❛ Closed off ❜

Annabelle's plan to add a sublet into her parents' company was nearly finalized.But she couldn't continue without some specific details that only her parents could give her. She hadn't gotten a call from them, and in the back of her head she knew she would because they believed she was dead and they would continue to believe that. It was time to take matters into her own hands, and she couldn't wait any longer.

She had time to work on the company after the bank robbers were caught and sent into custody, and following that the bickering between Oliver and Diggle went down. Anna had yet to go onto the streets in her hood because Oliver wanted her to heal completely first, but it gave her more time to come to terms with herself and the fact that Sara was gone and she needed to move on. Her visit with Lance was quite an emotional one but it really aided in advancing her own heart and admitting her feelings that did exist for Sara, and she knew somehow that those feelings would never truly go away.

But Anna was still missing opportunities by the second. She had been so foolish to overlook Oliver's feelings for Laurel - and though he continued to deny it she knew their kiss was no fluke. And she had nothing but time to plan the 'Provision Project' since she was sidelined from fighting until further notice because of her ulcer. So what else was there to do? It was time to go see her parents.

A grove of trees passed by the window as Anna leaned her head against the glass, taking in all the memories she had sheltered in the back of her mind over the years. A sigh left her mouth as she briefly closed her eyes, trying to bring back the last time she was in a car on the way home. 

There was a still tension in the car with Oliver seated beside the girl and Diggle driving. The couple still hadn't held a serious conversation on what to do about Oliver's kiss with Laurel a few days earlier, and Anna was doing her best to avoid that particular situation.

"I still don't see why you had to come with me," She told Oliver as she looked out the window at the beautiful green scenery they were passing. "Support," Oliver responded almost immediately while reaching for her hand. Anna noticed his gesture and quickly pulled her hand into her lap, leaving Oliver with a frown. In the front seat, Diggle sat with a smirk on his face as he drove down the endless road, "Told you not to mess with her feelings," he said. Oliver sighed and stared at the back of Anna's head as she was embracing all she had missed.

"Was it always so closed off here?" Diggle asked the brunette, his eyes filled with wonderment as he drove down the grove that seemed like a picture perfect scene in a Disney movie. "I guess so, but I don't remember much, If I shall be honsest." she quietly replied.

"Five years on an island and you forget your whole childhood?" Dig questioned in surprise. Anna shrugged, "There was a lot of stuff on that island that clouded my brain from thinking about this."

"Have your parents called?" Oliver jumped in, not really understanding why Anna had been so adamant on visiting her parents on this day, while she could have seen them any day she wished. Anna remained silent and looked out the window, not wanting to answer him. With a groan, he leaned his head on the seat-head and closed his eyes.

Diggle turned the wheel to the left, pulling over onto the side of the road. Oliver opened his eyes and looked at the large, rectangular mansion in front of him. There was a massive yard in the front that distanced the road at least one-hundred feet from the first point of the house.

"This is the Carter Mansion?" Diggle asked, confirming his driving. "Yes," Anna whispered, unbuckling slowly as she observed the landscaping that she remembered so well. Oliver and Diggle got out of the car and Anna opened her door, stepping out onto the grass. She flattened out her black top and tugged down her trenchcoat before stepping away from the car and walking forward, her flats making a clicking sound as she walked on the paved pathway leading to the home.

Oliver put his hands in his pockets and followed behind as Diggle walked side by side Anna. "You grew up here?" he questioned. She smiled lightly and nodded, "This is where I had my best memories. I remember one night my parents were out of town, and instead of having a party, I invited Oliver, Tommy and Laurel over, and we all ate gallons of ice cream while looking through embarrassing paparazzi pictures of ourselves."

Dig noticed the bright smile on her face and he grinned, "I've never seen you smile so big," he noticed. She pursed her lips and looked up at him before staring back down at her feet, "I guess I don't have much to smile for."

As the words left Annabelle's mouth, an ear-piercing sound echoed from inside the house and made Anna's head snap up. As her eyes met the front door to her home, the wood burst open and splinters of the door flew back into the yard. The entire house exploded, pieces of stone and gravel landing on the ground. 

The impact was so great that it extended all the way to the three walking and pushed them off their feet, shooting them backwards. 

Anna was slammed onto her back, her limbs falling limp to her sides. Oliver landed on his knees, taking a deep breath before even daring to cast a glance on the home. And Diggle was quickly struggling to scramble to his feet with his phone to his ear.

Fire crackled in the air, large clouds of black smoke filling the sky and the house was covered in flames. Anna sat up carefully and felt blood dripping down the left side of her face, yet she made no effort to wipe it off. She instead looked at her childhood home - the only house she had ever lived in - in pieces and fire.

Horrified, she rushed to her feet and tried to sprint to the house, but Oliver was faster and wrapped his arms around her stomach, not letting her near the explosion. "No!" she screamed, trying to find words. "Mommy! Daddy!" Her voice was cracking and her screams filled the air, sounding haunted and destroyed.

Diggle was already on the phone with the fire department, before even turning around to see Oliver and Anna. She was trying to squirm out of Oliver's grasp and run but he held a firm grip on her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she screamed over and over.

