Notes: Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows for the first chapter of this story. It is gratifying to know that so many of you enjoy this version of Oliver and Felicity as much as I do. I would also like to thank all of my new readers who've discovered The Ties That Bind and Lines In The Sand and have sent me such lovely comments.
I apologize for the delay in posting Chapter 2. I have to confess that this story has gotten away from me a bit. I thought I'd make each chapter a month in the life of their year of good things. The chapters have become monsters. I hope the length of the chapters aren't a deterrent for you. I've been editing this chapter for more than a week and I've decided to just release it into the universe and let all of you decide if you think I should do shorter chapters and abandon the idea of each chapter being a month in their lives.
The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.
Felicity ducked into a coffee shop to get out of the driving rain. Oliver had gone to lunch with Thea and Walter so Felicity had decided to use her Oliver free time to run some errands to prepare for Thanksgiving. She'd volunteered to host a dinner since she had a lot to be grateful for this year, they all did. She was looking forward to spending the day away from work, both QC and Team Arrow. Everyone was coming, Diggle, Lyla, baby Sara, Roy, Thea, Laurel, Laurel's new boyfriend, Ted, Captain Lance and Walter. Felicity had even gotten Sara to promise to try to make it back for the holiday. Felicity wasn't sure how'd they explain Nyssa to Walter, but Sara promised that Nyssa would dial back on the whole 'Heir to the Demon' stuff around civilians. Felicity wanted to make the holiday extra special for Oliver and Thea since it was their first one without their mom. She couldn't remember the last time she'd looked so forward to a holiday. They were going to watch football, eat too much and then have a movie marathon. Oliver had promised four solid days off and she planned on spending three of them naked in bed with him.
She texted Oliver to ask him to pick her up at the coffee shop on his way back to the office from lunch. She decided to have a latte while she waited. As she held the steaming mug she realized that she wasn't the only one seeking refuge from the rain. There wasn't an empty table in the whole cafe. "Felicity." She turned towards the sound of her name. Across the room, Vic Sage stood up from his table and waved her over.
She hadn't seen her ex since the morning of her mom's funeral. They'd parted as friends and there was no reason for her not to join him. He was sitting with another man, so she didn't need to worry about them rehashing their old relationship. "Hi, Vic," she said as he kissed her cheek.
"Felicity, this is my friend Richard Dragon. Richard, this is Felicity Smoak. Richard and I met when we were both in Iraq." Vic said as way of introduction.
Richard stood up and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you Felicity."
"You too." Felicity said as she took a seat. "We keep meeting like this." Felicity said to Vic.
"I promise not to spill anything on you this time." Vic said with a wink.
"That's okay, I'm already soaking wet. A cup of coffee won't make much difference."
"You look well. I see the cast is gone." Vic's fingers brushed across her wrist. "It healed okay?"
"Yep, good as new." She took a sip of her latte.
"And Oliver, he's well too?" Vic said almost nonchalantly.
"Yes, he's doing well too." So much for it not being awkward.
"The two of you have been making lots of headlines lately. Congratulations on QC." Felicity was grateful he focused on the business stories and left out the tabloid stories about their relationship. The paparazzi had caught them on their date in October and had been relentless ever since.
"Thank you, but that was all Oliver." It was one thing for Walter and the board to know that Felicity was instrumental in returning Oliver to the CEO position, but as far as the press was concerned, she was just his gold-digging assistant turned gold-digging girlfriend.
"I think we both know that's not true." Vic said as he took a sip of his own coffee.
"So, how are you? Working on anything interesting?" Felicity asked, changing the subject. "I'm sure you've got your eye on something."
"I do what I do best, follow the money. Starling City's been receiving lots of redevelopment money from the federal government and non-profit groups, but it doesn't all seem to be making its way to the people who really need it. There are some people getting rich off the misfortune of others."
"He's made some people angry." Richard said. "He's been receiving threats."
Felicity watched as Vic flashed an angry look to his friend. Vic would pursue the truth no matter the personal cost. "I hope you're being careful."
"As careful as I can be. The police aren't looking into it and your friend, the Arrow, seems to have his hands full these days."
"You know the Arrow?" Richard asked.
"No, I don't." Felicity said. It was bad enough that Vic, a member of the fourth estate, had his suspicions, he didn't need to casually mention them to random strangers in coffee shops.
