This chapter might shed some light on Moira's actions as Diggle asks her to leave and she does… She's really, really complex and the reason for the delay in posting… I hope you still enjoy...

Gate of the Queen Estate, some time later…

The car drove at an alarming speed towards the still closed gate. The security guard on duty only had time to push the emergency button to open it wide as fast as possible. Even then it almost crashed through it. Without slowing down the driver raced up the sloping driveway toward the mansion. The car came at a screeching halt in front of the porch. Moira lost no time and jumped out of it almost before it stopped.

"Thea! THEA! Where are you?"

The front door opened revealing a very puzzled Raisa as Moira stumbled through.

"THEA!" Wild eyes scanned the entry hall for the younger family member.

"Mom! Stop yelling! I've come home early like you asked. This is me being a cooperative daughter right now, see… " The voice came from somewhere upstairs. When Thea got on the landing she saw her mother standing downstairs in the entry hall. She looked lost and fragile nowhere near the strong and composed woman everyone was accustomed to see. A feeling of dread settled in Thea's stomach as she slowly walked down the large staircase her eyes never leaving her mother.

"What is it?"

Something was definitely off… As she reached the bottom, she could take a closer look and what she saw made her feel sick. Wordlessly Moira had opened her arms, tears welling up in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks…

"Thea, there's been an attack… Oliver?" her voice failed and she had to take a deep breath not to lose it right there. Oh God, how do you tell your eighteen year old daughter that her brother has been shot and is fighting for his life right while you're standing in front of her in a helpless heap? Thea needed her, a strong parent, not a whining helpless woman… She could see the moment the pieces fell into place.

"No!" the scream was heart-shattering… Sobbing Thea sank to the ground…. "No, no, no…This can't be happening again!" It was the night the Queen's Gambit had been lost at sea all over…. Ollie… Even as sobs racked her body she could feel her mother's arms encircle her, trying to provide some comfort. Her mother was murmuring to her but the words didn't penetrate her mind. Oliver was gone. Again.

Moira cursed inwardly. She had let her feelings overwhelm her and now her youngest thought her brother was dead, gone for good this time… She had to make her understand…

"Thea! THEA! Oliver's alive… He's been shot, but he's alive! Do you hear me?" Seeing that her words didn't register, she took her daughter's face in her hands forcing her to look at her. "He's alive… He's been taken to Starling General and treated as we speak. He's alive!" At least last I heard her still reeling mind added.

At some distance Raisa had witnessed the whole scene. She stood by the front door; she had closed it after Mrs Queen had stormed through it. She had never seen her that way… not even after… Oh God! Her hands flew to her mouth as realization hit … Something really bad must have happened to Mister Oliver. She stood frozen to the spot, tears silently streaming down her face. Images from long ago when Oliver was still a young boy hit her, the kind words he said to her as she almost dropped dinner in his lap months ago, shortly after he had returned… The evening she caught him studying something on his computer when she had brought him dinner … Ever since then she had suspected he had changed … She could see the façade, the mask he had put on for his family. The billionaire playboy was back… but he always had been so much more…

His eyes always had told her a different story. They had expressed all he could not after he came back… and then there had been the traces she'd found in his room… The blood marks on the linens, the discarded bandages… the tapes… Somehow he still was the little boy littering his chambers while trying to hide what he had been up to… she suspected, but never dared to ask. She was sure he had found a way to be the good person she always had seen in him… Her attention was drawn back to the women sitting on the floor. Moira's words gave her back hope…

"Thea! Listen!" Moira's eyes scanned hers looking for confirmation that she understood the situation. "We need to get to the hospital and we need to be strong for Oliver. You know there will be questions…" At Thea's weak nod she hugged her close once more, both rocking forward and backward in mutual comfort.

Moira took a deep shuddering breath putting some distance between her and her daughter. "Please let me handle the situation. We need to get to the hospital and see what we can do. For your brother and for my son!" Her eyes closed as her own words registered. God knows I've failed him often enough as it is… "Come! We need to go! Mr Diggle is waiting for us at Starling General."

The drive to the hospital was made in silence mother and daughter trying to gather enough energy to face the world.

