A/N (Post-edit): Braver after Stephen Amell's quotes from SDCC (but still not without a level of distrust towards the producers/makers of Arrow who likened Laurel/Oliver to Clark/Lois), I decided to go the golden mean and rewrite the storyline. I've received a lot of critique regarding my choices for how I wrote Oliver/Laurel so far, and it was sometimes warranted. But most of the time I think the reaction was simply petty and hurtful. My choice to rewrite was perhaps affected by this, but mainly (thanks to Captain Amell and a few intelligent, debating reviewers) I've decided the version I'd written didn't do either Laurel nor Oliver justice. The important thing still stands: I think Oliver and Laurel need proper closure, something they can both acknowledge and grow from.

Apart from the shipping: I do hope you enjoy the twists that are on the way with this! Using Season 2 as a template, I'm also going to let Episodes 8-9 be the "mid-seasons finale". At the end of this chapter, you'll get a hint at what is to come.

This is a far less action-oriented episode than the others, which might not have worked on television - but I'm giving it a go. I believe it's time to focus on the people and lay some groundwork.

Also: I think it's pretty clear, but to explain - Scenes written in Italics are flashbacks!

Synopsis: Diggle gets a scare as Lyla goes into early delivery. Meanwhile, the sudden turn of events forces Oliver to question and admit a few things about his own heart. As Malcolm sets his plan in motion, his past year with Thea comes into focus.

Edit note 2: Apart from the change in Oliver/Laurel, I've also expanded on Dick's role in this and his background comes into play earlier than I had intended due to changes later on.

3x06: Unforeseen

"Hey!"

Oliver inhaled as he heard the familiar voice call to him like a siren at sea. He stopped his easy sparring with Laurel and lowered his bo staff at once. She panted beside him, tired and weary from their workout and walked over to her water bottle.

Oliver, meanwhile, turned as he heard the couple's laughter fill the foundry with life and light that was more than welcome these days. Felicity and Dick stepped towards them with matching grins that made them both seem at ease with life and each other. Both of them wore sweats and damp hair, a far cry from their usual outfits and Oliver couldn't help but frown at the unfamiliar picture they painted before him.

Laurel offered the new arrivals a wide smile as she sipped from her water. Her breathing had returned to normal as she spoke, "You two look very happy today?"

"We had a swimming competition," Felicity explained with a sharp nod and flashed the other woman a confidant smirk. Oliver blinked at the expression that passed her features. Confidence suited Felicity Smoak and it made him happy as her friend to see her this way. Unaware of his thoughts, the young woman explained, "We did laps and I won the race!"

Dick snorted. "She cheated."

"I never cheat!" Felicity disagreed and nudged her shoulder into his chest with a cute glare. She raised her chin boldly as she declared, "Except when I count cards, but that's a rare occurrence. You're just a sore loser!"

"You had an unfair advantage, Smoak," the tall, brown-haired man firmly disagreed. "Captains of the Swim Team usually do."

Oliver frowned and his curious eyes sought out the blonde's. "You were a Swim Team Captain in High school…?"

"That was a long time ago," the woman deflected as she held his gaze. "And it was more of a stand-in position that one time, not official. Hardly an advantage now. And certainly not an advantage against a tights-wearing martial arts experts who bench press three times my weight."

"Four times and it's not tights, it's a reinforced tri-polymer-blend with-" Dick inhaled sharply and raised a calloused hand as if unwilling to take the fight. "Never mind. Let's just call it a tie."

"I won fair and square!"

The man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he looked towards the open training area. "How about we settle this with a round on the mat?"

Felicity scowled. "You know I'm not good with those sticks."

"I think it's high time you learn," Dick suggested, and the words seemed almost trained, as if he'd been meaning to ask earlier but had been awaiting the opportune moment. "If you want to, that is?"

"… Sure. We have an hour to kill before me and Oliver have to report to A.R.G.U.S. Why not?"

"Me and Ollie were just about done training anyway. Here," Laurel said and offered her long, wooden stick to the blonde.

Oliver smiled tightly. "Actually, I wanted to discuss something with the two of you."

Dick and Felicity stopped and turned towards him expectantly. Their flawless, burning joy was momentarily replaced with confused attentiveness to him.

Oliver paused as he noticed.

Ever since Dick had been revealed as Nightwing, the man had become an honorary figure on their little team. It was an issue Felicity had carefully threaded around, and something Oliver, Diggle and Roy had gladly accepted.

It felt a bit weird to have the cop on their team, but Dick had acclimatized himself fairly well already as a vital member on their ever growing team. The young man had an easygoing personality that made it nearly impossible not to like him. With his years in the police force he held the same magnetic charisma as Diggle, but he still had a gentler heart and treated Roy like a smaller brother and Oliver as his equal.

All in all, he was a decent man who managed to keep a light sense of humor despite the darkness he'd obviously encountered. He was good at covering those darker tracks in his heart, but Oliver had seen the ghosts of his past flash by in Dick's eyes when he thought no one could see him. Oliver recognized it only too well in his own heart and soul, but had decided not to prod for more details on a broken past he had no business meddling in.

He had no intention of rubbing Dick the wrong way, since he knew how important the man was to Felicity. Still, things were different now and he had to play the bad guy and demand his newest ally open up. Everything he knew about Doctor Death could prove vital for a final showdown and they needed to be prepared. Personal experiences be damned, they all needed to know the truth.

Reminded of why he interrupted them, Oliver cleared his throat. "It's about Seth Hellfern. I've been pondering that night last week... and your timely interruption."

"You mean saving Felicity from being rammed off the street? Yeah, sure, I remember."

Oliver ignored the quip as he decided not to beat around the bush. "Were you simply keeping an eye on Felicity that night?"

The blonde turned her gaze up to her boyfriend as all of them waited for a response. For another couple of seconds, the silence was almost deafening in the lair around them.

Dick shrugged at length. "No... Seth Hellfern worked for a friend of mine in Gotham City. Of course, we didn't know he was a criminal at first. But everything became crystal clear when he quite violently tried to blackmail my friend."

