A/N: Due to dissatisfactory results, I've decided to rewrite certain parts of the story up to this point. Don't worry, it will not affect the bigger picture and we'll end up basically in the same place. As a fan fiction writer I have the good fortune of being able to rewrite and change my story for the better. The parts mainly concern neglected characters and story lines or bigger story lines I've found new ways of handling (I think we all know which one I'm referring to). I still intend to have the story written my way, but I've found a golden mean that will better appease to both audience and writer alike, I believe.

Synopsis: Following Walter's sudden death, Team Arrow work to understand why Jane Deleon was targeted by an assassin, but the truth comes as a surprise to everyone. Meanwhile, Roy finds himself an ally in the hope of understanding Thea's strange behavior.

3x12: Shame

Walter Steele's funeral took place on a quiet Monday, with cold rain hanging in the air. Many knew the man and came to pay their respect to the fallen friend who had died much too soon. Most whispered among themselves of the unfortunate events that had stolen Walter from the face of the Earth before his time was up, of how unfairly the hand of death had treated the kind-hearted man.

Oliver sat in the white plastic chair, facing the casket, as the minister spoke the final words before the casket would be buried beneath the ground. He listened with half an ear to the words being spoken about the important, honest and respected man that lay dead before them all.

Oliver felt numb inside his chest, his heart beaten and broken like so many times in the past. It struck him then that though he had lost many people in the past, this was the first funeral he had ever attended. There had been no funerals to attend on Lian Yu or in Hong kong, nor had he been there for Tommy's funeral or even his mother's. The pain had been just as unbearable for all those events, but something had changed since and he had felt strong enough to attend at last. Not least to pay his respect to a man who should still be alive, and to pay homage to the dead that rested in the ground beside him. To all those who had died in vain when Oliver ought to have kept them safe.

Oliver glanced at the young brunette beside him. Thea's face was sad yet cold, hardened yet worn, as she stiffly stared at the white casket before her. She, too, seemed lost in her own thoughts, paying little heed to the procession around her. She wore an indestructible armor around her heart that Oliver recognized only all too well. He had no notion of how to break through her defenses and keep her safe and sound at the same time. All he was certain of was that she was more distant to him than ever before, like a small speck on the horizon he couldn't reach. She had made it quite clear, after all. She didn't want him in her life anymore, they were siblings by blood bonds alone, and he couldn't blame her decision. He had done her much wrong in the past, while intending to keep her from harm. He had been his own worst enemy and was still paying the prize for his choices. Regardless, he saw no way out of his guilt-ridden maze.

Oliver sighed and lowered his gaze. He had lost both Walter and Thea this week, and now there were none left of his family by his side. He stood alone in the wilderness, with the howling wind threatening to tear him limb from limb.

At the reception in Walter's penthouse, people were amicably socializing and sharing fond memories of their lost friend. The mood was relatively calm, though sadness burdened the crowds like a heavy cloak upon their shoulders.

Felicity sniffled and dabbed a handkerchief at the stray tears that rolled down her cheeks. Her gaze lingered on Thea in a secluded corner of the room. The young woman looked lost and uncomfortable, as if she desired nothing more than to be elsewhere. Still, she held her head high and shed no tears as she stood anchored by the windows, gazing steadfastly out at the world.

Felicity glanced over her shoulder. At the other end of the room, Oliver was seated in a low sofa with several other guests talking around him. The Queen heir himself had not spoken a word during the entire day. Felicity worried for him, but had to admit (though shameful it might seem) she was relieved he hadn't run away this time. That he had not hid from the world, but rather accepted the loss and dealt with it in his own morose manner.

Oliver's distant gaze now was heartbreaking and Felicity wished she could relieve his pain even a fraction.

Jane cautiously approached her old friend and hesitated on the precipice. "I'm sorry for your loss, Thea... I wish we met again under different circumstances."

The brunette pulled her eyes from the world outside and looked the other woman up and down for a second before she said, "... Jane? Ah, I forgot. You and Oliver own half of QC, and you just purchased the small share Walter owned. Of course you're here."

"...I'm here because Walter was important to me, too," Jane disagreed sadly as she took another step closer and glanced around the room for possible eavesdroppers. "He was like a mentor to me. And a friend."

