Okay...sorry it's been a while between updates. Real life has taken over and I actually have research articles to write in and around these flights of fancy! But, here we go with the next chapter, which takes an unexpected turn. But it only builds the tension for what's to come. More notes on the chapter and the people in it- at the end. Enjoy! And thanks for staying with me!
The bright light of the morning sun woke Felicity up. Stretching, she winced as she felt the headache that usually came the morning after drinking too much. It wasn't too bad, but it was going to require some extra strength aspirin. Wincing as she sat up, she frowned to realize she was under her covers, shoes lying next to the bed on the floor. She could have sworn she came in and collapsed on the bed, not having the energy to even get under the covers. Obviously, she'd been more drunk than she'd thought if she couldn't remember something as simple as getting into bed. She guessed that would teach her not to mix her alcohol.
Finally managing to move from the bed, she stumbled to the bathroom, grimacing as she caught her reflection in the full length mirror. She needed aspirin and a shower in that order as she looked like death warmed over. A few minutes and three aspirin later, Felicity was in the shower, letting the warm water soothe her aches and pains. As she felt her muscles relax, she thought back to what she could remember from the night before. Thankfully, it was mostly clear.
After leaving the restaurant, they'd gone bowling. She'd been surprised to find AJ had been serious but once at the bowling alley, she realized it was the most unique date she'd been on in ages. And from that moment on, she'd decided to simply have fun—and she'd succeeded, Oliver thoughts be damned.
Even better, the bowling alley turned into a bowling bar after 10pm. Needless to say, once vodka and cranberry had been added to the situation (the place didn't serve wine), bowling suddenly become even more fun. She and AJ had battled each other, Felicity surprisingly holding her own, even though she hadn't bowled since high school. AJ was pretty good however and the spirit of competition had made the evening more enjoyable. As more people showed up (alcohol apparently was a bowling draw, who knew?) they'd found themselves taking on another couple that had arrived. More drinks were consumed and before she knew it, it was 2am and she was slumped against AJ's side.
In agreement, they'd headed out to grab a cab. When he'd walked her to her door, she'd told him he could sleep on her couch, friends did that, but he'd laughed and said he'd already checked in at his hotel and had to be up for a meeting early before heading back. He'd promised to keep in touch and let her know when he was passing through again. In return, she'd made him promise to get out and find a woman who deserved him. He'd simply shrugged and told her he'd try. After wishing her luck with the Oliver situation, and with a light but friendly kiss on the cheek, he'd headed to his hotel. Felicity thought she had then collapsed on her bed and fallen asleep but obviously somewhere in there she'd taken off her shoes and gotten under the covers.
The water running cold alerted her she'd been in the shower for too long and with a shiver, she turned it off, quickly toweling her body and grabbing her robe. Thankfully, the headache had receded and she was pretty sure it would be gone by the evening.
Which brought her mind back to the place she'd tried to avoid all night and this morning. Would Oliver still want to keep on with his 'education?' After the week they'd had, she really couldn't be sure. After last night, she was even more confused. Sighing, she towel dried her hair and headed back into her room. As she dressed, she wondered if Oliver would call, or perhaps she should call him? She wasn't sure what the day would bring much less if she wanted to face it. Still, she had things to do.
An hour later, she was busy cleaning the kitchen, her usual Saturday morning task, when her phone buzzed. Feeling something leap in her chest as she saw "Oliver" appear on the screen, she punched the button to read the text.
Check the hallway outside your door.
She frowned, even as she was moving towards the door. She hadn't heard anything, but then again, she had been playing her music rather loudly. And why was he texting her this? Questions swirled around her head as she opened the door and looked out, not sure what to expect. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the large box at her feet. Looking around, she noticed the hall was completely empty. Shrugging, she grabbed the box and brought it inside, carrying it back to the kitchen.
She laid the box on the table, staring at it for a moment, wondering if she should open it. Obviously, it was from Oliver. At least, she was pretty sure it was. Why would he text her to look for it? Then again, maybe he'd meant something else? Why was this making her so confused? Her phone buzzed again.
Open it.
She looked out her kitchen window, eyes going immediately to the building across the street, its roof clearly visible. But, to her surprise, it was empty. She frowned. How did he know she'd found the box and was contemplating opening it? He had to be watching, and as she was confident her apartment wasn't under video surveillance, it had to be through the kitchen window. But she saw no one. She frowned again. Her phone buzzed.