"She's being modest, the Arrow's saved her life on more than one occasion." Vic challenged.
"That doesn't mean I know him." Felicity said coolly, glancing at the time on her phone.
"Yes, but you also told me nothing was going on between you and Queen." Vic had a smile on his face but it didn't quite make it to his eyes.
Felicity stood up. "Richard, it was very nice to meet you. I'm going to wait for my ride out front. Vic, be safe. Happy Thanksgiving."
Felicity huddled under the awning of the coffee shop and checked her phone. Oliver was still a few minutes away. She checked the road for an available cab. "I'm sorry. I was an ass. Please come back inside." Vic said as he placed a hand against her back. "You shouldn't get soaked because I'm acting like a child."
"My ride will be here soon." Felicity looked into his warm brown eyes and could see the man she'd grown to care about. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Vic. It was never my intention to. I really enjoyed our time together."
"The heart wants what the heart wants. I get it. It just sucks when the heart of who your heart wants, wants someone else." Vic lit a cigarette.
"You're smoking again?" When they began dating he'd been off cigarettes for six months. "You were doing so well."
"Yeah, stress is a trigger for me." Vic exhaled away from her. "Nothing like receiving some not so veiled threats to pump up the craving for nicotine."
Concerned, Felicity asked, "Are you really receiving death threats?"
"It goes with the territory. I'm sure it's nothing." Vic took another drag on his cigarette.
Felicity didn't want to think too hard about what it said about her that all of the men in her life pursued risks with no concern to their personal safety. "You're looking into some dangerous men. You should take the threats seriously."
Vic dropped his cigarette to the ground. "Richard isn't just my friend. He's my new bodyguard, courtesy of channel 52."
"I'm glad you've got someone watching your back." Diggle pulled up in front of the cafe. "That's my ride. It was good seeing you." Felicity sprinted to the car, the door already opened by Diggle.
"Hey, Felicity." Vic called to her and she turned. "If you ever talk to your green friend, let him know I might have some info that could help him."
VVVVV
Felicity stood next to Oliver's desk in her bare feet on top of a fluffy towel from the executive washroom. She used another towel to dry off her hair. Oliver was sitting on the sofa, watching her. He hadn't said a word to her since before lunch. He sat silently in the back of his car and stared at her the whole ride back to the office. Finally, she'd had enough brooding and stomped over to the sofa. "Do you have something to say to me?"
"How's Vic?" He asked with a smug smile.
"Really?" She pointed to his face and drew small circles with her finger. "What's this face? Are you jealous?"
"I trust you." He huffed.
"I should say so, mister." Felicity couldn't believe he'd say something as stupid as, I trust you. If the past two years had proven nothing else, they proved she was trustworthy.
Oliver laughed and she realized her internal monologue hadn't quite stayed internal. "I'm sorry, you're right. Trusting you goes without saying." He stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not jealous, I'm worried. He said something right before you got into the car that upset you. What was it?"
Felicity dropped heavily onto the sofa. "He wants me to arrange a meeting between him and my green friend."
Oliver arched his brow. "Your green friend? It makes me sound like a frog. What does he want? An interview?"
She squirmed on the sofa trying to get comfortable. The sofa might look good but it was incredibly uncomfortable. Or, maybe it was the conversation making her uncomfortable. Discussing her ex-boyfriend with her current boyfriend was pretty awkward. She had no idea how Oliver navigated being in the same room with Laurel, Sara and her. "No, he says he has information about some criminals he's been investigating. I think he's in trouble and looking for help."
"What do you want me to do?" Oliver asked.
"It doesn't matter what I want." She said.
"Of course it does, you cared about him. I think you still do." Oliver looked like he was sucking on a lemon.
"What would you say to his request if we didn't have a past history?" There was a part of her that wanted Oliver and Vic to stay as far away from one another as possible. Another part of her wanted Oliver to help Vic because she worried her ex was going to get himself killed.
"Honestly, he's a reporter, I wouldn't go near him, but then again, he's a good reporter and might know something useful." Oliver shrugged.
"Okay, so we forget he asked." Felicity pulled away from Oliver, picked up her shoes and headed towards his door. "Your next appointment is with the department heads of Applied Sciences and it starts in ten minutes. I need to go make myself presentable."