"Well, he was like a father to me," Thea smiled grimly, frost touching the edge of her bitter voice. "The only one I could trust..."

"... You can trust me. And Ollie," Jane tried to offer her old friend a slight smile. "I know we haven't spoken for a while-"

"A while?!" Thea snorted in jest. "I haven't seen you for years. You've lived in England and I don't know anything about the woman you've become. No more than you know the woman I am today. We're not friends, if that's what you think."

"Thea...I..." Jane hesitated. The words had stung like poison and she was thrown by the cold manner she was received. Perhaps she had been naive in thinking they could go back to the way things had once been. "You're hurting... and I'm... intruding. I'm sorry. I only came over to offer my condolences and to say that... I've missed you, Thea, and want to get to know you again."

"I don't need your friendship."

Jane winced as she watched their once strong friendship spiral into the bottomless depths of hell. "... You don't sound like the Thea Queen I knew."

"Precisely my point," Thea whispered in a low voice that held both hurt and irritation. "The only thing we share is our interest in Queen Consolidated."

Irritation sipped into Jane's voice also as she defended herself, "I didn't come to talk business, I-"

"But I did," Thea interrupted bluntly, her dark eyes swimming with darker passions. "I want to buy my company back."

Jane shook her head in confusion. "Has Oliver talk to you about...?"

"You're missing the point, Jane," the brunette hissed. "I'm not purchasing it with my brother. I want to own Queen Consolidated alone. As Moira Queen's daughter, it's my right."

"It's Oliver's right, too..."

"Am I speaking in riddles?" Thea asked and took a step closer, invading her former friend's personal space. "I'll be blunter, then, so that maybe you'll understand what I'm trying to ask of you. I want to purchase your share of Queen Consolidated."

Jane saw the unspoken anger in the woman's dark eyes and shook her head slowly. "... I'm not selling."

"Why not?" Thea questioned with a cold smirk. "You want the company back with me and Oliver... Why not sell to me? Why not save yourselves months of waiting for my brother to find the money and sell it to me now? It would serve the same purpose."

"... I've clearly missed something between you and Ollie," Jane frowned in hesitation and closed herself off to her former friend. "I'll stick to the original plan."

Thea chuckled as she took a step closer yet and boldly said, "Take the easy way out... Or I'll share your secret with the world."

Jane raised her chin and shrugged her eyebrows, showing no sign of discomfort of having the brunette up in her face in such a manner. "What secret? I have none."

"Your father does," Thea snarled. The next second, an innocent smile played across her fair features. "Oh, I'm sorry: did... Perhaps the world should know your real interest in Queen Consolidated."

"You're threatening me..." Jane breathed in amazement and knew they'd crossed the line in the sand. With bitterness, she remarked, "Your father's daughter, indeed..."

Thea blinked at the implication and a smile slowly spread across her thin lips, "You ought to know."

Jane's expression fell as she held the other woman's gaze in silence for a few seconds. At length, Jane remarked, "...I don't respond well to being threatened."

"And I don't respond well to a 'No'."

"I'm not the enemy, Thea," Jane spoke sternly. "You've just lost someone important to you and you're clearly not yourself today. I'll look the other way this once... But do not threaten me a second time, Thea... I came to make peace, not start a war."

"Too late," Thea sighed and brushed past the blonde without missing a beat.

Roy saw the opportunity and stepped out from between a couple of dark-clad guests to intercept his ex-girlfriend's path.

"Thea, can we talk-" Roy began but cut off as Thea stormed past him, too, without even looking at him. He felt the cold sting of her impassiveness slam against him like cold water, and he sighed deeply as he watched her disappear out the door.

"You're Roy Harper, aren't you? Thea's ex-boyfriend?"

Roy swirled around as Jane Deleon stepped up to him. The blonde's gaze was hard and wounded, and also lingered on the escape path Thea had taken.

"Yeah..." he breathed at length.

The blonde extended her hand and shook Roy's politely. "I'm Jane. Jane Deleon."

"I know," Roy shrugged.

"Right..." Jane breathed. "Then you probably know I was her childhood friend once. Best friend. We were inseparable. But not anymore it would seem. She treats me like the enemy, and I can't figure out why."

