Preface
The one where Felicity starts overPosted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/1716596.
Rating:
General Audiences
Archive Warning:
No Archive Warnings Apply
Category:
F/M
Fandom:
Arrow (TV 2012), Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Relationship:
Felicity Smoak/Bruce Wayne
Character:
Felicity Smoak, Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen
Additional Tags:
Alternate Universe, edited - 10.04.2016
Stats:
Published: 2014-05-31 Completed: 2015-01-18 Chapters: 3/3 Words: 14447
The one where Felicity starts over
by orphan_account
Summary
Felicity leaves Starling and moves to Gotham.
Finding a new team
'You are not going to lose me.'
Felicity was still haunted by Oliver's words but as she watched the security camera footage of him and Sara, she morbidly realized that she had, in fact, already lost him. Felicity knew that those little touches and looks shared between her and Oliver did not mean anything for him, but it still hurt seeing him with someone else. Felicity was trying to not let the pain and disappointment show on her face and it seems she was successful because Oliver and Sara had no clue about her true feelings. They never saw her eyes full with tears or her shoulders slumping down every time they touched. They didn't but Diggle and Roy did and she couldn't stand the pity in their eyes. She couldn't stand the silent conversations between the ex-soldier and the youngest member of their little team. It was killing her. It was slowly killing her and Felicity wasn't sure she was strong enough to not completely break down in front of them. That's when she came up with her plan. It was stupid and it meant she was giving up without a fight and they were going to hate her so much for doing this but she needed to do it. She needed to start living again.
A week after her comming uo with her plan, three or four hours after Oliver had left the office to spend the night with the Lances, Felicity cleaned up her desk at Queen Consolidated. She stepped into Oliver's office, walked to his desk and left her resignation letter on top of a folder full with documents. Oh, he was going to be so mad with her. He had trusted her with his secret and yet she was leaving them. She wasn't going to tell to anyone about his other identity and betray the team - Felicity was heartbroken but that did not meant that she was going to ruin their lives. And about her other job… Well, they managed without her in the beginning, she was sure they could still do it when she was gone. Felicity had left identical messages for Diggle and Oliver at the lair, explaining to them why she was doing this. Even if Diggle already knew the reason why, Felicity felt like she had to leave him a note. She explained that she was leaving Starling City for good and that there was no point in trying to get her back to the team. She had also left instructions about her software, showing them the easiest way to work with it and how to find whatever they were looking for. With one last look at the city through the huge windows in Oliver's office she took a deep breath and headed towards the elevators. Once the doors closed and she started moving down, she let the tears flow. This was the end of Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen's EA and the Arrow's personal IT expert.
*
Oliver knew something was wrong the moment he stepped out of the elevator the next morning. The whole floor seemed darker, colder even. The moment he turned to his right he understood why.
"Mr. Queen," a woman in her mid forties, with short brown hair and warm hazel eyes was standing where Felicity was supposed to be waiting for him and John, the day's plan in her hands, ready to scold him for the stunts he pulled as the Arrow the night before. "My name is Stella Jenkins. I am your new Executive Assistant. Miss Smoak was kind enough to work with me for the past week so I could step in right where she left. Your first meeting is in 30 minutes and it is with Ms. Rochev. If you need anything just call me." With that the woman nodded at him and Diggle and sat down behind the desk. Oliver just stood there, speechless, and John had to actually push him so he would enter his office. Her letter was the first thing he saw and he wuickly grabbed it, eyes scanning the lines, searching for an explanation. The letter was strictly professional and it sounded cold and distant and so not like Felicity. He was just about to start yelling when his phone rang. It was Sara.
"You need to come to the lair. She left notes for you and Diggle here," was allshe said before she had hung up on him, not giving him a chance to say something.
"We need to get to the warehouse," he spoke in a harsh voice and Diggle nodded. Oliver rushed through his office door, not even looking at his new EA.
"Sorry about that. You're gonna have to clean his schedule until further notice. I think there is some kind of an emergency." John explained. Mrs. Jenkins did not look convinced but knew better than to oppose Mr. Queen's bodyguard. She nodded and sat back down, reaching for the phone. "Thank you." John yelled over his shoulder, running after a pissed off Oliver.
*
"She left!" Oliver yelled and punched the dummy furiously. The other members of the team were carefully watching him, not wanting to bring his anger onto them. "I trusted her. I trusted her with my secret, I trusted her with people's lives, I trusted her with everything! I even let her bring me back from Lian Yu. And for what? So she could leave?!" his last punch was so hard it actually broke the dummy and it's head flied across the room.
"Really, Oliver? You trusted her with everything?" Diggle whispered. He was hurt too. Felicity was his friend too. Oliver lifted his eyebrow, waiting for an explanation but John just sighed and shook his head. "You're not the only one who is sad about her leaving. But it's her life. It's her choice."
"Yeah, it's her choice but how can I be sure she won't just go to some tabloid and tell them everything we've ever done?" The moment the words fell out of his mouth he realized how stupid they were. He knew Felicity would never do something like this. She was way too loyal to put him or any of them in any kind of danger.
"I can't believe you just said that. Do you even realize how selfish and dumb you sound right now?" Roy yelled and Oliver looked angrily at him. The younger man just shook his head, turned his back on him and walked towards the door. John carefully picked up his goodbye-note from the desk and putted it in his inside pocket. He then turned to follow Roy, not looking back. Oliver sighed deeply and fell into her chair.
"I just don't understand, why would she leave like that? It's not like something big and stressful has happened lately for her to want to leave… I don't understand." He whispered and shut his eyes.
"Maybe it wasn't something that had happened the last few weeks. Maybe she had had enough of this. Enough of the danger, enough of the many sleepless nights. Everyone has a breaking point. Maybe she had reached hers." Or maybe you and me getting together hurt her more than she showed. Sara was blonde but she was not stupid and she was not blind. Felicity's crush for Oliver did not go unnoticed by her. She was at her place once, she knew the look.
Oliver took a deep breath and shook his head. "Whatever. She left. We still have work to do. Let's do it."
*
Felicity loved her new job. She had never imagined herself living in Gotham but she absolutely loved it. At the beginning it was a bit hard for her to get used to everything but she quickly got accustomed to the change.
Felicity's new job was in the IT department at 'Wayne Enterprises' and she actually enjoyed it. Her coworkers were really nice and did not saw her as a dumb blonde bimbo, but actually respected her and saw her enormous potential for getting on a higher position in the firm. Her boss, Lucius Fox, was really kind and nice to her too. He wasn't pushing the employees around and respected every single one of them. Felicity thought he was genuinely a nice guy but she knew that even the nicest people had their limits. That's why she was always making sure to finish every task he gave her in time. She thought she was doing pretty well. And she had no idea why Bruce Wayne himself wanted to meet her.
"Miss Smoak! Mr. Wayne is ready for you" His secretary said loudly and Felicity nodded nervously at her. Taking a deep breath she pushed the heavy wooden door and entered the room. Her heart stopped beating for a second. Inside Mr. Wayne's office was also Mr. Fox. That was it, she was getting fired. She was sure she hasn't messed up anything with her projects, but she just knew it. She was so getting fired. Good job, Felicity. It's been only three months and you're gonna be unemployed again. Just fantastic! Bruce Wayne laughed loudly, shaking his head with amusement. Felicity felt her whole face heat up.
"I said that out loud, didn't I?" She asked quietly. Mr. Fox nodded and she groaned quietly in embarassment.
"You are not getting fired, Miss Smoak. I just wanted to meet the newest asset in our company's IT department. Ever since you started working here Mr. Fox has been only praising your work." Felicity smiled brightly and she looked gratefully at the older man who just smiled at her. "I just wanted to know more about you and I thought it was fair to ask you instead of using the internet. You worked for Queen Consolidated before you started working for us, correct?" Felicity's smile faltered. She felt a bit of pain in her chest.
"Yes, that is correct. I worked for QC for two years and seven months before I left."
"And why did you leave?" Mr. Wayne looked at her curiously. "You were in the IT department for a year and a half. Then, when Oliver Queen came back, five months after the 'Undertaking' you became his personal assistant. A job quite below your skills, if you ask me."
"I didn't" she replied harshly and had to bit her tongue before she said something even worse to the man in front of her. "Sorry. Mr. Queen needed someone he could trust. We became friends shortly after he came back the first time. He asked me if I could do it and I agreed. End of story."
