Demons Chapter 10 – Drive
A/N: I want to thank you all for the support. Without you guys, I would probably have given up on this, and nothing brings me more joy than writing. So thank you!
I want to thank my beta, The Alternative Source, for working so hard and taking her time to make this story better. I really appreciated your help hun!
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Enjoy!
Oh get me right, all it takes is starry nights
I want my eyes to see these lights
Hold hold hold on hold hold on
But when it comes it goes
I am on my knees
Oh forgive me
Get me right, look at these seagulls in the air
They seem to yell just like we care
Hold hold hold on hold hold on
But when it comes it goes
I am on my knees
Oh forgive meDrive, I got my head on aright
I got my people strapped tight
I got my head on aright
Oh oh oh oh
I, I got my head on aright
I got my people strapped tight
I got my head on aright
Oh oh oh oh
Oliver'spained scream was what made Felicity turn and look in his direction. She saw as the blood started to run down his green leather vest, his body unmoving, laid out on the grass. She screamed, sheltering Connor the best she could with her own body, watching as arrows and bullets flew through the night sky. She heard Sara screaming, Slade's laughing and Digg shouting.
She thought that that would be the end of it; Slade would kill all of them, and that there would be nothing they could do to stop him.
But while she saw Oliver's broken body on the grass, she also saw Sara sending many poisoned arrows through the air, one went through Slade's chest and the other practically into his neck, while Diggle ran and shot in his direction. She heard grunts and saw Sara's own blood run down her leather jacket; Diggle was laid out with his back to a tree trunk and Slade had fallen onto his knees. It was all moving and happening so fast. She couldn´t say who had taken the last shot, but between screams and groans, she saw Slade's dark smile fading as his bleeding body crumpled to the ground. He stumbled and began making his way to the edge of the clearing. She tightened her hold on Connor as she realized Slade was trying to escape. It couldn't happen.
As he reached the edge of the clearing he came to the small bridge that covered the rock encrusted ravine that led to the grass field. He swayed and tumbled over. He rolled into the ravine, his body leaving an angry splat on each rock until his body splashed into the water beneath it. Distantly she heard Diggle screaming for her to get up and run towards the helicopter, but she couldn´t move, all she could do was stare at Oliver's unmoving body and hear their son small cries.
"Felicity, we got to go," Diggle said, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her off the floor. She hadn't even realized she had fallen to her knees.
"We need to get Oliver," she pleaded, the tears pooling in her blue eyes.
"Sara, take her and Connor to the chopper!" Digg called out, pushing Felicity towards Sara.
"But he's hurt!" Felicity pressed Connor closer to her chest.
"We need to keep you safe. Digg and I will get Ollie. Let's go," Sara said when she approached her, pushing Felicity and Connor towards the large black helicopter.
Felicity looked back, watching as Digg seemed to check Oliver's pulse, his face morphing into a mixture of relief and worry. She knew that he was really hurt, she knew he may be in critical condition; but she couldn´t lose hope that he would be ok. He would be.
Sara opened the metal door of the helicopter, and Felicity saw Roy laid down in a medical stretcher, with Lyla pressing gauze on his neck wound.
"Lyla," Felicity said in relief, climbing into the helicopter, taking Connor with her.
"Felicity, I need your help. Can you put your hand on here? We need to put pressure on his wound," Lyla asked her, watching as Sara ran towards where Digg was trying to carry Oliver on his own.
"Oh God," Felicity let out, watching as the white gauze under her hands turned red. How could things have gotten to this point?
As Lyla grabbed more gauze she pulled out a large sweatshirt and came over to a shaken up Connor, "Hey, can you be a brave little boy for your mom?"
"Yes," he said, between tears and small hiccups.
She pulled the sweatshirt over his head, "Ok, we are going to go soon ok? Just sit here and be a good boy." The warmth of the sweatshirt seemed to calm down Connor, as he stopped crying and wrapped the cloth snuggly against his body. Felicity gave Lyla a grateful look as they continued to work on Roy.
Diggle and Sara brought Oliver to the helicopter, he was bleeding and unmoving, and for a second Felicity let the fear get a hold on her; silent tears started falling down her face.
"He was shot in the chest. He's lost a lot of blood, but he's still alive. We need to get him as fast as we can to a hospital," Digg said quickly as they loaded him up, moving to the co-pilot seat, while Lyla started the helicopter.
