Somehow within a few hours Thea had managed to buy her a new wardrobe. She had tried to reason with her, after all she was pregnant and in a few months the clothes wouldn't be worn anymore but to no avail. The Queen may be tiny but she wasn't to be trifled with.
So in a new emerald green day dress, she was sure Oliver would love they arrived at what looked like a castle. She climbed from the vehicle, her heels sinking down into the gravel and her eyes going wide.
"Wow, Thea..." She was practically speechless as she stared at the estate that could have came straight from a Jane Austen novel.
Thea took her arm with a beaming smile. "Only the best for a Queen."
"It's just a baby shower Thea," she said.
"I know, but I wanted it to be special," she replied as she took her arm and pulled her inside the residence, their security entourage following close behind.
They stopped right outside the large door. "It's the Bartlett estate, they're close friends and were more than willing to let us use one of their rooms. Oliver said you loved Eliza something, so I thought you'd love this place."
"Elizabethan era, and I do." She turned to Thea with tears in her eyes. "Thea....thank you."
"No tears, you haven't even seen the best parts yet."
"I can't imagine it get's better than this."
"Oh but it does," the brunette replied as she grabbed her hand and pulled her through the mansion. She was starting to understand why Oliver called Thea Speedy. Man could that girl move. She didn't even have a chance to look at the painting on the wall or take in any of the décor.
Finally Thea stopped in front of two large white doors that nearly reached the ceiling. She sent her a smile before she pushed the doors open. Her mouth automatically dropped open to form a O as she walked into the opulent room. She stood in the center and turned as she took it all in, large windows let in a abundance of light and gave a perfect view of the gardens outside and were framed by white gauzy curtains. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, the sun glinted off the glass orbs hanging from it sending shards of light dancing throughout the room. Large couches filled with pillows sat atop rugs that probably cost more than her car. There was a table overflowing with gifts and a cart holding a tea kettle and dainty painted cups.
She moved to the window that overlooked the garden that as in full bloom. A water fountain topped by a cherubim spitting water down into the pool below. "It's beautiful," she breathed as her fingers traced the window pane. She stood there gazing for what seemed like forever until she finally turned to find Thea and Moira looking at her with soft smiles on their faces.
"Thank you, both of you."
"Oh dear, you are most welcome," Moira said graciously. "I'm so glad you like it."
"It's like something out of a dream."
"In that case...." Thea trailed off as she strode over to a mahogany table and opened a box. "I thought you'd need this."
"Is that..." she peered at the sparkly bejeweled crown in her sister in law's hands.
"A tiara? Yep. You are a Queen after all."
"I think you're taking this whole Queen thing a little too seriously," she chuckled.
"Stop ruining my fun," she demanded..
She rolled her eyes as Thea sat the small crown atop her head, then tugged her over to a mirror to have a look.
"It's beautiful Thea, but I feel a little silly."
"Humor me will you?"
She sent her a sideways glace and pressed the small crown down further into her curls. Secretly the idea of wearing tiara was very appealing. You could ask any woman, it didn't matter who they were, at one point in their life they imagined being a princess. She had before she found her one true love. Computers. The day she stole her Dad's tech to build a supercomputer was the day her dream morphed into something new. No longer was it of being a princess but of using her skill to make the world a better place. One piece of tech at a time. She rubbed her hand across her stomach receiving a kick in answer. Now look where she was. She couldn't imagine actually being a princess would be any better than her life right now. Thea reappeared at her side and she jumped. She hadn't even noticed she was gone.
"You alright?" Thea asked, her brow furrowed with worry. She smiled reassuringly.
"He's kicking." She said simply while taking her hand and laying it against her abdomen.
"Oh...is that a good thing? The only thing I know about babies is the stuff I learned from movies..." Thea trailed off, her eyes widened then snapped up to meet hers. "That's my nephew!" She laughed. "Oh boy, am I going to spoil him rotten."
A cacophony of voices reached her ears, echoing in the large hallways and her laughter died down. "Thea, exactly who all did you invite?"
"Relax, just a few people. Mostly close friends of yours and Ollie's of course. I wasn't going to have you uncomfortable."
She sighed in relief just as a group of familiar and unfamiliar women filled the doorway, led by Moira. She spotted Sara and the blonde sent her a look that said I-know-exactly-what-your-thinking-and- if-you-run-I-will-catch-you. She and Thea went to meet the group that. Moira introduced her to several of the women but she gravitated back to the familiar faces. She was surprised to see Laurel standing a few feet from her sister. Sara came and hugged her.
"I hope you don't mind, I invited Laurel to tag along," said Sara leaning closer to her and whispering. "Is it too weird?"
