ass down."
He looked at me fighting a smile, he sat at my, well his, chair as I sat on his lap. His hand wrapped around my waist and I leaned my head on his chest. I took his strong hand mine and put it on my chest. My heart was fluttering.
"You feel that Oliver?"
He looked down at me kissing my forehead, "yes."
"Only you, okay?"
He sighed held me close and we sat like this for a while. I could kinda understand why he may have felt threatened, I've been trying to distance myself since we made love, but I saw now that I didn't want that.
"Wanna go home?" He asked after a few minutes had past.
Home.
I liked the sound of that. Oliver and I having a home. I mean I felt like we hay fit. Like peanut butter and jelly, chocolates and carrots.
"Yeah, let me just sign out of the data admin."
He nodded, I took a moment to do so before I got off of him and he took my hand into his. As we walked out the building, I couldn't help but to see the looks we were getting.
Of course, that's why she got the job, it was only fair after all the blow jobs she was giving him.
She probably thinks she's so special.
Him and Laurel were cuter.
Oliver didn't notice the whispers, he was too busy looking at me in awe, but I did. And their attacks, although I knew were based off of jealousy , still stung.
We walked over to his car we were at a point to where I kept some of my stuff there. He told me that he liked having me to go home with.
I knew he also meant it in a vigilante way, cause I felt the same. When you do the things that we do, more specifically, the killing that I do, you forget that there is still a good side of you. A side that wants what Oliver and I were trying to have. A home. Not the physical sense, but the feeling of having someone completely there for you.
Thea had Roy, Sara had her family, Diggle had Lyla, Roy had Thea. Everyone had someone. And now Oliver had me, and I had him.
We got to his house and we were sitting in bed watching some movie. Cuddled up, he kept asking if was hungry.
"I'm fine Oliver."
"You didn't eat today."
That's cause I'm about to get murdered and the thought of you having to watch makes me want to throw up.
"It's okay Oliver."
He sighed seeing that he wasn't going to get through to me.
Buzz. Buzz.
I looked down at my phone and see a text from Talia.
Take precaution.
My heart started to sped up and Oliver felt it. I gulped and played it off. I need to leave a subliminal message, something.
I looked up at him and he stared back. As I sat up he looked confused at my sudden anxiety.
"What's wrong?"
"I wanna show you something that I can do."
He smiled and sat up looking at me.
"Do you have cards?
"Yeah, in that draw." He pointed to the wooden Victorian era draw to my left. I opened it and saw them and picked up one card.
"You see this?" I showed him the card. "Keep your eyes on it."
I did the bells and whistles of a card trick and when the important part came I told him to focus on the card I "pushed" the card through my throat, and "pulled" it out from the nape of my neck.
He looked shocked.
"It's just a magic trick." I said to him, I knew he wouldn't understand but I needed to know I said it. "It's a magic trick."
He took the card and examined it. I decided to ease the tension by putting my hand over the one he had holding the card, and I "pulled" it from his boxer shorts.
"Alright, that was a cool magic trick." He smiled slightly confused but overall impressed. I was going to miss the way he smiled at me, the he looked at me like I was so innocent.
"Why are you crying?" He asked. I didn't even realized the tears that were slipping down my face.
"Oh, nothing, PMS."
"Well we both know that's not true, you just got off of it two weeks ago." He slipped his hand into my pants and touched me. "See?"
I sighed and hugged him.
"I'm just tired is all."
"Okay, come." We never really cuddled at night, I didn't know how he felt about it and I didn't want to push it.
"Oliver, you sleep on your chest, I am not going to sleep knowing you're not comfortable."
We ended up in a position where he slept on his chest and I slept half of his back while I gripped his arm. Surprisingly, this was comfortable. I kissed on his back while I traced his scars. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't loose a moment of this.
His breath slowed and I knew he was asleep so I let myself cry, not to hard, he wasn't that heavy of a sleeper, but whenever too many tears gathered, I scolded myself. Not a moment was enough to spare. Maybe I should fight back, maybe I should find another way.
But I looked up at the photos of Thea and his friends and I knew I was doing the right thing. If Slade thinks he's killed me, I'll have more time to figure out how to take him down. I'd have to go into hiding, or maybe relocate all together. But as long as Oliver was safe, I didn't care. I'd have to go out at night, I was so thankful Thea knew. I didn't want to loose her.
All of this had only one problem. What if Oliver never looked at me the same way?
I sighed, hours passed, maybe two of three when midnight came rolling in.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
Any second my love. Please. Be careful.
There was a long dead silence. I expected him to bust the door down, but when I saw the Slade Wilson come out of no where from the shadows of the room, it was me that yelled out in fear.
Oliver jumped up ready to fight and when he saw Slade Wilson standing at the foot of the bed like some demon he jumped up to protect me.
"No! No! Not her!"
The man walked talking heavy steps, he wore this metal contraption that clanged against the floor. I gulped as I held onto Oliver shaking. He wasn't going to kill Oliver. Maybe beat him up a little, his body language was all pointing to me.
"Get out of my way, kid." Slade pulled Oliver by his neck making him twitch in pain.
"No! Don't touch him."
"I didn't see why you liked this girl, she's puny, a computer women, I didn't think that was your type, all you ever talked about on the island was Laurel. But this one. I like her. She is feisty."
"Don't. Touch. Her." Oliver gasped loosing oxygen.
"Put him down, or I will kill you." I repeated this time with a darkness to my voice that scared even myself.
Slade threw Oliver to the floor.
"Hold him down." He spoke loudly and suddenly five men walked out and Oliver managed to stab one of them in the chest with a pen but the rest held him down slapping him up a bit.
"No!" He yelled thrashing. "Please! Not her."
