"Security just called from the tower. They said there's someone here to see you." Felicity stepped into the living room of the Merlyn Manor. Living in a real home that she now shared with the man she deeply loved was surreal. It was more than a little odd to be the lady of this house. She cleared her throat, "They have him detained." Settling down beside him on the couch, she rested her hand against his thickly muscled arm.

Setting the newspaper aside, Slade stared hard at her. "Who is it, love?" Kissing her gently, he stood up. Reaching for his broadsword, which he kept at the ready, he was a little surprised when she grasped it before he had a chance to unsheathe it. His expression tightened as he stepped into the foyer to speak with the guard. "Bring him in then." He settled back in his chair as the security detail he'd hired, in full mask, descended on the house. Felicity stood behind Slade, her hands resting on his shoulder. Instinctively, his hand covered hers in a display of affection and pride.

The young man stepped into the living room, dripping wet from the torrential rain that had been plaguing Starling City for days now. His black jeans were covered in mud; dark hair hung down and obscured his eyes and his posture was hunched. It was clear that he was chilled to the bone by the way he shivered even despite the warmth o the room.

Before she even thought about it, Slade grasped Felicity's wrist just a bit tighter. "Don't you dare." She was a bleeding heart and he wouldn't allow her to get too near to a stranger who was likely there to kill her. He closed the distance between himself and the young man. "What's your business here?" It had been three days since they put their plan in motion and absolutely nothing had been heard from Moira Queen. She was a sly one and he didn't put it past her not to use a child as bait. "Come on, boy, why have you come here?"

Slade may have thought that he had the final say but that was definitely not the case. Felicity angrily stalked out of the room but she wasn't gone long. She grabbed a towel and ignored Slade as she gingerly placed the towel over the boy's back. "Come on, sit down. I'm going to make some tea." She rested a hand on Slade's chest as he advanced, putting herself between him and their guest. "Slade Wilson, your squad of security goons ran the full gamut before he walked in here! If you're so worried, I'll run a background check on him while I'm in the kitchen." She turned to the waterlogged vagabond dripping on their couch, "What's your name?"

Looking up at her finally, he licked his lips, "Joseph Wilson."

Slade nearly fell over, "Joseph?" Dropping to his knees in front of the boy, he gingerly grasped his face, "My son." His heart thundered in his chest. "How? How did you even know I was alive?" Quickly, he stood and began barking orders in every direction. Felicity brought in some tea, he sent a guard to gather some clean, dry clothes. "You must have travelled a long way to get here."

Joseph stared up at Slade in disbelief, he was still half frozen and in shock. He sipped the tea that the woman he'd heard called Felicity had given him though he'd sniffed it a few times just to make sure it was okay. It was only after the warmth of his beverage began to sink in that he began to thaw. Assessing the house in which his father lived and the woman at his side, he found his hands tightening around the mug. "So this is where you've been?" He said finally, his voice was scratchy from disuse; he had to cough to clear it a few times, "In your mansion with your new family?" He frowned, "We thought you were dead. We had a funeral!"

"For all intents and purposes I am dead, Joseph." Slade's vision blurred as he was momentarily transported back to that day before he left for the mission. Joseph was hardly out of diapers. That morning he'd crawled into bed between him and Adaline after feigning a bad dream. He'd fallen asleep against Slade's broad chest. Slade hadn't slept a wink that night but he reveled in the last perfect moments with his family. Before he'd left, he gingerly tucked Joseph into bed and quietly snuck around to say his goodbye to Adeline. When he kissed her in the murky light of dawn, he'd knew full well that he'd never return there. Slade swallowed hard s he wrenched himself from the memory, "I'm not the father you remember."

"I barely remember you at all." Scoffing, Joseph turned away, "I just had to come see for myself if it was true." Setting his tea down, he threw the towel off. He turned his eyes to Felicity, "I don't understand any of this. You're having Oliver Queen's kid but you're shacked up with my father? What the hell kind of home wrecker are you?"

"JOSEPH!" Slade bellowed, his anger rising steadily until there was practically steam blowing out his ears.

"Slade, it's okay." Felicity didn't take it to heart. She'd read a lot worse in the tabloids lately anyhow. Slade's son was confused and as far as she was concerned, he had a right to be. "Joseph, there's a lot you don't understand. We want to tell you but maybe you'd like a hot shower and something to eat first? You're soaked through. I don't want you catching cold."

"You are not my mother." Joseph snapped irritably, he stood up but the exhaustion was just too much. He swayed slightly, finding himself suddenly resting in his father's arms. "Don't." There wasn't as much piss and vinegar in his tone this time. Pushing Slade off, he headed toward the stairs as if he owned the place. "I'll shower and get changed but not because either of you told me to." He muttered, "After that? I'm out of here."

