Chapter 10: Summer's End

A/N: This is it! Ten thousand words for the tenth and final chapter to this story. I hope that you'll stick with it despite its length - as it is the longest chapter I've ever written, to date - because I put my heart and soul into this, hoping that it becomes a fitting ending to an amazing storytelling experience. Brace yourself and enjoy this roller coaster ride!

Also, I do not own the words and music of Love of My Life. The credit to this beautiful song belongs to Jim Brickman. You may want to listen to the song while reading the last portion of this chapter.

After parting words and hugs, Oliver and Felicity sent off Thea, Tommy, and Laurel, who headed back to Starling City in haste. Laurel was quite worried that they won't make it back in time for her child custody hearing at 3:30 because it was already 10:45 by the time they bid their friends a final farewell and drove off from Adventure Camp. Tommy assured her, though, that they'd make it in time with him at the wheel and especially because it wouldn't be rush hour yet by the time they approach Starling. They had hurriedly bought food from the snack bar to tide them over lunch so that they wouldn't have to stop at some diner along the way.

When they left, Oliver and Felicity had to postpone their talk. Again. Felicity told him that she had promised to take the girls out for a swim on the beach and then teach them how to do a few strokes at the pool. Because of their unexpected guests, they'd been already cooped up in their cabin for more than two hours that morning, which was more than what tweeners need before they get bored and restless. Oliver, who was the one a tad bit disappointed this time, agreed; he told her that he was willing to wait until later. He decided to take his boys to the hard court and play basketball with them until lunch time and then practice some archery with them in the afternoon.

So, Oliver and Felicity agreed to meet after dinner, after they get their boys and girls settled in their cabins and ready for bedtime chats. They would have a good forty-five minutes before camp staff would signal for "lights out," but they realized they couldn't meet at the boardwalk anymore. Felicity suggested that they meet at the tree house instead, the green one that's off the sandy path that connected the male and female cabin areas. That one looked newly renovated and sturdy, and up there, they would have a good, clear view of the front porches of both their cabins and keep an eye on things while they talk. Oliver thought it was a great idea.

Oliver pined for Felicity for the rest of that day. He was going to tell her how he truly felt. He was going to ask her if she was ready to be more than friends. Sure, she might argue that they've been acquaintances for a week and then friends for two – just a meager sum of 21 days – but he was determined to tell her that he'd never been more sure about anything in his life.

The hours of waiting felt like weeks. That afternoon at target practice, even as he was helping the boys get better with their camp-issued bows and arrows, he reminisced the time last week when it was Felicity he was training. Once or twice he closed his eyes, clutching his compound bow with one hand and an arrow with the other. He could still feel his arm around her waist, steadying her, grounding her properly for a normal stance. He could still smell the strawberry scent of her hair. He could remember her trembling in nervousness at first, and then eventually relaxing in his arms and taking deep breaths to calm herself like he'd taught her to.

Felicity was feeling the same way. All day. On the beach, as she was putting sunscreen lotion on the back of one of her girls, she remembered the morning of the mini triathlon, particularly how Oliver looked at her intently as she applied sunscreen on her bare legs, and how her skin burned and her heart pounded in her chest at his ardent gaze. At the pool after letting the girls do some laps, she remembered the day they won the swimming relay; it was the day he had pulled her out of the water and handed her a fresh towel, congratulating and complimenting her for swimming with the speed and grace of a dolphin.

Over lunch she went over her speech again and again in her head as the frozen cream of her peach-graham float melted beneath her chin. None of her girls dared to bother her from her rumination though. She was deep in thought about how their talk was going to go. Since he had already opened up to her about his intentions the other weekend, she resolved that it was perfectly fine – and just about time, she had to add – for her to respond to him, to tell him that she truly cared about him. She was hoping that this way, she could somehow get him to ask her again if she was ready for their relationship to move forward. Because her answer this time would definitely be a yes.

At day's end, Oliver and Felicity headed to the tree house from opposite directions. Oliver was already at the foot of the huge tree by the time she arrived. They both said 'hi' and asked how their day went. But when they decided that small talk was just a waste of their precious 45-minute window, they walked hand in hand to the other side of the tree where the ladder was. He lifted her up by the waist and let her climb up first. When he was sure she had reached the top safely, he followed. They picked a nice spot at the balcony where they would have a clear view of their cabins.

"I had a wonderful time with Thea, Laurel, and Tommy this morning. You certainly know how to pick your friends," Felicity began.

"Oh, I knew you'd love them," Oliver responded, "as much as they'd love you. That's why I wanted you to meet them." Oliver gazed at her and marveled at her beauty even in the moonlight as it cast shadows through the leaves on her face. He decided to cut to the chase and ask what she had wanted to talk to him about. "So—what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh… stuff," she began, quite tentatively at first, unsure of how to begin in spite of the many repetitions she had rehearsed in her head earlier that day. "I was anxious to see you last night when I arrived from Coast City, but I guess my meeting with Ray took longer than expected. I didn't catch you at the mess hall, so I figured after breakfast would be fine, but that didn't work out either, and then your friends came and…"

"Fe-li-ci-ty." Oliver interrupted her from her ramblings, but Felicity didn't mind. There was something romantic about how he had said her name that way. As usual, she apologized and he told her it was fine. She blushed and hoped that the dim moonlight was able to conceal it somehow.

"So… how did the business date with Palmer go?" Oliver asked.

Felicity was a bit surprised that he suddenly asked about that. Sure, last night and earlier at breakfast she meant to share that dilemma with him and ask for his advice, but after the enlightening conversation with Thea and Laurel, Palmer's job offer had taken the back seat. She had wanted to talk about her feelings for him and get their relationship sorted out first. Nevertheless, she didn't want to appear evasive, so she saw nothing wrong with just frankly answering his question and get that topic done with.