"Wait, I thought you were from Blüdhaven?" Laurel frowned in confusion from the sidelines.

"Nope, born and raised on the streets of Gotham. I moved to Blüdhaven as an adult," the brown-haired man explained sharply. "Gotham is my home. Was my home... The short version is that: Yes, I encountered Doctor Death in Gotham City many years ago. Me and Batman drove him out of the city."

Felicity pondered his words and tentatively asked, "What happened?"

Dick hesitated and the man's expression faltered as he searched for any words to justify his reaction. "I'd... rather not say. It's not a part of my life I don't like to re-live."

Oliver hesitated. He threw Felicity a weary glance before he tensely exhaled, "... It could be important to us now. Important to finding and stopping Hellfern once and for all."

Dick's face fell as he held the other man's gaze steadily. "... You're not serious? You want me to open up, when you can't even do the same? We're just supposed to accept that you somehow learned urban parkour in a jungle?!"

Felicity placed a hand on her boyfriend's chest and he seemingly relaxed as he turned to face her. The blonde offered the tall man a friendly smile as she whispered, "Oliver means well... And he's right. It could be important."

Reluctantly, Dick lowered his chin and sharply nodded. He turned away from the others as he slowly began, "...It was six years ago. As I said, I was working side by side with Batman back then. And... Batgirl. Barbara Gordon. Her name was Barbara..." he cleared his throat and pushed through the memories and the pain with some effort. "One night, Batman found Doctor Death's secret laboratory. We knew about his plans to create a super-drug to blackmail Gotham's elite and we went to his laboratory to stop him. But... everything went wrong. Hellfern went mad... He shot Barbara, trashed his own laboratory and lit the place on fire. Afterwards, everyone thought it was an accident, but I saw the intention in his eyes... The chemicals and the fire knocked him out and Batman managed to pull him out of the burning building. I... tried to get Barbara out, but she was buried under the debris... I dug out her body afterwards... I was too late. She... She, eh,... died."

Oliver closed his eyes tight as he recognized the man's anguish. Guilt washed over him as he breathed, "I'm sorry for your loss..."

"Barbara... Were you two...?" Felicity's sad voice trailed off as she reached for Dick's hand. He clutched her smaller one tightly as he nodded his head, but words failed him.

Oliver watched the scene before him and sighed. He hadn't meant to draw out the man's demons like this, but now they knew the truth. Perhaps it wouldn't help them later on, but at least now they knew. "You and Batman..." he searched for words that could pull them back from the precipice. "... You know how Hellfern thinks and works?"

Dick inclined his head as he glanced back at the man. "... Yes."

"Good," Oliver nodded briskly. "Then I'm asking if you can find out more about his whereabouts here in Starling. See if we can figure out what this is all about. We know he had help escaping from Iron Heights, but we need to find out if that was Hellfern's idea or if someone else is controlling the game. We need to stop whatever this is before it can escalate. Take Roy out tonight and scout, will you?"

Dick blinked twice and seemed to wrestle with a question on the tip of his tongue, but eventually swallowed it down. "… Sure." He turned back to the petite blonde by his side and offered her a genuine smile. The sadness slowly evaporated around his eyes as he suggested, "Now... How about that training session?"

Felicity's smile was sadder than previously, but her cheeks flushed a bright crimson as she led the way over to the training mats.

Oliver raised his chin as they walked past him and he lost himself in thought. A soft pressure on his arm pulled him back to the present and he inhaled sharply. He glanced down at Laurel by his side, and her warm eyes were filled with concern for him. "Is everything alright, Ollie?"

"It's just… I have a lot on my mind regarding Doctor Death and QC," he explained himself with a grimaced smile as he listened to the staffs slam together behind him like heavy drum sticks. He pushed all of his worries to the back of his head and focused on the brunette by his side. "Nothing a bit of sparring can't help with. I was thinking we could test what your father has actually taught you in hand-to-hand combat?"

"Try and keep up," Laurel winked good-naturedly.

"I believe it's time," Malcolm spoke into his phone and was pleased to hear the voice at the other end answer in the affirmative. Merlyn concluded with, "Set the plan in motion."

With Doctor Death as a willing chess player, Malcolm finally had all he needed to start the game against Oliver Queen. The battle ahead promised to be gruel, but necessary nonetheless. The initial part of his plan required a certain diversion. It was a necessary component, but this particular diversion he'd been reluctant towards in the beginning. His daughter had unwittingly planted the seed once when she'd rambled in a blind fury, and eventually the words had grown into something Malcolm could shape and fit into the bigger revenge scheme. He had swallowed his own pride this once, and knew he could be well rewarded for it in the end.

Like a cat in long-reaching shadows, he needed to remain unseen as he snuck towards his unsuspecting prey in the distance. Others would have to fight in the open while he waited for the right moment. He needed the rest to unravel first and the chaos that it brought with it would bring him closer to his goal.

This initial phase, was, after all, only the starting point to a long journey he'd longed for ever since Tommy's demise.

"Thea!" he called and entered the fancy living room in their suite on feather-light feet. He found the young brunette reclined in the middle of the beige sofa, grazing through a fashion magazine as if she'd seen nothing more boring. She looked up at him expectantly. "It's started."

"It has?" she asked, the magazine at once forgotten, as she rose to meet him.

"Remember, sweetheart…" Malcolm spoke as his hands found her shoulders. "If you want me to call this off, you only need to say the words."

Her eyes clouded momentarily - with old, fond memories, no doubt - but they were soon wiped away to reveal the strong woman Malcolm had seen her become under his tutelage these past months. She was certainly her father's daughter and held his strength where it mattered the most. She, too, needed this vengeance, for similar yet unique reasons than his own.

"We agreed on this. Together," Thea spoke slowly, evidently reaching more clarity by the second as she made her final choice. Her raspy voice was dripping with determination as she continued, "You've been honest with me every step of the way since you found me, and… he hasn't. He deserves this for what he's done to us both. I still love him… but I want him to hurt like he hurt me."

