Thank you for the wonderful response! Go Arrow fandom :D I'm so happy that you guys are excited for this story. I'm psyched to see where things go (because we all know that while I might have a plan, Oliver and Felicity tend to go off script).

The song for this chapter is Stand By You by Rachel Platten.

Connect with me!
Twitter: teamdemonmonkey
Facebook: teamdemonmonkey fanfiction

Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Arrow or its characters.

Chapter Two: Stand By You

Deep pounding knocks broke Felicity from unconsciousness and she groaned, peeling one eye open to look at the clock on her phone. Who was knocking on her door at ten? Didn't they know she hadn't slept last night? She dragged herself off the couch and turned the latch clumsily before pulling the door open a crack.

"Finally! I've been knocking for a good ten minutes. Why weren't you up already? I have coffee and donuts, I even got you- wow, Felicity are you okay? You look like you got hit by a truck." Barry Allen, her best friend, set down the drink tray and bag he carried and moved over to her worriedly.

"Gee thanks, Barry; you look great too," she bit out sarcastically. "I didn't get to sleep until close to seven," she croaked and moved back over to the couch, throwing herself on it unceremoniously. "I had what could be categorized as the craziest experience in my life and then I couldn't fall asleep when I came home, so I worked on that A.R.G.U.S. account –and cracked it, thank you very much –before I could finally pass out. And then my crazy hyper best friend showed up," she said pointedly.

"Okay, first: coffee. It will turn you into a human again." He handed her a cup from Jitters and she sipped it gratefully. "Now, tell me about last night?" She sighed and recounted her strange experience for the third time. Barry listened in astonishment as she told him about the infant and her discussion with Captain Lance.

"I just want to know the baby is okay, you know? I mean, she was so tiny, Barry. I felt like I was going to break her if I squeezed her too hard. And I'd also like to get my coat back."

"Well, you need to shower and then I will go with you to the hospital to get an update and your coat back. Come on," he said, pulling her up from the couch and leading her into the bathroom, starting the shower for her. He left her to shower in privacy and she had to admit that the feel of the warm water moving over her face and skin refreshed her. She got out and wrapped herself in a towel. She pulled clothes from her closet and pulled her hair back before applying a light coat of makeup to her face, spending extra time on hiding the dark circles under her eyes. Once she was done, she and Barry left her apartment and headed for the hospital.

"So did Captain Lance happen to mention what happens to the baby," Barry asked.

"No. The hospital contacted the social worker but I don't really know what the protocols are. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to abandon a baby. That's the whole reason that safe haven laws exist. So he's probably looking for whoever left her in that alley. It's probably better that he find them than me; I don't think I could be trusted not to ruin them," she said darkly.

"You seem… kind of attached to this baby, Felicity," Barry pointed out hesitantly.

"I just… you didn't see her, Barry. It was hands down the saddest, scariest thing I've ever seen. I mean she was brand new. There is no way she could have been more than a week old. And she was just so small and sick. I don't know what it was but I just felt like I needed to protect her. It was so obvious that no one was in her corner, fighting for her and I want her to have someone who's looking out for her."

"Just… don't do anything rash, okay?" She didn't bother to answer as they pulled up to the hospital and parked.

"Hi! What can I do for you today," the friendly receptionist at the front desk asked when they entered.

"Hi. I brought an infant into the ER last night and they told me I could come back today and talk to the social worker," Felicity said uncertainly.

"Okay, what's the baby's name?"

"I don't know. She's not my baby. I- I found her. That's why I have to talk to the social worker."

"Okay. Give me just a moment." She pulled back to the opposite side of the desk and dialed into her phone, murmuring too quiet for them to hear and glancing back at them every now and then. She finally hung up. "It's on the fourth floor. The social worker said she'll meet you there." Felicity and Barry nodded their thanks and climbed into an elevator, hitting the fourth floor button. When they exited, they found themselves in a waiting room with children's toys and a Disney movie playing on the screen. A few kids occupied themselves under the watchful eye of a parent. A young woman with long blonde hair approached them.

"Felicity Smoak," she asked and Felicity nodded. "I'm Sara Lance, the social worker assigned to this case." They shook hands and Felicity introduced Barry. "So we are doing everything we can right now. The doctors are treating her for hypothermia and pneumonia. In cases like this, where we have no information on the baby or where she came from, we automatically designate them Jane Doe until we have some idea of their future. In Jane's case, she has a pretty good chance at adoption since she's so young. Not even a week old." Felicity nodded numbly, feeling like a weight had been dropped in her stomach.