"It was o-kay." She started off slow, and then as her confidence grew, she just candidly let the truth out. "And as far as I was concerned, it wasn't a date date. Unfortunately, for him, it must have been." She paused, looked down, and after a tender, teasing glance that almost made Oliver's legs give way, she confessed, "He asked me out on a date."

"Did he?" Oliver asked, amused. "And what did Felicity Smoak say?"

Felicity found his third-person talk funny, and as she laughed, she replied, "Felicity Smoak told Ray Palmer that she didn't believe in dating. Is Oliver Queen satisfied?"

Oliver grinned. He was satisfied. But he asked, "You told him that?"

"Yeah! Why not? It's the same thing I told you. I'm a fairly consistent person."

"And what did he say?"

"Oh… just a bunch of reasons why he thought I should reconsider, but… nothing substantial enough to convince me to change my mind… not even an offer of friendship," she answered confidently with a twinkle in her eye.

Oliver grinned once again and shook his head in delight. "You are remarkable, Felicity," he said with a chuckle. "Was that all you talked about?" He risked pressing her with another question.

"Well, he didn't offer me friendship… like you did. But before that, he did offer me… a job, a very tempting one at that," she replied cautiously, a phrase at a time. She pressed her lips together when she finished.

"He… what?" Oliver was stunned. His grin began to fade, and his forehead began to crease.

"He offered me a top-level position in his company that paid five times what QC has been paying me monthly for the last five years, a job that came with a house and a car, which means that if I take it… I'd have to move… to Coast City."

"I see," was all Oliver could utter after hearing her words. Anger suddenly began to boil deep down in his gut. He felt heat begin to rise from his stomach to his heart and to his head, and his temper was threatening to blow. His molars were grinding inside his mouth. At that moment, he could think of a dozen appropriate cuss words to blurt out against Ray Palmer and his devious girl-grabbing tactics. He had stolen a girl from him once before, and he is doing it again now. No, not Felicity. Please. He turned and stepped away so that she couldn't see the rage building up on his face. He just needed timeout to breathe.

Felicity quickly picked up on his body language, sensing that the news had suddenly upset him. She followed him to the corner of the balcony where he stood, his back turned against her. When she instinctively placed her hand over his trembling hand, the one that clutched the wooden post of the tree house balcony with a death grip, it stopped shaking.

"Hey, Oliver. It's okay. I'm not Anna," Felicity said softly, barely a whisper. With just those few yet loaded words, Oliver began to calm down. He turned around to face her, and she saw that his countenance had fallen. She felt a tinge of regret that she had told him the truth. Maybe if she had held back the news about the job offer, this conversation would not have taken a wrong turn. She tried to maneuver it back to the track she had intended for it to go. "And I haven't even said yes, you know," she added, attempting to make him feel better.

"But… you're considering it," he said without looking at her. It was more of a statement of observation and perception rather than a question. He stared at their intertwined hands.

"I… uhm… I told him I needed time to think about it," she replied, stammering through that sentence anxiously. "I said I'll have an answer for him on the night of the banquet."

Oliver was silent. Too silent. And it made Felicity even more anxious. He still could not look at her. His eyes were glued to their entangled hands.

After a full minute of deep thought, Oliver began to speak again. He asked, "Are you not happy in my father's company?"

Felicity thought about her answer for a moment. She'd be lying if she told him she was thrilled about her job at QC. She was less than fulfilled in her current position; she'd been stuck with tedious, routine tasks that didn't match her exceptional skills or maximize her potential, and the prospect of promotion anytime soon was bleak, not if things stayed the way they were. No, she wasn't complaining; in fact, despite the circumstances, she remained committed to her job. She also clung to a huge debt of gratitude to Robert Queen for hiring her fresh from MIT with just her academic credentials to back her up and without prior experience other than a six-month OJT in Boston. Yet, she didn't have the heart to tell Oliver that she wasn't exactly ecstatic about her present career status. It would make him even more upset, and she feared that it might even drive a wedge between them, but she didn't want to lie to him either. So she opted to remain speechless.

Sadly, speechless produced the same negative effect she had tried to elude, because Oliver mistakenly assumed that her silence meant that her answer was no. He moved his hand such that Felicity had to let go of it even if she didn't want to.

"Felicity, you're a very talented, gifted woman. You are good at what you do. If your job at QC is not giving you the satisfaction that you need… and deserve… then maybe… you should take that other job," Oliver said. He still wasn't looking up at her, but Felicity could somehow sense the mixture of earnestness and pain in his voice.

Because that was exactly how he felt – earnest yet pained. Sure, he could very easily manipulate things by asking his father to arrange something with HRD and offer her a better career package, maybe even a promotion or a department transfer with more perks; after all, he was the CEO's son, and he had rarely used his connections inside his family's company. But he knew that Felicity wouldn't appreciate that; she wasn't that kind of person. He'd lose her trust that way, and she'd lose her self-respect.

Oliver sincerely wanted Felicity to be the best that she can be. He wanted her to have all the blessings that life had to offer. He wanted her to succeed, to be happy. Because he loved her. However, he also knew that if she took the job at Palmer Tech and moved away, it would be – for them – the end of something that hadn't even started yet. It would be impractical and disadvantageous for both of them to carry on a long distance relationship. He wanted to be near her. Also, it wouldn't be right for him to hold her back from a potentially beneficial career move. It wouldn't be fair to her. So, with anguish of soul, he knew he had to let her go. And right then and there, he did.

"Whatever you decide, do it for yourself. Not for QC. Not for my father. Not for me. Do what you think is best for your life at this time. Just know that all I want… all I want is for you to be happy and successful." This time, he was looking into her eyes in total abandon. He was willing to give her up for her own good.