"That's my girl," Malcolm pinched her cheek as his arm enveloped her slender shoulders and held her close to him. "I'm proud of you, you know. You've come a long way since stepping into my limo eight months ago."

The young brunette exhaled in dark amusement. "... Evolution is for the strong. For the survivors."

"That's right," the man smiled affectionately as he remembered the words. "And don't forget: as soon as we learn that this first step worked… You're free to reveal yourself to your waiting crowd. And won't they be pleased to see you!"

Eight months earlier:

Thea shuffled around in her seat. She wrapped her black cardigan closer around her limbs as she glanced out through the airplane window at the night sky outside. Only an hour before, she'd decided to leave Starling City for good and all those she'd once loved. "Where are you taking me?"

Opposite her, Malcolm sipped from a glass of wine and reclined with great ease. He matched her worried scowl with a smile. "I'm not taking you anywhere, Thea. You chose this."

"I know, I know. I'm…I'm-"

"You're lost... I can see it in your eyes. You have a fire in you, but you've also lost so much. Including yourself. I was the same once, after I lost my wife. You weren't even born when it happened, but…" Malcolm cleared his throat from the thick bile that threatened to reveal his heart too soon. He slowly set down his glass on the table between them and licked his lips. "I know the feeling, is what I meant to say. And I hope to help you regain your balance, the way I regained mine."

Thea eyed him suspiciously, but the hatred that had been in them before was now gone. "You murdered people."

"For a greater good."

"Yeah? Well, it's still a weird balance you've got going for you."

Malcolm chuckled. "Honesty. I appreciate that. You really are of the same bones as I am. Thea…We have all the time in the world to discuss the past and the present, but I cannot explain anything while you're lost. We'll focus on finding you first. Let me take care of you, like the father I should have been allowed to be for you… Let us both have the fresh start we need and turn over a new leaf."

Unprepared to the frankness and sincerity to his offer, Thea was taken aback. It had been a long time anyone had spoken to her with sincerity. She'd heard nothing but lies from those who'd professed to being her closest. Her mother, her brother, Roy… They were all the same. She could trust no one, especially not those she once thought she loved. She'd lost them all because of the insistent lies. She'd had enough. She still didn't know exactly what she wanted, but she needed this break from them, this break from Starling City.

At length, she nodded her head slowly. "I'm ready…"

"Dad?" Laurel asked as the front door swung wide open and her father's grim face appeared in the open doorway. "Is something wrong? That was quite the impromptu dinner invite…"

"Wrong? No!" Quentin replied hurriedly and smoothed a wrinkle in his navy-blue shirt as he glanced back over his shoulder. "Come on in. Did you know your mother's in town?"

Without waiting for a reply, he waved his daughter into the flat and helped her shrug out of her pale jacket. His movements were just a tad too upbeat, and the whole scenario made Laurel suspicious. He wanted her present tonight almost too much.

"Is that a new dress?" he asked loudly and pointed towards her black and grey outfit. "It suits you, honey!"

Laurel squinted as she tried to read the edgy look to his eyes and watched as he paused to take a deep breath. She leaned in close and lowered her voice, "You've never remarked about my fashion sense before. What's going on?"

"Come, greet your mother!" Quentin replied. His voice was higher than normal conversation, as if he didn't want potential eavesdroppers to get the wrong impression. Laurel nodded as she saw the end to her inquiries. She'd learn soon enough, then. He quickly steered her into his open dining area, and concluded, "And her fiancé!"

Laurel did a double-take; both at the image before her and her father's unexpected words.

Expectantly, Dinah stood beside a chair on the other end of the wooden table, an embarrassed smile grazing her full lips as she met her daughter's gaze. Beside her stood a tall, lanky man with hollow cheeks but kind, pale eyes. He had a strong jawline that reminded Laurel of old-time movie stars and he flashed her a wide grin as he extended his hand and stepped towards her.

"I'm Larry," the man's voice was burly and had a certain familiarity to it, as if he had an uncanny ability of making anyone he met feel at home. His handshake was firm as his eyes darted between father and daughter. "You must be Laurel. You're mother's told me everything about you."

Laurel blinked, her mind still trying to process the news that had come with her mother's unexpected visit. "Nice to meet you... I'm sorry… Did I hear Dad correct?"

Her mother inclined her head and a softness fell over her face that Laurel hadn't seen for a long time. Dinah raised her left hand and Laurel's gaze was pulled towards the sparkling diamond on her ring finger. "We're engaged to be married!"

"That's…" Laurel stuttered and couldn't quite hide her surprise. She conspicuously glanced up at her father, who wore an unreadable expression on his features. Laurel turned back to the couple and offered them a genuine smile. "That's wonderful news, mum!"

Dinah stepped over and embraced her daughter tightly as she explained herself, "I know this is all so sudden, but I thought I owed it to you both to come here and tell you in person. I didn't want to wait and let you hear it from another source. I thought it was only fair… I hope..."

An egg timer shrilled loudly from the kitchen then and they were all literally saved by the bell. Larry, Dinah and Quentin all jumped into action. As the Lance man stepped forward, his ex-wife offered him an apologetic smile.

"We can prepare the last for dinner, Quentin. Sit, sit," Dinah suggested and pulled out a chair for him. "After all, I did invite myself and it's only fair we make ourselves useful when we're here. The casserole will be done in a jiffy. We'll be right back!"

The newly engaged couple stepped into the kitchen and out of sight.

Laurel turned back to her father and watched as all air seemed to go out of him. He sank onto the offered chair and sighed. He looked drained emotionally, as if this blow had knocked the air from his lungs. When her mother had told them she'd found a new man, Laurel had accepted the truth that things could never be the same again. But something told her the same acceptance had been harder for her father.

Quentin offered her a sad smile to reassure her he wasn't as defeated as he looked, before he rose on heavy knees. "I could use a drink."

Laurel felt worry fill her chest as she threw him a stern glare. "You know you can't."