"Seattle is twenty minutes from here," Lyla called out, while patching in a call to the hospital line to let them know that two patients in critical condition would be in, in a few minutes.
"How is Roy?" Digg asked Felicity.
"His pulse is weak, but the bleeding seems to have stopped," she looked down at both Roy and Oliver. She had her hands pressed down on his wound while Sara held hers over Oliver's.
"They will be fine," Sara reassured a broken Felicity.
"It's my fault," she whispered in a shaking voice, peering down at the blood all over her hands.
"It's Slade's fault, and no one else, here let me take this. The bleeding seems to have stopped for Roy. Go sit with your son," Sara gently pulled the bloody gaze from Felicity's hand. Felicity turned around and took in a scared Connor.
"Come here kiddo," Felicity came to sit with him, hugging Connor to her chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat against her chest.
"Those are your friends mommy?" Connor asked her, while hugging her tight, "They're hurt."
"Yes baby, those are my friends. And don't worry. They'll be ok. We'll be ok," she gently rocked him, thanking God for having such a remarkable team of people with her.
It had been three hours since the emergency team had taken Oliver and Roy. Back at the helicopter they had removed both their leather suits, dressing them quickly in jeans and a simple undershirt, which were immediately covered in blood. Digg came up with a cover story that Roy and Oliver were out in Seattle, when they had ended up getting into a fight. Roy had called Digg to ask for help before he lost consciousness. When he found them both bleeding in a park, he called for help and the Queen name was enough to end any and all questions.
The only problem was that the staff didn´t want to let Felicity anywhere near Oliver, so she lied and said she was his girlfriend. Which Diggle confirmed, as Oliver Queen's bodyguard. So now she stood there, in a private suite of the Seattle Grace Hospital; Connor sleeping on the small couch that was in the room. She and Digg were waiting for news about Roy and Oliver's conditions.
"If something bad had happened, they would have let us know, right?" Felicity nervously asked.
"I'm sure they would. But…Oliver was shot in the chest Felicity, he's probably still in surgery," Digg reasoned, running a hand over his tired face.
Felicity wiped the tears from her face as guilt reared its ugly head again, "I'm so sorry Digg, this is all my fault."
"You did nothing wrong. Oliver knew the risks and he gladly went to rescue Connor. He will be fine. We have to stay hopeful," Digg put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I just can´t stop thinking that Connor may never know his father, after all," she replied bitterly.
"We both know that Oliver Queen would never get taken down that easily," Digg told her as the room door opened and two figures that Felicity didn´t think she would ever see again appeared right in front of them.
"Where is he?" a tearful Moira Queen said as she made her way inside.
" Mrs. Queen," Digg got up from the armchair next to Felicity.
" Mr. Diggle, what has happened to my son?" her eyes focused in on Digg.
"And where's Roy?" Thea asked, tears falling down her pale face, her dark mascara staining her cheeks.
"They're both in surgery. They got into a fight and they were both hurt. But the doctors haven't informed us of their condition yet," Digg answered, watching as Moira's face seemed to pale as she looked at the sleeping child, laying down on the small couch.
"What were they doing in Seattle?" Thea asked him, not noticing her mother's disconcerted look.
"They were visiting a friend," Digg said quickly, annoyed with himself for not thinking that the hospital would contact Oliver's family; they weren´t ready for that.
"A friend?" Moira could not take her eyes of Connor.
"Yes, they were visiting me," Felicity chimed in while getting up from the armchair, trying to do damage control.
"Don´t I know you? It's Felicity, right? " Thea asked her.
"Yes, I worked at Queen Consolidated a few years ago," Felicity watched as both Thea and Moira seemed to put together the pieces.
"Ms. Smoak, I didn´t think we would meet again," Moira said politely, even though the last time she and Felicity exchanged words, they left a bitter taste in both of them.
"Indeed Mrs. Queen," Felicity replied drily.
"I guess that the reason why my son was visiting you was pretty obvious," Moira let out a huge breath, while watching Connor sleep peacefully.
"I suppose it is," Felicity retorted, not denying what Moira was implying.
"Am I missing something here?" a confused Thea looked between them.
"Ms. Smoak had Oliver's child," Moira answered, a spark of happiness in her eyes as she looked at Connor.
"Oh my God," Thea exclaimed, turning to look at Connor.