But Felicity did not understand that. She did not know what was going on in his heart, in his mind. His words burned their way into her heart. She was confused, and it was written all over her face. "If he really wants to be with me, then why isn't he talking me out of this? Has he changed his mind? Why would he push me away? We haven't even started yet, and he's giving up, just like that?" The questions cluttered her befuddled mind. She was supposed to tell him that she loved him and that she was ready to commit to being his girlfriend. How was she supposed to tell him that now? Now that he didn't seem to want to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him?

Her chest tightened with unreleased tension. Yes, she wanted to be happy and successful. Who wouldn't? But her heart screamed in silence, "What good is a happy and successful life if you are not in it?" That was what she wanted to tell him at that moment, but unconsciously her lips uttered three words she didn't really mean to say. "Are you sure?"

His heart screamed back in silence, "I'm sure of one thing: I love you and I care about you. But I'm willing to let you go so that you could have the life you deserve." That was what he wanted to tell her in response. Instead, he settled for one word that sealed that night's tragically ironic conversation. "Positive," he replied.

After saying 'good night' to each other, they left the tree house and parted ways in silence. They walked down the sandy path in opposite directions.

Felicity cried herself to sleep as soon as she was sure that all her girls had fallen into deep slumber.

Oliver was unable to sleep at all.

In the next three days Adventure Camp staff had lined up life coaching workshops in the mornings and evenings that were designed to help the orphaned boys and girls cope with some of their life issues, hang-ups, and emotional traumas; in the afternoons, everyone was free to do anything he or she wanted.

For Oliver and Felicity, it was "business as usual." They carried on as friends, that is to say, they were careful to avoid any encounter or conversation that would lead to admitting how they truly felt about each other. There were occasional furtive glances, at times without the other knowing. At other times they'd end up locking gazes, not knowing how to react or what to say.

Barry Allen, the keenly observant forensic investigator that he was, noticed what was going on and initiated a conversation with Felicity over dinner. "Did you two have a falling out or something?" Barry asked frankly.

"Who?" Felicity asked, pretending not to know what he was referring to.

"You and Queen."

"Me and Oliver? Fall out? No! What made you think that?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that you've been trying to avoid being alone with him, or the fact that he's no longer touching your shoulder or your elbow or your arm when you two happen to talk. Or maybe it's the fact that your casual conversations have become superficial and trivial. Licity, the obvious clues are more telling than fingerprints and DNA," Barry argued.

"Barry, we're still good friends. That's what we've been, and that's how we'll be – just good friends," she replied in a tone of voice that her long-time friend recognized to be her guarded one.

"You can deny it all you want, but don't forget I deal with nonverbal evidence often. And I'm a guy, too. I can tell by the way a guy looks at a girl if he wants them to be more than just friends, and right now, Oliver Queen is that guy in your life," Barry pushes on with a smirk on his face.

Felicity stays quiet and doesn't bother to look at him. She uses her fork to play with the potatoes on her plate that she didn't plan on eating anyway.

"Something must have happened in the last few days that changed the dynamic between you two. But I'm telling you… the way he looks at you hasn't changed. Neither has the way you look at him. The smiles are still there, just… sadder."

"I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say," Felicity finally spoke.

"What I'm saying is… whatever is going on between the two of you, you should fix it. You know I love you, Licity. You're like the sister I never had. I like seeing your face glow when you're with him. He's good for you, and I'd hate for something so beautiful to be wasted just because you or Oliver or both of you can't deal with certain issues, which I'm sure you're old enough to sort out. Just think about it, will you?"

Felicity simply nodded and smiled at her friend.

Felicity did think about it that night. She was the one who couldn't sleep this time. She mulled over what happened in the tree house Monday night, realizing that the ball was really in her hands. She realized that she was the one who needed to make the crucial decisions. Oliver had laid his cards on the table. His intentions had been clear from the time they'd talked honestly on the boardwalk: that he liked her and wanted to take their friendship to the next level. She was the one who wasn't ready at the time. Oliver had given her the free hand to choose whether or not to accept the job at Palmer Tech, saying that he'd support whatever she would decide to do if she were sure she'd be happy, successful, and fulfilled. He had been totally transparent with her, and she was the one who froze and stopped talking that night in the tree house. What she had misinterpreted became clear to Felicity: that Oliver – being the respectable, selfless, admirable gentleman that he had become – could not, and would not, move another inch forward towards them being together because it was her turn to make her move.

The very next day Felicity did make her move. She took her second chance after the inspirational talk about "making peace with one's past" by a visiting professional counselor from Coast City that morning. Before Oliver could stand up from his seat in the session hall, she slumped into the seat next to him and flashed a winsome smile.

"Hey! Can we talk?" Felicity asked with zest.

"Sure!" Oliver smiled back and replied with a zest that matched hers. "Right now?"

"Yeah, we have free time now until lunch, right? Boardwalk?" she asked, still smiling from ear to ear.

"Okay, let's go," he replied.

But before Oliver and Felicity could stand up to leave, his phone rang. He excused himself to take the call, seeing from the picture and number on the screen that it was his father. "Dad?" he greeted. For him, this was such a pleasant surprise.

Oliver talked for a while with his dad – just the usual greetings and how-are-you's at first. Then the conversation seemed to have taken a serious tone. Felicity noticed Oliver's beautiful blue eyes welling up with tears. She reached out to him, placing her hand on his knee as a gesture of reassuring support for whatever it was that was making him emotional.

"Thanks, Dad. This means a lot to me. Never thought the day would come when you'd tell me how much I've made you proud," Oliver said, as he instinctively took Felicity's hand and their fingers intertwined. She was surprised he had done this, because she couldn't remember them touching in any way in the last couple of days.

