Disclaimer: Avid watcher of seasons 1-4 of Arrow. Partially caught up on season 5, just kinda waiting it. I've seen a handful of episodes of Legends and 2 seasons of Flash. Never seen Super Girl. I'm pretty much just an Olicity shipper who's impatiently waiting for a reunion.
I threw this together last night… You'll have to keep in mind that I'm only partially caught up in season 5. At this point while I know who Prometheus is from social media. I haven't hit the episodes where Team Arrow does so we'll just say this starts off around 5.10ish. And again, I don't watch a lot of Flash and Legends so you may have to ignore some time travel inconsistencies that I'm not familiar with. I haven't written a fanfiction in a long time so I'm really not sure if this one is worth continuing… just a random idea I had on a lazy day where I actually had a few hours to put it to paper. It was therapeutic for my ongoing Olicity frustrations… Enjoy and let me know what you think! I'm happy to post more chapters if you guys would like.
Felicity Smoak tapped away quietly at her keyboard as she reviewed every piece of data that she and the rest of the team had collected on Prometheus, their newest and extremely dangerous enemy. Their previous attempts to take down Prometheus, dubbed "villain of the year" had all been in vain. It seemed that no matter how hard the team worked, he was always one step ahead of them. It was as if he knew their plan before they did. Felicity couldn't help but think that maybe if she just worked harder, longer… they'd have a better chance of catching him. There had to be something she was missing. She always felt she got more done in the quiet of their hidden headquarters. The rookies of the team, Curtis, Renee, Dinah, and Rory, were out patrolling the city for any indication of foul play. Pointless really, but at least it kept them busy and out of her hair. Oliver didn't exactly agree with her plan, arguing that it was pointless to waste manpower on silly cases that the SCPD could handle, but he humored her knowing that it was the only thing that helped her feel productive right now. Felicity was dealing with consequences Prometheus' destruction and the subsequent death of her boyfriend, Billy, by throwing herself into her work. As irrational as it was, she felt if she could stop Prometheus, Billy's death would be avenged and the pain and guilt would be gone.
Oliver Queen on the other hand had decided to (finally) throw himself into his day job. Being Mayor of Star City was something he'd neglected over the past few months much to his sister Thea's annoyance. Now without any sort of lead on Prometheus, he'd decided that it was time to focus his days on how to better prepare the city for the next inevitable attack. Between his day job, and his nights spent with the team reviewing any new findings and training the new team, what little spare time he had left was spent with his new girlfriend, Susan. Susan was a reporter who had recently taken a vested interest in discovering and exposing the Green Arrow. Oliver knew that by continuing to see her, he was assuring that his secret stayed safe. This was why it caught Felicity completely off guard when he entered the lair at 10:45 that night. While these for normal hours of operation for the rest of the team, unless there was an issue, Oliver didn't usually appear back at his makeshift apartment inside the lair until much later.
"What are you still doing here?" Oliver asked, startling Felicity with the sound of his voice. She spun her computer chair to face him as he slipped a clean t-shirt over his bare chest, having obviously just changed out of his work suit.
"Figured I'd try and get some things finished while the kids were out" She smiled, working unnecessarily hard to avoid eye contact until the shirt covered him fully. She and Oliver were in a good place… that is, if you defined 'good' in the most awkward of terms. Felicity often thought of their relationship as a sexless married couple. They spent all of the time that they were together managing their "household." They were busy raising "kids." Much of their conversation harped on the best way to get Renee and Rory to get along, and how they were going to include their newest member Dinah into the fold, and what to do about Curtis' love life. They successfully avoided any of their issues, instead replacing them with trivial arguments about the team. Not since summer had they slipped up and allowed any real emotion or feelings to leak through. They were a well-oiled machine, ever so careful to keep every aspect of their complicated relationship in check.
"They grow up so fast" Oliver smirked as rolled his eyes slightly. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, their new recruits really were getting better and more reliable.
"I thought you had a thing…"
"A thing?" Oliver was confused as he joined Felicity at her work station. He checked his phone again to be sure of the time. 10:45pm. His brow furrowed as he realized this was the 4th night in a row he'd found her there so late.
"You and Susan?"
"Oh. She's mad at me again for being late… and not calling her back for two days… and not responding to her texts in a timely manner"
"Girls…" Felicity mumbled, tilting her head slightly as she cracked the first smile of the day. She didn't know much about Susan other than what Thea had told her, all of which were petty stories about why she didn't like her. Susan wore too much make up. Her dresses were too short. She used her body to get what she wanted. She was the combination of every girlfriend Oliver had ever had aside from Felicity. As much as it annoyed Thea though, Felicity found it oddly comforting that she was still the outlier in Oliver Queen's list of women.
"Any leads?" Oliver asked, quickly redirecting the conversation topic away from Susan.
"Nada. It's like he's screwing with us. He gives us just enough to send us on a wild goose chase and then… nothing"
"He's distracting us from something bigger" Oliver sighed as he scanned Felicity's screen. There had been no new leads for days. Prometheus had disappeared from the map. But they knew from experience that this was never a good sign. He'd be back, striking bigger and deadlier.
"But what? I mean if the stunts he's been pulling are just the distraction I'm terrified to see what's really going on"
"Any news from John?"
"Just that he's enjoying his freedom at home with Lyla and JJ" Felicity sighed rocking back in her chair. She slipped her pink heels off as she tucked her feet underneath herself. "And basically not to call him unless it's an emergency"
Oliver and Felicity sat in silence for a few long minutes, their usual topics of conversation depleted. Sometimes the silence was enough though. Just being there with him was enough. No matter that their personal issues may be, the truth was still that no one else would ever understand them like they did each other. Maybe it was that truth that made things that much harder. There was no hiding, no pretending to be okay when the other was around. It was all out in the open. They'd seen each other at their most vulnerable, their worst. At the same time, there was no one else who really got it like they did.
"Have you eaten?" Oliver finally asked spying a few scattered candy wrappers. "Something other than twizzlers?"
