A/N: So... this is very late... but I made it longer than usual. Enjoy!
C15:
While Oliver was travelling back to the foundry - Diggle insisted she call it that instead of the 'Arrow cave' - Felicity did some more research into Derek Reston. According to Diggle, he was the guy Oliver suspected was Ace, so she dug up what she could on the guy.
"Huh…" she muttered as she dug a little deeper.
"What is it?" Diggle asked, coming to stand behind her.
"Reston used to work for QC, back at… well, here, I guess. He worked at the steel factory for 15 years until it shut down in 2007."
Diggle sighed. "Oliver's not going to like this…"
"It gets worse," Felicity continued. "Reston was the foreman until QC outsourced to China. And then they even found a loophole that allowed them to deny all the workers severance packages and pensions. They all pretty much lost their homes… You know, the more I hear about Oliver's dad, the less I like him…"
"Well, Oliver will be the first to tell you that his dad made a lot of mistakes-"
"What mistakes?" Oliver asked as he descended the stairs. Felicity jumped about a foot in the air, though Diggle didn't seem fazed at all.
Felicity gingerly repeated the info she'd dug up on Derek Reston, careful to only state facts. When Oliver didn't respond right away, she moved closer and put a hand on his arm. "It's not your-"
"My family did this," he said quietly. "Every time I think I'm getting closer to making up for my father's mistakes…" he trailed off, his hands balled into fists and his expression angry. "Something else pops up to remind me that he wasn't the man I thought he was."
Felicity sighed. Why, oh why did she have to fall for a guy with an Atlas complex again? Pushing softly, she urged Oliver to follow her to a secluded corner of the foundry. Diggle did his best to seem interested in the information on the Reston family that was still displayed on the screen. "Look," she said. "I know you have a tendency to take on the weight of the world, but this is literally not your fault. Your father made a business decision. And yeah, it was a shitty one from a humanitarian point of view, but that doesn't make this your fault."
"Doesn't mean I shouldn't try to make it right," he said. He still looked angry, and was refusing to look into her eyes - whether that was because he didn't want to, or just didn't want to scare her, she didn't know.
"What will you do?
"Those factory guys used to hang out at a bar after work. The Restons just got back into town after 5 years, my bet is he'll be visiting old haunts."
"And then what? You'll hope he's up for a trip down memory lane?" she asked, not sure where he was going with this.
"More or less. I want to give him a chance to do the right thing."
While Felicity was happy that Oliver was no longer inclined to shoot first, ask questions never, she was still worried. "Just remember that this guy had no problem shooting an innocent guard, and you can't exactly whip out a bow if he gets difficult."
He glanced down at her then, his eyes softer and the tiniest of smiles on his face. "I'll be careful, I promise." And with that, he was heading out, leaving Felicity to wonder if this horrible empty feeling in her stomach was her new normal now.
/*/
"Smoaky!"
"Whatever it is, the answer is no," Felicity said without looking up from her computer. Tommy Merlyn didn't often disturb her at work - even less so when they hadn't agreed to meet for lunch - but when he did, he usually wanted something from her.
"You don't even know what I was going to say!" he complained indignantly. "What if I was asking for something serious?" he plopped down in the one other chair in her cubicle, crossing his ankle over his knee and looking far too much like a GQ model.
"If you're asking for a kidney, the answer is still no. And you have a different blood type than me, so that's a double no," she replied as she resumed looking over a line of coding. This one checked out, so where was the problem? She scrolled down.
"What if it's a serious question not of the medical variety?" he asked, and she could hear the grin in his voice.
Finally giving up for the time being, Felicity sighed. "Fine, what is it?"
Tommy perked up and leaned forward. "Okay, so I had a fight with Laurel last week-"
"Fascinating, but I don't see how I come into this," she interrupted. She was kind of tired and a little waspish as a result. She hadn't been able to sleep after Oliver had gone out to speak to Reston. She'd given up around midnight and had texted him. He'd told her what had happened and that he'd planted a bug - the guy was seriously paranoid - and then told her what he'd overheard. The Restons weren't done robbing banks just yet. So then she hadn't been able to sleep because of that. She kept imagining Oliver trying to stop them and getting shot for his troubles.
"If you could let me finish, I could tell you that I found a way to make it up to her. I decided to find something she cared about and make that important to me. So now I'm helping to host that fundraiser for CNRI."
Felicity narrowed her eyes. "First of all, you so did not come up with that plan on your own, and second of all, no."
