Chapter 11 – Ex-girlfriends, dating and old habits
Cas couldn't keep his thoughts from Felicity as he made his way through the foyer of his building and onto the elevator. He genuinely did not know what she might have planned for him that evening, and he had stayed out of her thoughts as promised, despite the anticipation driving him crazy. He wasn't used to being surprised, it was a strange and alien feeling to him, but he found himself quite enjoying it.
As he stepped off the elevator into his apartment, he instantly knew something was wrong. He felt a dangerous presence. He probed gently, hoping to discern the nature of the threat without alerting the person to his presence.
He found what he wished to know almost immediately, the person was making no attempt to control their thoughts. He smiled to himself, 'She's getting sloppy. She must be quite desperate.'
Keeping his smile in place, he stepped into his living area calmly and headed towards the kitchen, giving a casual wave to the figure attempting to hide herself in the shadows between one of the doors and the corner of the room.
"Good evening Nyssa." He said just as casually, pouring himself a glass of water from the decanter he kept by the hearth. "Would you care for a drink? Not alcohol of course, you appear to be working, but perhaps water, or tea?" He turned on the spot and looked straight at her as he said this last part, leaving no doubt that he knew exactly where she was, and was not afraid.
She stepped slowly out of the shadows and drew back an arrow in her bow.
"Now really, what do you hope to accomplish with that?" Cas continued mildly, "I had hoped your father taught you better. If you have a point of contention you wish to get off of your chest, please have a seat, and we can talk about it like civilised human beings."
Her eyes darted to the sofa he had indicated, before flashing back to his face and narrowing. "What would you know of my father?"
"Ra's and I met many years ago. I saved his life in fact, and he has owed me ever since. I offered him the chance to repay that debt by freeing Sara, and I even performed a League contract for him to seal the agreement. He did not live up to that agreement." His eyes narrowed at this, and Nyssa appeared to recoil ever so slightly before regaining her composure.
"Why should I trust you?" She snapped irritably. 'Oh my,' he thought, 'a foul mood indeed.'
"You likely shouldn't trust me," he replied smoothly, "however, you can clearly see I am unarmed, you have me at something of a loss. The least you could do is take the time to talk with me before putting an arrow through my throat."
She hesitated, then lowered her bow, replacing the arrow in her quiver, and sat, perched on the edge of the seat, looking thoroughly uncomfortable. Cas took the armchair opposite her, with a coffee table between them, sitting calmly with his legs crossed. He bridged his hands in front of him and let out a tiny sigh of relief.
"If I may begin," he said casually, "did Ra's send you, or are you here of your own volition?"
"I am here for my Canary," she responded instantly, "my father knows I am here, but he did not send me. This is a personal quest."
"A quest for what though, young one?" He inquired softly. "She left you, long before she met me, and she left the League also. Granted she simply ran, being unaware that I had freed her, but the fault for that is on neither her, nor myself, it is on your father."
"You poisoned her against us." Nyssa was quickly becoming frustrated with the line of conversation, as Cas had known she would. Love rarely cares for the truth if that truth clashes with what the heart in question desires. He shook his head.
"That is not the case, girl. I knew from the moment I met her that she hated the killing she had to do for the League. She cared for you deeply, and as far as I can tell, she still does. Sadly, she could never reconcile those feelings with the monster you had turned her into, and so she came to resent you, despite still being drawn to you. Can you imagine the emotional turmoil that irreconcilable difference would cause?" He leaned forward as he was speaking, to emphasise the importance of what he was saying. "She is home now, with her family, and friends around her who love her. If you feel about her as strongly as you say you do, you will let her go. Let your canary fly free. Who knows, one day she may find her way back to you, but if she does it will be on her terms, as a free woman, not as a slave to the League.
As he finished speaking, he pushed a feeling onto her, ever so gently, so as not to make her aware of what he was doing. The feeling was of logic, sense and reason. He hoped to make her see the senselessness of her actions before things came to blows.
Her head dropped slightly, and he heard a soft sob escape her lips.
"Perhaps you are right. She deserves freedom." She admitted grudgingly, before looking him in the eyes, imploringly. "But please, I must see her before I return to Nanda Parbat. Let me say goodbye."
"You poisoned her sister to trick her into coming home, and from what I can gather, you were planning to hold her mother to ransom until she agreed to meet with you." He stated calmly, as if he was discussing the weather. "I can arrange for you to see her, one last time, but it will be on my terms. No duplicity. Nobody getting hurt. Are we clear?"
