Arrow 1. Revelations

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely nothing in the Arrow universe...I just have an overactive imagination.

_Author's Note: I'm just in love with the idea that Walter knows more than he's letting on, and let us not forget who referred Oliver to Felicity in the first place. I also think it entirely likely that he's the one who actually selected Diggle as Oliver bodyguard. I also borrowed more Walter background from the Green Arrow comic universe ( in which Walter was explicitly developed as Robert Queen's best friend)._

_I may or may not expand on this, please let me know if you'd be interested in reading more. Also, this story has not been edited by anyone but me so any and all mistakes are my own._

Walter Steele knows himself to be a complicated man, an extensive education at a prestigious boarding school had done much to enhance his natural reserve, and it was often remarked upon how apropo his name truly is. Steel; firm, hard, unyielding much like the persona he projected, but as in all things looks and often perceptions can be misleading.

Walter's upbringing, his reserve, his public persona, were all tools that served him well in his career and few bothered to look beyond that, those that did were pleasantly surprised by the depth of emotion that ran beneath his rigid façade because once you chipped beyond that Walter Steele was quite possibly the best friend anyone could ever hope to have. Such was the case with the late Robert Queen and Walter's devotion to his best friend had extended far beyond the grave.

Long after The Queen's Gambit was lost Walter he continued to honor his friend in the only way he knew how, by doing what he KNEW his friend would have wanted. So Walter had done his best to protect the Queen legacy; both the family members left behind and by steering his friends corporate legacy through the tumultuous times following the sudden loss of its founder and CEO. Perhaps he had not meant to make that his life's work but as with all things Walter Steele did not know how to do things part ways. In the days following the loss of the Queen's Gambit Moira had been so broken, so very lost, coaxing her to rejoin the living, to enjoy her life, to remind her that she hadn't lost everything and that there was a very frightened very hurt little girl who needed her had been a monumental task but one he felt he could in time he could conquer; in the interim he had pledged to be there for Thea in any way that he could.

Days had turned to weeks, weeks into years and somehow slowly things had changed Moira emerged from the depth of her sorrow and what had begun as an easy friendship had blossomed into more, Thea had grown into an astounding young women and all was well (as it could be) for his family; because that's what they were now the remaining Queens were his much beloved family.

One would assume that the Queen family was not unaccustomed to change, sometimes those changes were sudden and tragic, and sometimes they were gradual as Walter's own integration into the role of patriarch had been, but none of that equipped them for this…after 5 years lost at sea, missing and presumed dead Oliver Queen had been found by a group of Chinese fishermen on an island named Lain Yu also known as Purgatory.

Verifying the information, arranging the logistics of getting him home where tasks he's accomplished at a blinding speed overjoyed as they had all been to learn of his survival, that joy had only been tempered for Walter in learning what he had about the boy's physical condition. Looking over Oliver's medical records Walter's usual detachment had failed him as he teared up, over 20% of Oliver's body was composed of scar tissue, the wounds he'd received were horrific and the scarring pronounced it told its own story of what had befallen the Queen heir and Walter knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that the charming rascal Walter has almost begrudgingly adored as a child and then a young man had been lost in that storm, whoever Oliver was now was someone else entirely, how could he not be?

Walter's first meeting with the returned Oliver had gone….oddly. There really was no other way to describe it Oliver before the island, or Ollie as he had preferred to be called, was all boundless energy and easy charm, he had never been as simple as he let people believe but neither had been renowned for his insight.

That was not the man he'd met in the foyer of the Queen mansion that day. This Oliver was calculated, deliberate in his thoughts and actions and stoic enough to make Walter Steele himself wonder just how deep those still waters ran. It had not escaped his notice that Oliver's abrupt departure from dinner that evening and the revelation that he knew that Walter himself was more ingrained in the family fold than any of them had been letting on had only occurred after Oliver himself had let slip his mask.

How does one learn another language let alone Russian on an island off the coast of China? Yes, deflection was a maneuver Walter knew well, one didn't get ahead in the dog eat dog world of corporate conglomerates without being a keen judge of character and every fiber of Walter's being was screaming that Oliver Queen was keeping a number of secrets.

As for his own behavior that was one point in the whole affair on which he did not look on favorably. He'd initially refused to go along with the ruse that he was there solely as a friend of the family. Walter Steele was an honest man, he'd known Oliver for his whole life and even before the island he'd liked if not exactly respected the boy. Oliver deserved more from him, more from his family than lies. In the end, he'd capitulated going along with it after the incessant pleas of both his wife and adopted daughter. He'd let them convince him that after all Oliver had been thorough (and he expected they didn't know the half it given his injuries) the last thing Oliver needed was to be upset.

To be fair, if he was correct (as he generally was) Oliver wasn't upset. No his departure from the dinner table had less to do with upset and more to do with his own lapse. Walter had gone to bed that evening contemplating his adoptive son. For all that he was a grown man, Oliver Queen was his best friend's son, his wife's child, and his adoptive daughter's only sibling and he'd help him in any way that he could, but he was at an impasse as to how to do so. How did one assist an enigma, sighing Walter had gone to sleep for the evening, the puzzle that was Oliver Queen would keep for the night.

As the fates would have it, the puzzle that was Oliver would NOT keep for the night. Walter had woken to unusual noises coming from down the hall, curious as to the source and the reason for the commotion he'd rose to investigate, Moira waking as he rose and choosing to accompany him toward what he now knew to be Oliver's room, the cause of the noise now apparent, and it broke his heart just a bit because Oliver Queen clearly suffered from night terrors.

Opening the door to the room he was alarmed at the scene that greeted him, Oliver lay on the floor at the base of the open windows, drenched from the rain he laid on one side thrashing as he cried out in distress, what transpired next happened so quickly even Walter's quick mind took a moment to process. Acting purely on instinct Moira had reached out to her sleeping son, and more quickly than Walter thought humanly possibly Oliver was awake on his knees his hand on his mother's throat.

"Oliver!" he'd called his low voice breaking through the haze of slumber Oliver was currently halfway in; and just like that he was back. Moving once again at a speed Walter hadn't thought possible Oliver had thrown himself across the room where he sat huddled in on himself.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he kept repeating over and over again.

Calming Oliver back down had taken about as long as one may imagine, even after that Walter knew that his pleas for his stepson to get some rest had fallen on deaf ears, there was absolutely no way the young man was going back to sleep after that. So Walter wasn't entirely surprised when Oliver appeared the next morning with what appeared to be his usual reserve firmly back in place. He'd greeted him briefly as he departed for Queen Consolidated, pondering what he knew about his stepson.

Oliver had clearly been through a horrific ordeal the details of which he would probably never know, and the persona he portrayed in his limited interactions was a case study in contradictions deathly serious one moment, flippant the next; reserved but when unguarded, as he had been after the incident in his room the night before, haunted in a way he couldn't begin to fathom and beyond all of that Oliver Queen was deeply committed to his family, it was a cause Walter was more than passingly familiar with and so had no difficulty recognizing in another, whatever else he may be, and whatever he has become Oliver Queen is a good man who deeply cares for and is committed to his family, THEIR family. Walter gladly included Oliver in that number regardless of whether or not the feeling was ever reciprocated.

The call that had come in mid-day had nearly leveled Walter's reserve, something that only Oliver seemed to do with any kind of regularity. A day, he hadn't even been back a full day and already his stepson had been in a potentially life threatening situation.

Masked men had abducted both Oliver and his best friend Tommy Merlyn in broad daylight from a Queen Consolidated property at the heart of the Glades. Just what exactly the two of them were doing in the Glades was a topic of discussion for another day, right now he needed to get home, he needed to be there for his wife, and an understandably upset Thea, and someone needed to deal with the police.

When he'd been informed of the Detective assigned to the case Walter had immediately cleared his schedule for the rest of the day. Quentin Lance may well be the best Detective in the city, but he was not an admirer of the Queens in general and Oliver in particular for understandable reasons, this had all the ingredients in making for a very long afternoon.

In the end Adam Hunt had proven to be the final piece of the puzzle, the key to solving the enigma of Oliver Queen. The news coverage of his arrest and the bow wielding vigilante who had brought him to justice in addition to returning the life savings of hundreds if not thousands of Starling City's residents, the same vigilante that had foiled the kidnapping attempt on Oliver and Tommy….that was the moment when all of the pieces fell into place, snapshots of his interactions with his stepson since his return, the clearly deliberate playboy persona he often adopted, and the stoic façade he presented in that persona's absence, the speed and control of his movements, the noticeable gaps in his story of his rescue and the highly suspicious timing of the vigilante's arrival.

Oliver Queen IS the vigilante. For a moment Walter pondered what he was meant to do with that particular bombshell, turning him in never occurred to him and despite the obvious illegality of his actions, Walter was hard pressed to argue with the results. The streets of Starling would undoubtedly be safer with Oliver on them, he'd already helped so many so quickly, and beneath all of that he found that he was actually rather proud of him.

Whatever fate had befallen Oliver on the island had surely been horrific, but it seemed that he was intent on utilizing his rather alarming skill set for the good of others. With the paradox solved Walter's keen mind moved on to his next steps, impressive as his skill set was and as shrewd as he knew Oliver to be this was not something he could do alone, that he SHOULD do alone, the potential for disaster was just too high.

No, if Oliver was going to do this, be the vigilante and still live his life. Even someone with his rather disturbing yet impressive skill set would need help; very discreet, very specialized help. Luckily Walter's years as the head of a wildly successful multinational corporation had taught him just about all there was to know about recruiting and even vigilantes need a team.


	2. The Better Part of Valor

_Standard Disclaimer: I don't own anything here…_

_Author's note: Someone (mfmxxx) has pointed out that Walter didn't refer Oliver to Felicity, I'm referring to Season 1 Episode 3 the line says "they" I'm positing that Walter is the "they" Oliver is referring to since there has never been any mention of Oliver interacting with anyone at Queen Consolidated (where he does not work at that point)._

_Walter is the obvious choice to have pointed him in that direction especially since Walter is the one who unknowingly got Felicity roped in to the Undertaking business when he goes to her with his own issue ( Moira's copy of the book) ...and lets be honest geniuses from MIT are not generally the random person you take your laptops to hope that clears that up. _

Chapter 2: The Better Part of Valor

How does one go about building a team for a vigilante? That was the question of the hour, or more appropriately the day... to be perfectly honest it had been the question of the past week. It was unusual for Walter to encounter a problem which he could not overcome through the combination of his business accruement, personal charm, and intellect. In point of fact it was unusual for him to encounter a situation that he could not quickly bring to a resolution however it was quite an unusual situation all the way around and unfortunately not the only issue requiring his attention at the moment. Retrieving the small seemingly innocuous leather bound volume from its hiding place in his desk as he once again to deduce its, and by extension its owner's secrets. He had nothing concrete to pin his suspicions on but his intuition rarely steered him wrong and he suspected his wife was up to something, finding the mysterious notebook had seemingly confirmed his suspicion.

Putting aside his suspicions for the moment Walter returned to his current dilemma; discretion being the better point of valor, Walter recognized it was past time to call in reinforcements, picking up his phone he hit the extension of Queen Consolidated Head of Security Joshua Hudson confident that the man would be able to advise him on a matter that Moira had asked for his assistance on...hiring a bodyguard for Oliver.

