A/N: Hi peeps. This is where I'd normally prattle on about whatever was on my mind, but last night I spent a few hours downloading on Tumblr when jbuffyangel posted a couple of my submissions, so I emptied out the crazy there. Basically it ended up with talk of eating toilet paper and parasitic twins – yeah, it got weird, but honestly, it made sense at the time… not in the cold light of day perhaps, but at the time, perfectly rational thinking.

Consequently, the crazy bank is empty. That's the echo you can hear currently. It's just me and Hank fleaing himself quietly in the corner… I mean Hank is fleaing himself, I'm not. He can chew on his own butt. My life hasn't deteriorated quite that much yet… I'd give it unto the end of the week.

As for this chapter, it's kind of important one for fleshing a few things out. For those of you who are finding Felicity's hesitation frustrating, I hope this chapter will give you a bit more empathy from where she is coming from. Probably won't make it any less frustrating, but hopefully it'll be a bit more understandable. And secondly, we flesh out a new character just a wee bit, so there is that too.

Okay, I've got to emotionally prepare for work. I'll probably just eat some lunch. I made salted caramel chocolate ice cream last night. That feels like a nutritious, well rounded meal, right? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Toodles…

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Would either of you like to see the dessert menu?" asked their pleasantly smiling waitress.

Lucius looked at Felicity expectantly. "Can I tempt you?"

Felicity wrinkled her nose. "I'd love to… but I'm saving room for pie tonight, so I'd better pace myself."

Lucius smiled at the young woman serving. "No, thank you. We'll just finish our coffees."

The woman inclined her head, and left them to finish off their meal.

"Hot date tonight?" asked Lucius teasingly.

Felicity's eyes went wide. "What?"

"The one you're saving room for pie."

She blushed a little, realizing that even Lucius must have seen that picture. Felicity really hated the thought of that. She didn't want this kind, generous and wonderful man to think any less of her. "Oh… ah… well… yes," Felicity off weakly. "Oliver is taking me to Big Belly Burgers tonight. They have great pie."

Lucius smiled. "Big Belly Burgers?"

"I wanted to go there," said Felicity quickly. "Oliver isn't cheap or anything."

"I never meant to imply he was."

"Not that is why I'm with him," she said, words falling over herself in a rush to explain. "I don't care about Oliver's money."

"Of course you don't."

Felicity squirmed in her seat a little. "We're trial dating," she said lamely.

Lucius settled back in his chair and just smiled. "My dear girl, you may be trial dating, but I can assure you, young Mr. Queen is not trial anything when it comes to you."

Felicity felt her blush deepen. "You saw the picture in the newspaper," she said unhappily. "It wasn't what it looked like." Only it was… a lot.

"I didn't see any picture," said Lucius easily. "I heard whispers about Oliver's new lady, but I prefer not to listen to gossip. It is really none of my business." He looked at Felicity over the top of his coffee cup. "Although, if you'll allow me one small observation on the matter?"

Felicity gave him a nervous look. "Okay."

"I'm very happy for you both."

Felicity's shoulders sagged with relief. "You are?"

"It was obvious to me that first night, when Oliver kicked down the door to save you from my nefarious clutches, how he felt about you—"

"Oliver's really sorry about that," said Felicity in a rush. "He said to say hi and we should all have dinner some time. That door thing… it was just a big old misunderstanding."

A small smile played around Lucius' lips. "Why do I get the feeling he has a lot of those about you?"

"No, he doesn't." Felicity hesitated. "Wait… what do you call 'a lot'?"

Lucius laughed. "I think my theory has just been confirmed. I'm just happy to see you are happy." He arched an eyebrow. "You are happy, aren't you?"

"Oh yes," sighed Felicity emotionally. "Even though—"

"Even though?"

Felicity screwed her face up. "We're going to see my mom tomorrow," she said morosely.

"How is your mother these days? Making improvements, I hope."

"Her physio is going great. They said she might be able to leave earlier than they originally predicted, but Mom lives alone, so I don't want her to rush out of a place where there are people around her to help her 24/7."

"Well, that sounds all good to me, and yet I'm detecting a slight undertone of horror at the thought of seeing your mother."

"It's not me seeing my mom that is worrying me," fretted Felicity. "It's Oliver."

"You don't think they'll get on?" asked Lucius curiously.

"Oh no, they'll get on," said Felicity in annoyance. "That's the problem. And why I need to go and pick up some salted toffees before tomorrow."

Lucius tilted his head. "And how could that be a problem, and where do the salted toffees come in?"

"Mom loves salted toffees, and I love them too, because they're super chewy and when she's eating them, she can't talk." Felicity lowered her voice, and leaned over the table, expression very serious. "My mother must not be allowed to talk."