Too weird? Her husbands ex-girlfriend, the woman he loved for years, that quite possibly helped him make it through five years of hell on Lian Yu, attending her baby shower? No, not weird at all. Heck, she should have had Thea invite Helena and McKenna and string a banner that said "Women who've slept with Oliver Queen." She was a walking fanfiction story. Four women he slept with, one he impregnated. It was quite comical. She snorted a laugh and Sara's eyebrows rose.
"Uh sorry, inner ramblings. No of course not." She turned to Laurel. "Thank you for coming." The brunette smiled genuinely.
"Congratulations. You look stunning."
"Really? Thank you. I feel like a bloated whale but Oliver doesn't seem to mind." Once she realized what she said a blush spread up her neck and into her cheeks. "Uh I totally didn't mean that sexually I just meant..." Laurel took her hand and led her away a few feet away from the group.
"Felicity, I know you and I don't really know each other, but I do know Oliver." Laurel tilted her head to the side. "I've never seen him so happy. The way he is with you? He was never like that with me or anyone else. He's changed and that's because of you Felicity. I loved Ollie and you and I both know he died on that Island. You married Oliver and I couldn't be happier for you both. I want you to know that and I'd like...us to be friends. That's why I came today, its a step in that direction. If Oliver, Sara and even my Dad love you then obviously I've been missing out on knowing an amazing person."
Tears filled her eyes for the second time that day and she squeezed Laurel's hand tightly, only capable of nodding in answer. She cleared her throat. "Nothing would make me happier Laurel."
She had always worried that Laurel would resent her. It was the natural thing to do. After all she had married the man she had loved at one point. Before she and Oliver got married, and after Tommy died she had wondered if Oliver and Laurel would eventually end up back together after her mourning period was over. She had felt guilty just thinking it especially so soon after Tommy's death. She wouldn't lie. She had been jealous, After all she was gorgeous Laurel and she was, well...just Felicity. She knew now that she hadn't given Laurel enough credit and that she shouldn't hold mistakes from the past against her. She loved Ollie but she was in love with Tommy and had just gotten that confused. Put any woman in her situation and the same thing would have happened. She didn't completely understand. After all none of her ex boyfriends had come back from the dead still claiming to love her. If one did she'd tell them to hit the road but that as only because she was deeply in love. Ask her to make the same decision 3 years ago and it may have had a different outcome.
A moment later she and Laurel rejoined the swarm of women and not long after the party started. There was tea and cake, a wide variety of gifts, everything one would need for the first few months of a baby's life. Onesies, bottle, hats, booties, blankets and plush stuffed animals. She had three favorite gifts, one from Thea, a light blue onsie with the words 'Mama's Little Prince' on the front, a miniature black leather jacket from Sara and a hot pink baby bag monogrammed with a Q from Laurel. She smiled as she looked inside.
"I figured it couldn't be all about the baby. You're important too," said Laurel softly.
Inside the bag was an assortment of of things, several bottles of brightly colored nail polish, a few tubes of lipstick, high end shampoo and conditions that smelled heavenly, a bottle of lotion and a gift card to a lingerie store. It was too much.
Tear welled in her eyes and this time there was nothing she could do to stop them. She pulled Laurel into a hug and held her tightly for a long moment, she rubbed a spot on her back. "I'm glad you liked it."
She pulled back. "Liked it? I loved it," she sniffed. Moira handed her a tissue and she smiled gratefully before turning back to Laurel. "I'm sorry, all I ever do is cry anymore."
"That's an understatement," said Thea under her breath.
"Hey! I haven't been that bad."
"Felicity, you cried at commercial the other night."
"It was abused puppies Thea, if that doesn't make you emotional then you have no soul."
"No sweet cheeks, it was fast food commercial."
She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms. "I only cried because I was hungry. Oliver's only been letting me eating 'healthy' food. He's even turned Raisa against me now," she pouted.
"I can fix that," said Sara as she rose from the couch across from her. She strode over to one of the food tables and returned with a slice of cake and held it out to her. "Problem solved."
"But I've already had two slices."
"If you don't tell, I won't. What Ollie doesn't know won't hurt him."
She took the plate Sara was holding and picked up the fork.
"That's what Thea said about strippers but I put my foot down." She bit into the cake and sighed, closing her eyes. "Sara Lance, I think I love you." She paused for a second, eyes still closed. "I know what I said and I meant it, in a completely sisterly way."
The room burst into laughter and she opened her eyes to find everyone smiling at her.
"I love you too, in a completely sisterly way," Sara said chuckling. "Oh speaking of sisters. "Dad said that he wants you to come to dinner soon. He said...and I'm speaking verbatim. 'That Queen boy's been monopolizing her time with all that work. That girls like my daughter and I say she needs a relaxing night to just focus on making a spleen and not nano-chip thingy' I didn't ask what that meant but I'm assuming it has to do with you being a....what did you call it? Human oven?"