"No, what?" he asked innocently.
"No, I'm not helping you to organize a benefit that you promised your girlfriend you'd throw. I already have a day job and-" she stopped herself before she mentioned Oliver. No need to give Tommy ideas. "And a social life."
"Okay, first of all, don't think I didn't notice that hesitation there, Smoaky," he replied with a wink. "Second of all, I really do need your help with this. Oliver's been dodging my invitations, and I really think it would mean a lot to Laurel if he showed up."
Felicity sighed, quickly saving her work and shutting her computer down. She'd be off the clock in a little while anyway. "When did I become the Oliver wrangler again? And why? I'm sure Thea-"
"Please, everyone knows that if you want Oliver to do something, you ask Felicity Smoak," Tommy interrupted with a smirk.
"What? That's not true!" Felicity protested, praying her face wasn't turning as red as it felt. "And besides, why should I help? I'm not even invited!"
Tommy looked at her with a nonplussed expression. "Uh, Smoaky? I can see it buried in your in-pile, he said, digging out a fancy-looking envelope from her tray. Damn, she hadn't done more than a cursory glance of that pile in a week…
"Oh," she said sheepishly, accepting the invite. "Wait, this is tonight!" Looking at the time mentioned on the invite, she paled. "This is in 4 hours! How the hell am I supposed to finish work, convince Oliver to go and get ready myself?" Not to mention that she'd promised to Skype Katie to dish on all the gossip that had accumulated since their last phone call. 'She's going to kill me,' Felicity thought grimly.
"I have every confidence in your ability, Smoaky," Tommy replied with a grin as he got up. "See you tonight!" And with that, he was off, leaving Felicity somewhat dazed and desperate. Did she even have any more appropriate dresses to wear? Well, there was that one she'd bought on clearance last year…
Shaking her head, Felicity quickly shut down everything she was working on and packed up her stuff. It would seem she'd be making another dent into the excess hours her boss owed her.
/*/
"Tell me, why can't I find a guy who would go through the trouble of throwing an awesome fundraiser for something I deeply care about just because we get into an argument?"
Felicity raised her eyebrow at the brunette standing next to her. Thea Queen was holding a flute of orange juice - Felicity was ignoring the champagne that was probably mixed in - and was staring at Tommy and Laurel, who looked like the picture of happiness.
"Well, for starters, guys your age are morons for the most part,and B-"
"You never said A," Thea interjected.
"Most of the guys you meet are trust fund kids," Felicity went on, ignoring her friend's comment. "They're not exactly known for their modest, caring nature."
Thea grinned. "You say that like they're a separate species."
Eyeing Carter Bowen, Felicity grimaced. "Aren't they?"
"Eh, true enough." Thea lifted her glass to her lips again. "Speaking of boys, how's that going for you?"
"Still not doing this with you, Thea. Go bother someone else about their love life," Felicity replied easily, though she was sure she was blushing at least a little.
"You know what, I think I'll do just that," Thea said, sounding just a little too gleeful as she eyed a man in a fancy suit a little ways away. "You're right, guys my age are dumb, I think I'll try my luck elsewhere." She handed her drink to Felicity and walked off, leaving the blonde alone in a room full of strangers.
She took a sip from the glass and then grimaced. Maybe it was something a little stronger than champagne in that orange juice. She turned around to hand it off to a waiter, only to find Oliver standing there, his hand raised as if to tap her on the shoulder.
"Felicity, hi," he said with a smile.
She smiled at him. "And here I was, worried you wouldn't show."
"Well, when Felicity Smoak asks me to do something, how can I say no?" he teased.
Rolling her eyes, the blonde handed her glass off to a waiter and grabbed a flute of champagne. "I should never have told you what Tommy said, I'm going to regret this forever."
Oliver shrugged as he grabbed a flute of his own. "Forever is a pretty long time. Remember, I'm an airheaded party boy, I'm sure I'll forget about it sometime in the next year or so."
Felicity couldn't quite hide her grin. She loved it when he was like this; light, teasing, happy… it was a side of him she was sure few other people got to see. Her heart gave a little flutter, and she didn't even bother trying to smother it.
"I can see my mother, and I'm pretty sure I'm contractually obligated to go say hi," Oliver said, his eyes lingering near the bar.
"I'd offer to go with, but I don't want to be studiously ignored again. Have fun," she replied. Then she blushed and opened her mouth to apologise for being rude, but Oliver was already smiling.
"I'll tell her you said hi".
