Felicity was still a little unclear about where her relationship stood with Oliver. They had kissed, there were no more secrets between them and he had told her he wanted her and the baby. But he was still keeping her at arms length, almost as if he was afraid to pull her close in fear that he would lose her, subconsciously protecting his heart from potential loss.
She had promised him he wouldn't lose her and she would do her darnedest to make sure she kept her promise. Whatever they were, they were keeping it private. With Moira running for Mayor now the press were all over the Queen family and Oliver didn't want her caught in the crossfire.
She looked at them as they sat in the conference room talking over the details of her campaign, Oliver actually looked like he was paying attention. That made her smile. She was still worried about where the pictures had come from but now that Oliver knew she put it in the back of her mind. Her investigating had turned up nothing anyways. She soon put her mind back to the ask at hand, she had received a alert from the Tempest account Walter had asked her to look into last year. Two days ago someone had made a monetary withdrawal into Starling National Bank. She bit her lip. Should she approach Walter about it or do more digging? Walter walked from the conference room looking down at his phone. She decided to do both. She marched over to Walter.
"Mr. Steele. It's so nice to see you again. May I have a word?"
"Felicity, you as well. Since I'm no longer your boss why don't we just make it Walter?"
"Okay...Walter." The British accent felt weird coming off her tongue. "It's about Tempest." She started hesitantly and he stiffened. "Mrs. Queen's super sketchy off shore account you asked me to look into?"
"I remember," he said as he lifted a arm for them to walk closer to the window.
"I left an embedded account alert on it so we'd know if anyone ever accessed it again and a few days ago someone made a wire transfer to numbered account at Starling National. The last time that account was used it was used for some really bad things." Walter gave her a calculating look.
"Felicity, I'm pretty sure it was just the campaign manager shutting it down but I'll speak to Moira about it first thing." His words were a silent plea for her to leave it alone. She nodded in understanding. "I understand congratulations are in order?" Her eyes widened.
"Umm..no. I mean well yes." Her eyes widened. "I'm trying to keep in quiet for the moment."
He nodded. "Of course, my lips are sealed. Congratulations and good luck to you." He said as he began to leave.
"Thank you...Walter." She looked back into the conference room. Oliver had been watching their conversation. He put up a hand and motioned for her to come to him. She felt like she was walking into the lions den. Moira and Thea in the same room?
She could practically feel a bead of sweat forming on her forehead. Of course there was no way Moira could know what was going on between her and Oliver. Heck, she didn't even know. She approached his chair and stayed at a respectable distance. "Yes, Mr. Queen?"
He pulled out the chair next to him for her to sit down. She glanced to the other side of the table. Moira and Thea were both engrossed in a conversation with the manager. She sat down pushing her chair a little further away from Oliver's.
"Felicity?"
"Yeah?"
"It's kinda hard to whisper to you when you're all the way over there." She sent him a impatient glare.Didn't he know his mother and sister were sitting across the table? I mean this was Oliver Queen we're talking about, he has a young blonde unattached assistant. Of course they probably suspected something had happened between them. And boy were they right. She shook her head at him and he just sighed. Before she realized what he was doing he grabbed the arm of the chair and rolled it next to his. There arms were touching now and there wasn't much space between them. Before she could complain Oliver was talking again.
"What were you and Walter talking about?"
No more secrets, she told herself. She looked at Moira and turned herself a little more in his direction and lowered her voice when she answered. She didn't want to worry Oliver over it. She already didn't like his mother and she didn't want him to think she was digging into her without cause.
"There was an old account he had asked me to look into last year. It became active again so I wanted to give him the opportunity to speak with the owner about it before there was any action taken. Oh...and he offered me his congratulations."
Oliver choked. Moira glanced across the table at him and Felicity started to roll her chair away but Oliver grabbed the arm again.
"That's uh, nice of him. Did he say anything else?" He questioned.
"Like what? I'm excited to have a ex-step-grandchild? No Oliver he didn't say anything,"she whispered. He took a deep breath and started fidgeting. "Relax."
"I know," he sighed. "I just don't want this to get out yet. The press would eat you alive and on top of my mom's campaign? It would be a nightmare."
