A/N: I missed this in the first chapter. Apologies! I definitely get no profit of this, except the treat of writing .

Three weeks earlier, late at night…

The limousine stopped right outside the address Malcolm had given her. It was an abandoned warehouse. The walls were blackened by smoke and garbage of all sorts littered the street. She couldn't help but shiver. Why had he asked her to come out here? This felt like a trap. She remembered the night that Chen had been shot by that black clad archer. Was she going to meet the same fate?

Taking a deep breath, she opened the car door and got out. It was time to face her demons, demons that had accompanied her and dominated her life for the last five years. All she had wanted at first was to protect her family… She knew that Malcolm had planned to sabotage the Gambit, but what she hadn't expected was the outcome and the collateral damage her son and Sara Lance would become. She'd expected Robert to live, Oliver to stay at school and the girl… Well, she'd never been in the picture to start with… Over the years she and Thea had become estranged as the Undertaking had slowly wrapped its tentacles around her, enveloping her deeper with no chance whatsoever to free herself. So she had adapted to survive, to keep what was left of her family safe. Now… if she ever wanted to look at herself in a mirror again, she would have to atone for her wrongdoings. For far too long she had shut her eyes over the misery their project was creating for the people of the Glades and their families. Now she could understand why Robert had chosen to put an end to this madness. But he had had to pay too for the life he had taken, even if it had been an accident. So she had to follow in his footsteps and to step up perhaps then Thea would forgive her…

Slowly she moved towards the door of the warehouse. Her frayed nerves animated the shadows with dark figures behind every dumpster and every doorstep making her feet move faster and faster until she stood at the entrance of the large abandoned building. The side door opened with a metallic squeaking sound making her jump. Vaguely she noticed she had been holding her breath. Forcing it out, she willed herself to get a grip. She stepped inside a dark corridor. She knew the man she was going to meet, had known him for a long time, even before he was widowed and had disappeared for two years… He wasn't the same man once he returned from wherever he had been. There was a cold determination that made her want to jump out of her skin every time they met. His steely gaze threatened at each encounter to uncover all her doubts concerning his inhuman project. She had realized the body count to reach his goal didn't faze him.

Taking another deep breath she pushed past a stack of wooden crates standing around haphazardly. The room she'd stepped into was large, huge really. The walls were hidden in the surrounding darkness. The sparse light came from the skylights high above and it only reinforced the feeling of oppression in her chest. Right in the middle of the room she could distinguish a silhouette leaning against a large table. Slowly she moved towards it, her arms tightly clasped around her waist providing a little comfort and thus allowing her to keep it together. The dingy room made her feel uncomfortable. Or was it pure fear she was experiencing?

"Finally… " a voice she would recognize everywhere, bellowed, stopping her in her tracks. "I wasn't sure you would have the guts to show up… Not after what you tried to do to me! "

He turned with one swift movement to fully face her. His formerly handsome face was distorted by a barely concealed hatred and rage. Moira flinched as his words impacted. And suddenly every piece of the puzzle fell into place… He had discovered the truth after all. The failed assassination attempt… Her conspiracy with Chen… He was the Dark Archer! How had she been able to help him set up his devilish plan? She wanted to protect her family after Robert's death, of that she was sure, but was that an excuse for the hundreds of people that had lost their lives by her fault? No! She had to take her responsibility and face the consequences of her actions.

No more hiding! For Thea… and Oliver! Briefly their conversation flashed before her inner eye. And his words still hit as hard as they had the moment he said them. Somebody in this family needs to put an end to this… Whatever the cost! He had looked so sad then… A look of acceptance had briefly lit up in his eyes and she had had an unnerving feeling about it. Pushing back the dark thoughts she finally closed the distance between her and Malcolm. Raising her chin defiantly she looked him in the eyes.

"What do you want from me? Wasn't Robert's life enough for you? Hasn't Walter paid direly for the execution of your plans? I can't… I won't go on any more! "

Her voice rose with each word. All those years of repressed fear now set free in form of anger and despair. She felt deep down that this was the outcome. The decisive moment, when every debt had to be paid, had come. She probably wouldn't survive this… so for once she might as well come clear with what she thought of the man standing in front of her.

A sneer appeared on his face as he spoke:

"Ah! You've always been so strong. Willing to step up for your family. Doing what had to be done! Tell me… How come your plan to murder me didn't work out? Twice even… "

At her perplex look, he felt the need to clarify:

"Well, apparently The Hood didn't approve of your plans to get rid of me… He killed your first assassin, then he saved me as the second had poisoned me… If only you knew… "

Closing the short distance between them, his hand shot out enveloping her throat and almost lifting her up. His movement had been so fast, she had had no time to react. Wide eyed she looked into his eyes, realizing they mirrored only rage and hatred, gone was the smart businessman, the gentleman she knew and once believed she loved…

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out the truth? That your little charade with Chen wouldn't get uncovered? I bet you didn't know Chen was in on the execution of the plans for Robert? How could you trust him so easily after all you had witnessed?" he spat.

"No Malcolm I didn't trust him, but there was no choice. I knew I would have to pay, but I had to protect my family!"

His words had rattled her to the core, nevertheless she tried to play her last card: her family. It had worked for her on more desperate occasions. Laughter erupted from his chest at her words.

"You had to protect your family? That from the woman who conspired to sabotage her husband's yacht, let her son live his own personal hell for five years, even going so far as to kidnap and torture him once he returned just to make sure he didn't know any of your involvement in my plans… Excuse me, but I must say I'm happy I'm no member of your family! If this is how you treat the people you love … What do you do to the people you hate?"

She had to close her eyes. He was right, so right. She didn't deserve her family, had put it in jeopardy more than once with what she thought was best for them. She had been selfish she realized. His laughter made her flinch. Her hands clasped around his tried to ease his iron grasp, but he didn't budge… Realization hit, that she probably wouldn't see her family again. Tomorrows news flash would probably be that she, Moira Queen, had been found dead somewhere in the Glades, murdered as a result of a carjacking gone bad... A lonely tear escaped … Thea … Oliver… Please forgive me... as she felt the fingers constricting her throat so that she had difficulty to get enough air. As dark spots started dancing before her eyes she vaguely heard glass shattering above her…

Next part will be action I promise… Needed to take care of this first.