Oliver stood up and ran his hands over his head. "Felicity, if you really think he's in trouble, I'll meet with him."
Felicity could see the reluctance on his face. He was willing to help, he probably just preferred to do it from a distance. "How about I tell him that the Arrow won't meet with him in person, but he can give me whatever information he has and I'll deliver it?"
"If he's in trouble, I don't want you making yourself a target. I'll meet with him." Oliver smiled as she headed towards the executive washroom. "Maybe we should give him what we've found on the faulty building materials. At the very least he can shine a light on the Building Inspector's office."
Felicity padded over to him and gently tugged on his tie. More than anything, she wanted to give him a kiss, but they'd enacted a strict professional behavior only policy for the office. "I do love you, you know."
"I do."
VVVVV
In the end, they decided that they'd both meet Vic. With the anti-vigilante task force disbanded, Oliver was no longer worried about covert sting operations and Felicity was confident that Captain Lance would give her advance warning if the Arrow was about to be arrested. Oliver hadn't wanted her to come, but she hoped that her presence would have a calming influence on both men. Felicity spotted Vic by the glow from his cigarette as soon as she stepped onto the roof. She'd opted to take the stairs and Oliver had decided on making a more dramatic entrance. If given a choice, Felicity would always take stairs over zip-lining between buildings. Clinging to Oliver was a fantasy come true. Clinging to Oliver while trying not to think about plummeting to her death was more of a nausea inducing nightmare. True they'd had a lot of practice, but it never got easier. "You know, studies say that an ex-smoker who resumes smoking is at a greater risk of getting lung cancer. Those things are going to kill you." Just because they were no longer dating didn't mean she wanted to see him die from cancer.
"I'm pretty sure I won't live long enough to worry about the repercussions of this cigarette." Vic said as he dropped the cigarette and put it out with the toe of his shoe.
Felicity hurried to his side. "Why? What's happened since we last talked?"
Vic smiled. "It's okay, Felicity. No new death threats. I've received an offer from a cable news channel to cover the war in Syria."
"Are you taking it?" Felicity asked with concern. Syria wasn't the safest place for western journalists. Vic was almost as big an adrenaline junkie as Oliver. Neither met a danger they weren't eager to run towards.
"I'm considering it - which is why I wanted to meet with your green friend. Where is he?" Vic asked impatiently.
"I'm here." Oliver stepped out of the shadows, his voice disguised by the synthesizer. "Why do you want to see me?"
Vic took a cautious step towards the Arrow. "I've been doing some investigative work into how money that has been earmarked for re-development seems to be disappearing. I think you've been running your own investigations."
"What of it?" Oliver rasped.
Vic raised his hands. "No judgment here, buddy. I'm a convert to your cause. I've just come across some information and I might be in over my head. Besides, as I was telling Felicity, I might be leaving the city for some time abroad. I don't want these guys to get away with it."
"What do you have?" Felicity asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Before the meeting, Oliver and Felicity decided that it would be best if Vic only thought Felicity was an intermediary with the Arrow and not his partner in crime fighting. She saw Oliver shoot her a glance as a reminder of their arrangement.
"After disappearing a few months before the siege, the Bratva appear to be having a resurgence in Starling City." Vic held out a thumb drive that the Arrow then pocketed. "They've been worming themselves into many of the city's construction projects. Most of these projects have fallen behind schedule, are over budget or haven't even begun at all - but the money keeps getting paid out."
Felicity could see the line of Oliver's jaw tense. Since he made his deal with Oscar Orlov, the Bratva had been making use of Starling City's port. Oliver allowed some shipments to go through, but the Arrow made sure that any shipment of drugs or guns found their way into police custody. If Oscar had expanded his reach to city government building contracts, he was breaching their agreement and encroaching on Oliver's territory. If what Vic was saying was true, they could have an all out mafia war soon - with Oliver Queen at the center of it.
"I'll take care of it." Oliver said as he gestured for Felicity.
Ignoring Oliver, she asked Vic, "You'll let me know if you're going to Syria, right?"
Vic squeezed Felicity's hand. "I promise, I'll say goodbye before I leave."
"One more thing." Felicity reached into her pocket and withdrew a thumb drive. With a soft voice and a quick glance over to the Arrow, she handed Vic the drive. "You might find this information interesting. Defective building materials have made their way into the city and the Building Inspector's office appears to be turning a blind eye to it."
