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

Tag: Season 1, Episode 23 - "Sacrifice"

"Eloquence of a Secret" Series Summary: Tommy finds out the truth about the Hood from the beginning.

Chapter Summary: It's the stroke before midnight and The Undertaking is going forward, but with things going awry for Team Hood, it's a mad scramble to stop The Dark Archer and save the Glades. Will they be able to handle the aftermath?

aRRoW

Tommy Knows: "Sacrifice"

Tommy was helpless to do anything to stop the men who carried Oliver away, frozen to the spot in the middle of his father's office. His mind spinning in circles; lead weight building in the pit of his stomach.

Malcolm paused in the doorway, turning aside toward him. "Go home, Tommy. Sleep. Tomorrow it will be a new dawn and the world will be changed for the better. Everyone will be in their proper place."

Tommy allowed himself the precious minute it took for Malcolm and his men to disappear down the hall with Oliver to whatever secret route they decided to take; to have a complete mental breakdown. Then he gave himself a huge kick in the ass because he didn't have the luxury for longer than that, not with Oliver's life and thousands of others in the balance.

Tommy played the messages left on his phone, catching up as he went to his dad's desk, lifted the dish, and stole the cell phone that held his mother's dying words. As soon as he heard the message the first time, he should have made the connection, but hearing his mother die, no matter what age, was a shock to the system. But it had also put him back in mind of the Glades underground subway map in the notebook cover.

Now was not the time for panic and indecision. It was time for action, they had no other choice but to act. After he finished the messages, he speed-dialled Felicity, heading out his father's office.

"Tommy, thank god!" Felicity cried in relief. "I've been trying to reach you since last night! Oliver-"

"My dad has Oliver." He took the stairs, already thinking of his exit-strategy and the best way not to be seen by any of his father's men.

"What?"

"Dad knows Oliver is The Hood, Felicity."

"Oh, my god!"

"I need you to trace the tracker in his boot right now and drag Diggle's ass over to wherever it is. I don't care if he says he's finished, his vacation's over. Oliver needs him right now, no screwing around. Ok?"

"What are you going to do?" she asked anxiously.

"I have an idea of where my father might have placed the device."

"It wasn't at the warehouse-"

"That's because my dad already placed the device. Have you figured out how to deactivate the earthquake generator?"

"I'm still working on it. There's a hand-held trigger which we need to get our hand on."

"Dad'll have that close to him." Tommy uttered. "I'm gonna be in the tunnels, near Pap Street where my mother was killed. That's what was bothering me about the map in the notebook. Knowing my father, the reason he's doing this whole thing... I'm sure it's just the place he put it." He paused on the ground floor, but instead of taking the door to the lobby, he took the exit that lead to the garage.

"Tommy, you should wait for-" Felicity started.

"Dad's distracted, now that Oliver is 'out of the picture' he'll think he has no enemies left. This is the perfect time to do this. He's not just going to wait. This thing is happening in the next 24 hours. We don't have time to waste. Get Diggle, bring Oliver back. I'll call you when I find it." On the street, he managed to hail a cab rather quickly. He called the address for his mother's clinic through the plastic partition.

"Alright. Just be careful."

"I will." He hung up and waited anxiously for almost ten minutes before the cab dropped him on the street. He found the boarded up tunnel entrance and kicked through the old boards. In the tunnel, he used his cell as a flashlight, but didn't immediately move.

As he paused to gather his bearings and decide which direction to go; the distorted echo of their voices came down the tunnel. Malcolm must have put men down in the tunnels to guard the device until it was kick-off time, just in case someone like him came around. He waited for them to speak again before he started in their direction via the side of the tunnel where the dimness was darkest.

He saw the seismic device first; it stood taller than him and cast a faint electric blue glow. Tommy pulled out two of his knives as he paused, locating the two men.

"Got a light, man?" one asked, starting across the tunnel.

"Yeah." The second man stepped from the shadows and met in the middle, just setting themselves up for Tommy. He pulled out a lighter and held it out for the man.

Tommy exhaled shallowly, and threw as the first man straightened. His first knife hit its mark, Cigarette Man chocked and stumbled as it buried in his neck, and he crumpled to his knees and the ground, dead. Lighter Man was luckier, turning away just at the right moment to cough into his elbow.

He cried out as the knife grazed his upper arm instead. "Hell! Hank!" he saw his downed mate and reached for his gun. Tommy was already on the move, rushing him. "Shit!" the man shouted as Tommy drop kicked him. The man tumbled into the gravel, the gunshot sounding like a grenade in the tunnel as it went off before he lost his grip in the landing.

Tommy quickly grabbed the dead man's weapon, as Lighter Man scrambled for his lost gun. He pointed and fired. The sound sent his ears ringing, but the man didn't get up again. Panting, Tommy quickly checked to make sure that the man was dead before he pulled out his cell phone and dialled Felicity.

"Did you find it?" she asked.

"Yeah." He approached the device. "What about Oliver?"

"His boot finally stopped moving. It's in the warehouse district in the Glades. Diggle's on his way right now."

"Good." He sighed in relief. "Now tell me you know how to deactivate this thing."

...

"Thank god, you're back!" Felicity gasped from her hub as she saw him.

Tommy ran his fingers through his dark hair, shaking loose the remaining tunnel dust. "And no worse for wear."

"Why would-" Felicity started in worry.

"Oliver and Diggle back yet?" he asked, grabbing a bottle of water.

"Yes." Oliver growled behind him. "The real question is, why weren't you?"

Tommy chocked on his water, coughing. He turned to Oliver, his eyes watering. "I had to work fast. Ahem. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said curtly.

"Thanks for getting him, Diggle." Tommy addressed the former bodyguard and member of Team Hood.

Diggle nodded. "It was needed."

"Felicity said you disarmed the device." Oliver said.

Tommy nodded. "It was right where I thought it would be, right near where my mother was killed. He had guys on it, but I took them by surprise so they didn't pose much of a problem."

"Are you okay?" Felicity asked.

Tommy just nodded. "I hate to say this... but this has all felt a little too easy."

"What exactly has been easy about any of this, Merlyn?" Diggle questioned in exasperation.

"I don't know." Tommy gave a helpless shrug. "I just think that this isn't it. Something as important as this Undertaking to my dad, I don't think he would put all his eggs in the one basket."

"You're saying... you think there might be another device?" Felicity asked.

"All I know is, we have six hours to figure it out, because if there is another device, that was the amount on the timer of the one we managed to disarm." He explained, sitting beside Felicity.

"Then we need to get our hands on that transmitter before the clock runs out," Oliver said. "We need to stop Malcolm."