Lucius' expression matched hers in seriousness, but there was an impish light in his eyes that suggested he wasn't taking the mom threat quite as seriously as she was. "And that would be because…"

Felicity let out an agitated breath. "Because Oliver doesn't know everything about me."

"It's been awhile, but from memory, that's the fun thing about dating, finding out the everythings… and I assume, that applies to trial dating too," said Lucius in amusement.

Felicity pulled a face. "Sure, but I don't know if you know this about me, but I can be a little quirky sometimes."

"You don't say."

"I want to release my relationship crazy in small, metered doses, so Oliver can absorb it gradually, over time, and not notice just how much crazy I'm bringing to the table until… you know… it's too late. My mother is going to ruin that plan. She knows too much about me."

"Mothers are like that," agreed Lucius with utmost seriousness.

"I never know what she's going to say next, and I can't have Oliver exposed to that," said Felicity in agitation. "There are certain things I've done in my past that Oliver may need to take a run up at. You just can't leap in, but my mom is a leaper, a big time leaper and that can't happen."

"Hence the toffee plan."

"Hence the toffee plan."

"May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Has Oliver revealed things about his past that perhaps did not show him in the best light?"

"Oh yeah," said Felicity without thinking, and then grimaced. "I mean, they weren't that bad… obviously." Only they were.

"And did that change the way you felt about him?"

Felicity thought seriously about that question. "Yes."

"How?"

"It made me love him more," she said quietly.

Lucius' expression became one of fatherly direction. "Then perhaps you might consider giving Oliver the same gift of being able to love you more deeply… more completely?" he suggested softly.

Felicity just stared at him. "Wow… you're good."

"I just happen to believe in the power of love being able to overcome a great deal, and it is very obvious to me that you two love each other very much. I could see that even in the brief interactions I've seen between the two of you."

"I'm overthinking this, aren't I?" asked Felicity unhappily. "It's so weird. Oliver always used to be the one all up in his head, finding reasons not to contemplate a relationship between us, and I was the ever hopeful one just hanging in there and now…" She trailed off and bit her bottom lip. "I don't know… Oliver is actually pursuing me and I can't tell you the number of fantasies I had about him doing just that—" Felicity stopped again abruptly. "Perfectly innocent fantasies," she said hastily. "PG-13 at worst."

Lucius looked to be hiding a smile again. "Of course."

"Anyways," said Felicity unevenly, "now that it's actually happening, and so fast, I don't know, it just doesn't feel real… like, if I make any sudden moves, it's all going to disappear around me." Her expression became stricken. "And I don't think I could take that. I love him so much, Lucius, it actually hurts. I've made mistakes in my relationships in the past, and I really don't want to do that with Oliver."

"We consume our tomorrows, worrying about our yesterdays," said Lucius evenly.

Felicity gave him an admiring look for that piece of wisdom.

"Not mine," said Lucius with a smile. "Persius, the Roman poet… but the man has a salient point. Felicity, whatever your yesterdays contained, they shouldn't hold you back from your tomorrows."

"I know," said Felicity shakily, "and I'm not usually the emotionally retarded one in my relationship with Oliver, he is. We've kind of flipped roles going into this romantic thing, and it's freaking me out on some level."

"You're just finding your feet as a couple, that happens when friends transition into lovers," said Lucius knowingly. "Everything you're experiencing is completely normal, and I can't really believe that you have anything in your past which is going to do anything other than give Oliver another reason to love you… which he doesn't seem to be wanting in that particular department."

"Oh sure," said Felicity flatly, "because every man wants to be hooked up with a woman who has a complicated cereal system."

Lucius tilted his head. "I don't know what that means."

"I have a minor cereal obsession," she confessed. "I currently have twenty-eight different types of cereals in my pantry, and I have a system with which one I eat on what days."

The smile was back on Lucius' face. "Well, now I'm just going to have to ask."

"You'll think I'm insane," said Felicity reluctantly.

"My dear young lady, I've just sat through lunch with you, and watched you figure out the last few issues with a bio-suit that could quite frankly revolutionize more than one area of industry. I think you're brilliant."

"I couldn't have done it without you, Lucius," said Felicity sincerely.

"It would have taken you a little longer, but you would have gotten there," replied Lucius without hesitation. "Don't ever underestimate your intelligence, Ms. Smoak, you're shining light… which is why I can't wait to hear about your cereal system."

Felicity pursed her lips. "Okay," she said reluctantly, "but no judgment."

"Never."

