Author's note: This story takes place in an alternate universe. It started out to be a one-shot about Felicity and Oliver as teenager. While I wrote the first lines, more ideas came into my mind. So instead of a one-shot this has become a multi-chapter story. I've changed the age difference between Oliver and Thea, so it's more like five years. I've got the feeling, that especially Felicity and Oliver are out of character. So I'm sorry if it's too much.
I don't have a beta, so every mistake is mine.

Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow and don't make any money with this story.

Farm Holidays

Oliver was 15 years old and he wanted to spend the summer with his best friend Tommy at the beach. But his mother had insisted that he went to lame Idaho with her and his sister on a summer vacation while his father had to work. So he left the company jet with Moira and Thea in Boise and entered a town car at the airport which drove them out of the city. Meanwhile Oliver looked out of the window and listened to some music over his ear buds. Despite the music he heard Thea's muffled babbling about the vacation. He loved his sister, but that moment she annoyed him with her happiness.

Oliver was just gone for two hours, but he already missed Starling City and his usual life. So he checked his mobile phone. He hadn't got any messages or missed any calls. Even Tommy hadn't tried to contact him although he had told him last night he wouldn't know what to do without his best buddy during the summer. A frustrated sigh escaped his mouth while Oliver shoved the phone back into his pocket. That moment Moira touched his knee slightly, so he pulled his right ear bud out and listened while she begged him again to enjoy the vacation. But he didn't show any further reaction. When she finally gave up, he put his ear bud back in and turned his attention at the landscape again.

An hour later the town car left the street and turned onto a drive way which led towards a farm. It reminded him of the Kent Farm from the Superman comics, which he had red as a kid. All buildings were timbered and paddocks were on both sides of the drive way. Between the buildings Oliver could see a garden with some lawn furniture and fields with crops and grass in the distance. It was quaint, too quaint. He couldn't believe he would spent the next three weeks here. That moment he wished even more to be back in Starling City.

The car finally stopped and they exited it. While the driver got the luggage out of the trunk a women in his mothers age and a girl his age walked up to them. Immediately Oliver noticed the dungarees and tank-tops both wore. Their look fitted to the whole setting of the farm, they looked like cowgirls. He had to admit that it didn't look bad on the young girl. So Oliver wondered how she would look in normal clothes. His thoughts were interrupted when the woman introduced herself as Amber Henderson and welcomed them to her farm. She smiled brightly while she continued her welcome speech and introduced her niece Felicity before she showed them their rooms in the residential building. Meanwhile Amber talked about the mealtimes and handed Moira a folder with some further information as well as the keys. Finally she said that Felicity would show them around before dinner. Oliver didn't really listen, he just waited until he could go into his room.

An our later the Queen family walked downstairs. Felicity awaited them already. Together they left the house. Immediately she started to talk about the farm. Oliver didn't pay any attention because he wouldn't do anything besides of staring at his phone and brooding over this stupid holiday while he was there. But he showed his faked happy face and padded after the three women with his hands deep in his pockets. Because of Thea's interest Felicity showed them the animals first, she even introduced them to her own horse Peabody, a white appaloosa with irregular dark dots, who came to the fence when she called him. Thea was already down on her knees and ripped some grass off, which she fed to the horse. Then Felicity led them into the stables and showed them all the other animals. At last they walked behind the house into the garden while she told them which crops her aunt cultivated.

Finally they made it back to the house where they ate dinner together. The grown ups had a polite conversation while Thea still babbled about the animals and especially the horses. She asked Felicity question upon question about Peabody, which she answered. Felicity even offered Thea a lesson in western riding because she was so excited. Meanwhile Oliver ate his food in silence and still showed his broody self. He didn't even bother to pretend a happy face anymore. When they had finished and went upstairs, Moira tried to talk to him again and wanted to guide him into the living room, but he went straight into his room without a word.

After he had closed his door, he took his phone and checked it again. Still nothing had changed, no calls and no messages. This time he dialed Tommy's number, who answered the phone after a while. Oliver could barely understand him, because the music in the background was very loud. His friend attended a beach party and Laurel, the girl he liked, was there. So he had no time and dismissed him after a few words. That didn't help to increase Oliver's mood, so he threw his mobile phone on the bed angrily and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. Then he let himself fell on the bed, put the ear buds of his MP3-player in and searched for some angry music, which reflected his mood.

Oliver woke up past midnight. The battery of his MP3-player had died, so he pulled the ear buds out. Then he got up and went downstairs, because he was thirsty. The kitchen was barely illuminated by the light of the open fridge. The door hit the person, who rummaged through the contents. Oliver cleared his throat. Instantly Felicity peeked around the door and smiled at him despite the late hour.

"Can I help you?" She asked friendly while she took a carton of orange juice out of the fridge and poured herself a glass. Oliver didn't reply anything and he didn't bother to fake anything at all, instead he looked at her closely. Her hair was down and she wore pajama bottoms and a short shirt which showed a small stripe of her pale belly. That moment he realized she was a real girl not the cowgirl he had got to know earlier. "Want some juice?" He didn't show any reaction. Nonetheless she got another glass out of the cupboard and filled it. Then Felicity switched on the light above the stove, before she returned the juice into the fridge. Finally she handed him his glass and sat down.

"Thanks." It was the first word he spoke that day while he took a seat at the small table in the kitchen. He didn't say anything else instead silence fell over them.

"So..." She looked at him closely before she continued. "You miss the city, right? I know the expression on your face. Every year a teenager has to accompany his family and hates being here." Oliver wondered how he looked. "You want to have fun and you can't imagine to experience it here." Felicity finally ended.

"Seems like I'm an open book to you." The anger, which had build up inside him during the day, suddenly surfaced. "Who wouldn't prefer a summer at the beach to some farming experience." The disappointment was visible on his face, he couldn't and wouldn't hide it. Everybody should know how he felt. "But don't think too much about it. It will be three quaint, boring weeks, then I'm gone." Oliver glared at her for a moment, then the anger vanished as fast as it had come. "But that's not your problem." A hiss escaped his mouth, before he put his fake face on. "Why are you here and obviously liking it here?" Although he just wanted to distract her attention from himself he was really interested in her answer. That was odd and he didn't understand it.

"I'm from Vegas." For a moment she hesitated. "And that doesn't explain why I'm here... My mom sends me to her sister every summer as long as I can remember. Usually it's just holiday but this year it's work. Hopefully I can afford a new laptop after the summer." Oliver didn't really understand that she had to work for a laptop, because he would get a new one whenever he wanted it. So he sipped on his juice instead of replying something. Finally she broke the silence. "But we've got another task. We should find something you like here, so you can enjoy your stay." Felicity held in. "I mean. You don't have to like it here, but it maybe makes the three weeks more bearable. Actually it will be great if you enjoy your stay here and get to know why I still love to come here every summer. So... I stop right now." A faint blush spread over her cheeks. "The teenagers are hanging out at a nearby lake and in the town is a really small cinema. Maybe that's a start?"

"We can try that." Oliver told her despite his mood. He had to admit that she tried everything to make something good out of this holiday. But he didn't want to show her, so he emptied his glass and got up. Then Oliver walked to the door and turned around. "Good night... And thank you." The last three words left his mouth unconsciously.

"You're welcome." Felicity returned and smiled again.

Then Oliver left the room and walked back upstairs. When he entered his bedroom, he didn't check his mobile phone and he didn't feel the need to listen to angry music instead he just lay on his bed until he fell asleep.