Yet another variable thrown into an already complex equation, the idea of Oliver requiring a bodyguard was laughable given his nightly activities, however he couldn't fault Moira her concern. Oliver had only just been returned to them and already he'd been abducted by a team of professionals and while he had emerged from that incident unscathed no Mother should be expected to entrust her child's welfare solely to the heroics of a vigilante; the fact that the child in question was in fact the vigilante was a secret that must be maintained at any cost. That cost at the moment was the massive headache he was developing. His figurative hat was off to Oliver, Walter himself was having a hard enough time balancing his stepson's dual identities in public and private, and that was second hand. It was a wonder that Oliver could function at any level, truthfully it must be exhausting.

Joshua Hudson answered his phone on the second ring, after a brief discussion he agreed to head up to Walter's office to discuss a matter of some sensitivity. If the man thought it odd that the CEO of one of the world's top conglomerates would feel the need to discuss personal security for his stepson in person rather than over the obviously secure lines in the building, he hid it well then again one didn't reach the pinnacle of ones career in security without dealing with some unusual circumstances.

As discretely as possible Walter manager to convey that he was looking for more than just an ability to protect Oliver but also a certain amenability to exist and function in a morally gray area, on the one hand the person would need to be able to withstand Oliver's not inconsiderable charm and stand firm, they would also need a strong moral code that was still able to adapt to not be overly concerned or dismayed but Oliver's shall we say less than reputable activities, let Hudson make of that what he would. Oliver hadn't exactly been a model of propriety prior to his disappearance and for the time being that would serve Walter's purpose admirably.

After several moments of reflection Hudson informed him that only one name sprang immediately to mind. John Diggle. Walter thanked Hudson for his input and asked him to forward the contact information for Mr. Diggle. Pulling that information up on his computer now he was impressed with what he saw. Two tours in Afghanistan, exemplary service record, glowing recommendations from his former superiors and emergency medic training, which, given his charge would likely come in handy. Yes, on paper John Diggle seemed the perfect man for the job, of guarding Oliver Queen but would he back the vigilante? That was the real question, and unfortunately there was really only one way to know for certain.

With a sigh born of frustration Walter once again reached for his phone this time to set up a time for him to interview Mr. Diggle, after all Walter was a keen judge of character and in this instance he would need to be, because what he was contemplating could have far reaching consequences for not only himself but his entire family, and so it seemed the question of the hour had yet to be answered, it had merely morphed into another. Could John Diggle be trusted?


	3. Helping Hands

_Standard Disclaimer: This story is the result of an overactive imagination, I do not own any of the characters or associated rights. _

John Diggle was a physically imposing man well over six feet tall and with a solid muscular build and the inherent authority that belied his military background. He was a man of few words but those he uttered carried the weight of being carefully chosen and considered and perhaps most interesting the man radiated calm. Walter had never experienced anything quite like it, but it was nearly impossible to even imagine being ill at ease in his presence. Furthermore the man was likeable intrinsically and somewhat inexplicably likeable, traits that would serve him well with the man who would most likely his next change, Oliver Queen.

Since his return Oliver had presented a somewhat consistent front, he was far from the carefree playboy he'd been before the island neither was he the purely sociopath that many suspected the vigilante to be. The truth, he suspected was somewhere in between, no one could go through what Oliver had and emerged unscathed, to go through five years of unspeakable horrors that even now he would not disclose without being changed. No, even as the public Oliver Queen he was guarded, reserved and with the secrets he was keeping Oliver was exceptionally so. Having an older, wiser and calming trusted advisor would definitely be an asset for Oliver and even more so for the vigilante, but were those dual roles ones that Mr. Diggle fit? Could he be that for Oliver? More importantly would he? Because if Walter did this, put Mr. Diggle is such close and consistent contact with Oliver it was less a matter of if he would learn his secret as it was a matter of when. What would he do with that information? and how does one screen for willingness to be an accomplice to vigilante justice?

In the end the answer to that question came from a rather unexpected source, one that had obviously not been included in the hiring material Hudson had sent over prior to arranging for this interview, Mr. Diggle's personal life. Of course as with any position in close proximity to the Queen family, company, and affiliated fortune a thorough background check had been conducted, but aside from the lack of criminal history, list of personal references, and Mr. Diggle's stellar military accomplishments there wasn't much in the way of personal information. It had been mere happenstance that Mr. Diggle had disclosed the information that Walter hadn't known he needed. The question had been a mere courtesy, a polite little nothing before Walter shifted into the more difficult questions.

"What brings you back to Starling City, Mr. Diggle? Given your skills it seems you could have gone anywhere."

"My family needed me here" had been Mr. Diggle's reply, one that hadn't meshed well with the facts presented in his file. Unmarried, no children, both parents deceased. Some of Walter's confusion must have shown on his face, or more likely Mr. Diggle understood the need to elaborate.

"My brother Andy was killed last year in the line of duty, he was working private security. His wife and son are here."

Pausing briefly Walter mentally adjusted his line of questioning.

"I'm very sorry for your loss Mr. Diggle" he began " if you'll pardon me for asking, given your brother's loss, why apply for this position?" It was a fair question, but he needed to make sure he and Mr. Diggle where on the same page "Oliver was presumed dead for five years and not even a full day after his return he and a friend were abducted in broad daylight by a group of armed criminals, this is a high risk assignment, surely you must understand that."

Mr. Diggle nodded his head in understanding. " I understand the risks, Mr. Steele, let me explain my reasoning for returning to Starling more clearly. It's true that what is left of my family is here, and while I'm here I have every intention of being there for them in anyway I can for as long as I can. That being said, the man who killed my brother is still out there, the police are at a standstill and the case has gone cold. You and I both know the the Starling Police are overburdened; how much energy do you think they'll expend looking into a cold case of a bodyguard unless there's pressure...generally from the family. Our parents are gone his wife has her hands full with their son. That leaves me, if I don't do this, no one will."

Seizing upon the opportunity, Walter spoke. "Surely, a man such as yourself, with your exemplary record and military service, believe in letting the system do it's job. That end of the day justice will be served." It wasn't a sentiment Walter himself believe but he needed to know the answer to this question so in this instance he pretended a naivete that could easily be explained by his life of privilege. Something he was generally loath to do but in this instance the end most assuredly justified the means.

Mr. Diggle studied him for a long moment before he responded his voice and expression free of the anger his question could have elicited, if anything he looked almost pityingly at him as he responded

"Sometimes justice needs to be helped along."

For his part Walter had all the information he would need. sometimes justice did indeed need a helping hand, so would Oliver; and John Diggle was just the man for the job.

AUTHOR'S Notes: So I tried to come up with an explanation of Digg's motives that made sense to me, it kinda bugs me that we don't see him with Carly and AJ anymore. I know it didn't work out but they're still family and it just kind of seems jarring that they never even mention them anymore. Sorry for the mini rant also I wrote this on my lunch break so I apologize for any mistakes I missed in the writing/editing process. Also THANK YOU to everyone who has followed and/or liked the story.


	4. Personal Reference

***Author's Note: So good news and bad news. Bad news first, this is a short chapter (sorry). However, (good news) I'll have another chapter up this week. Thank you everyone who has liked, followed, and/or reviewed!

**Standard disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Arrow, no infringement intended. **

The interview and subsequent hiring of John Diggle had gone remarkably well, yet despite that Walter was deeply troubled. The serendipitous turn of events that had lead him to the line of questioning that he'd needed had left him shaken. Surely there must be a way to get the type of personal information he'd needed without relying so heavily on circumstance. He'd been lucky this time, but lady luck was a fickle mistress, one that he wouldn't ...and more importantly Oliver could not afford to rely on.

Mentally placing a pin in that train of thought, marking it for further consideration at a later point in time, hopefully after a full night's rest, Walter allowed his mind to turn to other matters. Mainly the mysterious book he had found among his wife's possessions. It had been a full day since he had explained the urgency of the matter to Hudson and he had yet to receive an update. Deciding that it wouldn't be too intrusive to follow up on the matter Walter picked up the phone and dialed Hudson's extension, ultimately to no avail. Walter was a bit surprised when his call went to voicemail, that was highly unusual, in his role as CEO Walter Steele was unaccustomed to having his calls go unanswered. However, looking at his watch Walter was a bit taken aback by the hour, he hadn't realized it was so late in the day. Perhaps Mr. Hudson had left for the day. No matter, he would follow up in the morning it was long past time he headed home himself.

The next morning found Walter in an especially pleasant mood, he had informed Moira, and by extension Oliver, of his selection of Mr. Diggle. For his part Mr. Diggle had made quite the impression on Moira, affirming Walter's initial assessment, there was just something about the man that was inherently likeable. While that was certainly good news, the actual event that had made has morning was far less conspicuous, or it would be to a casual observer. However, to Walter Steele is was far greater honor than any of his recent accomplishments be they personal or professional. Oliver had sought him out that morning, more than sought him out really, but asked for his advice, electing to join him for breakfast, a meal Walter generally ate alone. Given the long hours he generally worked Walter preferred to rise early, far earlier than Moira or Thea.

He'd been surprised but by no means displeased by his stepson's appearance at breakfast, Walter had made it a point to keep track of Oliver's schedule, as much of it as was observable, and it had not escaped his notice that Oliver was generally awake when he left for the day. Given the unfortunate incident that had occurred the night of his return when Moira had woken Oliver from his sleep and the man's level of hyper awareness Walter was suspected Oliver rarely slept, and when he did Walter doubted it was here in the mansion. However, that was an issue for another day if Oliver was here joining him for breakfast there was surely a reason behind it.

After offering the customary morning greetings, receiving the expected vague and polite answers Walter had elected to continue his meal in silence, leaving it to Oliver to broach whatever it was he wanted to speak with him about.

His patience was rewarded in short order when Oliver attempted to casually ask for a referral to the best IT expert they had at QC. Considering the question, Walter cast his mind over the mental roster of IT experts QC had some of the best and the brightest. However, given Oliver's extracurricular activities and the overly casual nature of his request, coupled with his choice to approach Walter at breakfast, the one meal he ate in the mansion alone he suspected that the question Oliver was actually asking had more behind it than he was letting on.

Suddenly Walter was struck by a thought, he had the perfect person to help Oliver with his IT issue, whatever it may be; Felicity Smoak. The more he thought about the more he was convinced that she was definitely the person for the job. Felicity Smoak MIT class of '09, young, brilliant, driven but not overly so. She was currently languishing in the IT department where she was being massively underutilized.

Mentally replaying the turn of events that had brought Ms. Smoak's expertise to his attention Walter couldn't help but smile at the recollection more than confident now in his selection. Ms. Smoak and assorted skill set would be an excellent addition to any team and invaluable to Oliver's crusade...if she could be persuaded. Trust was not an issue with the lady in question, his previous interactions with the young genius had been brief to be sure, but if he'd had to describe Felicity Smoak in a word it would be trustworthy. Talkative and endearing would also have made a short list, traits that would certainly serve her well in her interactions with his stoic stepson. Unable to fully suppress his amusement Walter wrote down Ms. Smoak's information and passed it to Oliver who quirked a brow in question at Walter's low chuckle. Feeling a need to explain himself Walter had ventured a brief explanation.