"Oliver had come to Seattle to meet them," Digg said, confirming their cover story.
"When did he find out? I'm guessing that he didn´t know at the time you left the company?" Moira inquired.
"He didn´t, and neither did I. When I found out, I was working at Wayne Enterprise's, and I had a good life. So did Oliver. I didn´t think he wanted the responsibility of a child and I didn't want to involve my son in the madness that was his life at the time," Felicity simply replied, trying to justify her actions in their cover story.
"He had a right to know; we all had," Thea protested. She hated lies, as they did nothing but tear families and people apart.
"I never intended to keep them apart. It just wasn't the right time," Felicity finished, too tired to try to make up a story.
A knock on the door ended the conversation for the moment, as a doctor walked into the room.
"Mrs. Queen, I am Dr. Avery," the surgeon said, shaking hands with both Moira and Thea.
"How is my son?" Moira asked him.
"He and Mr. Harper are both out of surgery. They had a lot of lacerations, bruises and cuts. Mr. Queen was also shot in the chest. The bullet almost hit his heart, but it missed it by a few inches. He was very lucky. He's in the ICU for now, in critical condition. If he makes it through the night, his chances of survival will be higher," the doctor explained, every word seeming to make Moira more inconsolable.
"And my fiancé?" Thea asked, her voice shaking.
"He had a really deep cut on his neck, next to his collarbone. But thankfully it missed the carotid artery. He lost a lot of blood but is stable, you can see him if you like," the doctor said.
"Thank you, Dr. Avery," the relief was clear in Thea's voice.
"I will come talk to you if there are any changes in Mr. Queen's condition. But it may take a while, so I'd prepare myself for a wait. Maybe even rest a little," the doctor finished off before leaving the room.
"I'm going see Roy. Will you be ok?" Thea asked her shaking mother.
"I will be fine, you go check on your fiancé," Moira answered, drying her tears with a small handkerchief.
"Ok, I'll be back soon," Thea told her mother, before leaving the room.
" Mr. Diggle, could you please let me speak privately with Ms. Smoak?" Moira requested almost immediately. He gave Felicity a glance. Digg clearly didn´t want to move out the room, but he knew that saying no to Moira Queen at the moment was going to be a real problem. A nod from Felicity helped him relax. He left the room.
"What's his name?" Moira asked, while sitting in the armchair that was previously occupied by Digg.
"Connor," Felicity said, watching as her son slept on.
"That's a strong name, I like it," Moira softly commented.
"Thank you," Felicity replied, not sure what to do, but sitting back in the armchair nonetheless.
"He is beautiful. He looks just like Oliver did when he was little. He's around five, I assume?" Moira held no grudge in her tone, only curiosity.
"He will be five in November," she whispered; secretly relieved at the moment to have her son back.
"I am sorry for what I said to you when you came to talk to me about Thea's paternity. I was in a bad place at the time and I know that doesn't justify my actions. But at the time, I thought I was doing the right thing. You are a mother now. You can relate on how we would do anything to keep our children safe," Moira said as she fiddled with her engagement and wedding ring on her finger.
"I guess I can now. I did lie to Oliver also. I thought I was protecting my son, but now I wonder if I made the right choice," Felicity said, feeling the weight of her decision of leaving and the possibility of Oliver not making it; Connor never knowing his father.
"But something made you tell Oliver the truth. I guess you are planning on letting my son into Connor's life?"
"Yes, I always planned it."
"If you don´t mind me asking, why now? What is so different now from all those years ago?" she asked hesitantly.
"I think we are different people now, from what we were then. Besides, Connor started preschool, and with it, came a lot of questions. It was the first time he asked me why he didn´t have a father when all the other children seemed to have one or two. I didn´t want to take this from him. Besides, I felt like it was the right time for Oliver to be a part of his life. And I hope he will be," Felicity said, the tears pooling in her blue eyes. She wished the cover story they were using was the absolute truth; that Slade had never played a part.
"If there's one thing I am sure about my son, is that he is strong. And now more than ever he has a reason to live. He will be ok. He has to be," Moira reassured, her own voice showing her own fears of losing Oliver.
"I'm sorry," Felicity said, not even knowing why she was apologizing.