"Don't worry, I wasn't thinking about alcohol. I meant… A Virgin Cuba Libre."

The young woman scowled. "That's just Coke."

"Yes. Do you want one, too?"

"… Please."

Wide as a barn door, and feeling graceful as one, too, Lyla waddled bare feet across the wooden floor of the apartment she shared with John. She was 38 weeks pregnant and couldn't wait for the last two to fly by. She was quite prepared to lose the 'extra weight' and see their little bundle of joy in broad daylight. The little girl had certainly been a burden to bear at times; kicking madly during the nights, giving her heart burns to match wild fires and a back ache that just would not settle. Still, Lyla was in equal measures terrified and excited for what lay ahead. The future was entirely unwritten and this was something she'd never done before.

She peered into the bedroom and saw John seated by the desk with his back turned towards her. He was slouched back in his seat, his shoulders stiff and seemingly pensive as his eyes rested on the laptop before him.

"… Are you okay, Johnny?"

Diggle inhaled slowly and turned his head so he could see his partner. "I just Skyped with A.J. He and Carly seem to enjoy the coast… He says 'Hi' by the way."

Lyla leaned against the doorpost as she noticed the wistful look to his eyes. "You miss them, don't you? Why don't you go see them for a weekend?"

"And leave my pregnant wife alone?" John questioned with a wrinkle between his eyebrows. Lyla wanted to remark on it looking cute on him, but had a fairly good feeling he wouldn't take it too well.

"Ex-wife," Lyla corrected instead. "And I wouldn't be entirely alone, you know. I have the team. Besides, you already left me 'alone' when you followed Felicity to Vegas," she quickly raised her hands before he could think she was whining. "Which I, by the way, think was the right choice to make. She needed you more than I did then… just as I think A.J does now. It's been awhile since we settled them in there. It's still new, it's not always easy for a kid to change scenery and adapt. He must be missing his favorite uncle."

"Only uncle," Diggle snorted.

"Favorite, nonetheless."

"I can't… You're almost due."

"Two more weeks," Lyla disagreed and patted her immense stomach. "I know I look bigger than that, though. I feel like I'm an M1-A1, Johnny!"

John grimaced in amused disagreement. "…Maybe a manatee."

"Oh, I'll get you for that!" the brunette snarled with a widening grin as she stepped towards him.

He rose and met her half-way. His arms encircled her waist as he joked, "Yeah? Whatcha gonna do, huh? Waddle over me?"

"I was thinking more… about abstaining."

"Abstaining, from what?"

The woman winked as she took a few steps back from him. "… I think you know."

"Oh, girl…" John laughed and his eyes lit up like fireworks. "That's not fair."

"Well, I-Oh!... Oh!" Lyla flinched and her hands flew down to her stomach at once. The smile on her lips faded into fear as she held her breath.

John frowned as he tried to catch her eyes and felt his heart rush inside his chest. He was by her side in a heartbeat, holding onto her, "Lyla? What's wrong?"

"Johnny…" her dark eyes sought out his and unfocused thoughts whirled around in her orbs as she clung to him. "I think my water just broke…"

Oliver was just about to head out for the lair when he heard a knock on his front door. As he glanced through the peephole, he was surprised to see Jane Deleon standing awkwardly in the corridor outside. Without prolonging the inevitable, he opened the door and looked down at her with a confused frown.

"Jane!" Oliver breathed. "Did I miss a meeting at QC…?"

The fair woman was clad casually for the night, having lost her trademark heels and snug dresses. Instead she wore jeans and a matching sweater. She looked up at him and shook her head hurriedly, "No, no."

Oliver raised his index finger and jokingly remarked, "Ah… You want to know if I'm an… honest man, was it the word you used?"

Jane exhaled in amusement but shook her head in disagreement. Seeing the honest attempt trying to take form in her eyes, he opened the door and let her step inside his flat. She stepped slowly further into his private home, her eyes curiously flying across his personal items. Soon enough, she turned back however and explained herself, "I… I know I've come on strong where QC is concerned. I have a tendency to be like a steamroller when business is involved. Get it after my… father," she exhaled wearily and the sound of her breath seemed to linger in the air. "I… I thought we could go back to basics. Be friends. I don't want you to feel as if I'm making you do something you're not prepared for or taking charge where you should be in control over the project."

Uncertain more than ever what this was all about, Oliver managed a slight nod. "I'd... like that, too."

"I know this must seem weird, and if I knew a better way to handle this, I would. You mainly know me as Thea's friend, but..." Jane inclined her head repeatedly, as if trying to encourage him with the motion. "I want us to trust each other."

Her words died out into the open space of his apartment, and no sound seemed to come after. Oliver could see her struggle with something, as if afraid to walk the line. Whatever he'd seen, soon vanished as she turned her gaze to the side, searching for a diversion.

Her eyes glued themselves to a photo frame on his bookshelf and a soft smile played on her lips as she stepped towards it. Jane took down the photo of a young, smiling Tommy Merlyn posing for a portrait and turned back to Oliver. "It's a good photo."

"Yes," the man agreed and his heart constricted at the memory of his dearest friend. "He always did take good photos."

"… I miss him."

Taken aback once more by the honest pain and attempt, Oliver could but match with his own sincerity, "Me too..."

"Thea…" Jane smiled fondly as memories flashed by in her pale eyes. "She used to have the biggest crush on Tommy when we were young. She thought he was so handsome, and he was always sweet towards us both…"

Oliver tried to hide his grimace, but he wasn't fast enough.

Jane frowned up at him. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You were both very sweet to us," the blonde clarified as she carefully placed the photo back in its place. "You behaved like jerks to everyone else, but always protected us. I've never forgotten…"

Oliver's gaze lingered on the photo of Tommy. "I remember, too."

"You know what I don't remember?" Jane asked suddenly and whirled around on him. "I don't remember how I got that awful nickname: Killer…"

"I do," Oliver grinned as he put his hands in his pants pockets and let himself get lost in more carefree days. "It started as a joke and spun from there. Tommy thought it was amusing, since it couldn't be further from the truth. The anti-thesis of you."