She took his hand under the table. "It's going to be fine."
"But what if it isn't?" he replied.
"Oliver, this baby is coming, there's no stopping it. If you plan on being a part of his-"
"Or hers," he said softly.
"Right, or her's life then we're going to have to figure something out eventually." He sent her a warning glare that said 'I'm going to be, don't even start.' She squeezed his hand. "I don't think this is the best place or time for this conversation, we'll talk about it later." She started to get up when his hand grabbed hers.
"Do you want a boy or a girl?' He whispered to her." She looked at Moira and Thea again, the latter sent her slight smile across the table and she returned it.
"Really Oliver? Right now?"
"The lives we lead Felicity." She sighed. Of course he'd would pull the 'We never know what's just around the corner' card.
"A boy...I've always wanted a boy first." Her lips stretched into a smile at the thought before she caught what she had said and turned to him quickly. "And when I say first I just mean as in my first baby or only, not that we're going to have multiple babies. I was just saying." He squeezed her hand to cut off her babble. She smiled wanly at him.
"What about you?" She asked.
"I'd be happy with either, just as long as it's healthy."
"C'mon, that's the generic answer and you're anything but generic." He sent her a smile. She could read him like a book and he knew it too.
"Okay... a girl," he declared softly.
She looked at him like it was the first time and she wondered vacantly if everyone else could see the love she had in her eyes for this man. Oliver Queen wanted a daughter. That sent a thrill through her knowing that he had thought about it.
Moira and Thea rose from the table, done with their meeting and followed the manager into the outer room's, Oliver moved to walk them out but before he left he turned back to her with a smirk.
"If it doesn't work out then I'll guess we'll just have to try again."
He buttoned his suit jacket, winked and strode from the room answering his phone as he went leaving her speechless.
She wasn't even sure where their relationship stood and now he was talking about more babies? Who was this man?
She was pretty sure her face was as red as a fire truck. She swore he liked to say stuff like that just to make her blush. How could he go from sweet to so infuriating in the next moment?
As it was she didn't have time to worry about her and Oliver's changing relationship. Lance had called. Laurel was in the hospital. She and Diggle went to the foundry so she could dig through the hospital records. Sara was there and from the looks of it was releasing some anger on the Weng Chun dummy.
"Sara," she asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?" She didn't startle. She had known only few people came down to the foundry and the ones that did she trusted.
"Not really." She grabbed a towel and wiped her neck and turned to her. "Whoa..."
"What?" She asked confused only to see Sara's gaze go to her stomach. "Oh...that."
"Apparently I'm not the only one with problems. Uh..Congratulations," she said slowly.
"Thanks."
"I'm surprised Ollie still lets you down here."
Why does everyone keep saying that?
"Oh, we had a strongly worded conversation about it. He saw reason."
"Only when you're involved does he do that." Felicity blushed lightly and turned. "I don't want to pry but..."
"It's okay, there's only guys down here. I'm glad to have another woman to talk too. Pry away..."
"So you and Ollie?" Crap...why hadn't she seen that one coming?
"Uh...yes...I mean no. Yes." UGH! "I actually don't know. If you find out,please let me know."
Sara laughed a little but the tension soon returned and she started to do the Salmon Ladder... for a whole hour. How was that even possible? Oliver walked in and came to stand next to her. She glanced at him.
"She's been doing that for an hour." Sara let go of the bar and landed lightly on her ninja feet.
"How's Laurel?" She questioned.
"She's going to be fine. You saved her life." She nodded and started to walk away. She and Diggle stepped over to the computers. She had a sneaking suspicion and she was going to see where it led. Moira Queen was hiding something and she was going to find out what that something was.
He followed Sara across the room. "Where are you going?"
"The League is still after me Ollie. If I stay I'm putting my whole family at risk... including yours." He tilted his head. "You didn't have to say anything, neither did she. You're going to be a Dad Ollie. That's amazing." He sighed and nodded. "I know what you're thinking. You think you can't have a family, that you can't have a life."
"I can't Sara," he said. He had kept Felicity at arms length the past week because he was afraid he was going to fail her again. What he didn't realize was that the only way he was failing her was that he was refusing to try to be close to her. Even when he told her he wanted to be.
