A/N: Spoilers ahead for 2x13. This came about after a new dialogue tease was released and some fun speculation with 27hope over what it could mean. Here's one potential idea for how 2x13 could go down.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

"Felicity!"

Her head shot up as she heard the smooth, cultured voice of Walter Steele calling to her as she approached the executive elevator in the Queen Consolidated lobby.

A quizzical expression pinched her brow as she neared, "Walter...I mean, Mr. Steele, what brings you by? I don't remember you being on Oliver's calendar for the day but if you need to see him I can…"

Walter smiled gently and held up his hands, "Nothing of the sort. I actually came by to see you, my dear."

"Me?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice. Since Walter had left the company they saw very little of him.

"Is it so hard to imagine I wanted to catch up with an old friend?" his eyes twinkled, but there was something else there she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"No. Of course not." she said immediately, "It's good to see you. Would you like to come up? I can make coffee. Just don't tell Oliver, he thinks the machine is still broken."

A broad grin cracked his face as his hand came down to cup her elbow, "Why don't you let me buy you breakfast instead." he suggested, already guiding her back to the main doors.

"Alright, just let me give Oliver a head's up I'll be a little late today." she said as she pulled out her phone and tapped out a quick text. But she left off the fact that she was going to be eating with his step father.

Walter offered her his arm when they stepped onto the sidewalk and she took it with a smile as they silently walked a block to a nearby bakery that was just finishing their morning rush.

Once they were settled with steaming cups of coffee and fresh pastries she looked at him over the top of her mug as she gently blew on the hot liquid. "Why did you really pull me out of QC and bring me here? I don't think it was just to catch up."

Walter's eyes widened almost imperceptibly before he pressed his lips together and gave her a tilt of his head. "Touche', Ms. Smoak. I can see that working for Oliver has given you a bit of an edge."

"It's a different world all the way up there, sink or swim." she said with half a shrug, "I've always been a fast learner."

"Which is why we hired you."

"So what can I help you with? I don't get to flex my IT muscles as much as I used to being an executive assistant and all, but I'm pretty sure I can shake the rust off."

Walter shifted in his seat before pushing away his untouched croissant. "This is...different. This is personal."

Something in his tone made her stomach clench and she sat a little straighter as she waited for him to continue.

"You may be aware that we are...planning on fielding a new candidate for Mayor. Specifically, Moira."

Felicity nodded, she wasn't sure Mrs. Queen had a chance, but she also still had her suspicions about Sebastian Blood.

"There are...certain aspects of Moira's past that need to controlled."

Considering everything that had come out the year before Felicity couldn't imagine what could still be in that closet.

Swallowing heavily she sat down her mug and wrapped her fingers together as she stared at Walter, "What exactly are you asking of me?"

"I know this is asking a lot. It may be asking too much, but if this information got out it could hurt everyone, Oliver included."

A chill swept through her and and she knew she'd agree. She knew she'd do whatever Walter wanted her to do because she could not risk anything hurting Oliver.

She gave him a nod, and a brief thought flashed through her mind wondering if he was using her relationship with Oliver to get what he wanted.

He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small flash drive. "The information you need is on this. Any files under Moira's name need to be deleted."

Felicity reached out a slightly trembling hand to take the drive from him but he wrapped surprisingly strong fingers around her wrist to stop her.

"Felicity, you may learn secrets by doing this...secrets that were kept secret for a reason and could have serious repercussions should anyone else find out."

The intensity in his eyes was almost frightening, and she was suddenly aware that the man she knew, the one who had only been kind to her, may have more to him than she had ever realized.

She tried not to gulp, but she knew he'd seen her reaction, "I understand,"

His fingers tightened, "I don't think you do. No one can know."

Her hands went ice cold. He didn't want her to tell Oliver. Whatever was on those files would affect him. And Walter wanted her to stay silent. Instantly her palm opened up and the drive fell to the table.

"I can...I can't, I'm sorry." she said hurriedly and tried to pull her arm back, but he wouldn't let her go.

"Felicity. I understand your position, but the damage that will be done if the press discovers this will be...unimaginable."

Time seemed to stop as she considered what he was asking her to do. She'd never lie to Oliver. She couldn't. He trusted her with his life. Anything that could damage that connection, that bond they had was not something she could allow. But whatever this was that Walter wanted her to do also had the ability to hurt Oliver and she couldn't walk away from that. They needed to know.

Her eyes slid shut as she took a deep centering breath and reminded herself that she was living a double life for a reason. She just hoped she could convince Walter that she would keep quiet.

When she looked back at him her features had softened. "What's on here will hurt Oliver if I don't do this?" she asked hesitantly,

Walter gave a short dip of his head, "Yes, and Thea, and Moira as well."

With a sigh she agreed, "Alright. I'll do it."

He let out an exhale of relief and sat back, allowing her to pick the drive up and draw her hand back.

By unspoken agreement they stood and made their way back outside.

"You've always been a dedicated employee and a better friend, Felicity."

Her jaw set she looked at the man she was now starting to see in a different light, "My loyalty is not to QC, or to the Queens, it's to Oliver. I'm doing this to help him."

Understanding passed across Walter's face and she thought she might have seen a flicker of sadness, but he quickly masked it with smile, "Shall I escort you back?"

"No thank you." she said politely, already stepping away, "I'll let you know…" she waved the hand that held the drive closed in her fist and then turned before he could say anything.

The drive burned a hole in her pocket for three days. It was after Sara came back, and brought half the League of Assassins with her. After the Lance's had been put through hell again. After Oliver had come back home alive that she finally sat down with the small drive that had the potential to rock his world yet again.

