1. A Yellow Bird Builds a Nest
This is my second Fanfic, and I think its better than the first. Here is the first Chapter
Ch. 1 Back in
Sara drops to her knees, while she isn’t used to being in this position out in public she continues to kneel even when everyone starts to stare at her.
“I respect your command Ra’s al Ghul,” she acknowledges while keeping her head bowed.
“How many times have I told you little bird that you will never kneel for me,” a silky voice states, the eye roll evident from the tone. Sara gazes up at her newly regained lover.
“My apologies Ra’s,” Sara smirks at her while getting up from her knees, “although I do enjoy being in that position.” Sara beams, then beams even brighter as she has gotten the reaction she was looking for i.e. Nyssa blushing and looking uncharacteristically shy. Sara finished her time traveling a few months ago, and had been gone for 8 months normal time. For Sara it had been a number of years. However long it was for each of them, it didn’t perfectly mend the broken fences between them. It had been a hard road even getting back to this point with Nyssa.
They weren’t fully back to how they were before, but their relationship could never just be casual no matter how hard they tried. Sara is willing to give Nyssa all the time in the world in order to gain back her trust. It wasn’t that Nyssa didn’t trust Sara, it was that Nyssa didn’t trust fate. Each time Nyssa found her lost love she was ripped away from her, no matter how hard she tried to hold on. Some of that was Sara’s doing, which she never stops apologizing for, but some of it is just fate deciding to fuck with them. However, Sara tries to remind Nyssa that time wants to happen; that they want to happen.
“Eeerrm…guys?” Felicity looks questioningly at the pair still staring at each other, “can we get back to the main mission here, not just Sara’s mission to make Nyssa blush. Which I totally get, I’ve been in that position with her.” Realization hitting her as the two turn and look at her, Sara smirking as usual. “I don’t mean Sara kneeling in front of me! Well she has kneeled in front of me before, but it wasn’t like a sex thing! No! It was more like my perpetually clumsy self twisted an ankle… not that I totally wouldn’t want you Sara… I mean duh… but I’m with Oliver, and Nyssa could kill me with just a stare…my point that I will make in 3.2.1. is that we need to focus on the mission.” Now Felicity is just as red as Nyssa had been and the former is smirking along with her girlfriend. Girlfriend? In some ways that seems too casual, but in other ways they still aren’t where they were.
“I’ve missed you” Sara smiles at her as Nyssa nods her agreement. Felicity continues to blush while Oliver comes to her rescue.
“Riiight” Oliver says, “anyways, Sara, Nyssa is right we still need to figure out how we are going to locate all of the league members trying to follow Talia’s rule. Even the low level ones that we might want to take out first. As well as figure out where Talia is and how to bring her down.” Sara stood there the shock written on her face. She has never seen Oliver and Nyssa get along. Sara starts to wonder: Oliver and Nyssa are getting along? This is so weird. Something has to be wrong. Am I stuck in another Alien world where all my Ex’s all get along? I swear to god if Jack from high school walks in her I’m out.
Nyssa, Oliver, and the rest of the team continue to plan while Sara starts to let her mind wonder off in her own head. In the time Sara had been gone or dead a lot had changed. Some she was still learning to deal with like how in the hell did Nyssa and Oliver actually become friends? Well friends was still a bit too strong, but standing in the same room with no blood or death equals progress in her book. What bothered her the most was that she could tell they were all keeping something from her, and considering Nyssa didn’t keep anything from her, ever, it was unsettling. Sara thought that it was just that her relationship still wasn’t where it was, but as they grew closer she became more concerned about what it was Nyssa was keeping from her. It has to be bad for Nyssa not to want to discuss this. The last time Nyssa had been this closed off was when Sara came back to the League after Slade. Sara eventually found out what Nyssa was keeping from her and as she had feared it wasn’t good. Nyssa had been tortured by her father, Ra’s Al Ghul, for not bringing Sara back into the fold when she first went to find her.
*** Sara’s worst fear had been realized. She had not only caused Nyssa emotional pain but excruciating physical pain as well. The thought almost made her throw up, but what she hated most was Nyssa didn’t tell her. When Sarab had asked if she knew what had happened to Nyssa when she left her stomach dropped. She knew she had caused Nyssa emotional pain, but never considered, or never wanted to consider, the physical pain that she would endure. Without another word Sara left Sarab in search of Nyssa.