Vic cocked his head towards the Arrow. "You haven't shared this with your friend?"
Felicity stepped closer to him and lowered her voice. "No, Oliver and I ran into this issue with the construction of the new Applied Sciences building. We've kind of hit a dead end with it and I think it is more important for the people of the city to know that their buildings might be unsafe than having a Building Inspector receive a thump on the head from the Arrow."
Vic took the drive from her. "Alright, I'll take a look, but I suspect that this might have a lot to do with the info I just gave to your friend."
Oliver, standing on the ledge of the roof, cleared his throat and extended his hand to Felicity. Resigned to making a dramatic exit, instead of taking the sensible stairs, she allowed Oliver to pull her into his side. As soon as her arms were around his neck, he stepped off the roof. When they got home, Felicity was going to need to remind him that her zip-lining off the roof with him had never been part of the plan.
VVVVV
Later that night, Felicity sat in her pajamas reading through the documents Vic had provided to them. Oliver stood staring out the living room window, his tablet clenched in his hand. Even though he was dressed for bed, she could tell that he wouldn't be going to sleep anytime soon. The tension he carried radiated off of him and was making her jumpy. Placing her tablet on the coffee table, she rose from the sofa. Her approach was reflected in the glass and he shifted to accommodate her presence. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. The steady thrumming of his heart, normally, relaxed her, but tonight it held no comfort because his body was tightly coiled for a fight. "Come to bed. We can think about this tomorrow."
Oliver placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You go ahead. I'll join you in a little while."
"You say that like I can't tell when you're lying." Felicity teased, trying to shake him from his brooding.
"Felicity, this is serious." Oliver said pulling away from her.
"Don't you think I know that?" She didn't even try to hide her hurt feelings. Most of the time Oliver treated her like a true partner with her opinion carrying equal weight. More often than not, he deferred to her because he trusted her judgment more than his own. But when Oliver decided to shut her out, even her loud voice struggled to break through.
"I have no choice. Oscar is challenging me and I must respond." He said dispassionately.
"Why not let the Arrow take out his operation? Oliver, you don't need to be involved."
Oliver smirked at her statement. Whenever he referred to himself as two distinct and separate personas she'd roll her eyes. "Oliver Queen needs to be the one responding."
"We've had this argument before. You're not Bratva, not here in Starling. Unless you have a secret mafia lair that I don't know about. If you do, I'd be impressed because I have no idea where you'd find the time to manage another secret identity. I'm actually amazed you didn't graduate from college, you have pretty good time management skills and you can function on little sleep."
"Felicity," he said sharply.
"You don't have a secret mafia lair that I don't know about, right? It's not like you haven't kept a secret lair before." She was teasing, but there was a slight edge to her tone. She still hadn't gotten over that he'd kept a secret Arrow lair from her. She didn't know what upset her more, that he had kept it from her or that she hadn't discovered it on her own. She'd believed Oliver's life was an open book. Sure his five years missing were a mystery, but once he returned to Starling, Felicity thought she knew everything - that he trusted her with everything.
Sighing he reached for her hands. "Felicity, I'm not keeping another secret lair from you, Bratva or otherwise."
"Then I know, you're not going to start a mob war over an insult to your Bratva Captain honor."
"Do you honestly think that this is about honor? If I don't respond, we will lose control of everything. If Oscar thinks I will let him get away with this, he'll keep testing the boundaries until he forces me out of the city . He'll come for me, Thea and you."
"So what are you going to do?" She asked, afraid of his answer.
"I don't know yet. If I don't handle this right, I could get all of us killed." A small pit formed in her stomach at the look on his face. He wasn't just worried, he was afraid.
"Call Anatoly. He promised Starling would remain Bratva free."
"Yes, but that's before I opened up the ports to Oscar. I let him in the door, I can't go complaining to Anatoly now."
"I hate this." Felicity said angrily as she stormed away to her bedroom. It was her fault Oscar had come into Oliver's life. He was now paying for her mother's sins. As she got into bed she cursed Oliver for revealing his Bratva identity to her step-father. Big Stevie would've paid her mom's debts and, regardless of what Oliver believed, he never would've asked her for anything in return.
