Author's Notes: And now, we come to the beginning of Rebecca's confrontation with Oliver. This is where things really take a turn for the worse, because Oliver is reluctant to kill his 'aunt.' Even knowing what she's done, what she will do, this is still the woman he grew up with. And yes, the fact that he's fighting a woman does impact things as well. Next chapter, they face off, while Malcolm, Tommy, Laurel and Ginny try to intervene.

Chapter One

Where We Came From

She was going to be late, she knew she would be late … but just as she thought she reached the bottom of the pile, she discovered there was (surprise, surprise) more paperwork. A glance at the clock told her that if she wanted to head out before it was too dangerous to leave, she'd need to finish up in the next few minutes. As it was, she would be too late to kiss Tommy good-night before he fell asleep. There was a sound in the front and she called up, "Lida? Everything ok?"

"Not Lida … sorry," came the familiar voice of her husband. Malcolm's dark head poked into her office, and Rebecca bit back her smile. Not just at the adorably sheepish expression on his face (or what she could see of it), but at the half-dozen red roses in his hand that shielded the rest of his face from view. Rebecca couldn't hold back her smile any longer, because it was so utterly Malcolm. They'd argued this morning, before Tommy got up … one of the rare arguments that resulted in her husband leaving without kissing her good-bye (although not without him kissing Tommy good-bye).

She'd been angry with him … so very angry. But as the day progressed, she was forced to admit that she was just as much at fault as he was, maybe even more so. She knew how he worried about her, and more to the point, she knew that he was right to worry about her. He was trying to be a good husband … and now, to see him all but hiding behind the flowers he brought for her. He peeked around them, asking shyly, "Am I forgiven?" Rebecca's heart melted then … not just because he brought her flowers as an apology, but because she was the only one who got to see this side of him.

She rose to her feet and approached him, answering, "Under one condition." He winced a bit, but nodded resolutely. Rebecca carefully took the flowers and put them on her desk, before turning back to face her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck and whispering, "That you forgive me as well." She felt, rather than heard, Malcolm's soft huff of laughter as he wrapped his arms around her. There were times when Rebecca wondered what she'd done to deserve this man. Times like this afternoon, when she mentally replayed every cruel word she'd uttered this morning, exploiting every insecurity he possessed in order to get him to back down. But even if she didn't deserve him, he still loved her, and that was a gift she could never take for granted …

And she hadn't. Even as he lay in her arms, not even an hour later, even as his blood soaked her clothing, even as her terror at seeing her brave husband place himself in front of her protectively gave way to hatred and fury toward those who would have let him die … she never, ever took his love for granted. Twenty years later, as she knelt before the last Markov device and synchronized the timers, Rebecca Merlyn angrily brushed away her tears.

She had to stay focused on this moment. She had to stay focused on cleansing her city … not just to avenge Malcolm, but to save every other young husband out there who would step between his wife and a bullet … to ensure no more little boys grew up without their fathers. Rebecca was no saint, no martyr, no angel … she knew she wasn't a good person, but she didn't care about that any more. She was willing to be a monster to protect others. It hurt, what she had to do … especially since she knew that Oliver Queen would be coming after her. She didn't want to kill him … but she would, if she had to.

There was one more thing she needed to do, though, before that final confrontation took place. Dialing a number that she'd memorized not long after the attempt on her life, she said quietly, "The Queen has been removed from the field … take the princess to safety." Tommy was safely with his father, and they would take care of each other. But now, Rebecca had to take care of the daughter she could never acknowledge. Nineteen years earlier, as Malcolm remained in a coma, Rebecca was forced to face the possibility that her husband would never wake up, and her dreams of having more children with him began to die. Until, someone mentioned the possibility of surrogacy … until Moira agreed to her request, so that even a small bit of Malcolm remained, in addition to Tommy. After too many failures to count, Moira announced that she was pregnant, and Thea was born months later. And oh, she looked so much like Malcolm, just as Tommy did … so much, it broke Rebecca's heart just to look at her!

She was assured by the woman on the other end of the line that no harm would come to Thea, and Rebecca allowed herself a small smile. She answered pleasantly, "I hope for your sake that you take excellent care of my daughter, China White … there are a few people in A.R.G.U.S. who would love to get their hands on you." There was an audible gulp from the other end of the line, and Rebecca smiled coldly before hanging up. Time for the final move in her game.

TBC

Additional Author's Notes: In case you were wondering, the title of the fic comes from 'This is the Moment,' from the Jekyll and Hyde score. From the moment I heard John Barrowman sing this on his album, You Raise Me Up, I murmured, 'Oh my God, that's Malcolm.' Look it up and see if you can't 'hear' him in the days and weeks leading up to the Undertaking.