Slade took off his mask and I stood from the bed. I knew was maybe two weapons on me. He didn't know that.
Slade was everything I imagined. A false charming outside persona, but in his eyes, you could see the psycho that thrived.
"Did you just threaten me?"
"No. I made you a promise. I will kill you."
He went to smack me but I dodged it kicking him him the stomach having no affect. I knew now, aim for the head. He pushed me back against the wall and I used that momentum to kick off and axe kicked him to the ground.
"Violet! Run. Please."
Slade angrily got up but by then I got my blade out and it was pressing against his throat. As he pulled me back I quickly pulled my blade as hard as I could against his neck. Blood spattered the ground, some got on my leg.
Did I just win?
I expect him stay down. Dead.
But when he stood up holding his neck like it was just a tiny scratch. I knew that I was done fighting.
He saw that.
"Gallant effort, dumb girl. I'm sad I have to kill you. I liked you."
Oliver was shaking. I quickly took that card that we played with and dropped it on the ground.
Slade jumped out the widow and suddenly he was running while he dragged my body along with him. As I smacked the pavement I realized how fast we were moving. But not as fast as I moved when I have my abilities. Which gave me hope. That knife wouldn't have sliced my throat. Nothing penetrated my skin when I wasn't around Oliver.
We stopped somewhere isolated. It was a forest environment.
When I got there, all there was was a knouse. And two chairs. One ten feet away. And one under the knouse.
I heard yelling close behind. Olivers yells.
"I love that sound." Slade chuckled and he took me in.
"Since you're going to kill me, tell me why?"
"Why? Well," his Australian accent was rugged and intimidating, "I'm just going to give Oliver the same choice he was given a few years ago. The same choice that led to the love of my life being ripped from my hands. Shado-"
Oliver was brought, he was bruised up and freaking out, "Violet, I'm sorry. I'm sorry-" a man punched him.
"Stop hitting him!" I screeched wishing I had my powers to kill the son of a bitch.
"Even facing a death that is his fault, you still fight for him?"
"Always."
"Well, always seems to not be as long as you hoped. Step on the chair."
"No."
Slade shoved me on the chair seeing as I wasn't going to cooperate. I was standing with a knouse around my neck while Oliver watched tears soaking down his face.
"Kill me! Please, kill me." He cried.
"Did you ask him to do that? Hm? No! you didn't! I'm going to kill you, but in a way that last forever."
I was shaking, I was scared the chair would give out and these precious moments where Oliver was looking at me like this was an injustice would go away.
"There is a sniper on Thea Queen, John Diggle, and Roy Harper. Out of the four, you must choose one to die."
"No! No, I won't."
The men tied his hands up and a ridiculously complicated and then tied him to his chair.
They walked to Slade's side.
"You have a minute before I choose all. One or all Oliver. Consider it a gift."
"Oliver!" I cried to him, "choose me."
"No, I can't! I can't!"
"Oliver, if you don't choose me, I will never forgive you. Think about your sister, your best friend, Roy-"
"What about you? You're it for me."
Slade looked at what was happendig amused, "forty seconds."
"Oliver please, don't kill them for me. I would never forgive myself."
Oliver was crying, "d-don't make me do this."
I cried and shook on the chair, I pinched myself feeling only a tinge of pain. I had a chance.
"Oliver. Choose me."
Oliver crying shaking his head, he was in shock and shaking, I have never seen his so distraught, in such a vexed anguish.
"Oliver! Choose me! Kill me! Oliver! Do it! Now!"
He kept shaking his head.
I turned to Slade, I knew it was me he wanted dead he most. He knew it would hurt my Oliver. "Kill me."
Slade smiled and looked at Oliver as he shook his head seeing that Slade was going to do it.
"Please! Don't! Violet! Violet!"
"I love you Oliver! I love you, with all my heart and that's why you have to let me do this."
"I love you Violet." He cried broken.
"I love y-" Slade kicked the chair and it was like I was pushed into space. I couldn't breathe.
"No!" Oliver yelled.
Slade and his men left. It was just Oliver and I.
Oliver watch as Violet thrashed, her face turning blue.
He tried to get loose but it was too hard. He saw her troubles starting to lessen. He dislocated his arm and tired to get loose. Three minutes passed. If you thought logically she was dead. She wasn't moving anymore. She just hung there.
Oliver couldn't accept that. He kept trying to get loose whenever he looked up he let out a string of broken cries.
When he finally got his hands loose, he quickly went for his legs that were tied, this happened fast, it could've went fast if his hands weren't shaking.
He ran over to his love and quickly untied her from the tree. Her body fell to the floor. He cried into her chest, he tried CPR, nothing he did seemed to be working.
He couldn't think straight, it was like a part of his heart had been ripped out. Her beautiful lips felt cold, she just felt distant, a metallic substance leaked from her nose. He looked confused as he touched it and saw it was actual metal. Leaking from her dead nose?
He sat there for what felt like hours.
"Please." He whispered into her ear. "Don't be dead."
There was a long silence. "Okay."
Oliver jumped up and saw that her breathing had returned.
"Oh my- oh my god."
"Get away. Now." She croaked.
He quickly did so and after many minutes she started to regenerate, it would've happened quicker if Oliver hadn't been so close. She laid there checking her legs, her hands, her neck. She felt weaker than normal but she was alive. She was good.
Oliver looked wide eyed. Was he imagining this? Was the the mental breakdown that he always feared would happen?
Violet stood up and walked to her Oliver. He stood there shocked and confused.
She gave him a weak smile not sure how to just come out with it. "I'm V...." he stood there shocked waiting for the punchline. "surprise?"
And then he realized that she wasn't joking.