This was written for the Olicity Secret Santa. Historical AU.
Colorado, 1889.
It was probably the most beautiful Christmas tree they had had in years, but Felicity wasn't really in the mood to appreciate it, still too shocked by her father's words.
"Ma...Marriage?"
Nathan Smoak poured himself a glass of brandy before turning to his daughter.
"It is arranged. William Carver is a business partner of mine. His wife died last year and he doesn't have any heir. A situation that I am unfortunately very familiar with."
"But...how old is he?"
Her father gave her a hard look. "I really don't see how that is relevant."
Which meant he was probably much older than her.
Felicity shook her head disbelievingly. "So you are basically selling me to this man?"
This time it got her an exasperated look. She could never do right anyway. "Don't be ridiculous. He doesn't give me any money, it is more like a business transaction. At least you'll be useful for something."
She ignored the hurtful words - it wasn't the first time she heard them and probably not the last. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Felicity you're 19. I was hoping you would have found a husband by now, but...It's time I take matters into my own hands. No need to thank me."
She let out an incredulous laugh. "Thank you? This is despicable ! I'm not some breeding mare that…"
"Watch your tone, young lady. It is a done deal, and nothing you will say might change anything."
He left the room, signifying the end of the conversation.
Too stunned to move, Felicity stayed rooted in the middle of the living room, torn between deep anger and total despair.
This could not be happening. Her father had never exactly been the loving, affectionate type - quite the contrary, actually. But she had never imagined that he would go this far to get rid of her.
Taking a deep breath, she shook herself out of her shock-induced stupor and walked out, climbing the stairs to her room. She needed to think. She needed to find a way out of this unthinkable situation.
An hour later, and she was still pacing in her room, frantically searching for a solution.
There was none.
What she needed was a Christmas miracle, and she knew perfectly well that they didn't exist.
"Don't move."
She jumped and let out a yelp before turning around. A man was standing in front of her window, holding a knife. The room was dark, only illuminated from the glow of the fireplace, so she couldn't see his face, who was partly hidden by a cowboy hat anyway. But he was tall and obviously well-built.
"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered in a low, menacing tone. "Just stay quiet and everything will be fine."
Stunned, Felicity raised her hands. "Who are you?" she whispered. The big knife in his hand dissuaded her to call for help.
"None of your business. Now take a coat, you're coming with me."
"With you? Where? It's the middle of the night!"
He walked towards her and this time she had a glimpse of his face, his well-defined jaw covered in a light stubble, and striking blue eyes.
"I'm kidnapping you," he hissed, and her eyes grew wide.
"Oh...Oh! Sorry, I didn't understand, I thought you wanted money, which would be stupid because this is my bedroom, and I don't have any money here, obviously. And all of it is in our safe anyway."
Ok, maybe she shouldn't have mentioned the safe ? Her barrage of words seemed to disconcert him as his menacing posture relaxed slightly and he lowered his hand holding the knife.
"I don't have the code of that safe. The one that I probably shouldn't have mentioned."
"That's why I left a note for your father, asking for a ransom. Now take your coat. Please."
It was the form of address that sprung her into action, and she grabbed the warmest coat she had as well as a scarf and gloves. December nights in Colorado could be quite chilly.
"And here I thought today could not get any worse," she muttered to herself.
He grabbed her arm firmly before opening her bedroom door. The house was quiet. Everybody had gone to bed.
He dragged her silently down the stairs and she wondered what would happen if she started screaming. She had no idea why, because he was a perfect stranger, but she had the feeling that he would never use that knife on her.
Then again, she couldn't be 100 % sure. The fact that he was really good looking didn't mean that he wasn't some lunatic. He was kidnapping her after all.
So she kept her mouth shut as they made their way out of the house and until they reached the limit of her father's ranch. After a short walk through the woods she noticed a horse patiently waiting, attached to a tree.
He kidnapper lifted her as she weighed nothing and put her on the saddle before settling behind her. She arranged her scarf so it covered her neck correctly.
"Cold?" he asked, and she nodded before feeling his arms tighten around her and pressing her against his broad chest. He was rather considerate for a criminal.
And speaking of…
"What is your name? I'm just asking because it would be nice to refer to you in my head as something else than 'the kidnapper."
