Chapter One
Now
"I'm used to you being my girl," he said.
She wasn't listening.
"Felicity, please."
She picked up her bag and walked out the door. Oliver's knees buckled and he couldn't stop himself from sliding down the wall. This hurt more than anything he ever experienced.
Felicity was gone. For good this time.
Then
"Oliver! stop it!" Felicity screamed. He didn't stop, he kept tickling her and pinching her sides. She laughed and protested some more before planting a kiss on his lips that got him to stop.
"See, was that so hard? That's all I wanted," he said as he gave her that smile he only smiled for her. His real smile. She narrowed her eyes and mocked him, which led to him tickling her and pinching her all over.
"Okay! okay! okay! I give! I give!" she said laughing, almost in tears. He gave her another kiss, then another, then another, then another…
"Smile you two!" Robert shouted as they both looked up. Surprised, but as happy as any two people could be.
Robert snapped the picture that would stay on their mantle for the next eight years. Eight wonderful years.
Now
The picture frame laid on the ground next to Oliver. Broken and irreparable.
Then
"Robert, come here," Oliver asked Robert to follow him out to the gazebo.
"Dad, please. I don't need one of these father son talks. I'm fine, I really am," Robert declared as he clenched his jaw. Just like his father.
He was 15 now and he looked more and more like Oliver with each passing day. Robert Thomas Queen was born on December 24, 2021 at 12:52am in Starling City General to Felicity Megan Smoak and Oliver Jonas Queen. They were for 11 months at the time of his birth. Oliver handed down his Green Arrow persona to Roy Harper on December 24, 2021 at 1:02am in Starling City General.
"I'm not going to pretend to know what's going on in your head. It doesn't work with your mother, it's not going to work with you, but..." Oliver said as he sat down on the rocking chair that his father had sat down in many times when talking to Oliver about life, goals, and women. The irony did not escape him.
"Dad…" Robert interrupted, but Oliver continued.
"You're heartbroken. I know you are, us Queens don't hide that very well."
Robert's eyes swelled up and he nodded. Oliver reached out for his son and patted his shoulder.
"Let me tell you a story," Oliver offered and waited before Robert nodded in agreement.
"Your mother jumped out of plane for me. No lie, a real 'fly in the sky, no bigger or safer than this gazebo' plane. Oh, she was terrified! She even hurled a few times after she and your uncle John landed on a beach."
Robert look puzzled, but his face told Oliver to continue.
"Anyway, you don't know this, but your mother is absolutely terrified of heights. For as smart as she is, she doesn't get them or how they stay up in the air, I mean she understands it, she can explain it, you know the propellers and the thrusters and the gravity of it. Her words, not mine."
"Yeah, I kinda figured that when you started rambling," Robert let out a quick smile, which pleased Oliver.
He continued, "But for me, at a time when I needed help the most, but refused to ask for it, she braved that flight and then jumped out. She did that. For me. That's what love is. Getting to that person, no matter what. That's the moment I knew. Sure I fought it for a few years after that and I even had a couple of relationships before I started acting on my senses and asked your mother to marry me."
"Why would you fight it?" Robert asked.
"Because I wasn't the man your mother deserved, I'm still not. But son, when you find that person who would brave their fears for you, no matter what they are; that's when you'll know. That's the person that will make you a better man every day of your life and that's the person that will deserve your love."
Oliver didn't know Felicity was behind him until he heard her trying to stifle her tears. She embraced Oliver as he rocked on the chair and Robert smiled. Just like his father.
Now
There was a loud bang at the door.
"Oliver! Open the door!" Diggle demanded.
Another huge bang at the door.
"Oliver, don't make me knock this door down!"
Oliver knew Diggle could and would break the door with relative ease, but he didn't care. He sat in the kitchen as Diggle kicked the door once. Oliver took a sip of whiskey, letting the alcohol burn up his insides. It didn't matter, he hadn't felt it for hours and 2 bottles ago. Diggle kicked the door a second time, Oliver took another sip. On the third try, Diggle broke through. Oliver finished off his glass and started pouring himself another.
"Oliver, what are you doing?" Diggle asked.
Nothing but the sound of the bottle being emptied into the glass was heard.
"Oliver…" Diggle said.
"She's gone John. Gone." Oliver said while raising the glass to his mouth.
"Oliver, I'm sorry. I really am, but this isn't the answer. You have to…" Diggle was interrupted by the sound of glass shattering.
"I have to what?! I have to get on with my life?! I have to let go?! I have to get up and face the world…" Oliver's voice began breaking, "She was my world… my wife. And. And, she's gone John! Don't preach to me about what I have to do!..." Oliver broke out in tears.
"Get out! Get out of here! Leave me alone!" Oliver screamed at Diggle.
Diggle never left that night.
