My name is Oliver Queen. For 5 years I was stranded on an island with only one goal-survive. Now I will fulfill my father's dying wish to use the list of names he left me and bring down those who are poisoning my city. To do this, I must become someone else. I must become something else.

"Remind me again how you talked me into this," she said. "I graduated M.I.T. at the age of 19 and managed to land a position at one of the most forward-thinking companies in the world. Explain to me how you convinced me to play Wii in my underwear?"

"You're not done hula hooping," he replied behind his glass of wine. She turned and glared at him but kept up the suggestive hip movements. Decked in a black bra and underwear, he was getting a very nice show. "I seem to recall the word bet in our earlier agreement."

"Yeah well you cheated. No one is that good at cards and I was counting them."

"I learn something new about you every day. Counting cards Miss Smoak. Hacking arcades and counting cards...tsk tsk."

"World domination Queen. World domination. Did you cheat?"

"I did and I still managed to convince you to do yoga, boxing, and hula hooping. I'd say I won."

"How did you cheat?!" The character is sobbing on screen when she lunges at him. He grabs her around the waist, wrapping his arms around her laughing as she pokes his chest relentlessly. "How?!"

"The cards are marked," he explains. Her indignation rises up and she growls at him. He can't help but laugh as she wrestles him to the couch. She clutches his wrists and leans over him menacingly. She weighs next to nothing but he lets her think she has the upper hand.

"You planned to cheat," she says narrowing her eyes. "You brought those cards and came up with this elaborate plan to get me do all those embarrassing exercises!"

"Yes my dastardly plans have been found out. My elaborate plan to get you to suggest the wager worked. Also can we discuss how the wager was made and you planned to count cards? You wanted me to do my workout naked for your amusement."

"I don't remember that. I think maybe you're hallucinating. I'm pretty sure I was totally against the wager but you did that little smile and I caved. I'm weak. Do you want to lie down? Maybe you have a fever. It would explain your crazy explanations for how you got an innocent IT girl to do this." She puts her hand on his forehead thoughtfully. Before she can comment again he's swept her into his arms and carries her to her bedroom. Before long soft moans fill the air while the Wii game continues to wait for the next activity to be selected.

"Tahitian green or midnight black? What do you think Ollie?" Thea's paging through car ads and looking up at him expectantly. When she asks him what he was doing the night before, he just says poker and wrestling. It's not exactly a lie.

"Speedy you've been hinting all week and Mom still isn't buying you a car for your birthday."

"I could not have said it better myself," Moira says as she fiddles with her purse.

"Ollie got a car when he turned 18!"

"Yeah but I could back it out of the driveway without hitting a tree." He's famished and the apple is not going to do it for him. He needs a solid breakfast. Felicity only has yogurt in her apartment and while that seems to be enough for her, he is starving.

"I seem to remember you taking the paint off the side of your dad's Maserati." Tommy looks good. He looks well rested and oddly energetic. He kisses Moira's cheek and turns to Speedy. "So birthday girl...are you sure about the convertible?"

"Top down, wind in my hair...yes."

"Come on Thea...the party planner is waiting." His mother heads for the door, swinging her purse over her shoulder.

"Sure thing Mom. Oh and Ollie? I expect something expensive for my birthday."

"So how's your mom holding up?" Tommy asks, grabbing a danish from the tray. The blueberry danish vanishes in two bites and Tommy looks down at the tray for more.

"She's okay. Thea thinks she's a little too okay actually. She's been acting erratically."

"Well if anyone has an excuse, it's probably her."

Tommy and Oliver head out to get breakfast and slide into the booth of a city diner. Oliver is famished and for the first time in a long time, orders a large variety of food. He's diet has been improving but he still usually goes with blander, fruit-based meals. Today though he wants sausage and bacon, pancakes and eggs, potatoes, and fruit. Tommy looks on in awe as Oliver begins eating.

"Man you've been eating like a bird for months...what changed?" Tommy cuts into his omelette and just watches. "You got laid!"

"Repeatedly and we're not 16 anymore Tommy. I think we can say something nicer than laid," Oliver said. "This bacon is amazing. Why haven't I eaten bacon in months?"

"Felicity? Or someone else? I heard rumors there was a model."

"Of course Felicity. The rumored model is Felicity. The photographer got a shot of her when she was dressed up for that restaurant opening. Dig deleted the pictures but rumors follow us everywhere."

"So after five years was it worth the wait?"

"Yes. Pass the syrup. How's Laurel?" He pours way too much syrup over his pancakes but he doesn't care. He's just hungry. He remembers being this hungry during the early days on the island. It's strange. He's been back for months but now all he wants is food.