And then something very unusual and pleasantly astonishing happened. Oliver pulled the phone away from his ear, covered the mouthpiece, and said to Felicity, "My father says he wants to talk to you."

At first Felicity thought it was a joke, but when Oliver handed her his phone, she realized he was serious. A bit reluctantly, she took the phone from his hand and placed it near her ear, shrugging her shoulders in disbelief. "Hello? Mr. Queen?" she spoke.

"Ms. Smoak? It's really good to hear your voice. I'll never forget a first impression. Your babbling was the trademark that made you memorable all throughout the screening process when I recruited you," Robert Queen greeted.

"Why, thank you, sir," Felicity responded politely, yet feeling a bit self-conscious beside Oliver.

"Tommy and Laurel joined us for dinner last night and they were telling me all about… What did they call it? Oh yes, a version 2.0 of my son Oliver. At first I couldn't believe my ears, but the more stories they told, the more I realized they must have been telling the truth. Tough love did work after all! I was just telling Oliver how proud I am of the changes in his life. He has come a long, long way in just two months…" the elder Queen explained away.

The rest of it sounded more like a buzz in Felicity's ear because she was no longer paying much attention to any of Robert Queen's rambles. First, Felicity thought that he must have hired her because they had something in common: they both tended to babble. Second and more importantly, she wondered why the top boss of the company she worked for, and the father of her friend, was telling her all these. Her, of all people.

Robert Queen continued, "… and so I asked Laurel Lance to petition the judge for leniency, to consider shortening the length of his community service so that he could enroll in Starling City College this Fall and finish his senior year in business even while he's still on probation. After all of this is over and Oliver graduates with a degree in hand, he can take over the QC branch we've recently launched in Moscow. Oliver really, really liked it there in Russia. I'd always known my son had it in him to succeed after all, and I know he will."

Russia. That's thousands of miles away. Those were Felicity's exact thoughts as the older man continued to speak into her ear. The distance between Starling City and Coast City was nothing compared to the distance between Russia and the U.S. Felicity's stomach churned. Here she was, attempting to salvage a relationship that had taken a wrong turn a few nights ago, and she'd been so close. They were about to have that talk before this call came through, and now there's… Russia. Her brain swiftly calculated the possibilities and probabilities of a long distance relationship. But Russia? Russia was too far. Too far for them to work.

Felicity started to think, "Maybe he and I just aren't meant to be. Each time I'm about to tell him that I'm ready, something comes up. Maybe it's a sign or something." It was easier for her to believe that than for her to believe that things might just work out between her and Oliver. Her childhood insecurities and abandonment phobia began to resurface as she pictured the gloomy scenario of eventually losing Oliver when he leaves her for Russia. Permanently. Why would she invest time and emotion for a lost cause? Why would she commit to a relationship only for him to break it off with her later?

And that wasn't all. Robert Queen wrapped up his lengthy speech with an unforeseen request. "…So I guess the reason I wanted to speak with you, Ms. Smoak, is two-fold. First, I want to thank you and tell you how grateful I am that you became my son's friend because you seem to have had a positive influence on him. Thea seems to think so. She couldn't stop raving about you and how wonderfully you and my son have been working together. Second, I was wondering if you could perhaps help him out in his studies when he returns to business school. You know, help him pass his remaining courses? I'm not looking for straight A's, my dear, just for him to graduate honorably."

"Uhm, I guess I should say, 'You're welcome' about the first thing, sir. And about the second thing, maybe I'm not the right person to-" Felicity was interrupted by her boss, not rudely, just out of much enthusiasm. Robert Queen tried his best to convince her that, being Oliver's newest best friend, she was perfect – not to mention, qualified – to be his tutor.

Felicity couldn't help but feel awkward. Incredulously speaking, she thought at first that for an educated, experienced man, Robert Queen was quite dense and insensitive. How could he ask her to do something that would draw her physically and emotionally closer to his son only to have her release him later on when he leaves for Russia permanently? But then again, after some thought, it dawned on her that Mr. Queen knew nothing about how his son truly felt about her and how she truly felt about him. Thea might have left that detail out to respect their privacy. So, she cut her boss some slack. After all, this was all on her, and how she would respond to the new dilemma she faced.

Ray's offer and Robert's plans. Ugh! Those two were enough to drive her insane! Right then and there she retreated from what she had intended to do before this game-changing phone call. She needed some time to think things through. Again.

The call ended congenially. Felicity said goodbye to her employer after telling him that she would carefully consider his request and give him an answer when she returns to work. Oliver bid farewell to his father, cautioning him not to pressure Felicity into saying yes.

As Oliver put his phone back into his pocket, Felicity said to him, "I think that phone call made me miss my Mom and Dad. Do you mind if we did a rain check on that talk? I'd really like to give them a call right now."

That was the best excuse she could come up with at that time, and she had to follow through with it. As soon as Oliver courteously acquiesced to her sudden change of mind, she turned her face away so that he wouldn't see her tearing up. When Oliver saw her take her phone out of her purse and dial her mother's number, he walked away and gave her the space she asked for.

Oliver had sensed that something was off when the phone call ended. He racked his brain trying to think of what his father might have said to upset Felicity. His dad had spoken nicely and warmly to her. He presumed that his father's request for her to tutor him beginning the Fall semester shouldn't have been a big deal to her because they were friends. In fact, it would have made her excited to help him. It must have been something else in the conversation before that matter came up. That was just about the same time her facial expression had begun to change, he remembered. Oliver had no clue. Felicity had only been listening to his father explain about his dreams for his son to run their company in Russia; she didn't utter a single word. That's why Oliver had nothing to go on.

