The darkness surrounded him, enveloping him like skin, oozing into him, his frazzled nerves soothed to a degree by the coolness of the night. He held his body stiffly, his arms crossed, his expression drawn, the hardness of his eyes contrasting heavily against the soft inky night. Still agitated by the events of the night he stood looking out onto the inky the overgrown farm surrounding his property. The whistling of a raccoon while another chittered in the distance broke through the silence of the night interrupting his morose thoughts.

Refocusing his eyes to his surroundings he took a deep breath opening up his senses in an act of meditation. His alert ears catching the sound of the rustle of the wind outside as it brushed through the overgrown weeds and trees surrounding the property, the pitter patter of rat feet and the chirping of the crickets all mixed into a natural melody, the smell of oak wood floors, wet grass and dew hung in the air, the moisture in the air sweet on his tongue, while the shadows of the leaves danced to the night song, their movements fluid and flowing with the wind.

The country style farmhouse, secluded in the overgrown farms on the outskirts of Starling City was one of his backroom deals before his supposed death. The location of this house was a secret from everyone from his previous life, he felt safe enough here to set up shop the three times he had been back in his hometown.

The spacious great room of the place around which the interior of the home revolved was what had sealed the deal for him along with the two thousand eight hundred square feet basement. The great room and the basement utilized now as training areas along with the overgrown field outside while the four bedrooms and the three baths in the two storied house served as a good place to rest and recuperate. The bedroom right above his master suite in the left wing of the house he converted into his office to deal with the businesses still under him to keep the money coming in and safeguarding the investments he still held. Thea's reluctance to still be considered family meant that the formal dining room and breakfast area went unused, both parties secluding themselves in their respective suites for each meal of the day.

Lost in the silent world of meditation he was startled when the lights in his office suddenly turned on, the harsh light making his eyes squint after his prolonged exposure to the dark. Turning around to face his intruder he was met with the furious face of his daughter.

"What was that?" Her quiet voice laced with unadulterated fury exclaimed, echoing in the quiet of the room. Her blazing brown eyes, rigid stance and set shoulders enunciating the anger she felt. Schooling his features into seeming aloof he replied to the young woman standing before him in as steady a voice as he could manage, "I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Really? It doesn't look like that to me." Thea challenged.

"Thea…"

"Thea'ing me won't work, Merlyn." Thea exclaimed angrily. "I want to know why you ran away from there with your tail tucked between your legs. Who is Talia Al Ghul and what's so special about her? I thought you were Merlyn," she stopped mid sentence, pausing for emphasis and taking a step towards the larger man. Crossing her arms in front of her, jutting out a hip she continued to mock him, her eyes, now free of the confines of her mask, holding a challenge, "The Dark Archer, skilled warrior and archer who wasn't afraid of anyone…"

"Enough!" Malcolm bellowed, stopping Thea mid sentence. Turning away from his daughter he looked outside into the overgrown field once again from his perch at the stained window of his office. He breathed in, calming his boiling nerves to a gentle simmer he gathered his thoughts, knowing any hope for refuge was now fraught he readied himself to give answers to questions he knew she deserved but he, on his part, was reluctant to part from.

His dark eyes glinted against the harsh light of the fluorescents as he looked over his shoulder to the impatient form of the young girl, the anger ebbing away now his eyes shone with the fear residing in their depths from his previous encounter. Noticing the irritable tilt of the young woman's head he croaked out, "Believe me Thea if you would have known who she is you wouldn't have stayed either."

"From where I stood she didn't look that scary."

"She beat you without breaking a sweat," Malcolm replied irritated with the girl's defiance.

"I gave her as good as I got."

"No you didn't and you know it."

"What is your…"

"She's the youngest daughter of Ra's Al Ghul." Malcolm interrupted. His voice lowering to a quiet whisper at his former leader's name, as if afraid that saying it aloud would magically conjure his form in the closed confines of his wood paneled office.

"Who's…"

"He's the leader of the League of Assassins. I trained under his people. Never with him though, he trains only a select few. Most of my mentors were his protégé's but still the only fighters who have the skill to measure up to his level are his daughters."

"Right…the League of Assassins…" Thea deadpanned, her voice reflecting her lack of belief.