"Yeah..." Roy nodded as he exhaled slowly. "Me too."

"We share a common interest then," said Jane. "I'm worried about her, Mr Harper... She's just not acting like herself... I could use an ally. I know we're strangers to each other... but we could help each other in this. Help Thea with whatever is ailing her."

Roy pondered the suggestion. "... What do you have in mind?"

Felicity frowned as she pondered what she'd just overheard. Not a week ago, Team Arrow had learned Jane Deleon had been the intended target instead of Walter, but they had yet to figure out why someone wanted the blonde woman dead.

Felicity hadn't meant to be disrespectful and eavesdrop, but she'd been standing close enough to hear the whispered, heated conversation between Thea and Jane, and what she had heard baffled her. Thea's attitude had changed entirely, and there was certainly much brewing beneath the surface that the lost girl needed to handle before loosing it entirely.

It was Thea's chosen words, however, which stuck with Felicity now. Thea had edged around a deep fountain of information regarding Jane's parentage, and Felicity couldn't help but be intrigued. She hated mysteries, but felt perhaps she'd been given a much needed clue to solve this particular puzzle.

"You okay?"

Felicity jumped at the sound of Diggle's voice beside her. The tall man gazed down at her with concern and friendship shining plainly in his dark pools.

"Thea just threatened Jane. She wants to purchase Queen Consolidated but doesn't seem interested in including Oliver," Felicity blurted swiftly and low enough not to be overheard. "And... I... I think I know where to look for clues on Jane's secret. Maybe we can figure out why she was the target of an assassination."

John blinked as he glanced about at the other guests. "... Who knew funerals were this Shakespearean?"

Felicity lowered her gaze as guilt gripped at her heart. "Walter shouldn't have died. And his funeral shouldn't be a battlefield..."

"We'll figure this out. At least we know who killed him," John tried to alleviate the tension.

"Yes, but someone killed the killer. And we don't know why! Or by whom!" Felicity whispered. "We're only left with more questions while Oliver's world once more crumbles around him..."

John's eyes filled with sadness as he slowly said, "At least he's here for this..."

Felicity inclined her head slowly before her eyes once more traveled the familiar path to Oliver' somber frame. He had moved from the sofa at last and was standing beside the mantlepiece, gazing at a photo depicting Moira and Walter side by side. "Yeah, I know. But he's not really, is he? He's so... distant."

Diggle glanced back over his shoulder and nodded. "He has ghosts to fight that we don't understand or know yet, Felicity... And you look just about as exhausted and wiped out as he does. You're spending too much time on this case, trying to help Oliver... Are you getting any sleep?"

"I... sleep."

John snorted and shook his head slowly. "Dick's looking for you. He wants to take you home, because he knows you need some rest. You can figure out Deleon's secret tomorrow."

"But Oliver-"

"Is not alone," Diggle reassured firmly as he held her gaze. "Nor will he be tonight."

Felicity smiled sadly. "Thank you, John..."

"That's good, Thea!" Malcolm breathed as his daughter attacked him once more with the sword. The clang of metal on metal echoed in the large training area. "Use the anger to fuel your weapon, it will strengthen your assault."

Thea growled as she swung the weapon and once more let it swoop down against her training partner. Her father parried the thrusts one after another as they practically danced across the training area with fluent, swift steps.

"You've remembered all the moves I taught you. I think you're ready for the next step with the blade, if-"

"Could we not talk?" Thea interrupted bluntly and staggered away from the man. She breathed heavily as she wiped sweat from her forehead and gazed up at him. "I've had enough of words for awhile."

Malcolm hesitated as he saw the cold edge enter her eyes. "... Of course."

"Good."

Slowly, Malcolm raised his weapon and nodded his head. "Attack."

Felicity snuggled down beneath the covers in Dick's wide bed and wiped at the last of her sorrowful tears as Dick entered the room. She offered him a smile as he walked closer, carrying a steaming mug in one hand. She accepted it with grateful hands and sipped from the warm liquid.

"Mm, hot cocoa..." she smiled as he walked around the bed and lay down on the covers beside her. "No one's ever served me hot cocoa in bed before. I could get used to this treatment when I'm blue."

