Hey guys! Thank you all so much for following, favoriting and reviewing! I only got about five reviews, which I thought was kind of odd considering the forty something follows. But I guess that means that you guys want to read this right? So yeah anyways I really work well with feedback so just let me know what you think. Here's the chapter.

Chapter 2 - Just passing through

May 2015

Felicity sighed deeply as she passed the sign that read Welcome to Starling City. She hadn't meant to end up here, really. Well.. That's what she was telling herself at least. She was just driving mindlessly when she had somehow ended up here. In the one place that she had wished, more than anything, to be five years ago.

This had happened to her exactly three times. Ending up in Oliver and Tommy's home town. The first time was the Thanksgiving after that summer. Felicity and her mother had been in a fight, one of those fights that makes you question whether or not you were born in the right family. That makes you wonder if you had been someone else's daughter, you would have been loved better.

She was standing in baggage claim, debating whether to call Tommy or Oliver first when she saw the magazine. A red-headed teenage girl was holding it, leaning against a wall. The headline confirmed what she'd been dreading, Oliver had already moved on. Queen reignites flame with long time lover Laurel Lance, it said. She might've been able to write it off as a hoax, just the tabloids trying to sell magazines, if it weren't for the picture. It was Oliver, no doubt about it, and he was kissing some pretty brunette that she assumed was this 'long time lover Laurel Lance'. A long time lover that he had certainly never mentioned. The glossy magazine cover combined with a call from her mom had been enough to get her to return to Las Vegas.

The second time was after the funeral. It was after her sophomore year at MIT, late June of a terrible summer. She might not have been exactly excited at the thought of seeing Oliver again, but she needed someone. She didn't have friends or family in Las Vegas, and with her mom gone, Starling City was just about the only place she had any real ties. She got farther that time. She called Tommy the minute her plan landed, and he happily agreed to come pick up his long lost friend from the airport. The moment he'd answered the phone she'd made him swear that he wouldn't tell her ex boyfriend she was in town, which he'd apparently failed at. Not more than a few seconds after she'd spotted Tommy, waving to get his attention, she started getting calls from Oliver. She'd been ignoring all forms of communication with him for a year, which had gone from about a missed call a day to a missed text a month, Oliver was starting to get the message that she didn't want to talk to him. She couldn't figure out what had inspired this call, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Tommy and it dawned on her. Of course he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Felicity had yelled at him, without letting him get a word in to explain himself. She had fled immediately after, buying a ticket for the next plane that was leaving.

And then there was now. She was driving down the highway in her canary yellow bug, the radio playing quietly. Felicity ran a hand through her long blonde tresses, sliding the other to the top of the leather steering wheel. She was weighing her options carefully.

1. Stay on the highway, pretend that she hadn't noticed where she was, and continue on her way.

2. Stop for the night, it was getting pretty late. She could eat dinner, get some sleep, and leave first thing in the morning.

3. Stay for a few weeks. Talk to Tommy... Maybe Oliver...

"No, Felicity! No, no, no, no and no!" She lectured herself. "You promised yourself you weren't gonna do this!" And she had. She might have only gotten to Starling three times, but she had definitely considered it many, many more times. She decided about a year ago that she was going to stop. She was making herself miserable, entertaining ideas of what could've been. What she could do now to make those ideas a reality... But what's done is done, and the past should stay in the past. "So that's it then." She said to her empty car. "Option three is not an option, I shouldn't have even considered making that an option, it isn't one and it isn't ever going to be one. Nope, not an option. So it's option one then. If I take option two then it might turn into option three which I already decided it isn't an option. I have said the word option so many times." She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "And I'm talking to myself. And by saying that, I am still talking to myself," she groaned. At that moment she heard a dinging sound coming from her car. She peered over the steering wheel to see that the gas light had come on, the gage on empty. "Perfect! Just perfect! And now you're talking to yourself again!" She half screamed half grunted in frustration. She switched into the exit lane, spotting a gas station right off of the highway.

She pulled up to a gas pump, and turned off the car. The frustrated girl sunk back into her seat, letting her eyes fall shut. She tried breathing deeply, telling herself it wasn't a big deal. She would just get gas, and then she could leave. This wouldn't change anything. Plus she was getting hungry, she reasoned. Chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better. Felicity opened her eyes, relaxing some. She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached over the console to grab her brown leather purse from the passenger's side. She got out of the car and turned the pump on before heading inside the convenience store.