"The League is real Thea." Malcolm sighed at his daughter. "I met Ra's in Nanda Parbat after Rebecca's death and was tutored on his property. When I was there training, Talia wasn't with them. She was with her mother while Nyssa, his oldest trained with him. She was a ruthless warrior even at the age of seven. After my training was complete and my contract fulfilled I returned to Starling, occasionally going back to Nanda Parbat when I was needed or for business purposes. On one of these trips I ran into her, Talia, she was fifteen then. I had heard stories about her, about the allure of her beauty and her natural skill as a warrior along with the inborn gift of a strong mind and her effortless mastery of weapons, disguises, emotions and well everything. Until that day I hadn't believed a word of it, considering her to be a fable, a fantasy created by the leaders of the League.

Her eyes had a fire in them that would burn anyone who dared cross paths with her, and even being at such a young age as hers I could see why they had nicknamed her the seductress. She didn't need to put in any effort to be sultry or sexy; all she had to do was look at you. Her eyes did all the work for her. It didn't necessarily even have to be sexual, that girl could be anything she wanted anytime, and she used it to her benefit. Innocence or vixen she wore every emotion, every disguise as a skin and lured you in. I never talked to her or trained or fought with her. But I knew she would never be one I could ever win against.

She can use every weapon at her disposal ancient or modern, physical or emotional, she mastered the art of mental warfare the day she stepped foot onto the training mats. That night I saw her take down a man twice her size and age," Malcolm said. His eyes glazing over as he recalled the night, the full moon illuminating the fighting bodies of the man and woman, the odd angle of the man's leg playing on a loop in his mind's eye when Talia had finished pulling on the nun chucks wrapped around his calves, the memory of his chilling scream accompanying the images, "Someone who was more experienced than her. Someone I had trained under, someone I knew to have known no pain until that night, he left the ring with nothing but his life intact. She and Nyssa are the only ones that I fear as much as I fear Ra's Al Ghul."

Silence fell over the room as Thea absorbed the words of her biological father, her heart beating relentlessly against her chest demanding to be let out at the revelation. "I saw the fight Thea," Malcolm started in a quiet voice breaking the lull of the atmosphere, "the only reason that you are standing here right now is because she was holding back."

"She sounds more like a myth than a reality to me," Thea defied ignoring the fear now taking over her insides.

"I am telling you Thea; don't ever underestimate an Al Ghul. They aren't just ruthless, they are deadly. This battle is mine alone to fight. I may fear them and I may have always been one to take big risks but I won't be risk your life for mine."

"Maybe…"

"Just listen to me this once. Stay away from her, this fight is mine and mine alone or the next time you might not come back at all."

"Okay."

2 days earlier…

The angry snarl that echoed around the dark interiors of the lair accompanied by the sudden crashing sound, the crinkle of breaking glass and the bang of metal on concrete stopped her in her tracks. The sound bringing her feet to a halt at the end of the metal landing, her eyes darted around the dark space in search of the source of the commotion. Her eyes landed on a heaving Oliver, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, his stance wide, fists clenched at his sides rubbing the index finger against the thumb of his right hand. Making her way down to the medical area where Oliver stands, she quietly wraps her arms around his torso her head coming to rest between his shoulder blades she feels him shiver, every pore in his body exuding anguish, the anger having evaporated with his outburst, his broken expression mirroring the state of the apparatuses now lying on the ground.

She let the silence takeover the two of them, feeling him relax under the ministrations of her fingers against his torso, the circular motion spreading warmth through him. After a long moment he lets himself go his body slouching with an exhale, his head dropping, eyes now closed as he focuses on the movement of Felicity's finger's, her breath warm against his sweaty back where his thin t-shirt clings to his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

"I had a fight with Roy," he confesses quietly. His body sagging some more, a sigh escapes him as he turns around to face the love of his life. He finds the peace he longs for in the depths of her blue eyes, absorbing the love and support her presence offers him, he continues, his voice still down to a quiet broken whisper, "He thought we weren't doing enough, said I didn't care about happened to Thea."

"Oliver…"

"I told him he had it all wrong. But was he right Felicity? I mean we should have found her by now, shouldn't we have?" Oliver questioned brokenly, his voice rising an octave, he raked his hand through his short cropped hair in frustration as he turned his head away from hers, hiding the emotions taking over him, breaking through his stoic façade.