Dick was silent for a few seconds as she enjoyed the hot beverage. After a few seconds, he hesitantly suggested, "So... stay. Or you know, don't move out. You're here most nights anyway and with your place burned down… there's no need to look for a new place. You could just stay here."

Felicity's gaze flew up to meet his and she nearly spilled her drink. "What?"

"Move. In," he articulated slowly as a grin spread across his strong jawline.

"D-do you think... we're ready for it?" the blonde questioned. "We've only been going out for four months."

"Why not? We've been through some major stuff these past few months, and yeah... Maybe I wouldn't be asking so soon if Slade hadn't kidnapped you. But he did, and I'm trying to make the best of the situation," Dick shrugged. "If it helps, we could call it a trial co-habitancy for now. What do you say, Smoak?"

Felicity tilted her head to the side and couldn't help the amused breath that escaped past her lips. "Aren't you romantic."

"I'm serious, Felicity. I know I'm... I know we still have a long way to go," Dick admitted in a low, earnest voice. "That we both have our own issues to deal with, but I want you to know... For the first time in a long while, I feel ready to try. I can't promise forever, not even tomorrow - but I can promise I want to try."

Felicity stayed silent for a long time as the suggestion whirled through her mind like a tornado. " ...Do I have a say in decorations?"

"Yes."

"Even if the color choice is pink?"

Dick grimaced. "It can be debated."

"You'll do the laundry?"

"I already do."

"No, I do it."

"Not really."

Felicity exhaled heavily. "I... I can't give you an answer tonight, Dick. I'm too tired after the funeral..."

"It's okay," Dick smiled and his dark eyes shone with warmth. "We can discuss it tomorrow. There's no rush, after all."

Felicity held his gaze and smiled briefly before she turned back to her hot cocoa and let the remnants of the discussion fade into the night.

The thief fell to the ground, a green arrow protruding from her left shoulder. The woman cried out in pain as she dropped the bag of expensive clocks and it clattered against the asphalt. Her partner stopped her sprint and hesitated as she glanced back over her shoulder. Her gaze roamed over the facade of the buildings around her and her breathing quickened as she rushed back to the fallen comrade.

"Come on," she breathed as she tried to pull her friend from the ground. "I'm not leaving you behind."

There was a thud in the alley behind her and she turned back around in a startled flash.

Arrow slowly rose from the ground, his hood covering his features and his bow resting firmly in his strong grip. The thieves before him looked terrified. The one not injured pulled out a butterfly knife and slowly rose to defend herself.

In less than a heartbeat, the vigilante had withdrawn an arrow from his quiver and aimed his bow at the woman.

"Are you sure you want to try that?" he questioned, his dark tone contorted by the voice filter.

The woman shivered with fear as the knife fell from her grasp and she raised both hands to the air.

Oliver gazed down at the two thieves below on the street. He'd cuffed them to a fence and called it in to the police a few minutes ago. He heard the police sirens blare in the distance and turned from the scene to behold the city from his vantage point on the roof. He inhaled the cool air and let it fill his lungs as he reveled into the successful case, pushing all thoughts of his real life to the back of his skull.

"You know, Oliver," Diggle's voice was clear and strong over the comms. "I'm not sure catching small-time thugs is the best idea after a funeral."

"It relaxes me," Oliver gruffed simply. "Any more cases tonight?"

There was a pause and Oliver knew his friend well enough to recognize the worried thoughts that must be swirling through Diggle's head. After a few seconds, however, John said, "There's an attempted robbery on North Street."

"On it," Oliver said and immediately jumped into action.

The following afternoon, Oliver jogged down the stairs to the lair as usual. He nodded his head to Diggle, who was working out on the training area, before he turned his gaze to the blonde behind her monitors.

"Hey," he greeted as he stepped closer to her. "You're here early."

"Jane let me go an hour earlier because-" Felicity started to explain as she turned in her seat. As she saw Oliver's face, her expression fell and she breathed, "You're hurt!" she rose from her chair to meet him halfway, her stilettos echoing against the cold floor. Her hand lingered an inch away from the nasty bruise on his cheek. "... You went out last night then?"