"I don't know about that. I've killed a lot of spiders in my days," the woman grimaced, and then added as an after-thought, "… always seemed to make it rain."

"Still afraid of those little critters, huh?"

"Some fears never die… even when you kill them over and over," she smiled briefly, but it didn't linger on her features. She took a hesitant step towards him and exhaled. "Oliver, I've been meaning to ask, but… Where is Thea? And no more lies, please. I know she's not in England."

Glad to have reached the core of her visit, Oliver inclined his head slowly. He looked down at the blonde, pondering how much that remained unsaid judging by the look in her eyes. He had a feeling he had barely scratched the surface with her, and perhaps friendship could be necessary to deem her value in reclaiming QC.

"… She wanted to make a new start away from Starling. She's not coming home," he told her at length. It was half a true, after all. It was the plan Thea had told him about the last time he had seen her, a plan that he'd learned never came to fruition. The truth was a whole other story, in a way. He had no idea where she was, but was fairly certain she didn't want anything to do with him. The only thing he could do was to accept her choice and hope for the best.

Jane blinked guardedly. She wet her lips as she tried her voice, "… Ever?"

Oliver scowled at the raw weariness to her voice. He opened his mouth to reply when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He withdrew the item and looked down at the Caller-ID. The screen read 'John Diggle'.

Three months ago

"Good!" Malcolm encouraged as Thea parried his attack gracefully. The brunette grinned at his compliment and once more came at him with her sword.

As Malcolm blocked her advances, he couldn't help but think she was a natural at this. It was as easy as breathing to her, and her movements were both graceful and strong. True, the first month had been hard for her, but when her mental obstacles had washed away like a flood, the rest had flowed easily.

Over the past four months, he had won her heart over, and he knew she trusted him at last. In turn, he loved her more than he possibly had ever loved Tommy. Tommy had always been a good son, there was no doubt of that. But Thea was so very much alike her father that he couldn't help but hold a candle for her. She'd learned to embrace her darkness with the passing days, and left the past in the past. Her mother, her brother and that boy called Roy... Thea's love for them had all died out as she'd processed their lies with the gentle coaxing of her father.

He'd helped her see the truth, and was glad she shared his opinion at last. Training her in battle had felt like a necessary next step, and she'd fallen into the routine gladly.

As she attacked him, Malcolm saw an opening and blocked her sword with one hand and kicked out her leg from under him with his left foot. Thea fell backwards onto the training mat and panted from exhaustion as she collected herself.

"Always keep your guard up, Thea," Malcolm coached and held out his hand for her. She grabbed it and pulled herself to a standing position.

Her breathing steadied as she looked at him through contemplative eyes. "... Are you sure about this plan?"

"Only if you are," Malcolm re-assured and smiled inwardly.

He'd suggested his grand scheme only a few days ago, and Thea had been somewhat reluctant to agree it was a good plan. Perhaps she held greater affection for her past than Malcolm had expected, but evidently that hold was dwindling in the same pace as his influence over her was gaining.

"The whole plan is about you," he further explained and his voice was soft like a morning breeze. "To give you back what you deserve. It will be the new start we've been waiting for. And it will show your brother and the others what you have become. Evolution, Thea, is for the strong. For people like you and me. We adapt to the wickedness of this world and make our own paths to suit our needs. Sometimes, the means does justify the end. You'll see I'm right if you agree to walk this path with me."

"And if I don't?" Thea asked in a low voice.

"Then I'll walk the path you choose," her father assured with a warm smile. "The point is that we do this together."

"But Oliver..." the woman's voice trailed off. "I know he's lied to me, but he's..."

"Done you more harm than good! He's done the whole city more harm than good if you ask me!"

Thea frowned at his use of words. "... What are you talking about?"

"Thea, sweetheart..." Malcolm sighed as he steered her onto the path of his choosing. It had come time for the final nail in the coffin between Oliver and Thea, and this was a day he'd been waiting for a long time. "I've always told you the truth, you know that. There is something, however, I've been uncertain how to tell you. But you've grown so much, and I think you can take the truth now. The whole truth about Oliver... What he's been keeping from you all this time."

Thea's eyes were focused and firm as she waited on baited breath. "Tell me."

Malcolm drew a gentle breath for theatrical effect. "Oliver... is the Arrow."

"Mum..." Laurel called and nodded for the elder woman to join her.

Dinah rose from her seat around the dinner table and patted her fiancé on the shoulder. The man barely noticed as he was deep in conversation with Quentin and the woman could escape without any questions.

The dinner had gone quite smoothly and, oddly enough, the two men had ended up bonding early on. Laurel wasn't surprised. Larry seemed genuinely nice and outgoing, someone easy to talk to if you only gave him a chance. Quentin, too, had been on his best behavior after the first wave of awkwardness had settled.

Laurel smiled at her mother as the woman joined her. She lowered her voice and breathed, "... Larry seems great, mum."

Dinah ran a soft hand over her daughter's long hair and smiled fondly. "Sweetheart... I know this must be difficult to accept."

"No, it's-"

"I'm your mother, Laurel," Dinah gently interrupted. "I know you."

Laurel hesitated before she inclined her head. It was weird seeing her parents strive towards different goals in life. She'd known a long while that she couldn't elude herself or her father into believing Dinah would ever come back to them, but it still didn't make this any easier.

"It's just..." Laurel began. "I always thought the two of you would stay together, and then everything fell apart. I guess... I don't know. I wanted you two to be together, even when I knew you wouldn't be anymore."

Dinah eyed her daughter with curious eyes. She inhaled slowly, as if filling her lungs with the courage she'd need to explain herself. In the end, she let it out and said, "Laurel, honey... I'll always love your father. He'll always have a very special place in my heart, but… even if I didn't have Larry, it wouldn't work between us. If Quentin and I tried again… it would fail. We're different people now and, I think, deep down want different things. What we had was special… but that part of our lives is over. I'm not sad about that and I know Quentin understands, too... It's just the way life is, Laurel. You move on to other things, not necessarily better but certainly just as good..." Dinah turned her gaze towards her fiancé and Laurel noticed how her features softened with love. "And I hope you don't think that I take anything for granted, sweetheart. I've been very fortunate to have two soul mates in my life… Sometimes you have to let go of past dreams to embrace future ones. To embrace the only person you can truly see yourself with."