"Oliver it's just been one day since we have known. These things take time, you know that," Felicity replied cradling his cheeks in the palm of her hands, directing his eyes back to hers. The anger, frustration, agony and defeat that reflected back at her stole her breath away.

"Yes, but…"

"No buts Oliver," Felicity interjected, stepping towards him, their toes touching, drawing their faces closer she grasps his face firmly, she holds his gaze steadily and continues, her voice hard as steel yet just as soft to his ears, "Roy is wrong. We are doing everything and more. No one is alone in this, we are all a family. Digg's out with you every night patrolling extra hours even though you have asked him time and again to go be with his family, Sara is searching every known and unknown Merlyn property we have been able to find and using police resources to find more leads, Roy is just frustrated at the moment. Don't take everything he says to heart. His contacts aren't faring well either. He's out on the streets all night and no one knows anything, no one can tell him anything and that's agitating him. You have to be the smart one here. You are his mentor and friend. I know you want to lash out just like him; she's your sister after all. But you have kept your cool and that's what you need to do now," she urges. "I promise Oliver we'll find her."

Oliver sighs in defeat falling to the ground in a defeated heap, his body no longer able to hold his weight as he gives in to his emotions. The light reflected from the broken glass shining in his wet eyes as tears escape from their confines. Regret adding to the emotions already flitting across his face he whispers, "I don't understand you know. I thought she said she was going to Europe, that she needed time. I let her go Felicity, I let her go," he finishes his head falling in the cradle of his arms that rest over his folded knees.

"How are you surprised?!" Felicity exclaims attracting Oliver's attention, his forehead creasing in a confused frown as he raises his eyes to meet hers. "Weren't you the one who went to Lian yu just last year after telling everyone that you were touring Spain?"

"That's different…"

"No it's really not," Felicity reasoned, her voice dropping to a teasing tone. She smiled softly at the man sitting before her. Carding delicate fingers through his hair in a soothing manner, she busied the fingers of her left hand smoothing away the wrinkles of his frown from his forehead, trying to convey the love and belief she held for him through her gestures. Continuing in a soft voice she explained, "And no you didn't let her go Oliver," Felicity interrupts. "You did what any sane person would do, you gave her time. Holding her here would not have helped, even though letting her go didn't either…but that's not the point." She corrected her tangent. "The point is you both lost everything in the past year, your family, your company, the house you grew up in and the fortune along with it but she lost so much more. She lost her identity..."

"She's a Queen…"

"Yes she is. I know that and you definitely know it but she needed time to process and accept it too. She had to accept her new reality and to understand that blood isn't all that matters and all you did was give her an opportunity and the time to do that."

"And yet here we are…"

"Yet here we are. She chose to fight, Oliver. That's not wrong, like brother like sister after all. The only thing wrong with this situation, is who she chose to learn from, and that's our fault. We will get her back, make it up to her and then all this will be behind us you'll see," she concludes her voice encouraging, a reassuring smile spread across her face. Laying her palm on his arm, she looks into his eyes coaxing him to understand, to get back up and fight for his family. The relieved breathe that she releases at Oliver's determined nod brings a smile to the man's face. He watches her get back up, making her way to her systems.

"You know they are saying Ray may not last long," Felicity says attracting Oliver's attention up to her back from the sway of her hips. Still clueless about Oliver's momentary distraction she continues, "Apparently the investors aren't happy that all his attention seems to be focused on Applied Sciences, personally I think it's a good strategy but what do money men know...right? And that might just work in your favor, so who am I to complain." Felicity finishes, shrugging, her attention focused on the multiple screens in front of her.

Following her to her chair, he cups her shoulders bending to lay a kiss at the nape of her neck sending shivers down her spine. A smile stretches across his face at her body's reaction, loving the way he feels wanted around her, not just physically but in every other way. He looks to her as she turns her face up to his, returning his smile, and sighing in content at the comfort his proximity provides her. "We never did get to go on that date," he says quietly, regret once again pooling in his stomach.

Felicity smiles at him, turning her face back to her screens she replies, "Don't worry, we will, when the time is right."

"Oliver! Oliver!" Felicity calls, her eyes wide in fear and voice relaying her alarm, she tries to support a stumbling Oliver dressed in his greens.

"I'm fine Felicity…" Oliver slurs in reply.

