I'm going to try and spit these chapters out like wildfire! I totally owe you guys that for being away so long! Blame it on the direction Arrow has been going in as of late for my lack of inspiration. I am either finally getting delirious or they are working their way up to an Olicity rebuild. It is probably in my imagination, but I'm going to keep holding out that hope. Anyway, enjoy and don't forget to review and leave me some love!
Chapter 29
Emotion
Diggle smirked at Oliver as he pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards the closing elevator doors.
"What's going on there?"
Oliver waved a hand as he smirked in response.
"We'll come back to that. There's what feels like two hundred things going on at once, but I have something important to ask you and it really can't wait anymore. I should have done it already, actually."
"Wow. That's a pretty good impression of Felicity you've got going there. We need a guys night soon from the sounds. We both gotta stop being surrounded by women. Maybe even bring Roy along. Anyway, it sounds pretty heavy, so let's hear it." Diggle spoke with a smile.
"Will you be my best man?" Oliver asked in a rush.
Diggle held up a hand as he spoke. "I know you and Felicity, all of us, have a ton going on right now. And I know you have a lot on your mind, especially worrying about Felicity's recovery, but you already asked Tommy to be your best man."
"I know. I'm Oliver Queen. I can have two. You are both my brothers and I need both of you standing up there with me." Oliver explained.
"Whatever you want, man." Diggle replied with a laugh as he and Oliver shared a rare hug.
"Felicity is going to have Thea and Laurel. And she wants Quentin and Walter to both give her away. She's going to want Sara and Lyla as bridesmaids, which means I'm going to have to find another groomsmen besides Roy. As much as he would love having two bad ass women on his arm." Oliver mused.
"Is it going to be weird for you to have both Lance sisters up there next to you? And their father walking your bride down the aisle to you? I mean, I know you're over Laurel and have been for a while, but still, damn." Diggle shook his head.
"I would like to be able to say I'm evolved enough to feel completely comfortable with the whole thing, but I'm not. I mean, I know that the Lance family will always be intertwined with mine. More so it seems as the years go on. But there was a time that this is where Laurel wanted the two of us to be and even though Tommy is back, and they have each other and are engaged, I don't want to put any awkwardness on her either." Oliver sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Have you talked to Felicity about it?" Diggle reasoned.
"Yeah. Of course. She seems to know Laurel better than me these days and thinks I'm worrying for nothing. But then, you know her, she started getting nervous that it was me who was upset and I didn't want any misunderstandings to come about, so I changed the subject. You know I am one hundred percent over Laurel. I'm just trying to be the respectable, stand up guy for once in my life." Oliver groused.
"Hey, I get it man. And you have become pretty respectable and you have almost always been a stand up guy. At least, for as long as I've known you. Don't get me wrong, you have had your moments, but overall you do all right. I know you are completely over Laurel, and I even get where you're coming from. You want to be respectful, but do you think maybe you are still handling her with kid gloves?" Diggle questioned hesitantly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, everyone is so used to protecting Laurel. It was needed in the past, but she has done pretty well for herself and she is a capable adult and independent woman. She has come a really long way and maybe it's time to treat her that way. If she had a problem or didn't want to be a part of the wedding, give her the chance to say so. Maybe stop worrying so much." Diggle suggested.
"You're right. Everything will be fine. Two best men. Two maids of honor. Two men walking Felicity down the aisle. Hey, maybe I'll ask Barry to be the other groomsmen!" Oliver exclaimed.
"There's an idea. And as for the two of everything, I suppose we should have known the tow of you were going to do things in your own way and buck tradition." Diggle said with a smile and a shake of his head.
"Okay! Okay! Stop distracting me! I have a serious question for both of you before Sara gets here. Then I have a question for her. Multiple questions actually, but only one concerning the wedding. Well, actually, maybe a few concerning the wedding. Or, I guess I should say-"
"Felicity!" Laurel and Thea both said simultaneously as they laughed.
"Sorry! Ahem. Will you be my Maids of Honor?" Felicity asked.
"Both of us?" Thea questioned.
"Mmhmm." Felicity answered with a confident nod.
"I'm in." Laurel answered excitedly.
"Thea?" Felicity hesitated.
