Very important AN before the chapter:

I don't know if people like this story or not, but since no one reviewed last chapter I got a bit scared that you are not enjoying this as I would like you to, that the story is not for your taste or you think my writing is shit. But if I'm wrong and if there are still people reading it, I would love for someone to review. I like to know what people think. Now, if there is someone out there scared I won't finish this, don't worry, even if I'm the only reader, I will finish it.

Part X

Thea started smirking a second before the door knob turned and a man in jeans and an old t-shirt entered with worried eyes.

"Oh, there you are!" he sighed, looking at Felicity with a smile. "Wait! What the hell is going on in here? Were you cleaning the study by yourself? What if you fell? Or something fell on you! I thought you were napping!" Oliver's voice was getting louder with each word, while Felicity observed him patiently.

When he finally shut up, Felicity found her opportunity to speak.

"I had a chair next to me in case I got tired, these were just papers, not heavy stuff. I just wanted to get some space to put the cribs." Felicity explained and Oliver's eyes closed momentarily.

"Okay, but next time you want to be part of House Extreme Makeover just ask for some help, alright?" Oliver asked and Felicity sighed before nodding.

"Seriously, I can't wait to see you when the contractions start." Thea joked and Oliver grumbled at her.

"That's why we decided on using painkillers." Oliver said smugly and Felicity nodded quickly.

"Yup, if there are painkillers involved count me in. Science rocks!" Felicity said, tickling Connor that laughed at her.

Oliver closed the distance between him and Felicity and, extending his arm, brought her body against his.

"Will the lady accompany me to the garden? There's a beautiful day awaiting for you…" he whispered in her ear and Felicity giggled under her breath.

"There are kids present!" Thea said, ushering Connor out of the door. "Maybe we should give them some privacy, kid…"

"It's so good to see her joking like that…" Oliver sighed, kissing Felicity's temple. Both of them were looking at the place Thea was just moments ago.

"She is a strong person, all the Queens are, really…" Felicity winked at him and Oliver smiled softly.

"It's hard to remember when she was with Merlyn… She was not Thea, not my baby sister…" Oliver sighed.

"Hey, you can't think like that! It was long and painful, but Thea is back now! She was able of fighting her own demons and come out stronger!" Felicity replied with heat in her words and a shine in her eyes. It was not the first time she showed just how proud she was of Thea's victory.

And even if she was still waiting for her own victory, she didn't lost her hope.

The days following the meeting with Ra's al-Ghul were the harshest for their team. Oliver and Roy snapped at each other with vicious quickness, Diggle tried to balance their fighting natures in the lair while Felicity did that out of the lair, letting Oliver vent when they were at home or taking Roy out for a burger or just to see the newest Expendables movie. She had a way with them and when, the next day, they would see each other some kind of apology was traded… until the next time… because their fights were consequences of a circle repeated every day until they made a decision…

They couldn't stop Ra's, it was madness and they would die, but they couldn't fight Thea either, it was against their natural instincts, she was their family…

They held one more meeting with Ra's al Ghul, this time in the looming lair, much different from the imposing dojo they had been in before.

Felicity noticed how the man appeared not to pay any mind to the place where they stood, because he probably was in worse places than this one…

"We agree in helping you in finding and imprisoning Malcolm Merlyn, but we want something in return. We want Thea Queen's fate in our hands. We will decide what is done with her. That's our proposition." Oliver said in a cold voice. Beside him, Felicity shivered.

"You really think I can't do this without you? That I,that trained the man, couldn't defeat him? You want me to give you a person that could be a follower of the Dark Archer? Do you think me a fool?" Ra's al Ghul said, his voice low, but nonetheless menacing.

"We have allies that could help or harden your mission." Oliver said. It was a shot in the dark, Amanda Waller only said the presence of the League was a concern for her as well, so they hoped if things went south that ARGUS could be of some help.

Ra's looked at all of them, his eyes lingering a bit longer in Felicity.

"We will take care of her, we will help her." Roy begged.

"What if you can't, Mr. Harper? What if she is too far gone?"

"We love her, we will help her see the reason." Roy replied.

"Please." Felicity whispered.

"Love." Ra's al Ghul drawled. "Love makes people suffer. It makes people loose their focus. Sometimes it makes a father never return to his daughter, because he wants to protect her." in that moment the man's eyes were on Felicity and she felt her heart freeze. What was he talking about? Why was he looking at her like that?