She'd known since she'd stepped out of that bakery with Walter's eyes on her back that she'd tell Oliver whatever she found, but as she stared in disbelief at the files on her screen she didn't know if she'd be able to keep that promise with herself.

It had been shocking to discover that the files Walter wanted deleted were all of Moira's records from when she was pregnant with Thea, including her birth. When she got further into the files she discovered why.

Robert Queen wasn't Thea's father, Malcolm Merlyn was.

She didn't know how long she sat there staring at the name of the man that had caused so much pain. To know that he was Thea's father...she didn't know how to comprehend that.

Her shaking hand covered her mouth when she thought about Oliver and what that knowledge would do to him. Eyes blurring she wondered if Walter knew this would happen. If he knew she'd intend to tell Oliver anyways, until she actually knew what it was.

With a gasp she came back to herself, saved one encrypted copy to her servers and wiped everything else, leaving no trace.

She was sitting in her chair, staring at blank monitors, completely lost in thought when Oliver's hand landed on her shoulder, making her jump.

With one hand pressed over her heart she looked up at him to see concern in his eyes, "What's wrong? Is it your family?" he asked immediately and she knew her worry and distress was plastered all over her face.

"No, it's yours."

His brows drew together in confusion as her heart rate already began to increase just thinking about how he was going to react.

"What's going on?"

Her nerves got the better of her and she was on her feet, pacing the small space between the equipment tables, hands rubbing together as she tried to find the right words.

"A few days ago Walter met me in the lobby at work." she began, "He said he wanted to catch up, have breakfast, but...that wasn't the real reason."

Oliver shifted against the table he was leaning on, arms coming up to cross over his chest and she hated the small flash of hurt that went across his eyes because she hadn't told him about this sooner. However, it strengthened her decision to tell him. If she hadn't and he'd found out that she knew it had the potential to destroy them.

"What did he want?"

"He had a flash drive for me. Information on someone and directions for files that needed to be deleted."

He nodded once, and his shoulders dropped slightly. A pang went through her chest as she realized he thought it had something to do with the bank.

She licked her lips and swallowed before she continued, "He said it had to do with something in your mother's past. Something that if it came out during the election could damage not only her, but you and Thea as well."

His posture stiffened, and the line between his eyes grew deeper.

"My mother? She just went through a trial. What could possibly be left to find out about her?"

Felicity shut her eyes tight and wished there was a way to make this all easier.

"The files were from her doctor, when she was pregnant with Thea." she knew he was only growing more confused and she crossed quickly to the computers, knowing he'd need to see the evidence as well as hear it. She spoke as she brought up the image she wanted. "Apparently there were complications with her birth and...tests needed to be run, tests that were dependant upon the father's bloodtype. Your mother…she had to tell the doctor something that no one else knew."

The blood was rushing through her ears so quick and so loud she was amazed she could stay half hunched over her desk as she felt Oliver turn and come stand beside her as she zoomed in on the file.

"Robert Queen wasn't Thea's father. Malcolm Merlyn was."

Her eyes rose to his face and she watched as her words and what he was seeing made it through. His skin went pale as a quiet, desperate "No," escaped his throat.

Her heart broke for him. Knowing how carefully he trusted. To be faced with the knowledge that his mother had kept something so huge, so massive from him for so long...it would strip him bare and leave him without a foundation to stand on.

For a second he staggered and her hand flashed out to catch his elbow but at the contact he took in a ragged, violent breath and shook her off, stalking to the table opposite and bracing his hands on the top with his back to her.

The tension in him made the hard lines of his muscles even more prominent through his shirt, and she could hear as he struggled to retain what little control he had just then.

She approached him slowly, knowing there was nothing she could say to make it better, but she had to try. "Oliver…" she said softly, but he didn't seem to hear her.

He began speaking before he turned to look at her, and when he did her hands came up to cover her mouth, "How could she?" he spat out, his eyes were wet and red, his face flushed as he fought for words that would do no justice for what he was feeling just then. "How?!"

His head dropped back down to hang over the table, fists wrapped so tight around the edge she thought he might damage them.

Ever so gently she reached out and laid her hand over his, hoping if nothing else she could give him some sort of support. He jumped at her touch and she almost drew back, but instead she stepped closer until she was pressed against his arm.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, and raised one tentative hand to lay on his shoulder where she could feel him practically vibrating with rage.

"Merlyn...why?" he ground out, voice lower than she'd ever heard it before, and she had to blink back tears at the pain she could hear under all his anger.

With a snap he was upright, not meeting her gaze as her hands fell away. "I have to go." he said as he grabbed his jacket and stalked for the stairs.

"Oliver! Where are you going?"

"I need to talk to my mother," he said with such disgust it made her stomach turn,

She raced after him, just managing to catch his hand before he was gone, "Wait! Please, you can't just go confront her."

"Why not?!" he roared, and even though she knew he wasn't angry at her she still took a half a step back,

"Think about Thea! Think about what this will do to her!"

"Maybe my mother should have thought about that before she kept it a secret!"

There was going to be no getting through to him she knew. All she could do was be there to pick up the pieces when it was all over.

"Just...come back, please. When you're through...don't run," she hadn't meant for her voice to crack or the tears to escape, but it was a very real concern that had been screaming at her since she'd read the file.

His eyes slammed shut, and her heart stuttered when he turned his hand over and pressed his palm into her. "I'm not going to run."

She watched silently as he took the stairs two at a time, on his way to face an arrow that had been shot almost two decades earlier. She just didn't know where it was going to land.