Author's Notes: This is it, the last chapter of this Bratva story. I hope I wrote a fitting ending to this one as deserved.
For those who patiently waited for this last chapter a big thank you. I've been on vacation for a month visiting family in Melbourne as I always do twice a year. I just needed to gourde myself in Cadbury and TImTams before I finished editing this chapter ready for posting.
I hope you all watch out for a new one I have already begun writing while on vacation, the plot is at the bottom of this story. I will post chapter 1 before the end of the month hoping you will fall in love with the story and I do my part in making this hiatus more bearable for all of us. To make sure you get the story once I post it, you can follow my via my twitter account.
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Disclaimer: As usual, this story is an original but everything else is not and does not belong to me.
FIRE AND ICE
Chapter 10 – Family Man
Pandemonium had broken out as soon as he had gone down on one knee but he had only eyes for one, his Felicity.
The surprise in her face followed by tears that unabashedly ran down her cheeks as he continued to stare at him speechless gave him a few scary moments of doubt but then she broke out that smile that had dazzled him from the beginning then everything righted itself in his word once again.
She nodded once, slowly. Then followed that up with a speedier version as her head bobbed several times before she finally uttered the single word that had him plastering that smile on his face, the same one that the cameras had captured and would be featured on various news reels, magazines and social networks.
"Yes."
He had spent about twenty minutes discussing the future of Queen Consolidated before he cut-off himself mid-speech and faced her. The crowd had been confused at first, but they had quickly caught on.
Now he was pulling her toward a waiting limousine as paparazzi continued to document there progress toward the black car hand in hand.
He was smiling as if it would break his face. Why shouldn't he, the love of his life, the reason he had finally left the darkness behind was right beside him holding up her hand and gazing at her engagement ring like she couldn't quite fathom that this was indeed true.
"This must me worth a fortune," Felicity said still staring at her ring.
"It was my mothers."
"Oh." Felicity dropped her hand on her lap solemnly.
In the next second, Oliver reached out and lifted her hand, the same one that held the Queen heirloom.
"It was always intended to be passed down to the woman I would eventually take as my wife. Before I met you, this ring," Oliver ran a finger over the stone, "would never be worn, I couldn't see myself down that path after what happened. But then you happened. And this will never come off, ever. It will only leave your finger the day it would be passed down to our son's bride to be. One Queen to the next one."
"Oh Oliver," Felicity leaned in and kissed his cheek. "We haven't really discussed babies."
"Don't you want kids?"
"Of course I do. They'd be yours…and mine. And they'd be carrying on the Queen legacy. But…."
"Not yet. I know. I want you all to myself at least for a year. I'm sure I still have much to discover about my future wife. I'd like us to travel the world too, just you and me. Now that I have the time, I'd like to do that with you."
Four months later Felicity was walking down the aisle toward her groom. It was a beautiful and solemn wedding at the gardens of the Queen Mansion. Everyone who was anyone in Starling City was in attendance.
Part of the ceremony was even captured live on tv. Starling felt like this was one of there own who truly deserved this slice of happiness. Felicity was treated like she was born and raised in the City.
Little girls wanted to be like her, the geeky, nerdy but pretty princess who became a Queen, literally. Little girls dressed like her and dreamt that one day, a prince who looked exactly like Oliver Queen would sweep them off their feet.
As promised, Oliver took Felicity around the world, a whole three months of honeymoon.
It could have been longer but they had a business to run, or so Felicity Queen told her husband.
Oliver had reluctantly steered them back toward Starling City and as if the god's were playing some kind of sick joke on Oliver, as he droved the long spiral private road to the Mansion he was greeted by a parade of Russian mob soldiers, the Bratva.
It was the first sign that something wasn't right, a feeling of dread settled over Oliver as he slowly parked the car and because Felicity was already deeply in sync with his mood changes, she gently touching his arm. That was all he needed to prepare him for the turn of events that was about to change their lives again.
John slowly approached his friend who was cautiously disembarking from the sports car.
"John." Oliver greeted his friend first before he embraced the big man warmly.
On the other side, Lyla and Felicity embraced just as warmly.
"I have not so good news Oliver, this is better said inside." That was all he said and his tone told Oliver just how grave the news could be. And it was definitely all about the bratva because their was almost an army guarding the perimeters of the Queen Mansion how Starling City police hadn't noticed this show of force was beyond Oliver's comprehension.
"Two days?" Oliver asked his friend, still rubbing his hand on his face.
"Yes. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. Felicity mentioned to Lyla that you where on your way back anyway, I wanted to give you one more day before all this was upon you once again. I asked no one to contact you before I told you the news."
Oliver slowly nodded, understanding what his friend was saying.
"The funeral is tomorrow." John said again.
Again Oliver slowly nodded squeezing Felicity's hand that had been laced with his the whole time.
"Then we leave for Russia immediately. Is the army of soldiers really necessary?" Oliver lifted an eyebrow as he asked his friend.
John just shrugged, "I just brought a few with me when I arrived here two days ago. The others arrived in groups a couple of hours after I did. Sent by other Captains across the country as a sign of their loyalty and to protect you, the new pakhan as was destined."
At the mention of his new title Oliver sighed deeply turning to his wife while he spoke to John, "could you give us a few minutes John?"
John nodded although Oliver never looked his way, "I'll have the plane prepared. I'll see you in a couple of hours. I am truly sorry for your loss Oliver."