"I thought the rule was to never go to bed angry." Oliver said leaning against the door frame.
Since August, Felicity had been waiting for Oscar to call in his favor. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Instead of Oscar demanding Oliver commit murder, he was now trying to actively take a territory away from a non-active Bratva Captain. The absurdity of the situation had made her tense. Oliver was going to have to fight a war for a territory he only pretended to run in order to protect her. "I'm not angry. I'm frustrated." Felicity said to her ceiling. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I know this isn't your fault but sometimes I feel like we're never going to be able to get out from everything that wants to squash us."
"Nothing is going to squash us." Oliver said sitting on the edge of the bed. "We're just tired. Let's go to sleep and we'll figure out something tomorrow."
"I'll cancel all the stuff for Thanksgiving in the morning." Felicity said as she began to run through all the tasks she'd need to complete to figure out the extent of Oscar's influence in Starling.
Oliver rolled onto the bed, nestled between her legs and rested his chin on her shoulder. "We're not cancelling Thanksgiving. We're taking time off and damn it, we're going to be thankful," he growled.
Felicity couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, we're not cancelling Thanksgiving and we're evidently celebrating our thankfulness with extreme prejudice." Felicity caught his pouting lips between hers and soon all thoughts of the Bratva and Oscar were banished from her mind.
VVVVV
If someone had told Felicity a year ago that Oliver Queen would be standing in her kitchen peeling fifteen pounds of potatoes the night before they hosted Thanksgiving, together, she would've told them they were insane. "I did live in Russia, you know." He said seemingly out of the blue.
"I said that out loud, didn't I?" Felicity moved around him to grab a measuring cup from the cabinet. "Wait, what does potato peeling have to do with your time in Russia?"
"As part of my Bratva initiation I was in charge of the potato peeling for our homemade vodka." He dropped the last of the cubed potatoes into the pot and moved to the sink to replace the water.
Felicity froze and watched him. She could see the tips of his ears turning red and she gently swatted him with a dish towel. "Oliver Queen, it is nearly impossible to tell when you're joking." She returned to her pie filling. "Peeling potatoes for vodka, I can't believe I almost fell for that."
Oliver put his arms around her waist and kissed her industrial piercing. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. What do you want me to do next?"
"The only things left to do are to pull the table out from against the wall and to set the table. The table cloth and napkins are over there on the counter."
He kissed her ear again before he removed his hands from her waist. "That I can do."
Felicity finished assembling her pies as Oliver set the table. His cell rang as she placed the two pumpkin pies into the oven. She watched as he moved his conversation into the bedroom. She wiped her hands on the dish towel and stepped into her living room. Oliver wasn't one to keep secrets from her anymore. She worried that the Bratva was about to ruin their Thanksgiving. She inspected his work setting the table and was impressed by what a good job he did. All the fancy dinners and receptions had paid off. The silverware was set correctly and everyone had a napkin folded like a rose in the center of their plate. Oliver's hidden skills were often a delightful surprise.
When he returned to the living room he sank onto her sofa. "Everything okay? Was that Anatoly?"
"Anatoly?" He looked surprised. "No, my attorney."
"Ned?" She asked sitting down next to him. The family lawyer calling the day before Thanksgiving couldn't be good. "What's wrong?" The pallor of his skin had her worried.
A rueful smile spread across his face. "For once, nothing's wrong. We got the mansion back. The judge decided that our trusts included the mansion and its contents and can't be sought as damages by the victims of the quake in their civil lawsuits. We have full access to our trust funds again."
"Congratulations. You're officially a billionaire again." Felicity said teasingly.
Oliver stood up and moved to the window. "Yeah."
Felicity followed and put a hand on his back. "This is a good thing, right?"
He put an arm around her waist. "Of course it is."
The lines on his forehead had her worried. No one talked himself out of a victory faster than Oliver. "Your face hasn't seemed to have received the memo. What's wrong?"
Oliver sighed heavily and Felicity's heart clenched. "I never thought we'd get it all back. I expected the courts to seize everything for the victims of the Glades." He turned to face her and his eyes were moist. "Every penny should go to the people of the Glades."
"You and Thea had nothing to do with the Undertaking. If it weren't for you, a lot more people would've died. The sins of the parents shouldn't be placed on the heads of their children."