"If there is a second device and we don't find it in time," Felicity spoke up, "I think we need to warn people, get them out of the Glades."

"That would tip The Dark Archer off," Diggle pointed out. "Our advantage would be gone."

"We don't have a choice." Oliver said. "If we don't warn people, give them a chance to evacuate—and we fail because we didn't want to tip Malcolm?" He shook his head. "No. Felicity's right. We need to warn people."

"The Hood gonna break into a news station tonight?" Diggle said sarcastically.

"The Hood will call Lance." He corrected.

"You really think the detective will believe you?" Diggle asked.

"If he doesn't," Tommy supplied, "Just send him to the subway tunnel under Pap St. near the clinic."

"And Felicity," Oliver looked to the other blond.

"Yes?"

"I need you to call Walter."

"Walter?" her brows furrowed in confusion, and the others looked at the archer the same.

Oliver nodded. "We need to convince my mother to stop hiding in the shadows. She involved in this. She knows what's about to happen."

"Are you sure, Oliver?" Tommy asked.

"She can't hide anymore," Oliver said firmly. "She needs to take responsibly for her part."

"Okay. Wow. Alright." Felicity nodded, picking up her cell from the desk.

...

"Tommy, are you ready for this?" Oliver approached him at the far table where he was busily sharpening his knives.

"What are you talking about?" he briefly glance up at his best-friend, before returning to his knives.

"Look, you've done your part; Diggle and I can finish this."

"Now I know you're screwing with me, Oliver." He put the knife down. "Sit this one out? Are you kidding me?"

"This is your father we're talking about."

"That man is a monster, not my father." Tommy growled.

"That man is your father that just happens to be a monster." Oliver corrected softly.

"Oliver, I need to do this." Tommy insisted. "He is my father and that's exactly why I need to do it. We have to stop him no matter the cost. The Undertaking cannot happen. I don't care what happens to me, Oliver." He picked the knife up again. "But Thea..." he trailed off, digging the point of his knife into the tabletop.

"Thea?" he repeated in confusion at the sudden mention of his sister. " What are you talking about? What about Thea?"

"I didn't want to do this now. I wanted to tell the both of you... I didn't know how the tell you both... or if I should." He shook his head. "No, no. It's better this way." He pulled the now dulled point from the table and resumed sharpening it.

"Tommy, you are actually scaring me right now. What is it?"

"I'm sorry, Oliver. He screwed you over again, your family just keeps on paying for his mistakes."

"Tommy," Oliver grasped his shoulder. "What did Malcolm do?" he growled.

"Ollie, this is one secret of my father's that I need to keep. I'm not going to let him hurt any more of the Queen family."

"You can't just bring Thea up and not explain." Oliver said irately. "Tommy-"

Tommy stood. "We have a dragon to slay." He started to place his knives on his person, some strategically, the others within easy and fast access. "You called Lance, it's in his and S.C.P.D.'s hands now. And Walter is trying to convince Moira to come forward before it's too late. Now—it's our turn."

A

"Dad." Tommy verbalized as he stepped into his father's office at MG, turning into the room.

Malcolm was dressed in his Dark Archer outfit, back to his son as he faced one of the several display cases in the office. For the life of him, Tommy couldn't remember what it held; just that it was dangerous.

"I've been waiting for this moment..." Malcolm said. "The one where you betrayed your mother."

"You're the one who betrayed her." Tommy replied softly. "Using her name as an excuse to commit murder." His hand was tucked behind his jacket at the small of his back, grasping the gun grip.

"And you're here to stop me." He supplied, unworried. "I suppose The Hood is lurking around somewhere, waiting to make his move."

"Keep him talking," Oliver said through the comm. right on cue of exactly his father's supposition. "I've just made it to the roof; I have to set the line."

"Don't worry about Oliver," Tommy said. "You're talking to me. I'm not going to let you do this." His heart raced and he swallowed, his hand tightening on the grip.

"I know you, son. You're not a killer."

"You know nothing about me." He started to pull the gun from his waistband. "When was the last time you ever took a true parental interest in my life, and not this bullshit about killing people for me?"

"You're too soft to do what needs to be done!" and he spun without warning, the metal of the scimitar from the display flashing before Tommy's eyes as it came towards him, helpless to stop its decent. The gun fired, bullet striking the pillar behind. Oliver crashed through the balcony window, glass shattering everywhere as Tommy hit the floor, senseless. The Green Archer let the momentum of the zip line carry him through the roll, and power the barrel into The Dark Archer, knocking Malcolm through the open door to his secret cache, following through with him. Diggle rushed into the room after them, gun drawn.

Tommy could hear them against the buzz in his head, an odd back and fourth between the earwig and them just in the other room.

"Come here to watch your city die?" Malcolm mocked.

"Where is the transmitter?" Oliver demanded.

Tommy scrambled to his feet, the side of his face burning, squinching his right eye instinctively at the blood.

"She is the queen of this war," Malcolm said. "You'll never get your hands on it."

"And neither will you!" Diggle fired multiple rounds.

Tommy made it to the doorway, automatically placing all the players as Malcolm dodged Diggle's bullets. Oliver tried to manoeuvre the table to get line of sight, he loosed an arrow, but the wood rack at the end of the table blocked the connection.

Malcolm made a mirage of a familiar move Tommy seen on himself. Tommy didn't think, just reacted, his blade loose an instant later. His knife flying at what seemed a more sedate pass to his father's. The blades' barely made a spark as their blades grazed, Tommy's touching his just enough to divert its path from what would have been a mortal wound, to one that was just a 'flesh-wound' in comparison. Diggle let out a cry of pain as he fell against the wall and to the floor.

"Diggle!" Oliver exclaimed, automatically swivelling on his heel to change direction from the escaping archer to his injured partner.

"Oliver, go!" Tommy shouted, already kneeling at Diggle's side. "I got him!" he quickly shrugged out of his jacket, crumpled it and pressed it against the bleeding wound in Diggle's side.

"Ah!" Diggle grunted in pain, his hand automatically going over the pressed material.

"You're going to fine." Tommy promised. "Felicity?" he called into comms.

"I'm here," she said and continued quickly, "Mrs. Queen just popped onto all the news networks with a breaking press conference; I think Walter finally convinced her to come forward about The Undertaking. And S.C.P.D. still hasn't found the second device. What's happening over there?"

"Diggle's been hit."

"What?" she exclaimed.

"I'm okay, Felicity." Diggle promised, sending a glare to the other man.

"Think you can send an ambulance our way?" Tommy said. "The wound is fine for now, I've got pressure on it, but he needs treatment."

"I've already put in the call." Felicity assured.

"I'll be fine, Tommy." Diggle told him, pushing himself up against the wall with a gritted jaw. "Go help Oliver, he can't do this alone."

