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

Previously on Arrow...

"The daughter you lost might not be who they found on that island."

"When you were stuck on that island plotting your grand plan to save the city, I don't think you stopped to consider the effect it would have on the people in your life. Or how it might hurt them."

"You're wrong. I think about it all the time." Oliver told him.

"And just to be clear, not being able to tell our families the truth It doesn't hurt anyone worse than it hurts us." I told him.

"I don't want you near Oliver. If I have to I will file a restraining order against him for you." He warned me.

"One that I won't listen to." I told him.

"You will or I will kick you out of my house." He threatened me.

"What-h-happened to you two on that island?" Tommy asked us giving us both a nervous look.

"A lot." We told him.

I was looking over some things on my desk when I got a call on my cell. I looked at the caller ID to see 'DAD' looking up at me.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi. Want some lunch?" he asked me.

"Lunch sounds good." I told him. "Wanting me to get something ready for us at the house?"

"No, let's meet in town." He told me.

"Ok, tell me when and where." I said smiling. He told me when and where to meet him, and I got ready before heading out.

When I got to the restaurant, I sat and waited for a good ten minutes before he showed up.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Ashlee." He said to me and I smiled at him.

"It's no problem, dad. How's work been today?" I asked him.

"It's been a typical day at the office." His usual answer. He never answered the question with a straight answer. Stones and glass houses right? "How's your day been so far?"

"Same old, same old." I told him smiling. "I'm actually thinking of going back to school. I never finished before I left so, while now might not be the right time to pick it back up I still want to finish."

"That's great sweetheart!" he told me smiling. "I'm proud of you. Your mom would be too."

"Thanks dad. That means a lot to me." I said softly.

"What's your brother up to these days?" he asked me.

"Trying to woe a girl." I told him.

"Another one nighter?" he asked me sounding annoyed.

"No, Laurel Lance." I told him and he thought for a moment before we ordered our food.

"That would mean Oliver was open for someone else to move in." he told me and I raised my eyebrow at him.

"You've been ordering me to stay away from Oliver since the day I got back. Now you're telling me to make a move?" I asked him.

"I'm only stating a fact." He told me and I gave him a look. My phone went off and I saw Oliver's name and answered it. "Speak of the devil."

"Hey, Oliver." I greeted. "What's up?"

"Someone attacked my mother." He told me angrily.

"What?" I asked shocked. "Is she okay?"

"Yea, she's fine. Person was on a motorcycle and got away from me.

"How?" I asked him confused.

"A truck blocked me from getting to him. I'm headed to the hospital for my mom now." He told me.

"I'll meet you there." I told him.

"No." he said. "Meet at the factory."

"You sure?" I asked him.

"Yea. I'll be finding answers. Tonight." He told me.

"I'll be there." I said before hanging up.

"What's going on?" he asked me.

"Moira was involved with a drive by." He told him. "She's in the hospital."

"She alright?" he asked me.

"Oliver's going to the hospital now." I said getting up. "I'm sorry dad."

"Don't be." He told me. "I understand completely. Go be with the family."

"Thanks." I said smiling at him before getting up and leaving for the factory.

When I arrived I looked into the shooting this afternoon and into everyone else there.

"What have you found?" Oliver asked me when he arrived.

"Still looking." I told him. "I don't see why your mother was targeted. Queen Consolidated hasn't done anything really big or bad for anyone."

"She wasn't the target." He told me. "Paul Copani is mob related."

"I'll look into him." I told him before going back to my computer and changing the search topic as Oliver went to train. After some time I was done with my research and turned to Oliver. I sighed before getting up and changing and moving to him.

"Spare with me." I told him.

"Ashlee…" he started saying.

"Don't 'Ashlee' me. Spare with me." I told him. "You need someone to hit and I'm not that easy to hurt. Remember?" he attacked me and I blocked him. "I always was the better student." He clenched his jaw before attacking me again. We spared until Diggle walked towards us.

