When her light bright blue eyes met his deep blue pools she knew she was in trouble. "Felicity" he yelled as he approached her at speed Diggle striding behind him trying to keep up, but failing miserably. She turned quickly on her heels not wanting to have this fight, not here, not now.
"Don't walk away from me" he growled adopting a tone commonly known in most of Star city's population as the "Arrow voice", inevitably and despising it of herself she shivered, but continued to pace away from him. Oliver caught up though, she knew he would, but that wasn't the point. She heard from behind her Digs words to Oliver "Hey man, go easy" before she felt her right arm being grabbed and spun around to face him. He was exceptionally tall, a fact she chose to notice now, unfortunately not helping her position in the ensuing fight.
They were stood in the hallway outside their flat. All she'd wanted to do was go back to the flat collect her things and leave, quietly no fuss, no confrontation. She'd left a letter explaining it all and had even left it on the kitchen table when he came in, laughing with Diggle about John Jr's latest achievement. He'd stopped dead when he saw her halfway to the door. Shiny silver and pink flowered suitcase in hand and her red rucksack swung onto her back. She'd stopped too. She'd hoped to avoid this, the thought of having to face him to see the hurt in his eyes as he struggled to understand, but it was the best way, the easiest way, the simplest. It caused her the least amount of emotional upset.
She didn't dare make eye contact for the first couple of seconds, focusing instead on his very muscly chest and arms.
"Felicity" he finally said in a broken hurt voice.
"I have to go I'm sorry" her voice cracked now and she took the opportunity to brush past him and as she did she looked up at him and their eyes had locked.
The hallway lights flickered on Oliver's face making his distraught anger more prominent. His hand was still gripping her wrist, tightly and she was distinctly aware of a small amount of pain flickering through it.
"Oliver" Diggle prompted firmly noting Felicity's small reaction of pain, as if on the receiving end of an electric shock he let go of her wrist and it flew back to his side. For her part she put her wrist by her side.
"I'm sorry" Oliver said his tone having calmed down. "Why?" he asked softly the betrayal and hurt cascading through his voice.
"I..." she stuttered, for someone who words usually flowed from rather excessively it seemed strange words failed her.
"I know I've been distracted, and it hasn't been easy what with you being ill, I should have been more caring. I should have brought you ginger ale for your sickness. Big belly burger to keep up your strength, with extra pickles, I should have listened more to your worries about your mother. I should have done more. Please don't leave me" the last part came as a beg rather than an apologetic statement.
"Oliver..." tears chocked her breath and clouded her eyes. She looked to Diggle her eyes pleading with him to help her, to persuade him to leave her, she wasn't worthy.
"Felicity, please you don't want this" he begged delicately taking her right hand in hers again.
"You don't understand, there's a letter" she whispered.
"A letter" he repeated hurt.
"Maybe we should take this inside" Diggle suggested, when ten seconds past and neither said anything.
"Yes"
"No" Oliver and Felicity answered. "I have to go" Felicity said
"I love you" Oliver repeated.
"No one will love her Albert" her grandmother said frankly. "If Donna's not careful she'll be stuck with the girl forever, being a child of a broken home, she'll never fully heal. She'll always wonder what it was about her that caused her father to leave. Just look at the way the child behaved today, it's not normal to want to sit in your room and not interact, and the way she is with other people..." she trailed off exchanging a look with her husband.
"Donna did pick a right wrong 'em" Albert confirmed "Should have never had her, He and Donna were happy before her and now... She's broken too. And that child, she'll never understand, how can she?" he asked
"I worry about her and Donna, how they will go on. No one will ever truly love her or Donna while she is with her." Felicity hugged her knees to her chest on the stairs chocking back a sob.
"Please don't" she whispered "Please don't make this harder than it has to be"
"Then don't do this" he replied begging taking her hand now in two hands.
"I have to" she chocked
"Why?" he asked frustrated
"I'm pregnant" she whispered her voice chocked. She shrunk away as she said it almost like she was trying to get out of arms reach. Oliver looked stunned for a second, staring straight at her trying to make contact with those blue eyes.
"Your pregnant" he repeated, still stunned. "Honey, I don't understand" he stepped forward and took her hand tentatively "If you don't want this baby, then that's ok, I'll support you" his voice had dropped to a low reassuring soothing tone.
"I want this baby" she whispered a tear running down her cheek.
"Then what's the problem Felicity" his voice was getting angrier and louder again
"You don't understand" she whispered
"Then let me in" he replied turning slightly running his hand through his hair and turning to Dig.
"Let's go back inside and we can sort this out in there" Dig said continuing to remain pragmatic.
"It's me" she shouted not looking at him. "I wrecked everything, I changed everything, my parents were happy, really happy before me and then I...I came along and that all changed, I broke them, I broke us, I am-" she whispered.
"-Your not broken"Before she could say or do anything else Oliver had grabbed her and pulled her into a hug he held her fiercely so despite her strains he wouldn't let go. "Your parents marriage broke down because of Noah's criminal activity, not because of you baby" he stroked her hair back from her face. For half a minute they stood in silence next to each other.
"Do you love me?" he asked while she sobbed and she nodded barely able to get the yes response from her lips "Do you want this baby?" this time she did reply nodding and replying "Yes".
"I'm scared" she whispered
"I know " he replied looking over her to Dig motioning for him to go back into the apartment and he nodded motioning bringing a cup to his lips and he did as Oliver suggested. After he had left, Felicity looked up at him "I love you Felicity, I promise you,we are not your parents,I can't promise it's all going to work out or what the future holds for us, but if you want this, then I am all in"he smiled at her stroking her hair again
"I want this" she replied taking his hand half crying half laughing as he picked her up.
"Are we having a baby?" Oliver whispered biting his lip and she nodded
"We're having a baby" she replied and he twirled her in his arms, before placing her down and putting his hands on her belly
"Hi, little one I'm your daddy" he whispered "And I am going to do everything I can to protect you and your mommy from now on"
"Mmh" she groaned and Oliver's hand shot back
"Are you ok? Your not hurt are you?" he asked concerned
"I suddenly have a craving for blueberry pancakes" she groaned and Oliver laughed and placed his arm around her.
"Come on then Dig has the kettle on I'll make us some pancakes" he kissed the top of her head.
"Sounds good" she replied hand in hand, the letter forgotten, staring into each others blue eyes.