"I'm fine," Oliver smiled tensely as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"... I know," Felicity grimly replied as she glared up at him. He could see the quiet reprimand mingle with understanding of his decision and his own gaze warmed.

"If it's any consolation, Felicity," John spoke up from the training area and the couple turned in his direction, "the Arrow did stop three robberies last night."

"Well... There's that," the blonde exhaled as she turned and stepped back over to the monitors without another word on the subject.

Oliver followed her close behind and peered down at the information on the screen. "Found anything?"

"Actually, I have," the woman inclined her head. "Where do you want me to start? There's bad news and more bad news."

"You choose," Oliver breathed.

"Thea, then," Felicity inclined her head "We know she's 'The Queen', the mysterious alter ego who purchased QC stock... What I still don't know is where she got the money for the transaction. That's the bad news. I can't trace the money... and I really don't like to admit to that."

"You did your best, Felicity."

"Yes, I did," she nodded grimly and looked up at him. "Which makes it worse, Oliver. And... At Walter's funeral yesterday, she tried to threaten Jane into selling her share, but Jane refused... Which leads me to the other bad news."

"Shoot."

Felicity inhaled sharply before she hurriedly explained, "Thea mentioned Jane's father being suspicious, so I thought I'd look into the man more closely to see if there was more there than meets the eye, and get this... I thought the name was familiar before and I finally realized why. John Deleon was on The List. Your father's list, I mean... which I really think we should get back to considering there were more bad guys on that..."

John slowly stepped towards them, "You're saying Jane's father was part of Merlyn's Undertaking?"

"Yes, that's precisely what I'm saying," Felicity agreed. "It's all very hush hush, but I didn't let the lack of evidence stop me. After a little digging, I found this... John Deleon's company in England helped Merlyn ship the Earthquake machine across the Atlantic from Asia. Deleon was the middle-hand that made it all possible. Now, I don't know about you; but that's a pretty hefty lie to cover up."

Oliver gritted his teeth as he let the news sink in.

John eyed his friend's stiff demeanor. "Any chance Jane is walking in her father's footprints?"

"Maybe," Oliver gruffly replied. "I don't know. I've been unsure about her intentions for a while, but I wasn't sure what we'd find. She seems genuinely interested in being my friend... but not I'm thinking it was a lie."

"Well, regardless... There is a bigger lie here, Oliver," Felicity pointed to her screens. "And I'm guessing someone wanted to kill Jane because of it. We don't know if it's connected to what happened at the Opera, but it's certainly a possibility we have to consider."

Oliver slowly nodded his head as his eyes swirled with thoughts he kept to himself.

"What do you want to do, Oliver?" Diggle asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and waited to follow orders.

Oliver glanced towards the glass case further away. "I think the Arrow should make a special house call."

Oliver easily hauled himself up the wall and onto the fire escape in his green outfit. He scaled the steps two at a time without feeling any fatigue. He knew his mind was eager to find out the truth behind Jane's intentions, and fueled his muscles to propel upwards.

He noticed Jane's flat was bathed in darkness as he neared the window, perhaps she wasn't at home then and he could look for clues without interruption. Oliver managed to pry the glass window open and quietly stepped inside the apartment lit up only by the faint lights of the evening outside.

Her apartment was sparse with decoration, clearly used more for sleeping than living in. So far, Oliver had to admit, it seemed to matched her intent to remain in Starling once for as long as she was needed before Oliver could take over Queen Consolidated.

He stepped further into the lion's den, his feet barely caressing the wooden floor as he soundlessly continued his investigation. A frame on the mantlepiece in the living room caught his attention and he looked down at it. It was an old photo of a carefree past. It depicted a teenaged Jane with her arm slung across twelve year old Thea's small shoulders. Both girls had wide grins across their faces and Queen Manor was visible in the background. Oliver remembered that day. He'd been the photographer.

A clicking noise interrupted the quiet evening, lingering in the shadows around him. Slowly, Arrow turned around and came face to face with Jane. In the blonde's hands rested a gun and she had it trained on him now as she stood on the other side of the living room. Her breathing was somewhat erratic and her pupils dilated as she beheld the vigilante in her flat.

"What do you want?" Jane breathed at length.

Oliver quickly started the voice filter before he replied, "I didn't know you had a gun."