Laurel didn't say anything as she slowly nodded and tried to make sense of her mother's words. She offered her mother a stiff smile as they approached the table together.

As Oliver sank further into the uncomfortable chair in the waiting room at the hospital, his mind wandered. He thought about Jane and Thea, and the company he so longed to have back in his grasp, but his thoughts never lingered for long.

Being present so close to Diggle and Lyla's future happiness... He couldn't help but let his thoughts wander down the road of his own heart's desires and the two people who hid along the path.

First there was Laurel. She was the one he'd wronged so much, yet she'd somehow found it within herself to forgive him for past offenses. While trapped on The Island, he'd done everything in his power to return to her. Before he'd left, Oliver had realized Laurel believed them to be soul mates destined to live together and love each other until the end of their lives. The notion had frightened him. The future she'd pretty much set in stone had been too much, too soon and he'd escaped it in favor of Sara in a desperate attempt to distance himself from it all. He'd been young and foolish, believing that his chosen path was easier than facing the truth: He didn't love Laurel the same way she loved him.

For a long time there had been an unwritten 'What if?' over their heads even after he'd returned, but the answer had presented itself after Tommy's death. Oliver hadn't realized it then, but their decision to not try again at a relationship had been the end of sorts. Over the months that followed, his heart had slowly gotten used to the notion and had somewhere along the way accepted the truth. Laurel wasn't his soulmate, that much he knew.

Sara had been important to him, as well. She'd been by his side through so much and they'd grown closer together on the Island. Still, though he had loved her, too, he hadn't been in love with her. The reasons he'd found a relationship with her possible had been founded in Arrow and not Oliver. And that was the very same notion that meant it could never have lasted.

And then there was Felicity, the young woman who'd impacted his life in ways he had never foreseen. She'd brought light into a life of endless night, and changed him for the better in her own quirky way. Though she had never known the man he'd been before The Island, and never seen his pure, innocent soul, she still believed there was good in him. Sometimes, her unfaltering belief in him made him believe in it, too. She had become his moral compass, by which he tried to keep a steady path through existence in hopes of becoming the man she was in him. Before she had entered his life, Oliver had been certain he was a lost cause. Now, he wasn't so certain anymore.

That night, in his family's abandoned manor, when he'd done the unthinkable to stop his enemy, he had known he could fool Slade to believe he loved Felicity. What he hadn't expected was to realize that the complicated lie had been the simple truth. Oliver Queen was in love with Felicity Smoak. Afterwards, he'd accepted the truth of his own feelings, and attempted to bury them deep inside. He'd long known she carried a torch for him, but he had never wanted to encourage her because he knew he could never tarnish her light with his charcoal-black soul.

Oliver exhaled deeply. She deserved so much more than the little he had to offer. The broken soldier whose soul purpose in life was to fight crime and lose himself piece by piece. If he couldn't give her a chance, he at least owed it to her to set her free to pursue greener pasture. Though painful it was to see at times, he was happy Felicity had found love elsewhere and seemed to be thriving from the new relationship.

"That was Dick," Felicity interrupted his train of thought and Oliver flinched in surprise as she sank into the chair beside him. She grimaced apologetically at having startled him as she further elaborated, "He said he and Roy haven't found anything about Doctor Death. I told them to call it a night."

"That's fine," Oliver nodded as he tried to pull himself from the bottomless well of his thoughts.

His behaviour did not go unnoticed, and the blonde remarked, "… Is something wrong?"

The man shook his head firmly. "It's nothing."

"Don't say nothing," she said with a soft, chiding smile.

Oliver sighed and hesitated on the abyss. "It's… all of this. Diggle and Lyla. Having a child. It's a big change for all of us... Then there's you and Dick."

"… And now you lost me."

"None of this fits well with our... secret lives," Oliver swallowed and closed his eyes tight. "What if I can't do it? What if I'm too far gone?"

"To do what?" Felicity asked.

He rarely wore his heart on his sleeve, but he made an exception for her. "… Love someone."

"But you and Sara…? Oh!" her eyes widened in realization and he saw her mind quickly latch onto his line of thinking. "That's why you were with her? Because you believed she was so similar to you. A self-proclaimed killer who's irredeemable. Oliver, you're not like that! Neither of you have dark souls… It's just in your heads."

Oliver shook his head in disagreement and glanced about the empty room. "The island made me a killer, Felicity."

"And you've moved beyond that in these past few years! You're not that killer anymore! You didn't kill Slade, but you beat him anyway. You did it. You've redeemed yourself… you're a hero!"

He smiled at her fiery tone that served as a beacon in trialing days. "... I try to be, Felicity, but I'm not really. I don't kill anymore, but I'll always be a killer. I can't let go of the part of me that still lingers in the darkness. No matter what I've done… that's who I'll always be."

"It's not!" her voice was on the brink of dejection and her eyes held his captive.

"I can't go back to the man I was before the island," he said while he looked her square in the eye.

"And why would you?" Felicity countered and the question threw him. Oliver blinked as he listened to her fiery speech, "No offense, but that guy could be conceited and vain… and constantly drunk. He's not you. Troubled and broody, yes… But also the strongest man I've ever met. Capable of so much love. You've overcome everything that's been thrown at you because you care. I know you don't see it, but I do. We all do… You'll see it to someday, with any luck."

Oliver smiled and his gaze fell to his lap. "… With any luck."

After Dinah and Larry said goodnight and headed for their hotel with a promise of a shared breakfast with the Lance family the very next day, Laurel and her father collapsed on his worn sofa.

