Lessons: Becoming the Green Arrow

Episode 15 tag - Choices

Episode 15 tag – Choices

AN – My apologies for yet another delay in posting! However, again there's a bonus one as I just couldn't decide! We start with Thea's scene which is a prequel to her appearance in Episode 15 and again it is DARK.

DISCLAIMER – I have no fun way of stating this: I have no legal claim to CW's Arrow!

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It had been weeks since Thea's last visit to Starling City, weeks since she had saved Felicity and watched Oliver and Roy. The images from that night had stayed with her despite the darkness and despair that had followed. However, she had made her choice and she knew it was time to act on it.

She had continued to play her role as the dutiful daughter even as she also continued to plan her escape. Her path wasn't with her father and her home was no longer Starling City – she was walking away from it all and she knew that she was making the right decision. Purposefully ignoring the memory of her last visit here, Thea refused to let Oliver's or Roy's choices affect her own.

There was too much darkness in her life to even consider joining her brother or reuniting with her ex. She had buried all her feelings and actually doubted she could even feel again. She was no longer Thea Queen. Thea Queen had been bright, shiny but she had only been a shell. Her world, her identity had been built on lies even though she hadn't known it.

Laughing harshly, Thea knew a part of her had known it. It was the part that sought out the drugs and alcohol. Even then she had been sliding toward the darkness, craving it. Now, the darkness was all that remained. She simply existed – a shadow of her former self. A shadow that could fight, kill even and then simply slither back into the darkness that had given birth to it.

Despite her desire to leave, Thea had accepted that in many ways she was her father's daughter. She had also accepted that she was her mother's daughter.

Thea had plans just as they had and she would see them through regardless of the effect on others. She would protect herself, lie as she needed, do what was required and no one could stop her. Not Oliver. Not Roy. Not Malcolm.

Pausing to check out her reflection, Thea decided against the blond wig. She was here to look Oliver in the eye and say good bye and she wanted him to recognize her. She wanted to show him that she was strong, that she had survived, that she didn't need him anymore.

She had originally planned to say good bye to Roy too but she had changed her mind about that. It wasn't fear that held her back though, she had simply decided not to place any importance on him. If she spoke to Oliver then Roy would know that she had moved on and hopefully he would feel her pain, her loss. He would know that she was strong, that she had survived, that she didn't need him anymore either.

Even as the pain and anger flared brightly, Thea refused to believe she was weak enough to experience real emotions. These were just remnants of her previous life, pathetic echoes from another time. Thea again reminded herself that her path was hers alone and she didn't need or want to count on anyone again. She didn't want to have her heart broken again as the next time she might not find all the pieces.

She had put the pieces of herself back together though and now she was ready to move on. It wasn't emotional weakness that prompted her to seek out her brother – it was strategic, logical, self-serving even. She would reveal herself to him and then she would reveal Malcolm's plan for revenge. That would release her from her past, ease her guilt and allow her to finally be free.

Thea made her way to Oliver's office to stalk his movements during his nightly patrol and find the perfect opportunity to set her plan in motion. She was surprised to see him leave early and even more surprised that he was dressed casually and used a car instead of his bike. Gunning her bike, she followed at a discreet distance until he pulled along a small house. Again surprised, Thea watched Felicity open the door. The couple exchanged a few words but she could see something different in their movements, their interaction. A shock reverberated through Thea as she realized this wasn't business, but pleasure. They were on a date and they were both nervous.