"Is there any way I could see her? I'd like to see that she's okay now."

"Sure," Sara said and led them through the unit to a room near the nurses' station. Inside a tiny infant was hooked up to monitors and an IV while incased in a small plastic incubator. She looked even smaller, surrounded by all the medical equipment and wires. A small oxygen tube ran from her nose to the wall and Felicity felt her heart break at the sight.

"She's so little," Barry murmured.

"She was undernourished when she was brought in," Sara said. "Babies typically lose a few pounds after birth and then gain weight gradually as they get older. The doctors suspect that she wasn't fed for at least a couple days before being abandoned. It might have something to do with why she was abandoned. They have a feeding tube hooked up to her until her breathing is better." There was a knock on the door and Felicity turned to see a young man with a tray of medical supplies enter.

"Sorry, I just need to do her hourly blood draw," he said and moved further into the room. He put on a pair of gloves and proceeded to pull several supplies off the cart. He reached into the incubator and Felicity watched nauseously as he poked a small needle into the baby's leg. She immediately began to cry and Felicity's heart broke further. The baby turned red as she screamed in distress. Her screams were interrupted by pitiful coughs and Felicity moved closer to the incubator, eyes fixed on the little girl inside. She reached inside and placed a finger in the baby's tiny grip, something inside of her shifting at the deceptively strong grip. As she gazed at her, something in her mind and heart solidified. It was like an idea that she hadn't even acknowledged having. She had found this baby. She had taken care of her and protected her and she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to keep doing that. She felt like the baby in front of her was her responsibility and she felt irrationally angry at the thought of anyone else providing for her.

"What happens to her after she's discharged," she asked Sara quietly after the phlebotomist had left. She didn't miss the sharp look that Barry gave her but chose to ignore it.

"She'll be placed in the state's custody until a more permanent arrangement can be made," Sara said.

"So foster care," Felicity said.

"Yes. Like I said before, her chances of adoption are higher just because she's an infant."

"What about her parents," Felicity asked. Sara shook her head.

"Even if they are identified, they basically relinquished their rights to custody when they abandoned her. Child abandonment is a felony plus I know for a fact that they would be charged with child endangerment."

"What if… what if I wanted her," Felicity asked. Sara smiled kindly.

"It's a sweet thought but babies are a lot of work. Not to mention there's usually a list of suitable candidates that would precede you simply because they applied and underwent the process before you did." But Felicity wasn't going to back down. She couldn't deny the connection she felt to this child and the drive to protect and care for her.

"I'm a responsible adult," she said firmly. "I own my own company. I'm a stable adult with no history or medical or mental illness. I'm a relatively healthy, non-smoking woman. I think that makes me a pretty strong candidate," she said.

"Felicity-" Barry started but the look she gave him silenced him.

"I'm sorry, Miss Smoak. The decision is really out of my hands. You could apply and try and get custody of her but I'm familiar with the adoption process and it would be pretty much impossible to get vetted and approved in such a short amount of time. The state is strict about protocol; there's no way to bypass that, despite your credibility. Sorry." She left the room and Barry immediately turned to Felicity.

"Are you crazy, Felicity? Adopt the baby? You're not in any position to be a single parent? Do you know how hard it is to raise a kid by yourself? Especially a newborn?"

"First of all, I can be a single parent. If my mother could raise me alone on a waitress' salary, then I have no doubts about my own abilities. Second, this isn't some crazy idea I have, Barry. I can't explain the protective feeling I have about this baby but I have this need to take care of her, to love her."

"Fine, let's just say that all this is true. You heard her; there are protocols and a waiting list. It isn't to adopt, Felicity. Why do you think it takes to so long? The process to get the government to sign off on you takes months at the least." Felicity's gaze became resolute.

"I think I might know a way around that," she said, pulling out her phone. She ignored Barry's continued protests and hit dial.

"Didn't I just talk to you a few hours ago," Lyla asked wryly and Felicity smiled, eyes locked on Barry's disapproving gaze.

"Yes. Hey, I need a favor and I think you might be the only one who can help me."