Tommy nodded, grabbing his knife from the floor as he jumped to his feet and ran up the stairs through another secret passage that was in the already secret cache. "The ambulance, Diggle."

He stopped in the open doorway; it had only been a few minutes, but already both archers were disarmed from the close-combat fight. Malcolm had the upper hand, Oliver was slowly having the life chocked out of him right before Tommy's eyes. Tommy knew he wouldn't be able to defeat his father with his throwing knives; looked like he was going to have to improvise.

Tommy spotted Oliver's bow by his feet; he quickly picked it up. He pulled one of his dad's arrows sticking out from the doorframe. He had his props; now to the bluff—let's see if his bragging held true. He set up the arrow, the string rested against the end, but he didn't draw back.

"Don't worry." Malcolm told Oliver as the blond struggled in his chokehold. "Your mother and sister will be joining you in death. And I can train my son under proper influence."

"Let him go!" Tommy bellowed, bringing the bow up and drawing the string back.

Malcolm looked over. "You've been teaching him to use a bow?" he asked Oliver with interest.

There was no way that he was going to admit that Oliver hadn't even let him touch a bow yet, he was still playing Patty Cake with the bowl of water.

"Do it, Tommy!" Oliver shouted in a strained breath.

Malcolm chuckled. "You believe in his skill that much? Well go ahead, son." He egged Tommy condescendingly. "The only hope you have of hitting me is if you shoot through your best-friend here," he squeezed, "But if you can't even shoot someone you hate, how can you hurt someone you love?"

Tommy could already feel the strain of the two-hundred pound draw, he could feel the twinge between his shoulder blades. Clearly, bluffing was not an option. Malcolm would never be feared into submission by him because he was right—Tommy could never hurt Oliver like that.

"I won't let you hurt them anymore. You've done too much to them already." He locked eyes with Oliver, silently communing with his best-friend. "I'll never let you get your blood-soaked hands on her..." Oliver dropped his weight—virtually hanging himself—and Tommy released in the same instant.

The arrow loosed as he exhaled, and Malcolm grunted in pain and stumbled back a step by the time he inhaled again. His own arrow managing to miss Oliver, and tear through Malcolm's collarbone. Oliver took advantage of the loosened hold, rearing his head back and up, catching Malcolm under the chin, making him bite his tongue.

Oliver managed to twist out of the hold executing a roundhouse kick, forcing Malcolm to dodge and create distance between them. It a synchronized move, Tommy tossed the bow to the archer, and he instantly fired arrow after arrow of what remained in his quiver after the struggle.

Malcolm was doing an admiral job of fending off the flying projectiles with nothing but knives, having lost his own bow, and absent sword. But having twenty-years of training on Oliver didn't make him invincible.

Tommy scrambled around, grabbing scattered arrows, whether they were green or black, stuffing them into The Hood's quiver. He joined the fray with his knives, bracketing Malcolm against the wall that rose accordingly to the helipad of Merlyn Global Group.

In a last ditch effort, Malcolm threw his knives at either man able to not transmit the move in a show of muscle movement. Like in the cache room, Tommy managed to intercept his own with a throwing knife, diverting it entirely; and Oliver shot his own out of the air with an arrow. Malcolm had taken an arrow to the thigh, shoulder, and side before he finally collapsed back against the wall and slumped to the gravel rooftop of his own building.

"It's over." Oliver told him.

"twenty-three minutes and counting." Malcolm countered through the pain. "The world will not be the same, The Hood will have failed this city."

"You have failed this city!" Tommy screamed at him in frustration. "You have failed your family! You have failed my mother!"

"Hey, hey." Oliver murmured, putting a hand on Tommy's chest. "He can't hurt anyone now. He's going away-"

"He's trained in something called The League of Assassins, Oliver! Do you think a normal prison will be able to hold him?"

"What if I had a prison that wasn't normal?" Oliver said.

"What are you talking about?"

Oliver shortened the distance between them and said quietly so only he would hear, "Lian Yu; it means Purgatory. It's the supermax of prisons; A.R.G.U.S. controls it now. He'd never escape, he'd rot there for the rest of his natural life."

Tommy was conflicted. Of course he didn't want to kill his father, but wouldn't it be safer-

Malcolm's laughed turned into a wet cough. "Imprison me; hide beneath that false sense of security. And one day, when you stop waking in a cold sweat, when you stop looking over your shoulder... I'm going to come and I'm going to raze the happy-endings you've built for yourselves. And I'm going to start with your sister," he looked at Oliver. "And the blond one." He told Tommy.

Tommy lunged forward without thought, just anger and fear, before even Oliver could react, one of his few remaining knives pressed to his father's jugular. "Then I will kill you so that won't ever happen."

Malcolm gave him a shark-grin filled with bloodied teeth. "Then I will be proud to call you my son."

"I don't want you to call me son! I want my old dad back; the one that used to do magic tricks for me, who tucked me in at night and read me stories-"

"He was weak!" Malcolm shouted, grunting as he pressed forward against the bite of the blade. "He couldn't protect his wife, his family. But I can!"

"Where is the second device!" Tommy demanded. "I've already disarmed the one by the clinic, just give me the second one. It doesn't have to end like this!"

"It was always supposed to end like this, son." Malcolm slumped back, short of breath. His eyes flickered passed Oliver, "I knew one day it would come to this!"

"Tommy!" Oliver grabbed Tommy, yanking the man towards himself. They fell back onto each other, in a heap on the gravel as three arrows cut through the air in front of them in tight synchronized grouping.

"DAD!" Tommy screamed in shock.

Oliver was already knocking an arrow from his reclined position, aiming it towards the figure that stood eclipsed on the edge of the building, the bulge of a quiver behind their shoulder obvious and the curve of their bow. But before Oliver could fire, that dark hooded form disappeared over the edge. He jumped to his feet and rushed to the edge, but there was nothing; not even a zip line. It was like a phantom.

"They're gone," Oliver turned to Tommy.

"Who?" Tommy whispered as he stared at his father, dead, three black-fletching arrows sticking from his chest.

"They carried a bow and arrows, wore a dark hood like Malcolm... I think they were from The League."

"What?"

"Tommy." Oliver whispered. "Felicity," he said into comms. "Malcolm's down for the count."

"Are you both alright?" she whispered.

"Physically." He said shortly.

"Diggle's on his way to the hospital," Felicity reported. "He should be arriving momentarily. Tommy?"

"I'm here," his voice croaked. He cleared his throat. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure? What happened?"

"Oliver said it was someone from The League of Assassins."

"What? Didn't he train with them? Why would they-?"

