Oliver stared after his sister, his face broken. His eyes squeezed shut in pain and hands balled into fist. Felicity walked over to him and pressed herself into his side and he wrapped an arm around her. Moira who was standing nearbt had her arms wrapped around herself and was crying silently. Oliver took a shuttering breath before he opened his eyes again and started to leave pulling her along with him. He set his hand on his Mom's shoulder and hesitated a moment before he they left the room. She knew there wasn't anything to say. There was a tear in their family and it would take a long time to mend but she believed it could be done.
"What are we doing now?" She asked him while trying to keep up with his long strides, as best as she could in three inch heels. She had vowed to herself that just being pregnant wouldn't change her style. Boy, why had she done that? Her feet were killing her and the extra height was not good for her equilibrium.
"We're going to the hospital," he said firmly.
"What? Why?" She stopped in her tracks in the middle of the bull pen.
"You're going to get checked out," he replied while sending her one of his looks that said 'don't even try to fight me.' Well that didn't work for her.
"I told you I was fine," she said barely managing to not stomp her heel on the floor.
"Kiddo, he's right," said Lance from behind her.
She turned to him but the look in his eyes kept her from objecting anymore. She would go but she didn't have to be happy about it. It wasn't that she didn't want to get checked out. She wanted nothing more than to make sure their baby was healthy but... what if he wasn't? She thinks that's the issue. She's terrified that they will tell her something is wrong and wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything happened to her baby, especially if it was her fault and she could have done something to stop it.
"Fine," she bit out as she swept from the room meeting Diggle by the door. He was going to take Moira and Thea home so she wanted to make sure he was okay before he left. She was oblivious to the conversation that was going on her between Oliver and Quinton.
>>------>
Lance turned to him. "No body could say your girls don't have a dramatic flare," he said while chuckling softly.
Oliver sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. "Don't I know it," he replied.
"But you wouldn't trade it for the world...would you?" asked Lance.
"No...no I wouldn't."
Lance took a deep breath, like he was readying himself to say something that was really heavy.
"Oliver, I underestimated you and I treated you harshly. For that I'm sorry. When you went off on that boat, you were just a kid, nothing that happened was your fault and I shouldn't have treated you as if it was. Even if Sara hadn't come back. You're doing good for the city and taking care of your family. I'm glad I can be a part of it now....I'm proud of you, of the man you've become."
Lance reached a hand out and he took it. He couldn't believe his ears. Quinton Lance.... apologizing? It was shocking. The man who was go gruff and completely against admitting he was wrong; not unlike him, was doing just that. "Thank you Detective," he said sincerely, hoping he was conveying just how much it meant to him.
"It's the city that should be thanking you," Lance said with a firm nod.
"I don't do what I do for thanks...I do it so that people can go home to their families and so that I can go home to mine."
Lance nodded then jerked his head in the direction of the door. "Speaking of family...go take care of her."
Oliver smiled and started towards the door.
"Hey!" Lance called after him.
He turned around to look at the man.
"Can you uh...have her call me after? I just want to know she's alright." Oliver sent him a knowing look. "I'm invested in her is all, don't think about it too much," he said while looking everywhere but him.
He could barely contain his smile. "Sure Detective."
"And...call me Quinton for Pete's sake. No more of this detective nonsense."
He nodded again and hurried over to Felicity who was waiting for him in the hallway. He took her hand in his and led them to the waiting vehicle. mentally going over the conversation he had just had.
Never would he have thought that a man who had hated him not even a year ago would become an ally.
He really needed to learn to stop underestimating people.
>>----->
Oliver hadn't let go of her hand since they had came into the hospital, not even when they had taken her blood and ran a few test. Her hands were clammy and her knee kept bobbing up and down due to her nervousness. Oliver set a hand on it and she immediately calmed. She took and deep breath and squeezed his hand. She knew he was worried too, his face was neutral but she knew that was all or her peace of mind. He didn't want to worry her further and she appreciated it but she really just wanted him to feel instead of keeping it all in.
"Everything's going to be okay."
He glanced at her. "Shouldn't I be the one reassuring you?"
"After the day we had? I think its okay to switch it up a bit." He smiled at her and she returned the gesture. "Tell me something?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know...I just need something to distract me," she said while her foot started to tap on the tile floor. Oliver's hand pressed to her knee harder. "Sorry."
"Okay...well." He looked at the ceiling for a few moments as if gathering his thoughts. "Well you know I wasn't always on the island."
She nodded. "Where were you?"
"Hong Kong, among other places." He looked around the room, his gaze fixing on a picture on the wall but not really seeing it. She could see he wasn't really here with her but in his memories. "I was working for ARGUS. They...they made me into an assassin, I was just another one of Amanda Waller's puppets."