"I know Thea and I aren't responsible for the actions of our parents but we didn't earn this money, we inherited it. We don't deserve to keep it." Oliver's eyes had lost their focus and she knew that he was reliving the night of the Undertaking.
"Oh, Oliver." She wondered if he would ever be free of all the guilt he carried. "If anyone can do great things with billions of dollars, it's you. You and Thea can set up your own charitable foundation and direct your billions where ever you think it will do the most good. You can find your own way with this too."
He kissed her forehead. "You're right. This is a good thing and Thea and I can make it a great thing." She hugged him tightly. "I can already think of the first good thing I can do with the money."
She smiled at him. "Yeah, what's that?"
"I can keep a promise I made to you." He winked playfully.
She furrowed her brow. "What promise?"
"I promised you that the first thing I would buy when I got my money back was a new server for you."
Felicity laughed. "I was so drunk that night."
"But I wasn't, so the promise stands." He kissed the top of her head.
She rose up on her toes and planted a kiss squarely on his lips. "I've already got one all picked out."
He laughed and kissed her back. "I'm not surprised."
The next day her small apartment was full to bursting with company and Felicity couldn't be happier. The television was on as, Oliver, Dig, Roy, Ted, Lance, Laurel and Sara watched football, baby Sara slept in Felicity and Oliver's bedroom while Lyla, Nyssa and Felicity busied themselves in the kitchen. Walter and Thea were spending the morning volunteering at a shelter to help Thea assuage some of her Merlyn guilt and bond with her step-father. Felicity was basting the turkey and trying not to laugh as Nyssa read a recipe from Pinterest to Lyla and argued over whether or not Lyla was dicing or mincing. Her laughter was cut off by the raised voice of the Captain. "Are you a complete idiot?"
"Dad!" Laurel and Sara yelled at the same time.
Felicity stepped into the living room to see which of her guests could possibly have upset Lance. "What happened?" She asked as lightly as she could. Looking at the television she realized the target of his ire. "Captain, Oliver isn't an idiot." Oliver was an idiot, about a lot of things, but now that he was her boyfriend she felt obligated to defend him. She could call him an idiot, but no one else got to, except, maybe Dig.
"Oh, he's an idiot alright, but I was talking about you." Lance grabbed the remote and rewound the advertisement on the television. It was an ad for News 52, telling the viewers to stay tuned after the game to see whether or not Starling City's favorite playboy has settled down. There was a video of Oliver and Felicity from the day before. They were exiting the grocery store and Oliver had playfully picked Felicity up by the waist and spun her around. "You should know better." Lance looked around the room and spotted Ted. "Felicity, do you need ice?" Felicity looked at him with confusion. "You need ice. Ted, go to the store around the corner and buy Felicity some ice."
"Dad." Laurel seethed.
"Ted, son, we're about to have a family argument and its best if you go get that ice now." Lance said without taking his eyes off of Felicity who now had Oliver's arm draped protectively over her shoulder.
Ted shrugged, kissed Laurel and headed out the front door without a word.
Everyone was now standing in the living room and had started talking at once. Felicity realized that she finally had the big family Thanksgiving gathering she always wanted, right down to the deafening argument that no one seemed to know the reason for. "Enough," bellowed Quentin. Turning and pointing at Dig he said, "I expected this from them, but I thought your main purpose was to be the voice of reason and keep the two of them from doing something that would get them both killed."
"Captain Lance," Oliver said calmly. "Whatever you think I'm doing, you're wrong."
Lance shook his head and laughed. "Can we agree on one thing? I'm not an idiot."
"No one thinks you're an idiot." Felicity said sweetly. Oliver had moved to stand behind her and placed his hands on her shoulder. She couldn't decide if he was trying to reassure her or use her as a human shield.
"Neither are the criminal elements in this city." Lance said glumly as he gestured to everyone in the room. "I know what the lot of you get up to together at night. If I can figure it out, so can a criminal misanthrope with half a brain." He walked over to Oliver and Felicity. "Kid, the moment I arrested you for being the vigilante, I knew in my heart that I was right, I just couldn't prove it. Then the Arrow starts communicating to me through Oliver Queen's employee. Let's just say the picture started to get clearer. The last puzzle piece started to click into place when my Sara started showing up to crime scenes with the Arrow, after I just saw her with Oliver."