"I don't know." He was just as discombobulated. "Maybe someone hired them to kill him."

"I'm glad you didn't have to do it, Tommy."

"Yeah," Tommy whispered. "Me, too."

While Felicity distracted Tommy, Oliver crouched beside Malcolm and patted the dead man down. He stood up empty-handed. "The transmitter's not here," he told Felicity. He grasped Tommy's elbow.

"What are we going to do?" Tommy felt vibration in his pant pocket as Oliver pulled him to his feet.

"We just have to hope S.C.P.D. finds the device in the next six minutes," Felicity said in dejection. "There's mass panic and riots in the Glades as the force is trying to evacuate before the timer runs out. It's not going well."

Almost dazed, Tommy pulled his cell from his pocket as it continued to buzz; someone really wanted to get a hold of him. He stared in confusion at the timer on the screen of the flip phone; this wasn't his. It was his mother's; he remembered grabbing it from Malcolm's desk after his father's men took Oliver away. But why would-? And then he remembered Malcolm's words: She is the queen of this war.

"Holy shit!" Tommy exclaimed. "Is this the transmitter?" he showed Oliver the cell.

"Destroy it!" Oliver told him instantly.

"NO!" Felicity screamed in their ears. "Sorry. But don't destroy it!"

"What am I supposed to do with it then?" Tommy asked anxiously. "It's counting down with four minutes left!"

"You have to stop the trigger."

"By destroying it." Oliver confirmed.

"No." She said firmly. "That could short the signal and cause the trigger of another safe guard and cause it to go off anyway."

Tommy flipped the phone open.

"How exactly are we supposed to do that then, Felicity?" Oliver growled in frustration.

"Malcolm..."

"What was that?" Oliver demanded, looking at Tommy.

"My mother." Tommy whispered, staring down at the phone as it played his mother's dying words.

"I'm in trouble..."

"What's happening?" Felicity asked.

"The night my mother was killed, she called my dad, but he didn't pick up." Tommy explained. "These are her dying words."

"I told- I told him to take everything."

"Did you select the audio file?" Felicity asked.

"No," he said with tears in his eyes as he listened to his mother dying again. "It's just started playing when I opened the phone."

Felicity started to mumble under her breath.

"My money, my rings."

"Felicity?" Oliver questioned urgently, "At least tell me S.C.P.D. has found the second device." But she didn't answer.

"It was the whole reason he started this horrible thing," Tommy inhaled shakily. "Nobody stopped to help her. She bled out in an alley of the city she wanted to save, but the people in the Glades don't want to be saved so they don't deserve to be saved."

"He shot me."

"Delete it!" Felicity blurted.

"What?" his grip tightened in the phone.

"The file is the trigger," she said urgently. "If you delete it, it will delete the time trigger. It should disable the transmitter, deactivate the device. Then when S.C.P.D. find the seismic device we can disarm it manually just to be sure it can't be triggered again."

"I screamed for help, but..."

"You don't know if that will work." Tommy said quietly, even as his thumb moved over the keypad.

"It's our only option," Oliver whispered. "We have to try it."

"No one would come."

"I know," Tommy whispered. "I love you, mom."

"Mal, I don't-"

Tommy pressed delete. There was silence. The phone screen flickered, then went black.

"It went dead, Felicity." Oliver reported as he gripped his best-friend's shoulder in connection.

"We'll know if it worked in ten seconds," she whispered.

"We never got to have that dinner," Tommy told her. "I was really looking forward to it.

"We will," Felicity promised. And counted down, "Three... Two... One."

They all held their breaths and waited for a district to come crumbling to the ground—but there was only stillness.

"Felicity?" Oliver questioned.

"It worked." Felicity gasped in disbelief, "I think it worked! I mean, I'm pretty sure. We're all alive. I don't feel an earthquake. I'm going to tell Det. Lance that we destroyed the transmitter and the second device should be deactivated, but that we should still dismantle it as a precaution."

"Okay, we're heading back to the lair."

"No," Tommy said.

Oliver looked at him. "What do you mean, no?"

"You need go home, be with Thea. Find out what's happening with your mother."

"She was taken into police custody after her press conference," Felicity supplied. "That's all I know."

"And when the S.C.P.D. finally find the second device and you talk them through the disconnect, Felicity, you should go to the hospital and check on Diggle." Tommy told her. "And I..." he looked over at his father, "I need to stay here."

"Tommy, you can't!" she protested. "SWAT is on their way to Merlyn Global right now, they'll arrest you and try and charge you with God knows what."

"You don't think they won't just hunt me down and arrest me elsewhere?" Tommy countered, looking at Oliver who had been thus silent. "Might as well get it over with; I'll just give them an abridged version of events: I was here with my dad when Moira's press conference came on the news, I confronted him, tried to stop him. He knocked me out," he pointed at his injured lower eye socket, "When I came-to I found my dad dressed as The Dark Archer and The Hood fighting on the roof, before a third archer dressed in black showed up and killed my father before disappearing. The Hood destroyed the transmitter and then vanished, all without revealing his identity. Simple." He gave a shrug. "There is no evidence to the contrary, no other witness to the showdown."

"Argh!" Felicity growled in frustration. "The cops finally found the second device in the West end, I have to talk them through the dismantle. Oliver..." she stressed.

"Yeah." Oliver replied. He regarded his friend. "You feel guilty."

"Of course I'm guilty!" Tommy said. "I colluded with him, didn't I?"

"You didn't collude, Tommy." Oliver shook his head. "You infiltrated your father's organisation, gathered Intel., and then responded when the situation went critical and became dangerous. If you were a police officer, it would be called undercover; you were just doing your job."

"I knew my dad was going to kill those scientists at Unidac Ind. but I didn't even try to stop him, I took advantage of the situation for our own gain." Tommy hung his head. "I need to face up to that, Oliver." He went over to the ledge and sat on the edge. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do. You need to go home." But Oliver shook his head, pulling at the collar of his Hood as he went and sat beside his best-friend. "What are you doing?"

"Then there's a lot of things that I need to face up to as well," Oliver said. "The people I've killed, the people that I couldn't save."

"Oliver, you didn't have a choice." Tommy protested. "You haven't killed anyone that didn't have it coming, and was in defence of yourself and others. And you've saved so many people as The Hood, that would be dead otherwise if you weren't here. And the people who didn't make it... you gave them justice. You have nothing to be guilty for, Ollie."

"And I could say the same to you, Tommy." Oliver squeezed his shoulder. Tommy shook his head in denial as he continued, "There are things that I have done, that make me sick to my stomach, that keep me up at night. Things that paint me the monster. I have been cruel and blood thirsty. Some things were survival, some were revenge, some were by the orders of others... but they were all done by my hand. None of the things you have done were for cruelty's sake or bloodlust, Tommy. Revenge or power like Malcolm. All you've done was to protect me, Felicity, Diggle, Thea... all of those people in the Glades. That never would have happened without you."

