Wow, I honestly expected the support for this story to either stay the same or get smaller as time went on. I in no way expected it to grow, and certainly not like this! Thank you all so much! Vickylizzy, those are the kindest words anyone has ever said to me and the highest compliment I have ever received. I hope I don't let you down! I would love to be able to tell you if we are coming close to the end of this story or not, or even give you a rough estimate of how many chapters there will be, but I honestly have no idea. I ran out of already written chapters like five chapters ago. Now I'm just going. So thank you and read on!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Arrow or any of it's characters or anything that is or may be affiliated with it or them in any way.
Chapter 11
Truth
Oliver got sick of waiting and told Thea to stop trying to distract him as he pushed the door open. Then he heard the final words out of his mother's mouth and saw the shock written on Felicity's face.
"Mom." Oliver couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Relax, dear. I'm not angry. I've known for a while. I kept holding out hope that you would tell me the truth eventually, but I honestly don't think you were ever going to. And that's okay too. I will never blame you for the secrets you keep, especially after all of the ones I have kept." Moira smiled at Oliver as he continued to stare in shock. Thea was standing behind him, peering around his shoulder with a look matching his on her face.
"I was not sure about your part in all of this, Thea. I am going to assume by the way you are reacting that you have known about this for a while? Which means that I'm probably secure in the thought that Roy is the red one?" Moira said it a tone most people would use when describing what the weather was like.
"Mom. You can't say anything. To anyone. Ever." Oliver couldn't utter much else, but he could damn well make sure she understood how important it was that she keep his identity a secret. Way too many people knew about it as it was.
"If I haven't told anyone by now, you don't have to worry about it happening any time in the future, Oliver. That much I promise you." Moira said it with conviction. "I'm still going to worry about you. You're my son and that's never going to change. It doesn't matter how well you can take care of yourself or how little you need me. I'm always going to be here, regardless. And I'm going to trust both you and Roy to take care of your sister and Felicity. I'm also going to guess Mr. Diggle is a part of this and I'm confident he does his best to take care of all of you. Now, I'm going to go find Walter and have him take me home. Thea, you need to make sure you get some rest as well. Felicity, I am going to speak to the doctor about your release before I leave, and will see you at home tonight." With a kiss to both Felicity's and Thea's cheek and a pat on Oliver's shoulder, Moira was gone. The three just stared at each other, unable to form a coherent sentence.
After a minute of silence, Thea was of course the first one to speak.
"Well, this will make things a lot easier for all of us. Especially you, Ollie. You won't have to try and come up with anymore of the lamest excuses I've ever heard in my entire life. 'Oh, uh I have some urgent business at the office concerning something that's important but I can't remember the name of it and yes it is happening at 10 at night, but it really is work.' Seriously." Thea burst out laughing.
"Shut up, Speedy. Go find your boyfriend and leave us alone for five seconds, would ya?" Oliver said, rolling his eyes. Thea stuck her tongue out but turned and walked out the door with a wave to Felicity.
"Well. That was. Unexpected. But part of me kind of feels like we should have expected your mom to figure it out eventually. We can only take off from so many dinner parties and then come back bloodied and bruised so many times. You're mom is certainly not a stupid woman, Oliver. Actually, she's one of the most intelligent women I've ever met. Thinking about it, I wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't known about who you are most nights right around the time she shot you. Because I hope she didn't know it was you under that green hood before she shot you. It's bad enough when you have to tell people you're mother shot you to begin with. How much worse would it have to be having to tell people your mother shot you on purpose." Felicity smirked at her own quip as Oliver stalked over to her bed, leaning over her. He had one hand on either side of her head as he lowered his face down to hers. He had the mischievous smirk on his face that she had grown to love so much as his lips hovered over hers. Felicity had her eyes half closed in anticipation as she felt his breath on her face, getting closer to her lips. Right before their lips actually touched, Oliver pulled away quickly and stepped back with a smirk on his face.
"Oliver. Get your ass back over here." Felicity did her best 'Arrow' impression.
"It's kind of scary how close that was." Oliver joked back.