Felicity wrapped her arms around her belly tightly. Her heart ached as she watched Joseph flounder up the stairs and to the bedroom that she designated for him. She could see how deeply Slade was wounded. Slipping to his side again, she grasped his hand, "Are you okay?"

Slade dragged a hand over his face before falling into his chair again. Felicity gingerly sat on his knee, his hand immediately covering the swell of her belly. The only comfort he had was knowing that she loved him. "It's been so long since I've seen him, he's practically grown. He'll be eighteen this year…hell, his birthday just passed, he IS eighteen." He closed his eyes, "I can't believe this!"

"This has Moira written all over it." She licked her lips, "She's going to go after him to hurt you, Slade. We have to protect him no matter what it takes. He's your son."

"I know he's my son, damn it! I just never thought I'd see him again…" His expression softened as he peered into her eyes once more. "Are you alright? I know this can't be easy having my son come here and start in on you like that. Teenagers, what can I say?"

Kissing him tenderly, she snuggled at his side, "I always knew you had another life before you met me, Slade. The night we met you told me you had a son. It didn't bother me then and it doesn't bother me now. Our son or daughter will have an older brother, I think that's wonderful. I always wanted siblings myself. I think this could be a blessing in disguise."

Holding her closer, he sighed contentedly. Any other woman would have likely run screaming out the door by this time. He respected the hell out of Felicity for the sheer volume of crazy that she dealt with on a daily basis. "I went back, you know, to check in on them after I got off the island." He'd mentioned it once but he'd never told another living soul the full story, "Joseph was twelve. He was playing catch in the yard with his stepdad and they were joking and laughing. Adeline was weeding a flowerbed. It was all very domestic. He looked happy. I didn't want to ruin them with everything I'd become…"

"You're not the same man you were, Slade. And you're not the same guy who left on that mission when he was a toddler. Once he gets to know you, I have faith that you two can work this out." At least, she hoped he did. "What about your wife?" She bit her lip, "Aren't you still technically married?"

"I'm a ghost, Felicity. They had me declared dead, there's an empty grave in Australia with my name on it. I'm not looking to go delving into the past. If he decides Adeline needs to know, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He smirked, "But you're the only woman I love. The only woman I want to be married to and have a family with. Don't ever forget that."

Finally, she felt at peace. Joseph's presence wasn't going to change how she felt about Slade. While he continued to mull over his thoughts, she decided to keep herself busy. She headed into the kitchen to decide what to make for dinner for their guest. Slade headed back to the tower to check in with security. She found herself alone with Joseph when he came back downstairs and stood, unsure of whether he should sit or stand. She smiled warmly as she closed the distance between them, "I don't think I properly introduced myself. I'm Felicity Smoak and I'm your dad's—"

"I know who you are." Joseph replied coldly, he grabbed the decanter that was poised on the dining room table. He helped himself to a hearty snifter of brandy. Taking a long swig, he drained the glass in its entirety before pouring himself another. "What I don't understand is why you're here. You're pretty." He took another long swallow of the amber liquid, "And you seem nice enough."

"Thanks, I guess," Felicity replied, shrugging. "I love your dad. It might not make sense because of, well, the age difference thing…" And the whole 'psycho killer turned semi-vigilante' aspect, "We're very happy." She hesitated a moment, if only because it wasn't exactly her place but he deserved to know "I'm having his baby," She blurted.

Flopping down in a chair, he unapologetically put his bare feet up on the dining room table. "I thought that was Oliver Queen's baby? You two seemed pretty cozy. There's no misinterpreting what I saw, you're even still wearing that Queen guy's ring. So, why should I believe that you're not just some two-timing hussy?"

Clearing her throat, she settled down across from him. "Someone tried to poison me and kill our baby." She said softly, "Turns out, it was Oliver Queen's mother. It was only by playing along that I've managed to stay protected all this time." Her hand covered her belly instinctively. "I know it may seem strange but it's what I had to do. I'd do anything to keep this kid safe, even if it means ruffling a few feathers."

Joseph's expression softened infinitesimally. He assessed her for a moment and then dragged his feet off the table, brushing away the streak it left with his shirt. Leaning against his elbows, he sighed, "Look lady, my dad disappeared when I was a kid." He averted his eyes again, "I deserve to know who my real father is."

"I agree with you," Felicity nodded, "I'm not going to stand in your way. I'd like to get to know you too, Joseph."

