Chapter 10:
"What did you think?"
Oliver and Felicity were sitting in the car again discussing what had just happened.
"He's amazing. I'm just sorry I didn't know about him before."
"Good. So while you played with Connor Sandra interrogated me. I was able to convince her you've changed. She seems to like me, especially after I agreed on what a *it*h your mom was. Anyway now that we're going home I have a job and you need to find one too. Just to show stability it's part of the deal."
"Deal?" Oliver asked opening the door of the car to let Felicity out.
"Yes. Deal." She said taking his offered hand, "Sandra will let you visit Connor and tell him you are his father only if we show a stable home life. That way he can visit us as well eventually."
"So I need a job? What can I work as? We both know I failed as a CEO and that Verdant was never really mine."
"True. I think we really just need to sit down and look at our options." Felicity told him as they entered the lab bringing attention to themselves.
"Options?" Thea was leaning back in a chair near Roy looking at them curiously.
"When did you get here?" Oliver asked hugging his sister.
"Two hours ago. Where were you two?" She replied.
"I'll tell you later." Oliver said prompting a glare from Felicity.
"Have you been filled in?" Felicity turned to Thea.
"Yeah. This stuff is weird. I thought Mirakuru soldiers and a Lazarus pit was the worst we would see." Thea replied as Digg entered the lab with Laurel.
"That's what I told your brother when we found out Barry had superpowers." Digg said collapsing Oliver on the back before turning to hug Felicity.
"How's Lyla and Sarah?" Was the first thing out of her mouth.
"Their good. Missing you guys. What were you up too?" Digg replied earning an eye roll from Oliver.
"The charade is up Digg. He knows I've been helping you guys." Felicity laughed.
"So are you guys coming back?" Thea asked hopefully.
"I wish I could come back with you." Roy said placing a kiss on Thea's forehead.
"We know you can't at least not yet." Thea sighed, "But are you two?"
"We're figuring it out. There have been some recent developments." Oliver sighed sitting down.
"Oliver you can explain. I need to find Ray and talk about the company." Felicity left.
"Explain what? Ollie what's going on?" Laurel pressed.
"There's no easy way to say this." He replied, "but I found out something important well here in Central."
"About what?" Roy asked.
"Before the island I was a jerk. I cheated on you a lot." He said looking at Laurel.
"That's not exactly news." Laurel crossed her arms, "What does that have to do with you finding out something."
"About a year before the Island, I met a woman. We got together a few times, and I guess one of those times we weren't as careful as we thought."
Everyone turned to Oliver wide eyed realizing where this was going.
"You didn't tell me I'm an aunt?" Thea practically screamed.
"It's not that simple. I knew she was pregnant and I panicked. I went to mom for advice."
"Your mom? Oliver is this going where I think it is?" Digg was probably the least blinded by all of Moira's facades and sent a look of pity towards Oliver.
"Exactly what you're thinking. Mom called Sandra payed her 2 million dollars so she could start her life and stay out of mine. There were a few threats thrown in as well."
"Mom did that?" Thea's eyes widened. "Why? She always wanted you to get married and have kids."
"Exactly she wanted me to get married. She wanted my life to be perfect and she knew I wasn't ready for the responsibility. She was trying to clear the way so I could pursue my relationship with Laurel."
"I know you mom was a bit crazy but paying a woman off like that? That's a new level of cruelty." Roy whistled earning a glare from Thea.
"Sandra told me she miscarried. I ran into her while we were here and she had a 8 year old boy with her."
"Oliver. Are you okay? This was probably a lot to take in." Digg gave a friend a stern look letting him know he was taking no Bullcrap.
"To be honest no. "
This shocked everyone. Even if he had a bullet in his back Oliver always pretended he was fine. It had become his façade for years, why was he admitting that he was upset?
"I have a son. A son whose mother doesn't want anyone to know I'm his father, a son who doesn't even know he has a father. He grew up without me, I missed the important parts of his life. Digg would you forgive yourself if you missed Sara's first words? Her first steps? Her first day of school? I've missed every day of my son's life for nine years."
