Hey guys,

This little thing was written for #Hoodsmoaked 's "Olicitations/35 Days of Arrow" Challenge on Tumblr. The prompt was "The Queen Family".

Enjoy.

Sitting on the couch with the emptiness of the huge Queen mansion echoing around her, Moira had time to think about her life in the past year and a half. How everything suddenly turned upside down and continued to go downhill for a long while.

Eighteen months ago she was married to a wonderful, loving man, that reminded her what it really felt like to be married. One, who loved her daughter like his own, yet never once did he try to overshadow her father. Eighteen months ago, her daughter was in school and was living a life suited for her age - a careless teenager with more freedom than what's good for her, but also more baggage than someone her age should have.

However, eighteen months ago, Moira also received notice that her only son was alive and coming home. She still remembered that phone call at exactly twenty minutes to four in the afternoon and the weak, masculine "Mom," that sounded through the phone, causing her to drop it in surprise and let out a wail.

Eighteen months ago, she was also a highly respected member of society, compared to now. She had the authority and respect a woman of her caliber deserved.

And now?

Now all she had was fear. People feared her. She could hear their whispers and stares everywhere she went, but she wouldn't let them the pleasure of seeing how affected she was by them. No. She walked with her back straight and head held high.

Now, she was alienated from her own husband - one whom she loved, despite everything that happened between them.

Her daughter was throwing her youth away in order to cope with all the changes in her life. Her innocence torn violently away from her,

And her son, her only son, was a man she no longer recognized. Of course, she never expected him to be the same Ollie he was six years ago, to be honest- she was glad he wasn't. But there was something about him that unsettled her. She could see very well how lonely he was, how desperate for closeness and affection, but she couldn't understand why he pushed everyone away. She was terrified by the shadows that swam in his eyes - Oliver thought she didn't know, that she couldn't see through the facade he put on for the rest of the world. But how could she not? She is his mother.

She is also the one who's responsible for her son's current predicament.

Of course, she was guilty. She was guilty of damning her son to a fate worse than death. She was guilty of the 503 lost lives in the Glades and she also blamed herself for Tommy's death - her son's best friend and brother, whom she loved no less than her own children. A young man, who denied his own grief in order to help Thea cope with the loss of her father and brother. This guilt would burden her for the rest of her life. And she was okay with that, because it was her pound of flesh to bear.

Moira's eyes shifted to the mantle where her gaze fell onto the framed picture of the four of them - Walter, Thea, Oliver and herself - at last year's Christmas party. All of them smiling - all of them together.

The longer she looked at it the more determined she felt. They were going to work things out. Her son was going to be home more often, her daughter would go to college like a normal girl her age should, she would work things out with Walter - show him that everything she did was to protect her family.

They will be a family again. They will survive.

Because they are fighters.

Because they are the Queens.