"I could have stopped him, so many times." Tommy uttered voicelessly, burying his face in his hands.

"You couldn't have killed your father, Tommy." Oliver hushed. "I'm just sorry you had to watch him die. It's never an easy thing, no matter if he was a good or a bad man."

"He would have killed us, come after everyone we love." Tommy rose his head and looked at his best-friend. "I'm just glad that you didn't have to kill him either. How do you deal with it?" he asked the heavy question.

"It's a process. I'm not sure there will be a day where I don't feel the guilt or shame."

"You're a good man, Oliver. The people who love you know it, and one day we'll get you to believe it yourself."

"Let's go home, Tommy." Oliver whispered. "It's over. The Undertaking, The Hood's crusade. The list is burned, we're finished. We can move forward now, out from the burdens our father's have laid us with."

"Felicity," Tommy murmured into comms. knowing she was listening even if she couldn't respond. "We're heading back to the lair."

RR

"Are you both okay?" Felicity jumped to here feet as soon as she heard them come through the alley entrance. "What took you so long, I was worried."

"It's crazy out there," Tommy said as Oliver went and stripped from his Hood. "You'd think after hearing someone wanted to level the Glades, people would get their shit together and get out, not riot and loot." He turned to her.

"Oh, my God! Your face, Tommy!" Felicity exclaimed. "I thought you said you were okay?" she pushed him onto a stool and he went willingly enough.

"It's just a scratch, I can't even feel it anymore."

"That's not something to be reassured about," Fingers on his chin, she turned his head, and gently palpitated around the wound; Tommy winced. "I thought you said you can't even feel it anymore?" she challenged sternly. "It's still bleeding, when did you get this?"

"When you poke it like that…" he said petulantly.

"Oliver." She growled, holding his face.

"Malcolm." Oliver called back, "At the beginning."

"Tommy," she whispered, tears clouded her eyes, "He could have cut your head off."

"Hey," he hushed, petting her pony. "I'm right here." He palmed the nape of her neck and brought their foreheads together. "Ten fingers, ten toes."

She gave a watery chuckle. "That's not funny."

"But you laughed anyway,"

"That's what you do when you like somebody," she reasoned, "Laugh at all their stupid jokes."

"And this is my move when I like someone," he murmured, and kissed her.

She started, but a second later she was sighing against his mouth. Her eyes closed as she looped her arms around his neck, pushing the teardrops passed her lashes and down her cheeks. She gave a squeak at the pressure at the small of her back, putting her in his lap. He chuckled in his chest and sucked on her bottom lip before they finally parted.

"I think I like your move a lot better," her cheeks were flushed. "A little more blood and tears than I usually prefer, though," she giggled, palming her wet cheeks.

"I'll do even better next time," he promised, and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "No blood and no tears."

"Ahem." Oliver pointedly cleared his throat as he set the first aid kit on the table at Tommy's back; dressed in a tee and jeans.

Felicity popped off Tommy's lap like a jackrabbit. She cleared her throat in embarrassment, quickly smoothing out her clothes and adjusting her glasses. "Sorry, that was probably a bit unprofessional and inappropriate given current events," she babbled, "And this is like my unpaid, volunteer, extracurricular activity-"

"Is this your way of saying you want to get paid, Felicity?" Oliver interrupted, taking out a needle and numbing Tommy cheek.

"What?" she sputtered to a stop. "Of course not! That's not why I started to do this in the first place—If I wanted money I would have written you a letter."

Tommy snickered as he grabbed her hand, Oliver laying a towel around his neck. "You're such a Girl Scout."

"Me?" she replied haughtily. Tommy's face scrunched as Oliver flushed the wound; he couldn't feel the pain, but he could feel the pressure.

"This wound looks pretty deep, Tommy." Oliver noted, examining it. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the E.R. and have a plastic surgeon do it? My stitches are good, but not that good."

"Just another scar left by my father," he whispered and Felicity squeezed his hand. "The only difference this time is that it's visible. I trust you not to poke my eye out, buddy."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Oliver said drily as he threaded the needle. He glanced at Felicity, "Everything go as planned with the second device?"

Felicity nodded. "There was no trouble with the deactivation; they're disassembling both devices right now. And the officers should have arrived at MG by now."

Tommy kept still as Oliver started to stitch. "What about Diggle?" his words came muddled through still lips.

"I'll call right now." She said, releasing Tommy's hand and grabbing her cell phone. She speed dialled and put it on speaker for the guys. She tapped her foot as she waited for the man to pick up.

The line connected. "Felicity?"

"Thank God," she breathed. "I thought I was going to have to tell the nurse at reception that I was your fiancé or something."

"Take it everyone came out of it alive?" He said wryly. "The emergency room isn't filled with earthquake casualties."

"We're here, John." Oliver said, concentrating on his task. "How're you doing?"

"Just a surface wound, no internal damage." Diggle reported. "They want to keep me until morning. What happened?"

Oliver's movements paused briefly before he continued. "Malcolm's dead."

There was silence on the other end.

"Cat got your tongue, Diggle?" Tommy finally spoke, careful not to move. "Don't worry, neither of us killed him."

"What do you mean?"

"It was The League of Assassins." Oliver answered. "It's something to worry about later, or not at all." He said before Diggle could ask questions.

"I didn't expect to hear that from you," Felicity said.

Oliver snipped the last thread. "We can talk about it later." He swabbed the line of four sutures and applied a bandage. "Finished. I think we all just need a moment to breathe and heal." He packed up the kit. "That means take care of yourself, Dig." Oliver said.

"Yeah. You, too, man."

The line disconnected, and Felicity put her cell down on the table. And ringing filled the lair. "That's yours," she told Oliver, grabbing his cell. "Thea's been calling ever since your mom's press conference. I would have answered, but I wasn't sure what to tell her; it's not like I could have told her, her big brother was wearing a green hood at the moment, can I please take a message?" she handed him the cell.

"Thea-" he answered. "Hey, hey. Easy, breathe. | We saw the news. Sorry I haven't been able to get home. | It's crazy in the Glades right now. We were on our way- | Diggle has a night in the hospital, and Tommy- | He's okay, Speedy. I promise. It's just some stitches. | We're coming home right now. |I don't know what's happening anymore than you do. | Right now." He promised. "I love you, too. Bye," he hung up and put the cell in his pocket. He looked at Tommy, "Looks like we're going home—right now. Felicity..." he glanced at the other blond.

