The Canary Soars

Chapter One

Grief, Anger, and the Future

Dinah Laurel Lance could feel the eyes of the guests boring into her as they all stood around the freshly dug grave. She quickly wiped at the tears adorning her unnaturally pale face as they slowly lowered the empty casket into the ground. The casket that was supposed to be holding her younger sister Sara. Except Sara's body was at the bottom of the ocean where she died. She died in a storm while sleeping with Laurel's boyfriend Oliver Queen. Laurels brief thought of Oliver brought a fresh wave of tears escaping her green eyes and falling down to mix with the tears she had already shed for Sara. Oliver's betrayal ate at a large part of her now damaged heart but it was Sara's betrayal that consumed Laurels heart and mind.

Laurel had never felt this angry at another person in her entire life. She was more angry at Sara than she was at Oliver. Sara was her sister and this betrayal cut her so deep Laurel wasn't sure she would ever truly be able to forgive Sara. Which in turn made her feel extremely guilty because Sara was dead. Did Laurel have the right to be angry with her sister since she was dead? Feeling like that made Laurel only angrier. It was a constant battle between the two emotions. Anger and guilt consumed her.

The day Laurel found out about Oliver's death it was like a part of her heart was cut out of her chest. Laurel was devastated. Then Moira Queen came over and dropped a more heartbreaking bombshell. Sara had been on the Gambit when it sunk killing not only Laurels boyfriend but also her sister. Now it felt like Laurels whole heart was ripped from her chest then ran over by a Mack truck and put back in chest only held together with duck tape. Now less than a week later Laurels heart still felt the way it did the day they found out.

The feeling of a hand being gently placed on Laurels shoulder snapped her from her turbulent thoughts. Laurel met her fathers devastated eyes when she turned around. Stains from his tears covered his face and made him look older than he was.

"Everyone's leaving. We are going to head out here in a minute." It was then that Laurel noticed that the cemetery was almost empty. Aside from close family from both her mother and fathers side of the family who were standing next to the line of cars waiting for the three of them.

Dinah Lance was standing next to the headstone that was picked out by both of Laurels parents silently crying. Her eyes were red and puffy. Seeing her mother so sad made something in Laurel snap. A sarcastic laugh escaped Laurels mouth. Drawing the attention of both her mother and father. Laurels feet moved her to stand next to the headstone like she had no control over her own body. A look of bitter anger upon her face.

Sara Lance

1987-2007

Loving Daughter and Sister

"This is a lie. All of this is a complete and utter lie. Loving sister, loving daughter It's all a lie." The angry venom dropped from Laurels mouth to the shock of both her parents.

" LAUREL!" Dinah was the first to react. Scolding her oldest daughter.

Quinten just looked at his last remaining child. Laurel didn't care though. Something in her just couldn't take it anymore. Her green eyes looking back and forth between the two.

"Don't Laurel me. Sara didn't care about us. She didn't care about me. Because if she did she would have never gotten on that stupid boat with MY boyfriend." Laurel voice held an extreme amount of angry bitterness. It dripped from every word that escaped her lips.

" Sara loved you Laurel. You were her big sister." Quinten said trying to calm his daughter. Except it didn't work.

" Sara was a selfish spoiled girl. Who got away with every bad thing she ever did because she was the baby. She never had to face the consequences of her bad behavior. You guys let her get away with it all. Even now after we learned that she died sleeping with my boyfriend you guys still refuse to hold her accountable. You guys are still giving her a free pass.

Laurels body shook with anger. Her stomach was twisting in knots. She could feel the bagel she ate for breakfast start to make its way back up. The twinge in her stomach caused Laurel to completely still. This anger was putting stress on her body. Stress was the last thing Laurels body needed right now. Laurel took several deep breaths trying to calm herself.

" Laurel honey? Are you okay?" Quinten walked over to his daughter. Pulling her into a tight hug. It took her a few seconds to respond before she wrapped her arms around him and started to sob. Loud devastating sobs that echoed around the empty cemetery. The two stood their as Dinah Lance watched them. Tears and guilt filling the green eyes that matched her daughter. When Quinten looked at her Dinah quickly hid the guilt letting it be replaced with grief.

Laurels sobs quieted after a few minutes. She loosened her hold on her father pulling away. With a pounding head and ringing ears she once again turned to face the headstone. With one last glance she turned and bolted from the cemetery nausea rolling around in her stomach. While grief filled her heart. She could hear her parents yelling her name. But she kept running.

Running from her parents grief. Running from her own grief. Running from the angry bitterness of her sisters betrayal. Running from thoughts that had her blaming herself for Sara getting on the Gambit. Except she wasn't only running away. She was also running towards something. She was running towards a future. A future that held more than anger and grief. A future she would share with her unborn child. A child that was one of the best parts of her and Oliver's relationship. A future that would give her something to remember all the reasons she had loved Oliver. The Oliver that she had fallen in love with as a teenager. Not the Oliver that had cheated on her with her sister and died while doing it.