Emma was putting a load of laundry in the machine when there was a knock on the door. She set the cycle to start and headed for the door. She looked through the spyhole and frowned. She took a step back hesitating.

"I know you're there. I can wait here all day. I'm a very patient man, you know".

Even though the thought of leaving him out there for hours sounded very tempting, she knew that it would bring questions from the neighbors and the last thing she needed was for them to stick their nose in her business.

She opened the door completely indifferent to him, as he was a mere delivery boy.

"Not the kind of welcome I was expecting but, thank you, I'll let myself in".

She closed the door and followed him into the living room. When he was half-way in it, he turned around and she stopped a good distance away from him and crossed her arms in front of herself.

"Oliver is not here".

"I know".

"Neither is Slade Wilson".

"I know that too".

"Then what is it that you want Malcolm? Maybe a thank you for last week when you rescued me from Slade"?

Malcolm sneered than smiled. "No. I wasn't expecting one even if it was well deserved. But I've come here to talk to you".

Emma shook her head. "You know every time you open your mouth, I dread what you are about to slither out of it. So, humor me, give me your best monologue, get your daily dose of attention and then be on your way".

"I love it, how you can be so humorous and yet so cutting".

He paused for a moment smiling before a graver emotion settled in. "You need to leave town".

"Don't you think it's time you changed the record? What is it with you wanting me away from Oliver, away from Starling City? What have I ever done to you"?

"Nothing. You're in danger".

"Gee, what else is new? Everyone in this city, in this world is in danger of something. The world is a dangerous place, but then again you know that, since you so pleasantly contribute to its state"!

"I need you to take me seriously here. I'm not talking about any kind of danger. I'm talking about an imminent one and I'm not sure that Oliver will be able to save you". He paused for a moment. "Not even me".

"I don't get it. What is this obsession you have with me? First you try to seduce me and make a pass at me on a dancefloor, then make underlying messages at the club and now because you so called 'rescued' me from Slade, you feel you are my protector? I'm getting whiplash from this continuous character change".

He sighed and looked at her. "My motives have changed and I know it may seem odd for you to believe but I no longer have any interest in you that way and I'm sorry I ever did. But I didn't know then what I know now".

"And what would that be exactly"?

"That my sole responsibility is to protect you and I will do so with my life"!

"What do you mean? Why do you even care about what happens to me"?

"Because I'm your father"!

Astounded, she took a step back and her eyes grew bigger. She swallowed trying at the same time to read him but he didn't look the least bit amused. Then she did what she did best when she was nervous, she turned to humor.

"Have you been watching Star Wars? Are we reenacting the scene where Darth Vader, powerful figure of the dark side, tells Luke that he's his father? I mean don't get me wrong, Darth Vader suits you just fine, when it comes to dark sides, but I don't find this very amusing".

Malcolm said nothing and it threw her even more off balance.

"You're lying"! she said.

"And what would I gain out of lying to you about this"?

He was right. There was nothing for him to gain out of telling her this.

He opened his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper from his inside pocket. He moved towards the table that was between the two of them and placed it on it before taking a step back again.

"What is that"? she asked not taking her eyes off him.

"See for yourself", he said as he placed his arms behind his back.

She uncrossed her arms and walked towards the table. She shakily took the piece of paper and unfolded it before setting her eyes upon it.

He watched as she scanned the document and waited patiently.

When she was done reading she looked at him aghast.

"I know what you're going to say, so I'll remove any doubt you might have. You can call Felicity's friend Cisco, at STAR Labs and he'll tell you that the results are not falsified and that I didn't pay or threaten him to lie either".

He walked towards her and stopped when he was by her side. He looked at her gently. "I'll let this settle in. When you're ready, you know where to find me".

He walked away and let himself out of the apartment as Emma sat down in the sofa still holding on to the document.

When Oliver came home that evening after a day of meeting at Queen's Consolidated, the apartment was quiet and dark. He walked into the living room.

"Emma"?

"I'm here", he heard her call out from somewhere in the living room. He turned on the light and saw her sitting in the sofa with her knees crossed.

As he walked towards her, he realized something was off. "Are you OK? What are you doing sitting in the dark"?

"I don't know, I guess I was lost in my thoughts and didn't see the dark come in". She almost laughed upon realizing what she had just said. It was the truth, she hadn't seen it come in and now it was part of her life, of who she was.

He sat down next to her. "How long have you been sitting here"?

"I don't know a couple of hours at the least".

"You want to tell me what's gotten you in this state"?

"I don't even think I can say the words Ollie. It's Malcolm…he stopped by earlier".

Oliver sighed. He was really starting to get enough of Malcolm interfering in Emma's life and indirectly in his.

"Did he hurt you"?

"No".

"Then what is it? I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on".

She stood and headed for the table and came back with a piece of paper.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do". She held out the paper for him to take.

Oliver took the paper and looked at it.

Oliver tightened his jaw. "This is a bunch of lies"! He moved in closer to Emma. "You can't believe a word Malcolm says. For all we know this data is taken from another DNA test and he had the names changed"!

"That's also what I thought. But I called Cisco and he said that it's not the case. Malcolm even stayed next to him and waited while he ran the test results. Heck, Cisco even took a swab to collect Malcolm's DNA himself. The test results are legit".

Oliver stood and walked to the window quietly. He was digesting the information and it was sitting heavily on his stomach. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Emma had been going through these past hours. As much as he hated Malcolm, he always kept in mind that he was Thea's father and that through her they were somehow connected. Now, it was even more the case. Malcolm was his father-in-law! He stopped thinking about himself and returned to Emma's side.

"How are you taking this"?

She bit her lip. "I don't know Ollie. When I was a little girl, I wanted so bad to know who my father was, but my mother would never tell me. So, I would go to my room and pretend I was talking with my father. In those scenarios, he was a doctor, a lawyer, a police officer or a fireman. He helped people for a living, he saved lives. Never in any of those scenarios was my father an egocentric, self-righteous, millionaire assassin. I don't know which is harder; never knowing who my father was up till now or on the contrary, knowing who he really is".

He took her in his arms. "You have not needed Malcolm all these years to become who you are today. You are an amazing woman, you are caring and loving. These test results don't need to change anything for you. If you don't want him in your life, then that is your choice to make and he will have to accept that. No matter what you decide, I will be by your side, just as I was for Thea"!