"Don´t be, instead I would like to know more about my grandson, if that's alright with you?" Moira said with a warm smile, taking one of Felicity hands in her own. The touch surprised her but she couldn't help take comfort in the touch and grip her hand in return. The two mothers had carried secrets to protect their children and they knew exactly how hard it could be to live with them.
The next day Digg was feeling agitated with the lack of news. So far he knew that Oliver had survived the night, and even though he was still in the ICU, his prognosis was seen as promising. Roy on the other hand, was feeling much better. So far Thea had not left his bedside and couldn't stop talking about anything and everything. So when he saw Thea heading to the cafeteria, he quickly moved into his room. He opened the door, taking in Roy as he lay there on the bed, and even though he couldn´t see the bruises and cuts – that had since then healed – he saw the large bandage on his neck.
"Roy, how are you man?" Digg asked, carefully saying from the door. He didn´t want to scare Roy and have his ass kicked because of it.
"Digg?" Roy turned his head in Digg's direction, slowly opening his eyes.
"Good to have you back," Digg answered, moving to the armchair next to the bed.
"Damn, I guess I got hurt worse than I was expected," Roy said as he touched his neck.
"Yeah, but I guess that in two days it will be gone," Digg mused, pointing at his neck wound.
"Crap, we need to find a way to get rid of those tests results and all the blood tests they may have done while I was out. I need to get out of here before they see how fast I heal," Roy said rapidly, the concern clear on his features.
"Felicity and I already took care of that. Apparently all the tests and data are online on their mainframe. And someone accidently deleted your blood sample results and records," Digg replied with a small wicked smile.
"Thanks man," he let out a sigh and relaxed back into the pillows.
"I think you may be released tonight, or tomorrow morning. Thea has been driving all the nurses crazy around here," Digg said, remembering how protective Thea was and how she elected to never leave Roy's side during his stay.
"Good," Roy said, his voice dry and tired.
"But…Oliver was shot," the weight in Digg's voice let Roy know it was pretty bad.
"Slade?" Roy asked, but already knowing the answer.
"He was about to shoot Felicity or Connor, we're not sure. But Oliver jumped in front of them, and took a bullet in the chest," Diggle ran a hand over his face.
"Oliver is alive? What happened to Slade?" Roy asked, feeling the weight of Digg's words, his heart monitor jumping as his heartbeat increased.
"He's alive, critical but alive," Digg reassured, but before he could continue a nurse came rushing into Roy's room.
"I am going to have to ask you to leave. His blood pressure and heartbeat have spiked again. He needs to rest," the nurse said in a chastising voice before showing Digg the door.
"I will come up to check on you later," Digg said as he retreated towards the door.
"Wait, what about the kid? Is he ok?" Roy asked, feeling agitated.
"He's fine, he is with his mother and grandmother right now. Rest now," Digg said, before disappearing through the door. All the while Roy wondered how the fuck would Blondie deal with the rest of the Queen family.
Felicity woke up with Connor softly singing the tunes of a Disney movie. After her encounter with Moira the night before, Connor, Digg and herself went to a hotel close to the hospital. She had felt overexerted yesterday, both physically and emotionally. It also felt good to sleep with her son in her arms again. Except her arms were empty right now. Opening her eyes she saw that the other bed was empty, which meant that Digg probably had already left to go check up on Oliver.
"Morning mommy," Connor said, getting up from the floor and running up to the bed to give Felicity a morning kiss.
"Morning honey, how are you feeling?" Felicity asked, watching her son bouncing up and down.
"I am good, Mr. Diggle ate breakfast with me," he said to her with a bright smile.
"Has he been gone long?" Felicity asked, not exactly sure what time it was.
"It was before Let it go had started," he answered, looking back at the TV that was playing Frozen.
"Not long then. Why didn´t you wake me up? You know you are too young to stay up by yourself," she said gently, feeling irresponsible for sleeping while her small son was awake, alone, in a strange city.
"I wasn´t alone mommy," he pointed to the bathroom door. It opened to reveal Sara Lance.
"Good morning," she said as she entered the room.
"Morning," Felicity replied, getting up from the bed.
"Hey Connor, why don´t we order some breakfast for your mom while she get's dressed? If that's ok with you mom of course?" Sara asked as she peered over at Felicity. Felicity gave her a nod and Sara extending her hand for Connor to grab.
"Do you want pancakes mommy? Or toast? Or scramble eggs? We can get anything in here!" Connor told her excitedly.
