AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, I'm starting a new multi-chapter story. With "The New Bratva Captain" completed, I wanted to start a new one. For those patiently waiting for updates of my other stories, I will get to them, I just need inspiration to update them or I wouldn't do them them the justice they deserve.

This is something totally different from the others i've previously written but I couldn't let go of the plot that had been playing around in my head for a few weeks, hence DARKEST BEFORE DAWN.

If you're reading this via my tumblr account, shout-out to Joisunny who did the artwork for the story, send her some love at her twitter handle joisunny.

DISCLAIMER: Still don't own anything despite how hard I work, damn.

STORY PLOT: Oliver Queen is a single Dad with a six year old son Connor. Felicity Smoak is a single Mom with a four year old daughter Emily. One day, Connor is kidnapped at his school. As Felicity together with her daughter attempt to stop it, they got taken as hostages too.

Angsty and Dark for a while, but things will get lighter as they always do with Olicity.

No Queen's Gambit, therefore Robert Queen in alive. The crucible for the change in Oliver was knowing he was going to be a single Dad.

Send me some love if you like this one. It will inspire me to update the story faster...

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DARKEST BEFORE DAWN

Chapter 1: Darkness Falls

When things are extremely bad, the dawn it's a signal that times are going to get much better, that there is always hope, even in the worst of circumstances. After all the trials and tribulations, we emerge stronger and better. Some of us even find our happy stories amidst all the darkness.

"No, no, no!" Felicity was pulling Connor's left arm as the man in a black mask pulled the child's other arm and shouted at her at the same time.

The words sounded threatening since they were said with a heavy gutter sounding accent but her attention was not only on her own safety nor was it on daughter Emily who was clinging to her leg like she was glued there, but rather, she focused on tightening her hold on Connor Queen at least until she felt something sticky drip from her head then she was seeing stars before everything went dark.

Felicity slowly opened her eyes, wondering why she had such a splitting headache but then she heard a familiar voice calling out to her and it all came back to her making her sit up suddenly.

"Mommy," her daughter's scared voice greeted her pulling her arm as if to get her attention which was focused on surveying the little room where she found herself.

"Em, it's okay," she tried to sooth her daughter still trying to piece together everything that happened in her mind.

And it all came back to her the next second. Her daughter and she were saying goodbye to Connor Queen, a boy two years older that her Emily at the entrance of the school they both attended. She picked up her daughter everyday at one in the afternoon. Then they would have late lunch before her daughter would spend the rest of the day with her in her office.

Three months ago, Felicity had been shocked to find her daughter disheveled and her dress torn with dirt marks on her face although she looked relatively uninjured aided by a young boy maybe two years older than her where she stood.

"What happened?" Felicity ran to her daughter.

"She fell on the monkey bars trying to imitate what me and my friends were doing but she's fine, I checked already," the young boy told her dividing his attention between Felicity and her daughter. "I told you Em, you're not yet tall or old enough for that." The little boy was so concerned and talked to her daughter in a voice that very much sounded like an older brother talking to his younger sibling that for a moment she had to take pause at the picture the two of them made.

"But I wanted to try," Emily hiccupped as she said, "if you can do it. So should I. Besides you were there the whole time, I knew I'd be safe."

Felicity leaned down to wipe away the remaining tear tracks that still covered her daughter face before she turned to the young boy, "thank you for looking out for my Emily."

The little boy smiled at her and she could already see that smile the boy had was going to win him so many girls in a few years time. Right now she was just grateful for the big brother stance of the young boy.

"It's not a bother, she really isn't a bother. She's like one of my best friends!"

At the young boy's statement, her Emily's face lit up like Christmas. She would later find out from the teachers at her daughters school that the young boy was Connor Queen, the son of Oliver Queen, Queen Consolidated heir, current CEO and one of Starling City's most eligible bachelors. Apparently, Connor was a product of one of the youthful affairs of Oliver Queen when he had just turned 21. Now at 27, he was single-father to Connor who proved to be a well-balanced young man at six years old.

From that time Emily had been 'rescued' by Connor on the monkey bars, the two have grown to become even better friends, if there was such a thing as best-best friend, that was what they were, despite the two year age difference.

Connor had even introduced Emily to his Aunt Thea when she had picked him up then, when finally Felicity and Thea had crossed paths, since it was usually Thea who picked up Connor, he had introduced Felicity to his Aunt as Emily's Mom.