"She's...I don't know. Things seem fine but she's been acting strange."

"Strange how? I forgot about pancakes…"

"Are you sure you're sleeping with Felicity? Maybe it's just food hallucinations."

"I'm not that out of it Tommy. So Laurel?"

"She's just...sometimes it's like she's not even there, you know? She's distracted. Did you do something?"

"What do you mean?" The coffee refill is wonderful and sets him up for sausage and eggs. Tommy finished ages ago and Oliver's wondering if it would be rude to order a second course.

"Laurel's mad at you or something. I mentioned doubling the other night and she almost bit my head off. Have you seen her really angry recently? It's terrifying."

Oliver doesn't tell him what he suspects. Ever since the firehouse, Oliver has been wondering if Laurel is still in love with him. She has been avoiding him and every time she's come close to approaching he's been with Felicity. He's not a fan of how she looks at Felicity either but she has not done anything that would warrant comment.

"I'm sure everything is okay. Have you tried talking to her?"

"Yeah...talking. You know Laurel. If she doesn't want to talk about it well then you don't. You two are a lot alike."

"I'm working on it Tommy."

Oliver is focusing on the latest armored truck robbery when Diggle enters the lair. He's watching the videos again and again but the grainy quality of the street camera does not offer anything to aid in identifying the thieves.

"Three million dollars was stolen last night in that armored car heist," Oliver says absently. Diggle's looking around the space, deep in thought.

"You know with all the construction going on you might want to think about a side entrance."

"South Alleyway. Armored cars Dig?"

"Right I heard that on the news. What do you have?"

"Look at these two videos. This is the car heist," he gestures to the left screen. "This is Kandahar '09, when the Marines took out a Taliban transport vehicle."

"Same swarming technique. Where did you get this video?"

"I was researching a bodyguard who works at a private security firm. His name is Ted Gaynor. He works for Blackhawk. Kandahar was one of his teams."

"Ted Gaynor was my commanding officer Oliver."

"He's on the list Dig. Not every person on there is a one-percenter Dig. Some are just regular guys."

"Oliver this guy saved my life. He's not this man."

"People change John. I did," Diggle is staring at him like he's insane and Oliver can't help but feel guilty about it. It's hard to tell someone a person you trust is a criminal. "His training specialty is M-32 multiple grenade launchers which are being used in every heist."

"Two months ago we found out that wasn't even your father's book. How can we trust anything it says."

"I'm not wrong about this Dig. He's dirty and I'm going to have a very pointed conversation with Mr. Gaynor tonight. I understand if you want to take the week off."

"Well thank you sir."

That night Oliver slips into Blackhawk. For a private security firm the place has terrible security. Most of the cameras are broken and the angles are not under guard. Most of the doors require no keycard or biometric scanner. Ted Gaynor is exactly where he expects him to be.

"Ted Gaynor, we're going to have a conversation. You make a move, go for a gun, anything, things will end badly for you."

It's only Diggle working for Ted Gaynor that pulls him up short. Oliver will risk a lot but he's not going to shoot Dig to get at Ted Gaynor. Another night will be easier. At least he was able to grab the security fob from Ted Gaynor's desk.

The fight is expected and Oliver feels anger towards Diggle. He could have shot him. Killed him. It would have been so easy to do so. It was only his momentary pause that saved his life.

"What the hell were you thinking John!?"

"I'm not going to let you William Tell an innocent man Oliver. You seem to think because his name is in the book that makes him a bad guy. You trust that book more than me."

"I trust my father and he explained to me that every name on this list has a reason to be there." He slipped there. He always meant to tell Diggle down the road but once again he spoiled his own secrets.

"I thought you took the book off your father's dead body. How can he have explained anything?"

"A few years ago I found a message he left for me."

"How is that even possible Oliver? You were on a deserted island!"

"I never said I found it on the island." Diggle is looking at him like he's a stranger. He is sometimes. "Look Diggle, for the past few months I have lied to, hurt, and hid things from all the people I care about. Do you think I would be doing this if I wasn't sure?"

"Gaynor got me into Blackhawk and I'm going to prove he's innocent."

"And if he's not?"

"Then I'll take him down myself. You owe me that."

Oliver watches him go and turns back to the computer. Sitting in front of it he brings up a satellite image of Lian Yu. The majority of people still do not know the island exists even though he was marooned there. It has been in the news but it's such an unimportant place for the majority of people. In some ways that island is still home to Oliver. He knows every inch of the place, every location of a land mine, every trap he has set. He knows where the best fruit is on the island and where to find fresh water. It's almost easier to be there than here where people hate what you tell them.