"Felicity Smoak is the best and the brightest we have at QC...in more ways than one. Just know she won't be what you'd expect" noting that this had seemingly only adding to Oliver's confusion he merely shook his head. "You'll understand after you meet her" he'd tacked on rising from the table to depart feeling even more amused imagining the impending meeting between the two.


	5. Best Laid Plans (Go up in Smoak)

***Author's Note: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who has messaged, liked, followed, and/or reviewed. As promised here is an additional chapter for the week ( it is late and I am tired so please excuse any mistakes I made in the writing/editing process.

On paper Felicity Smoak was the ideal candidate for the job; in fact on paper she was the perfect candidate for almost any job, so when she'd applied for a relatively entry-level position in the IT department it had set off some red flags in Human Resources. Given her exceptional qualifications and personal references Felicity Smoak was light years beyond the rest of the applicant pool, perhaps too much so. With a resume as impressive as hers she would have been better suited to running the department than merely working in it, and that concerned many in the HR department.

Felicity Smoak's rather unorthodox rise from daughter of a single mother, a cocktail waitress in Las Vegas, to the top of her class as MIT had read like something straight out of a daytime soap opera. This coupled with how massively overqualified she was for the position she was applying for had some concerned, that this may be an attempt at corporate espionage and had escalated accordingly until finally it had been brought to Walter's attention. A company the size of QC, with its high visibility in the global market and reputation as developing grounds of the most cutting edge emerging technologies dealt with the reality of corporate espionage but rarely was an attempt so brass, so bold as this. In fact, this particular case was so obvious that Walter himself was unsure how to take it. Corporate spies were subtle, with backgrounds deliberately designed to fly below the radar. Ms. Smoak's was anything but.

To further add to the mystery her references checked out. Walter had spoken to the President of MIT himself and been assured that Felicity Smoak was indeed who she claimed to be. The only question remaining was why the young lady wanted this position at QC when she must have received far higher profile and more lucrative offers. With a heavy sigh Walter conceded to the obvious conclusion, if he really wanted to understand Ms. Smoak's rationale he was going to have to ask the young lady in question herself. Reaching for his phone he dialed the extension for the head of the HR department and instructed him to set up an interview.

Whatever preconceived notions and expectations Walter had about Felicity Smoak were summarily dismissed within seconds of laying eyes on her. He had been expecting a mousey soft-spoken somewhat shy young woman, more of a girl really given her accelerated progression through her undergraduate programme and youth so he was rather surprised by the woman awaiting him in the conference room. Felicity Smoak was a platinum blonde, her wardrobe choices were well within the bounds of propriety but in an environment in which most employees favored beige and dark neutrals, comparatively Ms. Smoak was awash in color though subtily so her black a-line dress was paired with a white blazer, a pair of bright red heels completed the look and gave Walter the impression that Ms. Smoak had an affinity for bright colors that she was attempting (with limited success) to temper in the interest of making a positive first impression. She needn't have worried have worried, Walter had not made his way in the business world by tying his perceptions of people to their physical appearance. That being said he was a bit surprised to not the industrial piercing punctuating her upper ear, which was only visible for a moment as she pushed her hair behind her ear in what he was sure was a nervous gesture as she continued to await her interviewer. With a nod of his head Walter signaled the VP of Human Resources to commence with the interview as Walter observed, separated from the conference room by a plane of one way glass.

The interview went as expected, Ms. Smoak all of her interviewers questions succinctly belying her rather expansive expertise, when it came to the issue of why she was applying for this position and hadn't accepted any number of the more lucrative offers she had received. It was then and only then that her answers turned evasive, she cited personal reasons, but refused to elaborate. Standing diametrically opposed to her earlier answers these were obviously rehearsed.

With a sigh Walter rapped on the glass signaling for the head of HR to join him so they could discuss how to proceed. Deciding to switch tactics the two agreed that steps must be taken to through Ms. Smoak off her stride, a change in interviewers should do the job nicely.

Walter entered the room with a polite smile as he introduced himself to the young woman who immediately stood to shake his hand, knocking into the table in her haste. So quickly that he almost missed it the young woman wrinkled her nose in obvious annoyance at her lack of grace and for the first time since she walked through the door Walter began to feel that he was the woman behind the professional facade she was currently projecting. His feeling was reaffirmed when moments later the silence which had followed his introduction stretched on. The conversational stalemate was broken by Ms. Smoak.

"Mr. Steele," she ventured hesitantly " am I in trouble?"

Opting for a bemused expression Walter responded "Why would you be in trouble?"

"I honestly have no idea" she blurted " but you're here and that can't be good." he watched with growing amusement " as her eyes widened in realization of how her words could be construed. "Not that your presence is necessarily a harborer of unhappy tidings, it's just like having the school principal ask to speak with you in grade school. Not that I spent a lot of time being called to the principal's office, because I didn't. Well there was that one time...that we absolutely do not need to talk about right now, during my interview which we will get back to in 3, 2, 1." she trailed off with an apologetic smile.

Blinking as he processed the sheer volume of words she had just unleashed in such a consolidated amount of time, puzzle pieces began to fall into place regarding Ms. Felicity Smoak. She was undoubtedly gifted, she was also it seemed extremely socially awkward beneath her carefully constructed facade. Watching her unease grow with each passing moment Walter elected to lay his cards on the table.

"Ms. Smoak, may I be frank?"

"That would probably be best" she sighed moving her glasses up as she pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here interviewing for the job opening in IT" she responded meeting his gaze for the first time since her verbal tirade.

"Yes, but why?, with your qualifications you could get almost any job, why this one? Why Queen Consolidated?"

After a moment of consideration Felicity responded.

"To be honest, here is as good a place as any, I've looked into QC it's mission, it's vision and it's something I can believe in; which isn't to say that there aren't other companies that I could go work for were that would also be true, but right now where I am in my life I could use a change, and Starling is a far cry from Vegas. I wanted a change and figured that maybe this could be it, I looked at your jobs page and saw the posting in the IT department. I thought I'd be a shoe in for the position so I applied; and here we are."

"Why are you in such a rush to leave Las Vegas? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Walter doubted it, but it would be remiss not to ask.

"No, not the way you're thinking. Not at all actually, it's just...this is difficult to explain. There's the saying it's funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different. It's almost the opposite of that, day by day nothing changes there not for me. Only I've changed, I'm different and then I was before and by old life just doesn't fit." Standing as she concluded gathering her nerves admirably she continued " Given the way this interview has gone I think it best that I not take up anymore of either of our time, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today, but it's probably best if I go now"

"Ms. Smoak," he called stopping her in her tracks suddenly overcome with empathy for the woman. This must be a terribly nerve wrecking experience for her she'd come in for an interview for a relatively junior position, but interview she had clearly rehearsed and prepared for only to have it turn into an interrogation by the company's VP of HR and the CEO himself. That was enough to shake anyones equilibrium and despite her genius she was still very young, watching her walk away she put him very much in mind of his stepdaughter Thea for some reason as all his carefully laid plans and strategy went up in smoke. Sometimes the best way to get information from a person was to simply ask them.

"Please sit down, I'd like to finish this discussion before we get any further in the hiring process"

Turning back towards him Walter was rewarded by a blinding smile as Ms. Smoak reclaimed her seat.

"I really must beg your pardon, for the seeming interrogation, when you applied it triggered some flags in HR and what we have been trying to determine through this interview process is whether or not you in fact a corporate spy" he said bluntly as her eyes widened to impossible proportions. Before she could formulate a response Walter held his hand up to forestall it as he continued. " At the end of the day Ms. Smoak there is really only question that I need to know the answer to and that is can we trust you?"

It was as if a fire had been lit behind her blue eyes as she met his gaze with a new intensity.

"You can trust me" she replied earnestly with an accompanying nod of her head. Perhaps it was the combined gestures, or the added intensity of her gaze, but something about her words made it sound like a vow.

"Very well Ms. Smoak, that was all I needed to know. Welcome to Queen Consolidated"

"You mean you're hiring me?"

"That I am, but not for the job you applied for. We will find something better suited to your skill set."

"I don't know what to say Mr. Steele, but thank you for the opportunity, you won't regret it"

"No, I don't think I will" he said with a smile as he shook the woman's hand and departed from the room.


	6. Cyber Smoak Screen

**Author's Note: I am SO very sorry for the lag in updates, so much to do so little time. Additionally, my brain refused to do anything but write this. I will have another chapter up in the next few days advancing the central plot further but I just love this idea and it also helps explain how and why Walter would go to Felicity with the book. Thank you again to everyone who has followed and commented. Ya'll are awesome! Please excuse any mistakes I make in the technical components of this I do not work in cybersecurity and I have no idea if it actually works the way it does in my head.**

Chapter 6: Cyber Smoak Screen

It was two months after her hiring that Felicity Smoak once again found herself embroiled in a situation that attracted the attention of Queen Consolidated's President &amp; the head of QC's CyberSecurity Division alerted Walter to a rather peculiar phenomena. A company the size of QC attracted quite a bit of attention, especially when it came to the company's financial holdings and intellectual property which were understandably protected by the best cybersecurity money could buy.

As with most multibillion dollar corporations, it was not unusual for QC to be approached by hackers looking to find a hole in the company's security. Most of these attacks went unnoticed by all but the Cyber Security division. On the rare occasion that someone possessed enough skill to get through the rather expansive preliminary security protocols the Cyber Security division would be alerted immediately at which point they diverted the intruder to a secondary "dummy" system while the system tracked their location and alerted local authorities.

In his many years at Queen Consolidated Walter had seen perhaps a handful of hacking attempts escalate to the level of requiring direct intervention. Even so Walter monitored the monthly reports generated on the number of attacks with the same diligence that he lent to all of his responsibilities.

The first month he had received a report indicating that there had been no attempts he had been a bit perplexed, even going so far as to call David Wolfe, the head of the division, to ask if there had been some kind of mistake in the reporting software. Mr Wolfe had assured him that the systems as well as the reports themselves had been thoroughly examined and the numbers stood as reported. The next month David Wolfe had come in person to present the reports completely at a loss to explain the sudden and dramatic decline, all the while assuring Walter that his division was working tirelessly to unearth the reason behind the sudden change. Of that Walter had little doubt one of the reason's Mr. Wolfe had been so successful in his role within the organization had been his tenacity, still even knowing that a comprehensive investigation was underway it didn't stop Walter from wondering just what had changed in cyber realm in the last two months.

Much to his chagrin it took the reappearance of a particular blonde IT expert on the executive floor to make him suspect the real reason QC's Cyber Security division was currently spinning their wheels. A quick check of his calendar and QC's employment record had all but confirmed his suspicions. There hadn't been a single recorded attack against QC since Ms. Smoak's start date. Unable to completely hide his amusement at this development Walter had traveled down to the 11th floor to put Mr. Wolfe, and by extension his department out of their misery.