He survived that day… and another day… of not knowing what had gone wrong. Felicity had seemed enthused about something that she wanted so badly to tell him, but everything changed after that phone call. In fact, things had gotten worse since then. She had become more civil and guarded towards him. Oh, she was still sweet and nice, greeting him kindly here and there whenever they bumped into each other, but she stopped initiating conversations, she hardly opened up spontaneously anymore, and she scarcely shared about how her day went. She had not even brought up their postponed talk yet, and he was afraid she may never.

Oliver knew there was nothing he could do but give her the space she needed to think things through – whatever was bothering her, whether or not she would take the job at Palmer Tech, whether or not she would agree to his father's proposal, and most importantly, what she decided their relationship should be. He loved her, and he would respect her choices regardless of the consequences he'd have to face. Oliver spent the last days of camp hoping for the best and – for the first time in a very long time – praying that Felicity Smoak would make wise choices for her own good.

On the morning of the last day, the day of the closing banquet, a special motivational speaker from Australia arrived. As soon as he was introduced, Nick Vujicic appeared from the backstage to the shock of the entire audience. Nick had no arms and legs! With widened eyes, Oliver estimated that Nick would probably just reach up to his waist if they stood side by side. In his introduction, Nick explained that he had been born that way, to the devastation of his parents. Growing up, he had questioned God why. He had asked God countless times what wrong he'd done to deserve this congenital defect, this wretched life. Then he narrated his life-changing, personal encounter with Christ and how he surrendered his life to Him. That, he had said, was the turning point in his life, when he began to realize that even an "anomaly" like him had a purpose. He told everyone how much God had been using him to share His love to people all over the world, to tell every person who felt hopeless that his or her life can have meaning. Nick demonstrated to the audience some of the cool things he could do with his little feet, how he answers telephones, how he could play with balls. Felicity was impressed when Nick showed them videos of how he worked on a computer, drove his own car, and even swam in his backyard pool. Nick declared that he believed God could use anyone regardless of his or her background or lot in life, and that no obstacle is insurmountable for those who have faith in God. That portion of his speech really gave the orphans in the hall a boost. Every boy and girl rose to his or her feet and applauded the Australian miracle, while Felicity remained seated, pondering on the very same things that her foster parents had taught her growing up.

But the thing that caught both Oliver's and Felicity's attention most of all was Nick Vujicic's love story. Nick shared that one of his greatest dreams in life – which was also his biggest disappointment – was to be married. Nick shared how badly he had wanted to love and be loved by a special girl and have a family of his own, despite his condition. He had wondered what an embrace felt like and longed to receive it, even if he would never be able to give it to anyone, being limbless. He shared that there had been times he'd fallen into despair and doubted, but that by the grace of God he had kept on believing and trusting Him for the impossible. When Nick's gorgeous (and very pregnant) wife emerged from the backstage to join him, everybody applauded. Some of the guys even did cat calls (including one Oliver Queen). By the time the couple had finished showing pictures and video clips of how they met, of their wedding, and of their first child, many of the females were in tears (including one Felicity Smoak).

Felicity was crying profusely by the time Nick finished his presentation. She felt overwhelmed just thinking about how much this extraordinary man had struggled all through life, rose above the odds, and came out of his despair boldly declaring how to enjoy a genuinely meaningful and purposeful life. Her abandonment issues suddenly seemed too small compared to this man's daily concerns. Particularly, she felt ashamed that she had once again wallowed in self-pity and fear at the prospect of committing to Oliver and then being abandoned when he leaves for Russia. She realized how self-absorbed she'd been.

Felicity was also touched by how Nick held on to the hope of having a solid relationship and commitment with the love of his life, even if no ordinary woman in her right mind would dare look at him twice as a lifetime partner. She admired his strength. She was inspired by the hope he represented. She was challenged to commit to love someone fearlessly and courageously, whatever the future would bring. And that someone was Oliver Queen.

Likewise, Oliver was challenged to keep stepping out in faith. Nick's example reaffirmed that he was on the right track. He thought that he and Nick were very much alike, actually. Nick was flawed on the outside; he had been flawed on the inside. He was a broken man, hurt by the foolish choices of the people he loved and marred by his own foolish choices in the past. Before he met Felicity, he was afraid no one could ever love him for who he truly was, in spite of who he had been. However, like Nick, he realized that he shouldn't be tied down by his past any longer. It became clearer to him that his life was really meant to have meaning and purpose, and a big part of that just had to include Felicity. If Nick Vujicic had the faith to believe that he would eventually meet and marry the woman of his dreams, then Oliver also needed to believe that things would eventually work out between him and her.

The mess hall had been amazingly and impressively transformed into a modern banquet hall, thanks to the special catering service that Ray Palmer had arranged for the evening. The ceiling lights were slightly dimmed by yards of cascading tulle, complemented by candlelight centerpieces surrounded by floral arrangements of white lilies, baby's breath, and assorted greens atop round tables (each set for eight), which were covered by champagne-colored linens. Two buffet service areas were positioned against the wall on the left side of the hall. The aroma of French onion soup, roast beef and mushroom gravy, Parmesan crusted sole fillet, lemon chicken, and creamy mashed potatoes filled the air. In the background, recorded keyboard and cello music The Pianoguys was playing, setting the mood for the evening's event with relaxing and refreshing covers of well-loved classics, hymns, movie and Broadway themes, love songs, and popular hits.

Oliver and his boys had arrived a bit early because he wanted to teach the boys some table manners and etiquette. Sammy and Timmy caught on fast, learning when and how to use large and small forks and spoons lined up like soldiers on both sides of their shiny white porcelain plates. Johnny hated having to put his napkin on his lap because it kept falling off, so he finally decided to wear it like a bib, not caring what others said. Oliver brought them to the buffet table and taught them how to properly get their food once the host gives everyone the cue that it was time to eat. After tasting the fruit punch in the beverage area, he also warned them not to overindulge themselves with it because it had been very mildly spiked to add a bit of a flavor.

