AN: This is just a little something that came to me after the last episode. Just my take on what could have been going through Oliver's head in this one.

Thanks to my awesome Beta for your help. You are awesome! If you haven't done so yet check out "The Island" has done an awesome job with it.

And again... Not mine!

She knew!

Since Christmas she had known and not said a word.

So many times he had made excuses, thinking that she believed him, in order to keep his secret and she had known the whole time.

That one fact had surprised him more than many of the other secrets that she had kept from him. It shouldn't have though, seeing as she was a master at keeping secrets.

She had always said that she was protecting her family, that she did what she had to in order to keep them safe. This was just another way that she did that. She had kept his secret when she could have told the world, when she could have confronted him about it.

In the hour after her admission he felt closer to his Mother that he had since he had found out one of his one night stands was pregnant. His Mother had been there for him then, kept his secret, just as she was doing now. She even helped cover for him when Thea demanded to know where he had been when Roy attacked her.

On the way back to the mansion after the rally she was going to tell them about Malcolm, probably the fact that he was a psychotic assassin, when their car was hit.

He was disoriented as they were all dragged from the car and bound. When he came to the sight before him made his heart drop.

There was Slade, with a gun in his hand, standing between his Mother and Thea. He knew instantly what was going on. Slade was making him choose between two women he loved, for the second time in his life.

He begged! For his sister's life, for his Mother's life. Begging Slade to take his life instead - after all, this was all his fault.

He watched in horror as his Mother stood to face Slade, offering her life in exchange for his and Thea's. He watched, tears streaming down his face, as Slade turned, drew his sword and thrust it into the heart of the woman he was just beginning to reconnect with.

She fell, looking into his eyes. She died to protect him, to protect Thea.

He was the Arrow - she had known and still gave up her life for his.

AN: Please review and let me know what you think!