As delicately as possible Walter had explained the situation to David Wolfe. At first the man was a bit skeptical, but after a brief review of Ms. Smoak's personnel file he had quickly turned contemplative. Thanking Walter for bringing the likely situation to his attention he had turned his attention to just what exactly Ms. Smoak had done to eliminate any and all hacking attempts. Once he had an idea of what ,or perhaps who to look for, it had only taken a matter of minutes to uncover Ms. Smoak's work.

Using a proxy to simulate an external connection Mr. Wolfe had attempted to hack QC's system, in order to demonstrate the efficacy of QC's newest talent acquisition. In short, the reason why there had been no recorded hacking attempts in the last months was simply that they weren't getting that far. As Mr. Wolfe had described it if the their normal security protocols were a firewall Ms. Smoak's addition was the equivalent of a force field surrounding that wall. As if that hadn't been enough, Ms. Smoak had also added a layer of counter offensive functionality, if anyone was able to breach both her safeguards and the company's they would be sent a malicious virus that would not only remove any of QC's data but also corrupt the computer's hard drive. In short, Ms. Smoak had fired a virtual warning shot into cyber space, hack QC at your own peril.


	7. It's lovely when a plan comes together

_Author's note: So this was actually a bit of ground to cover, I may have fudged the timeline here just a little, but I'm not sure. Anyways as promised here's you go. Also, a special thanks to everyone who has read, liked, message, or reviewed. Just as a heads up. I'll do my best to be canon compliant but I don't always have control of my brain so we'll see how that goes if we get to far off in left field I'll add AU tags. As always I claim ownership of an overactive imagination and nothing else; these are not my characters. _

Much to his dismay Walter had been unable to maneuver his schedule in order to be on hand to make the introductions between Oliver and Ms. Smoak, or Felicity as she insisted he call her. Once she'd been offered the position at QC Ms. Smoak's carefully cultivated professional facade had eroded dramatically in some ways.

She was a virtual kaleidoscope of color in the sea of neutrals that walked the halls of QC; still professional, not at all in violation of the rather strict company dress code. However, where others chose whites and beiges, grays and hues of blue she chose pinks and purples to match her rather bold lipstick and rather impressive not to mention unusual shoe collection, if he wasn't mistaken she'd had panda's on her shoes the last time he'd run into her in the elevator. She'd been speaking animatedly with one of her co-workers, the fact that she had developed a rather extensive and devoted fan following in all of QC's various IT departments had also not escaped Walter's notice.

Waiting for the elevator to open and the previous inhabitants to depart Walter had had a moment to observe the young women before she'd noticed his presence, it was a rather illuminating experience. Unguarded as she was she had been gesturing emphatically speaking with a rapidity that left him wondering when she inhaled. From what he was able to gather apparently the new vendor that the HR department was considering did not meet with her approval something to do with security of information and reporting capabilities that were "made entirely of suckage".

It was the last remark that had overrode his general sangfroid causing him to chuckle slightly. That had been enough to bring her attention to him; blushing scarlet she had begun what he assumed was meant to be an apology. Truth be told is was a bit hard to tell, when Ms. Smoak, Felicity, he mentally amended, was fluster she had a tendency to...shall we say drift conversationally. She called it a babble and he was even more amused to note that she was not unaware of this habit cutting herself off mid tirade and actually counting down before returning to her initial apology.

Assuring her that apologies were unnecessary and that he would ensure that any future vendors would be screened more carefully before they entered into negotiations he'd been pleased her a little dumbfounded at the exchange when he asked her to submit a list of recommended vendor's and share it with his assistant, which of course she had submitted within the hour. By unspoken mutual consent neither of them broached the topic of her cyber security efforts, and if she noticed that David Wolfe experienced systems issues that only she could address with a regularity that made no sense given his own expertise or that he just so happens to discuss security issues purely hypothetically and then issue changes accordingly she never mentioned it. Nor did she mention when QC made the somewhat surprising decision to utilize a relative unknown vendor for their HR systems, the same one that had been at the top of her list of recommendations.

Felicity had promised Walter that he would never regret hiring her and so far she had gone above and beyond any expectations he may have had. She was beyond a treasure, and professionally she was quite possibly the best investment he had ever made, but by referring her to Oliver they were once again entering into uncharted territory. Felicity was smart, almost disturbingly so, whatever cover Oliver planned on feeding her to cover his illicit activities wasn't going to work and yet somehow Walter knew she'd help anyways, as her past actions could well attest Felicity Smoak was well acquainted with gray areas. After all, surrounding your employer's network with a unauthorized security protocol wasn't exactly standard operating procedure and furthering said protocol to counter attacks to the detriment of the sender smacked slightly of.. well vigilantism.

Yes Oliver, was in good hands, the best. Confident that at least in this aspect of his ever increasingly complex existence there was nothing more he could do to assist his stepson at the moment, Walter turned his focus to other matter that had occupied his mind of late. There had been no leads on the mysterious book he had found among his wife's things, this coupled with Mr. Hudson's unexpected and sudden demise so closely after he'd asked him to look into had raised his suspicions to a fever pitch. Whatever Moira was up to, it was undoubtedly bad news.

With a heavy sigh, Walter contemplated how best to proceed, he needed to protect his family, but from what? and how? Mr. Hudson's death weighed heavily on his conscience. He'd had no idea that the seemingly innocuous volume would cost a man his life. Furthermore if this information was important enough that people would kill to protect it who could he ask to take such a risk? Oliver was the obvious choice but this was his Mother, not to mention that young man had more than enough on his plate attempting to rescue the whole of Starling single handedly, well almost single-handedly. Even with the sober nature of his current train of thought he couldn't help but pleased with his efforts on his stepson's behalf. That's when the thought struck him, consolidation at its, linking the two ideas. Who better to conduct a discreet investigation that someone who left virtually no trace, QC's best had been unable to find Felicity until they had known who to look for and even then it was unlikely that she'd been as careful as she could be. Even better by putting her in Oliver's sphere he'd not only ensured that Oliver had the very best IT help their he'd also assured that the young woman had access to the city's resident vigilante.

Unless Oliver was more unfeeling then Walter thought humanly possible he had no doubt that Felicity Smoak would worm her ways past his defenses as easily as she did a firewall. Felicity was the best and Oliver was certainly astute enough to recognize this he'd seek her out when he needed help, and hopefully Ms. Smoak would do the same. On the off chance that Felicity was too guarded to confide in Oliver he would most assuredly still be in proximity to Felicity, and he had no doubt that Oliver would keep her safe.


	8. Expect the Unexpected

_Author's note: I am so very sorry, these updates are taking longer than I had anticipated. As a heads up I really want to get you guys these updates and I realize that in that haste I am not catching all grammatical errors so I apologize once again and I promise I will go back and edit once I've gotten all caught up. _

_Thank you all so much for your patience and all of the likes follow and reviews, I really appreciate you taking the time. A special thank you to the unknown reviewer who pointed out my misuse of the word belied in Diggle's introduction. You are of course correct and I will fix it in the round of upcoming edits. Without further ado.._

Expect the Unexpected

Walter had been a bit disappointed that he was unable to make the introduction between Oliver and Felicity, even more so after Oliver had relayed a no doubt highly condensed version of how that conversation had played out. From what he had gathered by Oliver's admittedly reluctant amusement when asked about Ms. Smoak. The babbling blonde had been in true form and Oliver had assured him that she had retrieved the information that he needed off his laptop in lightning speed.

"I'm glad she exceeded your expectations then, and that she was able to help you" Walter remarked. Leaving the decision about whether or not to continue the conversation up to Oliver.

"I'm not sure that's entirely true.." Oliver began. Perplexed Walter quirked his brow his request for elaboration unspoken. "I'm not sure anyone would EXPECT Felicity" Oliver continued a small quirk of his lip indicating perhaps the barest hint of smile. Unable to suppress his amusement Walter readily agreed, noting but not commenting on Oliver's lapse into familiarity with QC's resident genius

"No, I don't think the world can properly prepare one to expect someone like Ms. Smoak."

After thanking Walter once again for his help in recommending Ms. Smoak Oliver had made a rather sudden exit citing a lunch with his Mother for which he was running late. The passing reference to his wife had returned Walter's mind to the other issue that had been troubling him as of late. Giving in to a rare bout of second guessing himself he'd put off requesting Ms. Smoak's assistance with the leather bound volume currently safely ensconced in his office vault. Was he doing the right thing? Was it really fair to involve Ms. Smoak in what had already proven to be very treacherous waters? Glancing quickly at his watch Walter realized more time had passed than he had thought, if he didn't want to be tardy to his own afternoon meetings he needed to leave now. Knowing Ms. Smoak's rather intensive dedication she'd likely still be here upon his return, he'd talk to her then. He'd leave the final decision about her involvement in her hands , he'd explain the potential dangers, but unfortunately in this instance he didn't have the luxury of not at least asking for her assistance, after all she was the best and this was his family they deserved nothing less.

Proving once again that he was rarely mistaken in his estimation of people, Walter was proven correct yet again upon his return to the office that evening, long after the official workday had ended Ms. Smoak was indeed still at her desk, when he called. After a brief request in which he may have been more terse than was his norm, she agreed to head towards his office. For his part, he blamed the late hour and the gravity of the situation for his unusually abrupt demeanor, of course Ms. Smoak knew none of this so when she stormed into his office demanding to know why she was being fired, he was for a moment at a loss. Of course he wasn't firing her, she was invaluable to the company in her current capacity, and if she had more than proven her integrity, he was entrusting her with several secrets that had the capacity to bring the Queen legacy crashing to the ground, if the situation were anything other than what it was he was sure he'd see the humor in that, as it was he merely hastened to assure her that firing her was not his intentions.

Explaining the situation as thoroughly and succinctly as possible, he awaited her response. He was a little taken aback with the rapidity at which she accepting the challenge he had laid before her, he had hoped she would, but he would be lying if he had said he hadn't expected her to have some concerns, or questions, anything really except her ready acceptance. Then again perhaps he should have known in the limited time he had known her Felicity Smoak was one of the few things he had encountered who never seemed to do as anticipated. What was the saying, " Expect the unexpected?" truer words were never spoken.


	9. Family Secrets

_Author's Note: So clearly things have become a bit much in terms of my schedule and to top it all off my computer blue screened. I'm not going to apologize after this but I will not abandon this story so updates are coming I promise I went back and rewatched some of season 1 and realize left something out so this is a fix...It's not that long so sorry but my brain won't let me get any farther until this is fixed (because apparently I have some OCD-ish tendencies, but I digress. As usual I own nothing here. Enjoy. _

If Walter Steele had ever had any doubts as to the brilliance of Felicity Smoak, her latest performance would have put them to rest. As it was, he'd have to settle for being appreciative of having a certified genius with a knack for solving mysteries on hand. Yet again Ms. Smoak had exceeded expectations, but for the first time Walter was beginning to regret involving her. Her help was invaluable, to be sure, but there was such a thing as being too smart for one's own good. In his defense, Walter had had no way of knowing that his request for her assistance would wind up intersecting, but they had and when she'd brought him her findings his reaction had been swift and brutal, much to his chagrin. He'd been abrupt, he'd threatened her place at QC, an action he had regretted nearly instantaneously. However, what was done could not be undone he was hoping that his subsequent request for her assistance on what was most assuredly a family matter would both reassure her and repair any damage his rebuff may have done to their relationship.