"You're not going to think it's so funny if you don't get back over here and kiss me properly." Felicity growled. Oliver's smirk turned into a full blown smile as he walked back over to her and pressed his lips to hers in a desperate act of need. Felicity clutched his shirt in her hands as Oliver cupped her face in his and deepened the kiss. The only reason they stopped was so the two of them could come up for air, both staring into the other's eyes.
"Wow." Felicity breathed out. "I really gotta stop getting hurt so we can do some more of that stuff."
"Felicity. Not funny." Oliver mustered up a glare for her.
"If I don't find some kind of lightness to the whole situation, Oliver, I am going to go legitimately insane. So take it or leave it." Felicity added with a glare of her own.
"Speaking of. Sara, Diggle, Laurel, and Roy tried to track down a lead for Zytle but it turned out to be another false one. We need you up and running in order to find him because there is no one else that can do it but you." Oliver said quietly.
"Well, it's not like I'm taking a vacation you know! I'm not here on purpose." Felicity had raised her voice for a moment before realizing she was losing her temper without letting Oliver explain. "Jackass." Felicity muttered the last word. Oliver just shook his head.
"What I was trying to say was, you are no longer going anywhere without me. I mean it. I don't care how upset or uncomfortable you are or if you think I am babying you. There is no other option, so accept it." Oliver gave her a look daring to argue.
"If this was a typical case and I was feeling my best, I would absolutely be using my loud voice on you and telling you that you aren't in charge of me. But your idea sounds like the best one I have ever heard. I'm not stupid Oliver, I know that you're my best chance of surviving. That and any excuse I have to spend more time with you is a good idea to me." Felicity softened it with a smile.
"Good. As soon as you're released, you are coming home and resting and then tomorrow we are going to find Zytle and I am going to kill the bastard and end all of this once and for all." Oliver felt the anger just from saying the piece of scum's name.
"That sounds like the perfect plan." Felicity said on an exhale.
Oliver was laying in Felicity's hospital bed with his arm around her when the doctor walked in with her release paperwork, telling her everything she needed to know about her care, giving her the scripts for her medications, and making an appointment for her to come back and get the stitches out of her back. Felicity only half listened, knowing that Oliver was going to pay attention enough for the both of them and be sure she followed all of the instructions to a T. As soon as the papers were signed and the doctor was gone, Oliver went to the storage wardrobe and pulled out the bag he had Digg bring her the night before. Oliver helped Felicity get dressed and then helped her into the wheelchair the hospital insisted was policy for leaving patients. Felicity grumbled that she knew Moira and Thea hadn't had to leave in a wheelchair, only to be met with chuckles from Oliver and the nurse pushing the chair.
Oliver wasn't kidding about putting Felicity to bed as soon as they got back to the mansion. The part that surprised her was that she fell asleep as soon as he had put pajamas on her and tucked her into his bed. She hadn't realized how tired she was and the trip home from the hospital had taken more energy from her than expected. When Felicity woke up encased in Oliver's arms she decided that she was going to wake up like this every day for the rest of her life. She snuggled into him deeper and tried to put everything else out of her mind for a while, not even caring what time it was or how long she had already been asleep.
The next day, Oliver and Felicity had been stuck to each other's sides from the moment the two of them had woken up. Oliver had meant it when he said he wasn't leaving her side and they were both shocked that they weren't even the slightest bit agitated or put out over having to spend every moment together. They finally made it into the foundry later that afternoon. They wanted to be sure they were there before Thea and Roy opened the club and they wanted a head start on any possible location for Werner Zytle.
Felicity had been researching for the better part of four hours before she yelled out and pumped her right fist in the air. The rest of the team rushed over and surrounded her and her computers, waiting for her to tell them what they needed to know. Felicity continued typing in a rush before she spoke a word to any of them. She rattled off an address, letting them know it was in the North District. Oliver put in his ear piece as he told the others to suit up. Laurel and Thea volunteered to stay with Felicity as Oliver gave them a nod. He walked over to Felicity, spun her chair around and placed a hard kiss to her lips.
