Broken Arrows Chapter 7 – Here With Me
A/N: As always, thank you all for the unbelievable support. I can't say how much it means to me every time I receive a review, or a new follower or a favorite. As a writer, nothing makes me happier than to know that my readers love this story as much as I do. So thank you
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Enjoy!
Music – Here With Me by Susie Suh x Robot Koch
This chapter is for Fran and Vic 3
Love you guys
Caught in the riptide
I was searching for the truth
There was a reason
I collided into you
Calling your name in the midnight hour
Reaching for you from the endless dream
So many miles between us now
But you are always here with me
Nobody knows why
Nobody knows how or when
This feeling begins just like a spark
Tossing and turning inside of your heart
Exploding in the dark
Calling your name in the midnight hour
Reaching for you from the endless dream
So many miles between us now
But you are always here with me
All inside me I find my way back to you
Calling your name in the midnight hour
Reaching for you from the endless dream
So many miles between us now
But you are always here with me
Two worlds in your hands in your heart
Its one universe
You are always here with me
Moira Queen had been through many hard times in the past couple of years. She had been through the death of her beloved husband, and spent the next five years believing that her son also had perished along with his father. She fought depression, a rebellious teenage daughter, and countless people that were trying to take advantage of her situation. Yet, she found a form of peace in her charity work and in the constant presence of Walter Steele in her life. The British CFO of Queen Consolidated stood by her and Thea's side during the most agonizing moments of her life, and slowly he started to fill her dark and empty days with joy and light. He became the man she would grow old with. The man she loved. Her husband and companion.
Moira never truly got over the loss of Robert and Oliver. She never stopped feeling the pain and the despair, but she learned to live with it till she could almost say she lived a normal and happy life. But somehow, God had listened to her prayers and gave her a true miracle; he brought Oliver back to her.
So watching as Dr. Henry Lucas, the 61 year old, old family physician do another standard exam on Oliver was something that she never thought she would ever see. Dr. Lucas used a small flashlight to examine Oliver's pupil dilation, as well as regular reflexes. He also measured his blood pressure and listened to his heartbeat. He had taken a blood sample a few days ago and put Oliver through another head scan. And now they were at Starling City Memorial, discussing his results.
"Well Oliver, all your results came back as I expected them. Physically you are perfectly healthy," Dr. Lucas said, as he sat on his side of his wooden desk in his office.
"That's good news, right?" Moira intervened, looking from Dr. Lucas and Oliver, who seemed extremely nervous. After all this was an important meeting analyzing his state and the chances of his memory returning.
"Well, yes and no. I talked to Dr. Yang, the doctor that treated you after your accident and she said that you had very serious head trauma. It was considered a Level 3 Concussion, you were in a semi-comatose state for three days. We compared the results from the MRI you had in Australia and the one you did a few days ago. There was major swallowing on your medial temporal lobe and around your hippocampus – which is the main area responsible for your memories – right after the accident. The swelling since then has almost vanished. Yet, a small area is still recovering. I believe this is still part of why you haven't recovered all your memories," Dr. Lucas explained, moving his index finger along his long white beard.
"So, you think that's why I don't remember things?" Oliver questioned, feeling even more anxious.
"Partly yes. But I also believe, from what you have told me, that for a very long time a huge part of you didn't want to remember. So you probably were suppressing your memories. You moving back to your home, being in contact with your family, may trigger new memories."
Oliver nodded in agreement, "I think I am. Small things, distant memories, some from my childhood…some come to me in my dreams."
"This is a very common way for patients that have had memory loss and are trying to recover from it. I also think we should discuss your case with a psychiatrist; it may help you understand better what is happening with your mind. As well it should help you deal with all this new information that you will be getting. There are exercises that you can do to make your mind work more efficiently and try to get your memories back. There are other treatments as well, like hypnoses for instance," Dr. Lucas explained, as Oliver listened carefully.
"That is good news, right honey?" Moira said, softly touching Oliver's shoulder.
"Yeah," Oliver answered in a low tone, seemingly lost in his own memories; the few he had.
At that same moment, Moira realized that her cellphone was vibrating inside her black Chanel purse. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Walter on the line. "Excuse me. I need to take this call. I'll be right outside," Moira said before walking out of the office and towards the reception room.
"You ok there, Oliver? You seem … disturbed," Dr. Lucas observed.
"Do you think that there is a possibility that all my dreams are true memories? Or you think that my mind is so messy, that I can't even separate my past memories from my fantasies?" Oliver asked, feeling anxious.
"Is there any particular dream or memory that you believe may be your imagination?" Dr. Lucas asked, removing his glasses and putting them on top of the table.
"I have been having dreams about a woman for a few months now," Oliver said, looking down at his hands that were resting on his lap.
"A woman? Someone that you knew before the accident?"
"That's just it – I have no idea who she is – I keep dreaming about her but I can't see her face or remember her name. Even her voice is impossible to recall. She has been haunting me. I can't get her out of my head."
Dr. Lucas gave a hum, "That is interesting. The last time we spoke, right after you came back from Australia, you told me you had a dream about Thea. That it was actually a memory from when she had broken her arm when she was a child. Those dreams you have about this woman, do they seem like fantasies or memories? What did you feel after you woke up? Did you have the same feeling about her that you did about Thea? And I mean in the form of pertaining to an actual memory?"