Don't question it. Open it.
Even texting, he could be annoying. But, she had to admit, she was curious. Pushing aside her wonder at how he knew what she was thinking, much less doing, she pulled the lid off the box, and gasped. The box contained an absolutely gorgeous dress in a deep emerald shade. The material looked like silk, a suspicion confirmed as she gently lifted it from the box. The material flowed over her hands, so soft and silky she couldn't help but sigh. It was a formal dress, with hardly any back and a low cut front, but followed slim, sleek lines. She was pretty sure it was exactly her style and not to her surprise, exactly her size.
As she laid the dress over the back of the chair, something else in the box caught her eye. Reaching in, she pulled out a pair of matching emerald heels. Her eyes widened as she noticed the designer. They cost more than she made in a month. Swallowing hard, she looked from the dress to the shoes.
Oliver had sent her a formal dress and heels. Which, on the bright side, meant they were obviously on for tonight. But on the other side, left her completely confused. What in the world was he planning? It was obviously not another movie night at the mansion. Or if it was, she would be a bit overdressed, wouldn't she? Her confusion mounted as she ran through any number of possibilities in her head, so lost in contemplation she barely registered when her phone buzzed again. Reaching for it, she read the latest text.
Be ready at 7pm. I promise an 'educational night' you won't forget.
She blinked, reading the message again. She was pretty sure she was reading too much into a simple text. Because there was no way he'd meant that in any way other than as a friend. Right? Still, it didn't stop her heart from beating faster as she tried to imagine what he meant. Finally, realizing she wasn't doing anyone any good just standing there, she carried the dress and shoes to her room, placing both in her closet. Taking one last look at them, she closed the door, determined to concentrate on getting her Saturday chores done before she could think about what the evening ahead would bring.
The smile stayed on her face all morning and into the afternoon. Until a beep on her computer shot everything to hell.
Digg would kill him if he ever found out, but he'd again, spent half the night waiting on the fire escape for her to come home. He'd watched, gritting his teeth as the cab had pulled up and he saw the two, heavily leaning on each other, enter the building. His hands had clenched into fists, wondering if she would invite him into her bedroom. Thankfully, he'd seen AJ emerge a few minutes later and stumble into his cab. The relief that flowed through him was instantaneous. Wearing a triumphant smile, he'd turned back to the window, hiding a smile as he watched her stumble into the room and collapse face first on the bed. When she didn't move for a few minutes, he realized she'd passed out. Without stopping to think, he'd pushed her slightly open window all the way up and slipped into her room. He was pretty sure this could be considered stalking, but he wasn't going to let her fall asleep face first and with her heels still on.
Sighing, fighting the urge to wake her, he'd slipped off her shoes and moved her so she was lying on her side. She hadn't woken up, only snuffled and buried her head deeper into the pillows. He'd debated removing her dress, but then realized that was definitely not something he felt comfortable doing when she was passed out. She'd probably never let him hear the end of it as well. So he'd simply settled the covers over her and stepped back, watching her chest fall and rise for endless moments.
In that moment, seeing her so vulnerable, but looking like an angel with her hair haloed around her on the pillow, he'd realized just how completely, utterly, and totally in love he was with her. Not that he hadn't been thinking about that since his conversation with Laurel, or hell, probably since he'd first met Felicity if he were honest. But now, watching her sleep, it became the one thing in his life he was sure of at the moment.
He loved Felicity Smoak.
And as he digested the knowledge, he found, to his surprise, that while it filled him with some fear, the greater emotion he was feeling was happiness. A content feeling that he only got when he was with this remarkable woman. This woman who knew everything about him, the dark and the light, and still stayed with him, challenging him, comforting him, making him realize the man he was meant to be, scars and all. And that, to him, suggested she loved him too, even if she was not as ready to admit it.
But if his plans for this evening went as he hoped, that just might change. He was smiling as he slipped back out her window, knowing exactly what he had to do first. It was going to be a very long day.
Five hours later, he cursed as her short text message sent all his plans for the evening into a tailspin.