Neither one of them looked like they believed her. Oh, she thought, they know. "Look, I know who you are, Mr. Wayne." Wayne just raised his eyebrows at her, his expression not changing in the slightest. "Apparently you have to be insanely rich to become a vigilante these days." Mr. Fox seemed surprised, but Wayne actually looked impressed. "I'm gonna keep your secret if you keep his."
The tension in the room was almost unbearable. Stupid, stupid Felicity! I'm literally gonna get myself killed one day.
"Calm down, Miss Smoak. I am not going to kill you." Damn it. She had to learn how to control herself. "I am not going to tell to anyone about Queen. It's not my secret to tell."
"Thank you" Felicity nodded shyly. "Was that everything you needed to know?"
"Yes, it was. Thank you so much for coming," Wayne and Fox stood up. She shook their hands and turned to leave. "Oh, I'm sorry. I have one more question." Felicity turned around nervously. "Why did you left Starling City? Did something happen to you because of Queen's...?" He didn't finished his question but there was no need. Felicity let the pain flash across her face for a moment. Oh. So, that's the reason she left.
"I just thought it was a time for a change." She smiled. It was a real, genuine smile and Bruce returned it. She's beautiful. Queen's a fool. "Am I free to go now?"
"Yes, you are free. Have a nice day, Miss Smoak."
"You too, Mr. Wayne. Mr. Fox." She nodded at the older man, turned around and left the office.
*
Two months after her talk with Bruce Wayne Felicity had her first day off from work. She decided to spend it out in the city, around people. As she paid for her coffee she thought about checking the Gotham City Library. She had always had a thing for books and Gotham's library was one of the biggest libraries in the world. Sponsored by our good Mr. Wayne, of course. Felicity left a tip for the barista and turned around to leave the coffee shop when she bumped into someone.
"I'm so sorry!" She rushed out an apology and looked up to meet the hazel eyes of her boss.
"Miss Smoak." Bruce greeted her with a smile. "What are you up to on this beautiful day?"
"I was going to the library, actually." She replied nervously. "Don't you have a big conference meeting or something?"
"I don't really enjoy those meetings. I let Mr. Fox deal with them since he actually knows what he's doing." He laughed and Felicity chuckled politely.
"Well, since you are free, do you want to join me?" What are you doing, Felicity? He's Bruce Wayne. He's your boss. He doesn't spend time with his employees and he definitely doesn't spend time with women like you!
"I would love to." His deep voice interrupted her thoughts. "But I should warn you – paparazzi don't have a day off. They will see us and there will be pictures and rumors."
"Oh, I don't care about that." She confessed. And she really didn't. She knew about all the rumors about her and how she got from an IT assistant to the CEO's right hand but did not pay them much attention. As long as she knew what she was doing and why she was doing it Felicity did not care about people's opinions. "For the past year I have heard enough things about me to write a trilogy. Although, I have to admit, the titles will be a lot more exciting now. You're the second billionaire I'll be seen with. They're probably gonna name me 'The Gold Digger of the century.' And if they did not compared you and Oliver before, they sure will now. So, I think the important question is, are YOU ready to hang out with the awkward geek and ruin your supermodel and prima ballerina's type of guy image?" Bruce laughed out loud and shook his head.
"You are amazing, you know that?" Felicity's eyebrows popped up and she felt the blood rush into her cheeks. "I have never really cared about my image, Miss Smoak. So yes, I would love to join you. Shall we?" Bruce smiled at her as he opened the coffee shop door.
*
"So, Miss Smoak, besides reading or searching for books, what else do you enjoy doing in your free time?" Bruce asked her when they found an empty bench at the park.
"You have to stop calling me Miss Smoak. It makes me think about my fifth grade PE teacher. And the memories are not good."
"So from that I just found out that you are not a huge fan of gym." Felicity smiled brightly and nodded.
"Your deduction is correct! I don't really have the time or the will to go there. It's not my thing. I prefer sitting at home in front of the computer or the TV or working on a new project… Which has been happening a lot less since I've left Oliver and Starling City."
"Can I ask you something personal, Felicity?" She nodded, trying not to pay attention to the way her name sounded rolling out of his lips. "Are you still in love with him?" Felicity pulled back a little, surprised from the question. "I saw it in your eyes that day when you were at my office. You don't have to answer me if you don't want to." Felicity looked him in the eyes and shook her head slowly.
"No, it's fine. I think it's time I finally talked to someone about it." Bruce smiled at her. "I still love him. I care about his well being and I think I always will, because he was my friend. But I am not in love with him. Not anymore."
"What exactly happened between the two of you?"
"That's the thing. Nothing really happened. I was stupid enough to let myself fall for the wrong guy. As always." Felicity said as she let her hand rest on the bench. Without thinking, Bruce let his own hand cover her's and squeezed her fingers.
"You will find the right one, Felicity." She smiled, appreciating his words and sighed deeply.
"So, can I ask you a question now?" When Bruce nodded she lowered her voice and got little closer to him. "I promised to myself that I will stay away from all the danger of the vigilante life, but honestly, I miss the feeling of knowing that I helped with saving someone's life. The life I had before I moved here was dangerous and exciting and so much more than my everyday routine I have here. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I love working at your company. And I never thought I'd say this but I miss that life. And by now you probably know what my question is." Bruce nodded, but before he could say anything she started talking again. "I understand why you are probably against it. You don't want to put my life in danger and joining you and your mission means danger. But I want to do this. Even if it means that I'll be only sitting behind the computer screen, searching information for you, never going out in the field. I just want to help people. Please." Bruce watched her very carefully. The woman before him was extraordinary. She was amazing, brave and so, so beautiful. "You don't have to answer me right now. But please, just promise you will at least think about my offer." She was begging him. She thought she sounded pathetic, but she really needed it. Once Felicity knew that she could use her knowledge to do good in this world, she wanted to do it all the time. She watched Bruce think about it and smiled really big when he nodded.
"Okay, Felicity."
"Okay as in you're going to think about it or as in okay 'you're in'?"
"You're in. BUT you will not go on the field. Ever." Felicity screeched with joy and threw herself at him, pulling him in a tight hug.
"Oh, thank you, thank you so much, Mr. Wayne." Bruce laughed as he wrapped his hands around her.
"It's okay. And I think it's time you stopped calling me Mr. Wayne. It makes me feel really old and snobby." Felicity laughed and pulled back a bit. She realized that they were still hugging and started blushing. She slowly let her hands fall down. Great job, Smoak. First Oliver and now… Bruce. What is up with you and your bosses?
Now people will definitely talk.
*
Tonight was the first quiet night Starling City had seen in a long time. Because of that Oliver let everyone go home early. They deserved a night out too. Diggle was having a date with Lyla in one of the most famous restaurants in the city. Oliver's treat. Sara decided to visit her parents. She asked if he wanted to go with her but given the fact that Laurel was going to be there stopped him. Their relationship was complicated enough at the moment without having to deal with his girlfriend sister which happened to be his ex as well.
When Oliver walked down the stairs in the lair he was surprised to see Roy there. He was sitting in Felicity's chair, looking at the screens.
"Okay. I did what you told me to do but I'm still nowhere near the end. I don't think I am smart enough to do what you used to do." Roy was obviously not talking to him and Oliver decided to stay in the shadows for a while.
"Well, of course you can't. I didn't always know how to do it, you know. I, too, needed some time to figure it out. I'm sure that soon enough you'll be able to hack into the FBI's database without a problem." Oliver's heart stopped beating for a second. This was the first time he heard her voice in six months. And she was laughing. Oh, how he had missed this.
"Yeah, we'll see, Felicity." Roy responded with a deep chuckle and suddenly changed the theme. "So, you and Wayne, huh?" Oliver frowned. She and Wayne? What was the kid talking about?
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you read the tabloids now."
"It was Thea's fault. You know her, she always reads that stuff. She said she was just checking one of Gotham's tabloid sites when she saw a photo of you and Wayne and she told me to ask you about it since you don't talk to…" Roy's voice faded at the end and Oliver knew he was talking about him.
"You can say his name, kiddo, it's not like he's Lord Voldemort or something. Bruce is my boss and we are friends. Plus, if Thea made you look at the tabloids you know that he has a type and I don't exactly fit in it." Oliver frowned deeply when he heard her calling him Bruce. There was obviously something more between them if she called him by his first name.
"But do you like him? Not that there is something wrong with you liking him, but considering what happened here I think you should be more careful. Again, it's not my place to say anything but…"
"Calm down, Roy." She interrupted him with a laugh. "Babbling it's still my thing. And you're right – it's not your place to say anything."
