What the Hell? (Book 4 Arrow/SPN Crossover)

Back Together Again

 Oliver's phone rang, he rolled over on the cot and looked at the screen, “They got here fast.” He muttered as he answered the call, “Hi Sam.”

“It's Dean, we're about two hours outside of town. We'll need to crash for a few hours and get some food before we start checking things out. Don't suppose you still have the penthouse suite?”

“No, I live at the club now. Did you guys drive all night? It's not that serious yet, is it?”

“We heard about the company, sorry man. Yeah, we did. We're not liking how the pace of ghosts appearing all over the place has picked up the last week.”

Oliver started pacing, “Thanks. Well that's comforting. You've got some options. Dig and Lyla have some space or I can tell you the best places close to the club.”

“Lyla?”

“Dig's ex-wife, now girlfriend and the mother of his baby girl.” A stunned silence followed.

“Uh. What? Wow. Things have really changed over there I guess.”

“It hasn't been dull,” Oliver acknowledged, “The criminals have been the least complicated part of the last few years.”

There was a pause, then he heard Dean relay the information to Sam and a muffled reply from Sam. “If Dig's fine with us crashing there that's fine,” Dean said, “If not, totally understand, we can get our own place. We don't want to endanger his family.”

“Don't worry about that. Lyla can handle herself, she knows what we do. I'll check in with Dig, hang on.”

Oliver put Dean on hold, and texted Dig who replied with “Lyla's fine with it. Tell them to come here.”

“Dean?” Oliver asked as he took the call off hold.

“Yup.”

“You can stay with Dig and Lyla. I'll text you the address, we'll meet there. She's a good cook, so's Dig. They'll have something waiting for you guys. Sound like a plan?”

“Thanks. Really.” There was an undertone to Dean's voice, something about it seemed off to Oliver.

“Sure. See you in a couple of hours.”

“Got it.”

Oliver hung up, texted Dean the address and decided to make some more arrowheads. It's been years since I talked to Dean but he seems different. Sparks flew from the grinder as he carefully worked the edge towards razor sharpness. Their lives are much more complicated than mine, who knows what they've been through. I just hope they got some time off. If anyone deserves some peace and quiet it's those two. I need to get Roy on track and soon. This guilt is going to eat him up if he doesn't try to come to terms with it. God, he's so young. Why the hell am I letting him get farther and farther into this life? I guess it's a better option than where he was headed but still. He could do something else, go to school, have a life. I should have told him no and pushed him towards Thea instead of giving him a secret that would rip them apart. Thea, I have no idea what's going on with her. We're both lying and we know it. So much for fixing that relationship. He looked up at the empty chair where Felicity usually sat. Not even going there. It's better this way, better for her, better for me. Grind arrows, stay focused. Keep everyone that's left in your life alive.

The hours crept along, his text alert went off. It was from Dig.“They're here.” About time. I need to get out of here. He grabbed his jacket, the keys to the bike and left. He immediately spotted Baby as he pulled into the parking lot where Dig lived. There was an open spot next to Baby, he pulled into it, looked at the Impala and smiled. Damn, she's spotless. It's good to see her. He ran his hand over the trunk as he walked past it and into Dig's apartment complex. Lyla answered his knock with a hug and a smile

“Hi Oliver. Come on in.”

Dig's house had become his place of refuge over the last few months. The club held too many painful memories now, Sara's body, Laurel's sorrow, his own failures over the years. That place was for Arrow, not Oliver. He'd found that what was left of Oliver could come out around Lyla and Dig and baby Sara. He'd hoped he could find that with Felicity but he couldn't blame her for her decision. He'd made his and he couldn't expect someone as filled with life and joy as she still was to join his darkness and hide in a basement filled with the trappings of death and shattered lives. Dig and Lyla, they had their own darkness but together they had moved forward and now with their baby, there was joy and hope in their lives again. He was fortunate that they were willing to share a little bit of that with him. He had lost the ability to feel either joy or hope. If he couldn't have it, he could at least do everything in his power to protect theirs.

“Hey Oliver,” Dean said as Oliver entered the living room.

“Welcome back guys,” he replied as he shook their hands. Looks like they didn't get any breaks at all. The years haven't been kind. They never are to people like us. He spotted the concern in Sam's eyes and the nervousness in Dean's. How could their lives have possibly gotten worse than the Apocalypse?

“Oliver?” Lyla asked, “There's some food left if you're hungry. I made extra after John described those two to me. I see how much you and John eat so I made sure to have plenty.”

“Hurry up man,” Dean said, “I was waiting till you got here to be polite but you have about five more seconds before I get another helping. This is the best lasagna I have ever had!”

Sam nodded as he took another bite. “I'm with Dean on that. I've already had a second helping.”

Lyla laughed, “I guess it's a good thing John ate earlier or there wouldn't have been anything left for you Oliver.”

Dig was rocking his daughter to sleep in a chair in the corner of the room, “As soon as I knew these two were coming I figured they could use the home cooked food so I had a big lunch. Grab some Oliver, Dean's been eying the last two pieces pretty intently.”

“Hold him back Sam,” Oliver joked as he filled his plate with the larger of the two pieces and a roll. When he looked back at the brothers a smile broke out on his face. Sam was standing in front of Dean with his hands on his shoulders, miming holding Dean down.

“I've got him! Eat fast Oliver.”

“Hey! You're supposed to be getting the last piece for me,” Dean whined. “Since when are you on his side?”

“Since you ate three pieces already.”

“Get off me, you traitor,” Dean growled but there was laughter in his eyes.

Sam sat back down and finished his dinner. “Thanks for making this for us Lyla. It was delicious.”

“My pleasure,” she replied. Sara started fussing and Lyla took her from Dig, “She's hungry. I'll feed her while you guys discuss business.” 

 Oliver watched the brothers as Lyla lightly kissed Dig and carried Sara down the hall to her room. Do I look like that when I'm here? I hope not, I don't want Lyla and Dig to feel guilty because they're happy and I'm not. We've given up so much, the brothers and I. We deny our humanity to save the humanity in others. How is that fair?