Emma

Chapter 9

Oliver and Emma approached the reception area of the STAR Labs lobby even if there was no one behind the counter. They had no choice but to wait, since they had no idea where to look for the person they came here for. They also knew that the said person wasn't exactly expecting to see them that day (or ever again). After a few minutes, a guy with long, dark hair emerged from a doorway behind the counter and greeted them.

"Hi! I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. But we're a little undermanned today. We didn't realize someone walked in until security alerted the main office, which, in turn, sent me - of all people - down here. This isn't exactly my forte - greeting people and inquiries - but I'll do my best. My name is Cisco Ramon, STAR Labs' chief engineer. What can I do for you, folks?" Cisco looked at the two strangers, recognizing by their stereotypical appearance that they were not from the city.

"Good morning, Mr. Ramon. My name is Oliver Queen, and this is my little sister, Emma. We were wondering if we could see Ms. Felicity Smoak?"

"Oh, Felicity! I just saw here come in this morning. Do you have an appointment?" Cisco asked.

"We don't actually," Oliver replied politely. "Look, we understand if she can't see us right away. But we've come a long way just to see her about something important," answered Oliver.

"Please, mister. May we see her?" little Emma begged, standing on tiptoes so that Cisco could see her from the other side of the reception counter.

Cisco's eyes shifted from Oliver to Emma, and then back to Oliver. Clearly, he was thinking things through. "Well, are you family?"

Oliver's back straightened and his shoulders tensed as he replied, "You could say that."

Cisco could not resist frowning a little. He asked a second time, "Where did you say you're from again?"

"We actually haven't told you where-"

Emma was cut off by Oliver's glare. He placed her hand lightly on her shoulder, and when she backed down, he told Cisco, "We're from out of state. Starling Town."

"Starling Town, huh?" Cisco responded, this time flashing them a small smile. "At least now I know where Felicity's originally from. She's a brilliant and talented woman to be working with, and a wonderful friend, but she hasn't really talked much about her background."

Oliver simply smiled. He had a feeling that Cisco was sort of fishing for more information, but he wasn't ready to give him that.

When Cisco picked up that he wasn't going to get more out of them, he said, "Well, it's... nice to meet you both. That's Oliver and Emma Queen, from Starling Town, right? I'll see what I can do."

For about a complete minute, Cisco mumbled into the telephone receiver, trying his best to keep the STAR Labs visitors from overhearing his conversation with Felicity from behind the counter. He had retreated a few paces from them as soon as he heard Felicity's apprehensive tone of voice at the other end of the line. He tried to keep his voice down, but his facial expression and body language betrayed him. Oliver and Emma already knew what was going on before he even got to tell them that Felicity couldn't see them today, and also can't say when she could see them due to a full week's schedule. Cisco didn't like that he had to lie for his friend, and the discomfort was written all over his face.

Oliver sighed in disappointment. He knelt down to be at the same level as Emma's gaze. He held his little girl's shoulders and said, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. As you can see, she's a very busy person."

Emma pursed her lips as tears welled up in her eyes. "Or maybe she doesn't want to see us."

Oliver thought so, too, but he did not want to break Emma's heart any more than it already was breaking. He struggled for an appropriate response, and was relieved when something sensible soon came to him. "Ems, we don't know for sure if she really doesn't want to see us. I think it's more that she's not ready to see us. Not just yet, I suppose."

Oliver sighed as Emma's first tear fell. "Tell you what..." he said lovingly, "I'm going to leave my number with Mr. Ramon and ask him to give it to her. That way, she'll know how to contact us when she's ready. For now, all we can do is wait," he said, as he wiped her tear away with his thumb.

"Okay," the little girl said, drying her cheek with her sleeve. Then she walked away.

Oliver frowned in confusion when he saw that Emma wasn't headed to the exit of the building. Instead, the little girl went to the lounge area of the lobby and sat on one of the cushioned benches there. He followed her and stood directly in front of her with his hands on his hips.

