A/N: Welcome! I haven't been able to get the idea from this story out of my head ever since I hear John Barrowman's interview with "the TV Addict" on youtube. For those who haven't seen it, he explains that he and Susanna Thompson ( Moira) created a secret backstory for Malcolm and Moira as a duo. He also implied that it may have had some romance or attraction elements to it. So with that in my head the plot bunnies ran amok. PLease review and let me know what you think :)
SPOLIERS: Mild spoilers for Eps 22-23 for this chapter only.
Disclaimer: All characters and recognizable elements from Arrow belong to DC comics and the CW.
Even in prison orange, Moira Queen carried herself with dignity. She sat at the plain table, a glass of water and a microphone in front of her to hear her confession. On the other side of the recording equipment sat the district attorney of Starling City and his new assistant DA, Laurel Lance. Laurel stared at her with a mix of hatred and confusion. She had always been fond of Mrs Queen and had thought she understood the woman. However, her involvement in the Undertaking and the pain and suffering she had inflicted on the city proved to Laurel that Moira shared the same pathological self serving attitude as her son. The apple hadn't fallen far from the tree.
"Mrs Queen," Laurel began. "You've maintained that your involvement in, The Undertaking, as you call it, was under duress."
"That's correct. Malcolm came to me and told me that the only way my family would remain unharmed would be to follow his instructions. If I did not assist him, my children and husband would suffer."
"Then what made you change your mind?" the young lawyer asked. Moira looked in the eyes of the woman who, in another life she had hoped to call daughter-in-law.
" My son, I'm not sure how, became aware of what Mr Merlyn was planning. He begged me to stop it. He said that he couldn't live knowing that I sent thousands to their death in his name." She felt a lump form in her throat. She paused and sipped water to compose herself. "It made me realize I had made the wrong decision."
" When you made the initial agreement with Mr Merlyn how did you know he would keep his word? What was to keep him from coming after you and your daughter the way he had gone after your late husband? Why didn't you come to the police and seek protection?" Moira straightened in her chair.
"I knew Malcolm Merlyn for thirty three years. In that time, he never broke his word to me." The district attorney flipped through his notes.
" I'm sorry Mrs Queen, in an earlier statement you said that the Queen and Merlyn families had been friends for twenty five years?" He clarified
" That is correct. The families have been close since Merlyn Global Corp was established in 1988. My husband Robert was one of the first investors."
"But you just said-"
"It is a matter of context Mr Clark. You asked when the Queens and the Merlyns became acquainted. I was not always a Queen." Moira almost smirked, but decided against it.
" So what was your relationship with Mr Merlyn before that?" Laurel followed up.
"We attended the same high school, then lost touch after graduation." Moira's attempts at nonchalance were easy to pick through if you had been around the family as much as Laurel had. She whispered something to her boss who nodded and turned off the tape recorder.
"Alright Mrs Queen, we have enough for now. If we require any further information we will be in touch with your lawyers." DA Clark shook her hand and stepped out of the room leaving Laurel and Moira alone.
" I never got a chance to congratulate you on the promotion." Moira offered.
"Well I'm sure it would have been a little inappropriate given the circumstances." Laurel was packing the left over files and unhooking the microphone. " I never did understand how you could be friends with Tommy's father. He was always such a cold man." She was trying to not let her emotions get the best of her.
"He wasn't always like that, before Rebecca died," Moira looked wistful. " He was a little more like Tommy. He was still serious, still saw the world in ultimate rights and wrongs, but there was a joy , a spark, in there too."
" But he wasn't that man for a number of years." Laurel asked still confused. " Why didn't you walk away?" Moira took another sip of water before answering.
"Laurel, you of all people should know, you can't walk away when you love a Merlyn."