Felicity pulled open one of the refrigerated sections clear doors, grabbing a bottled lemonade. It was a fetish she had, lemonade and chocolate. It sounds weird, but it just goes together. Or at least that's what she told people when they seemed grossed out by the habit. She crossed the store, finding the candy aisle easily. Felicity's eyes searched through wrappers, landing on a Take5 bar. Just as she reached for it there was a loud crash. She started, straightening up immediately. She scanned the room for the source of the sound, tucking her hair behind her ear. There were several other customers in the store, a few looking around like her, others going about their business. She met an elderly woman's eyes from across the room. Felicity smiled at her and shrugged, grabbing her candy bar and heading to the register. She set her food on the counter, and the clerk quickly scanned her items.

"Did you find everything okay?" The woman asked, speaking in monotone. The lady was Hispanic, probably in her twenties, and the front section of her hair was dyed turquoise. That combined with the torn up jeans, concert t-shirt and gages was giving off a punk kind of vibe.

"Um yeah, thank you," Felicity said. She pulled her wallet out, handing the girl her debit card. The store's door opened, setting off the beeping tone.

"Hello, how are you today?" The punk worker said flatly. She'd been repeating that line every time someone walked in. She handed Felicity her card, and started bagging the food.

"Umm actually not so great," an unhappy girl said. Felicity looked over her shoulder at that. The voice belonged to a teenager that she assumed was the customer that had just entered. "Hey, could I have everyone's attention please?" The girl continued, raising her voice. Felicity turned to face her, the other customers looking up from their shopping. "Which one of you drives a yellow Volkswagen?" The teenager said, grimacing. Felicity's eyes widened.

"That would be me," she said cautiously. The girl met her eyes, and Felicity inhaled sharply. "What's wrong with it?" The girl took a few steps toward her, an apologetic look on her face. "Could this day get any worse?" She mumbled to herself in frustration.

An hour later Felicity was sitting in the waiting room of an auto shop. With the teenage girl, who had somehow convinced her not to call the police. They sat across from each other, the younger girl bouncing nervously on the edge of her seat. Felicity sighed, studying her. She was young, probably still in high school. She had chin length brown hair and clear blue eyes that melted into green towards the pupil. She was pretty, thin with a striking face. They had been sitting in silence for the past twenty minutes, and the teenager had been sitting there biting her lower lip and jiggling her legs anxiously the whole time. She stopped abruptly when she noticed the blonde watching her.

"So I guess I should ask you your name," she said, clearing her throat. "That would probably be polite considering I hit your car and broke one of your mirrors off." Felicity almost laughed at that before she remembered she was mad. Really mad. This girl had changed her plans, turning option one into option two. Option two that she had been trying to avoid so it wouldn't turn into option three which wasn't an option. The brunette frowned in confusion, alerting Felicity that she had said that out loud.

"Felicity," she told the girl. "And I obviously have a tendency to accidentally say things out loud."

"Yeah.." The teenager said slowly. "Felicity, that's really pretty. That means happiness right?" She asked. Felicity nodded in response. "I've always been jealous of names like that, the ones that mean something. My name is Thea."

"I like that," Felicity smiled. "I wouldn't be too upset about the name thing. Felicity means happy or joyful or whatever, and people kind of expect me to be that way. Like all the time."

Thea laughed. "That sucks. Especially on days like today, when you are obviously not happy. Mostly with me," she said apologetically, her face scrunching up.

Felicity adjusted her legs, tucking one underneath her in the red plastic chair she was sitting in. "I'm not really mad at you, Thea," she told the girl. "I've just had a weird day."

"Really?" Thea asked her disbelievingly. Felicity laughed quietly. She stood, picking her purse up from the floor and walked over to Thea. She set her purse back down and took a seat next to the younger girl.

"Really," Felicity told her, meeting her eyes. Thea's mouth twitched up into a crooked smile. Oddly familiar. "I mean did I want you to crash into my car? Well obviously not, but.." She drifted off. Thea laughed lightly, and Felicity joined in.

"So since we're stuck here for a while, let's get to know each other. I have made some of my best friends after wrecking their cars," Thea said jokingly.

"Oh, I'm sure," Felicity laughed, playing along. "What do you want to know?"

"You can go first. That was one of the terms of you not calling the police, I have to answer anything you ask me." Thea told her. Felicity smiled.

"Okay," She agreed. She intertwined her hands in her lap, thinking for a minute. "Why didn't you want to go through the police? Don't you have insurance?"

"Yeah, I have insurance. Which my parents pay for," Thea said frowning. "If they found out I already got in another accident, they would totally take my car away!"

"Again?" Felicity asked. Thea grimaced. "So this is a recurring thing for you?" She laughed.

"No!" Thea insisted. Felicity raised an eyebrow at her. "A little," the girl admitted. Felicity grinned.