"Yes," Oliver said, letting go of a long deep breath. He knew she was real, ever since the first time he had dreamt about her, he knew she was not just a fantasy. He needed to remember. If he didn't, he would never find her.
Dr. Lucas began rummaging through his desk as if looking for something. "She must have been someone really special then. Those dreams and flashes of memories that you are having are all ways of your mind to try and heal itself. I have a friend, his name is John Diggle, and he is a psychiatrist that is a specialist in trauma patients. Normally he works with soldiers with PTS and individuals that have suffered some force of violence. But considering your case, I think it would do you some good to talk to him. He may help you in more ways than one."
Oliver couldn't relax after his appointment with Dr. Lucas. Moira seemed extremely pleased with his test results and she was sure that in no time he would soon regain all his past memories back. He knew she only wished him well - she was his mother and so she wanted him to be healthy and happy – yet he couldn't stand the thought that she only wanted to have the 'old Oliver' back and not this stranger that now slept in her son's bedroom. Feeling edgy, as soon as he got back to the mansion he changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and walked down to the Queen's private gym.
The private gym was situated in the south side of the mansion, next to the covered heated pool and the tennis court. It was filled with modern and very likely extremely expensive equipment that would cause envy in any gym owner's eye. There were treadmills, spin bikes, rowers, leg presses, an area with all sorts of free weights and a flat bench with a large weight bar on top of it. Set in a corner, sat a box sack, along with a training dummy and a training mattress.
Oliver took the old IPod he found in one of the drawers of his bedroom - one that most likely had belonged to him in the past - and turned it on, letting the heavy beat of the rock and roll song that started playing move his body. He got on the treadmill and started a slow but steady pace. Soon he was jogging through the next forty minutes, for almost 20 miles. Sweat was trailing down his face, drenching his t-shirt. But with each heavy step he took, he felt the weight of it all being lifted off his shoulders. All he needed was to let go of some steam or he might explode; and the last thing he wanted was to hurt his mother feelings.
Oliver was so focused on keeping his legs moving that he almost didn't hear Slade walking into the room and stopping in front of the treadmill that he was on. When his eyes fell upon Slade he removed his headphones and slowed the machine until it stopped all together. Hopping off he grabbed a towel and dried off his face before drinking from his water bottle.
"Feeling tense, Kid?" Slade asked with a smirk. He knew that Jack/Oliver always went for a long jog when he was feeling tense and needed to cool off. He used to disappear for hours when things used to get too much for him to deal with in the past.
"You could say that," Oliver said, moving to sit on the flat bench and taking another gulp of his water.
"I was feeling a little bit tense as well. I'm not used to not working this long. I thought that it would do me some good to work out," Slade said, moving his eyes around the vast equipment of the gym, "Nice place your family's got around here."
"The perks of being filthy rich I suppose," Oliver said sarcastically, moving his body down on the bench and his arms up towards the large weights, "Spot me?"
Slade gave a nod and came to the head of the table, hands ready if anything should happen. Oliver moved his hands to grip the iron bar, before taking a deep breath and moving the bar off the rung and using all his arm muscles to move it up before bringing it down. In a steady rhythm he moved the weight up and down, holding it up for a few seconds, before flexing his arms down, and soon up again.
"You don't seem as excited as I thought you would be," Slade commented.
"I'm just overwhelmed I guess," Oliver said between huffs of air, lifting the weight up and down.
"Yeah, it's a big change I suppose. But you got a great family, your mom and your sister are really nice. Even Tommy has started too grow on me in the past couple days," Slade said with a chuckle.
"I know this... I'm just getting used to all of this you know," Oliver replied, finally starting to feel his arms aching. Lifting the weights one last time he pulled back and Slade helped him secure the heavy weights back into place. "I'm trying to accept all of this," Oliver said, moving his hands as if pointing all around the large and opulent room, "But this is not me. I may have been this rich kid that was used to this life. But I'm not anymore. I'm a simple guy, you know that. So it will take some time for me to get used to it I suppose." Oliver grabbed his water bottle once more and drank.
"A little bit different than a simple life back at Capel, hum?" Slade said with a small laugh.
"I loved that simple life. I was happy there. It all made sense you know? We worked the land, we planted on it and soon it was time to harvest the fields. It was simple and honest. I would spend nights on my porch, just looking up to the sky with no worries in the world. I would have a Sunday lunch with you guys, and Alex and I would spend the rest of the day playing together. I felt like I had a purpose," Oliver vented, running a hand over his short-cropped blond hair, "Now I can't be who I am. I mean, I know who I am supposed to be, I just can't be this person everyone expects me to be."
"Life was simple because you knew what you wanted and what you needed to do. You set yourself on something that you wanted to achieve and you did it. You now have to remember that you are a fighter, Kid. It doesn't matter if your name is Jack or Oliver. It doesn't change who you really are," Slade said, leaning over to place a comforting hand on Oliver's shoulder.
"I feel like I am neither of these men now. Not Oliver Queen, future CEO, beloved son and brother; not Jack Sawyer, farmer, friend, uncle and a man without any memories. I feel like I am floating in between words, lost without a course or a light to guide me," Oliver said in frustration.
