|Ghosts That We Knew|

Fate

A/N - Not 100% sure how this will turn out, it's a spur of the moment inspiration that I got and am excited for it but not sure how people will receive this. This won't be a copy of canon where I just insert Thea, I will edit and change things to fit the story but I will keep the tone the same. Short opening chapter that essentially sets up the scene.

Summary - In which Thea Queen joins Oliver on the boat and both of their lives are changed forever.

So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light

'Cause oh that gave me such a fright

But I will hold as long as you like

Just promise me we'll be alright

. . .

Five Years Ago, prior to Lian Yu

Thea Queen is particularly adept at lock-picking, at the tender age of twelve she considers herself an expert at it. All courtesy of her big brother Ollie, the families resident tearaway playboy. She doesn't announce her presence to her brother before entering and instead runs into his room and throws herself into his arms, tears threatening to spill and fall down her cheeks. "You can't leave me here!" Her hands form small fists and she goes from burrowing into his embrace to hitting him.

Her emotions are tearing away at her and she can't help but loose control, Ollie was the person who came to her parent-teacher evenings and helped her do her hair, listened to her when she rambled about whatever boy she had a crush on or whomever had upset her at school. She usually just ranted about her teachers on those occasions until he calmed her down with movies and popcorn.

She didn't want him to go.

She understood that he would only be gone for a few days, a month at the worst. But that felt like an eternity to her. Especially since she had wanted to join him but her Dad wouldn't listen and she didn't feel like getting Ollie banned from going from spilling the fact that he was going with their Father, too. He was always the one who was there - Mom and Dad were always busy with work. And yes, she understood that it was because of that work that she was so wealthy. As Raisa always reminded her she was privileged, but Thea would happily trade one of their private jets for some more time with her parents.

"Speedy!" Her brother soothed, restraining her slightly, "Hey! Hey! Calm down..." He promises to make whoever hurt her regret it, promises to give her the entire world if it gets her to stop crying. He sighs and looks at her with an uncertain expression, he was usually on the receiving end of his sisters mood swings but this was one of the few times where he appeared to be the cause of it. "If I sneak you on the boat with me...will that calm you down?" Oliver offers, a last ditch attempt to please his sister.

It works.

"You'll let me come with?" Thea checks as a small smile starts to form, "I thought Dad said I couldn't."

Oliver already seems to be regretting his master plan, muttering something that sounded suspiciouly like, "Dad's going to kill me...and Sara's going to castrate me." She wonders if she'll get to spend some time with Sara on the Yatch, she likes Sara, she's funny and loud and makes Thea laugh. Thea likes Laurel too, Laurel helped teach her how to do her hair and defend herself when some older kids decided to try to beat her up.

But she isn't going to spill the beans on that love triangle if it gets Ollie in trouble.

Ollie comes first.

They spent the next hour plotting how to get Thea onto the Queen's Gambit without raising suspicion. Deciding that it would be best not to reveal Thea's presence until they would be too far from Starling City to turn around.

"He can't stop you if we're already sailing when he finds out." Her brother tells her with a small smirk and Thea is certain that she has the best big brother in the world. Beaming from ear to ear Thea hurried to her room, ignoring Raisa's suspicious look and began to pack a bag for the trip.

Her friends were going to be so jealous.

Thea Queen stood hesitantly at the Docks where her Father's Yatch was due to set sail in about an hour. She had told Raisa that Ollie was going to drop her off at school before he went to the docks to help their Father get ready to set sail.

"Mom's there...you stay in the car with Sara speedy...I'll come grab you when we're all clear." She shot him a mock salute and watched as he walked off, Mom was going to kill him.

Oliver headed over to where his parents were currently 'debating' about his Father's Yatch trip, shooting his Dad his most charming smile he laid down his rucksack and turned to his Mom with an innocent expression.

"Hey!" He called out with a cheerful voice, determined to get both himself and Thea onto the boat. When his Mom tried to protest he quickly deflected and turned to his Father, "Let me keep Dad company."

"Oliver you're in school!" Mom tried to reason.

He winced slightly, "Not really." Not giving her a chance to comment on it he quietly turned to their Father, "I forgot to tell you that." Giving them both a 'what can you do expression.'

Thea chuckled from where she was sat inside of the car, he had gotten kicked out of College about a week ago. He had been crashing at Sara's and Laurel's respectively when Mom had thought he was at college.

It was his fourth College, her brother was nothing if not consistent.

"I could use an extra hand on the ship." Their Father offered, ever the peacekeeper. Thea allowed herself to squeal with ecximent and punch the air with victory, if their Dad was agreeing to letting Ollie on the boat then it was practically a done deal. Mom could never beat with the two of them when they decided to team up.

"Robert!" Their Mom reprimanded, albeit weakly.

"Moria...let the kid take the boat out with his old man." He offered with his trademark smile. Silently Thea added, 'Let the kid smuggle his sister onto the boat as well.'

Sighing she shook her head and admitted defeat, "Alright! But you'll promise me that you behave yourself?"

Ollie shot her the innocent expression that he usually saved for the nights where he was brought home in the back of a cop car, "Oh yeah...I promise." Apart from the whole sneaking her and his girlfriend's little sister onto the boat, yup that was definitely him behaving himself.

Thea watched as the two embraced and a small part of her felt a pang of jealously, she wasn't going to get to say goodbye to Mom. Then her eyes went wide as she saw Laurel approach, she shared a panicked look with Sara and the pair decided to go for a drive around the block.

Better than getting caught and having to explain what exactly the pair of them were doing at the Docks.

Fifteen minutes later and Thea was being smuggled onto the Yatch by Ollie and Sara. She watched through a porthole as their Mom stood on the docks and waved off her Father and Brother. She gripped her locket and smiled wistfully, knowing that her Mother was going to panic later on that day when her school phoned to report that she didn't appear today but by then it would be too late and she would be well on her way to China.

"Bye Mom.." Thea whispered as her Mom became a smudge on the horizon, "I love you."