"How about some eggs and toast. Ohhh and coffee. Please don´t forget the coffee," she pleaded Sara.
"Promise I won't forget the coffee. Come on kiddo," Sara said, taking Connor to the small living room that was attached to the bedroom.
"I won´t take long," Felicity called out to them as they moved to the living room.
"Don´t worry and take your time. There is a bag with some clean clothes and your glasses in the bathroom. I thought you may need them," Sara called back.
Felicity showered quickly, and changed into the clothes that Sara had brought for her, mentally thanking her for bringing her spare glasses. Crying last night with no contact solution had ruined her contact lenses. She put back on her boots and walked to the living room, where Frozen was now playing once more. Connor was busy watching it so Felicity sat down to eat. Sara had ordered her coffee, scrambled eggs, toast and orange juice. Felicity took a long sip of her coffee while Sara quietly drank her own orange juice.
"Thank you." Felicity said as she tucked in.
"For what?" Sara asked her confused.
"For helping me get my son back; you of all people didn´t have to help. But you did anyway, and I will never be able to repay you for it. So thank you," Felicity said, letting go of all the hurt that the other blond had caused in her life – even if unintentional – five years ago Felicity saw Sara as the one person that had and was all the things that she believed she lacked.
"Even if he was not Ollie's son, I would have helped. No one deserves to lose a child, especially by the hands of Slade Wilson. But…you are welcome," Sara replied with a small smile.
"Did Digg call with news yet?" Felicity asked her, while watching Connor.
"Yes, Roy is awake and Ollie is stable. I think they will move him to his room today. Are you going to head to the hospital?" Sara replied as she began eating a small slice of fruit.
"Yes, I'll go crazy if I don´t see how Oliver is for myself," Felicity looked down at her food.
"Do you want me to stay here with Connor?" Sara asked cautiously. Felicity looked up in surprise and could see that she genuinely wanted to help. She realized that she could trust Sara with Connor's life.
"I don't know. I think Moira wants to talk to him," Felicity said, annoyed that Oliver's mom had insisted in spending time with Connor. It wasn't that she didn't want him to get to know his grandmother. It's just that…she just got her son back, and she wasn´t ready to share him yet.
"Ouch, how did that happen?" Sara asked her, knowing exactly how intense Moira Queen could be.
"It only took her one look at Connor and she knew the truth. Nonetheless she is right, I can´t keep Connor from his family. He is a Queen after all," Felicity whispered, not really wanting to throw her son to the wolves; that was the Queen life.
"I know you think that the pressure and the media attention are not worth it. But being a Queen will provide a good and safe future for Connor. It will make Slade's life harder if he ever tries to get close to you two again," Sara replied logically, but to hear that Slade may still be alive, took all the happiness away from her.
"You think he's still alive? But I saw you shooting at him, both you and Digg. He fell down into that rocky ravine and was probably swept out to sea. He can´t be alive!" Felicity contested.
"Trust me, Slade has survived much worse. I may have laced the arrows and bullets with poison, but the Mirakuru is strong. The only thing that I am sure would kill him is to probably rip his head off. I think you two are safe for now. But we need to be prepared for everything and anything, especially now that Ollie is hurt," Sara said, trying to make Felicity understand how dangerous things were.
"I guess that means I can´t go back to Coast City," Felicity concluded in a frustrated tone. It still wasn't over.
"Trust me, the safest thing for you two is to stay with the Queen's. Oliver's penthouse is one of the safest places in Starling City. He even has a panic room. If you want to keep your son safe, you need to let Oliver protect you two," Sara explained while looking back at Connor who was still entranced with the movie.
"I have been doing this for the past five years by myself. I guess that I need to let people in for Connor's sake," Felicity said with a sigh.
Sara crossed her arms over her chest before leaning back on the chair, "He loves you too, you know."
"I know he cares," Felicity corrected, not wanting to go down this path with one of Oliver's many exes. What Sara said next surprised her.
Sara shook her head and softly said, "No, he loves you too. I think that was pretty clear when he jumped in front of a bullet for you. You may not be ready to hear it, or to even accept it, but Ollie loves you both. He loves you Felicity. Looking back I think he probably always has. If you had seen how devastated he was after you left, you wouldn´t be doubting me now. Not one bit."