He said her name with such hatred it made a knot settle in her stomach. She had never really hated anyone, it wasn't in her but just look in her husbands eyes was enough to make her hate the woman. What had she made him do?
"I met this man named Maseo, he had a wife named Tatsu, she didn't like me very much." He glanced at her with a sardonic smile. "I didn't blame her. I was still a little bratty then, didn't even know how to do my own laundry. She fixed that right quick. They...had a son named Akio too, he didn't like me either, not at first but we grew on each other. He helped me learn Mandarin."
Her head titled and she turned her body in his direction. "They sound like wonderful people."
"Maseo killed people Felicity."
"I know and I'm not saying it was right but I'm guessing it was to keep his family alive. Am I right?" Oliver nodded once. "What you went through, it made you into who you are. Never be ashamed of your past, not with me. You can tell me anything, and I mean anything. It won't change how I feel about you, nothing could do that. But what it would do is allow me to understand you more and take some of the burden from your shoulders. You can only carry so much weight for so long Oliver."
"I have strong shoulders," he said smirking at her.
"Oh I have proof of that." She blushed a little and Oliver pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'm serious though."
"I never want you to bear a fraction of what I've done Felicity, ever."
"But isn't that what being partners is about? Shouldering some of the weight when the other needs it?" He stayed silent and she sighed. She knew he wouldn't budge. "Tell me more about Maseo?"
"Maseo he was kind of a mentor for me. He taught me so much and he saved my life more times than I can count."
"Where is he now?"
"I don't know," he said sadly. "A lot happened between my time in China and returning to the island."
"I could try to find him," she said hopefully. He turned to her quickly.
"No Felicity." She opened her mouth to ask why. "Some things need to stay secret, where Maseo is now is one of those things. Promise me you won't go digging?"
"I promise," she said honestly. She had learned her lesson about looking places she shouldn't and had a very justifiably upset sister in law to prove it. He let out a relieved breath.
"What about Tatsu and Akio?" He flinched at the mention of the boy. She put her head on his shoulder and rubbed her nose against his neck. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me." He kissed her forehead.
"Someday Felicity... someday I will tell you everything." He said softly, voice unwavering with determination.
"I know," she whispered. And she did. He just needed time. Not today or tomorrow or next month, maybe not even next year but one day when years had passed and some of the pain he had endured had dulled; she knew it would never be completely gone, but then he would tell her and he would finally be at peace and know that nothing in the world would change how much she loved him.
They sat in a room for what seemed like forever, she dozed against his neck, his arm around her drawing things in a language she couldn't understand on her shoulder when the Doctor finally arrived. Her back went ramrod straight as the he shook both of their heads. Her throat was so dry she couldn't swallow.
"So..." She croaked but couldn't finish the sentence.
Doctor Saunders looked at her sympathetically. "All the test came back negative. You're fine and so is your baby."
Her breath left her in a rush and she looked heavenward. "Thank God." She could kiss the man but she was sure Oliver wouldn't like it very much even though Doctor Saunders couldn't be a day under sixty.
The doctor smiled. "I want you to take it easy. It seems you've been under too much stress, the baby can feel that and too much of it can cause complications. Do you have a stressful job?"
Felicity and Oliver glanced at each other and they both laughed a little. The Doctor didn't know the half of it. Her gaze returned to him. "Kind of."
"Well do your best to temper your excitement." She huffed a little. She knew that wouldn't be happening. Not as long as she was a wife/ temporary CEO/ IT girl and Vigilante sidekick.
"I'll do my best," she assured him. She would try to relax a little, starting with eight hours of sleep and a hot bath.
They left the hospital after that and Oliver settled her in the front seat, she was exhausted and she couldn't even buckle herself in. She fell asleep before Oliver even had time to crank up the car and didn't wake up until he was laying her on their bed and removing her glasses. She sat up, eyes half open, pulled off her dress and threw it on the floor making him laugh a little.
"Yeah yeah, I know you like it when I do that under different circumstances."
He smirked at her as he grabbed his t-shirt from the dresser and slipped it over her head. Her eyes started to droop again so she curled up under the comforter and scooted closer to Oliver's side knowing he would cuddle with her as soon as he came to bed. He returned from the bathroom, closed the curtains and climbed into next to her. He pulled her close, their bodies fitting together perfectly, not a inch between them and put his head on top of her.
"Felicity?" He whispered.
"Mmmhmm." She answered not really coherent enough for anything else.
"You know we can't stay here right?" He asked softly.