Oliver glanced back at Diggle and then to his girlfriend as she let out everything. Her parents were inside the house. She hadn't even gotten to see them in five years. They didn't even believe she was alive. And now she never would see them because they were killed on the day she had decided to go see them.

She blamed herself.

Shortly, the fire department, multiple police cars, and family friends showed up at the scene.

Moira exited her car quickly and rushed to Diggle, who explained what happened. The man could hardly provide her with an explanation as her attention continuously drifted to Oliver as he held his broken girl in the grass.

Lance left the police car and leaned on the roof of the car, looking at the broken daughter, screaming for her parents' mercy. "No!" Anna screamed again, thrashing in Oliver's arms. He knew talking wouldn't help, so he didn't even bother. Now he just needed to be there for her.

The fire department left the house in charred wood and stone. With Anna still screaming, a couple minutes after going into the home, there were two body bags being rolled out on gurneys. Annabelle's eyes widened and she looked up at the now gray and black sky, before falling to her knees. Sobbing, Anna covered her face with her hands and knelt down, rocking herself back and forth. Oliver took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, rubbing her back in an effort to calm her. There were tears welling in his eyes for the person he loved. She was finally going to see her parents after months of being home, and the second they get there, they immediately die in an explosion.

News reporters of all stations filled the grass and waited behind the police tape to start filming. "Home of billionaire Hank Carter has been destroyed. Daughter once missing, Annabelle Carter, seemed to be returning home to visit her parents. Only to find that the house blew up with both senior Carter's inside. There has been news that the couple are confirmed deceased..."

Anna heard bits and pieces of all the reports, all seeming to be based on nothing but observations. She wanted to wrap her hand around Oliver's, and cry into his chest. She wanted him to comfort her, but she couldn't move. She couldn't speak.

It was as if everything in her life stopped, and she couldn't do anything about it.

They were dead.

Like she was.

Only now, they'll stay dead.

•••

Everyone was staring, some were whispering, some were crying, but everyone was looking at Anna. She had Oliver's coat wrapped around her shoulders with a lost look settled in her eyes. She was looking down at her lap and stayed perfectly still. She was sitting in the back of a rig- an ambulance- because they had to clean the cut on her forehead from the impact of the blast. Oliver was sitting next to her with one leg hanging down towards the ground, and one knee pulled to his chest.

He was waiting for any news with Annabelle, and no matter how much she wasn't rooting for him at the moment, he knew she needed him to be there. So he stayed.

The fire department chief finished talking with Moira before stepping over to the two in the rig. Sighing, he offered a sympathetic smile before going to share the news. "The department has been layering their protocol on the explosion. From a bird's eye view, I have to say that a gas leak is what caused this occurrence. And I am truly sorry for your loss. They were kind-hearted people that put others before themselves," he said. "I'm sorry," he finished, quietly slipping away. Anna didn't move, she was too broken. She didn't have any heart left to speak.

•••

Tommy and Oliver sat in the living room that night while talking in hushed whispers. "You don't find it strange? The day she goes to see her parents after five years, that's when a gas leak happened? It seems too planned," Tommy told his friend, his fingers going to his nose so he could try and relieve some of his stress by pinching the bridge.

"What are you saying, Tommy? Someone knew we were going today and decided to kill her parents? It doesn't add up," Oliver denied. Oliver was trying to act like it was a coincidence, but he knew somehow that someone planned it, but what he wouldn't figure out was that Malcolm Merlyn - like the businessman he is - wanted the Carter Provision to go to Annabelle Carter because he had no faith she would be able to continue with the business and that it would quickly go under. If the Carter Provision went under, so would their plan to help the Glades and his Undertaking woud have no competition.

"Where's she now?" Tommy wondered, his concern for his best friend shining in his eyes and voice. "She hasn't left her bed since she got here," Oliver answered, looking down at his hands.

"You'll let her know I was here?" Tommy asked. Oliver nodded and gave him as he left. With a sigh leaving his mouth, he went into Anna's room. She was laying under the covers and facing away from the door. Oliver sat on her bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "They're gone," her voice whimpered.

"I never even got to say 'hi' or 'it's me'. I hadn't seen them in five years, and now I never will," she softly said, her voice breaking. Oliver pursed his lips and looked up, trying to prevent tears from welling in his eyes. Anna sat up and scooted back, leaning her back against Oliver's chest.

He turned her so she was sitting on his lap, and he held her close, letting her cry into his shirt. Never could he imagine the travesty of his parents erasing him from his memory, and then dying the day he went to visit them. He couldn't even think about it.

••• 

Oliver walked down the stairs, not being able to sleep. He saw light flickering in the living room, and when he went to see what it was, he saw Anna curled into a ball while watching the news.

"Billionaire Hank Carter and wife, are now reported dead, found at the scene of the Carter Mansion. Fire officials are confirming the cause was a gas leak, but more information leads people to believe that the fire was set. Daughter, Annabelle Carter, now has no choice but to carry her parents' legacy and pursue the company. Carter Provision has helped thousands, and if the company does not hold its name, who knows what will happen to the people in the Glades."

Oliver turned the television off with the remote and sat next to Anna who paid him no mind, "Do you think it was set?" she asked. Oliver hesitated and nodded, "It seemed planned." She nodded and looked out the window that was feet away from her. "I think so, too," she whispered.