She found her in their chambers just leaving the bathroom and pulling on her robe. Sara burst in so fast she startled Nyssa who looked over at her with concern when she saw Sara on the verge of tears.
“Habibti? What is wrong my love?” Sara rushes her and puts her hands on Nyssa’s hips to pull the robe open. Nyssa lets her explore her body with her eyes, knowing her little yellow bird is looking for something. And Sara finds it. A mess of scars that weren’t there before. Sara had assumed that it was just from missions, but Nyssa was rarely sloppy enough to get hit and never sloppy enough to get hit this many times. Sara starts to let her tears fall as she realizes that she had ignored what was right in front of her eyes. “Sara?” Nyssa asks as she wipes tears away. Nyssa starts to run her hands through Sara’s hair as Sara drops to her knees still clinging on to Nyssa’s hips.
“I’m so sorry Nyssa” Sara chokes out between sobs holding Nyssa close. “I didn’t think… I… it’s all my fault.” Nyssa takes a deep breath knowing what Sara is referring to without having to ask.
“It was my choice Sara.” Sara scoffs knowing she hadn’t ever given Nyssa a choice, it was either kill Sara or take what her father gave her. Neither was a good choice, but Sara knew Nyssa would choose to save her every time. “I would choose that fate every time if it meant you were free.”
“You shouldn’t have had to Nyssa! It was all my fault. I left you broken and gave you over to him! Why didn’t you tell me what had happened?” Nyssa turns away from Sara as she rises back to her feet. She can feel Sara reaching out to her.
“I didn’t want you to carry the weight of what happened to me.” Nyssa says softly. Sara pulls her back around to look her in the eye.
Sara looks heartbroken, “why wouldn’t you let me help you carry that weight Nyssa? I caused it.”
“You did not Sara, it was all my father’s doing. He chose to be cruel. He knew I was in pain and chose to add to that pain.”
“Nyssa, you have always shared everything with me. Please? Please tell me what happened?”
“That would do nothing but cause you more pain Sara.”
Sara shook her head, “maybe, but it will lessen your pain, and I would always choose to feel more pain so that you wouldn’t.”
Nyssa lets a small smile grace her face, “as would I habibti.”
“Please Nyssa let me carry the weight for you.” Sara brings her over to the bed and lays her down softly. Gracefully she puts herself on top of Nyssa. Sara finds a new scar on her collar bone and starts to trace it with her finger looking up a Nyssa expectantly.
“That was one of the first hits,” Nyssa starts, “he kicked me with a steel toed boot after he backhanded me. He then ordered his guards to grab me and strip me. I didn’t fight.” Sara listens intently wanting Nyssa to get it all out without interruptions. Sara kissed the scar, then moved on to her wrists and started to kiss the scars there. “After I had been stripped he put me in special bonds. The cuffs had spikes around the inside to increase the pain.” Sara traces the scars left by the cuffs on Nyssa’s wrists.
This continues, Nyssa talks about what her father did and Sara finds the matching scar. Sara takes the scarred flesh and kisses it trying to put love back into it. To try and heal what Sara feels she has broken. Sara stops, confused, at the last new scar on Nyssa’s right leg, her father had broken her leg when Nyssa continued to refuse to take back what she had did. If she had Sara would have no longer been free.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Sara wonders and Nyssa looks down at her. “Why would he break your leg? That would mean you couldn’t train and go on missions for him? Even with what happened you were still his best Assassin.”
“He wanted a way to prolong the pain without needing to exert any effort.” Nyssa comments as Sara’s eyes widen at the realization.
“He made you train and go on missions with a broken leg like it wasn’t broken at all.” Sara looks up from the scar as Nyssa nods.
“I actually trained harder. I refused to give him the satisfaction that he had broken me.” Nyssa smiles sadly remember the pain and pulls Sara up to hold her. They stay silent for a while letting all that has been said wash over them.
Sara breaks the silence, “thanks for telling me. I know it was hard.”
“Thank you for lifting some of the weight off of me.”