He didn't immediately respond. Finding his father alive and well here in Starling City was quite enough for one night. Slade walked back into the room and that demanded his attention immediately. He stared into an identical pair of dark brown eyes, unwavering and unwilling to look away first. Slade stalked to the head of the table and grabbed his own tumbler of booze. In very much the same fashion as his son, he downed a whole glass of the potent elixir.

Felicity knew when she wasn't needed. "I'm going to give you boys some room to talk. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." Gingerly, she kissed Slade's cheek, lingering a moment as he peered at her. "I love you," She whispered softly before disappearing behind the swinging door.

Once she was gone, Slade focused his full attention on Joseph. Before he spoke again, he refilled both their glasses. He definitely needed a hearty dose of liquid courage for the discussion he was about to have. "I'm sure you have questions. I'll answer anything I can honestly." Leaning back in his chair, his glass rested on the arm of the chair.

"Where were you?" The younger man huffed, "Did you ever intend to come back?"

"My plane crashed on an island in the North China Sea called Lian Yu." His expression tightened, "I was imprisoned there for years. At the time, it was controlled by radical militants. There was no way out." To this day, his soul still remained on that island. He had become a monster there, rabid, violent and out of control. "Being there…it wasn't pleasant." He swallowed hard. "When I returned stateside, I wanted closure. I needed to make sure you were okay. You seemed happy, Joseph. I didn't want to throw your life into chaos." His fist tightened, "Don't tell me that you've suffered torture and torment." He'd never forgive himself.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Joseph shook his head, "It was fine. I had mom and my stepdad was alright. He treated mom well and he made an effort with me." But that man wasn't his biological father. He hadn't realized how deeply it cut until he'd caught wind that his Slade was alive. "What happened to your eye?"

Chuckling despite himself, Slade licked his lips. "Got an arrow shot through it by a self-righteous prick named Oliver Queen." He took another long swallow from his glass, swirling the remaining liquid inside. "You see, on Lian Yu I was exposed to a serum that changed me…"

"Changed you how?" Joseph leaned in, intrigued.

"It's called Mirakuru , it made me stronger beyond your wildest imagination. I'll have to show you later. If I break another piece of furniture in this house Felicity will have my arse." He peered behind him, hoping that she hadn't heard that. When they'd first moved in, he'd taken out a couple of side tables and they'd broken the guest room bed—though he maintained that it was Felicity's fault since she chose to wear that saucy set of underwear. Needless to say, he was being a bit more careful these days. "Beyond the physical strength, it allowed me to heal more rapidly and increased my endurance. But there are some other side effects, very unpleasant ones." His extremely short temper, for example. "It made me a little unstable emotionally, so I've been told."

He drummed his fingers on the table, "So what about your girlfriend then? She's fine with you being off your rocker?" He stared Slade down hard. "Aren't you afraid you're going to hurt her?"

Slade dragged a hand through his dark hair, exhaling sharply. "That's complicated." Clamming up, he felt the emotion searing through his gut. They'd shared enough for one night, he needed a break. "I should see how Felicity's managing with dinner." He abruptly stood. The man sitting across from him was practically a stranger. Even though they shared blood, his love life wasn't something he wanted to discuss with his child. Stepping into the kitchen, he pushed the door open. "You need any help, love?"

"Nope," Felicity smiled, kissing him gently as she stirred the pasta around. "I hope you're in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs." Stirring up the jarred sauce she'd doctored up with some spices and veggies, she grabbed some plates. "I called Sara and Oliver, they're going to join us for dinner. Anatoli's coming in tonight and he wants to meet right away." She licked her lips before turning her back again. Forcing herself to focus on the task at hand, she avoided Slade's gaze.

"What wrong, love?" He rested his hand at her waist. He could tell by now when something was bothering her. She got pensive, edgy, and she gnawed the bottom of her lip. Right now, she had all three going on which meant that whatever she had to tell him, it was big.

He knew her so well it surprised her at times. "Oliver ran a full background check on Joseph. It seems over the last few years he's gotten himself into quite a bit of trouble. Up until a week ago, he was serving time in a maximum security prison outside of Brisbane." Slade was already on the move and she scoffed, "Slade, don't go jumping to conclusions before you've heard his side!"

"You just told me in no uncertain terms that my son was hired to kill you and our child!" He bellowed, "I believe I've heard every argument I need to!" When he slammed back through the kitchen, ripping the door off the hinges and hurling it into the pantry, he was vastly relieved to see Oliver standing there in full regalia, arrow to Joseph's head. Sara was on the other side, stood at the ready.