By the end of Sara's speech she was holding her sides from laughing so hard and tears were running unchecked down her cheeks. She wiped them away and rubbed at the stitch in her abdomen. "Tell him I'll come to dinner soon."
From there the conversation moved to a multitude of different topics. She had long conversations with Thea, Laurel and Sara and a few of Moira's friend gave her advice on the first few months of parenthood. One even gave her a copy of a book that her family had been passing down to new Mom's for generations, fully of tips and old wives tales that Mrs. Seely swore worked.
It was going on eight o'clock when the party started to wind down. Hugs and farewells for now were exchanged with promises to see each other again soon before everyone departed for their own homes. After she sunk down onto the couch and sighed as her back hit the soft material. Moira and Thea started gathering all the gifts. She tried to rise to help them. "Uh, Thea a little help?" She called, her arms waving around only succeeding in making her look like a T-Rex. Thea only waved her off.
"You need to rest sis."
"She's right, we have this dear. You're exhausted."
She started to protest but a wave of fatigue washed over her and Moira sent her a knowing look that had her deflating right back into the welcoming sofa. "Okay, so I may be a little tired but you guys did so much for me. I just want to be helpful."
"You'd help us if you just relaxed for two seconds," Thea exclaimed while folding a blanket to go into one of the duffel bags she had thought to bring to transport the presents home.
"I'll admit, I am a little tired. Who knew making a human was so hard?"
"Get used to it, you won't be sleeping for the next eighteen years," answered Moira.
"Oh come on Mom," Thea scoffed. "Be honest. The worrying never ends. No matter how old we get."
"I'll never not worry about my children...no matter how old you get." Thea exhaled and crossed her arms.
"I can't imagine how I feel now get's any worse but I know I'm wrong." She laid a hand on her belly. "Right now he's safe, inside me, where I can always protect him. But soon he won't be and I won't be able to control his environment. I don't want to think about him walking let alone going to school or driving."
"Just wait until he starts dating," Moira said with a laugh.
She groaned and flung her arm across her eyes. "That's why I thank God everyday that we're having a boy. Oliver has already freaked out and said our daughter won't be dating until she's thirty or he's dead. He's such a drama Queen." She stopped and shook her head. "That was an unintentional pun."
Thea waved her hand. "Nothing new. You know I'm kinda glad Ollie was on that Island during my dating years."
"Thea!" Moira gasped, letting the bag she was holding slip to the floor.
"What? You know Oliver would have had a heart attack over some of my boyfriends."
"And rightly so. You don't exactly have the best taste in men Thea. Purse snatching thief for example."
"Roy doesn't steal anymore," she and Thea both answered together. Thea shot her a grateful look.
"Oliver is very fond of Roy, but that won't keep him from kicking his butt if he hurts Thea in anyway." She informed Moira. "Trust me, I've seen him threaten him."
Thea gasps. "Are you serious?"
"Yep, Oliver is a worry wart. I never would have thought that of him. I'm scared for our future daughter. He'll probably try to lock her in her room or something."
"Did you inform him he doesn't have a daughter yet?"
"Yeah, he just said 'we will' then gave me this really scary look that had me on my knees later that night praying for a boy."
Thea clutched her sides as she doubled over in laughter and Moira just shook her head. Her phone beeped and she grabbed it off the side table. "Speaking of worry warts..."
It was a text from Oliver, asking if she was alright. She knew he had been checking with their security team periodically if the guards occasionally discreetly sticking their heads in the door over the past few hours was any indication. But she knew Oliver would want to hear from her directly. She shot him a quick text saying they were alright and would be home soon. "We better get going."
Moira handed the bags to one of the guards to take to the car and Thea helped her up from the couch. She had her arm laced with hers as they made their way outside and she could stop the smile that stretched her face. It had been a wonderful day.
"So I was thinking we drop some stripper jokes around Ollie. It would totally freak him our and make him go all ape. I'd pay good money to see it."
She was opening her mouth the reply when everything changed abruptly.
Chaos erupted around them. It was like everything happened in slow motion, hours instead of seconds. Like something you would see out of a movie. One of the guards fell to the ground in a heap and another clutched his chest as he slid down the car door, blood staining the white gravel crimson.
She didn't hear the shots, or the screams for them to get down.
She didn't feel Thea gripping her arm like death itself was trying to tear her away, leaving fingers shaped bruises on her pale skin.
She didn't see Moira throwing her body in front of hers and Thea's. It was all happening so fast. Oliver. Just thinking his name was enough to jolt her to move. Her vision sharpened and everything that was happening around them was moving fast. Tires spit gravel and more guards were yelling and she had enough time to shove Thea to the ground before she was overtaken with blackness, her last thoughts of Oliver and the beating heart inside her.
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