With a heavy sigh he reflected on the events that had lead to the current state of affairs. When he'd asked Ms. Smoak to look into the accounting discrepancy he'd gone to her because she was the best, and he believed in doing his due diligence. He'd had no idea that Moira was responsible and given the number of secrets present in his family coupled with the circumstances surrounding their various extracurriculars he never would have asked for Ms. Smoak's assistance, most assuredly not in an official capacity. Because the truth of the matter was that there was something very suspicious going on in the Queen family... apart from Oliver's crime fighting escapades. Furthermore, it had not escaped Walter's notice that the last time unknown parties had wanted information about Queen family secrets Oliver along with Tommy Merlin had been kidnapped in broad daylight.

Yet despite his reservations on involving Ms. Smoak, he could definitely use her assistance and so he had the final decision on Ms. Smoak's involvement to Ms. Smoak. As fate would have it it seemed that the young woman in question did not like mysteries, apparently they bothered her. He suspected that once the matter had been brought to her attention she'd been unable to help herself and regardless of whether or not he'd gone back to her for help. Whatever the case may be he had once again requested her assistance and being the immensely thorough researcher he knew her to be, she had found more than he had ever imagined.

Her initial foray into the matter had been enough to convince him that he was dealing with matters far beyond his understanding. As if the revelation that Moira's "investment" consisted solely of a warehouse in the Glades wasn't shocking enough, what he had found there had floored him, because there in a inconspicuous warehouse in the Glades was the wreckage of the Queen's Gambit. Even to his inexperienced eye a cursory scan had been enough to convince him that whatever it was that had wrecked that ship was no mere storm. No, there were other forces at work here and those forces ostensibly were unconcerned with leaving collateral damage in their wake.

Not for the first time Walter found his mind wandering back to the reports he had read at the time; how the ship was lost, how there were no survivors, how the storm had been too much for the ship to handle; and then Oliver's miraculous return, his medical records. The trauma he had suffered, the scars, and the hunted, haunted look that Oliver tried so hard to hide, the open panic and horror he'd seen just once when Oliver's night terrors had drawn them to his room. No whoever his wife was involved with they had no regard for human life, saw it as an acceptable loss in pursuit of their large and as yet unknown goal.


	10. Paved with good intentions

Author's note: here we go I'm back up and running and I THINK I've recovered or recreated in all of my files. Also after re-watching season 1 I realize I've taken more liberties with the timeline of events than I originally thought, but I'm claiming creative license I hope no one minds. That being said we're about to break a bit more from canon since Walter spends a vast majority of time in season 1 missing. I'll be providing the included details about where he was and what was going on. Thank you again to everyone who has favorited or followed the story I really appreciate the support so without further ado…

Standard disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this work of fiction no infringement intended.

**Chapter 10: Paved with good intentions.**

To say Walter Steele was shocked when Felicity Smoak walked into his office and informed him that she needed the lights off for this would be a tad misleading, yes he was surprised but experience had taught him that there was a method to Ms. Smoak seeming madness. It was only the rapidity at which she switched to babbling apologizes for inadvertent innuendo that kept Walter from assuring her that they were unnecessary.

Allowing Felicity her demonstration he placed the glasses she had retrieved from QC's Applied Sciences Division on his face and once again examined the curiously blank leather volume, only to realize with the aide of the infrared glasses that the volume was far from blank. There, in what was undoubtedly invisible ink was a list of names, but not just any names, these were the crème de la crème of Starling society, but what could it mean? Walter paused for a moment as he considered the possibilities only to halt as he came upon a particular name, Adam Hunt. The name that had started his other endeavor, or if one wished to be specific had clued him in on Oliver's. Was it possible that Oliver also had a copy of the list? Is that how he determined who he would go after as the Vigilante? Walter was forced to admit that it seemed likely, the validity of this thought was confirmed when nor a moment later Felicity voiced the same opinion.

At her remark he was brought back to the present and the young woman's presence in the room. This was dangerous, she had accepted that and elected to help him anyways. Even so Walter felt as certain responsibility to limit her involvement to such an extent as he could. That being the case the sooner he got her out of the office and away from that book the better. Placing the volume beneath the false bottom of his desk drawer and away from the reach of inquiring minds, with the exception of Ms. Smoak's of course, he rose thanking her once again for her help. Reiterating the need for the utmost secrecy about the matter as he escorted her to the elevator.

After her departure Walter returned his office taking a brief moment to reflect as he took in the rather breathtaking view from his office. It was one of the dangers he supposed in being in a place like Queen Consolidated, one grew accustomed to the grandeur. How often, he wondered did he really take a moment to appreciate his surroundings? Not nearly often enough, he decided. The view from his office was the least of things he had been taking for granted. His family, he decided was another area in which he had not spent enough contemplation, he needed to talk to his wife. Yes he was angry, and rightfully so, but running off to Australia wasn't the answer. With that thought in his mind he gathered his things with every intention of having a long overdue conversation with his wife. Stepping into the elevator he began his descent from the executive floor to the parking deck. He had a brief moment of alarm as the elevator's other occupant abruptly grabbed him, the prick at his neck, followed by a brief moment of reflection before everything went dark.

Walter awoke with a start, disoriented as he took in his surroundings. The concrete walls the metal door, the surface that he was laying on, none of it was familiar. Suppressing his alarm he forced himself to recall his memories leading up to his arrival in his current predicament. His usually quick senses were dulled, his movements lethargic as he pushed himself into a sitting position. The last thing he remembered was the elevator, yes that was right. He'd been on his way home to confront Moira, about something...something important...the book. As if a switch had been thrown it all came rushing back to him. The accounting discrepancy, the warehouse, the Queen's gambit, the not so blank book that was at the heart of the matter. The same book Oliver was using as his other persona, perhaps Oliver had arranged for this. Walter dismissed that idea nearly as quickly as it had occurred to him, this wasn't the Vigilante's MO, and furthermore he sincerely doubted Oliver would resort to such tactics. The room in which Walter currently found himself was clearly outfitted for an extended stay, with water and a bare minimum of food present he assumed the low conversation he was able to hear was the voice of his captor, or captors as the case may be.

Loathe as he was to admit it Walter Steele had been kidnapped by nameless assailants and taken to an unknown location. The silver lining to this entire fiasco was that he knew something that undoubtedly his captors did not, and that was that Starling's own vigilante would most assuredly be looking into the disappearance of Walter Steele. Aside from that, due in no small part to Walter's design, the Vigilante would not be working alone. Turning his thoughts to the team he had a part in assembling he felt a moments dismay, they weren't a team. Not yet, not fully, Oliver undoubtedly went to Felicity when he needed her skills, and there was a level of at least friendship between them. But would Felicity go to Oliver with what she knew about Walter's disappearance? The persona Oliver projected in order to deflect attention from his nightly activities hardly inspired confidence, had she seen enough to suspect that there was so much more to Oliver Queen and more importantly that he could be trusted.

He had no doubt that Oliver would be looking for him, though the young man was far from overt in any display of his feelings toward his stepfather, he'd at least liked and respected him in his younger years, at the very least Oliver would be looking for him for Moira and Thea's sake.

Reconciling himself to the fact that he had done all that he could. He had protected his family to the best of his ability and he had given his stepson access to the best team imaginable, he's stood by his wife in spite of her duplicity, but he'd wanted to do more. He'd wanted to at least attempt to salvage his marriage, and he'd had every intention of going home to do his best to accomplish that when he'd been taken. Given his current predicament he supposed it was true what they said, the road to hell really was paved with good intentions.


	11. Playing the Odds

_Author's Note: So I suck, I know. I really thought I had posted the first part of this previously but apparently I hadn't. As an apology this is a pretty long , it has not escaped my notice that I got a little over enthusiastic with the Vegas and poker references, in my defense I was watching Casino last night and I really couldn't stop them. Also, I have no beta to any and all mistakes are my own. I'm sorry for them I really do try to edit as I go but with mixed results. Anyways thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows. I read and appreciate them all as well as anyone who's taking the time to read all this. _

Playing the Odds

There were many things Walter disliked about his confinement, but by far the worst of it was the complete absence of any concept of time and in the absence of any kind of stimulation he could almost feel his mind atrophy. His mind, so keen, so accustomed to the strenuous demands he placed on it running a multi-billion dollar corporation was unaccustomed to such disuse so it was both a blessing and a bit of a curse when a newspaper began to appear along with his meals.

Noting the date on the paper, he cast his mind back, assuming the paper was recent he'd been missing for weeks, his initial response was disbelief. Weeks? Surely not, it had felt so much longer…shaking his head to dispel those thoughts he eyes roamed over the text on the page greedily, devouring them at a truly astonishing pace. First and foremost in his mind was news of the vigilante. How had Oliver been dealing with the newest crisis in his family, the disappearance of his stepfather?

It wasn't the Walter thought himself that important to the young man, Oliver had always seemed so remote in the presence, it was hard to tell what if anything he felt for him, but the upheaval that his disappearance would have on Moira and Thea was sure to take a toll. As if that weren't enough for a person to deal with Oliver's world would be further complicated by his mother's involvement in the a heavy sigh Walter finally forced himself to accept the truth that he had refused to acknowledge up to this point, even if just himself. His wife was most assuredly involved in his kidnapping. At first he had attempted to ignore the lingering mental prodding telling him that this was the case, but at this point he knew he needed to face facts. His captors took numerous pictures of him, proof of life he assumed. The regularity of these events lead him to the conclusion that his captors had to be in regular contact with someone, someone with a vested interest in ensuring his continued survival, much as he wanted to believe it was someone else, was anyone else he could think of only one person who fit that criteria that would agree to this plan.

Initially he had been tempted to believe it was someone looking for information on the vigilante, but that thought had been almost immediately dismissed in light of the fact that not once had anyone asked him anything about The Hood. Ransom was equally unlikely, especially in light of the length of his captivity. No, the most likely explanation was he was being used as leverage a means to an unknown end, most likely the same one he had inadvertently stumbled on. It all came back to that book, that blasted, seemingly innocuous leather bound book and the names in it. The people listed, the very same targets Oliver was working his way through.

Thoughts about that book, his investigation of the matter and his present predicament naturally lead him to thoughts of his co-conspirator in his investigation. Naturally he was concerned about the young woman, each day he searched the paper for news not only on Oliver and his crusade but any news of any untoward twist of fate involving a blonde computer programer at QC, and with each passing day he was relieved when he found none. He surmised that Ms. Smoak really was as good as he'd thought, she was likely even better, because as best as he could tell no one seemed the wiser to her existence, let alone her involvement. A fact for which he was immensely grateful. Considering the suspicious and untimely demise of QC's head of security and his own adduction he had some grave concerns about 's safety should her involvement come to light, he himself was being used as leverage on his wife. Felicity Smoak would have so such protection. These people, whoever they were, were, cold, calculating, and ruthless. They'd killed Joshua Hudson and gotten away with it, he shuddered to think what they would do if the involvement a certain inquisitive blonde was brought to their attention.

In this particular instance no news was indeed good news and barring any information to the contrary he would assume Felicity was safe enough for the time being. Long term, however was an entirely different story. The best option to ensure her continued well being was Oliver unfortunately at present Walter had no way of assessing how comfortable, how close the two were.