Slade gave an understanding nod before coming around and sitting on another bench across from Oliver, "You know, I used to feel exactly like that after I left the Special Forces. I had been in the military all my adult life, I joined at 18 and being a part of it defined who I was at the time. So when I got hurt on one of the missions and lost the sight in my right eye, I felt like I had no purpose in life anymore. After all, if I couldn't be a soldier, what could I be?" Slade paused, taking a minute to think before continuing his story, "Then I met Shado and everything fell into place. I had this light in my life all of a sudden, this force to keep pushing me, to help me get back on my feet. She made me a better man. She was the one that made me see that I was not defined by the man that I used to be, nor by what I used to do or the life that I used to lead before joining the Special Forces. She made me see the man that I could be, the one I was inside. The man she always saw."
Oliver didn't know what to say so he just took it all in and absorbed all the things that Slade had just told him. Tried to ingrain it into his memory so when things got tough once more he could pull on it and remember Slade's words.
Slade continued, "Shado and Alex are my life. My family is the light of my life. They made it possible for me to get over all the pain, the hatred and the terror that I saw and lived all those years in the military. I am not the man that I used to be and I will never be that man again; I don't want to be. And you won't be either."
"You miss them, don't you?" Oliver asked with a small smile. He as well was missing the little boy and the older woman he considered to be a nephew and a sister. Only now that he needed to let them go in a sense did he realize how much he actually would miss having them in his daily life. He always had loved them and always would, but everything would be different now. No matter how much he would try to stay in touch he wouldn't see Alex growing up or the new baby being born. He wouldn't be a part of their lives anymore and it hurt. He was now stuck in this life.
"It's like I can't even breathe without them with me," Slade said in a sad tone. He really was missing his family. It wasn't even two weeks since they had parted, but he couldn't stop wishing he was back home. But Jack/Oliver needed him.
Oliver took in the man in front of him. He was a good friend, hell a spectacular friend. But he felt like maybe he should let him go, let him return home. It was the least he could do, "You should go back home. Your place is with them. With your wife and your children."
"I will, as soon as I feel that you will be ok on your own," Slade said with a hard look. He knew exactly what the kid was trying to play here.
"I don't know if I will ever be ok again, Slade," Oliver said, defeated.
"You just need to take it slow and not try to work too hard on this, Kid. Things will slowly fall into their right places. You just need to be patient," Slade said, patting him on the back and moving towards the free weights area. He grabbed two large heavy ones and started to work out, the conversation now coming to an end.
"I wish it was just that simple," Oliver said, sighing, "I wish I could just be what everyone expected me to be. A part of me wishes that I could just go back and live my life, the life that I can't even recall. But I can't do that. And you know what the worst part is? In a way, I want my memories back as much as they want me to. I don't want to miss anything, not more than I already have missed in this weird limbo I'm stuck in. Not anymore." Oliver unconsciously moved his hands around the arrow pendant like he always did when he felt anxious or worried.
"It's about her, isn't it?" Slade asked, looking back at him through the large wall mirror.
"It's always been about her," Oliver confessed.
After the first few days at the mansion, Oliver felt more confident in walking around the large stone house, feeling like he was not going to get lost in the endless hallways if he went by himself. On one of those walks he found the way to the large garage of the mansion. It was extremely spacious, with rock walls and high ceilings. Even then it came as a surprise that there was room for six cars. One was the black Bentley that the family driver – Mr. Davis – had come to pick him up in at the airport and would take him to whatever place he desired to go these days. There was also a black Mercedes he knew belonged to Walter, a red convertible BMW he was pretty sure was owned by Thea, and on the farthest corner or the garage there was a car that seemed to be covered with a protection sort of tarp, as well as a silver Lamborghini and a red Ducati.
Oliver walked towards the silver sports car, softly touching the hood, moving his hands against the modern lines of the luxury car. It was a beautiful car and he immediately felt the need to take it for a long drive – the windows down, the wind on his face and music blasting from the speakers.
But it only took one look at the red and black Ducati Diavel and he immediately fell in love with it. Oliver moved towards it with a smile on his face and a need to ride it, even though he never had ridden one before, or at least not in the past five years. The bike seemed to be covered in a thin layer of dust, like it had been years since anyone had moved it or months since it had been cleaned.
Next to it there was a large cabinet that ran along the entire wall. He moved towards it and opened the endless drawers and cabinets until he found a small box filled with three sets of keys. Two were clearly car keys. One seemed extremely old, probably something from around the 60s or 70s; and it had a Mustang symbol on it. The other was modern looking, clearly the key to the Lamborghini. Yet the third one was what intrigued him – it was an electronic key and he could see the red Ducati symbol on it. The key was one of those modern ones that caused the vehicle to come to life without actually inserting a key, but just with the close proximity of the key to the bike. He took the key and moved closer to the motorcycle, and yet nothing happened. Feeling confused and curious to why it was happening, Oliver got up on the bike. Feeling the large machine between his legs oddly enough felt familiar. He inserted the key into the ignition. Sadly, the bike didn't come to life like he expected it to. Before he even knew it Oliver was shirtless, hands stained with grease, surrounded by different kinds of tools and working on the electronic and mechanic parts of the engine, trying to make it work again. Somehow he knew.
"And that's a sight I never expected to have ever again," Tommy Merlyn said, from his spot at the open garage door.
"Hi, Tommy," Oliver said from his spot on the floor, still trying to make the electrical engine of the bike start.
"So, you woke up feeling the need to ride your bike today or something?" Tommy asked with a smile, crossing his arms across his chest as he leaned against the Lamborghini as Oliver worked on the Ducati.