The news had settled in their minds now, and the dinner had actually been pleasant though awkward at times. Laurel thought her mother could have handled it better, but still saw the point in bringing her fiancé along to give them a chance to get to know him. And Larry seemed nice. He was warm and genuine, with a simmering kindness ever present in his eyes. More than anything, his presence illuminated Dinah Lance, and that was all Laurel needed to know he was good enough for her. She was truly happy for her mother.

Cautiously, she turned her gaze to look at her father's strong profile where he sat beside her. The elder man leaned his head against the backrest and he seemed paradoxically drained yet tense at the same time.

"So…" Laurel drawled slowly as time ticked on by. "Do you feel like going to the wedding in Central City in two months…?"

"That would be too awkward, don't you agree? You should go, though, she'd want you there, but me?" Quentin chuckled and ran a hand across his weary features. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting this. I don't know how to feel. Happy for her, obviously, but…"

"I know," his daughter smiled and reached out for her father's hand where it rested on the cushions between them. "It took me by surprise to. I didn't think she wanted to re-marry."

"Larry's… good for her," Quentin assured as he turned to meet her gaze and squeezed her hand. "He'll make her happy. He is making her happy. I like him."

"You could have made her happy, too, dad," Laurel gently coaxed.

Her father solemnly shook his head. "I don't think I would have. Once; yes. Now? I don't know…"

Laurel frowned as she rested her head against her arm and searched for the answers not yet given. "You think… you only get one chance at happiness with someone?"

"Laurel, sweetheart, you don't always get what you want in this life," Quentin sighed and the heavy breath seemed to do the trick. "It's as simple as that. Sometimes… you have to accept the happiness of others, even if it hurts at the time. I'll always love your mother… but we're simply not meant to be. She'll be happier without me, and that makes me glad in turn... Certainly happier than if I'd made her miserable."

Laurel let his words sink in and when she remained silent a second too long, Quentin turned his anxious glare up to meet hers. He squinted and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"I don't…" the brunette shrugged as her voice trailed off.

"Is this about Oliver Queen?"

Laurel slowly inclined her head and smiled sheepishly.

Quentin sighed heavily and shut his eyes, looking for all intents and purposes as if he was trying to keep his reaction to himself. In the end, however, his shoulders slumped and he revealed, "Sweetheart, you know how I feel about Oliver. Sure, yeah… Oliver's changed. He's a good man and I've told you once already: you could do a whole lot worse... But I'd still prefer it if he dated someone with a last name that wasn't Lance."

Laurel laughed as she slapped her father's shoulder and he withdrew from her in mock-pain.

Another half an hour later, Felicity and Oliver were impatiently awaiting news of any kind regarding Baby Diggle.

"Do you want one?" Felicity's voice pulled them both back to the present moment and they turned towards each other.

"What?" Oliver frowned in confusion as he tried to read her contemplative eyes.

The blonde shrugged and her loose hair grazed her shoulders. "I mean, one day? Obviously not now."

Oliver pondered the question as he scooted up in his seat. "You mean a baby?"

"Yeah..." Felicity nodded and bit her bottom lip. "I was just thinking aloud, you don't have to-"

"I don't know," Oliver admitted distantly. "I think… Yes. I think I do. But, I'm not sure if I can. With the life that I lead…"

Felicity's hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, and he glanced down at her black-painted nails and her comforting smile. "Someday."

Oliver nodded his head and returned the smile, "Someday."

John suddenly entered the room then on brisk feet, his eyes quickly finding his friends across the yellow waiting room. He stepped towards them with a widening grin and Felicity and Oliver rose to meet him in the middle. The man looked tired and worn, with dark circles under his eyes. Still, his eyes were full of life as he looked down at them.

"How'd it go?" Oliver asked before his friend had a chance to speak. "Any news?"

"Felicity, Oliver…" John positively beamed as his gaze flew between them. "How'd you like to meet your god-daughter?"

Felicity blinked and clutched onto Oliver's arm without thinking. The blonde smiled. "What?"

"You two are god-parents to a very beautiful baby girl."

"Mazel tov!" Felicity breathed as she threw her arms around her friend's neck. "Yes, I want to see her!"

Oliver and Felicity stood on either side of Diggle in the labour ward as they gazed through the window at the different babies, lying on heat tables in a neat row. In the third bed to the right in the row of children lay Baby Diggle, her skin a perfect blend between vanilla and chocolate and a curly mop of hair at the top of her head. The girl was sleeping soundly and it was too soon to tell if her features would look like her mother or her father.

"You're a father, John!" Felicity squealed and half-embraced him from the side a second time.

John chuckled at her enthusiasm and looked down at the small girl through the glass. His expression softened almost unnoticeable as he looked down at her. "… I am."

"What are you going to call her?" Oliver asked in a gentle tone that stood in stark contrast to his gruff voice normally used as the Arrow.

"We were thinking Maya…" Diggle replied as he glanced at his friend.

"Beautiful," Oliver hummed with a nod.

Felicity squeezed the new father's arm and smiled. "I know you'll be the best dad."

He turned his gaze down to his other friend and let his own trepidation shine through his fatigue and excitement. "How can you be so sure of that, Felicity?"

"Dig…" the blonde tilted her head to the side. "There's not a doubt in my mind."

Oliver shook his head and patted his friend's back. "Not in mine either."

Laurel, Roy and Dick hurried through the hospital corridors in the direction the nurses had told them. Before long they found their way to the correct ward and stopped outside the room where the infants were monitored for the moment. Inside, they saw Oliver cradle a baby in his arms, with Felicity standing a few feet away, looking at the sleeping child and whispering something to the man.

Dick gently knocked on the door and greeted the nurse and his friends. When Dick entered, Oliver looked up at the man and held his gaze for a second before he nodded and stepped back. He wordlessly handed over the baby to Felicity. He held her gaze for another fleeting moment before he turned towards the exit and stepped outside.

"You can go in there, too, Roy," Oliver reassured in a low tone.