Moira Queen had been in this situation many times before. It happened when Oliver broke his leg when he was six, when Thea broke her arm when she was eight, when Oliver had a motorcycle accident when he was twenty-one years old. It happened again when the Queen's Gambit went down – with her son and husband on it – it happened when Oliver came back to the island, when Walter was kidnapped, and the endless times that Oliver had gone to the hospital since he came back from the island more than five years ago.
She knew what to expect, with the movement of doctors and nurses, the aseptic smell of the room, the off white of the walls. She knew what it was to wait for endless hours to get news, to look at the unconscious form in front of her, and pray that the person that she loved would be ok. She had been through this many times, and yet this one seemed different. This time her son was shot in the chest and had flat lined two times during his surgery. This time he had a son. This time he had not just a family waiting for him, but an entire future, and she prayed that he wouldn´t miss it.
Moira looked down at Oliver sleeping form. Even with all his cuts and bruises, he seemed serene while sleeping, almost like the little boy that along the way had lost himself. She softly touched his blond hair, the long stubble on his face; a small caress that he didn´t allow while he was awake. After he came back from the island, Oliver was a different man and she feared that he would never be truly happy ever again. But to see the beautiful face of her grandson yesterday, Moira felt like there were still hope. That Connor may be the one to take all the darkness from Oliver's broken soul.
She always wanted to have grandchildren, the mansion got colder and emptier as the years passed, and she couldn´t wait for it to be filled one more time with children's voices and laughter. She had lost hope with Oliver after he and Laurel ended their relationship for good. At the time she was sure that her son would be a life long bachelor; and even though Thea and Roy were engaged for almost six months, she knew that it would be years till her daughter would want to have her own children. So it was a wonderful surprise to find out about Connor. And even though she had lost the first few years of his childhood, she would do all she could to make it up to him. She would be the best grandmother she could be.
" Mrs. Queen, excuse me. Ms. Smoak and her son are here to see Oliver," John Diggle said while opening the hospital door.
"Please, let them in Mr. Diggle," Moira looked from Oliver's bed to the door.
"Good morning Mrs. Queen," Felicity said as she walked into the room while holding Connor's small hand.
"Good morning Felicity. And I told you to call me Moira, remember?" she said warmly, pointing out the conversation they had the night before.
"Sorry," Felicity answered, not sure how to act around Oliver's mother.
"And who is this little handsome man? I am Moira," she greeted, extending her hand to Connor's.
"I am Connor and I am not little. I am almost five," he said with a proud smile, his small hands shanking her larger one. He seemed happy to be greeted like an adult.
"It's very nice to meet you Connor," Moira returned Connor's smile while Felicity watched on.
"It's nice to meet you too. Mommy, can I watch TV?" Connor asked, pointing to the TV set that was next to the couches on the farther side of the room.
"You have to ask Moira," Felicity told him, watching as a small smile formed on Mrs. Queen lips.
"Can I watch TV Moi...Moira?" Connor asked her as he got himself used to the rolling 'r' of her name.
"Aren´t you forgetting something?" Felicity asked, with an arched eyebrow; after all, she had given him a proper education, he knew how to be more polite than that.
"Moira, can I watch TV, please?" Connor asked her again pleadingly.
"Of course dear. I heard there are some great cartoon channels," she answered, pointing the TV control out to him.
"Thank you!" he said, running towards the couches, grabbing the TV remote control, and turning it on. Not two seconds later, he found something of his taste and was fixated on whatever cartoon was on the TV.
" So, how is he?" Felicity asked, stopping in front of Oliver's bed, watching him be connected to endless machines; an oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose, an IV connected to his arm. His face was covered with cuts, he had a black eye, his leg was hurt and she could see the bandage covering his chest wound.
"Stable, but still unconscious. The doctors are very optimist about his condition. They think he may wake up in a few days. They put him in an induced coma so his body could heal properly. And not just from the gunshot. He has so many lacerations, so many wounds, and scars. Sometimes I forget how hurt he got when he was in that forsake place," Moira said, the pain clear in her voice.
"I am so sorry Moira," Felicity returned, because even though Moira didn't know, Oliver got hurt trying to protect her and Connor.
"Don´t be. It's not your fault. But I am sorry for saying all these things. I don´t want Connor to hear about his father like this," Moira turned to watch her grandson from afar.