"So, it starts with a color coding system… if I have green colored cereal on the first day, I then have to have brown the next day, followed by yellow on the third day… unless the yellow cereal has holes in it, then I can have a half and half with a fruit based cereal… as long as it doesn't have nuts… because I'm allergic to nuts, then I have to go back to brown cereal and not have it with milk but with yoghurt and slice fruit on it…" Lucius sat patiently as Felicity continued on with her intricate cereal system until she was finally done. She stared at him worriedly. "See, now you think I'm insane, don't you?"

Lucius just smiled. "I think I wish I was thirty years younger so I could give Oliver Queen a run for his money when it came to winning your heart," he said affectionately.

Felicity blushed at that.

"But I fear it'd be a lost cause," continued on Lucius smoothly. "It's obvious who you are in love with, Felicity. Don't be afraid. Oliver clearly isn't, and I don't think your intriguing cereal system will drive him away."

"I hope not but I guess that's why I'm being afraid for both of us," said Felicity shakily. "We always kind of balance each other out. When he's being down and serious, I kind of pick him up and lighten everything for him. I think it's my default to balance him out, so now that Oliver is being so certain and optimistic, I can't help but pull the other way a bit." She grimaced. "I wish I could stop."

"You'll stop when he's proved himself to you," said Lucius simply.

"That sounds awful, like I don't trust Oliver, and I do, I really, really do."

"I have no doubt you trust him in many areas, but him having your heart is new territory for you… and his track record, if even half the stories I've heard are true, isn't that great. It's not unreasonable to still have some reservations about the man in that area. It doesn't take away from your overall trust in him… just an acknowledgement of there is more ground to cover."

Felicity sighed heavily. "I just didn't think I'd be the sticking point in this whole relationship. I just assumed it'd be Oliver."

"Sometimes we surprise ourselves… that's not necessarily a bad thing. You're worth working for, and the wait. If Oliver doesn't know those two things, then he simply isn't worthy of you."

Felicity looked at Lucius' kind face, and thought about his even kinder words. She usually didn't give it much thought, but in that moment, she realized how much she'd missed having a father growing up. It was something she never tried to dwell on, after all, you don't miss what you never had, right? Only being with Lucius, and having this older man's calm insight and wisdom being given to her so freely caused a pang deep inside Felicity that she hadn't been able to have that from her own father. "Thank you, Lucius," she said emotionally. "I know you didn't really sign up to hear my emotional woes. Thank you for being so patient with me."

Lucius reached over and patted her hand. "It's my pleasure, Felicity. I'm blessed to have your youth and intelligence in my life. You make me smile, and if I can return those favors in some small measure, than I am more than happy to do so."

Felicity actually felt tears prick her eyes at Lucius' sweetness as she smiled back at him, so happy to have him in her life.

#

Felix smiled at the enormous man behind the desk who looked like he belonged on a football field rather than crammed into a security guard's uniform. "Hi there. I was just wondering what floor Felicity Smoak is on, please?"

The broad shoulder man blinked at him, looking less than helpful. "Who wants to know, Junior?"

"Umm… I do… obviously… and I'm twenty three, so you know, not that junior."

"What business do you have with Ms. Smoak?"

"That's something I'd prefer to discuss with her in person."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but—"

"There is no going to the upper floors without an appointment."

"Oh, okay then. Can you put me through to her so I can make an appointment?"

"No phone calls unless you have an appointment."

Felix pursed his lips. "And how is that meant to work exactly? I can't see her without an appointment but I can't make a phone call to make an appointment without already having an appointment."

The unaccommodating man just looked back at him steadily. "Not my problem."

"Can I leave a note?"

"No."

"Could you deliver something for me?"

"No."

"Could you be more unhelpful?" asked Felix in exasperation.

He folded his arms in front of his chest, managing to look even bigger and more menacing from behind his desk. "Absolutely."

Felix adjusted the leather satchel slung over his shoulder in agitation. "Okay, fine, I'll just wait here until she leaves."

"Yeah, no, you're not going to be doing that," said the security guard coolly.

"Look…" Felix squinted at the man's name tag. "Carter… is that your first name or last?"

The guard didn't answer, just stared back at him.

"Okay, whatever. I just need to see Felicity Smoak for a couple of minutes. It's not a big deal. She'll be totally fine with it." He grimaced. "Probably… maybe… I don't know, it could go either way if I'm being honest."

"Nobody gets up to the managerial levels without an appointment," said the dogged Carter. "You don't have an appointment. You're not going anywhere."

"You're being kind of a dick about this, you know that? I've come a long way to see Felicity, we're old friends."

"If you're old friends, then you'll have Ms. Smoak's phone number, then won't you?"

"Ah… well… about that—"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," said Carter flatly.

Felix scowled. "Hey, I don't have to justify myself to you. You're oppressing my constitutional right to enter into a public building—"

"I'm not oppressing anything… yet," warned Carter. "But keep wasting my time, and this thing could escalate quickly."

