Summary: Ricardo Diaz has had Team Arrow running ragged attempting to put an end to his reign of terror. After their final attempt fails, to gather intel to put him down once and for all, Oliver decides to reach out to the one person who could take away everything from him. An exploration of the final scene of episode 6 x 22.

Disclaimer: WB/DC own these characters. I'm only borrowing them for a while. I own the original ideas found in this. The dialogue is from Arrow episode 6 x 22, "The Ties that Bind", written by Ben Sokolowski and Oscar Balderrama.

AN: Hello! I've been waiting for someone to write these scenes up, but no one has. So I sat down tonight and wrote this up. I know I probably could make it better, but I want to post it before I hear anything else about what might or could or will occur on Thursday's finale. So thanks for checking it out.

"I can think of one option," Oliver told his wife in the wake of the failure to get the information they needed to stop Diaz.

If only she knew what he was thinking. He knew she'd use her loud voice to express her anger about him going forward on this without consulting her. However, he wasn't going to let her risk her life again in trying to get Diaz in another venture. He wasn't looking forward to talking –no, begging – with the person he had in mind, but there really wasn't any other choice.

Without a word as to what he was thinking, only that he had to work it out first for himself, Oliver attempted to keep his spirits up around his family as they went to bed. The next morning, he simply made his way to the local FBI office in Star City. And asked to speak to Samanda Watson. In no time at all he was shown into her office. She sat behind her desk, resting her elbow on her desk with her chin on her closed fist. Saying not a word, she merely looked at him, waiting for him to begin.

"So far Ricardo Diaz has been unstoppable. He has aligned himself with the most powerful criminal organization in the country. He controls Star City's government, its infrastructure, and its police force. I can't stop him on my own."

A slow smile crossed Samanda's face, making his skin crawl as he waited for an answer. He repeated to himself his city really didn't have any other choice. "When you say you can't stop him, are you speaking as the former mayor or as someone else?"

He looked down and shook his head silently to himself as she rose and walked casually around her desk. He looked up, meeting her gaze unwaveringly. "You want my help? I'm gonna need two things from you." She leans against her desk. "The first is I'm gonna need you to say the words."

Oliver barely nodded his head as he looked squarely at Samanda and said quietly but steadily, "I am the Green Arrow."

She mimicked the volume of his answer without showing any satisfaction with his answer. "And the truth shall set you free."

He waited for a moment, reluctantly allowing her a moment to revel in her triumph before asking, "What's the second thing?"

As he was leaving after they'd nailed down the details of how their partnership would proceed, Oliver couldn't exit the building quick enough. His heart was breaking as he considered how he should share the news and when to Felicity. To William. To his team. He scrubbed at his chin, uncertain on how to proceed. One thing his loved ones could never understand about him was the real reason behind his keeping secrets. Most of the time he did that simply because there was no other way he'd be able to do what he had to do if they knew about it first. That he wouldn't be able to stand firm in light of their debates, their pleas, their protests.

He had left the loft this morning, leaving Felicity sleeping in their bed. The bed they've shared for only too short a time. Will she be able to understand why he did this? Agreed to this? Or would she see this simply as another betrayal?

The second condition Samanda asked? That he work undercover on the team she was to form, aka another Suicide Squad, but a lot less deadly to the participants. It would still mean very dangerous assignments, being away from his family on radio silence for an entire year. One full year.

But it would mean that Diaz would be routed out. Otherwise, he might never be, and his family and friends, and all the good people of Star City as a whole, would be in danger.

How could he not do this?

Besides, it was too late. He already confessed his most dangerous secret to her. One she agreed she'd protect, and thus protect his family, from those who'd use it for their own evil purposes.

At least she wasn't like Waller.

He hoped.

AN: I should call this a flash fiction, but I worked on it longer than an hour. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you thought of it. Always appreciated.