"Shouldn't be going home alone right now," Tommy stood. "It's not safe, at least not tonight."

"You want me to go home with you already?" she joked. "We've only kissed once."

"I'm not going to bite," he teased. "The Queen's have a whole array of empty guest rooms. Oliver?"

Oliver nodded. "He's right, Felicity."

"I guess I'm out-voted," she mumbled as Tommy took her hand.

...

"Ollie!" Thea threw herself into her big brother's arms in the foyer of the mansion where she had been pacing anxiously waiting for him to come home; Walter with a still, calm, British exterior her company. "Where-?" she started, trying to fight the sob.

"Shhh," He rubbed her back. "I'm here now. Walter," he looked over her head at the older man.

"Oliver," Walter said.

"What's been going on?" his hand stopped and he simply held his sister.

"The police have arrested your mother after her press conference," he said. "I tried to go to the station with her, but the police wouldn't let us leave."

"Hey, Speedy." Tommy murmured, putting a hand on Thea's back. She rose her head from her brother's chest. "Hey," She instantly turned into him and clung. He held her tightly in turn, resting his cheek against her wavy hair; his father would never get his hands on her now.

Oliver quickly closed the distance between Walter and himself, sensing that their time was short, with Felicity at his side.

"There are officers going through the house right now," Walter said.

"We saw squad cars at the gate," Felicity said.

"I will follow your lead on this, Oliver."

Oliver nodded. "We managed to stop the devices from activating," he said quietly, "That should help mother's case in the long run; she won't be a part of a mass murder."

"Oliver said..." Thea rose her head. "Your eye." Her grey-brown eyes shone with worry and unshed tears. Tommy let her gently touch his cheek with cool fingertips. "What happened?"

"That is an interesting question with an answer that I'm sure will be just as." Lance appeared with a few other uniformed officers with him. "Mr Queen, Mr Merlyn," he addressed the men as the group turned to him, "We've been looking for you."

"You must not have been looking very hard." Tommy remarked sarcastically. "I know my father was a cold man, but to nuke an entire neighbourhood?" he shook his head. "That sounds insane."

"Well, we'll never know his side of the story," Lance said, observing the dark-haired man intently, "We sent a SWAT Team to your family's company, Merlyn Global Group, tonight after Moira Queen's public confession, we found him on the roof—his body stuck like a pin cushion full of black and green arrows."

Thea gasped, and clutched his arm tightly. Felicity squeezed his other hand. Of course Tommy already knew his father was dead, he was there. But felt like he'd just been gut-punched anyway.

"Tommy," Oliver squeezed his shoulder from behind. He glared at Lance, "There wasn't a better way that you could have broken the news?" he growled.

Lance had broken the news in a brash manner to get a genuine reaction from the orphan, and by God, he got one. Tommy guessed he hadn't really let himself proper time to process it, and to be told by someone outside of Team Hood, it seemed to give it that kick of reality.

"So you knew nothing of your father's plans to level the Glades and everyone in it tonight?" Lance ignored Oliver and continued for the jugular.

"What?" Tommy shook his head and tried to focus. "What the hell? Do you think if I knew I wouldn't try and stop him?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out,"

"You've just told me that my father was killed tonight—that my father is dead. Now you're accusing my of being in on his plan to bomb the Glades?"

"Not bombs," Lance corrected. "A seismic device,"

"I don't even know what that is!" Tommy shouted.

Lance didn't flinch in the face of his anger.

"Is this treatment truly necessary, detective?" Walter questioned firmly.

"Very," he said. "And who are you?" Lance looked Felicity up and down. "I didn't catch your name the last time."

"Um, Felicity Smoak." She said a little nervously.

"And your relationship in regards to, uh..." he waved his pen at everyone else.

Tommy narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Lance glared right back. "For the record."

"Tommy," Felicity uttered, a hand on his arm. She turned to the detective, squared, "Tommy and I are boyfriend and girlfriend, detective... for the record."

"Perhaps we can get back on track with the questioning, detective?" Walter stepped forward. "It's been a long night-"

"And it's going to be even longer," Lance interrupted, "Until I'm satisfied that no one else here was involved in your mother's," he looked at Oliver, "And your father's," his glance went to Tommy, "Insane plan to level the Glades! Now, we can do this down at the station in my comfort where at least 50% of you already belong, or in your castle... which will it be, gentlemen?"

"You can accuse us all you want, detective," Oliver said as Walter led the way to the tea room, "We have done nothing wrong."

"Your mother claims to have been involved in something very wrong, Mr. Queen," Lance stayed standing as the kids fitted the couch and Walter sat the chair. "Now, as of this moment Det. Hilton is in interrogation with her and her lawyer, we have people going through the house and Merlyn Global, where I must say: very interesting reports are coming in." He regarded the group, "Care to elaborate?"

"What are you talking about?" Tommy said.

"Alright, how about something a little more simple... where were the two of you tonight while all this was happening?"

"Verdant," Oliver said. "The three of us," he gestured at Tommy and Felicity sitting on Thea's other side respectively, "And my bodyguard Mr Diggle. We were there when the news broadcast came on. It became panic in the club, and on the streets. There was rioting and looting, it was crazy. We tried to get home, but a gang of guys recognized Tommy and I. Diggle got stabbed, he's laid up in the hospital right now. That is where we were, Det. Lance."

"Alright, easy enough to confirm." Lance wrote onto his pad. The threesome shared an eye flicker of communication while the man's gaze was withdrawn. "Mr Merlyn," Lance rose his head. "Want to tell me why you suddenly decided to quit your job as general manager at Verdant and work for your father two months ago; when as far as anyone else knows, including myself, that you haven't shown an ounce of interest in taking over?"

"It wasn't suddenly," Tommy told him. "Getting accused of drug dealing and harassed by an angry father who just happens to also be police turns a guy off the club scene. I'm not that stupid kid any more, I didn't want to be dragged down by my past. And after my father almost getting assassinated," he paused, "I wanted to mend our relationship; he was the only parent I had left."

"And your father never told you anything about his plans while you were 'mending' your relationship as you claim?" Lance continued to hammer and accuse. "Perhaps your are a good of actor as your father was, and you've been in on his entire plan from the beginning. Destroying the Glades, killing all those people, I'm sure the aftermath would make you a rich businessman. Maybe everyone here is just covering your ass and your were at your father's company tonight when he was killed-"

"No." Tommy's voice cracked in his turmoil.

"Hey!" Oliver barked, standing. "That's enough!"

