A/N: Thanks again for all the support for this story! This may be the last new chapter of 2013. Hope everyone understands how crazy this time of year is and I don't want the next chapter to get lost amidst the crazy of the next two weeks. So, enjoy! And have no fear, there will be new chapters soon. Let me know what you think!
He woke up to cool fingers on his back and jerked up quickly before he realized it was Felicity, now pushing on his arm to get him to lay down again, carefully avoiding the stitches on his bicep.
"Sorry, thought I'd get a chance to finish with you still asleep." she said by way of explanation, "And I did not mean for that to sound as creepy as it did."
He turned to look over his shoulder, a long fall of hair blocking her from his view as she bent over behind him, smoothing down the last bit of tape.
"Bandage change." she said as she stood and pushed her glasses up her nose.
The dress shirt was gone, replaced with the clothes she'd been wearing the day before. It struck him hard how much he missed seeing her out of something that was his.
Rolling over carefully he found her sleeve and gave it a tug. With a small smile she propped a hip on the bed and sat lightly on the edge. She didn't touch him though.
"I should get going." she answered the unasked question and a pang went through him. He didn't want her to leave. He liked having her there.
"You don't have to go." he blurted out, her eyes going wide at his words.
Her hand tangled with is and he felt tension leave his body he didn't even know was there. "Oliver, this...with us...it's good so far but…"
"But?" that didn't fill him with hope,
"I like it here. A little too much I think." she admitted, faint pink tinting her cheeks, "But a lot has happened in a very short time. I don't want to mess this up. It's too important."
She was right. The rational, logical side of him knew it, but the other part of him wanted to throw caution to the wind and go all in, immediately. He'd listen to reason though. She was worth it, and he already asked too much of her.
He gave her a nod and suppressed a wince as he raised his hand to trace lightly over her cheekbone. "You're too important."
Her head ducked, allowing his fingers to slip into her hair, rubbing gently across her scalp. She hummed in appreciation and he filed the information away for later.
When she leaned forward and brushed her lips over his he was surprised. His hand fell down her shoulder and over her back before coming to rest at her waist. Her sucking his lower lip into her mouth made him dig his fingers in lightly as a low rumble grew in his chest. She bit down gently and then pulled back with a pleased look on her face. He'd need to file that away for later as well.
"I'll see you tomorrow." she whispered, kissing him once more before she was on her feet and heading for the door. "Actually try and stay in tonight. No training. Please." she was gone before he could respond and he laid back with a slight huff.
After she'd left he'd been surprised to discover it was already mid-afternoon. He had a text from Digg asking how he was that Felicity had apparently already replied to. There was a voice mail from Isabel Rochev that had come in only a few minutes prior and he wondered if she had sent texts as well that Felicity had deleted on his behalf.
It didn't take long to set up the meetings he wanted for the next day. He honestly wasn't sure how he could ensure her security since she wasn't legally a Queen, but he trusted that his attorneys could do what he needed done.
He rarely had free time on his hands and he itched to return to the lair, a long workout the only thing he could think that might stop his thoughts from straying to images of Felicity being with him there, in his home every day. She was right though. Things had moved quickly. His own response to what had happened surprised him.
For her sake he tried to take the rest of the day off, but after a few hours he found himself grabbing his keys and heading out the door. He couldn't say he didn't try. He eyed the salmon ladder when he arrived at the dark lair but knew all he'd do would be rip out his stitches and incur not only the wrath of Felicity, but Digg as well.
Soon he found himself lost in the process of crafting new arrows. It was something he often found tedious, but right then it was exactly what he needed as he allowed his mind to go blank to focus on his task.
When they picked Felicity up the following morning she looked nervous, her coat pulled tight around her. "What time is the meeting?" she asked by way of greeting when he opened the door for her.
"First thing." he replied and saw her eyes go wide in response.
"Oh, um, okay then. I guess we're doing this." she said in slight disbelief after she'd climbed in. He didn't hesitate to cover her hand in his as they pulled away from the curb.
He knew she was worried. This was the first time they were purposely telling people and he knew there were going to be questions that were going to be difficult to answer.
They rode in silence as they approached the city, the closer they got the more nervous she became.
"Are we going to them or are they coming to us?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip as she looked everywhere but at him.
"We're going to them. I thought my family's personal attorney's filing through the QC lobby might be a little suspicious."
"Right. Good point. I just…" she cut a look over to him and then shied away, drawing her lips into a thin line to keep from speaking.