"My bike?" Oliver asked with a large smile, softly touching the metallic structure. That was something he could be pleased about. Finally something that he could really appreciate. "Good to know. I have been trying to make it work for the past two hours," Oliver said with grunt as he took a screwdriver and worked on a piece of the engine.
"Well, I guess that after five years without no one riding it, it was meant to stop working eventually," Tommy said with an arched eyebrow as he watched Oliver moving. He still got a bad feeling deep in his stomach every time he would see the multiple scars that ran across Oliver's back and chest – very likely from the yacht crash that ended up killing Robert and causing Oliver to lose his memory. Tommy just couldn't imagine the pain and suffering that Oliver must have went through.
Suddenly the engine roared back to life. Oliver gave a laugh as he stood up and took the accelerator in hand, making it roar. "Yes, baby!" Oliver celebrated as he climbed on, revving it up again.
"Good job," Tommy said with a smile. Oliver always had a thing for cars ad bikes. It was one of his many hobbies back in the day, one that he shared with his father Robert. In fact they used to spend hours working on restoring antique cars. The Shelby was their last project before their accident. Tommy wondered if Oliver had any recollection of it.
"Thanks," Oliver said with a smile, as he felt the vibration of the engine between his legs. He contemplated for a second taking the bike for a spin but feared what may happen if he tried to take it for a ride. After all he didn't remember riding one. So he shut down the engine and climbed off the bike.
"So I have been thinking…"
"And that is never a good thing," Oliver said with a smirk.
"Very funny, Ollie. Ladies and Gentleman, my best friend, the comedian," Tommy said, rolling his eyes as Oliver laughed, "Anyway, as your funeral blew…"
"It blew? What, you didn't get lucky?" Oliver asked with a grin, remembering some of the stories that Tommy had told him about their younger year's together.
"No… I already was a 'one woman only' kind of man at the time. Come on, have some faith in me, Ollie," Tommy said sarcastically, making Oliver laugh, "Besides, I don't know what they were more sad about, you dying or me dating Laurel. Anyway, I think it's time for your welcome home bash."
"My what?" Oliver asked, shocked.
"You came back from the dead! This calls for a party!" Tommy said excitedly, "Now that the entire world seems to know that you are alive, it's time that we officially reintroduced your to society."
"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Tommy," Oliver said, already looking uncomfortable at the thought of being surrounded by strangers that wouldn't know that he didn't remember who they were.
"Come on, man. I will take care of everything, all you need to do is show up," Tommy insisted, using his best 'puppy eye look' as Laurel liked to say.
Oliver looked at him skeptically, "I don't know…someone may notice that something's wrong with me, that I'm not the same man they remembered from before."
"I promise I will keep things small," Tommy said, receiving a doubtful look from Oliver, "Only the closest friends of ours, I promise!"
"Tommy, you really believe that a comeback party for Oliver Queen could ever be small?" Oliver said in annoyance as he fiddled with the screwdriver on hand. He wasn't ready for a big party, no matter how much Tommy denied it.
"This may be the chance for you to find your Arrow Girl. The news about you was and still is all over the TV. It means that she's seen it. But your mother's got you on a tight leash. Maybe she can get to you at the party. I mean, the mansion is more protected than a federal prison right now," Tommy argued, making a valid point. For days Oliver had being anxious, expecting the blonde woman of his dreams to come forward, yet all he got was disappointment. But maybe Tommy was right; the amount of security at the mansion was enormous. She wouldn't be able to reach him even if she wanted to.
"Do you really think she would come?" Oliver asked, hopeful.
"Dude, you are Oliver Queen. You're a real catch. She would be crazy to not come back to you," Tommy said with a slightly sad smile, "After all, as much as you think about her still she's got to think about you still."
"But how am I supposed to know it's her? Or how can we even invite her? I mean, I looked for signs of her everywhere, but I don't have a single picture, a phone number or even her name. I mean you told me her name was Meghan, but there are countless Meghan's in Starling City. Trust me, I checked. There is no way for me to find her like this," Oliver grumbled.
"Then we will make her come to you. We will find your Arrow Girl, Oliver. I promise you," Tommy said in a consoling voice.
Felicity had been driving herself crazy for the past few days. After her surprise encounter with Oliver on the day of his press release, or almost encounter, she had tried to fully comprehend what had happened in that hallway. Ever since that day she had tortured herself with never-ending possibilities of why she couldn't reach Oliver. And yet she couldn't find an answer that would make any sense in her head. She had tried to email him, but the account had been deactivated. His phone number also had been lost, as he probably was with it at the time of his accident all those years ago. She had driven towards the mansion, believing that she would finally be able to reach Oliver, but the private road that would lead to the small-gated community on the outskirts of the city had been closed. To top it off the security station set up on the closed road only let registered individuals pass through, a security measure they said. But she knew that deep down it was a way for the Queen's to assure that no one could reach Oliver. Felicity couldn't blame them; a lot of people would try to take advantage of the situation, especially the press that was having a ball because of Oliver's return.