Thea had been shaking with anger herself between the two men for a while now, and she couldn't sit here and watch as Lance kicked Tommy while he was down anymore. "You're just attacking him 'cause you hate him." She jumped to her feet, her fists clenched at her sides. "You've always hated both our families. Even before what happened to Sara. But this has nothing to do with her. I'm sorry, but she's not coming back and that doesn't mean you can just attack us. Tommy just lost his father, whether he was a good man or not, it doesn't matter. He hasn't done anything wrong and he doesn't deserve to be treated like this!"

They were all saved from what might have been a scary fallout when a scene tech ducked into the room and had a quick head-ducked conversation with Lance before leaving as quickly as he'd come. Lance didn't appear too happy with whatever news he was given, which could only mean good news for Team Hood.

"The house is clean of any evidence tying Moira Queen to this... Undertaking," Lance finally spoke, his jaw tight. "So far only her confession on city news ties her to this. Malcolm Merlyn, on the other hand, has a Petri dish of evidence growing on him by the hour." He looked at each of them. "None of you are to leave the city. You are to be available for further questioning should the need arise—and it will."

Walter rose. "I'll see you and your officers to the door, detective." He offered like a good host. Lance didn't seem impressed as he left the room after one last 'subtle' sneer at the couch, his shadow briefly turning British.

It was silent and still in the tea room, until they heard the front door shut in the foyer.

"Christ!" Tommy buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shook as he tried to suppress the very unwanted and underserved tears. "Why am I crying for that evil bastard?" Felicity and Thea hugged him from either side.

"He was your father, Thomas." Walter murmured as he returned. "No matter what he may have done, he was your father and you still loved him."

"I hate him!" Tommy denied, raising his head, his blue-eyes glossy with tears. "He's hurt so many, stepped through them without a care. Your dad..." he looked at the Queen siblings. He stood, shaking off the sympathy as he paced a short distance away. He looked at the tall man, "Walter, I-"

"Thomas," Walter placed his hands on either of his shoulders. "You are to blame for none of what has happened. You had nothing to do with your father's plans." And he pulled him in for an embrace.

Tommy squeezed back; this was what a father's touch was supposed to inspire. "Thank you."

Walter called for tea afterward, to help calm everyone as they stayed in each others company for comfort and reassurance; before he said goodnight. "Get some rest, everyone. Tomorrow is going to be even longer than tonight, we are all going to need our rest and to be on our toes." Thea hugged him before he left.

"Felicity," Thea took the woman's wrist. "You can borrow a pair of my pyjamas."

"Oh, okay." And started to lead the blond away.

"Hey, hey." Tommy stopped them. He approached, giving Thea a pointed look (girlfriend, remember? it said) before he turned his attention the computer genius. "Hey," he whispered, cupping her face.

She smiled. "Hi."

He pressed his mouth to hers in a soft kiss. "I love that I get to kiss you now."

"I love that you kiss me now, too." She smiled warmly against his lips.

"You guys are so giving me a toothache," Thea grinned happily at them.

Tommy chuckled and gave her a one-armed hug, pecking her hair. "Goodnight, Speedy."

"Night, Tommy."

"Try not to stay up too late," he told Felicity, kissing her again, his forehead resting briefly against hers. He knew she had her work cut out for her, covering his and Oliver's sloppy tracks tonight, trying to catch up with all their lies.

"I won't," she promised when he finally pulled back, and followed Thea upstairs and leaving the two best-friends.

"Tommy," Oliver started softy when they were left alone.

"Felicity said you went over to Laurel's the other night." Tommy said, grasping control of the conversation before the blond could as the pressing question from earlier tonight. "Was it... a sleepover?" he waggled his brows suggestively, he was only half-teasing.

"We were interrupted before it could become a sleepover," he answered slowly.

"Does that mean something did happen?"

Oliver was silent for a long moment. "We slept together," he finally said quietly, giving the man what he wanted.

Tommy gaped. "Whoa. I told Felicity you went and grew some heart-balls when I left, I'm sad I missed it. And proud of you," he clapped him on the shoulder.

"Heart-balls." Oliver repeated drily. "Cute."

"And how was it? I don't mean the sex-part, not to make it awkward, but I know about the sex-part. So?" he finished as Oliver gave him a glare. "After?"

Oliver inhaled deeply. "We weren't able to talk much about it with this last night, but... I think we're going to give it another shot. We have a very messy past, but we're different people now. And without the list now..." he left it unsaid but Tommy got it completely.

"At least something good finally came out of this whole thing," he remarked, thinking of Felicity.

OW

When Tommy got home to the mansion, late that evening, he simply went to his room and crawled onto the covers, and pulled a pillow over his head.

It had been a few weeks since The Undertaking had failed, and the police had finally released Merlyn Global Group; and since Tommy had been working tirelessly in dismantling his father's empire and selling it cheap for parts. Of course, all MG employees were getting a generous severance package after Felicity vetted them. And the Merlyn Family Home, he was seriously thinking of just burning the thing to the ground and all that was left of Malcolm Merlyn.

"Mm." Tommy mumbled when he felt heavy weight of another shift the bed as he started to dose.

"It's time." Oliver told him.

"What?" he questioned in confusion.

"It's been three weeks, Tommy. I've let it go for that long, but now it's time that you tell me."

"Are you high or something?" Tommy shifted the pillow so he could see best-friend. "You're not making sense."

"Malcolm's dead," Oliver reminded him.

"Thanks for reminding me," Tommy deadpanned. He pushed himself up so he was sitting and glared. "Just spit it out."

"There's nothing he can do now." Oliver said more softly.

"I know he can't. I had him cremated to make sure of it."

"What about Thea?" Oliver questioned. "In the lair that night-"

"Goddamnit, Oliver!" Tommy climbed from the bed and spun on his friend; he'd been steadfast in avoiding this question for a reason. "I already told you-!"

"She's my sister!" Oliver mirrored him. "How can I protect her if I don't know what the threat is?"

"Malcolm's dead, there's no threat to her!" he shouted. "He can't lay his hands on Thea!"

"Yes?" Thea stuck her head in the open bedroom door at that crucial moment. Both men whipped around to face her. "Sorry, thought I heard my name."

"You did." Oliver blurted before Tommy could cover, changing tactics and grasping the opportunity that presented itself.

"Oh?" she straightened and stepped in.

Tommy was shooting daggers at the blond. "You're making a mistake, Oliver."

Oliver stepped closer to Thea and turned to Tommy. "Tommy has something that he wants to tell you, Thea."

"Then I guess you have something important that you should tell her, too, then." Tommy snarked harshly.

Oliver glared at the threat. "Try it."

Tommy just shook his head. "I'm leaving," he said, starting for the door. "I'm just going to stay at the house."

"Tommy-" Thea started to protest.

"Don't run away." Oliver grabbed his arm instead as he passed, and flipped the dark-haired man before he could react.