"So how exactly are you paying for the damages to both cars?" She wondered out loud. Felicity's '03 bug might not cost too much, but Thea's brand new looking Mercedes convertible certainly did.

Thea smiled guiltily. "I called my older brother. I've covered for him a lot over the years and he promised he would owe me a favor, so I'm cashing it in," she said. She glanced across the room at the wall clock hanging in the waiting room, checking the time. "He's supposed to meet us in like twenty minutes. I told him that he didn't have to come, that I could just bill him, but he insisted. 'Thea you were in an accident, and even if it wasn't a big deal, I would feel better if I saw you in person.'" Thea mocked in a ridiculously high voice, making air quotation marks with her fingers. Felicity laughed.

"He sounds like a good brother," She said.

"Oh he is," Thea told her, waving her hand. She laughed a little, "He's just over protective." Felicity nodded and then sighed.

"So I guess it's your turn then."

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Thea said slowly.

"I will," Felicity said. "You answered me."

"So you wouldn't call the cops!" Thea laughed. "I've got nothing on you."

"It's okay," Felicity smiles. "Go ahead."

"The options thing you were talking about earlier? Is that why you're upset?" Thea asked curiously. She pulled her knees up , putting her feet in her chair.

"Yeah," Felicity sighed, trying to find a way to explain it. "I don't live here, I'm just passing through." She said, swallowing.

"Oh," Thea said in surprise. "Where do you live?"

"I don't really know.." Felicity said, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Central City, I guess."

"You guess?" Thea asked. Felicity pulled her gaze up to look at her. The girl raised her eyebrows, smirking slightly. A bell was going off in the back of Felicity's mind, but it was muffled, and she couldn't figure out why it was ringing. She shook it off.

"My stuff is there, if that counts for something."

"Your stuff is there, but you aren't?" Thea guessed. Felicity nodded slowly. "So where are you staying?"

"Hotels right now," Felicity said, inhaling deeply. "I've just been driving for a few weeks. I don't really have a destination in mind. I just woke up one day, all alone in my apartment and I felt lost. I have a few friends in Central, and a job. But I feel like I'm missing something, and I don't know what it is," she said quietly.

"So why the options? Considering staying in Starling for a while?" Thea asked her.

"I know some people here," Felicity said slowly. "My brain knows I should leave, but apparently fate isn't getting the message. It's just been one thing after another today, not letting me go."

"You don't want to see the people that you know?" Thea questioned.

"I haven't seen them in a long time, they might not even remember me," the blonde girl said, her gaze drifting. A flash of dark blonde hair and blue eyes went through her mind. A wide smile saved just for her. Felicity shook her head, trying to rid the image from her thoughts. She looked back at Thea and for a split second, she could see Oliver in the girls face. She blinked rapidly. Thea watched her with concern.

"I don't know Lis, you seem pretty unforgettable," Thea smiled kindly. Felicity closed her eyes hard, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"What did you call me?" She asked slowly, her brain going into overdrive.

"Lis, do you not like it?" Thea asked, her eyebrows knotting together on her forehead. Felicity was getting a migraine. "I can come up with something else." Thea offered. "Licity is cute, but it's still kinda long. Ooh what about City?" Felicity was hunched over, her head in her hands. The bells were getting louder. "Sorry, am I freaking you out? I always do the nickname thing, it freaks some people out. I guess it kind of started when I was little and I couldn't say my brother's name so I called him Ollie instead of Oliver," Thea laughed. Felicity sat up straight with a sharp gasp, Thea's familiarity finally registering. Thea didn't seem to notice her companions reaction, as she jumped to her feet. "Hey! Speak of the devil!" She laughed, moving around the back of the chair she'd been sitting in to get to her brother who had just walked in.

"Hey, Speedy!" Oliver smiled, wrapping his arms around his little sister in a hug. "Talking about me, were you?" He laughed pulling back slightly. He looked over her shoulder to get a better look at the girl she'd been sitting with. Thea had told him over the phone about the young woman who's car she'd hit. His heart stuttered when he caught sight of blonde curls.

Felicity went rigid at the sound of his voice. Her mouth was dry and she was having trouble breathing. She slowly turned in her chair and her eyes caught on his. Time went still.

"You're Thea Queen," she breathed out.

Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed that, and if you did please let me know! Also I wanted to ask you guys something. I'm thinking that if this story continues as planned then I most likely want to write a prequel titled That Summer that will focus on Oliver, Tommy and Felicity meeting and spending their first summer together. I thought about doing flashback sequences in this story, which I might still do, but I don't want to take too much time away from what's current in their lives. So yeah let me know what you guys think!