Starling General,

He had made it to the hospital in record time praying he wasn't too late. Making sure Oliver wasn't recognized as the Arrow was important after all. Diggle wasn't too keen about the delay it caused, but he respected the man and his chosen path. Slipping back into professional bodyguard mode, he had called ahead, signalling their imminent arrival describing the injuries his boss had sustained, so a trauma team was ready as the car screeched to a halt… Clearly it had its advantages to use the name "Queen" and "immediate help required" in the same sentence. He knew the family had donated large amounts of cash through the years to help set up the newest and best medical equipment available. So discretion wouldn't be a problem, if the paparazzi didn't get wind of this… but surely Moira would provide the necessary cover they needed; of that Diggle was sure. She would have to find a suitable explanation for the arrow wound, but the Dark Archer had shot people before so it might provide a believable cover story. The police would want a statement too. Moira Queen was a resourceful woman, she had shown them often enough what she was capable of and somehow Diggle felt she owed Oliver at least this much help in his quest for redemption… No doubt she and her daughter would show up soon … and probably Lance too. Thinking about it, the man seemed always to pop up when Oliver was in trouble…

After Oliver had been whisked away into a trauma room to get his injuries assessed, Diggle was left standing outside trying to put some order to his thoughts. He had been shown an adjacent waiting room where he slid into a chair letting out a deep sigh. How many times had he dreaded that kind of outcome? He had warned Oliver, but no the kid had to follow his own stubborn head. Shaking his head Diggle closed his eyes for a moment.

It was only then, when the adrenaline started to wear down that his thoughts flew to Felicity. She must have heard what went on, but he hadn't heard a sound from her since before the showdown at the warehouse. He had discarded the earpiece in the car with the rest of their equipment. So he whipped out his phone to make a call he dreaded to.

At the foundry,

In the meantime Felicity had lived through the whole battle and its outcome only in audio version over the ear-piece. She had heard Oliver gasp as the arrow found its mark deep into his chest. Her hand immediately flew to her mouth to stifle her own gasp. His breath had become laboured and wheezing as it reverberated in her ear. Something must be very wrong she could feel it. But what made the tears well up was the tone of his voice - it was peculiar. There was a note to it she had only heard once before… when he had gone to confront Cyrus Gold. Her eyes went wide as realization hit, sending a flash of fear through her chest – it was … acceptance. He had resigned to the inevitable as his mission was fulfilled and his mother safe. Oliver was giving up. He had embraced the fact that he was going to die.

"Oliver! No!"

An anguished cry escaped her lips as she understood he was trying to say good-bye. To say she was frightened beyond understanding was an understatement. Quickly she gathered her purse and started towards her car. She needed to get to the hospital too… as soon as she could… It was at that moment her phone had started to ring. Her trembling fingers made it almost impossible for her to push the buttons all the while fumbling with her purse.

"Dig?" The man must have sensed her terror, because he immediately answered her unspoken question.

"Oliver's alive… for now. Felicity it is very serious. Merlyn shot him in the chest. It doesn't look too good, but he's hanging in there. He's strong."

Felicity had only heard every few words. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. What if…? Infection…? Chest wound…? Consequences…? What would the after-effects be? Would he still be able to fulfil his self-set mission?

"Felicity! We'll cross that bridge when we have to."

"Yes?" Oh! Had she said the last words aloud?

"Come as fast as you can, but drive carefully. We don't need two thirds of the team in hospital!" The call was disconnected then, leaving her speechless for once. What had he meant by that?

The drive was a blur. She didn't even remember how or where she had left her car when she hurried through the sliding doors. After asking for directions, she was ushered to the same waiting room Diggle was already pacing. As he sensed her presence, he turned and caught her in a tight embrace, willing to pass her some strength to face the long waiting he was sure was ahead of them. It probably and hopefully would be hours before they would get word on Oliver's condition. They hadn't been in the room for long, when they heard commotion just outside. No doubt Moira Queen had made an appearance. Diggle let go of Felicity to join her outside the waiting room. As she set her eyes on him, she seemed to calm down a bit.

"Any word yet?"

"No. This might very well take hours… So please Mrs Queen. Take a seat. I'll see if I can get us some information. I've always had a good hand with hospital personnel…"

If Moira had heard the "us", she didn't react upon it, neither did she question Felicity's presence in the room. She was already thinking of ways to diffuse the situation. As soon as the news would hit the press they would be grilled for information and it didn't bode well for a firm as large as Queen Consolidated to have its CEO in hospital because he had been attacked. She took a seat trying to come up with plausible answers to calm down the investors. It had taken Oliver months to get the firm afloat again after she had almost sunk it single-handedly. His efforts were not to be in vain. He had proven far more resourceful than she would have suspected even after his return form the island.

Thea had watched the exchange between her mother and Oliver's bodyguard in silence. The presence of Oliver's EA hadn't escaped her attention either. How was it possible that she was at the hospital even before them? What was she doing with her brother in the middle of the night? She took a closer look at the assistant, trying not to be too obvious. She could see her fingers twisting anxiously before she got her tablet out and busied herself with it. Her eyes did seem a little reddened… There was definitely more to this, but now was not the moment to dwell on it so she sunk into a nearby chair.