"Guys can I talk to Oliver alone?" Digg asked to which the reply was everyone but Oliver leaving the room.
"Look Oliver, I could never forgive myself for missing Sara's life like that. I doubt you ever would be able to forgive yourself for missing your child's life. But you need to remember it's not your fault. It's your moms for bribing Sandra, and Sandra's for accepting the bribe and not coming to you. You were also stranded in the North China sea fighting for you life at the time. You wouldn't have seen it anyway. You can make up for the missed time. You just need to try."
"Thanks Digg. I needed that. I went with Felicity to meet him. He doesn't know who I am. But he's amazing, the most wonderful little boy I've ever met."
"Because you have so much experience with children?" Snorted Laurel who had walked back into the room trailed by Thea and Roy.
"Tell me about my nephew." Thea demanded plopping herself on a nearby chair.
"His name is Connor. He's 8. He likes action figures and owns one of the Flash, The Canary.."
"Wait your son owns my action figure? Since when do I have an action figure?" Laurel interrupted.
"He has mine as well. We played superheroes and I told him about the time I met the Flash." Oliver ignored her and went on.
"I'm sure that was a good icebreaker. Little boys love hearing stories about their heroes." Roy laughed.
"How do you know?" Felicity entered the cortex pleased to see everyone was taking it well.
"I was a little boy once." Roy replied making everyone laugh.
"Did you meet him Felicity?" Thea wanted every little last piece of information.
"Yes, he was very polite which was scary coming from a clone of Oliver."
"He's not my clone!" Oliver pointed out to his girlfriend.
"No joking about clones in front of Roy," laughed Thea.
"Wrong universe!" Roy rolled his eyes.
"Well he looks just like Oliver, or the pictures I've seen. He's got his blue eyes and mop of dirty blond hair. "
"Have you worked out rights for visiting yet?" Laurel asked she was a lawyer after all.
"Sandra wants me to get a job and prove my life is stable before I interact more with Connor."
"When has our life ever been stable?" Thea guffawed.
"So we've decided to move back to Star City." Oliver ignored Thea's comment.
"I don't have my apartment anymore so we have to find a new one." Felicity finished.
"We?" Laurel had to admit that stinged, she and Oliver had been dating for a while before they even thought of moving in together and then he was very hesitant. With Felicity he had no such qualms.
"We." Oliver replied a smiling light dancing in his eyes, "I need to find a job too. What's your job status now that Ray is alive?"
"He still wants me to be CEO. Says he died and now he has to restart his life. I asked him what he would do and he told me he's moving east and becoming a researcher. He wants to find his own city to settle in and become its hero."
"That's great Felicity. CEO! You'll do a much better job than I did."
"We just need to find a job for you. Digg is still a bodyguard, but mine now. Laurel is DA, Thea runs Verdant. We have jobs that cover most bases, and help out in our sidelife. What can you do?"
Oliver thought for a moment before a grin developed on his face and he whispered in Felicity's ear.
"I think we need to open up Arrow Cave 3.0 I knew Sebastian Blood's office would come in handy."
So I'm not really writing Ray in. He's there for a moment to help before leaving. Team Arrow will leave soon as well but I felt I needed to include them. I really needed to bring Roy in I miss him so much. Ever notice how hot Roy is in every universe? Oliver will become Mayor, which is handy for his sidejob but on the other hand attracts publicity, which might make Sandra refuse to let him see Connor. As to how their jobs help their side life, Felicity can supply stuff and now is extremely rich and powerful, Laurel works with the Law she can get information they might not be privy to otherwise, as a Bodyguard Digg has a flexible schedule. Verdant is a bar smack in the center of the glades, I'm sure plenty of unsavory folks hang there and unknowingly drop Intel to the team. Oliver won't let anyone else know, except maybe Barry who's curious of what the DNA test is for. After that the Arrow team will leave though I want to do some Roy, Wally bonding time.