"What happened?" she hears Diggle's voice as they exit the dilapidated building with uncoordinated feet. Turning to him, Oliver still in her arms, his weight feeling heavy against her petite body she replies, "I…I don't know Digg." Her eyes dart back to the stumbling man beside her, her voice tinted in fear she continues, "One minute Malcolm and he were fighting and the next he's falling from an arrow in the shoulder."

"Let's get him to the lair and we'll see what's gotten into him," Digg says, a concerned frown spreading across his forehead as he takes the younger man's weight from Felicity's shoulder, Roy joining him. Rushing down the stairs with a staggering Oliver between them, Roy and Diggle head towards the medical bay. Diggle orders his teammates into action, directing Felicity to attach the heart monitors to Oliver, Sara having joined them in time for the car to speed to their new location, to the blood bank and Roy to hold onto Oliver, he shines his penlight into Oliver's eyes only to have it batted away.

Having noted his dilated pupils, Diggle rushes for a syringe. Drawing blood from the weaker man he heads to the microscopes situated a few feet away from the med table. A continued beeping from the machines attached to Oliver diverts his attention back to him from the blood he's examining. His blood runs cold as he realizes that the younger man is going into tachycardia. A startled gasp from Felicity startles him into action rushing to get another syringe Diggle returns to the metal gurney where Oliver lies to administer a ninety five milligram dose of Metoprolol Succinate. His task completes, standing back he watches in relief as his heart rate drops from a worrying one-thirty five to one hundred and returning to normal.

"He'll be fine for now Felicity," laying a hand on her shoulder in reassurance and giving a last squeeze he rushes back to the microscopes, beside Sara, who in his absence had taken over examining the samples. Directing one last look of concern in Felicity's direction, as she sits in vigil beside Oliver, holding his hand firmly in hers, he watches Roy move to stand beside Felicity in support.

The constant mumbling from Oliver proves distracting to every member of the team, his shouts of outrage and denial shocking them. His body writhing occasionally against the cold metal of the table, agony flowing through him, reliving a time long gone, a torture inflicted on his body a long time ago now playing with his mind. Names of people dead, the ones he feels he failed dropping like grenades on them.

The last teary exclamation from him freezes the occupants of the secret lair in their places, they watch in shocked attendance as his eyes focus on a far away point, a whisper leaving his chapped lips, his voice sounding dry. The devastated sound reverberates around in the silence of the lair, sadness settling in the bones of the silent spectators, they feel his words tug on the walls of their hearts, "Thea…Thea I'm so sorry Thea," Oliver calls, tears falling from his glazed eyes. "I'm sorry. Please comeback. I'm sorry about everything. I love you Thea, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. I didn't mean for this all to happen, if I could I would bring back mom, step in place of her, and take the sword to my chest. Please don't leave again…I'll tell you everything but please comeback Thea. I'm so sorry…" Oliver trails off, his voice quivering.

"I got it!" The silent exclamation from the other side of the lair breaks the tension now settled over the atmosphere. Looking towards a triumphant Diggle, Felicity let's hope take over her body. Rising to give space to Digg as he rushes around the lair looking inside medicine drawers the team waits. Another triumphant exclamation later Diggle administers Diocarpine, an antidote to counter the poison taking over his friend's body. Turning to his teammates, leaving the green hooded man to rest he answers their unspoken question, "He was poisoned…"

"We kind of gathered that," Roy deadpans.

Sighing in anger at the young man Digg continues, "The poison comes from a plant called Atropa Belladona, otherwise also known as Deadly Nightshade and my personal favorite Devil's Cherry, apparently all parts of the plant are poisonous, from the roots to the leaves and fruit. Looks like Merlyn had coated his arrow heads with the substance."

"Wait how do you know so much about this poison?"

"Well, after last time I didn't want t o take any more chances, so I got myself an education on the nitty gritties of the poisons of the world," Diggle answers, his hands slipping into the pocket of his pants, in reply to Felicity's query.

"Wow, thank god for you and your perceptive thinking…" Felicity trails off, her eyes losing focus as her brain loses itself in thought.

"Wait, are you sure the poison came from Merlyn's arrow?" Felicity questions after a silent pause, her eyes focusing back on the vigilant team standing beside Oliver's bedside, her eyebrows scrunching in disbelief and confusion.

"Well, there was no other way the poison could have gotten into his system. If it would have been airborne then none of you would have gotten out of there intact. Why?"