"You know I can survive for days off of nothing but complex sugars"
"I also know what happens when you combine that with Russian Vodka" Oliver smiled as he pulled out the golden bottle of Russo-Baltique, their Russian Vodka of choice. She didn't hesitate as she took the glass from him. Instead she sipped slowly as he fumbled with his phone. "Taco's will be here in 20 minutes. Don't tell John we drank without him"
"You don't have to babysit me you know… I'm a big girl Oliver"
"I can't just sit and have a drink with my friend?" The word 'friend' stung them both. Is that what they were now? Just friends? Somehow it seemed like they were so much more… and so much less all at the same time. The vodka tingled as she swallowed, the familiar taste of their summer spent alone together coursed through her taste buds. So many nights they'd chosen to forget. So many mistakes made. Yet here they were…
"She doesn't know" Felicity offered after a few more silent minutes.
"What?"
"Susan. She doesn't know why you aren't responding or why you're distant. Just that you are. Maybe cut her some slack"
"I just don't know if it's right" Oliver sighed with a sad smile. He was lying. He knew with every ounce of his being that it wasn't right. She wasn't right. Maybe she would have been… years ago. Before everything else. Before all of this. Before the bubbly blonde that sat across from him. But now, she was a placeholder. She was there to hide the void that Felicity had left. But for now, that was the best he could do.
"Well you'll never know if you spend all your nights drinking with your ex-fiancé" Felicity patted his knee hard with her palm, giving him a reassuring wink. "Go live your life. No point in wasting away here" She sighed, rocking back in her chair.
"Says the girl wasting away here"
"Well one of us has to make sure the kids don't miss curfew …"
"Speaking of" Oliver sighed, his annoyance growing as the loud footsteps of the recruits echoed above them. "Guys! How many times have I told you that you not to use the front entrance at night!" He walked slowly toward the elevator as Felicity smirked behind him. He was pretty sure that the coconuts on Lian Yu learned faster.
"Oliver!" A familiar voice echoed through the lair before Oliver reached the elevator. He froze as a shrill cry filled the room.
"Oh my God" Felicity gasped as she sprinted, still barefoot to join him. She too knew the voice before the elevator doors had completely opened. "Sara?"
The steel elevator doors opened to reveal an unsteady Sara Lance, blonde locks tangled and matted with blood and dirt. Normally, it wasn't that unusual of a sight for their entrance, but the fact that it was Sara was the last thing they'd expected to see. Even less expected was the bundle that she carried tucked tightly in her arms. Another set of tangled blonde locks belonging to a tiny girl, no more than three, whose ear piercing cry filled the room. Felicity and Oliver paused briefly to exchange a perplexed glance.
"Take her" Sara cried, jolting Oliver and Felicity back into the moment as her legs began to give way beneath her.
"What do we do?" Felicity grabbed the small girl just as Sara began to fall. "Oliver?"
"I can't hear myself think" Oliver was obviously panicked as he carried Sara to their steel medical table. There was so much blood, he couldn't begin to tell where it was coming from. "Call John!"
Felicity hurried to Oliver's bedroom with the crying child in tow. She placed her gently on the unmade bed as she fumbled for her phone and sent an emergency text to John. After hitting send, she paused briefly, unsure what to do next. She wasn't a doctor. She had no idea how to treat a child. Shrill cries continued to fill the room as she wracked her brain for a plan. The girls long blonde hair clung to her tear stained face, her pink dressed shredded and dirty, her big blue eyes swollen and red. Felicity took a calming deep breath and carefully removed the ruined dress from her tiny body. She shushed her gently and apprehensively hummed a small tune she remembered from her childhood as she examined her. Starting with her head, she carefully wiped her down with a warm, damp cloth, checking every inch of her body for bruising or bleeding. She paused briefly only at her left thigh, gently wiping dirt away from a familiar small, pigmented area in the shape of a heart. By the time Felicity reached her feet, the crying had ceased. Her big blue eyes dried as Felicity wrapped her in a soft green shirt of Oliver's.
Oliver paced back and forth as Sara lay unmoving on the stainless steel table. Her vitals were stable. There were no injuries or wounds aside from a few scrapes and a small head laceration. The blood she was drenched in was not her own. He searched her pockets for anything. There had to be some clue as to why she was there. Her weapons were still attached, unused. There was no communication device to be found. As usual, Sara Lance's appearance was shrouded in mystery.
"Is she okay?" Felicity whispered as she carried the small girl back into the room.
"She's in shock" Oliver sighed, shaking his head in frustration. "I can't find any injuries other than scrapes and cuts. What about-?" He asked pointing to the small girl clinging tight to Felicity's neck.
"She's not hurt, just scared I think. Did Sara say anything?"
"Nothing coherent" Oliver whispered as he gave the small girl in Felicity's arms a quick once over himself. "I checked all the police scanners within a 100-mile radius. There's nothing reported that would have caused this kind of damage. None of this makes any sense. Why would she show up here of all places? Don't they have a headquarters? Or Barry! That's a kid friendly place"
"There's something you should see" Felicity exhaled, interrupting his ranting. A familiar twinge of hurt and betrayal surged through her as she repositioned the tiny girl on her hip to reveal the familiar pigmented mark on her thigh. "I noticed it when I was checking her over." She continued, monotone and detached as she spoke. She'd only ever seen the heart shaped birthmark twice before. Both Oliver and Thea exhibited the tiny birthmark, presumably passed down from their mother's side.
"Felicity…" Oliver trailed off as he spoke. "I have never seen this kid before"
"You'd never seen William either"
"But I at least knew-…I knew Samantha had been pregnant…" Oliver stuttered. "There's no way"
"No way what? She's maybe 3? You want to tell me you weren't sleeping with anyone 4 years ago? With that timeline Oliver…" Felicity shook her head incredulously. How could he be so naïve? Not only was it exasperating, but it was insulting. She waited tightlipped as Oliver stared back at her desperately. Silently, she watched as he searched the face of the tiny girl she was still holding. Her head rested peacefully on Felicity's shoulder as she stared back at the man who was undeniably her father. "You and Sara were together about 4 years ago… timeline wise it works out" Felicity finally said, carefully breaking the agonizing silence that filled the room.
"It's not possible Felicity. She died! She was dead and buried! Before that we saw her… We would have known! She would have said something!" Oliver snapped, swapping his gaze between Sara and the little girl. It didn't add up. Nothing about this made any sense. He could feel Felicity's intense stare as he tried to remember anything that might be a clue. He'd never gone longer than a few months without seeing Sara after they were together. She'd always visited her Dad and Laurel. Then she died… It just didn't seem imaginable.
"I don't have any other explanation for why Sara would bring you a 3-year-old who is very obviously yours" Felicity shot back as the elevator doors opened behind them.