"So you do like him?" Roy asked again and Oliver found himself eager for her answer.
"I... I don't know." She sighed and Oliver could picture her hand rubbing her forehead.
"I only asked because Thea wouldn't stop talking about you two. Apparently she knows this guy. Rich people's secret club or something" Felicity laughed soundly at that. "She said that every time she saw him he was with a different woman. She was just pointing out that since that photo of the two of you he was not seen with anyone else. I did not mean to intrude, Felicity." Oliver could hear the regret in the kid's voice and he noticed how his shoulders slumped down.
"It's okay, Roy. People always talk. I'm actually getting used to it. You know, he's not…"
"Felicity?" A deep male voice interrupted hers and Oliver recognized it immediately. "Lucius wants you to be at his meeting tomorrow and I thought that I should warn you."
"Warn me? About what? And why does he wants me there?" Felicity sounded confused, forgetting for a moment about Roy.
"Well, don't tell him I told you, but he considers promoting you to head of the IT department."
"What? Are you serious?"
"Totally serious. He and the rest of the board are impressed with your work. The meeting is with Rochev." Isabel? She did not tell Oliver that she will be going to Gotham. Or maybe she did? He did not really paid attention to her. "I know how she treated you back in Starling and I thought to give you a heads up. And if you want I can come with you. I'm actually free tomorrow."
"Are you sure you're free?" Apparently Wayne responded with a nod. "Then please come with me. I really don't like her." Wayne's laughter sounded closer to the phone now. Oliver heard the sound of Felicity's chair being pulled and her squeaking.
"Then it's a good thing I'll be there to distract you with my handsomeness." Roy chuckled as he heard Felicity snore at his comment. "It's getting really late, Felicity. You should go back home and try to have some sleep. I mean, I know it must be hard seeing this beautiful face all day and not have fantasies but you're starting to look like a ghost."
"Bruce Wayne!" She yelled but the only response she got was his laughter getting away and a door being soundly closed. She then sighed heavily. "I'm sorry about that, Roy. He doesn't always notice when someone is on the phone."
"It's okay but now I have another question. Why is he with you so late?" That was a good question and for once Oliver praised Roy's curiosity.
"I've had this side project that's making me work more. He sometimes stays with me to keep me company." That sounded rush and not true to Oliver but apparently was good enough for Roy.
"Well then I should leave you to your work. But you should listen to the man and get home soon. I've never been to Gotham but it's pretty late and you should be careful while getting home."
"Thanks for the concern but don't worry. I have someone watching my back." She sounded like she was smiling. What was that supposed to mean? "Just one more thing. How are they?" Roy sighed and took a deep breath.
"They're fine. Diggle is still with Lyla and this time it might actually work out. At least that's what he's saying. I don't really know about Sara. Mr. and Mrs. Lance are happy that she's here and alive but I'm not so sure about her sister. I think she still doesn't talk to her. Oliver…" Roy stopped and shook his head. "Oliver is Oliver. Physically, he's okay. He's great. But he's even grumpier than before. He… He really misses you. We all miss you."
"Oh, Roy, I miss you too. I miss you all. But we talked about this. I have a life here now and I really enjoy it. I can't leave this to come back to Starling. It's selfish, I know, but I am really happy here. I am sorry if Oliver gives you hard time because of me. I really am. But I'm not coming back. And that's my final decision. Now, it's getting really late and I should go back home and rest for tomorrow. After all, The Ice Queen is coming to town. Goodnight, Roy. Talk to you soon."
"Goodnight Felicity." Roy picked up his phone and ended the conversation. Oliver quietly stepped further more into the shadows. He watched as Roy turned around and eyed every single object in the lair. His eyes stopped on Oliver's quiver and he shook his head. "Oliver Queen - part time CEO, part time vigilante and a full time idiot." Roy whispered and walked towards the stairs. Oliver should be really mad at the kid for his words but he knew he was right. He was an idiot. It was his fault that Felicity left. He knew about her feelings and yet he decided to rekindle things with Sara. Felicity thought he did not saw the pain in her eyes but he did. Sara did too but they never talked about it.
Oliver sighed deeply and moved towards the computers. He opened the browser software and wrote 'Bruce Wayne' in the search engine. Oliver never really liked the other billionaire. He was exactly what Oliver was before the island. Although, at their last encounter, almost a year ago at the annual Wayne Enterprise gala, Oliver noticed a change in the man. His whole posture, the whole 'rich guy with a different model every night' thing was an act. Wayne was hiding something.
Oliver's eyes skimmed through the screen. There was his Wiki page, his company's official site, information about his charity organizations and after that were the tabloids. He clicked on the first link and his heart stopped. Wayne and Felicity we're sitting on a bench in a park. They were looking each other and Wayne's hand was covering hers. On the next photo they were hugging, and the next one showed them looking at each other's eyes, Wayne smirking and Felicity blushing. Oliver's hand squeezed the mouse so hard he thought he'd break it. He did not liked this. Wayne was dangerous. Wayne was a womanizer and he'd break her heart. Just... Just like he did. He sighed and relaxed back in the chair, remembering her words. He had to admit that she really looked happy. And he had to be fine with that. Even if Wayne was the one that made her smile and not him.
*
Felicity was enjoying a glass of a super expensive red wine (a gift from Bruce after they caught this mob boss three weeks ago) when she heard the knock on her door. Frowning, she looked at the clock above her TV. Eleven thirty. The knocking returned, this time louder.
"Coming!" She yelled as she tied her robe. She looked through her peephole and sighed. Removing the chain from her door she opened it quickly. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Felicity asked hurriedly as she pulled Bruce into her apartment. "I thought the mission went well!"
"It did. Calm down, Felicity. I am fine." She continued checking him for wounds, not believing his words. After she was sure he was okay she finally looked him in the eyes expecting an explanation about his visit. "I uh… I came here…" He mumbled quietly and Felicity frowned. This was so not like Bruce. He was never unsure of his words. He always spoke with confidence, even when he was wrong. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come to the gala tomorrow with me." The words fell through his lips so fast she had a hard time following them.
"What? Why?" she asked confused, frowning a bit. "I mean, why me? Are all your supermodel friends busy or something?" Bruce sighed and shook his head.
"No, they are not busy. Well, at least I think so. I don't know, I never called any of them. I am asking you because I want to go with you." Oh, God! That was definitely a dream. She had had this dream before. Wake up, Felicity, Bruce is not actually asking you! "But I am! I am asking you, Felicity." She blushed and opened her mouth to ask him more questions but he started talking again. "You know, I get it why Queen never made a move on you. It's dangerous to do what we are doing and if something happens there's a really big chance that you're gonna end up getting hurt, or worse. But I'm not Queen. I can't keep pushing aside these feelings I have for you." Bruce lifted his hand a brushed a finger against her cheek. "You are amazing, Felicity Smoak. You are one of the smartest people I have ever known. You are loyal, brave, caring… You are amazing." He repeated and his hand slipped behind her neck. "You are amazing and so beautiful and I am so in love with you…" he whispered and Felicity launched herself onto him. Their mouths crashed, tongues fighting for dominance. Felicity moaned and it made Bruce shiver. God, he had it bad. After a minute or two they parted, breathing heavily.
"This is for real? You are serious?" Felicity asked with her eyes closed, afraid that if she opened them this will just be another dream.
"I am serious, Felicity. I don't know how it happened. The first time I met you I was just mesmerized by you. You were so adorable. And then when you said you know who I am I understood that I have underestimated you. When you asked me join my crusade I knew that you were something different. These past two months that we've been working together I kept discovering thеse little things about you that made you…Well, you." Felicity opened her eyes with a smile. "I don't know when it happened but tonight, after I saw your little sticky note with the smiley face on it, I just knew it. I knew I was in love with you and that I had to tell you. If you agree to do this with me it means that you would definitely be in danger. Not just because I am Batman but because I am Bruce Wayne. People would talk, paps will always snap pictures of you. People will look at you differently. Criminals will want to hurt you because of me. But I wanted you to know because I don't want to spend my whole life wondering what could've happen. I don't want what ifs. I want you. And I'll understand if you don't want me. I'll understand if it's too complicated because of Queen and The Arrow and Starling. I'll understand if…" His tirade was interrupted by her lips finding his again.