When he finally got the boys settled in their tables, he went to the front desk and asked for his table number, since the chaperons, counselors, and camp staff had been told earlier that they would be seated together in the tables bordering the dance floor, which had been set up at the center of the banquet hall. The camp receptionist at the front desk showed him the list on the laptop screen. He saw his surname "Queen" on Table No. 12, Seat No. 4 and was delighted to see the name "Smoak" on the same table. But his delight was soon curtailed by a frown upon seeing the name of the person who was supposed to be sitting between them – "Rochev" – and the name of the person who was supposed occupy the other seat beside him – "Palmer." He was about to curse whoever was the obsessive-compulsive coordinator, who had meticulously arranged the seats alphabetically, when he looked up…

…and was breathlessly captivated by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, standing at the entrance of the hall. His breath hitched, and for a while he felt like everything else around him had become a faint blur of pale colors. The cacophony of sounds inside the hall had been drowned out by the intense beating of his heart.

Oliver was enamored by Felicity's presence. She wore a very simple, fitted, sleeveless, red dress that ended just above her knees; it was accented by a gold zipper that ran from her back, around her waist, and ended in a slit that parted midway up her left thigh. Her hair was pinned up in a simple but smart-looking up-do highlighted by golden curls. Her red velvet peep toe heels matched her attire perfectly, just like her scarlet-painted nails and matte crimson lips did. It was like his feet suddenly had a mind of their own, because they carried him towards her just as she turned to notice him approaching.

"Hello," Oliver said after he swallowed the imaginary lump that had lodged in his throat a second ago.

A shy smile formed on Felicity's face.

Before she could greet him back, he said, "You look… incredible."

Her sparkling white teeth began to show as her smile widened. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

Felicity was just being truthful. Because, oh my… she thought Oliver was drop-dead gorgeous that night. She wondered if that charcoal black coat-and-tie he wore had been designed especially for him because his attire fit his body, matched his skin tone, and complemented his charming sandy blonde hair and his wonderfully chiseled, scruffy jaw line so… perfectly. When Oliver informed her that she belonged to the same table as his, offered to take her there, and guided her with his warm hand on the small of her back, Felicity's heart swelled with mirth. She walked across the dance floor to their empty table with poise and grace, keeping in step with her dashing, debonair escort.

What she didn't know was that he felt equally proud and privileged to have been seen walking with her. When he had helped Felicity to her seat, he excused himself courteously and headed back to the front desk with a plan. He convinced the receptionist to reshuffle the seat assignments on their table in his favor, just before Isabel Rochev arrived to inquire about her table assignment. He smirked as he turned around and hastily walked back to their table to evade the dark-haired menace. It had been quite a long time since he had pulled a mischievous trick like this, and he was more than pleased that his little plan had worked just in time. Oliver sighed and smiled at Felicity as he took his seat beside her. He was so sure he would be enjoying the rest of the evening.

As more and more tweeners and adults arrived, Oliver tried to start a conversation with Felicity. "Where are your girls?" he asked.

"Over there," she motioned to the tables behind him, on the far side of the hall. "I had them ready about an hour ago. Caitlyn and her girls passed by our cabin. When she saw that I hadn't gotten ready yet, she offered to take my girls with them early since some of our girls are sharing a table anyway. Caitlyn's really nice. I'm glad she and Barry are getting along great."

"How are you?" Oliver asked again. "We haven't… talked… in a while."

"Yeah," she replied. "Maybe later?"

Oliver was about to take her up on that offer when Caitlyn Snow approached and took the empty seat beside Felicity. Barry was right behind her, and after planting a light kiss on Felicity's hairline, he sat down beside Caitlyn. Oliver was surprised at himself; a week ago a kiss like that would have bothered him tremendously, but it didn't affect him at all that night. Once more, he was assured that his heart was in the right place. He greeted the newly arrived couple, and the four of them enjoyed a friendly chat until Ray Palmer, the evening's host, stepped up to the podium to speak.

Ray welcomed everyone to the banquet, explaining that this was the first time he was hosting a banquet for Adventure Camp because that day was the birthday of his fiancee Anna, who had passed away three years ago in a vehicular accident. Ray explained further that Anna had gone to Adventure Camp every summer throughout high school, and so he had chosen to honor her memory by setting up a foundation that regularly raised funds for the camp to ensure its continued operations. He concluded his brief speech by thanking Adventure Camp staff and the adult chaperons and counselors for their hard work and sacrifices, emphasizing that these will definitely make a difference in the lives of the youth that get to attend camp each year. When Ray announced that dinner may commence, everyone stood up to fall in line at the buffet tables. Everyone except Oliver and Felicity.

Oliver wrestled with mixed emotions as he sat there in silence. He felt sympathy for his former friend at the untimely demise of his fiancee. He felt admiration, seeing how Ray had moved on from grief and sorrow. For a moment he wondered how he would have felt if he and Anna had ended up together and he was the one who had lost her; he would have been devastated, and he was unsure if he would have had the courage that Ray had had to make something noble and worthwhile out of such a tragic loss. Oliver also felt guilty that he had misjudged his old friend as a show off last week; the man had loved his woman so much and was simply trying to move on with his life. Oliver thought that if he were in Ray's shoes, Felicity would have also been his first choice for a fresh start.

Oliver was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Felicity's hand sliding towards his, the hand with fingers drumming on the dinner table. She placed her hand on his wrist and tapped it once. "You didn't know, did you?"