He'd made the preliminary introductions and knew enough from his admittedly limited conversation with Oliver to surmise that Ms. Smoak's often unintentional honesty and propensity to having her mouth run away with her, had charmed the his stepson. The Oliver that had returned from the island, when he wasn't projecting his devil may care facade was a man of few words, comparative to most of the conversations Walter had witnessed him have their brief discussion about Ms. Smoak was positively gushing. Furthermore, it has not escaped his notice that Oliver had asked for assistance with several matters since their initial meeting. No matter how much he thought he was flying below the radar what Oliver failed to realize was that there was absolutely no way for him to enter the premises at QC without someone noticing, so Walter was entirely unsurprised when the office rumor mill began to speculate as to why the Queen heir was suddenly showing such an interest in the IT department, that had been confirmation enough for Walter that the two were getting to know each other. At the time he hadn't wanted to force the issue or be to aggressive in throwing them together lest he tip his hand, in retrospect he wished he'd done more. He hadn't accounted for his abduction and subsequent incarceration, he'd mistakenly thought he'd had more time. Be that as it may from what he'd observed they were well on their way to some kind of relationship...reflecting on the scene he had inadvertently witnessed Walter was unable to fully suppress his amusement.

Neither of the pair had been aware of his presence at that meeting, had been able to hear the entire thing as Walter witnessed Oliver feed Felicity a completely illogical and far fetched explanation of a sample that he needed her to identify. He'd been highly entertained Felicity had pointed out a few glaringly obvious inconsistencies in this cover story. For instance, if this was a purported hangover cure, why was it in a syringe? Much to his delight Oliver's explanation as to being out of sports bottles and that he was very particular about what he put in his body had him nearly shaking with the effort to suppress a reaction, it was only too obvious where this conversation was now heading, and true to form the ever candid Ms. Smoak did not disappoint. Her response was priceless Oliver's reaction even more so and Mr. Diggle choosing that moment to merely rolled his eyes at the pair and walk away had nearly been his undoing, but he'd valiantly soldiered on retreating hastily before any of them became aware of his presence.

Taking heart at these reflections Walter mentally removed one item from his list of things to worry about, Ms. Smoak didn't like mysteries, they bothered her,and based on the lies she was clearly choosing to ignore from Oliver she was willing to put up with quite a bit to untangle the mystery that was Oliver Queen. She was a smart girl, one of the smartest there was, she'd figure it out...if she hadn't already, and once she put two and two she'd want to help. It seemed inherent to her nature to do all that she could to help anyone or anything that fell into her path, going far above and beyond what one would expect of a person. Ms. Smoak did nothing by degrees it was all or nothing, perhaps it was her Vegas upbringing that made her go for broke in this way. Whatever the case may be, she was already helping and he'd bet his life that she'd continue to do so. With that sobering reflection, he realized that he'd essentially done just that. Bet not only his life but all of theirs that this team would add up to a whole much greater than the sum of it's parts able to best their still unknown foe and save them all along with countless others in the process, not that there'd been any choice really he'd played the hand they'd been dealt and as far as he was concerned it had come up all aces. Now the only thing left to do was to hope that he'd been correct in his assessment.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Notes: Happy New Year! Yes it's late I'll do my best to keep this updated more regularly, but I make no promises my career and I are not friends at the moment, but that's a topic for another venue. SO this is where we start deviating further from cannon as you may have imagined I'm pretty much making up what Walter is doing during his confinement. This chapter gave me so many problems, and I'm unsure of the results but it's what I needed to happen to advance the plot, the next one is further along so I should be able to post it in the next week. Anyways a big THANK YOU all for taking the time to read and for those of you who have followed liked or commented an extra special thank you._

Walter woke to the scraping of metal on metal, as a food tray was slid through the small metal drawer, no doubt designed for just that purpose. Rising from the low cot on which he slept Walter studiously ignored his captors, he was very much aware of their scrutiny, of the cameras placed strategically around the room but he refused to acknowledge their presence. Acting as normally as possible given the current circumstance was his only option, a small part of him wanted to rage, to cause a ruckus, to force a confrontation, but the larger part of him warned against such theatrics. After all his situation could be worse, they were far worse fates than being held captive yet unharmed. While it was true that his accommodations were far from ideal they were decidedly habitable .

It was not optimism alone that lead him to these thoughts, rather a deliberate reminder to himself that no matter how unpleasant his present circumstance, it paled in comparison to Oliver's time away. Recalling the details of Oliver's medical records did have a way of putting things in perspective, furthermore it served to strengthen Walter's resolve. Oliver had been through so much and yet in spite of everything he was out there, fighting, protecting, helping in every way he was able. While it was true that Oliver's methods were a bit unorthodox not to mention slightly (or perhaps highly) illegal, one couldn't help but admire his resolve; and would be hard pressed to argue with the results. The newspaper that accompanied his morning meal was regularly and unsurprisingly evidence of those results.

Crime was down, remarkably so, and the city's shall we say less than reputable elements, were making the news in rather unusual ways. With acts of benevolence and contrition and while they offered no explanation for this uncharacteristic behavior, it was rumored that these efforts were invariably preceded by a visit from a certain leather clad vigilante.

Such was the news Walter had come to expect. So the day's headline was more than a bit alarming, "Vigilante Wounded in Recent Attack on Queen Matriarch", the headline read. It was of course intended to grab people's attention, sensationalized to increase sales, yet in this particular instance the truth was far stranger, and more alarming. Surely not...then again no one else knew that the scourge of Starling and it's golden prince were one in the same. Skimming over the remainder of the article his eyes caught at one particular place "Mrs. Queen was able to injure her attacker" apparently not only had Oliver been shot but the person behind the trigger was his own Mother.

How in the world had this happened? Foes far more dangerous than Moira Queen had been unsuccessful in injuring the young man, so how on earth had she been able to outmaneuver him? Then again Oliver wasn't carved from stone, though he gave the impression often enough, and Walter supposed confronting one's own mother as one's own crime fighting persona had to be a discombobulating experience to say the least; so perhaps Oliver's uncharacteristic carelessness wasn't quite so surprising. Regardless, this turn of events was far from ideal for a number of reasons.

Impatient to learn more Walter read on, honing in on all the details provided, he breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the end of the article. Police were still searching for the Vigilante, and urging anyone who knew anything to come forward. Meaning that Oliver had gotten away...at least for now. Reports of Oliver Queen being admitted to the hospital would undoubtedly have also made the papers but after reading it in its entirety Walter had found no such report. Barring any information to the contrary he had to assume that Oliver had escaped the incident relatively unscathed. Walter certainly hoped this was the case, but the police had gathered a blood sample, which had been taken to the lab for testing and results were pending, if they ran that sample against their database there was a chance Oliver's DNA was on record. He had been arrested quite a bit as a young man, and of course there was his most recent and quite ironic arrest on suspicion of being the vigilante. Even so, here was nothing Walter could do to assist him even if he were at liberty to do so. However a certain blonde IT specialist of his acquaintance would be able to solve that problem admirably. Walter had no idea what level of security Starling's finest used on their systems but he doubted it would be enough to get the outmaneuver Felicity Smoak, but was she helping Oliver? Would she? Only time would tell.

Walter had always considered himself a patient man, even before he'd climbed up the corporate ladder, he'd prided himself on his careful consideration and contemplation of all things, so it was a with some surprise that he was forced to revise that long held estimation of himself. Walter Steele it seemed was NOT in fact a patient man or more likely, the combination of his continued confinement and his impatience for news on his family had simply proved too much for his usual the case may be, Walter was acclimating himself to a previously unknown sense of restlessness as he waited for the morning paper to arrive.

In many ways today would be a day of truth, if the team Walter had intended to assemble had in fact become a team, today's headlines would make that readily apparent. If that was not the case then the DA would now have irrefutable proof that Oliver Queen was the vigilante, there would be no dismissal of charges this time, and not even the Queen family's army of lawyers would be able to keep Oliver from being arrested.

However, if Ms. Smoak had gone to Oliver with the notebook, and Walter sincerely hoped she had, if for no other reason that it would ensure her relative safety, then all should be well. The collection of Oliver's DNA at the scene of the crime at QC was little more than a trifling inconvenience which would no doubt be shortly remedied, he suspected through some kind of error at the lab. Walter had no idea as to the state of Starling's police database security but he had no doubt that it would not be enough to protect that information from a determined Felicity Smoak. In fact he very much doubted that there was a system that could thwart the young woman.

Further contemplation on the state of Oliver's team was made impossible and likely irrelevant by the arrival of his breakfast, along with the morning paper. Careful not to betray his interest in the paper or any subject in particular Walter waited a few moments, absent mindedly picking at his meal before he reached for the paper. Unfolding the document he was forced to suppress a sigh of relief at the news.

"Questions Asked After Starling City Lab Destroys DNA Evidence in Hood Shooting". The rush of relief he felt at the news was immense, the DA's office and the Police Department could look into the mix up all they like, he was confident that there was nothing for them to fine. Ms. Smoak was nothing if not through.

The news also relieved his mind greatly in regards to Ms. Smoak safety, she was with Oliver, and Mr. Diggle. There was no way the two could have secured her assistance in this matter without bringing her on board, and now that she was there was no way of telling what the three of them could do, but he did know one thing, he'd stay tuned.


	13. Curiouser and Curiouser

_Author's note: I'm thinking maybe 3 more chapters for anyone is wondering I'm hoping to wrap up in the next week or 2. Also I mention something about Felicity's wardrobe being less than fabulous just wanted to remind everyone that her work attire in season 1 was pretty blah...just saying. Anyways thank all of you rockstars for reading following and commenting I read every single one and I truly appreciate the support. As always I don't own anything here, all mistakes are my own. My apologies. _

In the days the followed Walter found himself strangely enough enjoying his morning routine, to an extent. He was still being held captive in less than ideal conditions, but in an unexpected turn of events, his forced sabbatical had an upside. Far removed from the normal demands of his schedule, his work, and his family Walter was left with the unprecedented phenomena of free time. He spent his mornings pursuing the morning paper, ignoring the business section in its entirety and focusing instead on other news, mainly any report of the vigilante. He was careful of course, he took special care not to betray his interest lest his captors deduce that Walter knew something about the Hood's identity. Even so Walter admitted that his newfound outlook and unexpected good mood was due in no small part to the recent news of the vigilante.

This morning's paper had been full of speculation as to the Hood's identity, no surprise in that. What had been a bit unexpected, and quite a pleasant surprise, was the commentary on the apparent and marked change in the Vigilante's MO. He was more careful, more deliberate, and he always seemed to be two steps ahead of both the police and the criminals the paper cited numerous examples in recent weeks in the change, there was a dramatic decline in the number of sightings, there were plenty reports of his activity, but fewer and fewer people actually laid eyes on the man including the Starling PD, nightly high speed chases were no longer a nightly occurrence and the body count, while still troubling, was also on the decline. The reports grew rather ridiculous after that, but he read on diligently. Relieved that no one seemed to have any idea for the real reason for the shift, and that was undoubtedly the new addition to the team.

