Author's note: So here is my newest multi-chapter work guys... the no island au story... chapter one is sort of a prologue and sets up the rest of the story... chapter two jumps forward in time a bit (which you will see next week when I post it)... no Felicity in this chapter but still a lot of info so enjoy and tell me what you think...

Also as always I have to thank my incredible beta warehouseluver13 for all your hard work

There is a polyvore for this story so check out my profile/bio for the link

Disclosure: I own nothing of Arrow and this is all for fun

A constant electronic beeping pulled him from his sleep. The room was dark although it was nearly 2 in the afternoon. A groan rolled out from within him as he fought to wake enough to deal with the disturbance. Oliver lifted his head from beneath the covers and rolled over to reach out for his phone, finding a warm body wrapped around him instead. A smile grew across his face as he remembered that he had been at his father's cabin in the woods, on their private property outside of Starling, for the last 5 days. And not alone either. Both of them had needed to escape the pressures of their lives back in Starling or at college.

For Oliver, those pressures included not living up to the perfect son image his father and mother had wanted of him. They wanted a son who would attend an Ivy League school, graduate with his M.B.A. then run right back home to Starling to help run the family business; taking it over from his dad in the future and settling down with a wife and a family. Another person pressuring him was his girlfriend, Laurel. She had been pushing for them to move to the next stage in their relationship. She was ready to settle down and start a life together whereas Oliver wasn't sure what his life was meant to be. Oliver saw all of this as if someone else had planned every second of everyday for the rest of his life. They all expected him to live a life he didn't want and be happy about it. So the first chance he got, he rebelled. And what better to do that than to run off with your girlfriend's little sister?

Sara had just dropped out of school, just like him but it was Central City University instead of Harvard University. She had been a breath of fresh air in his life. A little excitement and fun with no strings attached really. He knew that Laurel would never know so what harm could it be to have his fun until Sara moved on to something else. Or somebody else. She was just the distraction he had needed.

He originally invited her onto the boat with his father. Robert Queen had decided to take a couple weeks off and sail on their yacht to China and back. Oliver was looking forward to being away from the city but Sara felt a little awkward getting on a boat with his father and spending the time with Oliver in a very non-platonic way when his father knew Oliver was still dating Laurel. Sara was already lying to her family. She didn't like putting his father in the middle of all of this. So the cabin it was. That way Oliver wouldn't have to hear a lecture from his mother about wasting his life seeking momentary enjoyment but was close enough that if the time fell apart he could always head home and hang out with Tommy.

"Oll'e! Too ear'y. 'ake it stop!" Sara groaned as the beeping woke her. They had enjoyed a couple bottles of tequila the night prior while playing games together. It had lead to a lot of information and several rounds of sex shared between the two lovers and a hangover from hell this morning for them both.

Oliver chuckled slightly, enjoying the lightness that Sara's mood brought him as he placed a kiss on her back between her shoulder blades. He felt her shift closer to him and heard a soft moan come from her. He was awake now so might as well enjoy their time together. But the beeping started again, reminding him what had pulled him out of his slumber in the first place. He reached over her body to the side table and snatched up his phone. Glancing at its display, he saw that it was Thea calling him. He answered it reluctantly.

"Hey Speedy! What's up?"

"Ollie?" Thea whimpered into the other side of the line. Oliver sat up immediately, her tone and quiet sobs alerting him to danger.

"Thea? What's wrong? What's happened?"

"It's dad. He's… he's missing."

"Missing?" Oliver asked as he felt Sara turn to watch him, trying to find out what has him so agitated.

"He was on his yacht. Near China. When a bad storm hit. They're saying… they're saying they can't reach him now. Ollie, I'm scared." Thea explained, her voice broken with more soft sobs and sniffling.

Oliver twisted to sit up on the edge of the bed, running his hand through his long hair. "It's okay, Speedy. I know its scary but everything is going to be fine. They'll find Dad. Is Mom there? Is Mom at home with you?"

Thea huffed out a breath. "Yeah she's at home but she is a wreck right now. The lawyers and some of the board members are here trying to comfort and help her. I didn't know who to call. Can you come home, Ollie? I really need you here."

"Right away Speedy. I'll be there soon. Tell Mom I'm on my way okay?"

"Okay. Just be careful."

"I will. Love you Speedy."

"Love you too, Ollie." With those last few words uttered so quietly over the line, Thea released the call and Oliver felt his world flip on its head.

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Oliver walked through his bedroom door and took in a deep breath. Today had been difficult. Burying your father is not something you can ever prepare for. Burying an empty casket is worse. He felt just as empty inside right now and everyone said this would help them all find closure over his father's accident but he didn't feel that way right now.

