Hi guys and ladies how's everything going today?

A very long while ago I'd come up with the idea to write my own version of Laurel and Thea becoming vigilantes before Oliver and as a mystery political thriller story. The idea is also inspired by two similar fics I'd read beforehand. One entitled "Birds Of A Feather" by charmed4lifekaren and "The Canary of Starling City" series by TheWhiteW0lf though I've only skimmed through the first part of that series.

I hope you enjoy this hopefully epic fic of mine and if all goes well I hope to have it as part of a 3 part series.

Disclaimer: I don't own "Arrow" or its characters.

Setting: Starling City-2007

Location: Queen Mansion

Thea was currently in her bedroom swaying energetically to Rihanna's "Umbrella" on her headphones, shaking her head from side to side, when her mother entered the room. The 12 year old girl noticed her standing within her bedroom and removed her headphones before giving her attention.

"Hey mom what's up?" she questioned with a curious smile until noticing the morose expression upon her mom's face and the tears streaming down from her eyes.

Moira on her part wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders and gently steered her to the latter's bed before they reclined upon it.

"Thea? Honey? I don't know how to tell you this but I'm afraid something terrible has transpired," she softly said to her while struggling not to cry.

A sensation of dread began to form in the pit of Thea's stomach in response as she looked up towards her mom.

"Mom? What's wrong? What's happened?" she questioned further with a worried and slightly fearful expression.

Moira took a breath, shaking her head and sniffling while wiping the flowing tears from her face.

"The Gambit that your father, brother, and Sara were traveling in was caught in a storm. It resulted in the boat sinking and while rescuers are still searching for survivors I'm afraid we can only assume the worst," she tearfully revealed to Thea who was shaking her head in denial while beginning to cry herself.

"No mom. You're wrong. Please tell me you're wrong. Not dad. Not Ollie or Sara. Please mom tell me this isn't true please mom please," she emotionally protested and started to cry harder while her body trembled.

"I'm so sorry honey I'm so sorry," Moira softly spoke to her repeatedly while enveloping her daughter within her arms and holding her against her bosom, the two females now sobbing over the loss of those they loved the most. As the Queen matriarch rocked her daughter she not only felt sorrow over their loss but also tremendous anger towards the ones responsible and an even greater amount towards herself for persuading her husband to stand against them.

What ultimately mattered to her at this moment however was the young girl sobbing in her arms right now and who'd just had to endure one of the worst pieces of news she could've imagined and her mother knew she and their family had to be the main priority right now.

Sadly Thea and her mother wouldn't be the only ones in mourning that afternoon as someone else among their closest friends and who was a big sister like figure towards her was also currently receiving the devastating news and especially in regards to someone near and dear to them.

Location: Lance Residence

Laurel was seated at the dining room table with a pile of books and sheets of paper as she studied for law school while her mother Dinah was inside the kitchen and cooking lasagna when Quentin came home still in uniform and with a weary and distraught expression that both women noticed upon him entering their shared home.

"Quentin? Honey? Are you alright?" his wife questioned him with a frown while Laurel also looked up at him with concern.

"Dad? What is it what's wrong?" she also questioned her father who responded by shaking his head and wiping his eyes which were glistening with tears.

"I, I, don't know how to tell you both this but something's happened," he emotionally began while attempting to hold himself together. "It's Sara. Apparently there was some sort of storm or something and the boat she was on with Oliver and his dad was caught up in it and resulted it in being submerged into the sea. And, um, Sara, oh gosh Sara," he explained further before groaning in anguish at the end and dropping his forehead onto his hand as he collapsed onto a chair nearby.

Laurel and her mother looked at each other as their eyes widened upon processing what the anguished man before them was trying to say before their faces paled after which the former rushed over to where her father was seated and knelt before him, taking his hands in hers.

"Dad what are you saying? Please tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying," Laurel emotionally questioned and begged her father who began weeping harder.

Dinah meanwhile was beside herself with grief and beginning to cry hard.

"No Quentin. You tell me this isn't true. Not my daughter. Please say this is not true not Sara please not my Sara," she also begged with a hand resting upon her heart in anguish while the tears from her eyes increased as sobbing noises escaped from her mouth.

Quentin in response shook his head which told both women all they needed to know. Dinah then moved and knelt next to her eldest daughter and the 3 of them huddled together and wrapped their arms around each other and they sobbed and mourned the untimely passing of their beloved Sara. They also mourned the loss of Oliver and Robert though Laurel sobbed harder than her parents over this heartbreaking loss.

To lose both her beloved sister and Oliver, who she'd loved deeply at one point in her life and was one of her closest friends, and at the same time was greater than she could handle and she inwardly raged at the powers that be for wrenching two of the most important people from her life.

She remembered how she'd fallen in love with Oliver but had discovered her sister's own feelings towards him. And as such had sabotaged a potential opportunity for them to be together by telling their father about a party of Oliver's that Sara had gone to which had resulted in said party being busted and Sara grounded. Right before Laurel had swooped in and made her feelings for Oliver known to him.

But while they were together and he'd genuinely loved her, he'd found himself having feelings of his own towards Sara which had emerged during their encounter at his then party and the more time he'd spent with Sara the stronger their own shared feelings had grown. As such he'd realized his love for Sara was stronger than for Laurel and so together they'd informed her of all of this who while devastated was not entirely surprised and especially since she had sensed the growing distance between herself and Oliver and had suspected the reason why.

She'd also known she didn't want to be second best for him and so due to that and also Oliver and Sara's confession, both of whom had also made clear they hadn't acted upon their feelings since he was with her which she'd greatly appreciated and had thanked them for their honestly, she and Oliver made the mutual decision to conclude their relationship. Sometime afterwards he and Sara had officially gotten together and it had taken a while but Laurel had recovered from her feelings of disappointment and she'd found herself eventually happy with their thriving relationship and that her sister had found happiness and contentment with someone she loved. Sometimes good naturedly teasing her on when she should expect to hear the chime of wedding bells.

But now that would no longer be possible and she hated this untimely and horrible curveball thrown upon their families.

In just one afternoon two females had been shattered by this unfolding tragedy and they continued to sob heavily in their parents arms as they grieved over the unexpected and unjust loss of their siblings. Little did Laurel and Thea know however was that another unexpected yet darker tragedy would be manifesting itself in a few short years which would transform the current dynamic of their friendship in a way that would be unexpected for them both.

To Be Continued

A/N Poor Thea and Laurel. And as mentioned in the end though further tragedy is on the way.

I hope you all enjoyed this first setup and the next chapter will be the second setup for this fic. I'm a slow writer though and therefore it won't be ready anytime soon. I just wanted to let you all know that.

And Happy Late Thanksgiving to all of my American readers.

Until next time have a great day.