Switching off the picture he instead pulls up shopping websites. He still needs a gift for Thea and her birthday is coming up faster than he'd like.

"I think you may have tried on every dress in the city," Moira says. Thea Queen is digging through her bags looking for the dress she plans to wear to her party.

"My friends are going to freak!"

"Yes well if your father were still alive, he'd freak too though in an entirely different way."

The two have just spent hours going through every store Thea could find. Both are pleasantly exhausted as they drive towards wherever Moira plans for them to have lunch. Sitting back Thea looks out the window and thinks about her birthday.

"I wish Oliver would answer his phone. I thought he might like to join us for lunch."

"He's busy."

"Mmm...yes his club."

"No I mean he has lunch plans," Thea says. She's been keeping this secret in for weeks and has been dying to share with someone. Oliver has been spending a lot of time away from the house and Thea has finally figured out why.

"Meeting Tommy I guess. They probably have things to discuss around that nightclub of his."

"No he's meeting his girlfriend." Moira's phone clatters to the floor and she turns to look at Thea questioningly.

"Girlfriend?"

"Yeah he's been seeing her for awhile. At least Tommy says it has been since before Christmas."

"He has not said one word."

"I followed him," Thea admits. "Right after Walter disappeared and he was using that cane to get around...I was worried. He went out without Mr. Diggle. I saw them together...well I saw him going into her apartment."

Moira is quiet as she absorbs this new information. Oliver has not been doing anything related to Malcolm's undertaking. He's been seeing a girlfriend. He's been dating. Now she'll be able to get Malcolm to stop worrying and maybe, just maybe leave them alone.

"He hasn't told me about her at all," Thea says bitterly. "He doesn't talk about her at all. Tommy only knows because him and Laurel ran into them on their first date. Tommy thinks she's perfect for Ollie."

"What do you know about her?" Moira asks carefully.

"She works at Queen Consolidated and she's really smart, genius level according to Tommy. Tommy said Oliver spends a lot of nights at her apartment. She's good with computers."

"Computers? That doesn't sound like Oliver. Is Tommy sure?" Moira says as her phone starts ringing.

"He's sure. He said Ollie is happy. He's smiling more and he's eating better. He's not having nightmares as much either."

"Good that's good," Moira replies distractedly. "Honey I need to take this."

Thea knows that's the end of their day. Moira makes the appropriate apologies but Thea knows. It's only later when she sees her mother with Malcolm Merlyn, she realizes what has been going on.

She doesn't know what to do with the knowledge but she does need to tell someone. She bursts in on Ollie and he looks startled.

"Knocking is not just a suggestion." He's distracted and Thea glances around. She has not noticed how different his room looks now that he spends so little time there. His closet looks partially empty and there are knick knacks and pictures strewn about the space. She almost picks one up featuring a blonde girl before Ollie grabs her attention again.

"I need to talk to you."

"Speedy I'm not telling you if Mom is getting you a car."

"Remember last week when I asked if you thought Mom was acting weird? Well I found out why. She's hooking up with Tommy's dad!"

"Thea that's insane. Mom is not hooking up with Mr. Merlyn."

"You don't get it Ollie!" She says pacing. "She's doing it again."

"What are you talking about?"

"A few months before you and Dad left on the Gambit, Mom and Dad were fighting a lot. I don't know about what but she started having a lot of lunch meetings with Mr. Merlyn. And now with Walter gone...she's doing it again. It's gross."

"She's not cheating on Walter and she didn't cheat on Dad."

"Ollie you have this perfect image of Mom in your head. She's a liar and a cheater and you don't really know her at all."

Oliver doesn't know what to do with the allegations. He just sits there staring at his computer screen, not seeing what's there at all. Could Speedy be right? Could his mother be meeting with Malcolm Merlyn in secret? Has this been going on for years? He doesn't know his mother as well as he thought but could he have missed this?

"She thinks Malcolm and I are having an affair?" His mother asks surprised. She seems genuine but Oliver had come to understand lies. It's easy to play off the big lie with surprise.

"She thinks it started back when Dad was still alive."

"Why would she think that?" She's fussing with her closet and thinking. "I can't imagine…"

"She said you and Dad were fighting."

"It's not your concern Sweetheart."

"Mom," he begins softly. "Thea brought this to me because she's worried. It's my concern. What are you hiding?"

She turns to face him and looks at him sadly. She puts her hands on his shoulders and just watches him.