She could swear that she heard him snort but when she turned her face to his he was still sporting the same severe look.
"My name is of no importance."
"Well, considering you are taking me to some mysterious place in the middle of the night in these freezing temperature, and a couple of weeks before Christmas, I think I'm entitled to say that it is a bit important to me, yes."
He shot her an exasperated look. "Do you ever shut up?"
"You're the one who kidnapped me. Deal with it."
This time she was sure the the corner of his mouth lifted briefly.
She was so sure that he was taking her to some abandoned cabin that she was surprised when they reached the first residential parts of Denver. After a few more minutes, he stopped in front of a building, helped her down before putting his hand on her back and leading her to a door on the side.
They walked into a small apartment. The first room was obviously the main one with a couch, a table and two chairs, and the usual furnitures and amenities. A decorated Christmas tree gave a cheery feeling to the place, soon accentuated by the fire that the kidnapper lit, as well as a few candles.
She also noticed another room in which she saw a bed.
"Is this your place?"
"No. It's a friend's."
"Does that friend kidnap people too?"
He gave her a look and she sighed. Obviously a sense of humor was not his number one quality.
She observed him as he shed his coat and his hat, running his hand through his hair. She hadn't seen a lot of shirtless men in her life, but in the summer, when it was very hot, a few of the workers would take off their shirt and some of them were athletic and with a solid built.
This one seemed to fit in this category.
The fire had warmed the small room so she took off her coat too, putting it with her scarf on a chair nearby.
He was still standing in front of the fireplace, looking pensively at the flames. It was like he had forgotten she was even here.
This man was not a seasoned outlaw, she was sure of it.
"Is this your first time?"
The little jerky movement he did with his head when he turned to her confirmed that he had been lost deep in his thoughts.
"My first time what?"
"Kidnapping someone."
"It's not a habit of mine, no," he replied, and even had the audacity to look offended.
"Well, excuse me for assuming," she said sarcastically. "The actual circumstances don't actually speak in your favor."
He held her gaze for a few seconds before an unexpected smile appeared on his face. A genuine smile that lit his face and made his eyes twinkle.
She had thought he was handsome before but boy it was nothing to how he looked like now. Her breath caught in her throat as she put her hand on her stomach in the vain hope of quelling the onslaught of butterflies.
Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice.
"You could at least pretend to be a little bit afraid," he told her good-naturedly and she rolled her eyes.
"I just learned a few hours ago that my father had arranged a marriage for me with a man who's probably twice my age - but I can't be sure because, guess what, I've never met him. Or maybe I have, my father entertains a lot of his business partners at the ranch, but I'm pretty positive that if we did we probably didn't exchange more than two words. So I'm sorry, but you kidnapping me is actually not the scariest thing that happened to me tonight."
His face was a mixture of awe and respectful stupefaction at her diatribe.
"It's Oliver," he finally said.
"What?"
"My name. It's Oliver."
"Oh! I'm Felicity."
He nodded before gesturing to the couch. "Come sit here. It's warmer."
She sat as he added a log to the fire. "How much did you ask my father?"
He gave her an amount and she opened her eyes wide.
"Oh my God. He's never going to pay that much."
Oliver frowned. "What do you mean? You're his daughter."
She let out a derisive laugh. "Yes, that's the problem. I'm just his daughter."
"I refuse to believe that."
"Did you miss the part where I just told you how he's getting rid of me by marrying me off? He's never going to pay such a huge amount to get me back."
Oliver shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and see. He might surprise you."
Felicity observed him for a few minutes. "Let me guess. You're very close to your parents. Do they know you spend your nights kidnapping unsuspecting young women?"
"They wouldn't know. They are dead."
That definitely cast a chill. Oh, well done, Felicity.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"That was 8 months ago. But yes, we were close."
Her first instinct was to put her hand on his arm as a comforting gesture, but the rigidity of his posture and the look on his face deterred her to do so. Following his earlier remark, she had thought that he could never be scary with that handsome face and those blue eyes covered by incredibly long lashes.
She was wrong.
"May I ask what happened?" she asked in the softer voice she could muster.
