Broken Together

Fourteen

People are rushing to their destinations, not taking notice of anything around them. The world seems slow with every step Caitlin takes. She waits for her bag to drop on the belt as the crowd grows at the sound of a bell. She crosses her arms and lets out a heavy sigh as her mind races. As she glances over, she sees her luggage and races over to catch the bag. Just as she is about to grab it, another hand bets her to it. The anger in her face fades away as she looks up into the man's eyes.

"Mind if I help with that? A pregnant woman, like you, shouldn't be carrying heavy things," Oliver smiles as he wraps his free arm around her. Her eyes instantly fill with tears as her grasp tightens around him. "I'm here," he whispers in her ear over and over again.

She melts into his arms as the world around her fades away. As she slowly pulls away, Felicity comes into her view. She faintly smiles at the blonde before they embrace in a hug. "You poor thing," Felicity whispers in her ear.

Caitlin hugs her back then pulls away to face her. "What did you tell him?" She dares asks giving her hands a tight squeeze. After their talk on the phone, she knew Felicity was going to tell her brother about her wish to stay with them for a few months. She only fears that Felicity would have also slipped about Barry's affair to him; which she wasn't sure if she even wanted to tell him. She bites her lip, waiting for her response.

Before Felicity can say anything, Oliver places a hand on her shoulder, "Not much but, it didn't matter at the time. I just needed to know that you and the baby were okay." Felicity nods agreeing to her husband's words. He gives her shoulder a squeeze then nudges for them to start walking. "We can talk more at the house. You need to relax - I made sure a room is ready for you once we get there."

Caitlin nods her head and follows the couple out of the airport. The ride over is a quiet one. Caitlin leans her head on the window, watching the city go by as her mind races. Oliver looks over at her every now and again with a frown on his face as feelings of deja vu play in his head. Felicity watches the siblings as pain fills her heart. She plays with her fingers, knowing Oliver is not going to like what Caitlin has to say. Barry is one of her best friends - she introduced them to one another. The end result was not going to be pretty, she can bet on that.

When they got to the house, Caitlin didn't feel like talking; all she wants it to sleep away this horrible nightmare. Oliver catches her attention as he places her bag inside. "What happened Caity?" She bites her lip, with her back to him, and shakes her head. "I need to know, why you are here. As much as I love having you here, I need a reason for your stay."

Her voice cracks as the words slip out, "Please Ollie, I can't..."

Felicity places her hand on his shoulder to stop him, but he shakes his head needing to know. "Caitlin..." he breathes thinking about the last time she was this broken. "What did he do to you?"

Tears start to fall down her cheeks and she slowly turns to face him. She watches his expression soften as he runs over to engulf her in a hug. She lets her walls crumple as words slip out her mouth. "He... he cheated on me, Ollie," she pauses as she looks up at him. She watches as his expression tightens with each word. "He lied... he cheated... he broke me." She shakes her head as she pulls away from his grasp and wraps her arms around herself. "I don't think I can ever move forward..."

Oliver watches as his sister starts to shut down. He shakes his head refusing to let her. "Caitlin, don't say that -"

"He took everything from me!" she snaps at him. "My confidence, my trust, my heart... I don't think I'll ever be whole again," she shakes her head. "I just... I just couldn't put this child through that. This child deserves better!" She cries as her knees begin to give out.

Oliver quickly pulls her back into his arms to hold her up. "Shh... it's okay, I got you," he whispers into her hair. She cries into his chest as he tightens his grip around her. "You need to rest. This frustration isn't good for you or the baby." She nods her head as he slowly walks her into her room.

He lays her down and wraps the cover over her. He waits for her to calm down and continues to watch her as she falls asleep. "Thank you, Ollie," she whispers as sleep takes over. "thank you for taking care of us." He smiles and nods his head. Once she is sound asleep, he shakes his head and pinches his nose to contain his anger. The sound of footsteps alerts him as he looks over to see Felicity in the doorway. He looks back at a sleepily Caitlin and slowly makes his way to his wife.

Felicity guides them to his office and shuts the door. Oliver heads over to his desk and starts pacing back and forth. She claps her hands together as she turns to face him, "Listen, I know you are angry -"

"Hell yeah, I'm angry!" He shouts and pounds his desk. "She doesn't deserve this kind of shit! After everything she has been through, THAT shouldn't have happened." He yells as he points in the direction of Caitlin's room.

"I know but, we don't know what was happening behind closed doors," she pitches in as she steps closer to him.

His face scrunches up in disgust as he rubs his forehead, "like that's supposed to make it any better Felicity?"

"No, it's just-" she starts to stutter but, Oliver cuts her off.

"YOU know her story. HE knows her story! What the hell was he thinking!" He shakes his head and wipes his teeth.

Felicity opens her mouth to talk but, can't seem to find the right words to say. She shrugs her shoulders, "I... I don't know what to say. All I know it that, that's not the Barry I know. He wouldn't do something like this..."

Oliver takes a deep breath and clenches his jaw. "I'm gonna kill him..." He brushes past her as he heads out the front door. She tries to stop him by grabbing his arm but, he pulls away from her. "Let me go!"

"I can't let you do something you are going to regret," she breathes as she grabs his arm again. "Think of Caitlin-"

"I AM!" He yells at her and her expression hardens. "You can't stop me. She is all I have left and what he did... I can't let that go Felicity." He gently takes hold of her hand. "I want him to hurt; like he hurt her."

She looks into his eyes and slowly nods her head. "I understand, all I'm asking is for you to think with your head and not your fist." She looks over at the close door and jesters to it. "She's been through a lot and the last thing she needs to hear is that her brother went to beat up her husband." She places her hands on his face, forcing him to look at her. "So please think about this."

He looks into her eyes and slowly pulls away from her grasp. "I have," he places a sweet kiss on her forehead and wraps her into an embrace. "Take care of her for me. I'll be back late."

She nods her head as she watches him get into his car. Just as he is about to get in she yells for him, "Wait!" He stops in his tracks as she runs to his side. "There's one other thing she forgot to tell you." Oliver signals her to continue as she catches her breath. "He... he doesn't know about the baby. She... she found out before she could tell him."

He nods his head and gives her a slight smile, "And now he will never know." He slips into the vehicle and it drives off. He rests his head back and lets out a heavy sigh as he rubs his hands over his face. He looks back and faintly sees Felicity in the driveway, waving, and a small smile comes to his face. He faces back front and looks at his driver through the rear mirror, "airport, John."

"So whose ass are we gonna kick today?" He asks arching his eyebrow.

Oliver lets out a light chuckle and smirks at him, "Someone well deserved of it."

John looks over at him, quick, then looks back at the road, "Need any assistance for this one?"

Oliver shakes his head then looks out the window, "Nah, I got to take care of this one myself. It's personal." He clutches his hands into a fist as the anger begins to seep back in.

"God bless his soul."