"Duh. Of course! Let me guess, Ollie wants John and Tommy." Thea said more as a statement than a question.
"Yep." Felicity said with emphasis on the 'p'. "And I want Walter and Quentin to give me away if that is okay with the two of you?" Felicity asked as she bit her lip nervously.
"I think this wedding is going to be absolutely amazing!" Was Laurel's only answer as Thea nodded enthusiastically next to her.
"I hope so! I'm only doing it once." Felicity laughed.
"I wouldn't worry." Said a confident voice from behind the girls' table. They all turned, excited, to see a smirking Sara. "I mean, the way Oliver looks at you, I don't think he is ever going to let go of you. Besides, with how long it has taken the two of you to get here? Love to last a lifetime." Sara spoke as she sat.
"I'm so glad you're here! Will you be a bridesmaid?" Felicity asked excitedly.
"Not wasting any time, I see. You know I will." Sara assured her.
"Great! Now let's order so you can tell us all about your date with the mysterious Captain Cold." Felicity said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"Mmm. More like Captain Hot!" Thea laughed as she flagged the waiter over to take their orders.
"Thea! You have Roy!" Laurel admonished halfheartedly.
"I know that. But one, I'm taken not dead. And two, that man is one fine specimen. As is Roy, but did I mention how fine that man is?" Thea laughed and the others joined in.
"Okay, okay. You win. So, how did it go?" Felicity asked eagerly.
"Amazing. I'm really going to have to thank Barry. I didn't even want to go. Wasn't sure I was ready so soon after Nyssa, but Barry begged me to give it a shot, give him a shot, and man am I glad I did." Sara smiled. She continued to tell the girls all about what a gentleman Leonard was and how they had already several plans throughout the next week, including that night.
"Captain Cold?! Is she out of her mind?! And you support this?!" Oliver raged.
"Yes I support it." Felicity answered without hesitating.
"Have YOU lost it?! Have you ALL lost it?! Supporting this. Obviously she is going through something because of the whole Nyssa situation. Clearly something more serious than we originally thought." Oliver paced as he ranted.
"Hey! Relax for just a second!" Felicity replied, slightly offended.
"Relax? Felicity! The guy is a criminal! He has stolen some pretty hefty items over the years, and never seemed to care who got injured in the process. And those are only the crimes we know about, who knows what else he has done that we DON'T know." Oliver threw his hands up.
"Oliver-"
"No! Don't 'Oliver' me. We have no idea how dangerous this guy is or what his angle is. What if he is just getting close to Sara in order to get information from her, or to try and-"
"Hey!" Felicity interrupted. "You don't get to cheapen it like that. I think Sara is smart enough to tell the difference between a guy who is interested in her and someone who is just looking to use her. Why don't you just give him a chance. You don't even know him." Felicity tried to reason.
"I don't have to know him. I know OF him. That's enough for me." Oliver spoke with a tone of finality.
"Really? That's enough for you?" Felicity's voice had gone quiet.
"Yes. It should be for all of you too. You girls are just so caught up in the romance of it all that you're blinded to whatever this guy is really up to. Which is probably exactly what he wants." Oliver assumed.
"If all you care about is what you've heard from online or wherever you got your information, then I guess I feel a little unsure of why you're with me." Felicity said as she turned away from him, hurt. Oliver stopped in his tracks and stared at Felicity with widened eyes.
"What? What the hell are you talking about? What does any of this have to do with us?" Oliver asked as he grabbed her hand and turned her back to face him.
"Do you know what you would have found about me if you looked hard enough? If I hadn't erased all of the bad stuff, that is?" Felicity asked.
"I don't care." Oliver said without hesitation.
"You don't care?"
"Of course not. Felicity, I love you and you know better than to doubt that." Oliver said.
"Well, maybe Sara doesn't doubt Leonard because she has feelings for him." Felicity said, slightly agitated with his attitude.
"Felicity-" Oliver sighed.
"Barry is the one who set this up and he says Leonard has changed for the better. He said-"
"Oh yes, because we all know what a good judge of character Barry is." Oliver interrupted her again.
"Stop interrupting me! He has treated Sara with nothing but respect." Felicity insisted.