"What?" he prodded
"I know you're going to do what you feel you need to do for the baby, but...I just…" she blew out a long breath and ducked her head before she continued, "I just don't want you to feel pushed to do the same for me."
He stared at her, slightly stunned. Her selflessness was not a surprise to him, he should have expected it, but it struck him hard to see her doubt her own importance to him.
"Felicity, hey…" he said, waiting until she raised her eyes to his. His hand came out and gently brushed across her cheek, "I don't feel pushed. I need you to be taken care of, as much as I need the baby taken care of, okay?" he hoped she understood what he was saying,
"Okay," she replied softly and remained silent, something that wasn't like her, but they were pulling up in front of the building and there wasn't any time to continue the conversation any further.
Digg's eye caught his in the rearview mirror and he thought he saw a slight look of approval which made him feel like he was doing the right thing even if she didn't seem to understand why.
He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back, helping to loosen the knot in his gut he hadn't even known was there.
The door opened and he stepped out, buttoning his jacket as he gave her an encouraging smile and helped her from the car. He held on to her fingers as she tried to pull away and turned to see her looking at him in surprise.
"It's okay," he assured her, leaning in close so he could whisper in her ear, "We need to start being seen together."
"Right." she replied, still looking a bit shell shocked at what he'd just dropped on her.
"Sorry, I should have mentioned that earlier." he said with a slight grimace.
"Yeah, that might not have been a bad idea." there was a bit of fire back in her voice he was glad to hear and he couldn't help grinning,
"Maybe you'll let me make it up to you by taking you to lunch when this is over."
She lifted wide eyes in his direction and then narrowed them as she considered what he'd just said, "Wouldn't that just be a way for us to be seen together?" she asked suspiciously
"Yes, but I also just want to have lunch with you." he said honestly, and enjoyed the slight flush that crossed her cheeks.
She was about to respond when Digg's voice cut through to both of them, "Mr. Queen…"
Oliver's head shot up to see Digg standing to his right looking smug, one hand outstretched towards the front doors of the office building they were currently standing in front of. With a jolt he realized he and Felicity had been so focused on each other they'd forgotten where they were.
Felicity cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses before she tried to pull her hand away from him but he wouldn't let go. She gave him half an eye roll and without a word started walking for the door.
They managed to make it through the lobby and to the elevator without being spotted. A woman who got off two floors before they did wasn't so subtle about the double take she did when she realized who she was standing next to, nor did she try and hide how she stared at Felicity.
"It's going to be okay." he told her when it was just the two of them again. Felicity let out a shaky breath and continued to stare straight ahead.
The doors opened and he directed them to the left down a long corridor. She clung to his hand like it was a lifeline and when a voice from behind them called out his name she jumped a foot and pressed her free hand over her heart in shock.
Oliver pivoted to see Jean Loring, his mother's defense attorney making her way towards them.
"Oliver, I'm sorry, did we have an appointment or were you just stopping by? You know I'd be happy to talk to you about your mother's case anytime." she stopped a few feet away and he didn't miss how her sharp eyes cut over Felicity and their joined hands.
"Jean, ah no actually I'm here to see my attorney. I'd forgotten you were in the same building." he said easily,
Jean looked to Felicity again and he realized he had no choice but to introduce her. "I'm sorry, Jean this is Felicity Smoak my…" he trailed off, his mind going blank for a moment as he scrambled to figure out how to present her.
"Your assistant right? I believe we've talked on the phone." Jean finished for him, although there was a look in her eye he wasn't sure about.
"That's right Ms. Loring." Felicity answered,
Jean studied them for a moment longer and then held him in her shrewd gaze, "Oliver, if whatever you're doing here could affect your mother's case in any way what so ever I think we might need to set up that appointment."
Her words hung between them and he was only slightly aware of how limp Felicity's grip had gone in his own. Jean was right. Them announcing the pregnancy could very much affect the trial, good or bad, and it was just one more thing he hadn't thought of.
Pulling himself together he gave Jean a tight smile and nodded his head, "We'll be in touch Jean."
"I'm always available Oliver." she said once more before saying goodbye and leaving them standing in the corridor alone.
All the blood had drained from Felicity's face, "Oh god, Oliver...I didn't even think about the trial."
He ran a soft hand over her arm and pulled her towards him, "I didn't either. It'll be fine though." but he didn't know if he was saying that more for her benefit or his own.