It has been 3 weeks since that dreadful call came in. Robert Queen had vanished when the Queen's Gambit sunk near the North China Sea. No survivors had been found. Days after the news broke, the search went from a rescue search to a battle to find any sign of a body. To return him to his family and allow them to fully mourn their loss. Unfortunately that was not how it played out. Moira had held out hope that he would be found; that no body meant he could have survived and was simply lost. Thea clinged to that hope as well. But as days continued to pass without any signs of him, they all had to come to terms with the idea that the man they all loved and had seen just a few short weeks ago was never returning to them. They would never hear his voice again, feel his embrace, seek his guidance with their troubles, or see him at their celebrations.

Today Moira had a private ceremony on the mansion grounds to have Robert remembered and buried close to his family, whether he was in the pine box that they put in the ground or not. Moira, who had not been easily consoled by Walter Steele, had sobbed through the ceremony. Thea, who sat between her mother and brother during the ceremony, was just as distraught. Oliver had wanted to hold it together for his mother and sister but it was a struggle. He still hadn't fully accepted the news and was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his father would never be home again. Waking up in the mornings was the hardest. Coming down the stairs for breakfast and expecting him there to ridicule his life choices.

Oliver had also not fully wrapped his mind around what Robert's death meant to the family business. Queen Consolidated had lost its CEO and founder. Now the burden was set on his shoulders. Walter had been running the business for the last few weeks while the family dealt with the search and funeral. Oliver had a meeting with his father's lawyers as well as the board set for next week. He knew what they had to say and was not looking forward to that notion. Was he really ready to step into his father's place and lead a Fortune 500 company? He had just dropped out of his 4th Ivy League college when his father left on his trip and now he was to run a multi-billion dollar company into the future. He had no idea how to do that and it scared him. For the first time since hearing the news, Oliver truly missed his father because he had no one to turn to for guidance now.

Oliver had left the wake downstairs to have a moment alone. His mind was scattered in its thoughts. He was dealing with losing his father, helping his mother and sister grieve, then the matter of Laurel and their relationship. Or lack of one. When he had returned home, Thea had called Laurel to try and locate him because he wasn't answering his phone. Laurel had thought Oliver had gone out of town with Tommy but when Thea told her Tommy was with her, Laurel knew he had lied to her. She had come over to help comfort his little sister and mother until he returned which made showing up with Sara in tow inconvenient as ever. One look and she knew they had been together. Laurel didn't say a word to him that day. She had stayed away and ignored both of them for a week before finally losing it on Sara at home. Once their father had found out what happened and that Sara had dropped out of college, he demanded that she re-enroll. Sara had fought it and ran back to Central City, wanting to put some distance between her and her family at this time. A fury had grown in Laurel that day and she showed up at the mansion with the intent to confront Oliver. That was the day they changed over to a search for bodies instead of survivors so she decided against it. A week later, she returned and an hour of screaming and spitting venomous words at him in his room, Oliver and Laurel were done. She walked out with the mindset to never see him again. Oliver had felt truly ashamed for the first time in his life. He knew his dad would be disappointed in him with his actions.

Oliver had blamed the fact that everyone was planning his life for him and pressuring him for his slip up but he knew that was wrong. He knew that he never truly loved Laurel and this was a way out of their relationship without actually saying the words. He had cheated on her countless times prior, some of which she knew about. But she never left him over them. That sting was still with him.

"Hey buddy! How's it going in here?" Tommy asked hesitantly as he peeked into Oliver's room. He had seen his friend's head hanging lower than usually and it seemed that the young male was carrying the weight of all of this on his shoulders.

"Not really sure, man. I keep thinking that Sara and I could have been on that boat. I keep…" Oliver sighed and glanced out of his window, out to the gardens where he had left his father's headstone just an hour earlier. "Is it bad that I am grateful we weren't? That we survived because we went to the cabin instead? I mean my dad died out there but we didn't."

"No man. It's okay to feel that way. It's normal. It doesn't mean you love you dad less or will miss him less. Just means you're happy to be alive." Tommy explained as he moved and placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder in support.

"Thanks Tommy. For being here for the last few weeks. I know it has meant a lot to Thea. Me too."

"Of course. Where else would I be? Your dad was more of a father to me than my own. So I will always be here to help you and your family through anything." Oliver nodded silently as the two just fell into a peaceful silence for a few minutes. Tommy cleared his throat before asking, "So how are you doing with this?"

"Well Mom is still crying herself to sleep each night and today is the longest she has been out of her room and properly dressed so I guess that is a win. Even if it took me begging Thea to help me get her out of there. All she wants to do is look at old photos and videos of all of us together. Of them. She keeps playing their wedding song over and over again.