"You talk a lot. And that's coming from me." She smiled and cupped his face. "Now you listen to me. I was in love with Oliver. He was this person that I could not understand and I found him to be interesting. Then I got to know him and that made me fall in love with him. But he was not in love with me. Or maybe he was, maybe he realized it after I left. But that does not matter to me now." Bruce's eyes started shining with hope. "I left Starling because I needed a change. I needed to be myself again. When I started working in the IT department at your company I finally thought that I had found the place where I belong. I love what I'm doing and I am really, really good at it. The reason why I asked to join you in your "other job" was because I really wanted to help people. I really wanted to be able to turn on the TV and see the people who I helped saving hug their families again." Bruce smiled and nodded, understanding her. "I would be happy to go to the gala with you but you should know that I am really upset with you right now." Bruce frowned and quickly pulled himself away from her. "I have less than a day to prepare for it. I don't have a dress, shoes, I don't know what my make up would look like or what I'll do with my hair and…" She was interrupted by his laughter and she slapped him across his chest. "It's not funny! I'll be the worst looking woman and I'll be showing up with you. You should be even more worried than me. It will ruin your image."
"First of all, you can show up with your hair up in a bun, in your old MIT hoodie and sports shorts and you'll still be the most beautiful woman in the world. Secondly, do you know me? I can make a call and in two hours your apartment will be turned into a spa salon. Don't worry though, I won't do it." He added quickly as he saw her eyes going big. "I've already taken care of everything." At Felicity's questioning look he started laughing. "I was hoping you'd agree to come with me. At nine tomorrow a car will be waiting for you." Felicity nodded with a smile and Bruce couldn't contain himself. He captured her lips again in a sweet kiss. "There's another thing I'm worried about, though. You know that he's going be there, right?" Felicity sighed and pulled herself away from him. "I know that this will be the first time you'll see him after you left Starling. Any of them, actually." Felicity looked at him confused. "Thea is bringing her boyfriend, Ray was his name? Roy? I can't remember. And I personally made sure to invite John Diggle to the gala. I know you miss them and I wanted to make you happy."
"Oh my GOD!" She screamed and threw herself at him. "You are amazing, do you know that?"
"I've been told." He replied with a chuckle. "So you're gonna come? Even if Oliver shows up with anyone?"
"Bruce." She said sternly and cupped his face again. "I am going to the gala with you. I am going to be your date. I am happy that I'm gonna see Dig and Roy again, even Thea. And I am glad I'll see Oliver. I thought I wasn't ready but I am. Because I will have someone who I love by my side. And it will be the most amazing night in my life." They kissed again and after a few minutes Felicity pulled her head back. "Now it's time for you to go. I need beauty sleep and it's already getting late. See you tomorrow." She brushed her thumb against his lips and he smiled.
"I'll pick you up at eight thirty." Bruce informed her as he walked towards the door.
"But I thought the gala started at eight?" Felicity asked confused and Bruce laughed.
"You don't expect me to show up on time, do you?"
*
Oliver decided that he'll go alone to the gala. Sara wanted to spend some time with her parents and he respected that. She never really liked these things, she found them annoying. Things were going steady between them and for a first time in a while Oliver felt good. His eyes fell upon Roy, who was constantly pulling at his bow tie, earning himself angry glares from Thea. John and Lyla looked uncomfortable but Oliver could see the anticipation in the ex soldier's eyes. He was excited to see Felicity again. They all were. Suddenly the ballroom exploded with cheers and Oliver looked around to see what was happening. Bruce Wayne stood at the main entrance, a huge smile on his face. Oliver looked at his watch. Nine o'clock. He shook his head. Wayne was never on time. He returned his attention to the other man. Wayne was looking to the woman on his left with a look of pure adoration. It took Oliver a moment to realize who exactly the woman was.
"Felicity!" Thea gasped beside him. "Oh my God, she looks gorgeous! See, I told you, Roy. They do look good together." Oliver was not looking at him but he was sure the kid just rolled his eyes. He was carefully watching the couple that had just entered the hall. Felicity was nervous, pretty much every person in the room could say that. Wayne whispered something at her ear that made her laugh loudly and she visibly relaxed. She then took his hand and let him guide her through the people in the room. Ten minutes later they stood before their little group.
"Moira!" Bruce exclaimed and hugged the oldest Queen.
"Hello, Bruce. Always nice to see you." She replied pleasantly and kissed his cheek. She then turned to Felicity. "Miss Smoak."
"Mrs. Queen" Felicity responded with a nod. She then turned her head towards Thea. "Hello, Thea. How are you?"
"I am great, Felicity." Thea answered happily as she hugged the blonde woman. "How are you? And by the way, you look totally gorgeous."
"I'm fine, thank you. You look amazing as well." She then looked at Roy and Oliver could see the happiness almost bursting out of the kid's face. They shared a small hug. Felicity then turned towards John and smiled widely. John quickly stepped closer to her and scooped her into a tight hug. Felicity laughed loudly as she placed her hands around his shoulders.
"Oh, I've missed you too, Dig. But I think you should let go now. My date can get really jealous sometimes and I don't want Lyla to think badly of me." Lyla smiled at Felicity and shook her head. She knew how much John had missed her. They pulled away from each other and Bruce was immediately at her side. "Bruce, this is John Diggle, one of my closest friends. John this is Bruce, he's my…" Felicity stopped in the middle of her sentence not sure how to finish it. She looked at Bruce for help and he laughed as his hand sneaked around her waist.
"I'm her 'not yet a boyfriend but surely hoping one day to be'." Both men shook hands. "I have heard a lot of thing about you. It's good to finally meet you."
"Thank you. And thank you for inviting us here. It means a lot." Bruce nodded and then turned towards Oliver.
"Queen." Bruce extended his hand and Oliver took it.
"Wayne. It's been a while."
"Yes, it has." Bruce looked at Felicity. She nodded slightly and he understood her. "Well, if you excuse me, I have to talk to Lucius. See you in a while." He kissed her cheek and Felicity blushed. She slowly turned around to face Oliver.
"Hello, Oliver. It's nice to see you again." She stepped closer and wrapped her hands around his shoulders. Oliver slowly returned her hug, his heart beating hard against his chest.
"It's nice to see you too." Their hug was too short. He needed to hold her more but knew that he'd already lost her. He was not blind, he saw the way she looked at Wayne. She was in love with him and Wayne was in love with her. He would not ruin this for her. Oliver did not trusted Wayne, but he would not do that to Felicity again. He had his chance and he blew it. She deserved to be happy. "You look great, Felicity. How are you?"
"Thank you, you're not so bad yourself." She replied with a smile. "I am great. Been busy with work lately. Nothing new. How are you? How is Sara? Is she here?" Oliver shook his head.
"I am well, thank you. No, she's not here. She decided to spend the weekend with her parents. I think Laurel is finally starting to get around."
"That's great." She said with an honest smile and turned towards John. "How are you, Dig?"
"I am happy to actually see you, not only hear your voice. I've missed you so much." John replied and pulled her into another hug.
"Aww, John, I've missed you too. I promise that our next meeting will be sooner. In fact, I think Bruce is coming to Starling next month. I think I can convince him to take me with him." John laughed and Felicity smiled brightly. She looked around the room and her eyes stopped on someone. "Excuse me, I have to go talk to this gentleman. I'll come back again, I promise." She then nodded at Oliver and turned around the other way. Oliver and Diggle watched her walking towards a young man in a tux. Something in the way that they talked to each other seemed familiar in both of the men. A minute later Bruce joined them and then Felicity started talking animatedly and pointed her finger towards Wayne.
"Does this looks familiar to you?" Thea had stepped closer to her brother and his bodyguard.
"What are you talking about?" Oliver asked her confused.
"This is the three of you before she left Starling. You always gathered around and talked like this and then disappeared somewhere unknown." Oliver and Diggle looked at each other for a moment and then back at the trio before them. Oh. Oh. Oliver understood now. He looked at Dig and slowly nodded at him. Felicity had a new life. She had a new job. And apparently she had a new hero who would keep her safe. Oliver had to step down. He did not have a say in her life anymore and he was strangely okay with that. He did not like Wayne, but he could tell that he'll do anything to protect her.
*
"No, Bruce, you are not going to leave me here to go and catch this guy. Blake can go after him, he's trained enough to go on his own." Apparently that was enough for the young detective and he turned around and left quickly. Felicity turned to Bruce and put her hand on his cheek. He leaned into her touch and sighed deeply. "You have to trust him more. He'll be okay. And if he's not we will leave this earlier than planned and you'll go to suit up and help him, okay?" At that Bruce smiled and Felicity shook her head. The band started playing a waltz and Bruce guided her towards the dance floor. He placed one of his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him.