If Walter was correct in his assessment of the team, and its dynamics then Ms. Smoak had involved herself far more than Walter had dared to hope. He'd hoped that she'd help Oliver and Mr. Diggle with her technical expertise, doing research, and perhaps assisting in occustrating the kinds of digital mischief that had befallen the crime lab's sample of the vigilante's DNA. Ms. Smoak it seemed had other ideas, from what he was able to surmise she was actively engaged in Oliver's nightly activities, there was no other explanation for the change in MO. Someone was providing Oliver with real time information, building schematics and he suspected turn by turn directions if the need arose.

If the recent reports were any indication they certainly made quite a team, even better than he'd imagined. They certainly weren't what anyone would expect, the billionaire playboy, his bodyguard and a bespeckled blonde, they certainly presented quite the picture and should he ever be released from this godforsaken cell he imagined he would greatly enjoy watching the three of them interact. Not that believed that Oliver would be anywhere near ready to share his secret, but given how guarded the young man was most of the time, having Ms. Smoak and Mr. Diggle around would likely be an activity Oliver would enjoy, even if there would need to be some pretense as for the reasons his partners in crime were frequently around. Though explaining Mr. Diggle's presence would be simple enough he supposed, he was after all Oliver's bodyguard. He nearly chuckled at the thought, the absurdity of it all, if there were a single person in Starling less in need of a bodyguard than Oliver Queen he would be hard pressed to name them, still it was part of the persona Oliver put forward, explaining any relationship between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak would present more of a problem. The obvious cover would be to fake a romantic relationship between two, but Walter very much doubted that either would go that route in way of covers. First and foremost there was Ms. Smoak's reputation to consider, she was an employee at QC and while Oliver was in no way involved in the company's operations Ms. Smoak's entanglement with the infamous Oliver Queen would likely impact her professional reputation, none of that was insurmountable however. Thinking back on the one and only conversation he'd had with Oliver in regards to Ms. Smoak his mind lingered on the nuances, the barely suppressed amusement and perhaps even affection Oliver had obviously felt for the woman had been obvious even then, and that was after a single encounter. If Felicity Smoak had that effect on Oliver after one meeting, he could only imagine what the two of them would be like after any prolonged exposure to one another, and since Ms. Smoak was obviously taking a hands on approach to assisting Oliver in his crusade that most certainly be the case. Walter was forced to admit to himself that even if the two developed some other explanation as to their friendship people would still likely assume the worst, Oliver had had quite the reputation before the island and though she certainly tried to go out of her way to hide it at work Ms. Smoak was a remarkably beautiful young woman.

Adding another item to the list of things to assist with if and when he was released Walter resolved to help them with this, likely with a promotion for Ms. Smoak. Placed in a more prominent position Walter had no doubt that she'd excel forcing people to dismiss any less than charitable options of Felicity. That matter resolved to his satisfaction Walter returned his attention to the paper this time to the society section, surprised but by no means displeased to see that the Queen Family was lending their support and a rare Spanish antiquity to a local charity. Such behavior was by no means uncommon for the prominent Queen family, however he did not recognize the cause as one of Moira's and Thea was too young, and frankly uninterested in playing high society, that left only one possibility Oliver.

It was true that the island had obviously changed him, even still this was highly unusual behavior, further adding to the mystery Walter did not recognize the donated item which mean it hadn't come from the Queen's personal collection so Oliver would have had no purchased it to donate, which was also unusual. Clearly he was up to something, the only question was what. Once again cognizant of the scrutiny of his captors Walter turned his attention once again to another section of the paper, this time the sports pages, absently he skimmed the reports, having no real interest in the content his mind still attempting to decode Oliver's plans. In the end it was the local crime beat that served to illuminate him. There had been a heist at the local museum it seemed, and the method was highly unusual, the thief had apparently overpowered a security guard and attached him to a bomb collar then forced the guard to commit the theft, even more disturbing this was far from the first time it had happened, the thief , nicknamed the Dodger, was wanted by interpol for many such instances, some resulting in the death of the collared.

The stories and his speculation knit themselves together into a full narrative, apparently Oliver was branching out, the Dodger had no involvement with the individuals in the notebook, even so Oliver was quite obviously baiting him, likely so he could be apprehended by the vigilante. Interesting, closing the paper Walter laid back on his cot examining the rooms cracked ceiling as he contemplated the rationale by the sudden departure from Oliver's general MO. Once again he was inclined to attribute the change to Ms. Smoak which lead him to yet another round of speculation. He'd assumed Felicity would help, but clearly it went beyond that she was quite obviously a full fledged member of the team, but apparently it went beyond that. It appeared she had an unprecedented level of influence over Oliver if she was identifying targets outside of his initial scope and he seemed more than happy to oblige her in apprehending he Dodger.

Oliver had more than a team, he had partners and they were already such a good influence. This time he made no attempt to hide his smile, Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak, and John Diggle partners in crime... and crime fighting oddly enough. Interesting, very interesting, he truly couldn't wait for the opportunity to watch the three of them interact, once they had found him, and he had no doubt they were looking. It would be illuminating he was sure, and given Felicity's propensity to babble it would likely be entertaining as well both Diggle and Oliver were men of few word whereas she was a woman of many. Like so many thing about them he liked the juxtaposition they'd balance each other admirably and with that though Walter allowed himself to drift off into a more peaceful sleep than he'd had in weeks.


	14. Heroes (We could be)

Author's Notes: I hope this doesn't feel too disjointed I'm counting on all of you making some intuitive leaps as to Walter's thought processes as opposed to spelling everything out. I've tried it both ways it gets a more than a bit wordy and unwieldy if I try it the other way. Anyways I think my next chapter will likely be the final for this story. Thank you once again to everyone who has liked and/or followed the story as well as everyone who reads this. Also I know I suck at responding to comments, I still love to get them so a special thanks to everyone who leaves them. As per my usual spiel no one betas these stories so any and all mistakes are mine alone, and I'm sorry. Chapter title is from the song of the same title by Alesso.

Standard disclaimer, these are not my characters, I own the rights to absolutely nothing here.

Walter Steele had been through quite a bit in the last few weeks, the return of his stepson who had long ago been presumed dead, uncovering his wife's duplicity, stumbling upon a massive conspiracy to attack the city, realizing that the Oliver that returned was not the same boy who had left, that he was in fact the vigilante and reacting accordingly by adding a soldier and "bodyguard" to payroll in addition to a babbling blonde genius hacker. Even so he found himself unprepared for the whirling of his mind, his mind unable to process what he was reading…

The morning had begun as all of them did for him these days with the arrival of his breakfast and a copy of the morning paper. Walter had thought himself immune to reports of Oliver's antics, the salacious details of his latest near death experience, and perhaps he had but this morning was different.

First and foremost, the vigilante had indeed managed to apprehend the Dodger, but apparently had done it with only two arrow fired (well one fired, and curiously enough one thrown) and minus his signature ensemble, a motorcycle helmet had obscured his features making it impossible for witness or the Dodger himself to provide a description of the man still it was a curious turn of events. At least it had seemed so until he read the in depth analysis of the evening. The Dodger, true to form had stolen the jewel from the auction, fleeing apparently with the vigilante in pursuit. The two had then engaged in a high speed chase through the streets of Starling ending with the Dodger being pulled from an overturned vehicle and a blade through his hand severing the nerves there. Turning the page Walter allowed his mind to wander as he made a show of still skimming the rest of the stories, sports, entertainment, and local news.

The local "news" section in Starling was a rather absurd mix of fact and fiction, that fell shy of deserving the monicure of "news", still they called it the news and he was in no position to argue the point. As Walter absent mindedly skimmed the section photo caught his eye, in it was OIiver, this in and of itself was unsurprising, Oliver was one of Starlings most eligible bachelor's and had been a bit of a media darling in his younger days, despite or perhaps because of his bad boy behaviour. Since his return the press had been insatiable for pictures of Starling's own prodigal son, so the picture of Oliver was not surprising. Neither was the appearance of John Diggle at his side, the man was after all Oliver's bodyguard. However, it was not either of the men in the picture that drew Walter's eye, instead it was the third person in the photo, partially obscured by the two men with whom she was undoubtedly conversing was a rather petite blonde in a gold dress.

Not quite believing his eyes Walter impatiently flipped through the section looking for another shot of the woman, surely his mind was playing tricks on him. It couldn't possibly be who he very much suspected it was because surely Oliver and Diggle had more sense than to allow her to accompany them as they confronted a bomber. Flipping through the pages as he was Walter nearly missed the photo he'd been looking for a picture of blonde in question allowing an unencumbered view of her features. She wasn't the focus of the shot, yet it was enough to confirm his suspicions. Felicity Smoak MIT Class of '09, hacker extraordinaire, and Tech Support to Starling's Own vigilante was apparently adding field work to her list of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Leaving the paper open yet no longer reading Walter mentally talked himself out of his immediate and irrational reaction telling him t to remedy this grievance lack of judgement from the lot of them by grounding them immediately upon his release. Honestly, what could they be thinking?

With that thought a number of puzzle pieces fell into place, the vigilante's appearance sans his usual get up, the seemingly extreme method of the capture, while Oliver was violent he wasn't usually vicious comparatively the Dodger's apprehension seemed oddly personal. But that made no sense unless...not wanting to finish that thought even within the sanctum of his own mind. Conscious of the scrutiny he was under Walter attempted to unhurriedly flip to the one section of the paper he generally abhorred, the gossip column. If there was any section in the paper that would have a picture of Oliver leaving the event in the company of an unknown blonde it would be the gossip column. Stifling a grimace Walter found what he was looking for a picture of Oliver and John Diggle escorting a petite blonde to the car, the paper was speculating as to the woman's identity but thankfully no one had managed to get a good enough shot of her to allow anything more than general observations. Although, considering the woman in question Walter was unsure how much luck was involved in that particular turn of events, after all all most photographers used digital cameras, and Walter had little doubt that if existed online Felicity Smoak could find it, alter it, or destroy it as the case may be.

Her caution, should she in fact be behind the curious lack of photos, was commendable though likely unnecessary. Walter had made the connection, between Felicity Smoak and the mystery blonde at the party but he doubted others would, especially since knowledge of Oliver's extracurricular activities was hardly common. In point of fact, it had been "proven" recently and rather publicly that Oliver Queen was NOT the , the vision presented, in even the obscured views captured at the Gala, was a far cry from her usual persona. She was a remarkably pretty young woman under any circumstance but seeing her so far removed from her usual surroundings and wardrobe choice s Walter was forced to admit that she did not look out of place on Oliver's arm. In fact the two of them presented quite the picture now that he thought about it. Promising to revisit that train of thought at another point in time he moved from what he could see in the picture to the things that were not as easily discerned. For example the way in which Oliver and Diggle flanked Felicity both on high alert as Felicity all but clung to Diggle's side, to a casual observer it seemed that the cameras had startled her, but knowing the woman as he did Walter knew it would take a great deal more than the paparazzi to spook Felicity Smoak.