"And Thea! She is having hard days at school because all the kids are treating her like a leper. Some unsure how to talk to her about her loss but most gossiping about her or our family behind her back. I wanted to take her away from school while we deal with all of this but she refused. She doesn't want to give them more to talk about. I get it but I hate seeing how upset she is when she gets home every day."

"What about you? I know how your mom and sister have been. Thea told me a lot of that earlier. I even offered to go to school with her as her bodyguard and beat up anyone she wished but she just laughed and shrugged it off. Said I would be the one to get beat up. Not sure how I feel about that. I think she was joking but then I'm not sure because she didn't smile after saying it. You think your sister thinks I'm a pussy?"

Oliver let a soft laugh go and felt a little pressure in his chest release. Tommy could always brighten his mood no matter what was going on it seemed. "Really man, I have no clue how I feel. How I'm doing. I'm hanging on by a thread. Most of the day it hurts to even breathe. I feel like I am failing my mom and sister because I can't make their pain go away.

"Then there is the company. I have a strong feeling that they are going to want me to run it. I'm not ready for that. I mean, come on, I couldn't even finish a full year of college without dropping out. How do I run a multi-billion dollar company? I'm going to run it straight into the ground. That was my dad's company. He built it up from nothing and worked hard for it his whole life just about. I can't be the one that pulls it down. I can't fail him again." Oliver's voice dropped to a whisper towards the end of his speech, as he moved to his bed and flopped heavily onto it.

"Fail him? Ollie, what are you talking about?" Tommy asked moving across the room and sitting on the edge of the bed next to Oliver.

"It's just… I know he wasn't happy that I kept dropping out of college. Never finishing anything I said I would. Tommy, I failed him by thinking I could just breeze through life on my trust fund and royalties from QC. How many times did my dad have to get up in the middle of the night to bail me out of trouble after working hard all day only to turn around and return to work the next day? How many times did he pay my way out of trouble to stop me from actually living through the penalties of my decisions? How often did he know I had been lying to him about so many things in my life because I was only interested in having fun and not growing up?"

"Yeah but that is what parents are for. Protecting us from being hurt or doing stupid stuff."

"But really did we stop doing stupid stuff? No! The proof is the line of women I cheated on Laurel with. The proof is the fact that I am grateful that to be living because my girlfriend's little sister convinced me to go to our cabin and screw her there instead of on the boat with my dad. The proof is that I can't look my sister in the eyes because she saw and heard the fall out after Laurel found out I had cheated on her yet again and with her sister. HER SISTER! Who is that fucked up that they do that to someone they say they love? And for what? To stop her from getting hurt by the truth?! She still got hurt and I have helped to ruin their relationship! And why? Because I was a coward! Too scared to be honest. Too immature. And that's kind of man my dad died thinking I was. An immature, spoiled, party boy that cares for no one other than himself and will never grow up. That's how I failed him." Oliver crumbled into sobs and pain at the thought that his father could have ever thought of him in that way.

"Ollie, I know he didn't feel that way. Didn't think of you that way. Trust me. That's how my dad sees me. Robert loved you. He was proud of you. Maybe you have been a bit more of a troublemaker recently than in past years but he loved you. And he knew what kind of man you could be. He believed in you. Especially if he left the company for you to run."

"I don't know if he did yet but that has always been my parents' plan for me so I just assume he did. Plus I have a meeting with mom and the board next week."

"Well you have time to breathe between now and then. Listen, no one expects you to be perfect right now. To know everything. You're dad didn't. I'm sure he made a lot of mistakes in his life. And that's all your problems have been, mistakes. You can fix them. Make them right. If you want to that is."

Oliver dropped his head, staring at his hands in his lap. "I want to. I want to make him proud of me again. I need to grow up. Stop partying. Get my life in order. Starting with my family and it's company. I just don't know how to do that."

"Well you're not alone. You've got me and Thea plus your mom. I'm sure she would have a few ideas on how to make sure the company continues to thrive. So you don't have to do this alone."

"Thanks Tommy. That means the world to me." Oliver smiled softly as he wiped away his few tears.

"Anything for you pal." Tommy wrapped his arms around his friend and pulled him into a hug. A moment later, Tommy pulled away with a confused look on his face. "When you say 'stop partying' do you mean just knocking back to like what only weekends instead of every night?"

"Tommy, man, it's time for me to grow up and act my age. Act like the man my dad wanted me to be."

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"You can not be serious!" one board member shouted as the others all began to speak loudly over one another about the latest news. It was Oliver's worst nightmare coming true; the Board of Directors at QC was not pleased that he had been named heir to QC and therefore was now to become its CEO.

"This can't be legal or binding. CEOs are voted into their position by the company's board and stockholders." Mr. Burkhardt exclaimed.