"How was it?" He asked quietly.
"It went well. We couldn't really talk freely here. But it was good that I saw them. I had really missed them. Thank you so much for inviting John." Bruce nodded and kissed her forehead. "I told them that you were planning a visit to Starling next month, you might as well talk with Lucius and make it a real one." Bruce laughed soundly and that earned them the stares of the couples around them.
"Whatever you say, boss." He said with a wink and then turned her around. "You look beautiful." He murmured against her ear and she shivered.
"Thank you but this is hardly my fault. My boyfriend chose this for me, he has a great sense of style." At the word 'boyfriend' Bruce pulled back sharply and looked her intensely. Felicity just smiled and brushed her lips against his. "Let's go and talk some more to our guests from Starling. After that we'll do whatever you say, we can even ditch this whole thing." Bruce stopped dancing and started dragging her towards Oliver and company.
Make it through
A month after the gala Felicity, Bruce and Lucius visited Queen Consolidated. Lucius and Bruce had arranged a meeting with Oliver and Rochev to discuss the future partnership between the companies. It was weird for Felicity to be back at Starling. She used to think of this city as her home.
Felicity felt her stomach twist when she entered the elevator at Queen Consolidated. The looks that people gave her made her regret agreeing to this meeting.
"It's going to be okay, Felicity. It's just a meeting." Bruce whispered in her ear.
"I know but… I really don't like Rochev." Sighing, Bruce pulled her in a hug and kissed her forehead. Few seconds later the elevator stopped and they parted. Everyone knew about their relationship but when it came to business matters Felicity and Bruce both agreed that they should act strictly professional.
Oliver, Diggle and Rochev stood in front of the conference room, waiting for them. Diggle smiled at Felicity.
"Mr. Diggle! It's great to see you again." Bruce spoke loudly, approaching the man.
"It's my pleasure, Mr. Wayne." Dig replied as he shook the man's hand. Then Bruce moved towards Oliver to shaking his hand and they exchanged pleasantries. Rochev approached Lucius and shook his hand.
"Thank you for this meeting, Mr. Fox. It has escaped my attention that we will be needing our secretaries. Or partners." She smiled sweetly as she looked at Felicity. Everyone stopped talking immediately. Bruce was about to lose it when Lucius spoke up.
"Ms. Rochev! I am sure you have been informed that Miss Smoak is the new head of our IT department. She is one of our smartest employees and the reason why she is at a such high position is because she is the best at what she does. If you are implying that someone in this room got their position through sleeping with the boss I suggest you look in a mirror." Rochev looked at him incredulously, her mouth slightly open. Felicity couldn't believe Lucius just said that to her. "Now, if you don't mind I want to start the meeting. Miss Smoak will be the one to decide our future partnership. I suggest you watch your language, Ms. Rochev." With that Lucius walked past her and entered the conference room, Felicity following him quickly.
"That was awesome!" She whispered in the old man's year and he chuckled quietly.
"You are a part of our family, dear. No one treats our family like that." They took their places, Felicity sitting right in front of Oliver and started the long meeting.
*
Two and a half hours later they all exited the conference room. Rochev walked directly towards the elevators, not looking at anyone else.
"Lucius, I think you made her hate me even more." Felicity stated and everyone except Bruce chuckled.
"She got off easily. If Lucius haven't spoken up…"
"I'm sure you were going to make her die from shame, love." Felicity finished Bruce's sentence and squeezed his hand for a few seconds. He sighed deeply and smiled at her.
"So, you have plans for the rest of the day or…?" Oliver asked.
"I will go back to the hotel we're staying. There are few phone calls I need to make." Oliver nodded and Lucius shook his and Diggle's hands. "I will check up with Blake, make sure everything's okay back home." Bruce nodded and Felicity hugged him.
"See you later, Lucius." Felicity turned towards Oliver and Diggle and smiled at them. "I'm hungry. Want to go to Big Belly? I've really missed them." Diggle chuckled.
"I'll go get the car."
*
"You were right. These are the best burgers in the world." Bruce exclaimed as he finished his meal.
"I told you but you didn't listen." Felicity laughed. "So, I am assuming everyone on this table knows what we all do in our "free time"?" She asked quietly and looked at Oliver and Diggle. They both eyed her and Bruce and when he nodded they visibly relaxed. "Okay then. Is Roy back at the lair? I've been dying to see him."
"Yeah. He and Sara are keeping an eye on the city. We can go there when we're done." Felicity smiled gratefully at him and reached for the fries.
"So, how many people are in on your secret?" Bruce asked, watching the interaction between Oliver and Felicity carefully.
"Too many. " The Starling vigilante replied with a sigh. "You?"
"Too many." Felicity looked at Diggle and shook her head.
"Can we go now? I would appreciate if we finished our conversation at a more private place." She whispered and everyone nodded.
*
"Is this how you've been taking care of the computers, Roy? I should punch you in the face just for changing the set up!"
"FELICITY!" Roy yelled with an excitement and ran towards her. "You're here!" Felicity laughed as he pulled her into a tight hug. Realizing that Bruce was looking at him he quickly pulled away. "Oh, I-I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne, I…"
"It's okay, kid. I understand that you've missed her, I'm not gonna get jealous of a simple hug. Plus, I know that if you even think about cheating on Thea, Queen will murder you." Roy gulped soundly as he saw Oliver nodding. Felicity rolled her eyes. "Nice place you have here. Very cozy. Isn't it a bit small, though? I thought you'd need more space for…" He stopped talking when he noticed Sara. Something in his eyes changed. It made Felicity's heart skip a beat.
"Bruce? Is everything alright?" She squeezed his shoulder trying to get his attention on her. He just kept staring at the other woman.
"Hello, Bruce. Long time no see."
"You know him?" Oliver asked incredulously. Sara nodded and smiled sadly at him.
"We… Um, we were trained together." Bruce said quietly.
"You were in the League of Assassins?" Felicity whispered and Bruce closed his eyes. Shaking his head he walked away from her, approaching one of the dummies.
"They made me what I am. Ra's Al Ghul was the one that trained me. He's the one that turned me into this." He looked her over his shoulder and Felicity saw great sadness in his eyes, one she hadn't seen before. She approached him slowly and turned him around. "I am sorry, Felicity. I was going to tell you but…"
"No." She interrupted him, placing her hand on his mouth. "You have secrets, I get it. I'm not upset that you didn't tell me. I am sure that when you're ready you'll share it all with me. And I promise that I will wait. Whenever you're ready I will be there." Bruce smiled thankfully at her and kissed her gently. At the other end of the room, Sara was trying to explain to Oliver.
"It's okay." He whispered and pulled her into a hug. "You don't know everything about me either. I too have…" A loud alarm interrupted his voice and they all jumped up. Turning towards the monitors, Felicity's eyes went through the information in front of her.
"What the hell is that?" She exclaimed, not understanding what she was seeing.
"I don't know. Roy, pull up the street cameras footage." Roy moved towards the keyboard but looked quickly at Felicity.
"Wanna do it? For the good old days?" Felicity smiled at him and started typing furiously. Images of Starling showed up on the screens, showing a few groups of gangs breaking into random buildings. They all had guns and were wearing masks.
"There's too much of them. You need more people." Felicity spoke up quietly.
"Well, good thing I'm here, right?" Bruce replied quickly and she looked at him confused.
"What are you talking about? You don't have your suit!"
"Oh, love, there's another thing you should know about me. I don't always need my suit."
*
"Roy, Diggle? There's two guys on the main entrance and one at the back. They should be easy to neutralize."
"On it." They both responded and Felicity looked at the monitor that showed Oliver and Sara. They had already neutralized two groups and were now headed towards Bruce's location.
"Batman, Arrow and Canary are approaching, do not engage!" Remembering to use their code names, Felicity tried to talk some sense into Bruce's head.
"Copy that, Dragon Girl." Felicity rolled her eyes.
"Dragon Girl?" Oliver asked, his voice amused.
"It's from these books… It's stupid. And I thought I told you to not call me that!" Felicity used her loud voice and Bruce laughed quietly.
"I thought you said that she was your favorite. I'm sorry. I won't do that… Crap." He murmured and Felicity froze in her place.