Still, ever since that day she had been trying to find a way to reach him. Even now while she was at her office with Emily sitting right in front of her at her desk going through the weeks schedule...she couldn't get him out of her head. She needed to find a way to reach Oliver. When she had seen him she had felt an overwhelming need to be near him, to make up for the past five years. So she couldn't bear to spend another minute away from him. She had only one more option: Tommy. She didn't want to use her friendship with him to reach Oliver but she was getting desperate and seriously contemplating it. But she couldn't…Felicity couldn't bear the look on Tommy's face if he realized she had been lying to him all along, that all those times where he talked about Oliver, where he opened up about his feelings on the loss of his best friend, she had known Oliver all along. Tommy probably would never understand her reasons, and she couldn't risk losing his friendship, he was way too important to her. No, she would have to find another way to get in touch with Oliver.
And yet, Oliver also hadn't made any attempts to reach her. She had kept the same phone number, email address and even lived in the same place for the past five years. Oliver knew how to contact her and yet he had chosen not to. Maybe he was overwhelmed by his family; Moira and Thea probably couldn't stand to step away from him in fear that he would disappear once more. Maybe he needed time to settle down. Maybe he was also scared to come after her and find out that she had moved on. Maybe he had his own doubts.
"Knock, knock," she heard a male voice saying, as the smell of food filled the small glass room making her stomach growl.
"Mr. Merlyn," Emily said, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she got up from her chair. Her crush on Tommy was painfully obvious, a fact that always boosted Tommy's ego.
"Hello Emily. Hi, Lis," Tommy said with his charming smile, and Felicity was pretty sure that Emily almost fainted at the sight of it.
"Tommy," Felicity said with an amused smile. She was glad to see him even if her thoughts were just worrying about him knowing that she knew Oliver.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything important, am I? I brought us lunch," he asked them, pointing to plastic bag he was holding.
"Oh no. Mr. Merlyn, please have a seat," Emily said, getting up from her chair and moving to the one that was next to it so Tommy could sit.
"Come on Emily, I already told you to call me Tommy! Mr. Merlyn is my father," Tommy teased, opening the top button on his grey suit jacket and sitting down in the white leather chair. Without prompting Felicity and Emily made room for the food on Felicity's desk. Tommy began riffling through the bag.
"I'm sorry Emily, I didn't get anything for you. But we can share? I promise you I will give you my fortune cookie," Tommy said, making her blush even more.
"It's ok Mr. Merlyn…I mean Tommy. I already have plans to go to lunch with my friends," Emily smiled at him, "It's ok if I go now, Ms. Smoak?"
"Sure. We will finish all this paperwork later after we go through the rest of this week's schedule. Have a good lunch Emily," Felicity said, watching as her secretary took her tablet and pressed it against her chest, walking away from her office as fast as her small legs allowed her to.
"Bye Emms," Tommy said, waving her goodbye.
"Tommy, stop teasing her. You know the girl has a crush on you and you keep on flirting with her and leading her on. It's mean," Felicity said in a reprehensive tone.
"I know. But look at her…she's just so cute. I just can't help myself," he joked with a smile.
"So…Chinese? You must have missed me," Felicity teased as Tommy handed her a couple food containers.
"Yeah I know that I have been a little bit…distracted since Oliver got back," Tommy said in an apologetic tone. He didn't notice how Felicity seemed to hold her breathe in at the mention of Oliver's name.
"I can understand that. Your best friend just came back from the dead. It's a big deal," Felicity said, grabbing her wooden chopsticks and hovering over her food, trying to decide where to start.
"Try the chicken," Tommy said with a mouthful before grinning, suspiciously grinning actually, "So let me make it up to you and the girls! I'm throwing this party…"
"No," she said immediately as the dreaded 'party' word came out of his mouth.
"You didn't even let me finish," he said with a laugh.
"Because I know what you're going to say! I'm not in the mood for a party, Tommy," she insisted.
"It's not just any party! It's Oliver welcome back party! I'm throwing it at Verdant this Friday night. It will be legendary!" Tommy said, taking note of how hesitant Felicity seemed to look at the idea, "Listen, I need you to come. He's not feeling himself you know. He didn't even want a party. But he is my best friend and…you are one of my best friends. It's time you two meet so we all can hang out like a big happy family."
She looked to be in deep thought for a moment, her hand moving against her collarbone, her fingers stopping against the red clothe of her dress as she seemed to stare at nothing. This was her chance.
"You want me to go to Oliver's party? Why?" she asked cautiously, trying to understand what was happening. In her mind she was expecting it to be a sign, maybe Oliver had come clean with Tommy about them. Maybe he was trying to help them out.
"Yes, it will be great having you around. You know, Oliver, you, me, Laurel, Sara and Nyssa. Of course, Thea and her boyfriend Roy will be there also. But it will be great. I assure you we will have a blast! My parties used to be famous back in the day you know."
"I don't know," she said, still uncertain. This wasn't looking like a sign from Oliver. She moved her finger against the platinum chain that was around her neck, it's end still hidden in her dress.
"Come on Lis! Ollie needs good people in his life right now. People who won't try to take advantage of what happened to him. He needs to have fun and to know he can let loose and just have a good time. Sara and Nyssa already promised they would be there. Come on, just this one time, for me. Please," Tommy begged, eyes wide and pleading. She knew then that she would say yes. Not because Tommy's eyes were all big and sad. No…she would come because she was confused and this was her opportunity. She wouldn't miss it.