"But you can Oliver. You know why? Because you have a light inside of you. It's something I lost. But you? You have chance at redemption. Don't mess it up." She pulled her shirt over her head. He stayed silent mulling her words over. "Everything aside, imagine you're just a normal guy for a second. Not Oliver Queen or the Arrow, just you. Does that guy want a family?" He swallowed. He did. Desperately. It scared him.
"Yes," he choked out.
"That's your answer. You've never been afraid of anything. Don't start now. Make a decision and stick with it. You want her, you want your baby, you want a life? Then take it. Life is fleeting and people like us don't get second chances often. Your life is never going to be normal but that doesn't mean it can't be a happy one."
Sara tilted her head.
"Felicity makes you happy. I've never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her. She harnesses that light that's inside of you. Stop toying with her emotions. Let her in Ollie. She deserves it."
"How is it you've been gone but you walk right back in and try to solve all my problems?"
"Because I know you and it's easier to solve someone else's problems than your own." She glanced over at Felicity and started to leave but before she did she turned back to him. "Listen and listen good." He stepped back a little at her tone. "You hurt her or mess this up and I will personally kill you myself. Got it?"
He nodded vigorously. "Understood."
She pressed her lips together and smiled. She was right. He needed to stop pushing her away. What was holding him back? He had the suspicion it was the night he doesn't remember.
"Your family needs you too Sara." Her smile slipped.
"I only came back because Laurel's in trouble."
"She's still in trouble. You can't just come back into town for 24 hours then leave again. Your sister needs you." She bristled and grabbed her bag. He sighed and walked over to Felicity and Diggle. "Can you do me a favor and dig up a copy of Laurel's blood work from the hospital please?"
"Already on it," Diggle replied and Felicity turned as the phone started buzzing, she held it out to him. "It's Lance."
"Put my daughter on," was the first words out of his mouth. "I know she's there." He handed the phone to Sara and wondered what the next few hours would bring.
She was left alone in the foundry while Oliver was out dealing with the League and Felicity used the next few hours for investigating. She shuddered at the thought of Oliver out there alone. But there was nothing she could do and all she could do was hope that he would be okay. About an hour into her digging she found what she was looking for. She was right about Moira Queen hiding something. She gasped when she figured it out. Her chest ached for what she had found out, she almost wished she hadn't but there were too many secrets and it was time they all came out. That's how she found herself at the Queen Mansion, this time for an entirely different and less pleasurable reason.
"Mrs. Queen a Ms. Smoak is here to see you," the housekeeper announced her. It was strange, she felt like she was asking to see the Queen of England.
"Who?" She asked.
"Me," she spoke up as she came up behind maid. Moira turned to her recognition dawning in her eyes.
"Oliver's not here," she said dismissively.
"I know, I'm here to see you." Moira turned to her still sitting on her couch. Wasn't there a rule about standing when guest arrived? Apparently she, the secretary didn't warrant such respect.
"Really, what about?" Moura sounded slightly intrigued. She knew her next words would make her even more so, and probably in a bad way. She gathered her courage and tilted her chin up.
"Tempest." Moira automatically stiffened. "I flagged a large wire transfer you made. When I mentioned it to Walter he said he was talk to you about it but I knew he wouldn't. British people are really bad liars."
Moira smiled coolly. "Yes they are."
"So I looked into it myself, full disclosure....I don't trust you. You paid off a Doctor Gill. He delivered Thea. It took me a while to figure it out, I went through a lot of different theories until I remembered your testimony at the trial. You had an affair with Malcolm Merlyn one year before Thea was born. Merlyn is Thea's Father." A scary calculative look crossed her face and she started to regret ever coming. She started to rise from the settee book still in hand.
"I can see why Walter and Oliver have such a high appraisal of your capabilities." She briefly wondered why they had spoken of her to Moira but her attention was drawn back to her threatening voice. She walked towards her. "So, what are you going to do with this information?" Moira asked as she walked behind her. She hesitated. "Felicity?"
"I don't have an ulterior motive. I just think Oliver deserves to know the truth." Moira turned to her. "I thought you deserved the chance to tell him yourself. He should hear it from you," she stated.