Felicity huffed, rolling her eyes skyward, "Not ANOTHER door!" Dinner was going to get cold anyway; she cut her losses and turned off the stove and the oven. The pasta water wasn't quite boiling yet but the tensions in the dining room surely were. "So… we all had to go full vigilante for this?"

Joseph's hands were raised at his chest, looking between the three people threatening him bodily. His face was molded into a mask of anger, in that moment he'd never looked more like his father. He let out a cold laugh, "I get it. I'm surrounded." Sara moved behind Joseph, patting him down, taking a four inch dagger from a sheath strapped to his ankle. He must have had it snuck it past Slade's security somehow. "I've got a surprise for you up a bit higher, love, go ahead and feel me up real good." He chuckled throatily.

Sara rolled her eyes, prodding him toward the table, "That's enough." She replied, pocketing the dagger so he knew it was hers now, "Nice piece, kid."

"Hey, that's mine—" Joseph snapped but was quickly cut off by Sara pushing him right down into his seat.

Slade sat directly across from his son, looking murderous. "Who sent you here? Moira?" He frowned, "You may be my son, but any threat against Felicity will not be taken lightly. Sara here's an expert with weapons of all kinds; I won't hesitate to let her knock you around a bit."

"Kinky…" Joseph replied, smirking over at Sara. Finally, after several moments of tense silence, he shook his head. Folding his arms over his chest, he stared Slade down, "You don't scare me, you know." Leaning in, he smirked, "Make it worth my while and I'll tell you anything you want. I wasn't paid to lie. I bartered for my freedom."

Slade nodded his acquiescence. He folded his arms over his chest as he assessed for any change in behavior that would indicate he was lying. So far, he wasn't detecting anything. Perhaps Moira had an ally doing her dirty work. They needed to get to the bottom of this now. "You were in prison, then?"

"Consecutive life sentences for arson and murder. Guess that means once I'm good and dead, my ghost has to serve the rest of its term," He shrugged like it didn't matter but his face belied a deep sense of shame. "I set a building on fire by accident when some equipment I was working on shorted out. Turns out there were some homeless men sleeping in there…" He rested his palms flat on the table. He hadn't belonged there amongst Australia's most violent criminals and yet that's where he found himself. He'd have done anything to get out of there…

Head in hands, Slade's heart twisted and plummeted into his stomach. He'd failed his son. He had carefully weighed all his options after returning from Lian Yu and run every scenario. This was the outcome he'd feared the most; if Joseph was exposed to a man sopped in Mirakuru, violent and dangerous without recourse then he'd be doomed to follow in his father's footsteps. Yet his son has still fallen into the trap. Is this what his child with Felicity would become? Was it programmed into his DNA to fall into darkness? Felicity moved closer to Slade to try and comfort him but he did not want to be soothed.

Oliver gave Felicity the head tilt, gingerly touching her arm as he pulled her out of the line of fire. He'd changed into a suit and tie, preparing himself for what was to come. "Felicity, let's take a ride." Thankfully, she went without an argument, though he could see how badly she felt that she couldn't help Slade.

Sara gave Oliver the nod, glad that he was stepping in. She loved Oliver deeply but there was no way he should be involved in interrogating Slade's son. Tensions were running high and nobody wanted blood spilled tonight. "Joseph, we need to know why you're here and how you got out of that prison." She replied, "What kind of deal did you cut with Moira?"

"Honestly, love, I've never heard of anyone by that name." He shrugged. "I dealt with a man …rough looking guy, definitely not someone you want to cross. He said if he got me out that I was to come here to Starling City." He shrugged, "When I found out the father I thought was dead was shacked up here with his little mistress, I figured that had something to do with why he wanted me in town."

Slade exhaled sharply, "Did he give you a name? Alias? Anything?"

Joseph shook his head, "I heard someone call him 'The Beast' once. I didn't really get it; he's not a big guy. He walks with a little bit of a limp or something." He shrugged, "But he's got massive power. Twenty minutes with him, then I strode right out the front of that prison and I didn't look back."

Sara's eyes met Slade's…there was a moment when they shared their thoughts wordlessly. "That's it? You just walked out? He didn't give you anything to carry into the country or any instructions on what to do when you got here?"

"Nope, nothing…" He replied.

The mystery continued to baffle Slade and Sara as they continued to ask Joseph any possible question they could think of. Felicity was hacking remotely but even then, they were hitting a wall. Joseph had passed customs with flying colors. He didn't have any luggage and his carryon bag had contained little more than a few toiletries and articles of clothing. The prison records were sealed—for approximately ten minutes—but Felicity cracked them wide open. The visitor logs revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Whoever this man was, he hid himself very well.