Oliver only nodded to acknowledge he heard his friend but he was still looking at Felicity until the door closed with finality.
"I'm sorry." Oliver said, sadness obvious in his tone.
Felicity placed an arm around Oliver's back pulling him closer to her with his head now firmly on her chest since she knew her husband was hurting. The man he considered his second father, a firm role model had just passed away.
Anatoly suffered a heart-attacked, a fatal one. He had no history of any ailments and had always been a very fit man for his age. The death should have been shrouded in suspicion but according to John, they had been assured there was no foul play involved.
"I'm the one who is sorry. I didn't know him that well but I knew he loved you his own way. Giving you these few months with me was a show of how unconditional his love was for you."
Oliver heaved even harder. He truly was blessed to have Felicity in his life as his wife. Anatoly's death would have taken him in a totally different path of more darkness sealing his persona as a cold-blooded killing machine forever had it not been for her. Now Oliver could see the light despite the darkness that now threatened him once again.
"We will get through this, I'm never leaving, never. You and me, we are in this together. Even if it's the Bratva life you tried so hard to get us away from. I will always be by your side. Always."
Oliver leaned infinitesimally into his wife seeking her warmth even more as tears threatened to escape.
"Come on, we have to get ready," Felicity gently encouraged.
"No. I want to stay here. Stay this way." Oliver pouted. He never really pouted or acted the way he was acting like now, but that was what Felicity brought into his life. He was afraid that the darkness was too much. That not only would he be consumed backed and deeper, what with Anatoly's responsibilities but it would suck the light out of Felicity. The one he wanted to protect the most.
She giggled. Dared to giggle at his small tantrum. Right then Oliver knew. They would be fine. He would be fine as long as she was right by his side.
As he pulled away from Felicity and pulled her up so they could get ready, something inside him lit. He could do this. Something that Anatoly was never able to.
He could have a family. He could bring children into this life he was after all destined to have, all because she was here. She was going to be the mother of his children. He could do it all. Together, they could do it all.
And he laughed, surprising Felicity who looked at him funny.
He would be the last to believe it years ago. How his life had turned out. But he wouldn't change one single bit of it. Not a single bit of it.
A few hours later, they landed in Russia and he still had that fire lit inside of him, that light that his wife had shared with him.
A day later, they were standing hand in hand. Surrounded by men in black. The Bratva.
While the Captains gave their show of support by lining up and one by one reaching out a hand to Oliver acknowledging him as the new pakhan in a simple ceremony, just as Oliver had wanted Felicity had stood by his side in quiet support.
An hour later, Oliver had swelled with pride as he spotted Felicity from a distance holding her own as the toughest of Captains surrounded her, all surprisingly smirking some even openly smiling at something his wife was saying.
Why had he even had doubts when it came to his Felicity. She and only she had cracked his tough exterior. And he was even worst off than the any of the Captains that flocked toward her.
Now he was simmering with something else, jealousy. But it was quickly doused, as his wife looked his way as if she knew he was troubled. It took just one bright smile directed at him and a double thumb up in a quirky way that was 100% his Felicity and the green giant disappeared.
Somehow they had made it work, Oliver being pakhan and CEO of Queen Consolidated at the same time.
Queen Consolidated had expanded heavily in Europe making juggling both responsibilities easier. Choosing Russia as its European springboard of operations. To some board members the choice Russia seemed odd but most didn't question it. They knew Russia held a special place in the life of their CEO. One, it was the place he had self-refuge when tragedy had struck his family. Second, it was what most already thought of as the place where he and his future wife had fallen madly and deeply in love hence, the preference for Russia.
For the next twenty-five years, Oliver and Felicity who had indeed never left his side traveled with him wherever business took him had lived that life.
They had three children that completed their lives.
The oldest son now twenty-three years old had recently taken an active role in QC. Three years from now he would fully take full control of the company. Robert Jonas Queen had taken a spitting resemblance to his father but had taken after his mother graduating two years earlier at the top of his class at MIT.
Nineteen year old Meghan Olivia Queen was her parents pride and joy. She was a carbon copy of her mother down to the trademark ponytail and glasses. She was currently traveling the world but would later join QC opening more opportunities in business worldwide.
It was young Thomas Oliver who had his parents worried. At fifteen it looked like he would follow in his fathers footstep with the Bratva.
As part of the condition of Oliver stepping into his role as pakhan, he had the bratva council blessing that none of his children would be obligated to serve or be part of the brotherhood in any capacity. Young Tommy had still to be swayed by his parents however.
Now fifty-four and fifty respectively, Oliver and Felicity were preparing for life after "retirement", another condition Oliver had worked out with the brotherhood council. That he "retire" at fifty five to enjoy the rest of his years with his wife and children back in Starling City hopefully dotting on grandkids in the very near future.
The end.
I hoped I wrapped this story up nicely and with the ending it truly deserved.
Watch out for my new Olicity fic which will be ready for posting end June entitled "Undercover" with basic plot as follows: Obviously very AU. Oliver and Felicity go under cover as husband and wife outside of Starling City. Something goes wrong with the "mission" and they are both rushed to the hospital. Felicity who was "legally" Mrs. Queen having hacked the records days earlier to make their sting legit was identified as such by the hospital which brought a frenzy to their lives as this tidbit reached the paparazzi.
Follow me on twitter so when this new fic breaks and I post the link you can immediately dive into the story.
In the meantime a big thank you to all of you for appreciating this effort.