"What now?" John Diggle scolded, evidently catching Felicity's last sentence. "Seriously?" He sighed with a slow headshake after wordlessly examining the situation.
"It's the only explanation I can think of" Felicity mumbled, positioning herself and the tiny girl into her computer chair. A small part of her did feel bad for Oliver. After all, it mirrored the same situation that had ruined everything for them a year ago… but it was just too hard to detach from those bitter feelings and empathize with him. Not when it was happening all over again.
"Well think of another explanation because you're wrong"
"Mmmm sorry. Man whore Oliver is the only one that seems to make sense. Not to mention it's a tried and true theory"
"Can you two stop? We've obviously got bigger issues to deal with. Run a DNA test. If this isn't what you think we need to find this kids parents and get her home" John ordered in a voice that no one argued with. Felicity suppressed an eye roll as she slid her computer chair towards her work station.
"Okay baby Queen… Open up" Felicity smirked, eyeing Oliver as she repositioned the little girl. "Open wide like a…. like a, what's an animal that opens its mouth wide?" She asked realizing that child coaxing was not her forte. Oliver and Diggle both stared back clueless.
"Hip-mo-pa-ma-mus" A tiny voice answered, carefully emphasizing each attempted syllable with a small smile. The three adults in the room exchanged nervous glances, as if realizing for the first time that the little girl was a person.
"Um… yea. Like a hippopotamus" Felicity stuttered, gently wiping a stray hair from the child's face. "I'm going to tickle your cheek, okay?"
"What?" Oliver whispered as John pulled him toward the far corner of the room. He didn't have it in him to listen to one of John Diggle's saintly lectures. "Don't tell me you agree with her"
"I don't know what to think Oliver. The whole things weird. Why isn't she crying?" John asked, directing Oliver's gaze back to Felicity and the toddler.
"What? She's not hurt"
"I know… but she's in a new place with a bunch of strangers after something obviously traumatic has happened." John explained in a small whisper. Oliver listened but he was struggling to see his friends point. "JJ still cries when we leave him with his grandparents and he's known them his whole life"
"Maybe she's in shock?" Oliver offered, but he was at a loss. This entire situation was bizarre on a whole new level. And considering they had just recently been abducted by aliens, that was saying something.
"No. Something else is going on" John said as he led Oliver back to the center of the room where Felicity was loading the DNA sample into the analyzer.
"It'll take a few minutes"
"I count for you" The little girl grinned, positioning herself in Felicity's lap so she could watch the sample spin. "One, two, free…"
"She's chatty" Felicity smirked, raising an impressed eyebrow Oliver's way.
"Yes! That's just what we need… Hey there Princess" John smiled, kneeling so that he was eye level with the tiny girl in Felicity's lap. "What's your name?"
"I nwot a Pwrincess!" The tiny blonde scolded, her small finger shaking indignantly at the grown man kneeling before her.
"What are you then?"
"A Qwueen silly" She sighed, equally as dramatic as before. Felicity watched as the blood seemed to drain from Oliver's face.
"What's your name?" John continued without hesitation. He lived in the world of toddlers. He knew how to communicate with them. Even so… the tiny girl stared blankly at him for a few long seconds, her brow furrowed in a frustrated pout that so perfectly matched Oliver's.
"Harper" She finally said in a tone that let everyone know she was done with their interrogation.
"She named your kid after… Roy?" Felicity asked, again baffled by the weirdness of it all. Oliver threw his hands up in defeat as the analyzer buzzed. "Oh test is finished. Cross checked with the one and only Oliver Queen…" Felicity mumbled as she pulled the results up on the computer. It was without question, a perfect match.
"Check Sara's…" John whispered as he stared at the results then back at the tiny girl.
"If you say so. I think she's still in the system. Yep. Cross check with Sara Lance…" Felicity mumbled to herself as she tapped quickly at the keyboard. "And ah-ha—wait. It doesn't match"
"Oh boy"
"Who else were you sleeping with 4 years ago?"
"No one!" Oliver ran both hands through his hair in frustration.
"Just fess up Oliver. It's not like anyone in this room is going to judge you any harder than we did the first time around" Felicity pleaded but she could tell from his face… he had no more idea who this child belong to than they did. The three sat in silence, each wracking their own brain for an explanation. Felicity was for the first time today, at a loss. She was so sure she was right. But as much as she loved to torment Oliver, she couldn't think of another girl he'd been with.
Oliver himself was equally as clueless. She felt a knot in his stomach every time he looked at the girl. Who was he forgetting? He knew without a doubt he'd never met her and yet, she was so familiar. Characteristics and mannerisms that he tried to place but couldn't… or maybe he just didn't want to. Realistically there could be a hundred different explanations about where she came from. But until Sara woke up, there was nothing they could do aside from probe the poor girl with endless questions.
"Woah" Baffled silence was replaced with giddy excitement as Rory, Renee, Dinah, and Curtis lumbered in through the back entrance of the lair from their nightly patrol.
"Oh my goddddddd. Mom and Dad finally got us a baby sister" Renee smirked sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the delight that the other three recruits displayed towards the tiny blonde.
"Boys! I tol' you nowa masks" The tiny girl shouted, shaking the same angry finger with one hand while covering her eyes with the other.
"Okay that's odd" Felicity and Oliver exchanged yet another puzzled glance.
"Oliver…" John pulled Oliver aside as the others gathered around Felicity and Harper. There was something about the situation that rubbed him entirely the wrong way. Something about the girl, her feisty personality and chatty demeanor that gave him chills.
"John, I swear I've never seen that kid"
"I believe you man but there's no doubt she's yours. Oliver… think for a minute about what Sara does…" John whispered, directing Oliver's gaze back towards Harper. "Now you tell me who that child's mother is"
Oliver directed his attention towards the rest of the group. He watched for a moment as the tiny girl chatted enthusiastically with the team. It was as if she knew them, all of them. She sat comfortably in Felicity's lap, gazing up at her every so often with a small smile, almost as if she were looking for reassurance. With that simple reaction, it clicked. That look, it was the same look he'd seen JJ give to Lyla hundreds of times when he felt anxious or unsure. Oliver froze, finally grasping the missing piece. Now that he'd seen it, it was impossible to un-see. The bubbly smile, the tiny hand motions as she spoke. The knot in his stomach grew tighter has he refocused his desperate stare back to his friend.