Ned Foster shook his head. "Actually that is how most companies work, according to the bylaws. Mr. Queen was the founder of Queen Consolidated and created those bylaws for this company. In those it is stated that a successor can be named by the current CEO. If a successor can not be determined or refuses the opportunity, then the Board of Directors can vote in a CEO. Robert Queen's will states his wishes clearly. He wanted Oliver to be his successor. Now it is up to Oliver."

The entire room all shifted in a second to look at Oliver. He took a short breath and swallowed loudly. His heart rate increased as he became nervous with all the attention. Moira, who had been silent the entire meeting, sat forward in her seat drawing the attention away from him. "My husband loved this company. He lived and breathed for it. He brought each of you into it and made it the successful organization it is today. It's survival has always been due to him and his vision for it. I know how he felt about Oliver taking over from him one day as well. It had been his desire since we first found out that we had been blessed with a child. But even before then, Robert made that bylaw in order to protect this company. He wanted to make sure that those in power would always be who was right for this company. And Oliver is just that. He may not know everything to make it a success right now but neither did Robert when he started out. He had to learn and Oliver will to. All that matters is that the drive is there. The drive and willingness to make this company great. Oliver has that I am sure." Moira turned to him and smiled lovingly like a proud mother. "He will make his father proud."

Oliver smiled back at her as he reached out for her hand. Knowing that his mother was supporting him and believed in him was something he needed, even if he didn't know it. He stood and faced the board members at the table. "My father built this company from a dream. He had a vision for it that helped to shape it and its successes over the years and he never let anything or anyone threaten that vision. If my father had thought that my succession would have done that, he would not have spent my life advising and planning for the day I would join forces with him here. I know he had dreamt it up differently. He planned on me being by his side, learning my way up through the company so that I would understand each and every part of it. I would grow an appreciation for every employee and position it housed. And when I was ready, he would help me to step up into my place of power before he retired and enjoyed the rest of his years with my mother. Unfortunately he was taken from us before he could see those days happen. I know that my lifestyle and choices in years past has caused concerns, ones that I feel are not without their merits. I had them myself. That is how I know we all want this company to be nothing more than its best. And me right now as CEO is not that." Oliver heard the room fill with gasps and sighs of relief. The sound of his mother whispering his name softly next to him made a pain in his heart sting. "I am not saying that I do not want the position. I just need to straighten some things in my life out before I can do this company the justice of taking it on and being its leader. I need to be with my family until they are ready to move past all that has happened. I also need to return to school and earn my degree so that I have the skills and training to properly control this company. If I am taking on my father's company, I want to do it right. Fully. That is why I prepared all weekend for this meeting. I had a strong feeling that this would be the topic of the meeting today as well as the reactions that have occurred were expected. That is why I seeked Walter's advice in case this did occur. He helped me come up with a counter offer that would be beneficial to everyone concerned. I will return to school and get M.B.A. from Starling University. During that time, I will work as an V.P. here at QC in order to learn the company and its inner workings. This would be like an internship and I would only be expected to be in the office two days a week and when my classes allow on the other three as well as weekends if needed. While working as a V.P., Walter would be acting CEO until I have obtained my degree; at which time I will beginning shadowing him to learn my role as CEO. Once I feel comfortable in that role, Walter will step down back into his role as CFO. This way I earn my degree, a concern that most of you sitting at this table have, and still learn the company and earn my spot as CEO, as my father would have liked me to do. I would be able to fully honor his wishes without ignoring this board's concerns."

"Are we to just wait while you earn your degree? You have dropped out of four schools in the last four years and have no degree to show for that timeframe. How long do you expect this board to wait while you work towards that goal?" Mr. Burkhardt spoke up again.

"I understand that my past experiences with higher learning does make it seem as if I will never earn that degree but I am not sure how you expect me to address that issue."

"A time limit." Mr. Foster spoke up.

Moira nodded in agreement next to Oliver. " Oliver dear, I agree. A time limit would show that you intend to stick to your word and do right by your father and his company. You have already completed how many course hours?"

"52. I have a little more than half of my general education courses complete for any degree and all hours are transferrable. Walter and I already looked into this information while discussing this plan the other day."

"Okay. So you should be able to complete your M.B.A. in the next 3 or 4 years. So in five years if you are not ready to step into your role here at QC as CEO then you forfeit it and the Board will vote in your successor. Does that sound fair to everyone?" Moira offers and is soon seeing the rest of the meeting participants nodding along reluctantly. "Good. Now is a vote needed to make this final?"

Walter quickly seconded Oliver's motion to set his plan into place and within moments it was accepted. He would be a V.P. at QC and a full time business student. Then in five short years, he would step into his role as CEO. He was determined to make this happen. For his father.