"What? What happened?" She yelled worriedly, immediately checking him on the video footage. Sounds of fighting reached her ears and she looked at the screen.
"Batman, are you…"
"Not now." Was his answer and Felicity bit her tongue. The next thing she saw on the screen made her blood freeze. Bruce was surrounded by six men, all pointing guns at him. She had seen him in worse situations. She was well aware that Bruce had faced more than ten men at once. She knew that he had survived worse than this. So why was she so afraid? A movement on one of the screens grabbed her attention.
"Bruce! Behind you!" Felicity yelled into her comm, forgetting about codenames and secret identities. She watched on the monitors as Bruce tried to defeat the guy. He was losing. "Please, get to him in time. Please." She whispered.
"We're almost there, Felicity." Oliver reassured her. "Talk to me, where…"
"NO!" Felicity screamed at her monitors as she watched the man point a gun at Bruce. "Oliver! He's gonna shoot him! He's gonna…" The sound of a gunshot interrupted her. Felicity felt sick as she watched the man she loved drop to his knees. "Bruce?" She whispered brokenly, trying really hard not to lose it. "Bruce, please talk to me. Please, baby, just talk to me." The silence in her ear made her heart stop. "Oh, God, let him live. Let him live. Please." She whispered and started shaking. The tears fell down her cheeks but she didn't noticed them. "Don't do this to me, Bruce. Don't do it."
"Fe-li-city…" The sound of his voice made her jump from her chair.
"Bruce! Just hang on. Hang on, baby. You'll be okay, you can do this."
"F'city… There something… I need to tell… you."
"You'll tell me later. After you're patched up and feeling better."
"No… now."
"Wayne!" Felicity heard Oliver's scream and she looked at the screens again. She saw him carefully lifting Bruce and carrying him out of the building. "Felicity, Diggle is here, he'll drive him to the hospital. I'll be right after them, making sure they get there safe. Sara is headed to the lair, she'll pick you up and drive you there."
"'licity. Please… listen to me… Long time ago… There was a woman. H-Her name was Rachel. We were friends since we were kids. I loved her. And then she died. The... Joker killed her." Felicity closed her eyes and bit her lips.
"Why are you telling me this?" She asked quietly, hoping he'll still be able to answer her.
"Because… Because after I lost her I thought I'd never love again. I thought I'd… I'd never find someone who I can love with all of me. But then you showed up." A small cry escaped Felicity's lips. "I love you, Felicity. I love you."
"I love you. Please, Bruce, don't leave me. You can't do this to me."
"I won't… I won't leave, Feli…" As his voice died Felicity let out a scream. Dropping to her knees, she took off her comm and covered her mouth with her hands. Closing her eyes, Felicity let her head relax on her chair. Few minutes later she felt someone shaking her.
"Come on, Felicity. We have to go to the hospital. Come on." Sara lifted her up and pulled her towards the exit.
"It's too late…" Felicity whispered, not recognising her own voice.
"No, it's not! Didn't you hear Diggle? He said they brought him for a surgery when they arrived so there's still a chance!" Felicity looked at her and Sara saw a small spark of hope in the woman's teary eyes.
"He… He wasn't dead when they get to the hospital?" Sara shook her head and Felicity took a deep breath in. "Okay, let's go."
*
On their way to the hospital, Felicity called Lucius, Alfred and Blake. Lucius assured her that he was leaving for the hospital the moment they finished their call. Blake and Alfred said they'll get the private jet and that they'll be with her in a few hours.
When they entered the waiting room Diggle, Roy and Oliver (now in civil clothes) were waiting for them.
"Are there any news?" She asked quietly. Diggle shook his head.
"They got him into the emergency room the moment we arrived. My guess is that the surgery will be a long one." Felicity nodded slowly and sat down in one of the chairs. She just stood there and stared at the floor. Lucius arrived half an hour after her and she let him pull her into a hug.
"He'll be okay, Felicity. He has to be." He whispered and Felicity swallowed her tears. Forty five minutes after Lucius, Blake and Alfred showed up. As soon as she saw the young detective, Felicity started crying again and he pulled her into a hug.
"This is all my fault." She whispered and Alfred shook his head. "But it is. This meeting wasn't scheduled. I made him come here. I made him arrange this meeting between the companies. It's my fault. And if he…" Her voice broke as a new wave of tears overtook her.
"No, Miss Felicity." Alfred spoke harshly. "Master Wayne's been through a lot worse than this. He'll be alright. Don't give up on him, miss." Felicity nodded and slumped back into one of the chairs. Sara approached her and kneeled in front of her.
"He's right, Felicity. I've seen him beat death before. He'll do it this time too."
"I can't lose him, Sara. I can't." She whispered and Sara hugged her tightly.
Oliver watched quietly the scene before him. This is why he did not approved of Wayne's relationship with Felicity. The pain on her face was unbearable to watch. She was slowly going crazy, waiting for the news if he made it or not.
"You okay, man?" Diggle asked him quietly.
"No." Oliver shook his head. "Look at her. When I brought her into this I promised to myself and you that she won't end up getting hurt. And yet… Look at what happened."
"A lot of things have changed since she first joined us, Oliver. Half of the city was leveled down, you disappeared, we brought you back, your mother was in jail, Roy got injected with some super juice, Sara showed up… And she left. She left the team and she left Starling. She moved to Gotham, got a new job and found love. It was never really your decision, it was hers. She had multiple chances to leave the team, to act like she never found out your secret. She stayed because she wanted to help people. She chose this path for herself, Oliver, and I'm sure she knew the risks. I bet she mentally prepared herself for a moment like this. The thing is, when a tragedy strikes, we forget everything we ever said to ourselves and the only thing we can think of are our loved ones." Oliver was silent for a while, carefully watching Felicity.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" He asked quietly, making sure no one else hears his question.
"I don't know. He lost a lot of blood and I couldn't really check his wound. I hope he'll make it, though. For Felicity's sake, I hope he'll be okay." Oliver nodded at him. He was about to say something else when a doctor showed up in the waiting room.
"Bruce Wayne?" Felicity immediately jumped up from her chair, walking fast towards the doctor. "The surgery was successful." Felicity nearly fainted after hearing those words. "The bullet did not pierce any vital organs but Mr. Wayne had suffered a severe blood loss, which complicated the operation."
"But he's going to be okay, right?" Felicity asked quietly. The doctor nodded and she sighed with relief. "Can I see him?"
"Not for another hour, no."
"Thank you, doctor." She said with gratitude and turned towards Blake. The young man smiled at her and she hugged him tightly. "He really scared me this time."
"Master Bruce has a tendency of doing that." Alfred spoke up and everyone chuckled lightly.
*
An hour and a half later Felicity entered Bruce's room quietly. Seeing him lying on the hospital bed brought a new wave of tears in her eyes. Slowly, she moved towards the bed.
"You're an idiot." She whispered and grabbed his right hand. "God, Bruce, you scared the shit out of me. I thought I lost you." She reached for his head and ran her fingers through his hair. "I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you." She tears fall from her eyes as she kissed his forehead. "I know that this will happen again in the future. I know I will end up in a hospital again, waiting for the doctors to tell me if you made it or not. It's irrational of me to think you'll never get hurt again. But when you wake up you'll have to promise me one thing. You'll have to promise me to not give up easily. To fight to stay here, with me." Taking a deep breath she leaned above him and kissed his forehead.
"I promise." Felicity pulled away quickly and she squeaked as she saw his hazel eyes looking back at her.
"Bruce!" Cried out Felicity and she captured his lips with hers. "You're awake, you're… I love you, I love you, I love you…" She kissed him again and again, repeating those three little words.
"I love you too." Bruce tried to lift his hands to touch her but he was still dizzy from the anesthetics.
"Next time something happens and you don't have your suit you will stay away from it." Felicity said with a harsh tone and Bruce laughed.
"I promise." The door to the room opened and they turned their heads, expecting to see either Alfred or Blake. Instead, there stood a man and a woman Felicity had never seen before. "It's okay, Felicity, they are my friends."
"My name is Clark Kent. This is my wife, Lois. We were going back to Metropolis when Alfred called. You okay, Bruce?" Clark asked, looking at Bruce worriedly.
"Yeah. Nothing a little rest wouldn't help."
"Rest." Felicity scoffed and shook her head. "Like you can stay in one place for more than ten minutes." Lois smiled at her.
"He's the same." Lois approached Bruce and eyed him. "You sure you're gonna be okay?" Bruce looked at Felicity and smiled.