"I need to talk to Sara. Don't say anything until we know for sure. This is the last thing Felicity needs to be dealing with right now" Oliver whispered, his voice cracking as he forced the words off his tongue.
"Oliver"
"This might break her John" Oliver said, this time with a sense of urgency in his voice that John understood. "I'm going to go check on Sara"
"Baby Queen just schooled Curtis on his hair" Felicity laughed as Oliver rushed past. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just trying to figure out what's going on"
"He okay?"
"It's a lot" John sighed, his worry obvious from the lines on his forehead. "Felicity, you know this isn't as cut and dry as it seems"
"I know"
Oliver scooped up a still unresponsive Sara from the stainless steel medical table and carried her carefully into his small bedroom. The floor was still littered with bloody towels from where Felicity had cleaned and examined Harper. He placed Sara gently on the bed and removed the smelling salts he kept in his dresser. If she wasn't going to wake up on her own, he'd have to make it happen. As he sat down on the bed beside her, something pink caught the corner of his eye. A cotton dress wedged between bloody towels, Oliver picked it up, trying his best to manipulate it back to its original shape. The bottom was trimmed with elegant white lace, the top with coordinating white stitching. The large familiar monogramed "Q" in the middle with a smaller "H" on the left and "L" on the right resembled so many of the dresses he remembered Thea wearing as a little girl. It was a party dress, carefully chosen and tailored specifically for her. Not something you'd dress a child in for everyday play. He threw his head back against the bedframe behind him. There were so many questions. But unlike with William where he'd been so eager to learn the answers, he wasn't sure he wanted to know this time. He'd struggled even just to look at the tiny girl since she'd arrived. Even before he knew for sure, something in him hurt when he saw her. Now he knew why. While William had been a symbol of his past mistakes, Harper was one of his future hopes and dreams.
"Where am I?" Sara shot up before Oliver even opened the smelling salts. The fear in her eyes still evident as she quizzed him about her whereabouts.
"Star City… 2017. You showed up with a little girl"
"Oh god" Sara cried a small sigh of relief as she rested her head back on the pillow. "Is she okay?"
"Sara, calm down. She's fine" Oliver whispered, shushing her gently. "We need to know where she came from"
"I shouldn't have brought her here. It was an accident"
"It's okay. We just need to know what happened"
"We weren't prepared. Everything was fine. Everything looked fine" Sara stuttered as Oliver listened carefully, trying to piece together the bits of her still confused explanation. "I had no choice. I promised Felicity"
"Promised Felicity what?"
"That I'd save her" Sara cried, the terror growing in her eyes with every breath. Oliver tried to comfort her but it was clear that she was still in shock.
"Where is she from Sara?" He pleaded as she began to drift back into her unconscious state.
"2021"
"And where are her parents?" Oliver begged as she slowly closed her eyes. "Sara… where are her parents?" He shook her gently.
"You died"
Oliver stayed at her side until he was sure she was okay. Although, realistically he knew it was more to compose himself than anything else. How was he supposed to go out there and tell Felicity any of this? She was barely hanging on after the death of Billy, the death of Laurel… Havenrock, her entire world had taken a hit this past year, the kind that even Felicity couldn't easily bounce back from. He'd watched as each event had slowly chipped away at her, transforming her into someone else. Now this? This was the kind of thing that broke a person. This was the kind of life altering, confusing event that you didn't come back from. There was a reason that the future was kept so secretive. There was reason that time travel was so dangerous. He'd promised not to lie to her anymore so he knew that wasn't an option. Even so, that still didn't mean she had to know.
"What did she say?" John was waiting close by when Oliver finally left the bedroom. He motioned towards Felicity who was anxiously hurrying towards them, sleeping Harper in tow.
"It's not good" Oliver whispered, gently pulling Felicity into the far corner of the room away from the rest of the team.
"Oliver?" He could hear the worry in her voice has he pulled over a chair for her. By this point she'd been holding a 3-year-old for the better part of three hours. He stared back at her as he searched for what he was going to say. He couldn't find the words. Any words. He could only swap between the face of the sleeping girl resting on her shoulder, and her own. He saw the resemblance now. He wasn't sure how he'd missed it before. Suddenly the weight of every breath felt as if it may crush him. "Oliver… you're scaring me. Is Sara okay?"
"I'm giving you every opportunity to walk away right now… no questions asked. Just to walk away and I'll call you when this is over" Oliver finally managed, his eyes pleading with hers.
"What is going on?'
"Please, Felicity"
"How bad can it be? Oliver… you accidently killed my boyfriend 2 months ago. Before that I lost one of my very best friends. I lost us. I lost my ability to walk. I have literally given up everything for all of this… and now you're asking me to walk away so I don't get hurt?" Felicity grew from agitated to infuriated as she spoke. What was wrong with him? Hadn't it always been her that stayed? Through everything, she'd been there. And now he had the audacity to tell her to walk away? She examined his face closely. She recognized that look. It wasn't a good look. Her stomach knotted. "What did you do?"
"It's… what we did" Oliver whispered, his eyes trailing down to the sleeping girl. It took Felicity longer than he'd expected to realize what was happening. Her forehead wrinkled as she took in what he was saying.
"No" She shook her head slowly as she realized exactly he was telling her.
"Sara was in the future and-"
"No!" Felicity echoed, standing to face him. "We wouldn't be that selfish"
"It's only one possible future-"
"In any possible future… we wouldn't be that selfish!" Her face fell as she realized the complexity of what was happening. She looked down at the sleeping girl, the baby she'd rocked, soothed, and played with for the past three hours. Her blonde hair, still matted and dirty framed her face as she slept. A face that was familiar in so many ways. It was too much. "You sent William away. You sent your son away because the world we live in is so dangerous that you didn't want him to be a part of it" She whispered, handing over the sleeping girl.
"Felicity…"
"I need to go home" She finally managed, tears beginning to cloud her vision. "Alone. I need to just be alone" She took one last look at the tiny girl beginning to stir in Oliver's arms, as her eyes pleaded for reassurance. He forced a small nod, releasing her from their predicament.
"Make sure she gets home okay… and keep an eye on the area. I don't know what's going on but we need to have all our eyes open" Oliver announced once he was sure Felicity was out of earshot. There were no questions, no arguments from anyone on the team. He carefully avoided the pity in their eyes as he turned to face John. "Dig?"