"When this is all over, you and I are going to have a different kind of conversation." Felicity caught her breath at the seriousness in his tone as he turned and began walking up the stairs.
"Talk to me, Felicity." Oliver said playfully. He knew it was her favorite thing he said.
"Right. Start left on Merch Street." Felicity continued guiding her boys to the location, feeling the excitement thrumming through her body. She went quiet as her, Thea and Laurel stared at the boys walking into the abandoned building from the traffic cameras Felicity had hacked into. The three of them were tense and on edge, but at the same time excited about finally catching the slimy Zytle. It took only moments before they all heard the sounds of struggling and fighting and they all held their breath, waiting to hear some kind of news from any of the team. Felicity felt her hands clench into fists as she waited to hear something. Anything. Then she did.
"What you are looking for isn't here." Zytle spoke to Oliver.
"Actually, it is. I just found it." Oliver tried to conain his rage and keep in control.
"No, you only think it is." The crazed man laughed.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Oliver said as he nocked an arrow.
"At first I was just going to kill you. Until I realized that wasn't going to be any fun. That I wanted to play with you a bit. And what better way to play with you than to go after the woman who is so important to both sides of you." Zytle left out a breathy laugh as Oliver shot an arrow into his shoulder. The man cried out in pain and went silent for a few moments before he began speaking again.
"You should be a little more careful about that secret identity of yours, Queen. It's hanging by an awfully delicate string right now. You can put as many arrows as you want into me and it's still not going to change things. There will always be another vertigo, just waiting to pick up where the other ones have left off. So you may kill me today, but I will be back tomorrow." The man sounded so self assured.
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Oliver growled.
"That's the thing. You don't. I planned for this. Why do you think that after more than two weeks of trying and failing to find me, you were all of a sudden able to do so? That didn't strike you as suspicious? Of course not, because you have become lax. In order to survive, you must have a bigger picture. This has always been a part of the plan and part of me is sorry to see it end this way." Zytle was once again laughing as Oliver felt his rage boiling over. He shot the man in the heart and he made sure he was the last man Zytle saw. Made sure that he knew that Oliver had killed him for touching something that was so irrevocably his. The man managed a smile and with his last breath managed a few words for Oliver.
"This was the plan." Zytle chuckled as the light faded from his eyes. Oliver stared hard at him for a few moments before he was yelling for Roy, Diggle and Sara that the whole thing was a setup and to get back to Felicity and the Foundry as soon as possible.
Felicity turned to Thea and Laurel in a panic.
"We need to get out of here. Now!" Felicity said it on the move as Oliver's voice came to life in her ear.
"Felicity! Get out of there! Now! We are on the way back!" Oliver was frantic and more terrified than he ever remembered being.
"We're on it." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Felicity found herself shrieking in surprise as the door flew off the hinges from the multiple men who began storming down the stairs. Thea immediately raced to one of the cabinets and grabbed a sword as Laurel picked up a staff. Felicity took a defensive stance, more than ready to defend herself, her home, and those she cared about. She had been taken down by an evil douchebag for the last goddamn time.
I am so beat you guys! I am heading off to bed so enjoy this last chapter for the night, I promise there will be at least one more tomorrow. Obviously this one took much longer than intended to write. In my defense I got distracted by Olicity videos that were on youtube (can you blame me? There are so many new and amazing ones!) Then I moved on to watching Family Guy (I know, the two shows could not be more different) And as much as I always desire Family Guy to just be playing in the background, it always manages to somehow force me into watching every moment. (Damn you Netflix! You have struck and won again!) Speaking of youtube, have any of you ever noticed that you go on there, intending to watch one or two videos and only be on there for a maximum of ten minutes, and you end up staying on there for over an hour? I hope so because I really don't want to be the only one that does that. Also, I apologize for the long reviews that probably at least half of you don't even read. I just like to put my thoughts and thought processes out there so other people can get an idea of where I'm coming from, or understand why I have made some of the decisions I have either with a character or the storyline in general. Thank you for reading and as always, Leave me some love!
~Sarah~