"I'm not going to tell my son anything," Moira said in control. "And neither are you." Felicity took a step back at the threat. "You think I don't know what's going on between you and Oliver? I'd even bet that baby you're carrying is his." Her heart stopped beating. "If you wont keep my secret for Oliver's sake keep it for you and your child's. If you tell him this it will rip his world apart and a part of him will always blame you." She stared into Moira's cold eyes. "He'll hate me for sure, but he will hate you too." Moira stepped closer to her. "If you even think about saying anything to him as soon as that baby is born I will use every resource I have to make sure you never see it grow up or work in this city again."
"How dare you! You're going to threaten my life? The mother of your own grandchild?" He shouted.
"We all have to keep secrets Ms. Smoak. You need to decide whether your love for your child is worth it." Moira stepped aside and she walked past her. She wanted out of this house and soon. She knew what she had to do. There were going to be any more secrets.
She had to trust that after all they'd been through that Oliver would find a way to understand.
She wasn't going to underestimate him.
When she came into the foundry he's shirtless, sweaty and beating on a an old tire with a sledgehammer. She wouldn't deny that she stood in the shadows watching him for a few seconds too long. She walked into the light and he stopped.
"Where were you?" She let out a breath. "Felicity?" She rubbed her hands together and started pacing.
"I don't want there to be any more secrets between us. I've kept enough from you and I never want us to doubt each other, ever. But I'm scared that what I will tell you will finally push you over the edge and you'll hate me and I-"
"Felicity," he said as he strode over and grabbed her arms lightly. "I could never hate you." He stroked her arms. "Whatever it is, you can tell me." She took a deep breath and opened her mouth but nothing ever came out.
"Uh." She stared at his chest. Why was she doing it? The situation was dire and she could help but look at her chest and remember what it had felt like pressed against hers.
"Can you, uh please put a shirt on. You're distracting me." He smirked and pulled away from her to grab his gray hoodie off the back of a chair. He slipped off his gloves and slipped the jacket on.
"Better?" he asked.
"Yeah, but your face is still distracting," she muttered. "I mean in a good way. Not like in a you're ugly way because you're certainly not, oh boy you're not. It was a large contributing factor in making this," she pointed to her belly. "Not that I only like you for your looks because I don't. I-" He took her face in his hands.
"Felicity, breathe." She took another deep breath. "Okay, start from the beginning."
She explained to him about the LLC account, and how money from it had paid of the doctor and how she had pieced it all together to figure out that Thea Queen was in fact Thea Merlyn. She held on his arms to keep him from slipping away from her. "I'm sorry Oliver. I'm so so sorry. I shouldn't have kept digging. She said you would hate me and I don-"
"She what?" He yelled in outrage. She pressed her lips together. "Felicity what did she say to you?"
She didn't want to tell him, he had enough reasons to hate his mother and she didn't want to be the cause of another one.
"Felicity you said no more secrets. Now tell me what she said to you."
She looked away for a moment to gather her thoughts. Tears already threatening. She turned back to him. "She said you would hate me, that a part of you would always blame me for ripping your world apart..."
"And," he nudged her to continue. She shook her head.
"Felicity," he begged. Tears finally fell as she told him the last thing that was sure to make him angrier than he had ever been.
"She said she would use every resource she had to make sure I never got a chance to see our child grow up." A look of pure rage contorted his face. He let go of her and stomped across the foundry. "Where are you going?"
"To talk to my Mother," He bit out his jaw clenched.
"Oliver no!" He turned back to her and pulled her into his arms for a quick but tight hug. He pulled away and took her face in his hands again.
"Listen to me. You did the right thing...but I won't stand for this."
"She knows about us Oliver what if-" He cuts her off with a chaste kiss. "I won't let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?"
"With my life," She replied automatically.
"Then believe me when I say this. She will not touch you, or our baby. You will see him,"
"Or her," she added.
"-Grow up, no one threatens you. No one, not even my Mother. I will make that clear." She nodded.