"Robert was unfaithful to me repeatedly throughout our marriage. I know you thought he walked on water but that's how I wanted you to remember him. I never wanted either of you to know."

Oliver knows his father is not the man he thought he was. His father took part in criminal activities and worked with people who are destroying the city. Adultery changes very little in his opinion of his father.

"Mom why does Thea think you and Mr. Merlyn are sneaking around now."

"I really can't imagine."

"Have you been seeing him?"

"Well I go to him for advice about running Queen Consolidated. I've only been running the company for a few weeks and he's been running his company for years."

She's lying and Oliver knows it. He wants to believe her but he can't. Not with this. Maybe it's not an affair but she's covering something up. "Is my interrogation over?"

"Yeah Mom. I have to go. I still need to get Thea's birthday present."

"We need to stop meeting like this," Felicity says with a smile. She sits her Chinese food next to her computer and waits for him to kiss her. "Now are you here to see me or do you have some ridiculous research you want me to do?"

"How did you guess?"

"You only come up here when you want something. Otherwise you meet me in the lobby. So…?"

"So a friend of mine is running a scavenger hunt and there's a case of Lafite Rothschild 1982 waiting at the end."

"I love red wine."

"I know." He slips into the chair next to hers and slides her close, his hand slipping over her thigh. "If you can help me get through this then I'll give you one of the bottles."

She takes the security fob from him and plugs it into her computer, sighing at the log-in screen. She types for a few minutes, swatting at his hand as he slips it up her skirt.

"You know I would get a lot more work done if you stopped trying to feel me up every time you come near me."

"This is why I rarely bother you at work," he says before kissing her neck. "There is something incredibly sexy about watching you work."

"So this fob goes back to a company called Blackhawk...does that sound right?"

"My friend had his bodyguard set it up. I think it's cheating but whatever."

"Oliver this is military grade cryptographic security protocols. Your friend really went to all this trouble?"

"Well you know the idle rich…"

"Oliver...you are hardly the idle rich." She stops typing to turn to face him. "You work almost as hard as me and you aren't getting paid. I've seen the nightclub. It's getting ready to open soon and you are always doing stuff for your family."

"Do you think you can get through the security?" she sighs at his deflection and presses a few more keys. "It will take me awhile but sure. You owe me a bottle of wine and a naked workout for this. It's going to take hours."

"Saturday night?"

"Okay. Now go away. I can't crack this if you have your hand up my skirt."

Hours later Oliver is watching security footage of the armored car heists. His computer pings and a message pops up on the screen.

This is Felicity Smoak. I need to talk to you. I'll be at home. Fire escape window is open. BTW next time leave a more secure bug. Back tracing the signal was child's play.

She's contacting the Hood. He races over to his suit and tugs it on. The Hood has not seen Felicity in months but she's been following his stories in the paper. She never removes the bug and he knows she knows it is there. She's left stuff on her computer to let him know.

Climbing through her window is different. He's been coming in her front door so much, it seems weird to do it this way again.

"I need your help." He doesn't react but she's sitting on the edge of her bed. She holds out the security fob. "My boyfriend gave me this. It's supposed to contain clues to a scavenger hunt but it doesn't. I don't...want him to go to jail for having this."

"What's on it?" He asks carefully, thankfully remembering to use his voice modulator.

"A directory and well something illegal."

"Define illegal."

"Robbing armored cars with grenade launchers and tear gas," she says. "Someone at Blackhawk was using their system to store detailed routes and schedules of the armored cars."

"And you brought this to me?"

"I don't want Oliver to get in trouble. He's been through enough and I couldn't just take it to the police. They would have wanted to know where I got it...where he got it."

He slips it into his pocket and looks at her. She's clearly worried, wringing her hands and looking over his shoulder.

"What will you tell your boyfriend?"

"I'll figure something out."

He leaves her standing in her bedroom alone and worried. He never expected her to approach the Hood about this. He expected her to give it to him later and he would tell her it was going to the police. Instead he would get to see how she covered this up. Would she lie to him even though she hates lies?

He has been wondering if she still thinks Oliver Queen is the Hood but apparently having Dig run around in the Hood while they're on dates has been enough. She has stopped accumulating evidence to support that theory and she's drawn line between her relationship with him and with the Hood. What will she think when she finds out?

"Check it out Ollie!" Thea holds up the keys to her brand new convertible, laughing happily. The party is raging around her and Oliver is keeping an eye for the alcohol and drugs he's sure are present.

"You must be so surprised."