"But it's your mother and what if this hurts her case or just brings more attention to you and your family in a bad way and…"
He turned fully until his feet bracketed hers and he could hold her as close as he dared in a such a public space, "And why do you continue to sound like this is your fault?"
He watched her process what he said and shake her head lightly, "I don't know," she answered honestly, "This just affects you more, with both your lives and...I don't know, I guess I just feel like my main job is making your life easier, and this doesn't make anything easier." she said with a vague sweep across her middle.
His hand slipped inside her coat and found the almost imperceptible swell of her belly. "You make my life better." he declared, his voice sounding thicker than he had expected, "Please stop feeling guilty over something you had no control over. We're going to make this work. All of it."
Felicity gave him a watery smile and took a deep breath through her nose, her hand coming down to cover his, "Okay, I'll do my best."
He leaned in closer, intending to kiss her temple when he heard Jean's voice once again. Straightening with a barely suppressed sigh he turned to see the woman giving him a hard look. Oliver's hand fell from Felicity's abdomen and the action wasn't lost on the lawyer.
"I'm sorry, I forgot to mention there's a pre-trial meeting next week and I think you and Thea should attend."
"Of course,"
She looked between him and Felicity again, "I'll call Ms. Smoak with the details, and to set up that appointment I think we need to have."
He waited until Jean was out of sight before he looked down to see Felicity with her eyes closed. "Hey, you okay?"
"Just working on that not being guilty thing." she said, blinking open bright blue eyes to look at him in concern.
With a sigh he tugged her in for a too brief hug and did brush his lips over her forehead without a care if the entire nineteenth floor of the building stepped out and saw him just then.
Her phone chimed, forcing her to pull away and dig through her bag. They continued down the hall as she swiped it on and then sighed heavily.
"Everything okay?"
She waved a hand dismissively, "It's just Isabel hounding me about why you rescheduled the Board of Visitor's meeting for today."
A wash of irritation flowed through him as he wished for a way that would get Isabel out of his company and his life as quickly as possible. Ever since she'd tried to fire Felicity he'd done what he could to make sure they were in contact only if absolutely necessary.
"I'm sorry, I told her to deal with me about that."
"Oliver, I'm a big girl, I don't need you to fight all my battles for me. I can handle Isabel."
He let out a huffing exhale as he opened the door to the office and ushered her inside. "I know you can, but she makes your life difficult because of me. Is it wrong that I want to make it easier?" his lips lifted in a small smile as he used her own argument against her and he saw the shift of her eyes his direction and the way her mouth opened and shut without saying a word.
His hand found her lower back as they stepped inside the overly modern office and approached the sleek receptionist desk.
"Good morning, Mr. Queen, right this way." a woman moved forward before he could say a word and directed them down a hallway.
He felt Felicity's back go rigid even through the layers of her coat and he silently vowed to do whatever he had to in order to make this as easy a process as possible.
As the woman went to open the door she glanced at Felicity and then at Oliver, "Your assistant is welcome to wait for you in an open office if you'd like, sir."
His jaw tightened as he saw how Felicity's shoulders went back and her head jerked to the side at the woman's words. "That won't be necessary."
She gave him a nod and pushed the door open. He was only slightly surprised to find almost all the senior partners already sitting at the table. With an almost rueful tilt of his head he stepped inside. He couldn't blame them in a way. When their richest client requests an emergency appointment it was in their best interest to show up. And also be able to bill him the highest fees possible.
Some of the people he recognized, but a few he didn't. He hadn't had a need to speak to any of them since he'd returned from the island and been legally brought back to life.
Oliver made a point of helping Felicity with her coat and pulling a chair out for her before he turned his attention to the man at one end of the table. "Gary, good to see you again." Gary Anderson had been his father's lawyer and a frequent guest at their house when he was growing up.
"Oliver, good morning." he said and gave a friendly handshake. "I have to admit we're all a little anxious to find out why you've called this meeting. I hope everything is well."
"Everything is very good. No cause for concern." his eyes caught Felicity who looked anxious and uncomfortable, sitting on the edge of her seat, hands twisting in her lap. "In fact...I'm not sure we need such a...delegation today." he looked back at Gary and held his gaze until the man understood he needed discretion and privacy.
Thankfully it only took a few minutes to diplomatically dispose of more than half the suits that had been in attendance and when it was just Gary and two others he saw Felicity visibly relax. He made quick work of introducing her and took the seat to her left.
