blind_devil

[redarrowqueen]

The last few weeks had taken its toll.

Thea was on leave from pretty much everything so she could return to NYC for some R&R plus some intensive counseling with Father Lantom. But compared to last year when she was leaving the apartment within a few days it had been almost 2 weeks since she's done anything outside of training and counseling. Sure she was helping from afar (along with via phone since she was still a part time Defender along with people checking in from Star City, Central City along with NYC) but at the same time she felt more useless than ever. She needed to be knocked out of her funk and fast but how?

She mused softly,"Feeling more useless than before and last year was pretty bad. Need to shake this funk off but how?" as she fished for the notebook hidden under a sofa cushion. Matt had given her the idea to start keeping a journal again to keep track of her shifting moods but nothing was making sense. "At least this time we know its not the pit." she reminded herself with a shudder. The "Bad Brain" period had almost destroyed her both inside and out, she still had aftershocks but nowhere as severe as the prior winter when she had a massive emotional and mental breakdown.

So as she wrote (musing about something Kristen had mentioned in an email) she flipped on the TV for background noise, not caring she had landed on a cooking contest. That was when the door opened...

Comments

[blind_devil]

Matt slid into the room exhausted and a bit shell shocked. When Felicity had called him asking him to come to Star City to help with an issue he hadn't been expecting well what he got. He walked up to Thea and leaned in to kiss her. "Everyone is fine...ish," he promised, "also hello sweet heart."

[redarrowqueen]

"Felicity called me too and hi sweetheart." as Thea dropped a return kiss onto Matt's cheek. "Just feeling more useless than before in spite of knowing I need this. And did you hear who is in Gotham? Kristen tipped me off given a few things since she was hoping I could help." meaning a certain bad memory aka Ra's Al Ghul. As she spoke she made room on the sofa so Matt could join her.

[blind_devil]

"Yeah Sam texted me when I hit the train," Matt replied, "he offered to send the British Men of Letters down to sniff around but I had the feeling you might want to handle this. Oliver admitted Ra's had an older daughter none of us knew about. She might have done something to bring him back, And with Ollie pulling out of the game that leaves a hole for the moment we need to fill. Plus I got a weird text from Sam about some old Bible going missing in Central and when he tried to tip off Sara the text bounced back. Malcolm was spotted during Barry's coma thing and I have a feeling that's a connection."

He takes a breath and drops his head in her lap.

[redarrowqueen]

"Felicity and I emailed her everything in our files on you know who and she's putting us in touch with a guy she knows at GCPD, a James Gordon." Thea added,"She's calling me a friend of a friend for now." she added. "I tipped off Danny as well since old Bibles sound like something he could aid with too." she offered. She shuddered at the Malcolm mention, she had a sick feeling he was a factor. "I'm back on leave but I'll do what I can."

[blind_devil]

Matt liked the sound of Gordon, Sam had filled Matt in on his background having known the guy back when he interned at the department. Honest to a fault in a town full of corruption. "I'll catch up on my sleep, make sure things at Rand Corp are cleaned up and then head to Gotham. They need someone who has first hand experience with an Al Ghul or six to lend a hand. " He sighed softly. "I have this feeling things are about to shift in a huge way, but I can't figure out how?"

[redarrowqueen]

"While I'm stuck in hiding since Kristen thinks if this is the one who stabbed me then I would be a target all over again." Thea hated being helpless but for now she was. "And so much just feels off kilter, from Oliver to me to everything going on. Its like there's a change but what?"

[blind_devil]

"I don't know but I can tell you I don't like it," Matt said, "challenge invites conflict and we have pretty much pissed off the universe."

[redarrowqueen]

"You know you just quoted Yoda?" Thea gently teased Matt to lighten the mood a little. "But you're right too, every time things change the universe decides to fight back it seems." as she felt for her phone,"Tipped off the Legends too, mostly precaution given Sara but won't take any chances with you-know-who maybe back in the mix."

[blind_devil]

Matt snorts. "Oh god Cisco is really rubbing off on me," he said with a laugh and a shake of his head. "I hate to bug the Legends but yeah something weird is going on here."

[redarrowqueen]

"And while we hate bugging the Legends the more eyes we have on a crisis the better." Thea gently reminded Matt. "Plus Sara has people in her corner if he does try anything." having been reassured over the phone by Ray about that. She drops a kiss onto Matt's cheek,"Cisco is doing the same, I binged all the Star Wars movies while out sick." since it was only a bad cold she needed the brain candy.

[blind_devil]

He smiles and turns to brush her cheek with his lips. "Have I told you lately that I love you," he says, "and how leaving your brother was the best thing you ever did."

[redarrowqueen]

"And I love you even more." Thea whispered mid return kiss. "Leaving Star City was hard but last summer taught me a lesson, sometimes getting out is the only way to properly face the dark." since everyone knew Thea would eventually go home but with her on indefinite leave from not just the team but the mayor's office she could finally work on fixing her self and heal properly both inside and out. "I'm back in counseling with father Lantom, I'm eating better, I'm still a freelance Defender to keep my need to help happy and we're even stronger than before in terms of our bond." their relationship being a major ray of light and knowing someone got her on every level.

[blind_devil]

"The latte machine getting a work out," Matt asks with a gentle chuckle, "he must be enjoying that." He liked the good father and was seeing himself over Elektra's death. He did feel a small amount of guilt being glad Thea wasn't snared in Oliver's mess at the moment, but if what he was hearing from Sam was right he knew things could have been a lot worse.

[redarrowqueen]

"Worse than usual." Thea did giggle, a coffee habit was common within the 4 teams and it showed. "But its helping, having a 3rd party I mean. "3 times a week for sessions, massive but I need massive to do the work." and she was hearing things. It was a good thing she left for Hell's Kitchen when she did but she still felt a little guilty about not being able to help.

[blind_devil]

Matt nodded. "Good," he says, "I've been seeing him too since Elektra and it's really been helping."

[redarrowqueen]

"Same for me." Thea nodded. "What started as a 3rd party when I needed that spare ear has become unreal. I'm slowly but finally facing things. Especially given the last few months." since between the invasion and Malcolm roring back it was not an easy period.