"Oliver, your mom was nearly killed. I think you can take a day off from training." Diggle told him.

"My mother wasn't the target. This man was. Paul Copani. He was trying to close a deal with her when they were shot at." Oliver told him pointing to the computer screen.

"Copani works for Bertinelli Construction owned by Frank Bertinelli." I told him.

"The mob boss?" Diggle asked.

"I did some digging. Copani isn't the first member of Bertinelli's crew who's been hit by this mystery shooter." I said.

"You did some digging?" he sighed.

"Bertinelli has a lot of enemies. The best way to figure out who's trying to target his organization is to get inside of it." Oliver said.

"So let me get this right, Oliver. Your mother's shot at, nearly killed, and the way you process this emotionally is by going undercover with the mob." Diggle stated.

"I'm not trying to process anything emotionally." Oliver told him.

"Yeah, well, maybe that's your problem, man. You ever thought about just being there for your family?" Diggle asked.

"I tried that today with Thea." Oliver told him. "She told me I wasn't being honest with her, and she's right. I can't very well explain to her that I left our mother alone and bleeding on the pavement because I'm fast enough to almost run down the attacker. But what I can do is protect my family. And, Diggle, when I found out who this guy is, he's a dead man." Oliver walked up to the club.

"Give him time." I told him. "He's going after the person who went after his mom and this is how he copes now."

"It's not the same thing." He told me.

"I know that. And so does he." I told him.

"Does he?" he asked me and I looked down.

I made it home at night after going around down town for a while.

"Back late again." Dad said coming to me and I nodded.

"Yeah, I was looking at apartments." I told him. "I thought it was time I got my own place."

"You're going to leave me with an empty nest again." he told me with a smile I returned.

"I can't live you forever dad." I reminded him. "You'll be fine alone just like Tommy is and I will be."

"It's just hard to see my baby girl all grown up." He told me kissing the top of my head.

"I'll always be your baby girl dad." I said hugging him.

"Show me these places you found." He told me. "I want to make sure it's perfect for my daughter." We spent a better part of the evening looking at the apartments I'd looked at earlier in the day.

The next day, I met Oliver and Diggle at the factory and Oliver told us Helena, Frank's daughter, was the one who attacked his mother.

"I don't understand. Why is she targeting her family?" Diggle asked.

"I don't know." Oliver told him.

"And here I thought you had parental issues." Diggle joked.

"It's not a joke, Diggle." Oliver told him.

"Oliver, you're not falling for her, are you?" I asked him slowly. He didn't answer.

"Oh, I know you can't be that crazy. Helena Bertinelli shot at your mother. She also murdered 4 men in cold blood." Diggle reminded him.

"She has to have reasons for what she's doing." He said.

"Reasons? Since when do you care about the bad guys' reasons? Oh, she is the bad guy, Oliver. She's the killer. And whatever's going on in your head, you better get it straight, man. Any attempt on his right hand is gonna send your new friend's father on the warpath." Diggle told him.

"I know what I'm doing." Oliver said.

"I remember the first time we thought that." I said and he threw me a look.

"Now I know how your family feels when you lie to them." Diggle said and Oliver turned his look on him.

"Seriously dad?" I asked him that afternoon as I stormed into his office.

"I'm a little busy, Ashlee." He told me going through his papers.

"I just talked to the Tommy." I told him. "He said you cut him off."

"I did." He confirmed.

"Are you joking?" I asked him.

"He's irresponsible and lazy." He told me.

"He's your son!" I shouted.

"He needs to be taught something." He said.

"Right." I scoffed. "He needs to think that his father thinks he's a good for nothing child."

"He is a good for nothing child." He told me and I shook my head at him.

"So with me it's okay to be a loving father, but with him you have to be a hard ass?" I asked him.

"He has more to learn." He told me.

"I don't care!" I told him. "He's your son!"

"And if my son has to learn something my daughter will stay out of it." He told me and I shook my head.

"I can't believe you." I said before storming out of the office.