"Fine, I will make an appearance," Felicity said with a small smile, feeling her hands trembling against her crossed legs as she tried to look unaffected in front of Tommy. She couldn't look too pleased or anxious or Tommy may suspect something because he didn't know about their past together. If Oliver had wanted Tommy to know he would have told him himself, yet he kept silent about their relationship. So she would do the same, for now.
But one thing she was sure of: no one would stop her from reuniting with Oliver. Not anymore.
In the end Nyssa and Sara convinced Felicity to get ready for Oliver's party at their loft. Both of her friends seemed particularly excited to go out and dance at Verdant, and so their clothing choice reflected that. Nyssa went with a silver sequin mini dress with cleavage showing that was sexy and yet not slutty and black pumps. She also had decided to pin her hair up in a messy ponytail. Sara went with the red bombshell look; a short bandage jersey red dress and black and golden peep toes pumps. This time she let her hair loose and straight down her back. The couple looked extremely attractive and Felicity knew that many eyes would turn to their direction tonight, even though they would only have eyes for each other like they always did.
Felicity had spent hours trying to pick the perfect dress. She felt even more nervous than on her first date with Oliver. It had been five years since they had last seen each other and she wanted to look her best for him. Reuniting with him would feel like coming home and it wouldn't hurt to look nice.
In the end she purchased a new dress, something special, that she knew that Oliver would love on her. It was a golden pink-coated bandage mini dress. The short dress ended up middle thigh and had strategic cutouts along the side and towards her back, leaving a lot of the skin of her back showing. All of those Mai Thai and jogging hours were going paying off for sure. A part of her couldn't wait to see Oliver's reaction when he caught her in this.
In addition she chose to pair it off with strappy light leather high-heels pumps that fastened on her slim ankles. She completed her look with a thin gold bracelet and a pair of small diamond earrings that Oliver had given her on her 24th birthday. She let her hair down in long waves down her back and had her bangs swept to the side. She was just finishing applying her pink lipstick in the hall mirror when Sara and Nyssa walked up to her.
"Wow, you look amazing Felicity," Nyssa said with a large smile on her red painted lips.
"Thank you," Felicity replied, happy with the compliment.
"Lis, this dress is perfection. You look ready to party," Sara said happily.
"Well, it's not every day that Oliver Queen comes back from the dead! She is right to want to look fabulous," Nyssa reasoned as she took all of their coats and handed them out.
"Tommy is so excited! It's been years since I've last seen this happy, I mean, besides the day that he proposed to Laurel," Sara said as she fastened her coat.
"Yeah, I can't even imagine what Tommy must be feeling," Felicity said, not looking at them as she said it. She couldn't look in their eyes and lie. She was freaking ecstatic, finally she would be reunited with the love of her life, nothing could be better than that.
"I wonder how he looks. I mean, I know how he actually looks, I saw him on the TV. What I mean is that he must have changed right? It's been five years. A lot can happened in five years," Nyssa said, grabbing her clutch.
"I'm sure he is still his gorgeous and charming self. He is Oliver Queen. There is no one like him after all. Now come on, I don't want to be late and get stuck in the line," Sara said as they all locked the door behind them and moved towards the elevator.
"As if Tommy would make us wait," Nyssa said with a laugh.
They all entered the elevator then. One happy to reunite with an old friend. One happy to meet someone important to her girlfriend. And one happy to reunite with the love of her life. It was going to be perfect…until Felicity recalled Sara's words, "Wait? The line? How big is this party exactly going to be?"
They took a cab instead of driving as Nyssa and Sara decided they would have the time of their lives tonight, especially in a party thrown by Tommy Merlyn. Tommy had apparently granted them access to a more restricted area so that Oliver wouldn't be overwhelmed by the large crowd. The free and expensive drinks were a bonus.
Verdant was one of the hottest clubs in California and Tommy's 'baby'. He had built it from scratch out of an old abandoned building and foundry previously owned by the Queen's. Even through the club was in the Glades, a less fortunate neighborhood in Starling City, the lines were always long and the club was always crowded. Tonight was no different and as they walked to the front entrance, a long line had already been forming. It was filled with the rich and young of Starling City and Felicity was surprised by the amount of blondes that seemed to crowd the place.
Sara and Nyssa led her to the entrance and they were waved through, not waiting in that long line. Verdant pulsed with the heavy beat of electronic music. Bodies danced and grinded together on the dance floor as the lights changed along with the beat. Waiters moved among the crowd serving all kind of drinks.
Felicity couldn't help but look for Oliver in the crowd. But she couldn't find him anywhere. Sara and Nyssa took her to the VIP lounge that Tommy had told them about. The bouncer there checked their names on a list and let them come up the iron stairs that would lead to a VIP lounge above the dance floor. The upper space was large, running the entire length of the wall with a bar in the corner. It also had leather couches everywhere and small sitting spaces. Pamela, a blonde private waiter was there to attend to them immediately and take their coats. She seemed to stare at Felicity more than she would like. It's not that she wasn't flattered by the attention of the beautiful woman; it's just that she didn't swing that way. She had tried it once at Sara and Nyssa's insistence but she was just not into girls. Besides, the only attention she wanted to receive tonight was from Oliver. So with a polite smile she placed a drink order and continued along with Sara and Nyssa.
After a while they were tired of waiting in an empty VIP lounge and decided they wanted to go have some fun. Two or three Dirty Martinis later they decided to go down to the dance floor. They wanted Felicity to go along and dance with them but she was too anxious to enjoy the moment so she declined with a smile and said she was still enjoying her Cosmopolitan and that they she would joy them later. The happy couple descended into the main floor and soon they were lost among the many bodies, moving to the heavy bass beat.