***
Sara thought through the last few months she has been back and Nyssa seems like the same person Sara remembers, but there is something that doesn’t quite fit, that isn’t quite the same. She seems lost? No, maybe lonely? But Nyssa has never been one to like being around people so that probably isn’t it. She hasn’t figured out what is off, but she is sure its Oliver’s fault. She had once loved the man sure and considered him a friend, but he could be all about himself sometimes at the cost of everyone else. The team continues to strategize and Sara continues to be in her own little world.
She is done trying to figure out what she doesn’t know, so instead she will focus on what she does know. Nyssa loves her, even after taking her heart in her hands and crushing it she continues to love her. Sara will do whatever it takes to put Nyssa’s heart back together and protect it like she should have.
Sara takes a break from staring at Nyssa to glance over at Felicity who smiles reassuring at her. Felicity had clearly noticed the longing looks Sara has been sending Nyssa. Felicity wants to be there for Sara, especially after all she has been through. She understands why there is still a distance between Sara and Nyssa and wishes she could tell Sara why, but it isn’t her place. But since Oliver, Dig, and Nyssa seem to be discussing strategy she finds this to be the perfect time to talk with Sara and see how she is doing. She walks over to the other blonde and grabs her arm. She drags her far enough away from eavesdroppers, back into the sitting area Felicity had insisted on.
***
“Felicity,” Oliver huffs “why does it look like the lair has a waiting room?”
“Hey! First, it’s the Arrow Cave,” Oliver just rolls his eyes but Felicity continues, “second, do you actually realize how much time we spend here? I mean besides when crazy stuff is going down, we actually spend a lot of time down here. And I just thought since you wanted to implement an “on call” type of situation this would make it easier for people to relax while waiting for all hell to break loose.” Felicity just smiles feeling quite proud of herself for having legitimate reasons for buying this ridiculously expensive, but equally adorable and comfy furniture.
“Whatever you say sweetie,” Oliver just smiles back.
“Smart man,” Dig snorts from behind them.
***
“Just give her time Sara, she loves you, but you already know a lot went down while you were gone and it’s going to take time.”
“Felicity, I would wait for forever for her, I practically already did in my timeline. But I know something went down that is bigger than people want to let on. I have the bones of the story but none of the meat. Someone has to tell me what happened.” Felicity shifts uncomfortably while looking between Nyssa and Oliver than back to Sara who continues to stare intensely at her. Sara ultimately knows Felicity won’t tell her anything.
“Sara it’s not my place to tell.”
“I know, this big thing was between Oliver and Nyssa wasn’t it?” Felicity nods, “I could tell something has changed. The entire group dynamic seems different. It’s frustrating coming in at the end and not knowing how everyone got to the places they are now.” Sara waves in her other friends’ direction.
“That’s true Sara, but we are also coming in at the end of your story. When we really saw you last, if you don’t count when we fought aliens, which I really don’t because you know what we really didn’t get to have any girl time. I mean we didn’t have a drink or anything…” Felicity starts to ramble and Sara just hits her with a look. “Right, anyway as I was saying last time we saw you Sara, you were blood thirsty and fighting a war within yourself. Now look at you! You’re a different person Sara, we all are. Well except for me. I’m still the same rambling nerd girl I was when you left. I wish I could have changed for the better.” Felicity blushes again, but Sara just smiles fondly.
“I don’t” Felicity stares at her disbelieving, “I was series when I said I missed you Felicity. Not just kick ass at computers you, rambling adorable you. You’re like a ray of sunshine and I’ve missed that.” Sara gives her a hug, which Felicity gladly gives back. “Plus is adorable when you blush.” Felicity pushes her away with a little smack on her shoulder which makes Sara just laugh. Sara leans a little closer in to whisper, even though the rest of the team isn’t within earshot, “How’s our plan going by the way?”
Felicity smiles and whispers back, “right on schedule. We should be acquiring the land any day now.”
“Perfect, and there’s room for 5?” Felicity nods her whole smile lights up her face. “With privacy,” Sara smirks.
“Oh for sure, that was on the top of the list for many reasons, and only a few are due to you and Nyssa.” Sara laughs loud enough to draw the attention of the others still talking a few feet away. Sara catches Nyssa’s eyes and shares a smile with her. Yeah, we will make it back to where we were. Sara is sure of it.