"The stagecoach they were traveling with was attacked. One of the robbers fired his gun and the horses got spooked and the carriage fell into a ravine. Everyone inside died, except for the driver who jumped before. That's how we know what happened."
"And the robbers?"
"Still at large," he replied, and she noticed that nervous twitch of him - rubbing his thumb and finger together - was back. She had noticed it earlier in her room back at the ranch when he was waiting for her to put her coat on. That had been her first clue that he was not a professional criminal.
His story made her even more curious as to why he had been pushed to such extremities. The man was a mystery and she really hated those. However, she knew that questioning him further on the subject would be inappropriate. And it was not as if she would ever see him again after tonight. So she settled on a safe topic.
"Is there anything to drink?"
Oliver got up and walked to the stove on the other side of the room.
"Is coffee ok?" he asked, and she smiled.
"Coffee's fine."
He was back a few minutes later with two mugs.
"I'm sorry that your father is forcing you to marry this man."
She brought the mug to her lips, inhaling the comforting smell. "Well, we're not married yet. And there is no way I'm letting that stranger be my first kiss. Maybe I'll run away and join a circus. Or become an actress. Or a singer."
"You can sing?"
She shrugged. "I'm not too bad."
A soft smile played on his lips. "Ok. Let's hear it then."
"What, here? Now?"
"Well, if you want to run away to become a singer, you might want to have an opinion on whether or not you can sing. Just to make sure."
She giggled. "If you insist...and since it's Christmas…"
She started with the first notes of 'Joy to the World', but kept her voice low because of the late hour. Then she noticed the way Oliver was looking at her and she stopped.
"What? Is it really bad?"
He cleared his throat. "No. You have a really nice voice," he told her, staring back at the fire. "If anything you could become a Christmas Carols singer."
"Oh, I like them, but no. That probably wouldn't pay very well. Also, I'm Jewish."
"Oh sorry. You celebrate Hanukkah, then?" At her surprised look he added," We have a jewish family in my town. My sister is friends with their daughter."
She nodded, giving him a sad smile. "Since my mother died, my father forbid me to celebrate anything. I think he threw everything away."
The more Oliver heard about her father, the less guilty he felt for his actions.
He hadn't expected this at all. He had thought that he would spend the night holed up in this apartment with a mousy little thing too scared to say a word or even move. There might have even been some whining and crying and he hadn't look forward to that.
Instead he had met Felicity and she wasn't like anyone he had ever known. Not only was she pretty, but she also seemed smart and witty. She had a lovely smile and an even more enticing laugh. Beautiful blue eyes behind her spectacles. And the shade of her hair was the same color as Mr Wilson's wheatfield when the sun was slowly settling down at the end of the day.
Then he remembered that he had kidnapped her in order to extort money from her father and it sobered him up. He didn't know much about courting, but he was pretty sure that this was not the best start.
He realized that she was talking to him. "You have a sister?"
He focused back on her. "Yes. Thea. She's fifteen."
"No brother?"
"No. It's just...just the two of us, now."
His heart clenched once again at the memory of his parents and he couldn't help his next words. "I'm doing this for her."
She understood immediately. "The kidnapping?"
He nodded. "My parents owned a store. Well, we still do, but...I don't exactly have the qualifications to run it, and business has started to decline. I need the money to get it back on its feet. We also live upstairs, so if we lose the store, we lose our home. We have lived in Starling Creek all our lives. Thea is going to school, spending time with her friends, helping me at the store...I don't want to uproot her. I need to make sure she's happy and provided for."
He sighed before meeting her gaze, where to his relief he saw no sign of pity or even judgment. Just a friendly compassion.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this," he said, realizing a little bit late that he might have revealed a little too much about himself considering the circumstances.
After a brief hesitation, she put her hand on his arms and he enjoyed the warm feeling that came with her touch, spreading in his arm and all the way to his chest.
"I might talk a lot, but I'm also a good listener."
She put her mug on the table, settling more comfortably on the couch. "Isn't there anyone who could help you financially? Your friends?"
"They offered, but I couldn't accept. My friend Tommy is the town doctor. He makes enough money to live correctly, assuming he doesn't have too many people paying him in chickens or pies. Which he never turns down. My other friend John and his wife Lyla owns the restaurant. They just had a baby. So none of that was an option."