"So what's this all about, Oliver?" Gary asked once the door had shut. He couldn't help the way his eyes cut to Felicity, but he was well trained and professional enough not to say a word.
With only the slightest of pauses Oliver glanced at her and when she gave him a slightly tremulous smile he felt like he could go on. "I need to make some changes to my will and the trusts that have been set up, power of attorney, medical directives, and…" he took a deep breath before he continued because this he hadn't mentioned to her at all, "and how my holdings in Queen Consolidated are distributed in the event of my death."
He heard her gasp and turn towards him, "Oliver…" her wide eyes looked huge behind her glasses and all she could do was give him a small shake of her head.
"Oliver...I hope it's alright if I ask if you're well? Do you...anticipate there being a reason why you'd need these changes in place?" Gary asked in concern.
He reached out and captured Felicity's hand in his and asked her to trust him without words. Her eyes slipped shut for just a second and when she opened them she gave him a tiny nod.
"I told you there was nothing to worry about, but...I'm going to be a father in a few short months and I'd like to make sure everything is taken care of before the baby is here." the words felt foreign coming out of his mouth but he managed to get them out without tripping over them and he felt Felicity's surprisingly strong grip as she clung to his fingers.
Gary didn't blink. A broad smile crossed his face and he reached across the table to shake Oliver's hand again. "Congratulations!" he said before looking at Felicity, "I'm assuming congratulations go to Ms. Smoak as well?"
"Ah yes, that's me. The one with the bun in the oven." she said with a nervous laugh, but Gary seemed to find her charming and laughed as well.
"In that case most of this should be straightforward. Right now your will states that in the event of your death your trust and all your holdings revert back to the Queen estate."
"I'd like to have my inheritance passed on to the baby instead. I assume this won't change anything that is already in place for Thea or my mother."
"No. Nothing you do today has any bearing on the trusts set up for your sister." Gary informed him and Oliver nodded. "Now, until the little lord or lady is of age there will need to be a trustee who will oversee the handling of the funds and function as the legal representative if you are not able."
"Felicity. I want Felicity in control of all of that." he said immediately,
Gary put down the pen he was writing with and leveled Oliver with a look, "I understand she's the child's mother, but Oliver...even with the recent hit your family has taken your current net worth is well over thirty billion, all of that would go to your child to be managed by Ms. Smoak."
Felicity shifted in her seat next to him and he didn't know if it was because she was insulted by what Gary was implying or because she was shocked at the number.
"I'm aware of that, Gary. That's why I want her managing it." he said it easily, but there was an undercurrent of steel in his voice that made the lawyer's eyebrows raise. Oliver gave a small chin lift of recognition, "She'll most likely do a better job at it than me anyways."
With that understanding now out of the way they made quick work of the rest. The medical power of attorney took a bit longer because Felicity kept interjecting different contingencies he hadn't thought of and in the end they scrapped it all and made it so that she had full authorization to make any decisions for him she thought were necessary if he wasn't able.
When he asked Gary to set up a separate trust for Felicity on her own she began to protest but he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "I need you to be taken care of, remember?" She gave him a slightly exasperated look, but didn't say anything else while they worked out the details.
Sensing they were getting to the end Felicity held out a hand and cut a look at him quickly before she addressed Gary, "Is there a chance any of this could be contested?"
"Anything can be contested, that's why there are so many lawyers." he said with a slightly self deprecating grin, "But these documents will be as airtight as possible, Ms. Smoak. You would have to be declared mentally incompetent by a court in order for any of these directives to be changed."
"The last thing we need to deal with is the matter of your controlling interest in Queen Consolidated."
"I'd like all my shares to be given to Felicity."
The silence that descended on the room was almost deafening. Even Gary with all his years of experience wasn't able to control the double take he did at Oliver's words.
It was Felicity that broke the silence. "Gary, would you excuse us please." she said through her teeth, her eyes locked on his like a laser as he looked at her in honest confusion.
She didn't blink as the attorneys left the room, but as soon as the door shut she was on her feet.
"What are you thinking, Oliver?!"
"Felicity, why wouldn't I leave them to you? You're brilliant and you've been right there next to me this entire time. You know just as much about running the company as I do." he countered
"What about your sister? Your mother? Hell, even Walter! You cannot just hand over the keys to a multi-billion dollar company like that!"
She had stepped away from the table and was pacing in front of the large bank of windows.