Felicity was pretty sure this was not what Oliver had planned for their Saturday night. But how could he have known that tonight, of all nights, her countless sources and searches had revealed that Floyd Lawton was back in town and planning a hit? She'd checked, double checked, and then checked again but was positive, five minutes later, that the information was solid. And she realized, with a mix of emotions, that this could be the only chance they had to get Lawton. And after the disaster their last attempt had been, she knew they had to get this one right.
She closed her eyes a moment, remembering when he'd arrived at the lair, about ten minutes after she had, yet before Digg. Turning as she heard him come down the stairs, she'd immediately launched into the details she had, stopping only when he'd reached her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. She'd gone silent, her breath stolen at the look in his eyes as he'd leaned down, lips brushing against her ear as he spoke in a gravely voice that sent shivers down her spine.
"I'm sorry tonight's activity has to be put on hold. But I promise you, we will continue our education Ms. Smoak. I've got plans for you."
Her eyes had gone wide not only at his words, but at the way his hand had subtly brushed over the nape of her neck. It was definitely a deliberate gesture, more intimate than any he'd given her before. She'd swallowed hard, not sure how to reply, saved only by Digg, who had burst through the doors, an intense expression on his face. Oliver had quickly pulled back, his expression neutral as he began to brief the other man as best he could. Felicity had known he was giving her a moment to catch her breath, and thanked him silently for that.
She'd turned her attention to the mission then, pushing thoughts of what Oliver had meant as well as the feel of his hand on her bare skin out of her head. She had to focus on making sure everything went as planned or she might not have an Oliver, or Digg, when it was through. She shivered at the thought, knowing this would be one of the most dangerous missions they'd ever attempted and she could only hope that working together, the three of them could bring Lawton down.
The three of them quickly discussed their options, including the fact that if Felicity's information was right, and she was 99% sure it was, Lawton would be after someone in the middle of a very crowded room. The question was who. And it wouldn't be an easy answer, as a whole host of possible victims was scheduled to be at the Starling City Museum for a brand new exhibit opening that evening.
Plotting all the angles and locations Deadshot would have the best aim, Oliver and Digg figured out where they should be positioned, although there was room for error. That didn't sit well with either man, or Felicity for that matter. The biggest problem however was pinpointing Deadshot's target. Felicity's information had nothing on who that was, only that Lawton had been commissioned to make the hit. She was currently scouring the guest list looking for possible candidates. And she'd come up with two.
"Okay, guys, if I had to guess, I'd say it would be either Lex Luthor or Morgan Edge. Both are supposed to be there and both have somewhat dubious reputations in the business world," she offered, not surprised to see Oliver tense.
"Luthor is going to be there?" The tone of his voice made her curious but she continued anyhow.
"Apparently he's the guest of honor as he's loaning a bunch of items belonging to Alexander the Great to a new museum exhibit on Alexander's life, including the family's jeweled breast plate. It's worth millions and rumored to be what Alexander wore when he conquered, well, just about everyone." Her eyes lit up as she warmed to her topic. "There's also a collection of weapons that are said to have been used in his battle against the Persian empire. One sword is even rumored to be what he used when he took Persepolis. The Luthor's collection is apparently one of the largest in the world and Alexander Luthor is apparently known to be a huge fan of the man some say is his namesake."
Oliver's snort made her turn to face him. "Something you want to tell the class?" she asked, seeing an unreadable expression on his face.
"Other than the fact that I never knew you were so obsessed with Alexander the Great," he gave her a slightly amused look before it turned serious again. "I knew Luthor before the island," he said quietly. "We went to prep school together and let's just say, we weren't the best of friends." He frowned, lost in the memory. "I admit I wasn't the nicest kid, and I probably pushed him around a bit, especially as he was bald and that made him the subject of a lot of jokes." His voice sounded regretful now. "After we graduated, he went on to take over some of his father's businesses. I lost track of him when he moved to someplace in Kansas to run a fertilizer company."
"Lex runs the entire company now, right?" Felicity was trying to recall what she'd heard about the man in the news over the past few years. "His father went to prison and then was released, died a few months later and Lex took over, right?"
Oliver's mouth tightened as he nodded. "Whatever I might have thought of Lex, the few times I met Lionel Luthor, well, it made me glad my father was nothing like him." He stopped, his eyes darkening and Felicity knew exactly where his mind had gone.
"Don't go there Oliver," her voice was steady as she saw him frown.