"Positive."
"Good. If you pull something like this I will personally kill you."
"Not if I get him first." Felicity added and Lois laughed.
"Always appreciating the concern, Lois." Bruce said grumpily. Clark shook his head.
"We just wanted to check up on you. We'll leave you two, now. It was nice meeting you, Felicity." He smiled and shook her hand. "When he gets better you should definitely visit us."
"Absolutely." Felicity watched them leaving and squinted her eyes. "And when were you going to tell me that you're friends with Superman?" Bruce's eyes widened with surprise. "I mean, come on. Glasses don't change a person's looks that much." Shaking his head, Bruce laughed quietly.
"You are amazing, has anyone ever told you that?"
"Mmmm, my boyfriend mentions it all the time." Bowing down, she kissed him again, taking her time to appreciate the feeling of his lips against hers. "You really scared me today, Bruce. When you stopped talking over the comm I thought that that was it."
"You said it earlier, Felicity. This probably won't be the last time I end up in a hospital. Things will probably get worse. Maybe… Maybe we shouldn't…"
"If you finish that sentence, God help me, I will kill you right here."
"But…"
"No butts. I chose to be with you, Bruce. I chose to support you in your battles. I will be right next to you until you don't want me there anymore." Bruce lifted his right hand and placed it on Felicity's neck, pulling her for a kiss.
"That will never happen." He whispered as they parted. "I love you."
"I love you too."
And so it goes on
5 months later
It was a warm morning in Gotham City. Looking through the office windows Felicity enjoyed the feeling of the sun warming up her face. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in and relaxed into the moment of silence and peace. Ever since she became the head of the IT department her life was even crazier than before, and that wasn't including her second job. Not that she was complaining. Felicity loved what she was doing - she loved the fact that Lucius appreciated her abilities and trusted her enough to promote her to the prestigious position and she loved the good that she, Bruce and Blake did for the city. Bruce…
Three weeks ago he finally put the suit back on and went out into the night. Through the entire process of his recovering he looked miserable and it broke Felicity's heart. The worse parts were when they had to call Clark and ask him to pose as the Batman. The first time that he saw Clark put on the suit, Bruce actually locked himself in their bedroom and refused to talk to her for the rest of the night. Eventually, he came around and apologized for acting like a child and Felicity had to explain that she understood him. She did.
A loud ring interrupted her thoughts and she jumped, surprised by the noise. Walking quickly to her desk, Felicity grabbed her phone and looked at the screen.
"Hey, Lois! Everything alright?"
"Everything's fine, Felicity. Relax, you'll give yourself a heart attack." The other woman chuckled and Felicity sighed with irritation.
"Yeah, well, you know me. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you and Bruce would mind if we flew up to have dinner next week? I heard from Clark that things were going great in Gotham."
"Yeah, for now." Felicity mumbled and rubbed her forehead. "Of course we'd love to have you for dinner. You're always welcomed in our home."
"Okay, see you soon. Bye, Lis." Lois hang up before Felicity could say anything else. Shaking her head, she left her phone on the desk and looked at her computer screen. Five minutes later her phone beeped.
"Ms. Smoak?" Her assistant sounded nervous.
"What is it, Jenny?"
"Mr. Wayne just called for you. He's expecting you in his office." Sighing, Felicity grabbed her phone and handbag and walked out of her office.
"Thank you, Jenny. If anyone calls for me tell them I took the rest of the day off, will you?"
"Of course, Ms. Smoak. Have a nice day."
"Thank you, you too." She smiled at the young woman and headed towards the elevators. She usually didn't took days off but today she couldn't just concentrate with her work. The elevator doors opened a minute later and she walked out with a confident step.
When they first started dating, Felicity couldn't stop thinking about what the people at 'Wayne Enterprises' will say about her. She was so worried, she actually tried to talk herself (and Bruce) out of their relationship, but at the end, she realized that no matter what she did, people will always talk about her. So she just accepted that and continued on with her life.
"Good morning, Ms. Smoak. Mr. Wayne is ready for you." Lara, Bruce's secretary said to her with a sincere smile and Felicity smiled too.
"Thank you, Lara." She quickly walked into his office, closing the door quietly. "How many times do I have to tell you? If you need to see me, call me! I told you how nervous you make Jenny." Bruce chuckled and pointed at one of the chairs.
"I'm sorry, I always forget. I'll make sure she gets a little raise for her inconvenience." Felicity just snorted and shook her head.
"So, what's going on? Is it a company thing or is it a you know what thing? Oh, and Lois called earlier, she and Clark are gonna be joining us for dinner some time next week, not sure when, exactly."
"Great." Bruce mumbled and Felicity frowned at him.
"They are your friends, Bruce. Our friends. Friends get together for dinners and stuff. So, what's up?" She asked again and watched as Bruce stood up from his chair.
"I… I've wanted to talk to you about this for a while now but didn't knew how to say it." He started quietly and Felicity froze in her place.
"Are… Are you breaking up with me?" She said, her voice breaking at the end. Bruce's eyes widened and he quickly walked towards her, dropping on his knees.
"No! No, Felicity, I… It's not like that at all." Felicity released a deep breath and relaxed a bit. "I… Do you remember what I told you that night? About Rachel and how I thought I'd never meet anyone else?" Frowning, Felicity nodded and Bruce continued. "Well, I met you. And you know how I feel about you. At least I hope you do." He looked up at her and she nodded again. She knew that Bruce loved her. For the few months they were together he had said it and showed it more times that she can count. Taking a deep breath, Bruce reached into his pocket and suddenly, Felicity realized exactly what was happening. "When I first found out that you left Queen Consolidated and moved to my company, I thought it was some sort of a trick. I thought that Queen had send you to spy on us. Which is stupid, now that I think about it, but everything was kind of messed up at the time. Then you walked in here and you were so nervous and you started babbling and I… I just knew that you couldn't be a spy for Queen." Felicity blushed at the memory and Bruce chuckled. "When I asked you why you quit your previous job, I saw the pain you were trying so hard to cover and understood that you needed a fresh start. So I just let it go. Then, when I met you at the coffee shop and spend those few hours with you, I found out that you were brave, not just beautiful." Felicity blushed even deeper when Bruce took her left hand and pressed it gently to his lips. "I realize that we haven't been dating for a long time. Hell, we only met a few months ago. But… I don't want to wait anymore, Felicity. I love you. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Which, may not be a very long life, considering what we do, but… It's doesn't matter if it's months, years or decades - I want to be with you. So…" Bruce pulled out a black, square box out of his pocket and Felicity felt her heart flutter. "Felicity Megan Smoak, will you marry me?" Felicity looked him in the eyes and smiled widely.
"Yes. Yes, Bruce, I will marry you." As soon as the words left her mouth, Bruce sprung towards her, craships his lips with hers. Smiling into the kiss, Felicity wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her. After a minute or so, they drew apart, dumb smiles plastered on their faces. Bruce took the ring out of the box and placed it slowly on her finger.
"So, you want to keep this a secret or…?"
"I'm calling Diggle and Roy, you call Clark and Lois!" Laughing, Bruce let her stood up and she reached for her bag.
*
"Nice one, kid. Soon you'll be as good as Oliver with that thing." Diggle said brightly as he pointed at the bow.
"Yeah, right." Roy snorted and let his bow on one of the tables. He was about to say something else when Diggle's phone started ringing.
"Hey, Felicity, everything okay?" Roy lifted his head at the mention of their former partner. He missed her. Ever since the incident from few months back he made sure to call her at least three times a week. He and Thea even visited her and Wayne a few times. He cared for her wellbeing, which was why he was looking at Diggle's face, trying to understand if this was a bad or a good call. When he saw the older's man lips stretch into a smile he felt his heart calming down. "Seriously? Congratulations, guys! This is awesome. Yes, of course I'll tell them. Well, we'll have to discuss this, but I think we'll manage. Okay. Bye, Felicity, and again, congratulations." Diggle ended the call and looked at Roy.
"What are the congratulations for?" Sara's voice echoed through the foundry and they turned towards the staircase. She and Oliver had just walked down and were now watching Diggle with questioning eyes.
"That was Felicity. She just invited us to her and Bruce's engagement party tomorrow night. If, of course, everything is okay here." He said carefully and Roy looked at Oliver's face. For a moment he thought he saw something there but he couldn't be sure. Sighing, he grabbed his hoodie and phone and walked towards the stairs.
"I'll go tell Thea. I'm sure she'll be excited."
