Something had been bothering Laurel. Well, multiple somethings. But, it was something Felicity had said.
Are we favor friends now? Are we friends?
Laurel hadn't really paid Felicity's words too much attention at the time. She was too focused on putting out the fire in her body.
But now, with two weeks of training with Ted Grant under her belt, the fire was more controlled, and Laurel could think about other things.
It was almost one in the morning, which meant that Felicity would probably be down in the "Arrow cave" as she liked to call it. She wondered if Felicity was busy, if the boys were out.
Laurel watched the minute hand on her clock tick forward.
Laurel made a decision.
Felicity was too in the zone of reciting directions to Oliver and John and Roy to notice that Laurel was coming down the stairs.
"Make the next left," Felicity said into her comms, "Now a right. Oliver he's four yards in front of you!"
Laurel watched quietly as Felicity typed furiously at her computer and barked orders, "Roy! He's… under you? Oh, you're on the roof. Then he's passing your building on the sidewalk….now!"
"Was that a gunshot?" Felicity sounded worried, "John? Lyla will kill me if you're hurt. Oh, you're okay. Good."
There were a few more minutes of typing and talking before Felicity sighed, "Good job, boys. Bring him to the SCPD and come home."
Laurel made her move, "Felicity?"
The bespectacled blonde let out a small scream and jumped up from her chair, spinning around.
"Shit, Laurel! You scared me," Felicity pressed a hand to her chest to calm her racing heart.
Laurel smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, you were in the zone and I didn't want to distract you."
Felicity blinked, still trying to process that Laurel was in the new Foundry, "Yeah, um, it's okay. But maybe make some noise next time. Or wear like jangly earrings?"
Laurel nodded, "Sure, again I'm sorry for scaring you."
"You'd think I'd been used to it," Felicity shrugged, "Oliver, Roy, John, Sara, they all walk so silently. Sara would constantly sneak up on me. I think she liked scaring me."
Laurel smiled gently; the mentions of her sister didn't sting as much anymore. Sure, they still hurt, but now she was getting to know a new side to Sara that she'd had no clue existed. And she liked it.
"That sounds like Sara," Laurel said, twisting the ring on her index finger.
Felicity nodded, staring off into space a little before jolting, "Oh, duh, it's like two in the morning, you probably have a reason for being here. Obviously Oliver's not here, but he'll be back soon-ish," she said, assuming the DA wanted to see the Arrow.
"Oh, I mean, I'm sure he will be," Laurel said, "But I actually wanted to talk to you."
Laurel hadn't meant for her last statement to come out sounding like a question, but there was nothing she could do now.
"Me?" Felicity asked, pointing to herself, "Uh, sure. I guess I have time."
Laurel swung up to sit on the metal table behind Felicity's tech set up, "What did you mean when you asked if we were favor friends?"
Felicity blinked, "What?"
"Two weeks ago," Laurel started, "When I asked you to find that guy, you said, 'Are we favor friends now? Are we friends?' and I didn't think much of it at the time. But I've been thinking about it since. And what did you mean?"
Felicity scrunched her nose, "Man, you have a good memory. I barely remember saying that. But, uh, my meaning was probably pretty clear."
Laurel nodded, "So, we're not friends."
Felicity kicked off her heels; this might be a long conversation.
"Laurel, we're work acquaintances, I guess," Felicity gestured to the bows and arrows and the computers, "If you consider this work."
"Oh it's work," Laurel nodded, smiling with one side of her mouth.
"But," Felicity continued, "We've never, ever hung out anywhere other than the Foundry. And to be honest, I've never gotten the vibe that you actually like me."
Laurel chewed on her lip, "I do like you, Felicity."
Felicity shrugged, "You've been kind of dismissive of me. And John and Roy actually. When you first joined up with us, and we are an us, this is a team, Laurel, you only talked to Oliver. It felt, to me, that you didn't consider John and I to be a part of this."
"I never…" Laurel shook her head, but Felicity cut her off.
"I'm sure you didn't mean it. But that's how you came across. And then there was the time last year when you dismissed me as Oliver's secretary. Which I was, but that was a cover, and I hated every second of it, but still," Felicity said in a rush, "You're a good person Laurel, but sometimes, it feels like you think you're above me."
Laurel frowned; had she really acted that way.
"I don't want you to think that, Felicity," she said, hopping off the table and moving to sit in a chair closer to the other blonde.
Felicity smiled softly, "So, when you kind of called out of the blue and asked for a favor… well, I think you can infer from there."
Laurel nodded, "I can. But I don't… I want to be a part of the team. I want to help you guys."
She wanted to fight. She wanted to honor Sara's memory.
She needed to fight. She needed to honor Sara's memory.
Felicity twisted her hair up into a ponytail, "You are helping us. You're convicting the guys Oliver delivers."
"I want to do more," Laurel said, "I… Sara was really one of you guys, wasn't she?"
Felicity didn't deny it. She missed her friend too.
"I don't want to take Sara's place," Laurel said, her eyes filling with tears, "No one can. But I want to not be old Laurel anymore either."
"I understand," Felicity said, gathering her stuff since she heard Roy's thumping footsteps above her.
Laurel's swiped at her eyes, "I feel silly crying about this. I always fit in wherever I went."
Felicity laughed, "Now you'll just have to work at this."
"I guess so," Laurel said, smiling at Felicity, and thinking about all the ways she could up her training.
"But," Felicity said, holding a hand out to Laurel, "You'll have a friend to help you."
Laurel looked at Felicity's face and then down to her outstretched hand.
She reached out and grabbed it.
"Thanks, Felicity."
"Don't mention it," Felicity said, her own eyes looking strangely misty, "I think Sara would have wanted us all to be friends."
"Sisters," Laurel corrected, "Sara always wanted more sisters, even when she was a kid."
Felicity looked at their linked hands, "Sisters."
"Hey! Felicity," Roy shouted, coming down the steps, "Oliver says to go home. You have work tomorrow…or today, actually."
"I'm leaving," Felicity called back. She looked at Laurel, "We can talk more later, if you want?"
Laurel nodded, "I want."
The IT genius nodded and then yawned, "Okay, I really have to go get sleep before I say something dumb at the office tomorrow."
"Good night, Felicity," Laurel said. She thought she might stay around the Foundry for a little longer. She wasn't exactly tired.
"Night," Felicity called back, patting Oliver and John on the shoulders as they walked passed her on the stairs.
Oliver looked at Felicity and then at Laurel.
"What are you doing here so late, Laurel?" he asked, putting his bow and arrows away.
"Soul searching," Laurel replied.
Roy laughed, "Not gonna find that down here."
"You'd be surprised," John said, "I'm heading out."
He and Roy left, bickering about something.
Oliver leaned against the case for his suit, "So what were you really doing down here, Laurel?"
"Do you think that I think I'm above Felicity and John and Roy?" Laurel asked.
"I think you're working on it," Oliver said, raising an eyebrow, "And Sara would be proud."
A/N: Okay, so this is obviously based off of Felicity's line in last night's Arrow. I liked the line mostly because I think it's the first step in having Laurel and Felicity become friends. And that's what this story is.
I want them to be friends so badly. I want the show to fix Laurel's character. I want a lot of things, but this is the first step.
Let me know what you think, I'm not entirely sure that I like the end. But I also don't think I want to change it. So let me know if everyone is in character and whatnot. Thanks! =)