"Do they know?"
He scoffed. "Hell no. They both would beat the shit out of me," he laughed bitterly before giving her a contrite look. "Sorry about the cussing."
"Don't worry. I'm sorry that you had to resort to such extremities just so you and your sister can have a decent life."
She couldn't help a yawn and he smiled. "You should get some rest. Take the bed. I'll stay here."
She stood up. "When are you supposed to get the money?"
"I gave your father an 8 am deadline. Don't worry, I'll wake you up when it's done and I'll bring you back."
"All right. Good night Oliver."
"Good night, Felicity."
"I really hope my father will give the money."
"Me too. Because I can't imagine that someone wouldn't want to have you back, whatever the price."
As Felicity woke up, she realized that it was past 8 am and that Oliver hadn't woken up like he said he would. Intrigued, she get up and walked into the main room, where she found Oliver sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in front of him and a piece of paper in his hand.
"Hey."
He greeted her with a smile. "Hey. You want some coffee?"
"Thank you. Did you already…?"
He took the time to fill a cup and handed it to her before answering. "Yes. He didn't pay."
Her heart plummeted in her chest, both for her and Oliver. Because even if Oliver wasn't a bad guy, her father didn't know that. He was voluntarily leaving her fate between the hands of what could be a very dangerous criminal.
She took a sip of her coffee but it had lost its appeal. She noticed the paper on the table.
"Is that your ransom note?"
Oliver grabbed it, crumpling it between his fingers. "Yes."
"May I see it ?"
He gave her a tight smile. "It's really not that interesting, Felicity."
She savored the sound of her name in his mouth before holding her hand. "Then you won't mind me reading it."
He was obviously debating whether to give it to her or not, so she just said, "Oliver," and he handed her the note, and what was that pained look on his face ? Of course he probably regretted not getting the money, but that pain seemed to be directed at her.
With a frown, she smoothed the note. Under Oliver's ransom demand she read,
She's not worth that much money. You can keep her.
She found it ironic that she had said practically the exact same words to Oliver last night with a certain detachment - but seeing the actual words in her father's handwriting actually hurt much more than she had expected.
"I guess that 'I told you so' is appropriate right now," she said, and she hated how her voice choked on the last word. "I'm truly sorry that you didn't get the money, Oliver."
She took her cup of coffee to hide the shaking of her hand and gulped it down. Then she threw the note in the fire.
Oliver walked to her and gathered her gently between his arms, and she let him. With a sigh she pressed her cheek against his chest and felt his hand caressing her hair.
"I'm sorry Felicity. And not about the money."
She nodded silently, fighting back the tears. She really didn't want to spend a single one on that despicable man.
She took a deep breath and step backwards regretfully, leaving Oliver's embrace. He seemed to have troubles to let go himself considering how his hands lingered on her shoulders and arms.
"So...what now?"
"Now I bring you back to the ranch and then I go home."
She shook her head. "You shouldn't bring me back all the way there. I can take a carriage." As he was about to protest, she continued, "My father didn't pay but he might have positioned a few men. I don't want to risk that...you. I'll be fine," she assured him, and he agreed reluctantly.
She put her coat and scarf on before turning to him with a sad smile. "I know this is going to sound strange, but...I had a really nice evening. Thank you for kidnapping me," she said with a little laugh, although it lacked the joy he had heard in it last night.
"Me too. My short career as a criminal is definitely a fail, but I'll never regret meeting you," he said in a low voice, and as she was about to step back, he took her face in his hands and put his lips on hers.
It was a gentle kiss, not meant to frighten her. And dear God she wasn't, not at all. Her hand came to grip the front of his plaid shirt as she raised on her tiptoes, savoring the feel of his warm lips against hers. She sighed as he caught her lower lip between his, nibbling on it in a tender kiss.
"What…?" she whispered, feeling dizzy when he finally pulled away.
"So now that Carver guy won't be your first kiss," he told her softly.
She smiled, losing herself in his blue eyes for a moment.
"Bye, Oliver."
"Bye Felicity."
She hurried down the street, not daring to look back.
Once alone in the carriage, Felicity let the tears flooding her cheeks. not over her father, but over the feeling that she had just lost something - someone - precious.