"Isn't everything absolutely perfect? Well except Dad…"

"He would say you look beautiful." He kisses her cheek and walks away watching her get surrounded by her friends. Next to him Diggle discusses the armored car heist Oliver foiled hours earlier. One of their usual men is down and Diggle wants to go investigate.

Oliver manages to slip a bug in Diggle's pocket before he rushes out to prove Gaynor's innocence. Without missing a beat, Oliver slips the earpiece in his ear and turns to watch Thea at her party. He'll be able to hear everything that happens tonight and if he's needed he'll head out.

When he hears what is happening to Diggle, he rushes off, forgetting to say anything to Thea or his mother. He worries he'll be too late. Diggle and Carly are both being held hostage by Gaynor and his men and if he's not fast enough, another armored car will be hit.

He's in time but it seems like Diggle has it under control. Carly gets away and Diggle chases Gaynor. Diggle's not a killer. He's done things in the military but Gaynor's right. Diggle doesn't have it in him to shoot Gaynor. Oliver takes the choice from him, shooting Gaynor with an arrow and ending the night.

"You're late," Diggle says finally.

"You knew I was coming?"

"Next time you plant a bug on someone, be more subtle about it," he says handing back the bug. "I wish you trusted me."

"I do trust you Dig. It's them I don't trust."

"You should go before the police get here."

Felicity is worried when she opens the door to him. He can see it on her face. She sits him down on the couch and paces for a second before he stops her. Tugging her into his lap, he waits for her to calm down.

"What is it Felicity?"

"I couldn't break the security on the fob," she says softly. "I gave it to a friend and they...they lost it. I'm sorry."

"It's a case of red wine Felicity, I'll live."

"You mean you're okay with it?" She looks so worried like he's going to shove her to the floor and storm out over a case of red wine. Maybe she's afraid he'll call her on a lie. Who knows but she's much more worried than she should be. He kisses her and hugs her close to him. It's been a long time since someone truly worried about his reaction.

"It's just wine Felicity."

"So how was your sister's party?"

"Loud." She just nods but then he's slipping her down to the couch, making sure her head is lying on a throw pillow before leaning over. "I'd much rather be here with you."

"Mmm…" He wishes she had been at the party with him but instead she had been here, worrying about lying to her boyfriend. He wonders if her lie will help her understand him when he tells her he's the Hood. He's not telling her to protect her much like she lied to protect him tonight. They're not equal lies in any way but maybe it will help her understand.

It's his phone that stops them from progressing further. When he hears Thea has been in an accident it's like a bucket of cold water being thrown over him. He's standing and straightening his jacket. Felicity watches worried from the couch as his mother updates him over the phone.

"I have to go. It's my sister."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah...just bruises but I need to see her in the hospital."

"Do you want me to drive you?"

"No...my bike is downstairs and I'll get there faster." They say goodbye quickly with her securing a promise he'll call her when he leaves the hospital.

Thea looks tired when he steps into her room. She embraces him hard and he just hugs her to him. When their mother tries, Thea shoves her away.

"Go away. I don't want you here." Oliver takes the seat next to Thea's bed and holds her hand, while their mother goes into the hallway. "I don't want to talk about her right now."

"Okay Speedy. Are you sure you are okay?" She nods sadly and snuggles closer to his arms. "Hey what is it?"

"Where did you go earlier? I looked for you?"

"Mr. Diggle and his sister-in-law were in an accident earlier. I went to make sure they were okay. They're both fine."

"Oh. You really like Mr. Diggle."

"He's my friend." Thea slips to sleep with him sitting there. He knows his mother is in the room with them but he's too busy watching Thea sleep. Finally after some coaxing from his mother, he heads home. She will watch over Thea throughout the night. A quick call to Felicity lets him relax before running into Diggle at the lair.

"Did the cops give you a hard time?"

"No." Diggle is staring blankly at the computer screen. "Gaynor wasn't who I thought he was."

"Maybe but you were right too. You told me I trust the list more than you Diggle. The truth is I have a lot of trouble trusting anyone after the island. You reminded me why I chose you as my partner. You see the best in people and I need that."

"I learned something tonight. Until you tell me, I never want to know what other names are in this book." Diggle crosses off Ted Gaynor's name and the two sit back staring at nothing and just thinking about how easy it is to be betrayed by the people you trust.

When Thea is arrested for using Vertigo and driving under the influence the next morning, all Oliver can do is watch helplessly as she's led away in handcuffs. There have been too many betrayals in the past few weeks and he can't help but wonder when he won't be able to fix them.

We're getting close to Felicity finding out? Are you excited?

Thanks for reading!