"I'll go talk to Lyla" John promised, offering a comforting hand on Oliver's shoulder. "I can take her with me. I bet she and JJ would get along great"
"Yea" Oliver agreed, relieved but oddly reluctant as he carefully passed Harper to his friend.
"Nowa" A sleepy voice whimpered, turning her plea into a two syllable word.
"Don't you want to come to my house and play with little JJ?" John offered in his best 'Dad voice,' a tone that only a father could muster when trying to convince a child to do something.
"I stay with Daddy" She yawned, her brows wrinkling ever so slightly with annoyance as she clung to Oliver's neck. 'Agony' was the only way to describe what he was feeling internally. He didn't want to hold this child, he didn't want to watch over her. He wanted to join Felicity and run, far away where her familiar blue eyes couldn't haunt him. He made one last effortless attempt to pass her to John before giving up. Harper wore her fear and confusion the same as her mother, obvious but silent pleas radiating from her tired eyes. She hadn't asked for this anymore than they had.
"She's fine" Oliver finally sighed, positing the girl back into his arms. "I'm just keeping an eye on Sara anyway"
"Let me know if you need anything" John insisted, uneasiness in his voice. "Maybe see if you can feed her? And a bath wouldn't hurt either. I'll send Lyla over in a little while with stuff you'll need for the time being" He paused another few seconds before finally gaining the nerve to leave Oliver alone with the girl.
As John left, Oliver stared down at the groggy girl in his arms. It was now almost 2:00am and they were coming off of what seemed like a never ending day. In that moment, the task before him seemed more difficult than defeating Slade and Damien Darhk combined. Oliver had to stop himself from calling John back no less than three times. He had no idea what to do with a kid. She was awake now, and cranky in a way that only an overly tired and hungry 3-year-old could be. But until Sara woke up he didn't have a choice but to attack this head on. By 4:00am he'd managed to move Sara to the small couch that sat in the far corner of the foundry, change the bed sheets, and clean up the aftermath of the nights events, all while carrying a cranky toddler. He only had to call John once during bath time to figure out how to wash the shampoo out of a squirming toddler's hair. Then once more when the apparently inedible cheeseburger arrived with 'poison' pickles.
"Just take off the pickles… she'll never know" John sighed. Oliver was fairly confident he could hear his friends eye roll through the phone. "Well?"
"She's gagging… She definitely knows I just pulled off the pickles"
"Oliver… she's a three-year-old! Just tell her she's going to eat it and she's going to like it" John snorted.
"Great. Well now we've made it angry"
"How bad can it be?"
"Remember when Roy got injected with Mirakuru?" Oliver sighed loudly over the screaming. He watched half horrified and half amused as the 3-year-old positioned herself as far from the cheeseburger as humanly possible.
"Uh huh"
"And when Thea came out of the Lazarus pit?"
"Uh huh" John laughed.
"Some combination of that is what Felicity and I seem to have created" Oliver mumbled, still bemused by Harper's reaction to the pickle contaminated cheeseburger (that she'd requested only 20 minutes prior.)
"Are you sure you don't want me to send Lyla over?"
"Oh wait. I think she's deemed my taco edible. She's not spitting it out…Oh good, a smile. Okay. We're fine. Thanks John" Oliver hung up quickly before she could sense his weakness. "Okay. See? The beds clean, the room is clean. Sara's on the couch… You're clean and you've eaten something. Now I think it's time to go to bed?"
"I not have jammies" Harper yawned, her exhaustion evident as she rested her face cheek down in the half eaten taco.
"Lyla's going to bring you some new clothes later but while we wait…umm" Oliver searched frantically through his tee shirt drawer, looking for anything that might be deemed acceptable by a 3-year-old. He had a feeling his usual solid tee's weren't going to make the cut and he really didn't have the energy for another pickle-like meltdown.
"I wear Mommy's puppy shirt, pwease?" A grin emerged across her face as she gripped the forgotten shirt from the bottom of his dresser. Oliver let out a long sigh of relief as he unwrapped her bath towel and replaced it with the night shirt.
Finally after what seemed like hours, Harper collapsed, sprawled across of Oliver's chest, her tiny hand gripping tightly to his shirt. He'd planned on spending the time she was asleep contacting everyone he knew that knew anything about time travel. Instead, trapped under the weight of a sleeping toddler, he decided waking her wasn't worth the risk. Instead, he found himself watching her. He slowly began to recognize the familiar features he'd spent the night trying to avoid. Each tiny detail of what made her theirs from his dimple combined with Felicity's lips. His temper combined with Felicity's bubbly attitude. Harper's petite build, blues eyes, and long blonde hair meshed seamlessly with her feisty, independent attitude. Oliver and Felicity's completely opposite personalities interlaced in a way that made sense.
Next he pieced together the information she'd given through her rambling 3-year-old sentences over the course of the night. She'd turned 3 just two weeks prior, celebrating with a Unicorn/Mermaid party, complete with a rainbow cake. Her favorite food was blueberry pancakes that she made with him on Sundays while Felicity slept in. She loved it when Felicity painted her nails and added "fairy dust" to make then sparkle. She loved puppies and babies, all things that sparkled, and shoes. From what he could gather, she knew everything about their work lives. She knew he was Mayor of Star City and The Green Arrow. She knew her Mom "was the boss" and ran Smoak Technologies (or "tec-col-anys" as she pronounced it.) She was well adjusted, loved her family, and when she grew up wanted to be the "Pink Arrow" (as long as she didn't have to get dirty and could wear a rainbow skirt with no mask.) She was scared of people in masks, and terrified of the idea of being without her parents. She asked no less than 20 times where her Mom was before she fell asleep.
"That's not a bad look" Felicity smiled from the door way, the image of Oliver in bed with a sleeping three-year-old sprawled across his chest and abdomen sending chills up her spine.
"She finally crashed after a bubble bath, an epic cheeseburger meltdown, a bite of taco… and staking claim to your puppy shirt" Oliver whispered as Felicity joined them on the bed. "She literally fell asleep talking to herself. She was doing her best to hold out until you got here."
"I almost didn't come" Felicity admitted, still unable to make eye contact with him. Instead she focused her attention on the sleeping girl. "For the first time in 5 years, I seriously considered just not coming back"
"You still have that choice Felicity. You didn't sign up for this. This is crazy"
"Neither did you" Felicity said, shooting him a small smile. "Neither did she. I brought some stuff. I had to bribe Saks to open for me… and when I got there I realized I've never shopped for a kid before. It's a terrifying experience. I don't even know if any of it's the right size. It's all 3's… she said she was 3. I have no idea." She sighed as she dumped the bag on the bed.