"Yeah. To lure her in. I know guys like him, Felicity. I WAS one." Oliver let her go and began pacing once again.
"Exactly! Don't you see? YOU changed. You are standing here telling me that you don't care what's in my past because you have feelings for me. But that's not true." Felicity raised her hand before Oliver could interrupt her again. "You NEVER cared about my past. Even when you first met me. So why can't you offer Leonard the same opportunity? You did a lot of bad things in your past Oliver, some I still know nothing about. But I don't care. Not one bit. I don't need to know what you've done because I know your heart, your mind. That's all that matters to me." Felicity tried to tamp down her emotions. She seemed to be crying at the drop of a hat lately.
"You're right. I never cared about your past. I still don't. And I will never be able to thank you enough for not caring or pressuring me about mine. I'm just protective of Sara." Oliver shrugged.
"I know you are. But, Oliver, we're getting married. That is something that no one, including yourself, thought would ever happen. Yet, here we are. You are a completely different man. So, is it really that hard to believe he could be too?" Felicity ended gently. Oliver sighed once more and sat on the end of their bed. A few moments went by, and then Felicity sat down next to him, gently.
"I know you just want what's best for Sara. We all do. But she is also a grown woman who makes her own decisions. And I think she can probably defend herself just fine, too." Felicity added while nudging Oliver's shoulder with her own.
"I know she is, and I know she can. But sometimes, it doesn't matter how well you can fend off a physical attack. Your heart doesn't work that way. I just don't want her falling for some piece of crap because she is still feeling vulnerable from a previous relationship." Oliver stated calmly.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I might start getting jealous of you and the Lance sisters." Felicity said with a smile, knowing it would get a little rise out of Oliver and smoothly change the subject.
"Yeah? Then I guess it's a good thing you do know better. Don't you ever doubt my love for you. I may be judgmental and overprotective, bordering on overbearing." Oliver glared as Felicity snorted and muttered what sounded like "You think?"
"But, I'm working on it. Someday maybe I'll even be completely evolved. Except when it comes to you. That's one area I'm just never going to ease up on." He insisted with a small smile.
"Well, I figure if I've lasted this long, then I could probably be okay with that." She smiled as she looped her arms around his neck and coaxed him to lay back on the bed with her. Oliver complied as he rolled so he was laying over her, his arms on either side of her head.
"I love you, Felicity Smoak. With everything I am." Oliver said and brushed his nose to hers.
"I love you, Oliver Queen. With every fiber of my being." Felicity responded in kind and buried her face in his neck. Oliver was just starting to relax as Felicity sneakily slid from the bed.
"Hey!" Oliver called out.
"Do you promise you are going to be nice to Leonard?" She asked as she backed towards the bedroom door.
"Fine. But I'll reserve judgment. Now, get back over here." Oliver growled.
"Reserve judgment for as long as you want, as long as you give him a fair chance." Felicity pressured.
"Fine." Oliver drew the word out, accepting she wasn't coming to bed with a pout.
"Thank you. Now, I'm going to find Thea. We have some important things to discuss." Felicity spoke as she opened the door.
"But he isn't on the team!" Oliver yelled to her retreating back. All he got in response was her laughter. Oliver shook his head, trying to remain agitated, but he didn't have it in him. He also, maybe, kind of felt bad for being hypocritical. Everything Felicity had said to him had been right. And she didn't say it out loud, but they both knew if they were being completely honest, he had probably done much worse than Captain Cold had and probably for worse reasons as well. He liked to think he everything he had done had been for survival, or the greater good, but he learned along the way that wasn't true. Felicity and Dig had taught him that there was always another way. A better way. So, maybe Leonard had changed, but Oliver would have to see it to believe it. He was going to be watching the man very closely, and as soon as he briefed Diggle and the other men on the situation, he was sure he wasn't going to be the only one. If there was anything going on that wasn't on the up and up, one of them would find out, and Oliver would be the one to personally deal with him. He wouldn't allow any of his family to be hurt. They had all suffered enough for a life time.
You guys are all wonderful! I am going to keep going for a while tonight and tomorrow, jot some more notes and plot points down in my notebook and do a rough draft. Then I should be done within the week or so! I really hope you guys like it and I really appreciate you sticking with me and this story for so long!