"Is that a threat?" asked Felix in outrage.

"Yes."

"Oh," he said, taken aback. "Okay, guess I nailed it then."

"You need to not be here anymore."

Felix's cell phone rang and he quickly answered it, trying to buy some time to work out how to get past this annoying man. "Hello? Oh, it's you… stop ringing me, you whack job! I don't want to hear it! No, I don't care! Shrivel up and die already!" He hung up abruptly and saw Carter still staring at him. "My mom," said Felix lamely, pretty certain the other man wasn't interested in the truth.

"Ah ha."

"Okay, how about this. I give you three hundred dollars to deliver something to Felicity's office?"

Carter's gaze ran over him skeptically. "You have three hundred dollars?"

"It'd be an IOU situation."

"Do I look like an idiot to you?"

"You look like someone who possibly needed more hugs as a kid," said Felix candidly.

"Do you think pissing me off is really the way to go here?"

"No, but it might throw you off guard long enough for me to do this—" Felix darted around the desk, making a dash for the elevators. He'd been banking on the other man's vast size slowing him down, but the humorless Carter was surprising fast on his feet. Felix had barely gotten halfway to the elevators when suddenly he was hauled off his feet and thrown unceremoniously over Carter's shoulder. He struggled to get free, but Carter had a vice like grip on him and it was no use. "This is a massive overreaction which only succeeds in making us both look foolish!" announced Felix loudly as Carter just carried him through the foyer, ignoring other people's startled looks.

Carter unloaded him in the revolving door, and then swung on the rotating doors, hard. Felix spun out of them at great speed, ending up being dumped on the sidewalk in front of Queen Consolidated in an undignified heap. He scrambled to his feet, dusting himself off. "Okay, that was just rude," said Felix sharply. "You're not a very good ambassador for your city, you know that?"

Carter didn't look overly concerned by that fact as he now stood guard over the revolving door.

"This isn't over," Felix warned him imperiously. "I have not yet begun to fight!" Carter took a threatening step towards him and Felix hastily backed up. "At a later date," he finished off rapidly. "The fighting will happen later."

"Go away, little man," said Carter gruffly. "While you still can."

"I'm five eleven and a half!" protested Felix. "And my shirts are medium. If anything I'm medium man!"

"How does that help?" asked Carter in exasperation, still talking to him through the glass of the revolving door.

"I don't know, I just felt like it was an important distinction to make. I'm not small, I'm medium."

"You're an idiot is what you are, and I've wasted enough of my day on you. Get lost."

"Oh, I'll get lost, and then, when you least expect it, I'll be there, in your face!" said Felix triumphantly.

"Don't tell people you're going to surprise them, moron. It defeats the point."

"You're not the boss of me. I can ruin my surprises if I want to," said Felix indignantly.

"Are you getting dumber by the minute or is my tolerance level just dropping rapidly?"

Felix straightened the satchel over his shoulder and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I don't have to stand here and be insulted like this."

"And yet you won't go away," said Carter in vexation. "What's up with that?"

Felix grimaced. "I'm going, but you'll see, you've made a big mistake today. One that could have lasting ramifications."

"If you want lasting ramifications, keep talking, medium man," said Carter darkly.

"You don't frighten me," sassed Felix.

Carter made a sudden lunge in his direction, and Felix scrambled out of the way, almost falling off the sidewalk in the process. Carter gave him a self-satisfied look at the overreaction.

"There was a bee," said Felix hotly, miming swatting at the air to cover up the coward's advance situation he had going on. "I'm allergic. I could have died."

"You still could," said Carter ominously.

Felix gripped his satchel and glared at him, but decided against anymore verbal banter. That revolving door wasn't quite enough of a barrier between them to push the conversation any further. Felix turned around and headed back towards the bus stop. He needed to get to Felicity and fast. There had to be a way. He just couldn't give up, too much depended on it. No one was going to stop him from seeing Felicity Smoak, Felix didn't care what it took.

A/N: So, there you have it. Felix isn't Felicity's father… but who is he, and what does he want with her? I realize my original description of him didn't really provide you with an age. I always hate introducing new characters, because I have to try and describe them to you without doing the cardinal sin of an information dump. Clearly I still have a lot of work to do on perfecting that technique, amongst others. Hopefully you have a bit of a clearer picture of him now, but the mystery around him remains.

See, there was a point to that Aquarium date, aside from the obvious, because it brought about the picture, which brought about the paparazzi, which brought about the sanction of being able to easily see Felicity, which in turn has foiled Felix' plans. It was all a cunning plan… although cunning plans become less cunning when you go to the trouble of explaining them – then they just kind of seem convoluted… which I guess this one was. .