Oliver nervously moved his hands over his suit-clad thighs all the way towards Verdant. Tommy and Laurel, along with Thea and Roy were inside the limo with him to the club. While all of them chatted and drank flutes of champagne, he sat there tense and trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. This was another step in becoming Oliver Queen but damn was he nervous.
They reached the old factory that was converted into a club and moved around the building, effectively avoiding the crowds. They entered the building through a guarded side entrance. Tommy guided them through a couple corridors and doors until they reached the staircase into the club.
"This is it. Are you ready?" Tommy asked him, as he held placed a hand on Laurel's lower back.
"Do I have a choice?" Oliver asked with a small laugh, wishing that Slade wasn't such an old man – he had decided to spend his Friday night talking to Shado and Alex on Skype, as it would be around lunch time back at Australia – leaving Oliver to have to deal with the madness that this party was going to be all by his lonesome.
"It will be ok, Ollie. Those are all your friends," Thea said with a supportive smile with Roy next to her. Oliver was still not sure about the kid. He was way too quiet for his taste. He needed to try and get to know his baby sister's boyfriend a little more.
"But I don't remember any of them. Those people meant nothing to me. They don't even know the real me," he practically ground out with a desperate sigh.
"Then party with us. We're all your friends. This is a happy time, to celebrate your return. You can ignore the rest of the world if you want," Laurel said, as Tommy proudly smiled at her.
"She's right. Plus the VIP lounge will be available if you need to have some alone time. Just try to have some fun, ok?" Tommy said with a smile, as he opened the double doors and descended the staircase with Laurel and Oliver, beside him, and Thea and Roy right behind him.
The DJ immediately cut the music when he spotted Tommy and Oliver. The crowd soon became quiet as Tommy appeared on the steps, with Laurel behind him and Oliver right next to him. They stopped on the stairs.
"Everybody! The man of the hour!" Tommy shouted, hugging Oliver around the shoulders as the crowd cheered, "Let's give Oliver Queen, a warm welcome! It's not every day you meet a man that has come back from the dead!" The crowd went insane cheering.
A waiter brought a tray filled with Tequila shots and gave each one of them a shot glass.
Tommy took his glass and raised it. "So let's raise our glasses and welcome back my best friend, the best man that I've ever known, Oliver Queen! Welcome back!" Tommy said smiling at Oliver, before throwing back the shot. They all followed his example.
Oliver felt his throat burning. The drink was strong but had momentarily eased his mind from the speech everyone seemed to expect him to do. He looked out at the crowd in trepidation before steeling himself and smiling, taking another drink into his hand.
"Hi everyone, I want to thank you all for being here tonight, to celebrate my return back home. It has been a very long time, and it is good to be back. So let's all enjoy the night while it lasts. Cheers!" Oliver said with a fake smile while raising his glass, before throwing back a shot once more as the crowd cheered.
Oliver spent the next hour making small talk to endless faceless people on the main floor of Verdant. Tommy would always say the name of the person before they could reach them so that Oliver could keep the pretense that he remembered each one of them. Sadly there were way too many women that he had slept with in the past and that had wanted to rekindle that old flame. But Oliver could care less about those women; none of them were 'her'.
As the night moved on he looked back at each blonde that crossed his path; hoping that one of them would be his Arrow Girl. But no one made his heart beat faster or made his stomach feel like it was turning into knots. He was starting to get the feeling that she wasn't among the people at the party.
Thea and Roy stood next to him as he talked with the party guests. His sister looked gorgeous, and he could see in the look in her eyes that she really loved her boyfriend, who looked at her like she was his whole universe. Tommy and Laurel looked equally in love. And as they danced and laughed, Oliver felt really happy that they had found their way to each other. In so little time he had already become attached to Tommy and already considered him a great friend. So his happiness was important to Oliver. But the amount of affection they were all showing to each other was making him feel uncomfortable. And so as his friends and sister decided to move towards the dance floor, Oliver found his way up to the VIP lounge that Tommy had assured him that only they would have access to. Solitude would be welcome for a little while.
The VIP lounge was practically empty since everyone was on the dance floor. Appreciating the peace and quiet of the empty space, Oliver walked towards the bar that sat across from the stairs.
"A shot of Bourbon, please," Oliver said, as the bartender poured his drink into a crystal glass. Oliver thanked him, and turned on the edge of his seat and took small sips, enjoying the velvet taste of the drink. Hopping off he walked forward and leaned against the railing, looking down at the crowd below.
On the dance floor, the DJ Steve Aoki was driving the crowd insane with the heavy beats of the songs. And from his spot on top of the VIP lounge he could see Thea and Roy dancing along with Tommy and Laurel. They seemed to have met another couple, this time a blond woman along with a brunette and they all danced along to the hypnotic beat as well.
The flashing and pulsing room was starting to be too much for Oliver and he literally was counting the minutes so he could go home. While the VIP lounge was empty and so he didn't have to try to escape the advances of nameless women, he also was bored. And after watching the many happy couple's that he had surrounded himself with, he couldn't stop feeling a deep sadness from washing over him. He desperately wanted to feel what Tommy and Laurel felt one for the other. He wanted to find the right woman and settle down, to have a family of his own. He always desired it, and yet he never felt the right woman nor the right time to make those wishes come true, had ever come around. He thought that now he would be closer to finding his Arrow Girl, but it was just another disappointment.