Felicity and Thea had met on several occasions after that but had limited their interactions to quick hi's and hello's as the kids where usually in a hurry to get somewhere else except that one time that Connor had convinced Felicity and Emily to join them for Ice Cream and the four of them had bonded.

After bonding over ice cream, Thea and Felicity had exchanged numbers and talked a little about what the other was into and found that despite a lot of obvious differences, they actually had an easy feel about one another, promising each one to find the time to do a second round of ice cream bonding with the kids in the near future.

Felicity blinked several times to get her equilibrium in order, wrapping an arm quickly and firmly around her daughter then searched for the little boy who was the reason they were all in this little room since she realized she probably had been knocked on the head judging by the streak of dried blood her hand had touched on her head.

"I'm sorry," a small voice said from a corner of the room.

"Connor honey, come here," Felicity told him the hand that was feeling her head reached out to the boy who was trying to be brave but was obviously terrified. "It's ok Con, everything's going to be fine. We're all going to be fine. This is some kind of misunderstanding."

The voice that followed the banging of the door debunked whatever attempt Felicity was making to assure both the children with her that they were okay.

"There is no misunderstanding here, none at all. If it isn't clear by now, this is a kidnap-for-ransom matter that you have mixed yourself and your daughter up with when it could have been just all about the little brat over there. But no, you needed to interfere and play hero without a thought for what might be in store for you and your daughter."

Felicity gulped at the statement, swallowing unconsciously.

"That will teach you in the future not to get involve in matters that don't concern you….if you'll have a future that is," the man looked at her with an evil grin.

"Mommy," Emily wrapped her arms around her mother crying, "I'm scared."

"Suusshhh, it's okay. Don't be scared honey. We're going to be okay. All of us," she wrapped her arms tightly around the two children with her and looked at the man challenging him with her last statement.

"When my Dad get's his hands on you, you're going to wish you were never born!" Connor screamed at the man who just laughed.

"He'll have to get his hands on me first, and that would never happen. Now come here little brat! It's time to make that phone call to your Dad and make me and my friends millionaires." He pulled Connor away from Felicity who attempted to pull Connor back to her but was kicked in the ribs by the man for her effort.

"Ah," Felicity couldn't help but let go of Connor and put her hands on her hip at the overwhelming pain.

'That will teach you to stop interfering!"

"My Dad's going to kill you!" Connor shouted at the man and was slapped on the face by the man in return.


Oliver was in the middle of a meeting be didn't want to be in. The drone of the monotonous voice of the head of the accounting department really wasn't helping his cause but as CEO of the company, it was important that he pay attention.

To a lot of the senior officers and the board of directors, Oliver still had to fully prove his worth as a CEO capable of steering the company to even greater heights and not be a lame duck figure head just because he happened to be the son of the owner and majority shareholder of the company.

His Dad, Robert Queen had taken the position of Chairman of the Board and had largely taken a back seat, semi-retired role in favor of his son during the last three years.

The ringing of his phone broke Oliver's wandering thoughts as he saw it was his sister Thea calling him. Since she knew he was in a management committee meeting and usually did not disturb him, he knew her calling him had to be about something major so he made his quick excuse not even taking the time to hear anyone acknowledging it and all but ran outside the room and pressed his call button.

"Thea, what's this about? I'm in the middle of an important meeting."

"Connor."

His son's name was all it took for him to quickly sprint to the executive elevator signaling his long time driver/bodyguard and friend that they were leaving.

"What's wrong?" The hesitation in his sister's voice, she was normally so confident had his stomach churn.

"I was on my way to pick-up Con when I got a call from his school administrator, Ollie, Con was kidnapped a few minutes ago at his school, I haven't gotten all the details yet but I'm about five minutes away. I think you should go there too."

Oliver leaned on the wall of the elevator for support when his sister started to tell him about what happened to his son and forgot to breathe for almost a full minute but nodded at his sister's suggestion.

"I'm on my way now speedy," reverting to his childhood nickname for her.

"Ollie, I'm scared…." his sister's voice trailed off brokenly.

So was he, but he couldn't breakdown now. During the last six years his son had been his life, his reason for living. Sure, did not have all the time in the world to spend with his son with his responsibilities and all, but he had tried to be there for his son as much as he could.

When he had first learned from his then off and on 'friend', not really a girlfriend really since he didn't do relationships back then, more like one of his constants which was one up over one-night stands, he was shocked and didn't know what to do. He was just 21 after all and still enjoying his wanton ways with careless abandon as a privileged youth.

