Real life is a pain. Sorry for the late update. We've had a lot going on (including my inspiration for this story's first birthday). I will try harder to keep up.

The song for this chapter is Loser Like Me by the Glee Cast (the acoustic version).

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Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Arrow or any of its characters.

Chapter Nine:Loser Like Me

"You know it's hard to be your mother when I have to make an appointment with your secretary just to see you." Oliver looked up at his mother's voice from the doorway and cringed internally. If he was being honest –and he'd never admit it to her –he was actively avoiding her since she made a not-so-subtle comment about how he chose to spend his free time lately. He didn't expect her to understand but he hadn't appreciated her passing judgment on Felicity or Norah without even meeting them.

"Hello, Mother," he said cordially, putting on his best socialite smile. Her face remained the same –stony and impassive.

"I've been calling you," she said, moving further into the office and sitting delicately in a chair across from his desk.

"I know."

"We need to talk about this, Oliver." He rolled his eyes, unsurprised at her head strong, blunt approach.

"There's absolutely nothing to talk about. I'm seeing a woman, you don't approve. It's hardly a new situation for us. In fact, it seems to be the norm." Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Oliver, I love you. You are my son and I know that I haven't always approved of the women you've dated. But the fact that you haven't been in a relationship in five years and now suddenly, you're practically living with some woman with a child who isn't even hers is absolutely ridiculous. It crosses a line, even for your history."

"Tell me, Mother, what's more offensive to your sensibilities: that she has a child or that that child isn't biologically hers?"

"You have no idea where that child comes from. Her parents could be drugs dealers and it's all well and good now, while she's little and you are only dating this woman. But what happens if, God forbid, you marry her? What if they come looking to cash in on the child they abandoned? It's not safe for you or for this family."

"First of all, her parents won't ever come forward because they would be charged with child abandonment to the fullest extent of the law. Secondly, marrying Felicity would be far from a bad thing to happen to me. I realize that you and Dad treat marriage like an intolerable business contract but some of us would actually like to find love."

"Don't pretend you know about our relationship. Your father and I are happy with our arrangement and if it's good enough for us, it should be good enough for you. I've looked into this Felicity. Did you know that she was on the FBI's watchlist? Or that she committed computer terrorism and the only reason why she didn't end up in jail is because her boyfriend took the fall? Did you know that she isn't naturally blonde? And really, Oliver, how stable can she be? When a person finds an abandoned baby, they do their civic duty and take that child to the authorities; they simply don't just open up their home and adopt the foundling."

"You know, Mother, you have given me a lot of lectures in my lifetime. You've expressed your disappointment and disapproval so many times that I've lost count. But if you say another negative word about the woman I love or her daughter, you will learn very quickly that I am not above severing ties with you or this family. Felicity's past is what has made her the amazing person she is today. I'm certainly not one to judge on being on the wrong side of the law or are you forgetting how much you and Dad spent paying off the cops and judges in this city to avoid my going to jail? Felicity is warm and loving and when she adopted Norah, she did it because she wanted her to have a loving home and I commend that. Norah is beautiful and special and the fact that you continue to sit here and condescend to judge a woman and a baby, neither of whom you've ever met, shows me the truly low character you have. I should be thankful I didn't end up with a similar personal failing. Now, unless you have something nice to say, you can leave." Moira stared at her son, face frozen in anger, calculating the sincerity of his threats. Finally she stood, carefully adjusting her blazer and skirt before walking to the door.

"You know, Oliver," she said at the last minute turning. "You've always had money but maybe that's a privilege that we should revoke if you insist on endangering the family fortune."

"We both know that I lived without a fortune, Mother. And you and I both know that I know how to live without it quite happily. So threatening to cut me off isn't as effective a threat to me as it is to you. I've also been proactive enough to ensure I have other sources of income than you since you are the type of vindictive woman who would cut off her only son out of spite. So take it away. I genuinely could not care less. But if you do, you can say goodbye to our CEO. I won't stick around." Her face had soured before she stormed from the office. Oliver sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands before picking up his phone and dialing.

"Felicity Smoak's office," Felicity's chipper assistant greeted.

"Hey, Curtis, it's Oliver. Is Felicity available?"

"Hey, Oliver. Yeah, let me patch you through." Oliver waited patiently before the line picked up.

"You know, a girl could get distracted with a handsome man calling her at work out of the blue." Oliver smiled, Felicity's voice loosening his tension.

"It would be easier to resist calling if you weren't so beautiful," he teased and she laughed.

"That's me alright," she said sarcastically and he shook his head. One day he would convince her that she was beautiful. "What's up?"

"Well I just got a visit from my mother who decided to verbally abuse me and everyone I love. So that was fun."

"Sorry, honey. I wish there were something I could do."

"It's fine. I gave her no quarter," he said loftily and Felicity began to giggle. "What? I'm a man of sophistication with an advanced vocabulary."

"You're a dork is what you are," she teased and he laughed.

"Yeah but I have a nice butt, so it makes it worth putting up with me," he said waiting to hear her laugh.

"That is so true, it hurts. So what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to hear your voice. And to ask if you would still love me if I wasn't obscenely wealthy."

"She went there, huh. Oliver, you and I both know that your money means nothing to me. Besides, I think you'd make a particularly attractive trophy husband." He started laughing and finally stopped, listening to her own laughter fade away over the line.

"I am so lucky I have you," he said earnestly.

"Pretty sure I'm the one who hit the jackpot, handsome."

"Maybe. I have to run to a meeting. Norah and I will see you at home as soon as I pick her up."

"Okay, see you at home," she said and he could hear the distracted tone that said she'd been pulled into something complicated and probably containing lots of zeros and ones.

"Love you," he said, warmth spreading through him.

"Love you too, baby. Bye."