She nodded, then stood and turned quickly before racing towards the window. He didn't bother to follow her movements, knowing she would be long gone.
He let out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding. 'That was easier than expected' he thought, 'Perhaps too easy. I do hope, for her sake, that she sticks to her word.'
With that, he headed into the bedroom to change for his date.
Felicity was nervously tapping away at her keyboard in the Arrow Cave, fretting over meeting Cas later in the evening, when she heard someone coming down the stairs. She frowned in confusion before turning round, knowing that Oliver, Diggle and Sara were all present, and Roy was with Thea, and definitely not coming in. When she finally spun in her chair to look, she saw none other than the object of her nerves, Castiel Grey himself. She gave him her best withering stare, since he had promised he was going to head home from the office, change and then drive to hers at 7 for their date. It was barely 6, what did he think he was doing?
He made his way directly towards her, seeming not to notice the sideways glances from the rest of the group, and immediately answered Felicity's thoughts.
"I'm sorry for going off book a bit my dear, but something rather pressing has presented itself, and since it affects everyone here, I thought it prudent to head straight over." He said all this quickly and impatiently, like he was dispensing with a formality, before raising his voice slightly. "Could I speak with all of you please, especially you little one." He motioned towards Sara, "Something mildly troubling, but potentially for the best has happened."
He waited for them all to gather round the desk before continuing.
"Nyssa is in Starling City."
"What?!" Sara burst out, perfectly in time with the other 3 all simultaneously saying, "Who?!"
Sara's mouth clamped shut, and she stared resolutely at her hands, clearly not intending to speak.
"Well, I suppose I shall explain," Cas said with a sigh, "Nyssa is the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, her title among the League is Heir to the Demon, can you believe?"
"Why is she here?" Oliver cut in.
"I'm getting there my friend, when have you ever known me to not be thorough in my story telling? I wouldn't want to miss anything important." Cas's tone was not unkind, but could perhaps be construed as slightly patronising, like an elder addressing a youth. 'Which it kinda is' Felicity reminded herself.
"Nyssa was also the one who found Sara after she almost drowned on the freighter off the coast of Lianyu. She nursed her back to health, and they...grew close."
"I loved her," Sara put in, so quietly that they barely heard her. Felicity saw Oliver's eyes widen, and knew her own had done the same. 'Sara's first relationship after Oliver and the island was with a female international assassin, did not see that one coming.' Felicity thought idly as she listened.
"But what's she doing here?" Sara asked, looking up slightly. "After Al-Owal, I was supposed to be free of them, why would Ra's send her after me now?"
"He didn't," Cas replied simply, "She came because she still cares for you, and I believe she intended to bring you back, with force if necessary. I found her in my apartment when I got home, bow drawn and fully prepared to shoot. If I hadn't talked her down...well let's just say I'd have some blood stains to clean out of my carpet in the morning."
"Luckily for us, I convinced her that you deserve to be free, and that if she truly loves you she'll let you go. It's an old and overused line I know, but sometimes the old ones are the best, a fact of which I am living proof." He smiled briefly and winked at Felicity as he said this. She felt a slight blush creep up her neck, as images flashed through her head, just as they had at the office when he played her at her own game.
"She simply requested a chance to see you one last time, to say goodbye." Cas continued as if he was totally unaware of the effect he was having on Felicity. "I told her I would set that up, but under our terms, and with my supervision. I won't have her betraying us and attempting to spirit you away against your will, not again."
Sara stepped closer and enveloped Cas in a tender hug. "Thank you." She whispered softly, "I don't know why you keep saving me, but thank you, so much!"
He pulled his head back and smiled down at her, "Haven't you worked it out," he replied, just as tenderly, "I do these things for you because they are what you deserve. You are a wonderful person Sara, and while you have been hurt by the world, you've come out the other side stronger, and still with a good heart. Don't forget that."
A radiant smile split her face, and Felicity thought it was the loveliest the blonde assassin had ever looked.
As they pulled apart and Sara turned to go back towards Oliver and Diggle, but stopped briefly and glanced over her shoulder.
"You know, I think that's the first time since we met that you've actually called me by my name, rather than little one, or mei mei...why is that?"
He made a show of thinking for a few seconds, as if pondering the answer, before saying, "Perhaps it is because you don't seem quite so little anymore. You've grown since we met Sara, into an incredible woman, and you will continue to do so, I couldn't be more proud."
She blushed slightly, which was a sight Felicity was not used to seeing on the other blonde.