Oliver shook his head and didn't utter a word. She squeezed his wrist tenderly, and after a minute of silence, they got up and went to the buffet table together.

Dinner was scrumptious, and the conversations at their table were pleasant, including brief dialogues with Isabel, who sat across Felicity (beside her most recent conquest – Bruce Wayne). A couple of song numbers were rendered by a girl from Caitlyn's group and by one of the Adventure Camp counselors, and then some special awards and citations were given out to the Male Camper of the Year, Female Camper of the Year, Athlete of the Year, Artist of the Year, and a few others.

Oliver gave his loudest applause when the camp director announced the recipient of the Chaperon of the Year award. He whistled with pride as a flabbergasted Felicity went up the stage to accept the plaque. When she returned to their table, Barry and Caitlyn congratulated her with warm hugs. Oliver also stood up and moved forward to embrace her. For a split-second she hesitated, but when he looked into her radiant eyes with nothing but a sincere desire to appreciate her, she let herself fall into his outstretched arms. Oliver clung to her as he kissed her blonde hair and savored the moment. She held on to his shoulders and whispered, "Thank you," after he told her how proud he was of her.

At around 9:00, a group of professional musicians went up the stage and set up their instruments. Ray Palmer then announced that the dance floor would be open in a few minutes, and that when the band finishes their first set, there would be a karaoke challenge. Ray clarified that there were only ten slots for this karaoke challenge, so interested persons should sign up at the front desk immediately. Surprisingly, a lot of people liked the idea of a karaoke challenge; the kids and adults thought that it was a perfectly fun way to end their terrific, month-long adventure at camp.

Barry immediately stood up after Caitlyn whispered the title of her favorite song. She had no trouble convincing him to sign up for the challenge. Barry was a seasoned performer, and he really wanted to please his girl. From afar, Oliver saw Sammy making his way briskly to the front desk, signing his name, and then thumbing through the pages of the song list.

"Are you up to the challenge, Oliver?" Isabel teased from across the table. Six pairs of eyes suddenly shifted to him, curious to hear his response.

"Yeah, Captain Von Trapp! This could be your chance to redeem yourself," said Bruce Wayne, almost taunting him.

"Nah… I've had enough excitement in the last four weeks to last me a lifetime," Oliver replied. "And I wouldn't want to send you all home with blasted eardrums." He chortled.

"Hey, your singing is not that bad," Caitlyn joined in. "You just have to put your heart into it, you know? Let your emotions match the words and the music. Edelweiss was supposed to be tender and sweet, but you were all so… so-"

"Broody," Felicity cut in with a chuckle. She bit her lip and then coaxed him, "Come on, Oliver. Give it a try."

He looked at her. "Well if it's you asking… I'd do it," Oliver gave in. The smile on her lovely face was impossible to resist. He stood up and headed for the front desk.

When Oliver came back, it was his turn to present her a request. The band had begun to play an 80's hit that he recognized as one of his mother's favorite dance selections – The Time of My Life from some old movie he had watched several times over but had forgotten the title of. He got all excited. He placed a hand on the back rest of Felicity's chair, bent over, and asked her politely, "May I have this dance?"

Felicity looked up at him with a smile and replied just as courteously, "Certainly. I would love to dance with you, Oliver."

They joined the other couples, big and small, on the parquet floor at the center of the banquet hall. They danced through the hits of the last three decades and until they were breathless. They had so much fun! They sat down to rest through the last half of the band's first set, chatting hilariously with their friends.

Soon, the band had to step down from the stage and take a break. One of the camp staff members came up to the podium to moderate the karaoke challenge. Oliver began to feel nervous as the first challenger sang his song. Yes, he was sure about the song he had picked; he knew it by heart because it was his parents' song – back when they were still madly in love with each other. (One night when he was about 11 or 12 years old, he had caught his mom and dad one night in each other's arms, swaying slowly and passionately to that Jim Brickman song in their bedroom. He fell in love with the song and promised himself that this was what he would be singing as his future bride walked down the aisle on their wedding day.) Now, he wasn't so sure he could pull it off in front of the woman who had captured his heart in the last few weeks. He wasn't sure if she would understand how much the song expressed exactly what he'd been wanting to tell her for days.

The minutes ticked by. Barry had his turn, and Sammy too, and the crowd loved them. When Oliver's name was called, however, he was reluctant to proceed, seeing that Felicity had not yet returned from the ladies room. He looked at the moderator, at the door that led to the restrooms, and then back at the moderator. The guy waved at him frantically, signaling him to hurry up. So he stood up and made his way to the stage, picked up the microphone, and stalled.

He cleared his throat and spoke into the mic with a slightly trembling voice. "Good evening! Since I was coerced into this challenge by the wonderful people at my table over there, let me just issue a fair warning to you all, that it is with deep regret and anguish of soul that I shall put you through what might be the worst auditory torture you will ever have the displeasure of enduring. So, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please, listen at your own risk." The crowd laughed at his clever, hilarious words.

Oliver tried to compose himself as he let the laughter die down. Then he continued on a more serious note at about the same time that Felicity emerged from the ladies room. "Kidding aside, I picked this special song for a reason. Not only is this my parents' song, it has also become one of my personal favorites. I know, it's a bit old, maybe even forgotten. Still, it's the only song I could think of offering to someone I'd recently met, someone who's come to mean so much to me in just a short time, I still can't believe it's real. I'm just hoping that she'll listen with her heart, and give us a chance."

At that, the audience applauded and the music began. As Oliver began to sing the first line of the first stanza, he spotted Felicity taking her seat at their table. He smiled at her, and when she smiled back, his nervousness melted away.