"Actually, Connor doesn't know yet. Oliver and I wanted them to meet first, to have a little bit of interaction before we told him the truth. But I know my son, he will soon figure it out," Felicity mused, for the first time hating having such an intelligent child. He always asked things she wished she didn´t have to explain.
"Do you plan to tell him before Oliver wakes up? I'm certain that eventually he will ask why you are visiting him so much," Moira inquired, worried about how Connor may take the news.
"I'm not sure. I mean…we don´t even know when Oliver will wake up," Felicity reasoned sadly, her heart breaking at watching Oliver looking so broken in the hospital bed.
"That's true, nevertheless I need to tell you that I plan to move Oliver back to Starling City. As soon as he is stable enough to be transported by jet I will take him to Starling City Memorial. They have excellent physicians and people I trust completely. I know you live in Seattle, but if you want, you can come with us back home," Moira explained, the logic clear behind her decision.
Felicity wasn't sure what to say. Even if she didn´t actually live in Seattle, she had told Oliver not long ago that she wouldn´t give up her life in Coast City for him. But after listening to Sara talk about Slade's possible survival, and the advantages that being a Queen would bring, she was reconsidering her decision. She had a lonely life in Coast City, and after being surrounded by her friends once again, she didn´t want to be alone anymore. She wanted Connor to be safe, and she knew that he deserved to know his father, and his family. The Queen's may have a lot of issues, but lack of love was never one of them.
"I don´t know what to say," Felicity finally said, because this decision could change things forever.
"Say you will consider it. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to see my grandchild growing up, and I know it would mean the world to Oliver. I am sure you have your own life here, friends, a job, maybe even someone especial; but I would really like you to consider the chance at moving back to Starling," Moira said with such determination that Felicity was left silent.
"Ummm…I'll think about it. Promise," Felicity said, looking at the strong man in front of her. She wondered if he really could be what she and Connor needed. Could she let Oliver in after all the things he had put her through? Could she trust him again, not only with her heart, but with her son as well?
Moira watched as Felicity seemed to focus her eyes on Oliver's every injury. She kept looking him over and over, like she was hoping he would just open his eyes and look up at her. She looked tired, and Moira wondered if her concern for Oliver was only because he was the father of her son, or if there were something more going on. She had always seen the way Felicity Smoak looked at her son. She saw how she would smile, how her eyes would light up when she saw him, how much she seemed to be in love with Oliver.
"Mommy, I am hungry," Connor suddenly exclaimed, looking from the TV to Felicity.
"Ok, we can go get something to eat," Felicity said, the tension clear in her voice.
"Actually I saw a great café just next door. We could go there, get a hot cocoa, maybe some pie," Moira hinted, and she could see that Felicity had realized that it was a way for her to spend more time with her grandson and give her some alone time with Oliver.
"That seems like a good idea! What do you think kiddo?" Felicity asked Connor, not moving from Oliver's side.
"Ummm, do you think they have blueberry pie? It's my favorite," Connor said, smiling.
"I am sure they have it! But if they don´t, we will look in each and every café and diner in this city till we find some," Moira said with such determination that Connor burst into giggles. It was a side of Moira, Felicity had never seen.
"Do you mind going with Moira and John? Mommy needs to do something first," Felicity asked Connor, receiving a smile from Moira and a nod from John.
"But won´t you be hungry?" Connor asked her, always wanting to take care of his mother.
"Well, you can bring me some of that pie! And a coffee too," she answered with a smile, watching as Connor moved to stand next to Moira side, the resemblance between them clear. Connor fitted right into the Queen's.
"Ok mommy, I will bring you something. Can we go now Moira? I am hungry," Connor said, grabbing Moira's hand to get her attention.
"Of course. We will be back soon," Moira said to Felicity, who mouthed a 'Thank you' before leaving with Connor and John.
Felicity turned back in the white leather armchair, looking back at the unconscious Oliver, not sure exactly what to say. She kept moving her hands all over her curly hair, till it was a crazy mess, a nervous habit that she had discovered over the years.
"Hi," she softly began, not sure how to start it.
"The doctors said that you could hear what we say; because you are in a induced coma. And you know, I have been there done that, and I still don´t know if Barry ever heard me all those years ago. I guess that is one of science's many mysteries; even though its very subjective and only God knows exactly what happens with a coma patient brain when in a comatose state. And that only could happen if God was real. But that's a whole other argument there. Anyway, that's not exactly what I wanted to say," Felicity rambled, losing herself over her words.