"What is an Elsa?"
"Oh! She's the only Disney Queen… the rest are just princesses. I figured since she takes this whole Queen thing so seriously…" Felicity's smile grew slightly as she explained her purchases. "Where is everybody?"
"B Team's patrolling. Dig's at home with Lyla and JJ"
"You were here all alone with her? And she's still breathing?"
"I survived on a hellish island for 5 years Felicity…" Oliver paused shaking his head slowly. "And it's a miracle that I'm still breathing" He finished dramatically… but Felicity saw the smile that had spread across his face. She tried hard to remember the last time she'd seen him smile like that. The kind that lit up his entire face and made her heart leap into her throat.
"Sara?" Felicity asked, suddenly remembering how they'd ended up here in the first place.
"Not yet. If you want to go get some sleep I can call you when she wakes up?" Oliver offered, Felicity's exhaustion made obvious by her frequent yawning.
"I'm good. Maybe you can just tell me about her"
Felicity fell asleep somewhere around the part where Oliver had had to explain to an irrationally tired 3-year-old, why they had redecorated everything in the lair and not told her. Up until sleep won out, she watched and listened intently as he recounted his night. Even as he explained her ever so epic cheeseburger meltdown, there was a hint of pride in his voice. He lit up as he detailed everything he'd learned about their future. Felicity realized more than ever what a family would mean to Oliver… and what he was giving up by not ever allowing that to happen. It crushed her to know that the future he talked about would never happen now. It couldn't. They knew too much already. But maybe this whole situation could be a good thing. Maybe just knowing that in some version of a future, they'd had everything was enough.
Felicity woke up only to find herself hanging half way off Oliver's double bed. A tiny arm snaked its way across her face, the rest of her body pinned beneath a still sleeping child. She spent a few minutes contemplating the best escape plan but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the risk of waking her. Oliver was nowhere in sight, but the muffled voice of annoyance outside let her know he wasn't far. That voice could only mean the recruits were there. She idly wondered what they'd done now to make him so irritated. Sometimes it was nothing more than their existence alone that seemed to set him off. Another reason she was in no real hurry to join them.
"Mommy!" A small gasp startled her as she narrowly kept herself from falling off the edge. In that moment Felicity began to understand the way Oliver had beamed last night. The tiny girl wrapped her arms tightly around Felicity's neck just before pressing her tiny forehead against her own. Felicity tried hard to remember the last time someone had been that genuinely thrilled to see her. "I missed you" Harper whispered quietly, her arms squeezing tighter.
"Why are you so perfect?" Felicity sighed, brushing a blonde lock of hair away from the child's face. "How about we get dressed and go get some brunch?" Harper beamed in response, hurriedly pointing out the new blue and silver 'Queen Elsa' dress she'd already spotted in the corner of the room. She was small for her age, the size 3 dragging the floor slightly, much to her delight. According to "Harper Logic," real Queens dresses also drag the floor. Next Felicity retrieved from her shopping bag a few small hair bands she'd found at the check-out and carefully brushed Harper's long blonde locks into tight pigtails, the only hair style she remembered from her childhood days.
Outside in the main room, Oliver and Diggle were sparing with the new recruits, cheered on by Lyla and JJ. They sparred almost every afternoon but today, as she watched him work sans shirt, she felt every single feeling she'd ever had for Oliver Queen begin to resurface. For the first time in her life she completely understood every expression about "Baby Fever." This had to be, hands down, the unhealthiest situation she'd ever been in… and that was really saying something considering everything they'd been through. What the hell kind of world was she living in? There was still no sign of Sara, although she hadn't thought to check the small living area before exiting Oliver's makeshift apartment. Instead she was choosing to live in a happy and blind denial. Realistically, it was either that or have a nervous breakdown. So for now, she'd enjoy their alternate reality.
"There you two are. I came by earlier but you were all three passed out" Lyla laughed as Felicity joined them. "JJ say hi"
"That's nwot JJ" Harper said, her bewilderment made obvious by her crinkled brow.
"Yes it is sweetie. John Jr." Lyla offered, holding 2-year-old JJ closer to the girl.
"JJ nwot very little. I very little"
"The JJ she'd know would be 6" Felicity and Lyla both turned to face Sara who had silently appeared behind them.
"6? That's only four years from now. You'd have to get pregnant like… soon" Lyla raised an eyebrow as she did the math in her head.
"Don't look at me! Obviously he uses his shirtless salmon ladder powers of seduction or something" Felicity mumbled. She wished the whole scenario was as farfetched as it sounded. No one there knew about their slip ups over the summer. No one knew about the countless 'almosts' during the late nights spent with work and Russian Vodka. But Oliver knew. And so did she, which was what made this whole scenario that much more terrifying. "You! How is this happening?"
"Sara!" Oliver had joined them now with an extra chair. "Have a seat"
"Yes! Sit. Explain. Now." Felicity directed sternly. "And you. Shirt. Please" She added, knowing there was no way to have a coherent conversation with shirtless, sweaty Oliver standing beside her.
"Angwry face is nwot nice Mommy" Harper pointed her favorite finger as she spoke. "Happy face is nice. See?" She grinned a cheesy fake smile, causing the entire room to chuckle.
"I don't know where to even start. I don't know how to start without jeopardizing the future more than I already have"
"I think it's safe to say that we're way past that" Oliver sighed, adding "She talks like her mother"
Sara sat quietly for a minute as she gathered her thoughts. There was so much that even she was still trying to grasp. She'd broken every rule. She'd jeopardized everything. And now there was going to be endless backlash. There was no quick fix in this kind of situation. Even so, she knew she had to be careful about what she said. Revealing too much about the future could have dire consequences for all of them.
"Last week, we got a tip that we needed to go to Star City, 2021." She began slowly. "It simply said that the entire city was going to be destroyed and that if we didn't stop the plan then there was going to be nothing left. No future for Star City. No Green Arrow. Don't get me wrong. This happens more than you think. Usually we get there, all hell has broken loose… and we help out. It's so routine that they just sent Ray and I."
"Tip? Who even gives you a tip about something like that?"
"Barry" Sara sighed with a small eye roll. "It's always some future version of Barry that's screwed something up"
"I'm going to kill that little time traveling speedster bastard" Felicity mumbled under her breath.