Sara and Digg arrived a few moments later. Laurel had been poisoned with Tibetan Pit Viper venom and the League was using her to draw Sara out. The Lance family was in danger and just like always personal things had to be put on the back burner to save lives. Oliver was barely able to look at his mother at the rally and Moira had sent her a hard look but he did his prepared speech. He hugged her and whispered 'I know' into her ear. As soon as it was over he had grabbed her hand and dragged her from the building.
When she had asked about people seeing them together he had given her a hooded look and said that he didn't care. She could see the anger building in his system and she wondered how long it was going to take for him to explode and she just hope it could be contained when he did.
Oliver strode into the mansion, anger making every step pound against the hardwood. His mother was in the living room and he could hear her speech playing from the television. When he stomped into the room she stood from where she was leaning on the soft, drink it hand.
"I know we need to talk," she said turning to him.
"No, you need to listen, for the last year I have stood by your side because I wanted to believe that you weren't..this monster. But you are."
"Oliver-" she stepped towards him making him step back and put up his hand.
"You threatened the woman I love, the mother of my child! How could you do something like that? And you lied to me about Thea and Malcolm."
"Oliver I only lied about Thea to protect her from him." He shook his head.
"No, you lied because it's what you do." He looked at her hard, hate filling his eyes. "And that is who you are Mom. Lies, and now you've made a liar out of me, because Thea can never find out, not about Merlyn and not about us."
She look at him tears and confusion filling her eyes.
"Which is that the moment you threatened Felicity's life, our relationship was over. You will never lay a finger on her or your grandchild."
She started to shake her head violently.
"Do I make myself clear?" Her face crumbled and he couldn't find any remorse in him that he was the one that made it happen. Not after what she had done. "I will keep up appearances for Thea's sake and will support your campaign publicly. But privately? You and I? We're done."
"Oliver," she cried but he only put his hand up again. He turned and left the room hearing his mothers crying his name behind him but he didn't stop.
She was sitting on the couch watching TV trying to make herself pay attention to the show on the screen when there was a knock on the door. She hit mute on the remote, unfolded her legs from beneath her and walked to the door. She opened it to find Oliver standing there looking broken and weary.
She didn't even say a word only pulled him inside, slid his jacket off his shoulders, took his hand and led him to her room. She turned back the covers on one side of the bed and he slipped off his boots and climbed in. As he rested his head on her pillow she carded her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and his breathing evened out. She placed a kiss on his forehead and lingered there before she started to step away. He startled and grabbed her hand.
"Please don't leave," he begged and even in the dark she could see the ocean of emotions rolling over his face.
"I'll stay," she whispered. Forever was left unsaid. She started to move to walk around to the empty side of the bed but he wouldn't let go of her wrist, only scooted over so she could lie where he just had. She burrowed into the pillow that now smelt like him and he wrapped his arms around her, his palm against her swollen stomach, his chin resting on the top of her head. He held her tightly, like someone could rip her away at any moment.
"I promise Oliver," she said and there didn't need to be more words than that. He kissed the top of her head and if it was even possible pulled her closer.
He slept that night, cuddled close to her. There were no nightmares, he was too exhausted. She fell to sleep with a tear rolling down her face. But when she woke up she was cocooned in a familiar warmth and a smile stretched across her face. Sometime in the night the fabric of her shirt had rolled up and Oliver now had his warm hand pressed to the smooth skin of her stomach cupping the bump there. His palm was rough and calloused but there wasn't a better feeling in the world, she placed her hand over his and with a sigh drifted off again.
She didn't know that he had awoken a while before she did. He had just laid there holding her, afraid to move an inch lest he wake her and the moment was shattered.
He had slept better than he had in a year and that was all thanks to the little blonde that's body was now pressed to his. She snuggled closer in her sleep and let out a breathy sigh making him smile. He kissed her hair then settled his chin softly back on top of her head.
His thumb stroked the soft flesh of her abdomen and he couldn't help but think this is how he wanted to wake up for the rest of his life. Her warm body curled into his, her hair strewn across his pillow, his arm asleep and her legs tangled with his.
He wanted this so bad. But was he brave enough to take it? He knew he didn't deserve it but like a blind man being offered sight he pushed it away and decided it was time.
Time to live.
However long that may be.