The woman in question didn't want to be tied down with the responsibility of being a mother but was sharp enough to know what the opportunity presented. So together with Oliver's parents and the family lawyers, she had signed her rights away to the child forever and in return, was given two million dollars. The day she gave birth was the last time he and his family has seen the woman. Oliver, with the help of his parents then, raised the young boy until Oliver had finished college, determined more than ever with the added responsibility of son to make something of his senseless life.

Three years ago, he had moved out of the Queen Mansion and moved into the penthouse of a first class residential building with his son. It had been just the two of them with a stay out housekeeper and his younger sister occasionally stopping by.

As Oliver was on his way to his son's school, he had a myriad of thoughts about his son all of them worst case scenarios that upon seeing the familiar front lawn of his son's school, he all but jumped out of the car even before it had fully come to a stop.


"How could this happen!" Oliver said. "The reason why we chose this school was because you assured us our children would be secure and safe here. It's inexcusable!"

Moira Queen, who had arrived at her grandson's school fifteen minutes after her son and twenty minutes after her daughter had clasped her son's hand before turning back to the school administrator, "this is unacceptable. Right now, my grandson is our priority but when this is over, you will hear from our lawyers."

Oliver had turned his attention back to the video that was being shown to them now in a loop of his son being pulled and push inside a black van with a woman who was unceremoniously dragged inside the van after she was hit with the butt of a gun as well as another little girl who was also pushed inside the van.

He had learned from his sister that the woman was one Felicity Smoak and her daughter Emily who also went to school at the same school and their only apparent involvement was trying to do what the security of the school failed to do, save his son. For their trouble, the mother and daughter were also abducted by the men.

With a nod of his head about ten minutes ago, John Diggle who also served as chief of security of the Queen had already done an extensive background check on Felicity Smoak, at least as extensive as it could go given he had all of fifteen minutes and was now approaching him with what was probably some initial information.

Glancing at his friend and bodyguards tablet, he read through the information that he was already half familiar with. Although he had never met the woman himself, his son had mention an Emily and her mom Felicity on more than one occasion but his information about the woman had largely come from his sister who had interactions already with the woman who apparently owned an up and coming gaming company called Game On, inventors/innovators of those games that were downloaded easily as apps from either the Apple store or from a similar site. She had graduated top of her class at MIT a few years back, had a daughter, no mention of the father, no husband and despite her apparent busy schedule, she religiously dropped off her daughter in the morning then picked her up every afternoon from the school almost making her out as some kind of saint given his sister's stories about how she had on more than one instance been kind and accommodating to his son and how her daughter and his son had a special sibling like bond.

While his eyes were mostly on his son in the video, his eyes were always drawn back to the woman, markedly during the exact moment she was butted by the gun and had fallen to the ground making him clench his fists even harder.

That moment she was pulled into the van, unmindful of how she was angled while unconscious and the vision of his son and her daughter both grabbing any part of her body to embrace told him the familiarity his son had with this woman who had probably put her life and the life of her daughter on the line for his son, when it should have been him. It should have been him.

His son rarely took to anyone outside of the family. It was difficult given who he was and how it was ingrained in him at a very young age to be suspicious of everyone who wasn't family. Such was the curse of being born a Queen. But it was clear even to him that this woman and her daughter had pierced that guarded exterior.

His musings where interrupted by his mother as she once again took his arm, "Oliver son, nothing much can be done here. Let's let the police do their work and head home. The detective thinks that if this were a kidnapping, the men responsible would be getting in touch with you soon for ransom. They need to set-up equipment. I think its best this is done at the Mansion."

Oliver exhaled heavily, knowing that the next few hours and maybe days were only going to get worst, nodding to his mother in agreement.


It took another four hours until they finally heard from the kidnappers. It was a video message sent to Oliver's phone that showed his son barely holding it together as he mumbled what sounded as prepared words by the men who abducted him demanding twenty million for his safe return and another five million for the mother and daughter within the next twenty four hours or all of them would be dead by the next minute.

His son in a very small and scared voice went on the rattle out instructions when and where the money was to be sent and in the end repeated the threat of what would happen if the instructions were not followed to the detail including excluding the police from hereon in.

The call was abruptly cut, the video fading and not one of the police technicians had been able to decipher anything usable to them, not a location not even a workable behavioral analysis since it was just a recording featuring is son that was sent via a video that had an IP address that was apparently bouncing around the globe and impossible to trace.