"All he said was that we needed to go. He said that Oliver's legacy was at stake and that he'd done all he could do to fix it. Now he needed us to do what we could to stop it while causing as little damage to the timeline as possible"
"This is your version of 'as little damage to the timeline as possible?'" Lyla asked, pointing directly to the tiny girl now placed happily on Oliver's shoulders.
"We're still dealing with the effects of Flashpoint. Everything we thought we knew… all the rules we used to follow have changed. What Barry did… it sent ripples not just here but through every possible future. What may seem like a small change now could mean catastrophic changes a few years from now. Timelines are made up of checks and balances. When Barry altered the timeline he threw everything out of whack."
"And made us have a kid?" Felicity asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No… I mean you already had a kid. It just… this time…" Sara searched for a way to explain without giving too much away.
"This time?"
"We see all kinds of different futures depending on when and where we go… but usually they follow a basic pattern, the same basic rules. For example, because Oliver's the Green Arrow right now… he's usually still the Green Arrow 5 or 10 years from now" Sara explained. "And because you guys are… You guys have a kid in almost every possible future I've ever seen."
"Your point?" Felicity twitched uncomfortably as she avoided all eye contact with Oliver.
"My point is that normally when we run into future Oliver, Felicity and Team Arrow, it's under emergency circumstances. Then after we help you guys defeat whatever nemesis is attacking, we have a grab a cup of coffee, catch up…get a quick baby/kid fix and then we leave. Even when we're pretty sure you're raising the next genius super villain… we leave it alone. That's our job."
"So this time it was just too much and you had to kidnap our kid? Wait…Is she a super villain?" Felicity eyed the small girl sitting idly on Oliver's shoulders.
"This time we got there expecting the worst as usual… and there was nothing. Star City 2021 was the most functional and safe Star City we have ever seen"
"2021… Are you positive it wasn't like, I don't know… 2031?" Felicity asked hopefully. "When we're much, much older. A timeline further away…even when I was like 40. That seems like an appropriate age-"
"Felicity" Oliver broke in.
"Anyway… things were fine in 2021. Better than fine. Oliver was getting sworn in as Mayor for his second term. Felicity, you were like Supermom on top of overseeing Smoak Technologies. You guys were talking about having another baby…"
"And I'm going to go throw up now" Felicity moaned, ignoring Oliver's obvious annoyance with her commentary.
"We couldn't find anything that led us to believe that the city was in danger or that the threat was credible. There hadn't been a single mass attack of any sort in over 2 years! Definitely not what we're used to seeing when Oliver's in charge"
"So true" Felicity and Diggle whispered in unison.
"So… we called it a wash, babysat during the swearing in and were going to stop by the after-party before we left" Sara shrugged, winking up at Harper.
"Oh no. Things never go well at the after parties. Why would we even throw a party? Have we not learned anything? What is wrong with us?" Felicity smacked Oliver hard on the shoulder.
"Felicity…"
"She's right. All hell broke loose. There was a bomb. Multiple bombs. I guess that's what you could call them. They leveled the entire city immediately. One minute everything was fine and the next…" Sara whispered, reliving the destruction in her mind for the first time since it happened. "We only made it out because Ray and I had taken her to see the ship. She wanted to see Ray fly like Iron Man. When we found you both… There was nothing we could do. Oliver was already gone. Felicity… you begged us to save her" Sara said focusing directly on Felicity. The room was silent for a minute as the team made uncomfortable eye contact with one another.
"And so we did" A familiar voice broke the pained silence.
"Ray"
"We made a split second decision. The wrong decision but…" Ray strongly emphasized the word 'wrong' as he spoke, placing a comforting hand on Sara's shoulder.
"You were all dead. There was no one left. We didn't have the manpower to do anything. We still aren't even sure what happened" Sara said, pleading for their understanding. "I know what we did was wrong. Like on a scale of 1 to Barry Allen… Believe me, I know…"
"So what now?"
"Now we have to figure out why it happened. We know that whoever did it has figured out time travel. They followed as he left" Ray explained.
"Wait you were followed?" Oliver asked, concern filling his voice. "By who?"
"Ray dropped me off here and kept going to throw him off"
"By who?" Oliver echoed, a familiar knot growing in his stomach.
"I lost him but… I'm fairly certain that it was Prometheus" Ray sighed.
"Oliver" Felicity grabbed Oliver by the arm as he turned to walk away in frustration. She followed as he continued walking, his irritation evident by the pace she struggled to match. "We don't know that it's him"
"So now he's time traveling to destroy me?" Oliver asked, finally stopping when they'd reached the far corner of the lair. "Who else Felicity? He said he was going to destroy my entire life and legacy"
"Points for dedication on his part" Felicity said, motioning up to the tiny girl still on his shoulders. "We'll stop him"
"How Felicity? We obviously haven't stopped him 4 years from now!" Oliver snapped, his hand nervously running through his hair. "We were pre-occupied. Distracted. We obviously got too comfortable"
"We don't know how it played out Oliver. We don't know what lead to-" Felicity started but Oliver was walking again, back towards the group with a familiar look of determination.
"How much does he know?" He asked stopping directly in front of Ray and Sara.
"What?"
"Does he know you escaped with her?"
"Yea but I don't think it was a kid he was concerned about. Seemed like he just wanted us out of there" Ray said shrugging slightly.
"That's exactly what he's concerned about"
"I talked to the team and explained what happened" Ray added, ignoring Oliver's rant. "Let's just say we're not in good standing right now. But they've agreed to help remedy the situation so as little damage as possible is caused. No one wants another Barry Allen type Flashpoint on their hands"
"How are we supposed to put things back the way they were?" Sara asked, obviously confused by what her teammate was suggesting. "That timeline doesn't even exist anymore now that they know"
"He didn't say 'put things back the way they were'…" Ray explained, carefully eyeing Sara as he spoke. "He said 'remedy.' Dr. Stein thinks he's figured out a way. It's not perfect but it's better than this. He wants us to bring-…"
"What do you mean it's not perfect?" Oliver interrupted, uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed.
"Sara's right. That timeline can't exist anymore because you all know what happens now. My guess is that with that information, a lot of events…" Ray coughed, raising an eyebrow towards Oliver and Felicity. "Events…that lead to that future are going to change now" Ray said carefully.
"So… I don't understand. What's the plan to fix this then?" Felicity asked, exhaling slowly.