"You are remarkably similar with your mother, Miss Smoak." Ra's said and Felicity felt Oliver tense beside her. "But you have your father's heart. It didn't end well for him, and I'm afraid it won't end well for you."

Felicity was frozen in the spot. Her brain working a mile an hour, trying to understand what was going on.

"Father?" Nyssa called, confusion in her voice. She was standing right next to the stairs, waiting for a clarification.

"Miss Smoak's father saved my life a long time ago. He was an incredible operative, not exactly a member of our league, but close enough to be regarded as a trusted man." Ra's al Ghul explained. "I own him a life debt. You can have your little girl, but don't forget, if she steps out of line we will know. And if she tries to protect her father and dies in battle I won't be held responsible.". The man turned around to walk out.

"Wait!" Felicity yelled, running to place herself in front of the man.

"You knew my father?! Tell me!" she begged.

Ra's al Ghul looked at her for a few moments, and then started walking towards the exit, leaving Felicity behind with doubts swirling in her mind and heart.

Oliver, Diggle and Roy ran to her, while Sara stood between the group and Nyssa unsure of what to do.

"Go..." the Heir to the Demon whispered not in an unkind way and Sara ran to her old team, while Nyssa followed her father out.

Felicity's eyes were glued to the floor, her shoulders tense and her hands in trembling fists. She looked up towards the lair door and before anyone could stop her, she started running up the stairs.

"Wait! You wait now!" she yelled, running towards the car to what Nyssa was walking slowly. The woman turned around to see the blonde one running and passing her. She opened the back door and sat beside the man eyeing her with surprise.

"You can't just drop a bomb like that and then waltz away like it was nothing! You own me explanations! Who was my father? What was his job? Was he an assassin? How did he save your life?" Felicity asked.

Ra's evaluated her with shrewd eyes. His expression told nothing while Felicity looked at him with trepidation.

"If you can keep your promise of keeping Thea Queen under control I will give you the information. I promise on my honor."

"When will you do that?" Felicity replied in a breathy voice.

"When I see fit. When I see her as no longer a danger ."

Felicity wanted to say more, but she felt hands pulling her out of the car. They were kind, if a bit cold.

"That's enough, Felicity." Nyssa whispered, while removing her from her father's car. "Go to Oliver, he is waiting for you. All of them are."

Looking back, Felicity could see the team waiting for her, with Oliver's stance unsure if he should stay put or go to her. But Sara's hand kept him in place and she thanked her friend for that. She needed this time with Ra's al Ghul.

"I will be waiting." Felicity said, before turning her back to the man.

When she reunited with the team, Oliver's hand found hers immediately and Felicity sighed at his warm fingers.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly and Felicity smiled at them.

"Of course I am…" she replied and four pair of brows furrowed at her with skepticism.

"I am…" she whispered. "Look, I lived my entire life without depending on my father… now, maybe I will find out about his life and his work, but I won't let that rule my life, okay? We have more important stuff to focus on…" she said looking at each other and making sure they understood her choice.

They nodded slowly, their eyes glued to her face and she smiled at their understanding.

"Now, let's find Thea!" Felicity said, pumping her fist in the air.

"I will act as a bridge between The League and your searches. Together we will be able of finding her…" Sara said immediately, giving Felicity the way out she needed.

But it was harder than they thought. Malcolm could find allies in many places, old criminals that had a vengeful strike against the Arrow or people that benefited with The Undertaking. People that would protect him and create mayhem when it was needed.

When they were finally found, trying to escape when news of Ra's al Ghul closing in them reached their ears, Oliver ran to the place. They had to fight their way through a small army of tugs while Ra's al Ghul and his assassins closed in Merlyn and Thea, but it was not a real challenge, not after Slade's.

However, when faced with the closed door separating him from Thea, he froze. Felicity was talking with him through the coms, but it was like he couldn't hear. He was frozen.

"Oliver! What is going on?" Felicity was asking, while Diggle and Roy tried to reach Oliver with their words.

"What if she hates me?" Oliver asked softly.

Felicity breathed deeply and disconnected the communicator.

A minute later, steps were heard behind them.

"Hey…" Felicity whispered, touching Oliver's shoulder. "I'm here…"

"You should have waited in the van…"

"We already know I'm not the kind of girl to wait…" Felicity winked at him, trying to lift his spirits. "Look, we don't know what is going on behind that door! Do you want to wait and let Thea make a stupid mistake and put herself in danger?"