"Captain," Oliver started but words failed to come out even as his jaw opened and closed.
Lance grabbed Oliver's arm. "Relax kid. I've pretended not to know because it was easier not knowing."
Felicity laced her fingers through Oliver's in order to stop his nervous habit of rolling his fingers together. "Captain, we appreciate you not arresting us, but why are you getting upset after all this time?"
"Because now your relationship is out there for the public. After your kidnapping, the two of you became the darlings of the tabloids. They're watching your every move. You've been present for too many Arrow sightings, not to mention how many times he's rescued you. It won't be too hard a leap to make that the man who has saved your life dressed as the Arrow is the same man warming your bed at night."
Felicity was ready to throttle the Captain. It had taken too much work to get Oliver to the place where he was willing to put aside his fears for her safety so they could be an actual couple. Now that she had Oliver, she wasn't going to let anyone come between them. Before she could speak, Oliver did. "You think we should break up?"
Lance sighed and looked at Felicity. She silently begged him not to blow up her life. Oliver respected the Captain and if he told him that she was unsafe as his girlfriend she knew that she'd be boyfriendless by dinner. "No, but you need to be smart about this. The two of you need to start being boring. Stay away from the paparazzi. Steer clear of high profile events for awhile. The Arrow needs to stop being seen with our girl here." He took Felicity's hand. "No more fieldwork for you anymore. It isn't safe for you and it isn't safe for him."
Oliver looked at Felicity. "What do you think?"
Felicity realized that she had a roomful of their friends watching them and waiting for her response. Oliver's question had thrown her off. When it came to her safety, she never got an initial vote. Usually, he'd make a decision and then they'd fight about it until one of them saw reason. The thought of never getting to do fieldwork again was disappointing. She wasn't a fan of being bait for a serial killer, but she did enjoy the occasional breaking and entering. As she looked around the room at all the strong women in her life she could feel that familiar pang of insecurity. Why did they need her if she was the weak link that could bring them all down? She looked back at Oliver and her choice was made. If being with Oliver meant keeping a low profile as the Arrow's partner, she would do it. The press would eventually get bored of them and move onto someone else. "Okay."
"Okay?" Lance and Oliver asked together.
"That seemed too easy." Lance surveyed the room for confirmation.
The look that Roy and Dig gave one another had her narrowing her eyes at them. Roy began to squirm under her scrutiny. She returned her attention to Lance. "I'm more than happy to keep a low profile from the press. Oliver can take Thea to the next few galas. As for the field, I will stay out of the field as long as it can be avoided." She raised a hand to silence Oliver. "Let's face it, there are times when you need me on site to do my thing."
Lance resumed play on the television. "Great. I'm glad that's settled." Lance sat back down in front of the television. "This conversation never happened."
Everyone just stood in the living room staring at one another. It wasn't everyday that your secret identity got blown by the Captain of police. Felicity raised her eyebrows at Oliver and he shrugged at her.
"The recipe clearly calls for mincing," Nyssa stepped back into the kitchen with Lyla on her heels.
"I am mincing," Lyla said defensively.
"You are dicing and you're lack of precision doesn't surprise me considering A.R.G.U.S.' sloppy execution in the field." Nyssa picked up the knife. "This is minicing."
Dig shot Sara a look and she grinned. Oliver squeezed Felicity's hand and returned to the sofa to watch the game. Everyone seemed to relax and returned their attention to the game. Felicity returned to the kitchen to make sure the knives were only used on vegetables.
The front door opened and Ted poked his head in. Seeing that everyone had returned to watching the game, he entered Felicity's apartment with Thea and Walter on his heels. "Here's your ice."
Oliver stood and greeted Thea and Walter. He offered Walter a beer and exchanged a soda for the glass of wine Thea poured herself. Felicity took the bag of ice from Ted and turned in a circle. She had no idea what she was going to do with it. Her freezer was full. "Um, thank you. I'm sorry about that."
"No problem. I've got a family too." Ted grabbed a carrot off the counter and returned to the living room.
Felicity smiled. Even with all their arguments and secrets, she had people around her who accepted and cared about one another. She finally had a family of her own and she couldn't be any happier.
Notes: Thank you for reading. Your feedback is always welcomed.
Up Next: December: Oliver and Thea get the mansion back. Oliver surprises Felicity. Any guesses?