The young woman smiled but shook his head with a frightened grimace. "I... think I'll wait for a while. I don't want to accidentally hurt the little one. I know I'm not pumped up on Mirakuru, but I still feel like I'm going to accidentally injure the little one. Where's Dig?"

Oliver nodded his head in the direction of their room. "He went to see how Lyla was doing. It's down the hall and the second room to the right."

"Thanks," Roy nodded and turned to Laurel. "Do you want me to give him those for you?"

The brunette handed him the flowers with an appreciative smile and watched as the young man set off down the corridor. Laurel turned her grin back to Oliver, and he returned the expression without missing a beat. His gaze held hers a second longer before he turned to glance back at Dick, Felicity and Baby Diggle.

He felt as if a hand squeezed his heart as he looked at the beaming blonde and her happily ever after. He lowered his gaze with a softer smile.

With a baby born into their dangerous team, perhaps there was a flicker of hope rising with the sun on the Eastern horizon. Not just for the happy parents, but for all of them. They'd all certainly go out of their way to keep the little one safe, and nothing would harm her.

Laurel exhaled before him and her tone was gentle as silk as she said, "… Do you ever wonder… if we had stayed on the right track, if that could have been our baby in there right now?"

Oliver closed his eyes as he let her heartfelt question rattle his brain. He looked down at the woman and tilted his head to the side as he noticed her loving gaze remained on the infant in the adjacent room.

"My mother's getting re-married," she blurted softly then. "It feels unreal. She still loves my dad, I'm sure of it. But… They tried it once, but now they can't find their way back to each other. She's over him, and he can't change that... It's almost funny, how strange life has become. How unlike everything I thought it would be."

Oliver tilted his head to the side as he took in her lost expression. Laurel looked incomplete, just like Oliver felt he was. She'd been shattered by the past and the darkness had found its way into her cracks. Still, she carried a lot of light that had the potential of healing her if she so willed it down the line.

"Laurel, I..." Oliver began and hesitated. He glanced through the window at Dick and Felicity and sighed. He placed a gentle hand on Laurel's shoulder and led her away from the happy image. He walked them towards an empty corridor where he stopped and gazed down at the brunette. "I have to be honest with you, Laurel. I've done you too much harm in the past to inflict more harm now by keeping the truth from you."

Laurel raised her chin but remained silent as she waited. Her eyes seemed to steel themselves for whatever was to come and Oliver was grateful she seemed to know what to expect. Perhaps he hadn't led her on, after all. In the end, the only one who had led Laurel on was Laurel herself, and this needed to be done for both of their sakes.

"Everyone comes with baggage, Laurel," Oliver gently started and searched for appropriate words. "... We just happen to be each other's baggage. And... we can't erase that history. But we can't live it either."

Laurel's gaze fell to the floor briefly as she pondered his intentions. At length she slowly exhaled and met his azure eyes with an unreadable look. "I know... I thought... Finding out the truth about your vigilante persona, finding out you were this person I'd always seen in you... I wanted to get back to that, to what we had in the past. Forget everything that's happened since with Sara and Tommy... Take the easy way out."

Oliver sighed as he inclined his head in understanding. "We pushed each other away in the past. I think we were both in love with an idea of us, but the truth was something else. Something I think we have to acknowledge, Laurel. If we try again, we'll only keep each other in the past."

"I'll always love you, Oliver..." Laurel smiled sadly. Her dark eyes danced with the realization of the inevitable end and the bottomless depth told of more woes than met the eye. "But you're right. I love an idea of what we could have been. Not what we are. We're different people from who we were back then and we deserve a second chance at happiness. At a future. Seeing my mother with her new love... made me question my own heart. She said... that we sometimes have to let go of past dreams to embrace future ones. I... thought I wanted you, but I'm finding out that maybe I don't... But if it's true, I don't know what I want, Oliver. I'm feeling so confused right now... About everything."

"You'll figure it out," Oliver assured and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, hoping she'd understand that he had no intention of eliminating her entirely from his life.

"I think we both have a lot to figure out, Oliver," Laurel offered with a soft smile as she held his gaze firmly. "... Friends?"

Oliver's smile warmed as he nodded. "And partners."

Laurel cleared her throat as she nodded towards the ward once more. "Now... I'd like to meet the newest Diggle. Want to join me?"

"Ill be there in a sec. You go ahead," Oliver promised and watched as the brunette turned around and walked away. She held herself strong and brave, even slightly prouder than before if Oliver wasn't mistaken. He exhaled in relief. He felt freer than ever before, released from the heavy burden he'd carried with him, a desperate plea to make amends. Having let the past go, he didn't feel the same weight carry him down. It had been the right choice, after all.

Slade Wilson stepped atop the smooth cliffs and drew a deep breath that filled his lungs to the very top. The fresh sea-air was salty, but still sweet with freedom. He heard a few gulls cry in the skies above and he opened his eyes to look down at the long, sandy beach that he knew only too well. He glanced back towards the entrance to the A.R.G.U.S-prison and smirked to himself. Oliver had thought the prison could hold him back, but the young American couldn't have been more wrong.

Slade adjusted his eye-patch as he glanced back at the person who'd helped him escape from the hellhole. He raised a hand and raspingly asked in his Australian accent, "... Where's my sword?"

His companion simply inclined his head before the man pulled off the unique sword and its hilt from his back. The armed soldier handed the weapon to its waiting master and rightful owner. Slade smiled down at the sharp blade and trusted companion where it rested like an elongation of his body in his firm grasp, right where it belonged.

Slade raised his gaze to once more search the horizon where clear blue sky met grey-blue sea. He briefly glanced back over his shoulder and spoke to his companion, "Tell your master I'll happily oblige. But I'll do this my way. Oliver Queen is mine to kill. And this time, I have a new plan to serve my purpose."

He inhaled the fresh air a second time and his grin widened as he looked ahead. He was free at last and his fun was just about to begin.

To be continued!

Preview: As Oliver wonders if he can truly trust Jane Deleon, Thea makes her official comeback and the League of Assassins brings Team Arrow news that throws everyone for a loop. Who is in danger?