In the end the call had netted them nothing but the information the kidnappers wanted them to know.

Moira had asked for all the police including the chief of police who had deemed the Queen's important enough for him to personally supervise, to excuse them for they would have a talk that would include just the family.

"I don't care about the advice of the police or anyone else's advice. That's my son out there so we pay whatever they want!" Oliver all but screamed to his parents who were both patiently looking at him

"I agree." Moira said simply, still poised in her seat.

"I've already made some calls earlier anticipating this may be what they wanted, we can beat the deadline, I'll just have to liquidate some personal assets, we don't want to touch any QC money now since it will involve the board of directors and we are a little pressed for time," Robert told his son as he approached him giving him a pat on the back.

"Thank you Dad," Oliver told him grateful at the support he was getting from his parents.

"Son, you don't need to thank us. Connor is our grandchild. We would do anything for him. You know that. What about the five million they are asking for the woman and her daughter?" Robert asked him.

Oliver looked at his sister then at his Mom before settling on his father, "we should pay that too. We've all seen the video, the only reason she's caught up in this, they're caught up in this was because she was trying to help Connor. There should be no question about that."

Robert nodded, in silent agreement with his son, "I'll get on it immediately. Now, what about the involvement of the police?"

"I think it's very clear. This matter is now between us and the hostage takers, they shouldn't be informed of our next actions," Oliver said firmly.

"I think they would disagree with that," Moira once again inserted.

"At this point, I think I will have to side with our son dear, this is the life of our grandson we are talking about. I will not gamble with it," Robert told his wife sitting down beside her.

Moira gave both the men penetrating looks before she turned too John Diggle who was asked to join them, "John, can you handle that for us?"

"I'll take care of it, it won't be easy." John Diggle said before exiting.

"What about the family or friends of Felicity. Should they be informed especially since it's now out in the news," Thea said as she pointed to the TV set that was open but had the volume turned down.

"I'll handle that, Thea and I will care of it," Moira assured both her children. "I may not have met the woman but from what I have seen with my own eyes, she cares for Connor to let herself be dragged into this."

Oliver nodded twice before he made a beeline for the alcohol needing a tumbler of something.


The door to the tiny, damp and barely lighted room opened and Connor was pushed unceremoniously inside landing at a heap on the uneven cement floor before the door was shut again with a bang.

Felicity crawled her way to Connor, reaching out to the child.

"Con, are you okay?" Felicity asked him as gently as she could.

"I'm fine. They didn't hurt me, well aside from a lot of shoving and pushing and that slap earlier I mean."

"Come here, why don't you lie down on the bed."

Connor grabbed her hand so he could be aided to stand up but surprised her by saying, "you should take the bed, i saw how hard the man kicked you."

Felicity couldn't help herself, she embraced the boy, "it's nothing I can't handle."

"You shouldn't even be here, you and Em. I'm sorry for getting you caught up in this mess," Connor said to her.

Hearing him say that made Felicity's heart break, "no Con, don't ever think that." She said as she lifted Connor to sit on the tiny bed designed for a child. "This is not your fault. If this is anyone's fault, it's the men who abducted us."

Connor started to sniff, the awareness of what had happened the last few hours finally sinking on.

Felicity placed on arm around Connor and her other one around her own daughter Emily, "we'll be okay. Everything will be okay," whispering the words to the children not sure who she was trying to convince more them or her, giving both children a kiss in the head for comfort.


John looked on as Oliver pounded away at the punching bag at the Queen Mansion gym. Oliver had been at it for more than thirty minutes not looking like he would be letting up in the next few minutes.

"We're doing everything we can Oliver," John said.

Oliver gave out one more strong punch before he turned to Diggle, "I know you are." Oliver rubbed his face several times, "and I know Dad and Mom are also doing everything they can. I just feel so helpless. He's my son after all. My son! Why am I doing nothing? What kind of father does that make me!"

"Oliver, don't be too hard on yourself. No one could have anticipated something like this happening."

"But he's my son. He must be so scared right now. Thank God that he has someone with him, this Felicity and her daughter. Both of them I don't even know anything about except that they are both with my son right now. This Felicity is probably doing what I should doing right now for my son, doing everything to keep him safe if what we all saw on that video was any reflection of what this woman is capable of. That gives me at least some peace knowing he's with someone like that, that he's not alone."