"I'm not sure of the details. He just told me to get the kid and to call Barry Allen" Ray said, the entire teach flinched with the use of Barry's name. "Guys I'm so sorry. Look. We'll figure this out. Just… remember that this doesn't have to change anything. If anything it's a step in the right direction to defeat Prometheus sooner rather than later. And just a friendly reminder that you two would have very adorable babies if you so choose. Come see Uncle Ray" Ray cooed, reaching for the girl still patiently waiting on Oliver's shoulders.
"You're kidding right?" Oliver laughed, annoyance evident in his voice. "You're not taking her"
"We have to Oliver. We screwed up and now we're going to fix it"
"Yea… you did and yea… you are. But first you're going to provide us with a plan. And not the Donald Trump kind. A real plan of how this is going to work" Felicity instructed, locking eyes with Ray. What he was presenting them with was not a plan. It was damage control. It was a way to sweep what they'd done under the rug and hope that nothing bad came of it. She may not have been thrilled with the way this was playing out. In fact, she was still horrified by the future that she and Oliver had seemed to create. But even so, in some twisted way, it was still their responsibility to ensure the little girls safety.
"Oliver" Ray pleaded, ignoring Felicity's request. Oliver shot a quick look at Felicity before responding.
"Felicity's right. Prometheus will do anything to destroy my life and legacy… He's already succeeded in the future right under your noses. At least we know how to keep him at bay here. We know what we're dealing with"
"I don't think the teams going to like this plan" Ray sighed, sending Sara a final pleading glance.
"They can discuss it with the Green Arrow if they have a problem" Oliver shrugged, focusing his attention towards Felicity. "Felicity, let's pull up everything we have now that we have a new angle"
John had stayed quiet throughout the discussion. Instead, he'd opted to watch. He watched as Oliver's face lit up when the tiny girl smiled. He watched as Felicity stared absent mindedly at Oliver as he fell so easily into this temporary role. For as long as he'd known both Oliver and Felicity, he'd known there would most likely never be a future where one existed without the other. He'd prepared himself early on, happily accepting his position as third wheel and cheerleader. He was their biggest fan, and he better than anyone, knew that they were happier when they were together. However, this wasn't to say they didn't have their problems. With that level of love and commitment came the kind of baggage that could easily form the unhealthiest of relationships. He knew that before they could be anything, they had to slowly work through everything they'd been through over the course of the past year. Their relationship was a marathon…each mile needed to be paced. But this? The tiny blonde haired, blue eyes girl? She was the kind of complication that turned it into a sprint. He saw it already, the longing looks, the hope in their eyes. The "just maybe…" He knew, whether they admitted it or not… this was a game changer. This was the push, come all too soon, that would preemptively force them together.
"So… what's the plan then? You two are just going to play house and use the baby as bait to catch Prometheus?" John asked, pulling Oliver away from the group.
"We're not using her as bait. We're keeping her safe"
"You couldn't even figure out how to feed her dinner last night Oliver"
"What do you want us to do John? Send her with them? I know how they work. She's a complication left over from a failed mission" Oliver sighed. "She's disposable to them. Do you really think if it comes down to it they're going to protect her over themselves? They're going to do what they have to do to cover their own asses"
"Oliver, Sara and Ray saved her in the first place"
"Sara and Ray don't make the rules. Look, we need to take down Prometheus, make sure Star City has a future, and put her back safely where she belongs"
"I know you and Felicity feel responsible for this Oliver, but it isn't your fault. You haven't done anything yet to warrant this kind of responsibility…" John said, giving his friend a look of worry.
"And we won't. John. If this situation has shown me anything, it's just proven my point all along that…" Oliver paused as he exhaled, as if saying the rest of the sentence required more energy than he could manage. "…that Felicity and I can't have that life without serious consequences"
"I'm sorry, man"
"Me too" Oliver smiled sadly, focusing his attention momentarily back to the antsy girl now restless in Felicity's lap.
"Hey… just promise me. You can't let this change your life right now. You're both on a good track. You're moving forwards instead of backwards. Make sure that's still the case when all of this is over" John said, following Oliver back to the work station.
"So… my team doesn't love this plan" Ray sighed, rolling his neck in frustration as he rejoined the group.
"Well then tell them to give us a better one" Felicity offered, her head tilted as she challenged her friends annoyance.
"We'll all meet back in the morning to discuss with your team. Until then, Curtis see what you can find out about Prometheus. Now that we know he's been time traveling, we may be able to find a way to track him and figure out who he is. The rest of you, I want a close patrol of the area. We need to have as many eyes out there as possible in case he's planning something" Oliver directed, leaving no room for argument.
"On it"
"I've got some contacts at ARGUS who may can help. I'll drop JJ with the nanny and check it out"
"Perfect. I'll check back in a few hours. Let me know if you hear anything before then" Oliver sighed, feeling a small sense of relief as he grabbed his work briefcase.
"Woah. You're not leaving me alone with her" Felicity panicked, her face terrified as she glanced down at the fidgeting girl on her hip.
"I have a meeting at City Hall that I can't miss. It's just for a few hours"
"That's a few hours longer than I've ever spent alone with a kid!"
"Felicity… it's a press conference on the current state of the city. If the mayor isn't there, then it kind of makes it look like things aren't going so well" Oliver sighed, at a loss for what to do. He had responsibilities to the city that he couldn't just drop, especially when he knew things were getting ready to get busy. He needed to be there when he could to reassure the people of Star City that things were safe and under control.
"Well considering the entire city gets leveled in about 4 years, I think it's safe to say they aren't!" Felicity snapped.
"Guys…" John motioned towards the little girl in Felicity's arms as he walked to retrieve his weapons. "Little ears"
"What do you want me to do Felicity?" Oliver asked as calmly as possible. "I can't exactly take her out in public with me. The last thing I need is Susan finding out that we-" Oliver regretted the sentence before he even finished. Felicity's face quickly turned from fear to irritation.
"You know what? Fine. Go"
"Felicity that's not what I meant. I meant that she's a reporter and- the mayor having yet another secret kid isn't exactly going to get me re-elected in 4 years or give the city confidence that I know what I'm doing!" Oliver corrected, but it was too late. Her face said it all as she left him to retrieve her purse. "Felicity"
"Like I said man… this is going to be a touchy situation" John sighed, joining his friend. "Let her go… she'll figure things out"