Thea let out a scream, jumping back. "Oliver, what the hell are you doing?!" she rushed over and grabbed her brother's shoulder, "Get off of him, Ollie!"

But Oliver was solid as he pinned Tommy to the floor on his back. "Even dead you're letting him control your life, Tommy."

"And I'm keeping yours free," he avowed, not struggling against the man. "You have your family back, Ollie. Moira's home without charges pressed; Walter stayed. You're back with Laurel." He looked over his shoulder at the scared and confused teen. "Thea is safe." He swallowed and looked back at the man, "Why would you want to dig up some old skeleton that's going to wreck all of that?"

"Will someone tell me what is going on?" Thea looked between the pair of them anxiously.

"Tommy," Oliver said softly.

"Please, Ollie." He begged painfully through the lump in his throat. "Don't make me." He felt a clawing weight on his heart.

"Tommy?" Thea whispered the plea. "What did I do?"

"Oliver, get off me!" Tommy gasped, shoving at the man's chest. Oliver quickly shifted off of him on the floor as Tommy sat up, panting. "You have done nothing wrong, Thea. Nothing. I promise." He held out his hand and she took it instantly, dropping to her knees on his other side.

"Then what is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

Tommy took a deep breath. "What I'm about tell you will be hard for both of you to hear," he looked between the siblings, but focused on Thea; this affected her the most. "This doesn't change anything about who you are, or your family."

"Just tell me," she urged.

"When I started working with my- Malcolm," he corrected himself, "I started remembering things from my childhood. The two-years that he disappeared after my mom's funeral, I saw him once and I wasn't supposed to. It was in 1994... the same year that our parents had their affair."

"I don't understand," she admitted, glancing across at her brother who was wearing an expression she'd never seen before.

"Around nine months later-" he started.

"You were born." Oliver croaked in realization.

Both men turned to her. Thea was still, her expression frozen.

"Hey," Oliver rose to his knees and rubbed her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Malcolm is just your biological father, he's not your real dad. Robert loved you, Thea. You were his princess, and let's be honest," he gave a wet chuckle, "His favourite. You are his daughter. You are a Queen."

Tommy started to reach for her, but hesitated halfway there; he probably wouldn't want to be comforted by him either. But Thea surprised him and snatched his hand, clutching it to her stomach as tears overflowed her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

"Thea," he uttered, but didn't know what to say, how to take it back.

"We're siblings." She finally whispered.

Tommy nodded. "Thea, I'm sorry-"

"Why are you sorry?" she interrupted.

"Everything that happened to you-" he started.

"Was Malcolm's fault, Tommy." Oliver said.

"He's my father, my responsibility."

"And my father, too, apparently." Thea said wryly.

"Thea-" both men started in concern.

She shook her head. "Mom cheated on dad, once, with his best-friend as a way to get back at him for cheating on her—and she got pregnant with me. If it wasn't for that... I wouldn't be here. There might have been a Thea Dearden Queen, but she wouldn't have been me. What I'm trying to say is... I'm glad. If I was ever thankful to Malcolm Merlyn for anything, it would be that—and you." She gave him a soft smile, "You're not alone anymore, Tommy."

"You are incredible, you know that?" he told her, feeling his heart unclench. "I always wished that you were my sister, too. I guess wishes do come true,"

Thea chuckled and looked embarrassed. "I wanted to marry you when I was a kid."

Tommy gave her a small grin and a wink. "Moira would have freaked."

"So would I have," Oliver growled and made them both snigger at his glower.

She rose to her knees, leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "He always frightened me," she whispered, hugging him.

"Me, too." Tommy murmured. "Robert was always a better father to the both of us than Malcolm could have been." He rubbed her back.

She unlooped one arm and dragged Oliver in, too. "I didn't forget about you, Ollie."

Oliver chuckled. "Glad I haven't been pushed aside by the new brother on the block." He wrapped an arm around her waist and the other Tommy's back.

"Guess Malcolm did something right after all." Tommy remarked.

"Knocked up mom?" Oliver said.

Thea snorted. "That's gross, Ollie!"

They parted, but stayed on the floor in a circle, sharing smiles and chuckles.

"What's your secret?" Thea broke the silence and looked at Oliver.

"What?"

Tommy burst out laughing at the expression on his face. "That is priceless!" he pointed and Oliver smacked his hand.

"Well?" she wondered. "Tommy said you wanted to tell me something, too."

"I hate you so much right now." Oliver reported to his best-friend. He looked at their sister, "Maybe when you're older."

"What are you talking about? I'm eighteen, Ollie!" she protested. "If I can handle the fact that Malcolm Merlyn is my biological father, I think I can handle pretty much anything."

And Tommy just laughed harder, pawing at the man as tears streamed down his cheeks and his body tried to decide if it was more important to breathe or laugh.

"It's not funny, Tommy!" she complained and swatted at him.

"Trust me, it is!" and he rolled her way and started to tickle.

"It really isn't." Oliver agreed with his sister, but smiled at the pair of them as their sister squealed with laughter.

THE END

aRROW

Well, that's it, the end of this series. I hoped you enjoyed reading it, because I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to all who have read and to all who took the time to comment and like—I appreciate them all.

The entire mansion scene with Lance was completely spur of the moment. Originally I was going to skip to the end with Tommy revealing that Thea is his half-sister. I think I tied up any loose ends and I hope the whole: THEA, MALCOLM IS YOUR FATHER, thing wasn't pushing it and made for a good ending.

And don't forget The FLOMMY! Finally brought those two together, though it was brief, I trust you all enjoyed.

I will not be continuing this into the second season, that's partly why I had Tommy reveal that Malcolm was Thea's father. If you want to check out an amazing story where Tommy Is Alive! in Season two, I suggest you check out "He Deserves a Shot (At Being Happy)" By: ChronicOlicity on AO3.

DELETED TEXT:

TOMMY: "You're a stranger to me, a monster."

...

"Diggle called. He says that he's okay and it's just a 'surface wound'. They want to keep him overnight and release him in the morning." Felicity said.

"That's a relief," Tommy said.

"Good." Oliver nodded. "We would be having another conversation if Tommy hadn't intercepted."

"And Thea," Felicity said. "Your cell phone has been ringing off the hook, metaphorically speaking. I would have answered it, but it's not like I could really tell her her brother was currently dressed up in a leather hood shooting arrows at his best-friend's dad." She handed him his phone.

"I'm sorry, Thea. Thing are more than a little crazy in the Glades right now. We ran into some trouble trying to get away- | Diggle has to stay overnight, and Tommy just got a few stitches. | We're fine. We're heading home. | Yes, right now. I promise."

x