Oliver finished his Bourbon and was about to move down the stairs and ask the limo driver to take him back to the mansion, when a flash of golden hair caught his eye. It was on the opposite side of the VIP lounge. More than 200 hundred feet away from him, between the pulsing beat and the bright lights, the golden curly hair was all he could focus on; it made her practically glow.
He was too far to see her face. But she was alone and staring down at the large mass of bodies dancing. He couldn't stop himself. He moved towards her.
Her body was turned away from him. He could see the soft pale skin of her back and shoulder through the cutouts at the sides of her golden pink dress. Her golden blonde hair was long and curly, almost reaching the middle of her back. She had long legs and perfect shapely calves, with thin ankles wrapped in extremely high heels. He could smell her perfume as he came near. It was a mixture of flowers and the smell of fresh rain, and it was intoxicating. He had never felt as dawn to someone like right now.
She seemed to tense after a moment, like she had realized she was being watched and after a few seconds she slowly turned around to face him. He stood frozen.
If he thought she was stunning from behind, she was a true vision from the front, in all her mesmerizing beauty. She had the most striking blue eyes, a small nose and full lips painted in a bright pink. She was thin but with a curve of hips and a small waist. She looked like a goddess as the club lights shinned on her, coloring her milky skin with a kaleidoscope of colors.
"Hi," Oliver finally said, feeling like it was hard to breathe. It felt like hundreds of small butterflies were moving inside of him when she smiled.
"Oliver," she said in a thick voice, full of emotion. He felt like it was right for his name to fall from her lips.
"You seemed like you could use some company," he said, moving a step closer to her as she supported her body against the railing. Her eyes were wide and solely focused on him.
"I can't believe you're here," she said with a trembling voice. She was nervous.
"You almost sound like you missed me," he teased lightly, feeling an inexplicable instant connection with her.
"It's been five years… I… I never thought I would see you again," she said, a small tear falling down her face.
He slowly approached her, confused at the reason that tears seemed to be pooling in her beautiful blue eyes. Yet there was something about her, something more, it was so much more than chemistry. It was like his body and soul knew her. He looked at her the way all women want to be looked at by a man.
"I'm here now," he reassured her as he slowly cupped her cheek, softly moving his thumb over to wipe the trail of the tear away. She turned her face into his touch, taking soft deep breathes, her eyes closed like she craved his touch and had been without it for way too long.
"Oliver," she whispered, her eyes closed and her pink lips parted. He would have missed it amongst all the noise if it weren't that her lips ghosted over his hand as she spoke.
His entire body called out to her. He never had felt this way before. This aching. This need to touch her, to be close to her, to drown himself in her.
His other hand came up to join the other on her face as he brought her lips towards him, tasting her for the first time. She let go a happy sigh as her hands moved around to his suit cladded back, holding for dear life. The kiss was soft and chaste. Pure. And oh so right.
He could feel his blood pumping in his veins, as her body molded itself perfectly against his, her arms moving around his neck whilst his moved to her waist. Their mouth parted and their tongues danced together. The kiss was filled with something he couldn't name. Something that he had never felt before.
His fingers danced against the naked skin of her back, caressing the hot skin there. She was soft and yet firm in his arms. Their kiss was perfect, like old lovers meeting again for the first time, in a very, very long time.
"Oliver," she moaned against his lips, as she moved her hands inside his jacket, her fingers digging into his back.
He pushed her body against the railing, pressing their hips and chest closer together, as one of his hands moved towards the soft golden locks. He held onto her golden curls, deepening the kiss until he almost couldn't tell where he began and where she ended.
He felt like he was burning.
Lips, tongues, skin and teeth. It was brutal. It was truthful. It was passionate. It was the best feeling that Oliver had ever felt in his entire life. He never wanted it to end. It was like coming back home.
Feeling his lungs starting to burn, he parted their lips from hers. One of his hands held her tight against his body and the other caressed her face. Her skin was flushed, her lips swollen and her eyes were shining. Her hair was messy and she was out of breath and yet her smile seemed to brighten the entire room even more.
She was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen.
"Why do I feel like I've known you all my life? That I have been waiting for this moment? Who are you?" he asked with a smile, totally smitten by the gorgeous blonde.
"What?" she whispered, her body tensing against his as his words seemed to penetrate the lusty fog they were in.
"What's your name?" he asked her softly, watching as her smile seemed to fade away and her face closed off as if in pain.
"I…I've got to go," she said in a quivering voice as she pushed his body away from hers. And before he could stop her she rushed down the stairs and into the sea of dancing people. He looked over the balcony, eyes sweeping the crowd desperately. There was something there. Something that he was missing. But no matter how much he looked, no matter how much he scanned the room…she was just gone.
A/N: Ok, don't kill me. You were all anxious to see Oliver and Felicity reuniting, so they got reunited! YAY!
Please note that the reunion was in Oliver's POV. Next will be Felicity's POV. Give Felicity some slack too. She just realized that Oliver doesn't know who she is. Let the girl freak out for a moment!
Try to remember this is an Olicity HEA! So I will give you all a Happy Ending, have a little faith in me!
Please, let me know what you all think!
Love,
PoisonAngelMuse