"I guess, that what I really wanted to ask is: why did you jump in front of that bullet?" she whispered, feeling a small tear roll down her cheek.
"I know what you are going to say; there was no other choice to make, he was going to hurt you. But Oliver, you could have died," Felicity said, trying to make sense of what had happened. "But, why would you risk your own life Oliver? Maybe he wasn´t going to shoot me, and I am sure he wouldn´t shot Connor. Maybe he was just going to threaten me; maybe he just wanted to scare you? I just can´t understand why you would do such a stupid thing," she finished in a trembling voice, a small sob leaving her lips.
"It's funny, cause Sara thinks that's your way to saying that you love me. But I've got to tell you Oliver; you so need to get better at verbalizing your thoughts and feelings if that's the case. Some may say that jumping in front of a bullet may be a little too much. I'd rather hear it from you than watching you fight for your life," she continued, trying to mask her pain and confusion with sarcasm.
"Connor needs his dad. You just can´t leave him, not right now! I mean, Slade can´t be the closest thing he will ever get to a fatherly figure. And don´t even try to talk about John and Roy doing your job, no mister. You've got to get better and get back to business! Besides, now your mom is playing grandma and I am sure that she is falling in love with our son. I mean, who wouldn´t? He is the most amazing child on this planet, and I am not saying this because I went through six hours of painful childbirth," Felicity mused, while pulling with the sleeves of her grey long sleeve shirt.
"I am thinking about going back to Starling City with you. I mean, I can run my business from anywhere. If I need to go to Coast City, it's just two hours away from there. I guess I could get a new place, and maybe you could turn your guest bedroom into a room for Connor? I'm sure your mom already has hired decorators to make a room for him at the mansion. We need to be careful though, we don´t want our son to turn into a spoiled brat," Felicity said randomly, verbally running from the elephant in the room.
"And also there is us, and it's your fault that now there is a us. I never wanted a 'us'. I mean, back in the day there was nothing more that I wanted than to be with you; but that was before all this mess happened. I tried to hate you; I really did. But it's hard when you keep doing so much good for the people that you surround yourself with. I guess I can´t hate you for sleeping with all those women too, for not loving me…after all you continued being the hero that I always knew you could and would be," she said with a sigh.
"But honestly Oliver…I don´t know if I can give you my heart. That's the truth Oliver. No matter what I feel for you, no matter how much you make me feel alive, I don´t know if I can trust you with my love. I don´t want to be unfair, because I have as much to be guilty for when it comes to our situation, but I am afraid. And not just for me. I am afraid that you will break our sons heart; that you will win him over, you will create a space in his life, and then you may decide that it's too dangerous, or too big of a liability, and then you will just leave. You would break his little heart, and as his mother, I can´t allow you to hurt my son," she felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she told him all her fears. She watched on as Oliver remained still, not aware of her words.
"I do love you Oliver. I think I always have and some part of me always will. And I need you to get through this. I need you to be strong and to fight. But don´t fight for me, or for us, fight for Connor. Fight for our son."
His eyelids felt heavy and his mind foggy; his mouth was dry and his body was aching. He tried to open his eyes; blinking at the morning light like it had been ages since the last time he opened them.
He could hear noises around the room; the TV was on and he could hear low voices whispering. Oliver looked around the room, and to his surprise he was back in his own bedroom. Felicity was by his side sitting in an armchair. He blinked again, not sure if this was a dream or not, but then she closed the book that she was reading and smiled at him.
"Hi."
"Hi…what happened?" Oliver tried to ask, but his voice was raspy and throat too dry to speak.
"You were sleeping daddy. But you are ok now, we are going to take care of you," a small childish voice said, and for a minute Oliver couldn't actually believe his ears. He couldn't believe that the voice belonged to his son. No, it must be a dream. Maybe he was dead after all.
"Connor?" Oliver softly asked, afraid that this was nothing more than a dream.
"Don´t worry daddy, I'm here now. I will protect you," Connor said, moving on top of the bed, sitting next to Oliver's side with a smile on his lips and eyes filled with hope and love.
"Welcome home Oliver," Felicity said with a smile.
A/N: Thank you all for reading and let me know what you all think!
And remember, this is a Olicity HEA story! There will be a Happy Ending!
Love you all,
PoisonAngelMuse