"Tomorrows problem," she said as she pulled his arm closer to her, his hand settling between her breast. She kissed his hand and press her head deeper into her pillow. He kissed her hair and she soon drifted off, back to the place of oblivion, where everything was okay, too bad it didn't last long.
>>----->
She took a sip of her orange juice and read her weekly baby newsletter from her tablet.
"At week eighteen your baby is the size of a sweet potato, he's working all his muscles and practicing all kinds of moves. You might experience not-so-fun symptoms, like swollen feet or hands, backaches, leg cramps and nosebleeds. And the stress and discomfort might be keeping you up at night around week 18." She shook her head and scoffed. "Already do that."
"Already do what?"
"Nothing," she said as she turned to him. He was setting a duffel bag on the floor. "What are you doing? Got sick of me already?"
"You should know better than that. No, we're going to the mansion."
"We're what?"
"I said we're-"
"I heard what you said I'm just not sure why you said it."
"Felicity," he drew out while striding over to her as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "We talked about this last night-"
"I was barely conscious last night, I would have agreed to anything."
"It's not safe here, at the mansion we'll have better security, Diggle can't sit outside the house for much longer."
"He's been doing what? For how long?"
"Off and on since Slade came back."
How had John even been functioning? She felt bad he had been losing sleep over their safety.
"So you see Felicity, that's why we need to go there, they have an around the clock security team which I've already spoken to Diggle about adding on more men, it won't stop Slade but it would give us time to get you to safety and if I've learned anything over the past 7 years its time means lives saved." His eyes pleaded with her to understand. She knew he didn't like the idea of living under the same roof as his mother any better than she did.
She nodded reluctantly and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
"Okay, go get packed, we can always come back or send someone if you forget something but try to get everything you'd need for the next couple weeks."
"You know I drive a mini right?"
"Already thought of that, John's bringing the SUV."
"I do believe some of my smarts are rubbing off on you Mr. Queen," she said as she raised up on her tip toes to nibble his bottom lip. He placed his hand on the back of her hand and deepened the kiss. His tongue sweeping against her bottom lip was nearly her undoing. Sadly before anything progressed further there was a honking outside of her townhouse. They both groaned in unison. John had the worst timing.
"When this is all over you're taking me to Tahiti." She said while releasing his shirt and smoothing out the wrinkles her fingers had made.
"I'll take you anywhere you want," he choked out, his pupils dark. She patted his chest, sent him a sultry smile and moved to go pack, dodging his outstretched hands.
A half an hour later she stood outside the Queens Mansion once again. She let out a heavy sigh and started towards the door which flew open a moment later, Thea emerged her hair a riot of dark curls going every which way and wearing a pink sundress.
"Hi," Thea said softly as she grabbed a small bag from her hand. "Mr. Diggle said you were coming to stay here for a while."
"Yes...I hope that's alright?"
"Of course, you're always welcome here." Her glare turned to her brother. "Him? Not so much."
Felicity wanted to tell Thea they were kinda package deal but it wasn't the time for a babble. "Thea-"
Thea's eyes moved back to her as she leaned down and picked another bag from the ground. "C'mon, lets get you settled in."
Felicity let Thea lead her upstairs to Oliver's old room. She stopped in the doorway memories crashing over her. The last time she had been here her family had been in danger and she hadn't really had time to think about what being in this room meant.
"You alright?" Thea asked, a hint of concern filling her voice.
She shook her head and passed over the threshold. "Of course, just got lost in my head for a minute. I do that a lot," she explained.
Thea laughed a little as she laid down the bags on the bed.
"Thea? Are you okay?" The young woman stiffened for a moment.
"Yeah," she replied but it didn't sound convincing.
"Thea you went through a lot, it's only normal to-"
"I said I'm fine," she replied voice raised in irritation.
"I'm sorry, it's just, I went through something similar as you did... so I kind of understand to a degree. I want you to know you can talk to me about anything."
Thea let out a breath and she could see tears welling in her dark eyes. "I know, I just need some time." Oliver entered the room carrying more bags and she started to leave the room squeezing her arm as she passed. "I'm really am glad you're here," she whispered to her before leaving them alone.
She glanced around the room before she strolled over to the dresser and ran her hand across the smooth wood. "This is where it all started," she said softly. She didn't think Oliver had heard her but strong arms wrapping around her middle proved otherwise. He kissed the spot behind her ear that made her shiver.
"You and I started a long time ago," he said softly.
She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "For old times sake?" she asked while wiggling her eyebrows. Oliver chuckled before lifting her to the dresser making her squeal. His lips descended to hers hungrily and she pulled him closer already tugging at his shirt.
Maybe moving to the mansion wasn't such a bad idea.