Code of Silence

Untitled Part 9

PRESENT DAY

Moira walked into the sitting room perplexed. Something was going on but she could not figure out what it was. Oliver and Felicity had asked to see her and there were men she did not recognize roaming the grounds of the mansion. She stopped when she saw an older gentleman sitting on the coach. He stood when she entered and looked at her with curiosity. Before she could ask who he was Oliver walked in and looked at them both, before walking to his Mom and kissing her cheek.

"Mom, I would like for you to meet Felicity's uncle, Anatoli Knyazev. Anatoli, this is my mother Moira Queen."

Moira looked at the man with surprise, and he held out his hand. She placed her hand in his and he lifted it to his lips. "The pleasure is mine Я уже (ma'am)."

Moira felt herself blushing. Robert had been dead for over six years and Anatoli was a handsome man. She politely removed her hand and looked at Oliver.

"So, are those Anatoli's men whom I have seen walking the grounds?"

Oliver looked at Anatoli and then at his mother, and then he looked toward the door and Felicity walked in carrying Zoya Grace. Moira was surprised and confused and looked to Oliver.

"Mom, I would like for you to also meet Zoya Grace, your granddaughter." Moira's eyes widened and she was filled with a rush of love like nothing she had felt since she had her kids.

"Granddaughter?" She walked slowly to Felicity and looked at the blonde haired, blue eyed baby that looked so much like Oliver and Felicity. "Can I....can I hold her?" She asked Felicity hopefully.

Felicity smiled and placed Zoya in her arms and tears filled her eyes. "She is beautiful!!"

"Mom there is more we need to tell you; can you sit down?"

Moira sat down holding Zoya tightly in her arms. It was hard to take her eyes off of her. She was happy and smiling and Moira was mesmerized.

"Mom, when the boat went down five years ago on our honeymoon it was off the coast of Russia. Felicity and I were able to make it to shore but as you know the crew did not survive. And when I contacted you after we reached Anatoli's, I told you that you could tell no one that we were alive. Everyone in Star City had to think we perished on that boat."

She remembered vividly the day the boat had been reported missing, the pain and anguish she had felt. But then she remembered too the day that Oliver had contacted her. The relief, the love that had washed over her had been almost overwhelming.

"Well there was a reason. We stayed in Russia because I was working with Anatoli to become a Captain in the Bratva."

Moira looked at him in surprise. "But why? You already have your status here in Star City."

Anatoli looked at Oliver asking if he could speak. "We needed someone to take charge of our American branch of the brotherhood. Oliver was both family and already mob. He and I decided he would be the perfect person to take this role."

"But also, Mom, there was another reason we stayed as long as we did."

Moira played with Zoya's hand, the baby gurgling in her arms, she held her tight.

Felicity stepped forward and laid a hand on Moira's shoulder before she spoke. "When our boat went down and we made our way to Anatoli's home, we at first thought that the boat sinking had been an unfortunate accident. However, we soon learned that was not the case. My father had hired someone to sink our boat. It went down on purpose."

Moira was shocked. Noah had orchestrated the sinking of the Queen's Lady?

"I don't understand, why would he do that?" She asked looking at Felicity.