After the conversation ended, the three fighters went back to training and Felicity went back to her monitors. As Cas left, he loudly said, "See you in an hour Felicity," and she couldn't help the smirk that came to her face.
Cas realised he was nervous. He sat on the floor with his legs crossed and tried to focus on the meditation techniques he had learned in Tibet. He wondered what Felicity would think if she knew he had been a monk. 'Orange robes and all' he thought with a small chuckle, before returning to his meditation. 'The longest I have ever spent in one place, nearly 140 years, and it was in a tiny Taoist temple, meditating on the meaning of life. I wonder what Felicity would think about that?'
As he failed to focus, his thoughts turned once again to the charming IT girl. 'What is it about her.' he began to wonder, 'Aside from her stunning beauty, her remarkable intellect and her complete lack of guile.'
He realised if anyone could here his thoughts, they might think him slightly mad, sarcastically mocking himself. Perhaps Felicity was correct in her comment about his being crazy.
After finally giving up on meditation, he glanced at the clock and realised he should probably leave.
The drive was uneventful, and as it was a lovely night, he had the top down on his vintage 1963 mustang. 'Real vintage' he thought 'and only one owner' he added wryly.
As he approached Felicity's apartment, he immediately knew something was wrong. He hurried to the door, and stood impatiently after he knocked. After a minute she finally answered, and he noticed she looked pale and worried. He immediately crossed the threshold and drew her into his arms.
"What's wrong my dear?" He asked gently, already knowing full well what had happened.
"I confronted Moira Queen about something I learned while doing research for Walter, and she threatened me. It's ok, I know she was lying, that's kinda what she does, but it just shook me up a bit. She can be surprisingly scary. Can we just forget about it? Not that you actually now what it is, but I'd like to forget about it and have fun."
"Felicity," he cut across her rant, "Oliver isn't going to leave you, not for telling him the truth about his mother's duplicity."
"Her what...how did you...are you in my head again?" He shook his head, deciding the truth was possibly the best idea. "Then you already knew?" He nodded slightly, "How long have you known?!" Her voice was rising, alongside her anger.
"Since Oliver and I fought Cyrus Gold." He told her calmly. She just stared back, giving him her best glare. "Merlyn went to the mansion to threaten her over Thea, I stepped in and sent him running. Problem solved." He shrugged as if that was the end of the discussion, not realising he had dropped another large bombshell on Felicity.
"Merlyn as in Malcolm Merlyn?" Cas nodded again in confirmation. "He's alive?!"
"So it seems." Cas responded candidly, forgoing his usual linguistic flare.
"How could you keep something like that from your friend? Oliver trusts you, and this is betraying him."
"I don't see how, Malcolm is gone, Thea is safe. Telling him would only cause undue pain. Keeping a secret from a friend is preferable to that."
"No Cas, that's not how it works. It's his choice what he does with that information, not yours." She held a finger up to his face angrily. "You can't just manipulate the people around you, keeping them in the dark without their consent."
"Actually Felicity I can, I've been doing just that for almost 2000 years. People can't be trusted with the truth, it can ruin lives. Better a small amount of blissful ignorance than to add more to the pile of secrecy and lies that Oliver already carries with him." His voice was still totally calm, but Felicity couldn't help but detect an undertone.
She was too shocked to speak. She couldn't believe this was the same guy who tricked her into making herself 2 extra coffees in the morning, and acted like the perfect gentleman. She struggled to understand how someone so nice on the outside, could be so cold on the inside.
"I think you should leave." She said quietly, not looking at him
"Felicity," he said in that way she liked, his voice softening from the cold demeanour he had been displaying not a moment before, "You were right earlier, could we perhaps forget about all of this for the evening and go back to enjoying our date?"
"I don't think so," she told him, sounding much steadier than she felt, "Even if I could just forget, which I can't, I'd rather not have our date be associated with all of these lies and deceptions, so like I said, you should leave. I will see you at work."
He moved as if to step towards her, then seemed to think better of it and simply walked out the door. As she shut it behind him, she slid down to the floor as a few tears escaped. What had she gotten herself into?
As Cas pulled away, his phone buzzed. He picked it up and saw an unknown number
Meet me at the old factory by the docks, bring her. Nyssa
He sped up, dialling Oliver as he did so, glad to have a distraction for the rest of the evening.
So folks, first chapter since the rewrite, what do you think? The date was a bit of a disaster (what little of it took place) but who knows, maybe they'll work it out, or maybe they won't you'll have to wait and see! :P
As always, thank you for reading, and feedback is very welcome!