"Because I never thought Malcolm would be one to use poisons on his weapons."

"Deadshot does and he never misses," Diggle points out.

"Yeah, he does. But Digg he's not League trained. The most skilled and topmost of League members haven't been known to use poisons on their weapons. Their too confident of their skills for that! Yes they use poisons but they never coat their weapons with it, it's not saying that some members don't but that's very rare."

"So what if Malcolm does?" Roy asks.

"No she's right. Malcolm is one of those who are either too arrogant or too confident. He wouldn't use poisons until he was absolutely sure that his skills wouldn't be enough," Sara interjects as she surmises the meaning behind Felicity's confusion, her own eyes glazing over in thought.

"So you mean he's scared of something?" Diggle asks the girls.

"No, not something Digg, someone…" Sara answers, her voice trailing off as her eyes land on the costumed form of Felicity, realization slowly dawning on the rest of the team.

"He's afraid of Ra's Al Ghul."

"My father..."

Entering her lavish suite, she sheds her leather pants, the boots having long been discarded after the excitement of the night. Flicking on the lights the brunette moves around her new room, dropping clothes and weapons on her way to the bathroom. Still not used to the silence of her surroundings, Thea Queen switches on the television, the volume turned down low before proceeding with her night's routine.

Singing along absentmindedly with the tune playing in the background she steps out of her warm shower, her mind reverting back to the happenings of the night and her biological father's reaction to the introduction of her opponent. The memory of the fear reflected in the man's eyes sends shivers down her spine.

'He said I was lucky,' she thought, wiping the fog off of her mirror. 'How am I lucky when I have lost everything I had ever loved?' Lost it all to lies and secrets, her mind spat at her bitterly. Anger returned full force to her being. She had been wronged, wronged by everyone she trusted and she still suffered, the treacherous organ continued. 'It's time they suffer the same as I have,' Thea concluded letting her anger speak for her suffering.

Looking in the mirror of her bathroom at the unrecognizable face of the woman staring back, her heart filled with hate. Her body bare, she rushed into her room, her feet carrying her on a whim, dripping water on the way on the beige carpet. Her hands opened drawers with unbridled force, her bedside table rattling with the pressure, in search of something. Grabbing the shears from the last drawer of her bedside table she walked back. Standing once again in front of the bathroom mirror she raised her hands, carding her fingers through her shoulder length hair, the soft texture calming her for a moment and in a quick movement the calm discarded as the blades slipped between the strands of her brown locks, shedding the last piece of the old Thea on the white tiled ornate bathroom of her new home.

Leaving the litter of sheared hair behind, the girl walked back into her room, a determination settling over her, giving up the girl she used to be to be the woman she is now. Intent on getting a good night's sleep she moved to the dresser on the other side of her room, picking up her discarded leathers on the way she raked her hands through her newly sheared locks. A crinkling sound attracted her attention back to the ground, angling her feet upwards she noticed a piece of paper stuck to the heel of her foot.

Plucking it, Thea unfolded the white stationary and examined it. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion as she read through the unfamiliar script, the invitation a puzzle to her. She knew who the note belonged to without a doubt, even if she didn't recognize the handwriting.

'Do I accept it?' she wondered to herself staring at the paper held in the palm of her hand, an invitation to meet spelled out within it.

I am not literate in terms of medicine so if there are any mistakes in the diagnosis above, I apologize. Google, Wikipedia and other medical sites served as a reference and research portal for the scene, and I hope I have gotten it right.

Further, since I do not get to reply to guest reviewers through Private Messaging, I will be replying to them in bulk in every three chapters in the author notes. To Andy and Carrie thank you so much for your reviews. Andy your enthusiasm for this story and my return brought a huge smile to my face so thank you for that, I hope you have enjoyed the following chapters as much as you enjoyed the first one, hopefully more =) and Carrie, well here you go, your wish is my command ;)…

Also you might have noticed that I have added an Alternate Universe tag to the story, it's fairly obvious why but I would like to still explain. Even though I love reading speculation stories on the upcoming Oliver x Felicity storyline in Arrow season 3, I myself don't do very good with speculation as I had explained in the first part of this series. So in my story, Ray and Felicity's relationship never happens and although I love the slow burn on the show I wanted them to be together in this story and so here it is. Ray will probably show up in the following chapters but not in the capacity of a love interest for Felicity.