"Why shouldn't I? My father was probably worse, plotting with Malcolm to take out the Glades, and halfway succeeding," he trailed off, hand clenched into a fist.
"But your father realized his mistake, he told you, he wanted you to know, and to make it right. Something tells me the Luthors never had a conversation like that." She saw that he was at least considering her words as he remained silent.
"Okay, much as this history lesson is interesting, can we focus on what to do if Luthor is the target?" Diggle's voice was hard. "And what about Morgan Edge? I didn't think he dared show his face after the DA accused him of funding several of the drug lords that are currently operating out of the Glades."
Felicity nodded as she punched up something else on the computer screen. "Apparently he is, but he somehow managed to get an invitation to the exhibit. Which means someone might have wanted him there, which makes him an even more logical target."
"Good point," Diggle sounded resigned. "I guess we'll have to get there and scope out both and hope we can figure out who the target is before he actually gets shot."
Oliver nodded. "I don't like not knowing, but if we're there, covering all the angles, we might be able to spot him and take him out first."
"I hate to be the voice of reason here," Felicity chimed in as the men turned to look at her. "But Lawton is a pretty damn good shot. He's not nick-named Deadshot because he's known to miss. And from what you've seen when dealing with him before," she gave Digg a long look, "he's pretty skilled at keeping himself out of the line of fire."
"It's not ideal, but I don't have any better ideas, do you?" Oliver's voice was harsh but Felicity didn't hold it against him. They were all tense and the danger was becoming all too evident.
"Well," she began, "unless the person who ordered the hit happens to be in the crowd and we could somehow overhear him or her say something incriminating, which probably won't happen, as if our client has the money to hire Lawton he or she is not going to be stupid or slip up and reveal a great master plan…" Her shoulders slumped. "So, I got nothing."
"Maybe you do." Oliver's voice had her head whipping around to him. "You just said that whomever put out the hit has to have the money to hire Lawton, and we know he's not cheap or easy to get to." His eyes were intense as he walked over to the computer, Digg not far behind. "Run a check on the guest list and let's see if we can't find anyone else that could possibly have the cash plus the motive to hire him."
Felicity felt it was pretty much like looking for a needle in a haystack, but it was the only option they had at the moment. Fingers flying over the keyboard, she went back through the names. She frowned. "Well, this isn't a party for the poor. In fact, I'd say more than half the invited guests are multimillionaires. Which doesn't help us narrow things down much."
Digg's frustrated growl made her jump. "There's got to be something. Something, anything we're missing." She gave him a sympathetic smile before turning back to the computer. Something had just occurred to her. Typing a few words into a search engine, she let the computer work, hoping that just maybe, maybe she'd get something this time. The ping a few minutes later had her fist pumping the air in a move that gained both her companion's attention
"Found it!" She clicked on a few links, checking to make sure she was right. Turning to face both men, who were looking at her intently, she smiled. "Morgan Edge apparently has some bad blood between him and one of Starling City's finest, Archibald Carver. Edge screwed him out of a business merger that both their companies were bidding on. That company, that Edge now owns, happens to be run by a relatively well known family with ties to the Triad."
"And Carver wants revenge against Edge for beating him out of the deal, which would give him power with the Triad, so he hires Deadshot to take out Edge in hopes of then taking over the business himself," Oliver muttered as Felicity nodded.
"It makes sense. Edge has to be the target." She frowned. "And since I can't find any connection to Lex or the Luthors that makes any sense, he's got to be who Deadshot is after."
"So, I keep my eyes on Edge and be ready to take out Lawton before he gets a shot off," Digg's voice was intense, and it sent an unpleasant shiver down Felicity's spine.
"Our eyes," Oliver said quietly, looking over at his friend. "You're not doing this alone." Felicity hid her smile at the look the two men exchanged. She knew, and Digg knew, that Oliver wasn't going anywhere this time.
"Okay, so we think we have the target, you guys are scoping out the room, but," Felicity frowned as she turned back to the schematics. "How are you going to be able to keep an eye on him, while trying to stay out of sight Oliver?" She bit her lip, pulling up more diagrams. "Trust me, I know you're good at being stealthy, but from the layout of the room, including where you think Lawton should be, there's not a great area for you to hide and keep watch, especially in Hood gear." She looked over and saw Oliver's lips were tight.
