Into the Unknown - Arrow

Moira Queen

Aurora walked up to the Queen Mansion for the second time that week and when she knocked on the door the woman from before answered quickly.

"Mrs. Queen is expecting you." The woman had a smile on her face. "I can take you to her."

Aurora let out a smile and followed the woman to the left of the foyer and into another section of the house. This section was decorated much like the foyer with the colours melding together flawlessly.

The woman led Aurora to what looked like an office. Sat at the desk was a middle-aged woman with short blonde hair. The woman knocked on the frame of the door and Moira looked up. A small smile pulled onto her face and she gave a nod.

"Thank you, Raisa."

Raisa gave Aurora a smile and left the area. From in front of Aurora, Moira stood from her chair and rounded to the front of the desk.

"Oliver gave me the papers and I couldn't believe my eyes."

Aurora stepped into the office as Moira spoke. Moira took the papers into her hands.

"I had to make sure what you were giving me was authentic." Moira set the papers onto the desk and smiled up at Aurora. "I had three different people look them over and when they came to me with confirmation that they were real, I knew I needed to meet you."

Aurora took a few steps further into the office. Moira sat down in one of the chairs facing the desk and gestured to the chair next to her. Aurora slowly crossed the room and sat in the chair and when she looked into Moira's eyes, she saw that they were glossy. Moira held out her hand and took Aurora's.

"The doctors told me that you had died. You had a bit of trouble breathing a few minutes after you arrived. They took you to the NICU and a few hours later they came back and told me you had died. When they wouldn't let us see you, I tried everything in my power to figure out what had happened. Turns out you were switched with another baby who had died."

Aurora swallowed as she pushed away some of her own tears. "My parents found out the truth about what happened when I was six and told me when I was fifteen. They asked me if I wanted to know who my real parents were, but I didn't have an answer for them. I'm sorry it took me so long to contact you."

Moira quickly shook her head. "No, you don't have to apologize. You had a family that loved you. I could never take you away from that."

Aurora let out a breath. "I saw on the news that Oliver came back from the shipwreck and that's when I knew I should find you."

Moira let out a breath. "I am so glad that you did." Moira's expression shifted. "We should have a dinner. We would love to meet your family and I'm sure your eager to meet Thea seeing as you have already met Oliver."

Aurora let out a sad smile. "I would love to meet Thea, but it would be just me at the dinner." Aurora's expression fell. "My mom died about two years ago from Cancer and my dad and little sister got in a car accident seven months ago."

Moira's face fell further and she reached over and pulled Aurora into a hug. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Aurora welcomed the hug, but it was cut short when there was another voice.

"Mom?"

Moira pulled away from Aurora and looked up at the teenager standing in the doorframe.

"Thea." Moira looked over at Aurora before she looked up at her daughter. "This is Aurora, she's...uh..." Moira glanced over at Aurora. "Well, we have a lot to talk about."

Thea was slightly confused. "Talk about what?"

Moira let out a breath. "We are going to have a dinner and we will discuss everything, but until then don't you have a party to prepare for?"

Thea's confusion turned to a smile. "Yep." Thea suddenly felt shy. "It's nice to meet you Aurora."

Aurora smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Thea."

Thea gave Aurora one last glance before she fled the office.

Moira let out a smile. "It's Thea's eighteenth birthday in two days but she's having a party a little early."

Aurora let out a breath. "Eighteen? Wow that mean's Oliver's...Twenty-five?"

Moira corrected the age. "Twenty-six. That would make you Twenty-two, I believe."

Aurora nodded. "Actually almost Twenty-three."

Moira nodded and corrected herself. "That's right February first."

Aurora nodded. "Yep. As you saw on the papers, I was officially adopted by Emma and Carlisle a few months after they found out the truth."

Moira went to answer, but there was a knock on the doorframe and Aurora saw Oliver for the second time.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Malcolm is here to see you, Mom."

Moira let out a breath. "Ah, okay." Moira looked over to Aurora. "I need to go conduct some business, but you are more than welcome to come over anytime you want, Aurora. Don't be a stranger." Moira stood from the chair. "And if you would like to come to Thea's Birthday party, you are also welcome. It starts at eight."

Aurora nodded. "Thank you, Moira."

The Mother let out a smile and quickly left the office, leaving Aurora and Oliver alone. Oliver walked into the office with a slow gait.

"So how long have you been in Starling City?"

Aurora looked up at Oliver. "Uh, only a few months."

Oliver leaned against a bookshelf and folded his arms. "How do you like it?"

Aurora shrugged her shoulders. "So far it's similar to Central City, but I've seen some really questionable things happen during the night."

Oliver swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Aurora shook her head. "Just...I work at Starling General and we've seen a lot of people come in with arrow wounds. And each time they are questioned, they say that a man in a green hood shot them."

Oliver adjusted his stance. "Have these people told anybody who the hood guy is?"

Aurora shook her head. "No, most of them have died before we could get any sort of answer."

"What do you do at Starling General?"

Aurora let out a small smile. "I'm a Surgical Tech. I help with the surgeries, hand the Surgeons their tools. Assist if they need me."

Oliver pushed off of the bookcase. "Wow. I've never heard of a job like that."

Aurora nodded. "It's not much talked about. I've only been doing it for a few years."

Oliver went to speak, but the phone in his pocket vibrated and he pulled it out. It was a text message. Oliver read the text and pocketed his phone.

"I have to go." Oliver was on his way out of the office, but he paused and went up to the desk and pulled a pen out of the holder and quickly scribbled on the post-it note. He tore it from the stack and held it out to Aurora. "I hope to see you at Thea's party."

Oliver didn't wait for a response before he quickly walked from the room with long strides. Aurora looked down at the post-it and saw a number scribbled on the paper along with: Oliver Cell printed underneath it. Aurora pocketed the number and let out a breath before she stood up and walked from the office and out of the Queen Manor.