When she arrived at the ranch it was quiet. She asked one of the maid if her father was there. Because she was definitely going to give him a piece of her mind.
"No, Miss Felicity. He left early this morning and said he would be back tomorrow."
Felicity bit her lips, thinking fast. Change of plans then. A smile blossomed on her lips.
She knew exactly what she had to do.
Oliver finished packing, feeling a little bit numb. He honestly had no idea what he was going to do now. The presence of Felicity had brought a ray of light for a few hours, but now that she was gone all the worries pertaining to his situation were coming back in full force.
A knock on the door distracted him, and when he opened the door and found her on the threshold, he wondered briefly if thinking about her had summoned her magically.
"Felicity?"
"I was afraid you would be gone already. May I come in?"
Astounded, he opened the door wider. "Of course. What happened?"
She had two bags with her. She put one on the floor and the other one on the table. "Here. This one is for you."
Feeling intrigued, but already revigorated by her simple presence - and the fact that she seemed to have found her natural cheerfulness back - he opened it.
And remained speechless.
The bag was full with batches of notes, more than he had ever seen in his life.
"Felicity…"he whispered. "What did you do?"
"I decided that you, and I, needed and deserved that money more than my father do. And that's just a small part, actually. There was plenty left in the safe, but I was afraid it would be too heavy to carry."
"What's in the other bag?" he motioned to the one on the floor.
"Oh, it's my personal stuff. I know it's probably insane, but I decided to leave. It can't be worse than getting married to a complete stranger by a father that clearly doesn't want me."
He looked between her and the bag with the money, running his hands in his hair and over his face. "Felicity...I can't accept this."
She frowned. "Why? You would have taken it if my father had paid it, right?"
"Yes, but.."
"No but. Consider it as...an early Christmas present."
He chuckled. "But I didn't give you one. That doesn't seem fair."
She shrugged. "Yes you did. You kissed me. I gave you a lot of money, you gave me a kiss, and woah, when I say it like this it sounds a tad inappropriate."
His laugh deepened and she joined him, before putting her hand on his arm.
"Please take the money, Oliver."
"But you don't even know me. You don't even know if what I told you is true."
"I'm choosing to trust you."
He shook his head, giving her an incredulous look. "Felicity, you're remarkable."
"No, I'm not. I'm actually trying very hard not to think of myself as a thief and more as a...Robin Hood type."
"Who?"
"Never mind. I have to go. There's a carriage waiting for me outside."
"Wait...Where will you go?"
"I haven't decided yet. I remember my mother mentioning once that she had family in New York. That seem a good destination as any."
As she took her bag, a wave of panic overwhelmed him. Everything had seemed so bleak once she had left, and then so bright again when he had found her at the door a few minutes earlier.
"Come with me."
She looked confused. "What? Where?"
"Back to Starling Creek. Just for a while, or as long as you want. Take some time to think of what you want to do."
It was a bold proposition, and an improper one at that since she was unmarried and so was he. So he added hastily, "You'll be safe with me, I promise."
"Oh, no, I don't doubt that, I just...I didn't expect...ok."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
His first instinct was to pull her in his arms, as he felt so elated by her agreement, but he refrained from doing so. The fact that he had kissed her already crossed way too many boundaries.
"You know, I could maybe help you with the store. I used to help my father with some things, and I know a bit of accounting...I'm not implying that you don't know about it, of course."
He laughed. "Felicity, if you know a bit of accounting, that's already a lot more than I do. So any help will be appreciated."
"Shall we go then?"
"Let me take my bag."
As he followed her out of the apartment, he thought of something. "Hey, I can introduce you to the Cohens. I'm sure they will let you celebrate Hanukkah with them."
"I would like that," she said, addressing him a blinding smile and even though his impulsive decision felt a bit crazy, it mostly felt like the right thing to do.
He was coming back with a bag full of money, but it seemed that he had gained something a thousand time more valuable along the way.
A/N : I'm seriously considering continuing this, as I have a lot of ideas but no real plot yet. So I will leave it as a oneshot for now, until I'm sure I have a plot solid enough for this fic to be updated regularly.
Needless to say that reviews would be a nice way to show interest and give some encouragement :)