"Sara won't let her… Nyssa is there as well, I know they will stop her from doing anything without hurting her…" Oliver said.

"Yes, they are there… but they are not her brother… they are not the brother who saw that little girl's first word or first steps. They are not the brother she longed for for five years… They are not the brother she always looked up to… Don't you think she wants to see you?" Felicity asked, squeezing his biceps.

Oliver closed his eyes and sighed.

Opening the door, he stepped inside the room to see two persons sitting in two chairs, handcuffed. Malcolm was bleeding profusely from his mouth and chest wounds. Beside him, Thea had a black eye and a cut in her temple. She was gagged.

Oliver walked towards her, taking the cloth from her mouth.

"She is alive and safe, just like promised…" Ra's al Ghul said. "Let's see how things go from now on…" he joined and Felicity couldn't stop the suspicion that he thought their mission impossible.

Oliver saw Thea's head rise to look at him, her eyes colder than he ever saw before. It chilled him more than all the nights in Lian Yu. It was a look of pure indifference.

"Thea…" Oliver whispered, trying to comb her unruly hair, but the young woman moved her head away from his hand, leaving it empty.

"Thea!" Roy called, appearing in Oliver's other side.

Thea spared him a simple detached look and Roy gasped at her expression, it was not angry, not furious, or hopeful, or in love, or any of the others he spent his nights imagining her using when they finally meet again. No, it was cruel in her unresponsiveness.

When Oliver uncuffed her, Thea rose her body swiftly and with a quick kick, she hit him in his injured knee, making him crumble. Oliver heard Felicity running towards him and the scuffle of his girlfriend trying to keep his sister in place. When Oliver looked up, he saw Felicity with a bloody face, her ponytail in a wild bush, Roy locking Thea's wrists behind her back and then a swift arrow appearing in his sister's neck. Her eyes rolled back and she passed out against Roy's chest.

"You are welcome." Nyssa said from beside Sara, her hand putting inside her jacked the small pipe she used to send the dart.

Roy was looking shocked at the girl in his arms, Diggle was ripping a part of his shirt for Felicity to put against her mouth and Oliver was left speechless in the middle of that crazy scene that was now his world.

He looked at Ra's al Ghul and noticed the serious expression on the man's face. He was looking at Felicity while Dig tried to assess the damage to her face. In that moment, Oliver realized they only could take Thea because of Felicity, that they only had a chance at happiness once again because of her. In that moment, Oliver vowed to himself to never let go of her, to never let his doubts tarnish their relationship once again. Not because he felt he owed her, but because he was finally sure not only him, but they, their team, their family couldn't leave without her love, and damn be him if he was the one to make the mistake of keeping her away.

When they were able of reaching the lair, they put Thea in the metal bed used when one of them was injured. They had left Malcolm with Ra's, the latter assuring them that they would never see The Dark Archer again. They all knew what it meant and if Merlyn's expression meant something, he knew it too.

"Where are we going to put her?" Roy asked.

"Maybe we should restrain her somehow..." Felicity suggested softly, her eyes assessing the sleeping girl. "So she won't get away before you can explain everything."

"And put in jeopardy the info about your father, right?" Roy bit back and Felicity's eyes widened in shock .

"Hey!" Oliver growled at the same time Felicity tried to stutter a reply.

"We are all tense here, let's not fight between us. Roy, that was uncalled for." Diggle said in his deep voice.

Roy's eyes were downcast when he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Felicity. I didn't mean it, I was being a bastard." he said, only rising his eyes when he felt a small hand squeezing his biceps. He looked up to see Felicity with a smile on her face.

"I understand, it's not your fault." she said and Roy sighed, smiling back at her.

"But I agree with Felicity, if her face is any proof , Thea's power rose under the tutelage of her father." Dig suggested, waiting for the other men's input.

They didn't like it, but in the end, weighting down Thea's safety, they agreed with it.

When the girl woke up, she tried to fight her cuffs, until blood ran from her wrists. Felicity felt her stomach churn and could just imagine how much more painful it was for Oliver and Roy.

When she tired herself, she started looking at the place she was being held.

"Nice spot, Verdant's basement wasn't enough?" she asked and they looked at her, surprised.

"I have been watching you. I know that Felicity was there a week ago to retrieve an old system and that Roy likes to prowl in there.

"So, you knew where we were, but we didn't know where you were." Oliver said, using the deathly calm Felicity was used to, when he wanted to hide just how mad he was.