"Clearly you didn't know my father," Jane whispered in response. "The correct question is if I can use it or not."

Oliver exhaled and squared his shoulders as he glared across the void at the young woman.

Met with silence, Jane took a hesitant step forwards and continued, "A better question would be: Why are you in my home? I thought the Arrow was a hero, not a Peeping Tom."

"Jane Deleon," Oliver snarled, "I want answers from you."

"Funny, I was going to say the same."

"Your father partook in Malcolm Merlyn's Undertaking two years ago."

Jane blinked but her gun never wavered. "... It's more complicated than that."

"Explain."

"Why should I explain myself to a man in a green hoodie?" Jane questioned. "At least take it off and talk to me like a man."

"You know I can't. Tell me the truth."

Jane swallowed. "You first."

Oliver frowned in mute response.

"... You want me to be honest with you?" Jane exhaled slowly and Oliver could see her walls slowly crumble. "It's fine. I don't want to lie anymore, anyway. I'm too tired for lies... Problem is: I don't know where to start. Most of the lies aren't even my own, but ones I've inherited. It's true. John Deleon did partake in the Undertaking, but not by free volition... Malcolm Merlyn blackmailed him. It's complicated. My father didn't want to take part in the Undertaking, and it's one of two reasons why we fled the city all those years ago to live in England. But when it came time to act two years ago, Merlyn traced him down. Threatened me and my mother, gave my father no other option but to follow orders... My father had to provide the ships and a plausible cover. After the Undertaking transpired... My father tried to live with the shame of what he'd done. The innocent lives on his conscience. In the end... He didn't die of any disease, he killed himself."

Oliver stood impassive and silent as the truth kept them both locked in the tense moment.

Tears threatened to spill from the woman's eyes as she lowered the gun at last. She drew a trembling breath before she continued, "There's more. Before he died, he told me the whole truth. Not just about the Undertaking, but also... The second reason why we left Starling City. The real reason. And that's where you come in... Oliver."

Oliver almost did a double-take at her words, but tried to keep his face impassive at the implication.

"I know the truth..." she whispered. "I just had to follow the clues. Please..."

Oliver hesitated a beat before he pulled back his hood and removed the mask. Jane inhaled sharply as the man revealed himself but still stood her ground.

"Tell me the rest of the story," he commanded in a softer tone.

"We were happy here, in Starling," Jane continued. "Or so I thought. But my parents struggled in their marriage, and apparently... My mother... There was an indiscretion. With my father's friend. It took several years before John Deleon found out about the truth, and he couldn't stay here in Starling. We moved back to England in a rush to get away from the deceptions and lies. I never knew the truth... not until the guilt caught up to my father and he told me everything. Well... He told me about my true parentage. You see, the truth us... My mother... slept with your father. And nine months later, I was born."

Oliver staggered back a step as if the truth had punched him in the guts. His mind swirled with the implication and he shook his head as he tried to search her eyes for the truth, "You're saying...?"

A lone tear spilled from Jane's eyes. "It's the reason I decided to do all of this, Ollie. Why I came here to Starling City and why I want to help you regain Queen Consolidated. I wanted to get to know you again... I wanted to get to know my brother. But I didn't want you to think I came here because of money or for the family fortune. And I didn't know how to tell the truth. Which is why I stuck with the lie our parents lived... I wanted to get to know you, Oliver. As a friend, without strings attached or morals corrupted. I didn't want any strains on our relationships because you felt betrayed by me or your father."

"You... You're my sister?" Oliver breathed as the realization finally hit him full force.

"I am... And I wanted to tell you when the time was right, but..." Jane exhaled and closed her eyes tight. "... there's no 'right time' in this city, is there? Please, believe me, this isn't how I wanted you to find out about all this. Do you trust me?"

"Your sister?" Felicity questioned as she rose from her seat to face her friend before her. "Sister? Actually... that does explain quite a lot."

Diggle nodded in agreement as he leaned back against Felicity's workstation. "It makes sense. It explains why Jane wanted to help you, why she asked nothing in return for helping you. Maybe she wants to make peace with the past, too."

Oliver gritted his teeth as he distantly nodded. "I... I don't know what to think."