Oliver parked his car at the side of the airstrip, watching Felicity work her magic. He could sense that she was getting annoyed as lead after lead turned up nothing of value. "Hey…" His hand slid over hers, "Take a break, you look like your head is about to explode."

"I need to figure this out. Something isn't right here," Felicity sighed. Looking over at him, she could sense his concern. "Come on, don't tell me that you're about to put on the kid gloves. I thought I could at least count on you to treat me normally." She and Oliver had gone head to head more times than she could count. She wasn't afraid to tell him when he was being a dick and he could dish it out with the best of them. At the end of the day, it made their friendship stronger that they could be so honest.

"You're too close to this, Felicity." He frowned, "I don't want you to be consumed by Slade." Sighing, he shook his head, "Sometimes I wish that I had never gotten you involved in all this."

Pausing from her work a moment, she shifted to face him, "That's the stupidest thing you've ever said and there have been some real gems, Ollie! What if it were Sara in this situation? Would you just sit back and do nothing?"

Cursing under his breath, he focused his attention on the rivulets of rain sluicing down the windshield. "It's not the same thing…" He replied.

"The hell it isn't," Felicity cut in, "I love Slade. I know that bothers you because you think I'm some kind of sweet little saint. Don't let the hair fool you, I'm not an angel." She frowned, "Did Slade tell you that I was the one who seduced him?" She didn't let him interrupt, "It's true. When he abducted me, he brought me to Merlyn Manor and I knew that there was just something about him. My body responded to him instantly the moment he touched me…"

"Felicity, I don't want to hear this!" Oliver snapped.

"No! It's time. We need to settle this once and for all." She sighed heavily, "You seem to think that I'm going to wake up one morning as the girl you met two years ago. I've done a great job putting up a front but the truth is, I've never been entirely okay. I'm strange, Oliver." She smirked, "Don't act like you didn't notice. I ramble, I'm sarcastic, and I have a problem with double entendres. Just look at the company I keep." She smiled gently, "Slade is the first person I've ever met who makes me feel like I'm normal." Out of habit, her hand rested gently against her rounded belly. "He makes me happy…"

Leaning his head back against the seat, he sighed, "Why him, Felicity? You could have your pick of any man in Starling City."

"The heart wants what the heart wants." She suddenly laughed, "I know that was so cheesy but its how I feel. Yes, it may have started out all about the sex. And the sex is—"

"FELICITY!"

Nudging him playfully, she got the hint and skipped to the conclusion. "What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to worry about me anymore." Gently, she dislodged the heirloom engagement ring from her finger and placed it into his hand. "I've been meaning to give this back to you. I think there's someone much more suited to wear it."

"I'm never going to stop worrying about you, Felicity. You'll always be my girl Wednesday. And for right now, you need to keep this on…" After sliding the ring back onto her finger, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders,"Just for a little longer."

Resting her head against his shoulder, she peered out into the darkness. They had one quiet moment of relaxation and reflection. Not that it lasted very long, within a few minutes the hum of an engine reached her ears. "Oh! With everything going on, I almost forgot that Anatoli is coming in tonight." She sat up, watching as the plane circled for several minutes before easing to a halt just a little ways out. The realizations dawned on her as she bit her lip. "We need to find a way to stall him."

Oliver chuckled as he straightened his tie, "Why do you think I brought you, Felicity?" He smirked, "Just follow my lead and everything will be fine." Grabbing his umbrella and wrapping his coat around her shoulders, they stepped out into the night air. Walking deliberately toward the plane, his hand rested on the small of her back as they set out to meet their fate.

Little bit of a cliffhanger here because this chapter was getting VERY long. I debated a lot about what to do with this chapter and finally after some deliberation I decided that Joseph Wilson was the answer. I originally was going to use Grant (Slade's OTHER son) because...well, if you know DC canon then you know why. But Joseph has been mentioned a couple times in Arrow canon. For you DC fans, I didn't play Joseph as Jericho because...honestly, that canon is a little convoluted and also I don't think a guy who possesses people would be that appropriate in this story, lol. Arrow's really focused on the strength of the human experience. The closest they've come to a superpower is the Mirakuru induced healing factor. But who knows? They're bringing in Barry Allen, so I suppose its possible Jericho will show up on that side of things. Yes, I am rambling right now. Sorry.

ANYWAY, please keep reading and reviewing. The more reviews I get the faster I write and upload for you! I won't be able to watch tonight's episode of Arrow live because I'm working...but as soon as I get around to it, I am going to watch the hell out of that episode. I've watched the little 30 second preview and the Slade moments look absolutely incredible.

Thanks for all your continued support!