John eyed his friend for a few long seconds before he answered, "I met her once you know."

Oliver looked up at his bodyguard and good friend with a confused look before he realized who John was referring to, "Felicity?"

"Yeah," John answered him with a smile, "she's definitely something, different, good different, someone who you wouldn't be able to forget meeting. From what I witness myself when she was with her daughter, she's definitely a good mom, a nurturer, maybe that's why Connor took to her so easily. That's a good woman there."

Oliver just nodded absorbing the information John was sharing with him, "I hope I get to meet and thank her personally when this is all over. Between you and Thea singing her praises and Connor being so relaxed with her, looks like i missed out a lot not knowing her."

"Easily resolved when this is over, maybe lunch or something like that with her and her daughter who's like Connor's best buddy, didn't ever think he'd have a girl best buddy who was two years younger than him."

"So perfect mother, highly respected business woman with an eye for the future from what I've read…."

"And easy on the eyes, great sense of humor, the list just goes on," John inserted just to gauge Oliver's reaction.

Oliver shrugged, "and the woman is single you said?"

"Single, unattached, apparently married to her work and dedicated to her daughter," John answered him.

"I may know someone who's cut from the same type of cloth," Oliver gave John his first smile since the news of his son's kidnapping.

John moved forward and tapped the back of his friend twice, "could be a match made in heaven under different circumstances, something to look forward to in the future when this current crisis is resolved. But really, what I meant to tell you earlier, that's why I went looking for you and found you here was this," John Diggle produced a manila folder that Oliver had now only realized John was holding the whole time.

Oliver spent a few minutes going over the documents inside the folder then looked up at John with a new purpose, "these validated?"

John just nodded knowing a response was not necessary as the wheels were already turning in his friend's head.

"This is something I can do, instead of feeling useless," Oliver grabbed his abandoned shirt and hurriedly placed it back on before he turned to his friend, "have some ideas how we approach this?"

Oliver and John were almost out the Mansion door when his sister's voice called him back making his step back into the foyer with a questioning look at her.

"Ollie, I wouldn't even question why you feel the need to leave at this time so I won't," a note of slight reproach on his sister's voice, "but before you go do whatever it is you feel you need to do right now, I'd like to introduce you to the people who Felicity Smoak considers her family in Starling City."

Upon hearing the name of the woman who had occupied his thoughts briefly earlier he had unconsciously stepped forward and was already reaching out a hand to the two men, who looked more like teenagers really, "Oliver, Oliver Queen," shaking both the hands of the men/boys.

"I'm Barry, Barry Allen and this is Cisco, Cisco Ramon," we both work with Felicity.

"She's sort of our boss, but she doesn't want anyone calling her that," Cisco shared with a smile.

"We," Barry cleared his throat, "we heard the news and Ms. Queen…"

"I told you to call me Thea." Thea interjected.

"Sorry, yeah Thea was in our office earlier today and told as a bit of what was happening since we practically new nothing except for what we he heard on the news. The police had also been over earlier today and we couldn't really tell them anything since, we well…..we didn't know anything. Ms. Queen….Thea, was kind enough to invite us over your house…which is a Mansion, it's…"

"Massive…" Cisco inserted this time with a big smile, "I can describe this house in so many words but, massive seems to fit."

Barry nodded at Cisco, momentarily trying to gather his thoughts again after being interrupted, "as I was saying," looking pointedly at Cisco, "Thea invited us over to share more information with us because all we know is that together with your son," waving a loose hand at Oliver, "Felicity and Emily were both taken hostage too. We don't have any idea what to do, do they have demands? Nothing. I'm not really sure how we are suppose to go about that, Felicity doesn't have any relatives in Starling, we are basically her family, hers and Emily's, everyone at the office is."

Oliver looked Barry in the eye, "my sister will give you all the updates you need. You're also welcome to stay over as long as you want to be sure if we have any new information you'll get it immediately too. About any demands or ransom, we will take care of it, anything that the hostage takers would demand for the safe return of both mother and daughter. We will take care of it. They are equally important as my son. You have my word, my family's word on that."

"I'm sorry too, for what happened to your son that is…I know this isn't any easier for you and your family," Barry said solemnly.

Oliver just nodded at Barry then looked his sister for a few seconds, a signal she acknowledged before Thea stepped forward and gently nudged both Barry and Cisco toward the receiving area while giving her brother a look that told him he had some explaining to do later for the disappearing act he was about to pull.