Two months later
The media was going crazy with their engagement. Felicity was sure it will all go quiet after a week or two but boy, was she wrong. They speculated about her being pregnant, about her blackmailing Bruce into marrying her… They just wouldn't leave them alone. Which is why, a month before their super secret wedding, Felicity was sure she was about to lose her mind.
"When you suggested we have a secret wedding I thought it meant we'll have a small, simple one. This isn't small or simple." Felicity almost screeched when she saw what they were paying just for the invitations. "This is insane." She murmured and left the papers on the table.
"You're not having second thoughts about this, are you?" Bruce asked worried and Felicity shook her head.
"I'm not having second thoughts about marrying you, love. But this…" She said and pointed at everything that concerned the wedding. "Don't you think this is too much?" She whispered and looked at him. He was just about to say something when a lightning lit up the house and Felicity flinched. She hated storms. Bruce sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body closer to his. Sighing, she relaxed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Felicity, I know that you're worried about this but trust me, it's going to be alright. I know that you're not used to this, to having and spending so much money about one single night… But this is my world. And it's going to be your world too."
"I am never going to get used to this." She whispered and felt Bruce's lips touch her cheek. The doorbell rang loudly and made them both jump. "I'll get it." She said and quickly jumped on her feet.
"Where's Alfred?"
"I told you that he left for London this morning. Don't you remember?" Bruce shrugged his shoulders and Felicity shook her head. Walking towards the door, she peaked through the window, just to be safe. What she saw surprised her. "Thea!" She said loudly as she opened the door and pulled the young woman into the house. She was shaking, her clothes soaking wet from the rain. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?" She took of the younger woman's coat and looked around for something dry to cover her up.
"I… I d-drove." Thea whispered and shuddered from the cold.
"You drove from Starling? In this storm?" Felicity said surprised and at that moment Bruce showed up with a blanket.
"Thea, has something happened? Are you okay?" He asked firmly as he wrapped the blanket around the younger woman's body.
"I know." She whispered and Felicity and Bruce glanced at each other. "I know a-about Ollie. And Roy. And you." She looked at Bruce and Felicity closed her eyes.
"Come on, Thea, let's get you warm. Does anybody know you're here?" When Thea shook her head Felicity looked at Bruce and he nodded firmly.
*
"Oliver, stop pacing. I'm sure Thea is fine." Sara said quietly and Oliver looked at her, anger in his eyes. She wasn't supposed to find out. Thea was supposed to stay out of this. Looking at Roy, he felt guilty about blaming the kid. He did nothing but protect his sister. He was about to apologize to him when his phone beeped.
"Wayne?"
"Queen. You're sister just showed up on our front door. Felicity's with her right now. She looks fine. Shaken, but fine." Oliver sighed deeply and relaxed.
"Thank you. I'll be on my way."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Oliver lifted one of his eyebrows and his hand clenched around the phone.
"Excuse me?"
"If she took the time to drive to Gotham I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to be with you right now. Don't worry. We'll take care of her and once she feels better I'll make sure she calls you." Oliver took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. God, he couldn't stand this man. At least he knew he'd keep Thea safe.
"Fine." He ended the call and threw his phone on the table.
"She's with Felicity?" Roy whispered and Oliver looked at him.
"Yeah. She's with them."
*
"I'm sorry for showing up like this." Thea whispered and took a sip from her hot cocoa.
"Don't worry, Thea, you're always welcomed here." Bruce smiled to her and she nodded gratefully. "Earlier, when I spoke to your brother… I told him you'll call him once you feel better. Do you think you can do that now? I'm sure he's really worried about you." Sighing, Thea nodded and stood up.
"Thank you again for taking me in. I didn't know where else to go." Felicity stood up to and pulled her in for a hug.
"Anytime, Thea. You sure you'll be able to find the room I showed you?" Thea nodded and Felicity smiled. "Okay. See you in the morning." Thea looked at her and Bruce one last time and turned around. Sighing, Felicity picked up the empty mugs and walked into the kitchen, Bruce following her closely. "Do you think she'll be okay?"
"I think so. She's a tough girl. It will take some time for Queen and Roy to regain her trust, though."
"I know. I always thought that they had to tell her. I mean, I understood why Oliver kept it a secret, I understood that he thought she'd be safer if she was out of all of this but…" Shaking her head, Felicity leaned into the kitchen counter.
"Honestly, I would've probably done the same. Sometimes the truth is not the best thing for the ones you love." Felicity walked towards him and he wrapped his arms around her. "Come on. We still have a few things to go through for the wedding."
One month later
Felicity reached for the door but Bruce stopped her.
"Nah, Mrs. Wayne, we must follow the tradition." He said cheerfully and lifted her in his arms. Felicity laughed happily as he carried her through the door of their hotel room.
"I didn't knew you were such a traditionalist." Bruce placed her gently on the bed and pressed his lips on hers for a quick kiss before he pulled away from her. "Hey, where are you going?"
"I have a surprise for you." Felicity popped herself on one of her elbows and looked curiously at him as he searched for something in his bag. When he finally found it, Felicity saw it was a black rectangle box. "This belonged to my mother. My father gave it to her on their wedding night." He said quietly and opened the box slowly. Inside there was pearl necklace. "She had lots of jewelry, but she loved this necklace the most. I want you to have it." Felicity felt tears in her eyes and smiled at him.
"Thank you, Bruce. This means a lot." She gently took the box out of his hands and closed it slowly, putting it on the nightstand. "Speaking of surprises, I have one for you too." Lifting his eyebrows in surprise, Bruce quietly looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate. "I… I know we haven't discussed this topic yet, but it sort of happened." She took his right hand in hers and lifted it to her lips to press a gentle kiss on it. "And it won't be here for a few more months but... " She pressed his hand to her stomach and smiled widely at the surprise in Bruce's eyes.
"Are… Are you sure?" Felicity nodded and he pulled her in for a hug. "How... How far along are you?"
"Three weeks. I've known since Monday." Bruce chuckled quietly as he pulled away from her, moving his hands to her stomach.
"Now I understand why you wanted to talk with Kent so badly before the wedding."
"Well, I couldn't' have him ruin the surprise now, could I?" Felicity laughed and wrapped her hands around his neck, catching his lips with hers. "I love you, Mr. Wayne." She whispered.
"I love you too, Mrs. Wayne."
Eight months later
Bruce was pacing around the waiting room nervously. Everyone was there, even Queen and Sara Lance.
"Bruce, calm down. You have the best doctors in the country in there with her. I'm sure she and the baby will be alright." Thea said quietly and Bruce sighed deeply.
"I know, I know… It's just... " Thea squeezed one of his hands in reassurance. He glanced quickly at Roy and noticed the jealousy in his eyes. "How are things with you and the kid?" He asked in a much lower voice. "I know I should've asked earlier but the last few months I was obsessed with Felicity's security and…" Thea squeezed his hand to interrupt him.
"It's okay, I understand. We… We're talking but it's not like it was before." She sighed and Bruce saw sadness in her eyes. Thea must really love him.
"It could be better than before. You just have to try. Both of you." Nodding, Thea smiled at him one last time and moved to talk to Roy.
"Mr. Wayne? You can come and meet your son." Bruce didn't need to be told twice. Quickly following the nurse, he stopped shortly right outside Felicity's room to take a deep breath before he opened the door.
Inside was the most beautiful thing he could ever imagine seeing in his life. His wife, his beautiful, gorgeous, amazing wife was looking at him with the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her face. In her hands she held the baby, their son, wrapped in a blue blanket. Not even caring about the nurses seeing the tears roll down his cheeks, Bruce slowly approached his family.
"I love you." He whispered and kissed her forehead.
"I love you too." Felicity whispered and she sounded tired but so so happy. "You wanna hold him?" He nodded as he sat next to her and stretched out his arms. When she placed the baby in his arms, Bruce's heart skipped a beat. The baby started moving, waking up from his sleep. He looked like Bruce but when it opened it's eyes Bruce saw that they were the same color as Felicity's. "Gorgeous, isn't he?" Felicity whispered.
"The most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Bowing his head slowly, Bruce touched his lips to it's small head. "Now we have to think about a name."
"Thomas." Felicity said and Bruce looked at her surprised. "Thomas Alfred Wayne." She smiled and he just nodded again. How the hell did he got so lucky Bruce would never know. What he did knew was that he'd do anything and everything he can to protect them. His family.
Afterword
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