"She's right, Oliver, it's too risky for you to be suited up and still keep an eye on Edge and Luthor." Digg came over to stand behind Felicity. "I can blend in with security and move around, but that still gives us only one pair of eyes on the floor as you need to be in arrow ready mode, somewhere out of sight."
"Unless, you're not the only pair of eyes on the floor." Felicity bit her lip as she watched her words register with both men. She sighed as the frowns returned.
"No way." Oliver's voice was almost a growl. "You're not going anywhere near that museum."
She was getting annoyed. "Come on, you need another pair of eyes, and there's no way Lawton knows about me, much less who I am, so I can blend in perfectly." She turned to look at Digg. "You know it'll be better if I'm there. Besides, if you need a distraction, well, I'm sure I can come up with something."
"I don't like it," Oliver began again, but Digg cut him off. "She's right Oliver. We need her eyes so you can be out of sight and ready." He sighed as his friend started to object. "We'll keep her safe," he said quietly.
Felicity waited, wondering at the look that came and went in Oliver's eyes as he looked from her to Digg. She breathed a sigh of relief as he nodded sharply. "The first sign of anything happening, you get out of there. I don't want you anywhere near Edge or Luthor when it goes down."
Felicity nodded, trying not to delight in the protective tone she could clearly hear in his voice. "Trust me, I know when to duck and cover," she said, feeling the nervous edge of excitement building at the the thought of the mission. It wasn't exactly how she'd planned on spending this evening, but, come to think of it, she had the perfect outfit. It would be a shame to have it go to waste.
"Then it's settled." Something else suddenly occurred to her. "Of course, we somehow need to get me on the guest list, that could be a problem." She stopped at Oliver's brittle laugh.
"Felicity the Queen's sit on the museum board, or at least, my mother did," he stopped for a moment, looking troubled, then continued. "Regardless, the Queen name and money still have power. A large donation to the museum should be enough to get the head of my IT department, who also happens to be a fan of Alexander, the Great, not Luthor," he clarified sharply as she raised an eyebrow, "into the gala. Digg goes as your bodyguard."
"And why would your IT girl need a bodyguard," she asked. "It's not like I'm anybody important, certainly not important enough to warrant Oliver Queen's personal bodyguard," she finished. She thought she saw a flash of something in Oliver's eyes but it was quickly gone.
"You are important," he said quietly, sending a funny quiver to her heart. "But you'll be carrying a rather large check, it's only natural I'd want you and the check to be 'safe' until you donate it."
She supposed he had a point. "Fine, we'll do it your way." She turned and printed off a few pages of information before grabbing her purse. "Now, it's 6pm and the gala starts in two hours. I'm going to go try and make myself presentable while you guys finalize the plans." She gave them a quick wave, excitement building in her veins as she headed for the stairs.
"Digg will pick you up at 7:30." She jumped as she heard Oliver's voice directly behind her. She hadn't realized he'd moved so fast to catch up to her. Turning she gave him a smile. "I'll be ready. I should have something in my closet that works for this occasion," she said, giving him a wink. She felt the breath leave her body as she saw his eyes darken in what she couldn't mistake as anything but desire. For a moment, she stood in stunned silence, her gaze locked on his.
"It's not how I'd planned to get you into that dress, but I'm telling you now, I will be there to get you out of it."
With that, he turned sharply on his heel, leaving her standing on the stairs, mouth hanging open in shock. Her brain had completely short-circuited at his words. There was no mistaking he meant every one of them. Which made her hope, knowing him as she did, that if he were telling her he wanted to undress her, he had to have ended things with Laurel. Which left her with far more questions than answers, but also with more hope than she'd had in weeks.
Realizing she had to move if she were going to be ready by 7:30, she turned and walked up the stairs, trying to focus on the mission she was about to embark on. There would be time to analyze and ponder his words and what he meant by them later. Assuming they all survived the next few hours. Forcing down the sliver of fear, she headed out the door and to her car. She had a mission to prep for.
Notes: So, a little adventure before they can finally get to the 'education' portion of the evening. Just to let people know if they haven't figured it out from the context of the story, I'm going with the version of Lex from "Smallville" in its early seasons, and in my version here, he turns out quite a bit differently from how he did later on in the series and in the regular comic mythology (as you'll probably see in the next chapter). But he's still a Luthor at heart. Thanks for staying with me...more to come very soon!