"I could... We could run a blood test, verify what she's saying," Felicity suggested as she watched the man in green stand stiff and awkward before her in the heart of the lair.

"I saw it in her eyes, Felicity," Oliver breathed and his shoulders slumped. "She was telling the truth... I have a half-sister I never knew about. My father...! I knew my father sometimes... I just never thought he'd..."

Oliver sighed in irritation as words failed him. It seemed no matter how he tried to grasp at this, he ended up grasping nothing but air. He felt betrayed. His father... and his half-sister... The secrets kept on piling around him and it seemed it didn't matter what he did to dismantle them, all his efforts merely revealed more secrets to the world. He clenched his fist by his side and tried to weather the anger that threatened to rise in his chest.

Felicity glanced between the two men as she raised her voice, "There's another problem. None of this gives indubitable proof to why someone wanted Jane dead. It could be related, of course... but we're still fumbling in the dark with that one."

"We'll figure all this out," John assured and stepped around the monitors to stand before his friend. He placed a hand on the other man's shoulders and squeezed in reassurance. "Take the night off, Oliver. Sleep on it. You need it." Diggle glanced at the blonde behind him and pointedly breathed, "We all do."

"Thanks, Diggle," Oliver exhaled slowly as he nodded.

"Anytime," the older man smiled. "Now... I'm going home to my wife and child. Do you want me to give you a ride to Dick's place, Felicity?"

The blonde raised her chin and her sapphire eyes danced with something unreadable. She offered him a strained smile as she declined, "I... No. I think I'll walk."

Diggle glanced down at her heels but ultimately nodded. "... Fine. See you both tomorrow night."

Malcolm lingered in the open doorway as he watched his daughter stand beside the panorama windows. Her profile was illuminated by the moon outside and seemed somber and desolate. She looked like a lone island, lost in a vast ocean where no one could find her. Her dark eyes still danced with pain and anger after having lost Walter.

Though Malcolm hated to admit the dead man's relevance, he couldn't deny the pain he saw reflected in his daughter's gaze. He had seen her withdraw from him daily since it had happened, and he'd begun to fear he was losing her. So close to the goal now, he knew he could many storms but not this once. He could not lose his only living child because of this.

He inhaled sharply and cleared his throat as he entered the spacious living room.

"Thea, darling..." he breathed and saw her shoulders stiff immediately beneath the black cardigan. "Will you talk to me?"

"What's there left to say?" Thea muttered and kept her gaze turned away. "I've said it all."

"You miss him," Malcolm gently prodded as he stepped up next to the woman.

"... I've lost two fathers," she breathed impassively. "And my mother... And Ollie."

"You still have me," Malcolm reassured fiercely, hoping his voice would be enough to pull her back. "And I'll never leave you."

"I know your men killed Walter's murderer... I know you did that for me," Thea said slowly. "But I still want to know why he had to die..."

Malcolm glanced down at the young woman's profile and pondered his options. At length, he wet his lips and breathed, "My men did find something out... and I've been trying to find a way to tell you this. But Walter, it seems, wasn't the intended target that day..."

Thea's jaw dropped as she swirled around to face the man. A tempest whirled in her eyes as she read between the lines, "Then who? He was standing with Jane and Oliver. Are you telling me one of them were the actual target? That Walter died because someone couldn't shoot straight?!"

Malcolm inclined his head. "Yes, Thea... It should have ended differently."

"How should it have ended? What did the killer confess to?"

"He was hired to kill Jane Deleon, or so it would seem," Malcolm confessed. "Your step-father just got caught in the crossfire."

Thea turned away from the man, quietly seething to herself as her mind blackened with the prospect. Malcolm covered his smirk behind a look of fatherly concern as he placed a hand on her shoulder briefly. He lingered for another second before he turned and left her to her own thoughts once more.

Later that night, when the moon was at its peak on the black heavens above, Felicity found herself sitting on the curb on a familiar street. Her gaze was directed upwards as she sat in solitude in the quiet night. On the other side of the road, several floors up, she saw the burned hole she'd once called her home. What remained of her apartment was still destroyed and unrecognizable, merely ashes of what it once had been. Renovations had begun and a pale cover covered the largest hole where her living room had once been. It would be a long time before the place was even habitable once more, and even then it wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't be her home anymore.