"God, Oliver, do you know how much responsibility this is?" she said incredulously, the slight break in her voice letting him know how affected she was.
"I think I'm familiar." he hadn't meant to sound so acerbic, but she was beginning to frustrate him.
"Don't get cute with me." she bit back, narrowing her eyes,
"You don't really get what you're doing here." her hand waved across the table where various forms had been left, half filled out, awaiting signatures that would change their lives forever.
"I know I'm trying to protect you! What is so wrong with that?"
"Because, do you know what all of that means." she pointed at the table again as she advanced on him. "It means you die! It means that not only do I have to figure out how to live without you, but I also have to raise our baby by myself. And now you want to drop thirty billion dollars and the controlling shares of Queen Consolidated into my lap as well and I don't know how to even begin to process all of that." her eyes were watery and high points of color dotted her cheeks, but she wasn't backing down.
Guilt rushed through him, competing with his need to make sure she was safe and taken care of. He'd been so focused on the practicalities he'd ignored the realities of what they were discussing. With a sigh he stepped forward and cupped her elbow.
"Hey, I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon." but they both knew all too well that wasn't a promise he could keep.
"With what we do…" her voice broke and she looked away as her hand came up and brushed over his arm. A stark reminder of how close he'd come to death so recently.
He tugged her closer until her forehead pressed into his chest. "I will always do whatever I can to come back." it was the closest to a vow he could give her.
"But...but if I don't then you are the only one I trust to keep everything safe until this one is old enough to decide on their own." he said it as gently as possible as his hand once again found her stomach, but he could hear her sniffling as she tried to hide her tears.
She raised on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek into his. "Why do you have to be so stupid rich?" she mumbled into his neck,
"Sorry," he said with a brittle laugh, "I'll remind you you said that the next time you want me to buy you something, like a satellite."
She pulled back and looked at him in shock, "I can buy a satellite, really?"
It was the complete open, genuine excitement in her face that made him smile. His hand slid into her hair and pulled her in, slanting his mouth over hers before he could fully think out what he was doing.
Felicity let out a muffled shriek, hands gripping his shoulders until her lips began to move under his. This kiss was different somehow. He felt heat flare through him and fill his veins and when she opened her mouth he didn't hesitate to slide his tongue along hers, truly tasting her for the first time. When they broke for air her eyes were dark and half lidded and he could feel his blood thrumming through his body.
His fingers traced over her cheek as he stared down at her, "You're going to be the first woman to bankrupt a billionaire buying tech instead of jewels." he said with a lazy grin
"I like jewels too, never said I didn't." she threw back with a playful smirk,
"Well see then, you'll have depleted all the funds long before you ever have to worry about managing them." as soon as the words were out of his mouth he cringed internally hoping she wouldn't take his remark as flippant.
But she just sat back and gave him a raised eyebrow, "Good then, one less thing to have to deal with." They'd both defaulted to a sort of pseudo gallows humor, but it seemed to be working so he'd stick with it for now. "And besides, you were the one who just spent what probably amounted to a few thousand dollars of your attorneys time so you could kiss me."
"Signs a few papers and she's very concerned about the money all of a sudden."
"You did say I'd do a better job with it than you would." she reminded him with a sparkle in her eye,
"True, and it's also possible we keep them on retainer, which I'm sure pays for Gary's house in Aspen." he tugged her back towards him and dropped his mouth to her ear, "Besides, I consider it money well spent." his lips moved over the shell, and he felt her shiver.
She cleared her throat and patted the front of his jacket before she stepped back and put some distance between them. "Well, you should go tell them to come back in before we've paid for an apartment in Paris or something."
He watched as she took her seat and then crossed to the door, wide grin cracking his face as he wondered if she even knew she'd said 'we'.
A few minutes later the meeting resumed and the inheritance of the shares was settled. With nothing else to discuss they was a long period of quiet while everything was put into order to await their final signatures.
"You know Oliver, I've known you since you were playing hide and seek under your father's desk." Gary said with a nostalgic smile that Oliver returned, "And if he was sitting here in front of me I wouldn't hesitate to be blunt with him."
Oliver spread his hands wide, "Please, don't hesitate with me either."
"In that case. There's one piece of paper that would cut out almost all of this damn paperwork we'll be filing the rest of the day." he said with a slight gleam in his eye.
Oliver looked at him in confusion and quirked an eyebrow in question. "One piece of paper?"
Gary leaned in and then turned to Felicity and gave her a wink, "A marriage certificate."