"There was not much for you to know. A time in Peru, another in the jungle of Brazil, a bit in India, always with daddy dearest." Thea said in a sarcastic tone.

"And what did Merlyn taught you? How to fight?" Oliver asked.

"How to kill." she whispered with a smirk that made Roy shiver. "Don't look like that, babe. You killed too."

"Then why did you save Oliver in that roof?" Diggle asked and for the first time Thea's mask slipped. They saw her eyes move quickly to the other side of the room, where Felicity watched.

"You are the hacker, the EA, the landlord and now the girlfriend. Oliver kept you pretty busy, Felicity." Thea said, in a clear maneuver to evade Dig's question. "I wondered why my brother kept you around all the time, but now I know. It's for when Laurel is giving him the told shower or Sara or any other woman he is fucking…"

"Thea!" Oliver exclaimed shocked. "Why are you saying that? You were never cruel!" he couldn't believe what his sister was saying. She was trying to hurt Felicity on purpose, making her doubt him.

"Thea…" Roy whispered painfully.

However, Felicity was having none of that. She walked slowly towards the young woman and pulling her arm back, she slapped her on the face, the sound resounding through the lair. The young woman was so shocked, just like the rest of the team, she was instantly silent.

"Now, you listen to me, Thea! You can say all the shit you want about me, but don't think I will let you hurt those two men! They love you more than their own lives, they would die for you in a second. Don't you dare try to hurt them! I know you are saying those things to protect yourself, probably that's one of the things Malcolm taught you, but you have to let someone in…"

Oliver caught Thea's eyes, noticing the flash of reconnaissance of the same words she said to him right after he came back from the island. Felicity was throwing them back at her, without knowing it.

"You are Thea, not a Queen, not a Merlyn, you are your own person, and you have to make some choices. God knows we all have to do them! Once a month I have to call my mom to see if she is still alive or if she drank herself to dead in one of her Vegas parties! I choose to have my own life, but I choose to still worry about her as well, she was not much of a mother, but I still care for her. I don't know if that makes me stupid, and I don't care, it's my choice and I have to back it up. You can't have someone else dictate your life, not a father, a brother or a boyfriend. Are you a killer in your core? If yes, then let's go arrow some people. If not, you should really think about your future choices. We can help you, but only if you accept it!" Felicity finished, her breathing pattern labored. She turned her back on Thea and walked out of the lair.

The three men were left speechless and Thea watched the woman walk away with a shadow in her eyes.

When Felicity arose from the stairs into the fresh night air, she bent over herself and supported her hands against her knees. She felt like she had run a marathon. Saying those things to Thea was not easy. Using her past as an example of her choices would never be easy, but she had to do something. Oliver and Roy were so lost…

"Hey…" Diggle's voice echoed from behind her and Felicity turned to see the man closing the door.

"Oh, hi…" she replied poorly and the man grinned at her.

"Let's arrow some people?" he quoted and Felicity chuckled.

"C'mon, I was bluffing, born in Vegas, remember? It's like a second nature…" she said.

Diggle sighed deeply and stood beside her, his hands inside his pockets. Around them the place was empty like always. Oliver had choose wisely his hideout in the outskirts of town, where not even drug dealers thought to make their deals.

"What you said downstairs… it got to her… we all saw it… but it will take time… And I'm afraid Oliver and Roy don't have the patience for that…" Diggle said, looking at the moon in the sky.

"They will, it's Thea…" she said, like it explained everything.

It probably did.

Diggle's phone started ringing and he took it out, noticing it was a video call.

"You're on, babe…" he said and saw Lyla chuckle on the other side.

"Say hi to daddy and…" Diggle moved the phone to show his companion.

"Hi Lyla!"

"…aunt Felicity!"

"Hi baby boy!" Felicity cooed, seeing Andy wave his tiny fists around.

"What is my big man doing up?" Diggle asked, with a smile and Andy's eyes widen and he smiled when he heard his father's voice.

"I miss my daddy…" Lyla answered and they both laughed.

"Go home…" Felicity said.

"Are you sure?" he replied and she nodded with a smile.

"Go, and have a great family time…"

Diggle disconnected the call and kissed her on the cheek.

"Go! I will tell the guys for you!" Felicity pushed him towards his car.

He waved one last time before driving away.

Felicity sighed, wondering when would be her time to have a family of her own.