Felicity turned sideways as a shape appeared in her peripheral view. Her eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know where I was?"

Oliver sank onto the curb next to her with a deep sigh. "...Intuition?"

Felicity snorted but refrained from commenting as her gaze travelled back up to the building ahead.

Oliver eyed her profile warily. "... The real question is: Why are you here?"

"Oh, you know, crazy mad man torched my place," she shrugged her shoulders with a brave grin. "The usual."

"... The truth, please."

"I... It's the first time I'm here. since Slade burned it down," she admitted as the smile faded away. "I didn't know it was this ruined. That my life was this ruined. I know it's just things, but... I don't know. It was my home. Seeing it like this, I..." her voice trailed off into the night.

Oliver nodded. "I can relate."

"Of course. Queen Manor still stands, but it's not yours anymore. You lost your home, too. And your family..."

Oliver slowly inclined his head as he held her gaze across the small divide that separated their faces.

Felicity hesitated for a second. "... Are you okay?"

Oliver inhaled as his eyes danced with emotion. "... No. Walter's death, Thea shunning me... and now I have a sister I never knew about. I'm not okay, Felicity. I don't know what I am..."

Felicity shrugged her pale coat closer to her shoulders in the cold of night before she faced him again, "You don't deserve it. None of it. No more than I deserved a charcoaled hole for a home. This isn't justice, but... 'We fight the injustices we can, and accept the ones we cannot.' It's something my grandpa told me."

Oliver's gaze trailed over her features as he softly hummed, "Hmm..."

"You will figure all of this out, Oliver, but no one's demanding you have all the answers right now," Felicity assured him, her voice burning like a wicker in the deep of night.

"I know," Oliver sighed. "... As will you. Figure things out, I mean."

Felicity ducked her head and remained quiet for a few seconds before she said, "... He asked me to move in with him. And, I feel ashamed to admit it - because he's been so good to me -... but I'm hesitating."

Oliver inhaled sharply. "Do you love him?"

"Parts, for sure," Felicity shrugged.

"Do you love him?"

Felicity hesitated a beat. "... I think so."

Oliver sighed as he stared into the night. "If I've learned anything from my failed romances, Felicity, it's that if you have to think about it... It's probably because you want the emotions to exist rather than them being actually present."

"... Is that why you and Laurel didn't work out?"

Oliver inclined his head. "We both deluded ourselves for a while. Truth is... I had let her go long before I admitted it to myself. I shouldn't have doubted my heart."

"Why did you...?"

"A need for closure?" Oliver shrugged and forced the truth to remain on the tip of his tongue, but not spoken. He had to keep some distance, and hurriedly continued, "I don't know. Only thing I do know is that I'm glad we pulled back when we did. There was no future for us as a couple... There could be one, though, for you and Dick."

Felicity held his gaze for a second before she whispered in a low, yet brave, voice, "I'm scared, Oliver... Of being with him. Of being without him."

"I know," Oliver smiled reassuringly as he held her gaze.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to him. Or if it's the right choice, at all."

"... So don't," Oliver suggested. "You should do what feels right."

Felicity managed a grateful smile as she distantly nodded and turned to him. "Will you take me home?"

Oliver matched her grin. "Yeah."

"Are you sure about this, Felicity?" Oliver asked as he followed Felicity to the backdoor that led down to the secret lair. The chilly February air wrapped around him like a frozen blanket and he sipped up his leather jacket and eyed the woman closely.

She turned back and nodded once. "Yeah... You're right. I'll figure it out, but not tonight. I need space to think. And this is the only place that still feels as home to me. So yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay," Oliver smiled as he accepted her decision. "Well... Goodnight then, Felicity."

"... Goodnight," the blonde offered him a small smile.

Oliver smiled and slowly nodded as he turned around and stepped back over to his motorcycle. Felicity watched as he put on his helmet and drove off into the night. With a deep sigh she pulled her gaze away and turned back to the door, she punched in the code and stepped inside.

To be continued!

Preview of Episode 14 (because it's been awhile since the last teaser): The return of a familiar face causes discord between Oliver and Dick.