And before she could tell him not to do that, he had disappeared into the crowd, leaving Felicity alone again. "What is it with that family and abandoning me today?" she muttered to herself.
She wandered around the edges of the room for a few minutes before spotting Diggle. She was about to go say hi when he made a beeline for Oliver, an urgent look on his face. The Royal Flush gang must have struck again. Thankfully, that also gave her an excuse to get out of there.
Following Diggle through the crowd, she reached them just as he leaned in to whisper something to Oliver.
"I have to go," Oliver said to his mother. Felicity couldn't see his face, but his shoulders were tense. Clearly, his conversation with his mom hadn't gone well. "I'm sorry."
"No, don't bother apologizing," Mrs. Queen interrupted. "Honestly, Oliver, there are times when I wonder why you bother coming home at all."
Felicity's jaw fell open. Had Moira Queen honestly just said that to her own son? The one who had been tortured on an island, who had fought tooth and nail to get back home?
Oliver didn't say anything, but turned to leave, not noticing Felicity standing in the crowd behind him. Mrs. Queen turned back to the bar and ordered another white wine, while Felicity still stood rooted to the spot. Her mind just could not fathom how a woman who proclaimed to love her son say something like that. As if Oliver wasn't damaged enough.
She stepped up to the bar. "How dare you?" she said, not even thinking about the possible consequences.
Moira Queen turned to face her, a confused frown on her face. "Excuse me?"
"How dare you say that to him? After everything he's been through, everything he's still going through?"
The other woman's eyes went cold. "I'm not sure how this is any of your business."
"He's my friend, that makes it my business when careless people hurt him," Felicity replied. She was so angry she wasn't even embarrassed or flustered about talking to Moira Queen like this. "You're his mother, you must have seen the scars. And yet you, and everyone else keep expecting him to be the exact same person he was 5 years ago!" she hissed, trying desperately to keep her voice down. "But guess what, he's not. He's different, and hurt, and still recovering, and yet he keeps trying so hard to be what everyone else needs him to be! Maybe think, for one second, about how this must be for him. He was alone in a hostile environment for 5 years, constantly fighting to survive, never being able to trust anyone, maybe not even himself." Her breath had sped up and her cheeks felt warm, and she might actually start crying in frustration, which was about the last thing she wanted to do. "And here you are, angry that he wasn't the perfect host at a lunch with your friends. Angry that he might feel more comfortable on his own, and that he might be trying to protect you from the horrors he faced. Because that's the kind of person Oliver is. He'll protect the people he loves, even if they hate him, even if it kills him."
Moira looked at her thoughtfully, and maybe a little warily. "You love him," she said simply. It made her want to punch the older woman.
"Yes, of course I love him, but that doesn't matter!" she replied, fuming. "My feelings are completely inconsequential because right now, that's not what he needs. He needs friends who will let him set the pace, and who will show him not through dogged questions that he can't answer, but through their willingness to listen, that they care about him. Maybe you should give that a try," she finished, somewhat spitefully.
"He won't talk to me, or even spend time at home for more than a few hours," Moira replied stiffly.
"Of course he won't talk to you!" Felicity felt like pulling her hair out. It was like talking to a brick wall! "If this is the response he gets? Disappointment and too many expectations? I'd run, too. And unlike Oliver, I wouldn't look back." And, to prove her point, Felicity turned around and stormed off. She'd managed to keep from making a scene, so aside from one or two glances in her direction, she'd been able to be somewhat discreet about it. But if Oliver ever found out about this, he'd be none too happy about it.
As she walked into the brisk evening air, Felicity suddenly stopped short.
Wait.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "Oh my God!" I told Moira freaking Queen that I'm in love with her son! Shit! What do I do? What if she tells Oliver?! Oh my god!
After a couple of women who had come outside to smoke had looked at her strangely, Felicity took a deep breath and started walking towards the parking lot she'd put her car into. Okay, I can deal with this. What are the chances Mrs. Queen will even mention it? I'm sure it's not a first for her to have women in love with her son, he's a popular guy. I'm sure my being friends with both her children will play no role in- oh who am I kidding? I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, she ranted mentally.
New plan. Go home, change, drink an entire bottle of pinot, pass out, hopefully forget today ever happened. Good plan. But then she remembered the reason she'd followed Diggle in the first place.
Okay, new, new plan. Go to the Arrow cave, help out if I can, then go home, drink and pass out. Yup, sounds about right…
A/N: Please review!