I am amazed

When I look at you

I see you smiling back at me

It's like all my dreams come true

I am afraid

If I lost you, girl

I'd fall through the cracks and lose my track

In this crazy, lonely world

Sometimes it's so hard to believe

When the nights can be so long

And faith gave me the strength

And kept me holding on

You are the love of my life

And I'm so glad you found me

You are the love of my life

Baby, put your arms around me

I guess this is how it feels

When you finally found something real

My angel in the night

You are my love

The love of my life

He just… sang. Oliver didn't care if he missed a few notes here and there; all he cared about was getting his message across.

Felicity was aware that he was singing to her the moment they held each other's gaze – like their every breath depended on it – as he sang every phrase, every line. She reveled at the thought that he was calling her his angel, and the love of his life. She felt like his voice, his words, his gaze were enveloping him in an earnestly passionate embrace. By the second chorus, tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Now here you are

With midnight closing in

You take my hand as our shadows dance

With moonlight on your skin

I look in your eyes

I'm lost inside your kiss

I think if I'd never met you

About all the things I'd missed

Sometimes it's so hard to believe

When a love can be so strong

And faith gave me the strength

And kept me holding on

You are the love of my life

And I'm so glad you found me

You are the love of my life

Baby, put your arms around me

I guess this is how it feels

When you finally found something real

My angel in the night

You are my love

The love of my life

The music died down and the lights began to brighten once again as Felicity hurriedly wiped the tears on her face with tissue from her purse, embarrassed for the people at her table to notice that she'd been crying. As the crowd clapped and cheered, she picked up her purse and rushed out the banquet hall, too overwhelmed with emotion to stay seated where she was.

Oliver saw her leave, so instead of going back to their table, he went after her. But by the time he made it through the door, she was nowhere in sight. He knew where to look for her though. He took a deep breath, and then sauntered calmly in the direction of the boardwalk. She would be there.

He found her there, sitting on a bench beside a dimly lit lamp post. Her hair had been messed up by the sea breeze; some strands of blonde hair strayed across her face. The mess didn't matter. To him, she was as pretty as always.

When she saw him approaching, she smiled slightly, patting the empty space beside her to tell him to sit down. He did. She looked up at the moon. For a time they just sat there in peaceful stillness, neither of them wanting to be the first one to speak. But she was the one that gave up first.

"I told Ray… I'm not taking the job," she said.

"Oh… When?" he asked.

"When you signed up to sing."

"How did he take it?"

"Better than I thought he would," she replied. "How are you taking it?"

The corners of his lips turned up. "So much better than him, I think." He took a deep breath and prepared for what he was about to say. "Felicity, I… I-"

"Did you mean it? Back there?" she asked, looking at him, attentively waiting for an answer.

He knew she was referring to the song, so he answered, "Yes. Every word."

She nodded, bit her lower lip as she smiled, and blushed. "Angel in the night, huh?"

"Mm-hmm… The love of my life," he responded. He leaned forward and held her hand.

"How do you know?" she asked. "Four weeks. You don't really know me that well."

"Felicity, I know I've only been blessed with four weeks to get to know you, but we've seen each other every single day. And I've seen enough, learned enough about you to choose… choose to love you for you. I've come to care about you… deeply. And if you'll let me, I'd like to get to know you more… not just as a friend… but, as my girl."

She was quiet for a few seconds. Then she simply said, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

He opened his mouth in disbelief, wanting to say something to get her to elaborate, but he didn't know what to say. He was too overwhelmed to speak. She thought it best to rescue him from that sudden spell of speechlessness.

"Oliver, I have given it a lot of thought, and yes… I'm saying yes to being your girl. At first, I was just being cautious because of the person that you were. I guess I was too afraid of being hurt again. But this version of you is different from the person I'd read about and heard about in the past, and it's this you that I've chosen to love, and-"

"You love me?" he cut her off.

"Well, yes! I do care about you, the same way you care about me," she rambled on. "But then you encouraged me to consider Ray's offer, and I thought you were pushing me away, so I got confused. And then there was your father. He said that after you graduate from business school, he'd be shipping you out to Russia permanently. That scared me even more. I couldn't lose you, not so soon after I'd commit to love you with all my heart, so I thought it'd be better if I just-"

Self-control gave way, and instantly his lips were on hers. Gently. Passionately. Sincerely.

She didn't pull away. She kissed him back. Just as gently, passionately, and sincerely.

His free hand cupped her cheek. Her free hand gripped his forearm. When they broke the kiss to take a breath, they giggled and fell into an embrace.

Pulling back, Oliver remarked, "You were right, you know."

"About what?" Felicity asked.

"Dating." Oliver laughed heartily. "It's absolutely unnecessary."

A/N: As you may have noticed, even if our favorite couple ended up together, I did not resolve all the issues between them that brought about conflicts in the plot, and I did it on purpose - to leave room for whether or not this story will have a sequel, something that some of you have asked me. I think it will, but not in the near future. I don't know for sure. Let's see... maybe if this story reaches 150 follows and 50 reviews... I've wondered why it already has 120+ follows but only 25 reviews; I'd really like to know what the rest of you think about the story. And since it's time to say goodbye to this story, and to me (as I will be on a fanfic-writing hiatus after completing this and THE QUEENS), I wish you could drop a line or two.

Once again I thank each of you who's been reading, following, liking, and reviewing this. I appreciate you all, particularly CataD'Mellark, My Name is Barry Allen, and dreamingofolicitrealized. I also especially thank alayneni, a talented writer and fellow Olicity shipper, who has inspired great ideas in me. And of course, I thank my husband for his patience and support despite the many late nights; I love you!

Most of all I thank my Lord Jesus, the true Lover of my soul who has taught me how to love and be loved, and dedicate this work for His glory.

P.S. Nick Vujicic is a real person. You may want to Google him or watch him on YouTube.