The paper had said nothing of the Dodger collaring someone at the Gala. However, that didn't mean it hadn't happened it simply meant the reporters didn't know. It was likely neither did the police, not unless the Dodger confessed, which was doubtful. No given the nature of their activities none of the team would report Ms. Smoak's involvement, but the picture coupled with Oliver's uncharacteristic behavior in the chase and capture spoke volumes. This villain had clearly overstepped his bounds, gone after a member of their team and Oliver was having absolutely none of it.

Closing the paper and putting it aside, Walter allowed his thoughts to turn to the likely turn of events leading to the Dodger's apprehension. Thankful for the return of his usual calm demeanor as opposed his initial response. He was more than certain that any attempt to ground any member of that team would end badly. Still the thought of Felicity Smoak with a bomb around her neck was enough to turn his blood to ice water. Walter found himself more grateful than he could ever convey that no harm had actually befallen her, or any of their team and while it was true that they were treading in dangerous waters at least they were together. Oliver's team, was growing into something more than Walter had imagined, likely more than any of them could've imagined. If those three were as close as he imagined, in order for the threat to Felicity to provoke such a reaction from the normally stoic Oliver and John Diggle and this...good this soon. Then there was no telling where the future could lead them, Starling City currently had a vigilante, but it seemed more than likely with each passing day that it was well on it's way to having a hero, more precisely three of them.


	15. Every new beginning

Author's Note: Well ya'll that's all she wrote (no, for real I haven't written anymore). Thank you so much to everyone that followed, added to favorites and/or commented.I truly appreciate the support and I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you have any comments please feel free to leave them below, or private message me. Once again thank you so much for taking the time to read this, you all are in all actuality the best! Also chapter title is from the song Closing Time.

Through the weeks of his imprisonment Walter had grown accustomed to his routine. While it was far from exhilarating it was constant as the progression of the sun through the sky. He woke in the morning to the sounds of his breakfast being delivered along with the morning paper, he spent the next few hours reading the paper in its entirety, paying special attention to any news on the Queen family and the Vigilante, he was then left with his thoughts until the arrival of his midday meal which he generally ate while working through the game and crossword section of the paper, in order to keep his body from total atrophy he pushed himself through some basic calisthenics, after that had been completed lacking anything else to do he let his mind wander, thinking through his next steps upon his release, the talk he most assuredly needed to have with his wife, and whether or not he should inform Oliver of the fact that he knew his secret, or rather one of them. He suspected the man had many. His contemplation was only interrupted by the arrival of his dinner as well as his armed escort who took him to the buildings facilities, such as they were in order to allow him to shower. After which he would return to his cell and attempt to sleep as the guards cut the lights to his cell.

This was his routine constant, unchanging, day after day, so it was with no small amount of surprise he startled awake in what he assumed was the middle of the night to what he could only assume was some kind of raid. Gunshots rang out along with the sounds of shouted commands by the guards, he couldn't make out much through the thick walls and equally thick door, but there was definitely something afoot, someone was there, the only question was friend or foe? There were many possible outcomes of this turn events but only three possible outcomes, only one of which would be favorable. Either this compound was being overrun by the authorities who would of course release him, or the vigilante and his team who were also firmly in the friendly category. However, he could not dismiss the idea that the compound could be overrun by yet another as yet unknown hostile party, in which case his survival was not assured. His imprisonment had not been pleasant but neither had it been life threatening, whoever it was who had had him held clearly wanted him very much alive.

Waiting to see the outcome of the firefight that raged outside was one of the most difficult things Walter had ever endured, all the while his mind raced through the many possibilities of what exactly was going on outside, and then suddenly as suddenly as the commotion had begun…silence. Utter and complete silence, whatever the outcome the fracas had been decided, so it was with some trepidation he listened waiting for some noise, some indication of what was to come, there was none until the abrupt sound of the lock being turned on the door followed immediately by the door being shoved roughly aside. Pushing himself to his feet Walter turned to face the door and found himself face to face, with the Hood, for that's who it was that stood in the doorway and for the first time Walter began to understand that the hood was more than a mask, more than shield to protect Oliver Queen's identity, it was a completely different person that stood before him, and while he did not fear for himself, Walter was forced to admit, the man was terrifying. Caught up in this silent scrutiny of the vigilante Walter was startled by the gruff rasp that interrupted is contemplation.

"Walter Steele, you're going home"

The words were simultaneously comforting and terrifying eliciting a myriad of response, after months of confinement, he was finally going home and while he was relieved that this was the case what on earth was he to do about the issue he was currently staring at? The answer seemed obvious, say nothing and continue his silent support, if anything this interlude had proved most informative, fore while Walter knew precisely who was underneath the hood, in many ways he did not.

Having that decided, Walter allowed his perusal of the vigilante and for the first time took in the scene beyond the door, the signs of the confrontation were apparent, the walls had been dented by the gunfire, there were cinges from what he could only presume were explosives and the guards were strewn about haphazardly several low groans assured him that the majority of the guards were not dead, merely unconscious. However, as far as he could tell, Oliver was alone, watching as he reached a gloved hand under the hood and towards his ear.

"I've got him, we're headed to Starling General" he rasped, to an unseen party as Walter suppressed a smirk, not entirely alone it would seem. Still Walter had assumed that Oliver had come with the authorities, or at least Mr. Diggle. That did not appear to be the case, incredulously Walter once again looked at the vigilante, from the intensity of the firefight he'd assumed there had been a rival force, and apparently there had been, only that force was encompassed in one man. Not for the first time Walter found himself wondering just what exactly had happened on that island. Feeling a slight prick at his neck Walter was alarmed to encounter a small dart, the motion had been too quick for him to track but it seemed Oliver had drugged him. It was with a suppressed sigh that Walter felt the world's edge begin to blur. He was able to take a single step towards the door before promptly collapsing he felt his arm slung around a shoulder catching him before he hit the floor.

When he woke again it was in stages, the first thing that encroached upon his slumber was a low insistent beeping, followed, by the shuffling sounds which he was unable to place, disoriented he forced his eyes open, taking in his surroundings. Gradually the last few hours came back to him and he correctly surmised he was in the hospital. The low beeping had been the heart monitor he was attached to while the shuffling noise had come from the rooms other occupant. Turning his head Walter came face to face with his stepson. Without the obscuring hood he was able to take in Oliver's features and he was forced to admit that the last weeks had taken their toll the dark circles under his eyes had taken on the look of bruises and his face was gaunt still there was a peace there he was grateful to see.

Sensing Walter's observations Oliver turned to fully face him stepping closer into his eyeline, he smiled, a small smile, but sincere nonetheless actually reaching his eyes for once. This version of Oliver unlike the last one he'd seen was familiar.

"Hey there" he said in a voice that was a bit quieter than his usual speaking tone, like in deference to their surroundings but was by far an improvement from the modulated tone he used as The Hood.

"Hello, Son" Walter croaked eliciting another small smile from Oliver.

"I've called Mom and Thea they'll be here shortly" Oliver informed him. No sooner than the words left his mouth the sound of heels clicking quickly on the tile echoed from the hall outside, announcing the arrival of both, Thea tumbled into the room so quickly he could only surmise she'd been running, Moira followed closely on her heels. Without pausing Thea approached the bedside and encompassed Walter in a enthusiastic hug, while Moira approached on his other side as Oliver subtly stepped away. Engrossed as the three of them were in the hug, Oliver seemed content to hover somewhat protectively nearby placing himself strategically between his family and the door prompting Walter to wonder how much of his alter ego the young man was able to suppress and how much had become ingrained in the last five years.

Seeing as how the family in its entirety was in the room though it came as a bit of a surprise when the door was opened to reveal yet another guest, for a moment Walter was confused, wondering who the other woman might be, from what he could see of the guess it was decidedly a woman in brightly colored heels, her face obscured by the flowers she was carrying, it wasn't until she turned slightly and he caught a glimpse of a blonde ponytail that the mystery guest's identity was revealed.

"This is totally a family thing isn't it" she said as Walter chuckled lightly. Ms. Felicity Smoak, candid and socially awkward as always. Both Thea and Moira both saw and felt Walter's chuckle as the looked at him in askance, his response was on his lips but was rendered unnecessary as Oliver's broke in.

"This is Felicity, she's my friend" Oliver said as he moved to take a place beside the blonde his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. For her part she smiled her thanks up at him while simultaneously blushing scarlet.

"Mine too," Walter added smiling at her blushing countenance. Thea and Moira took in the three of them clearly confused by the undercurrents in the room as Walter tried to convey his thanks in those two word. Felicity Smoak was indeed a friend, and he knew for a fact that she had played no small part in his rescue, he was humbled and awed by her, so making this exchange a little less awkward was the very least he could do.

"I'm just gonna put these down" she said as she tottered to the nearest table, " I'll let you get back to your hugging" she added as she turned to leave. Oliver unsurprisingly in tow, Moira and Thea returned their attention to Walter, as he in turn continued to observe the pair at the door watching as Oliver lent in and spoke to Felicity in tones to low to be overheard, Walter saw rather than heard Oliver's whispered thank you and noted with some satisfaction when Felicity in turn squeezed his hand in response, smiled up at him and turned to leave.

Walter noted the way in which Oliver watched her progression towards the elevator, not turning his attention back to those in the room until Ms. Smoak was out of sight. Even from across the room Walter could feel his tension seeming torn between staying here and accompanying Ms. Smoak back to her car, or knowing Oliver's somewhat overprotective instincts likely all the way back to her house. Walter suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, and felt the strain of his silence on the team secret.

"For God's sake man, you have a driver and bodyguard" he wanted to say, "have him take her home" Tempted though he was he held his silence. Moira elected to use the lull in conversation to go talk to the doctor's about his release while Thea went in search of coffee once again leaving him alone with Oliver. Moving back into the room Oliver took up a place near the edge of the bed removing his jacket and hanging it on the coat hook as he settled. Placed at it was near his head Walter heard Oliver's phone vibrate before he did, looking up at him he was surprised when he made no more to answer it. Playing through the events of the last few hours it occurred to him that after the firefight Oliver had been through earlier he likely couldn't hear it vibrate, not wanting him to miss the call, Walter reached for the phone himself, the direction of his movement caused Oliver to look perplexed, even so he made no effort to stop him as he extricated the phone from his pocket, unable to keep himself from glancing briefly at the screen as he handed it to Oliver, it was a text message he'd received not a call, and from none other than the blonde that had just left. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had picked up on Oliver's tension, either that or she just knew her partner well, the message preview that had appeared on the screen was the message in it's entirety seeing as how it was only three words.

Digg drove me.

Being around Oliver and his team was proving to be difficult and at the moment it was all he could do not to laugh as Oliver read the message, absentmindedly nodding his head in satisfaction at what he read.

Honestly the lot of them were impossible as was the entire situation. Queen Heir, technical genius, and bodyguard by day crime fighters by night. Perhaps they could set us a group plan for the therapy they all so clearly needed, himself included. Nevertheless,they were family and family helped one another. If Oliver was bound and determined to save the city he'd need all the help he could get, especially since he seemed incapable of asking for it. So things would continue as they were, there were a great many things that could be done to aid the vigilante trio in their quest, discretely, behind the scenes, an ally unknown even to themselves, a silent partner. Walter thoughts caught their, that was exactly what was needed, exactly what he'd be, and he admitted to himself that he rather like the sound of that.


End file.