"Emma, what are you doing?" he asked, frustrated. He knew exactly what she was doing.

"You said to wait. So, I'm waiting," she answered candidly.

Oliver knew there was no use talking Emma out of it, so he joined her on the cushioned bench. Cisco was staring at them from behind the reception counter, and when Oliver met his gaze, Oliver simply shrugged and dismissed it.

More than a couple of hours had passed - and more than a couple of phone calls from Cisco to Felicity's computer lab, too. Both Oliver and Emma were very hungry. He tried to persuade Emma to leave, even bribing her with a treat at Big Belly Burger, but the little girl won't budge. She told him she'd settle for a Big Belly delivery right where she was. She may have inherited her pretty face and her brains from her mother, but she certainly had imbibed the stubbornness of the older brother that had raised her. Nature and nurture had produced an extraordinary young lady that happened to be his. He just had to concede. Once again.

Just as Oliver was about to place an online order at Big Belly's with his phone, a tall, attractive woman with dark blonde hair approached them at the lounge. "Hi! I'm Dr. Caitlyn Snow, and I'm a friend of Felicity's. She asked me to tell you that she's very sorry she can't see you today. She said she doesn't want you to waste any more time waiting for her."

Oliver stood up and shook hands with Caitlyn, saying, "Thank you Dr. Snow. And thank you for coming out to let us know. We didn't mean for you to be inconvenienced as well. Right, Emma?" Emma remained quiet, so Oliver saw this as an opening. "In that case, Emma and I better get going. We still have to pick up-"

It was Emma's turn to interrupt her older brother. "Dr. Snow, are you good friends with Ms. Felicity?"

Caitlyn smiled down at the little girl and gave the crown of her head a gentle pat. "Oh, yes, I am! We've been friends since our senior year at Central City University. We met at a class we took under Dr. Wells, the big man running this great place you know as STAR Labs."

Emma stood and smiled. "Cool! So could you please..." The little girl cleared her throat, straightened her back, and looked up confidently at Caitlyn. "Would you kindly let my mom know that her daughter Emma would like to ask her a very important question? Just one. And then we can go home. We promise not to bother her anymore."

Caitlyn's eyes grew wide, like a deer's caught in the headlights. For a second or two she was in a state of shock. She'd been friends with Felicity for almost seven years now, and she'd always known Felicity to be very private about her background, but she never really thought that having a child had been one of the secrets that Felicity had kept buried in her past. As Caitlyn allowed herself to process what the little girl had just said, the beating of her heart slowly returned to normal, and she sensed her heart melting, overcome with compassion for Emma. The little girl just wanted to see the woman she thought was her mother. Caitlyn thought that she deserved a chance.

"Uhm, Emy...?"

"It's Emma."

"Yes, sorry. Emma, why don't you and your..." Caitlyn was really confused. The man standing beside Emma was really old enough to be her dad. In her loss of words, Caitlyn was trying hard not want to say anything wrong that might offend the kind strangers who appeared to have been family, as far as her best friend was concerned.

"...my older brother. His name is Oliver."

"Right," Caitlyn said. "So, Emma, why don't you and Oliver head on to Big Belly's. I'm sure you must be very hungry. The place won't be as crowded by now. Let me see what I can do." She then shifted her gaze to Oliver and said, "If Felicity doesn't join you in an hour, then please assume that she won't be coming." Caitlyn felt for them both, but she knew that it was all she could offer them. With a hopeful look, she told Oliver, "She has your number, from Cisco. Give her time. She'll come around. Whatever she was running away from before we became friends, I'm sure she has matured somewhat by now to find the courage to face it."

"Thank you," was all Oliver could say.

"No problem," Caitlyn said, offering her hand for another handshake. "It was nice to meet you two."

About an hour later, Felicity was a no show. Oliver sent Thea a text that they'll be picking her up from Jitters in about five minutes. He pulled out a bill from his wallet to leave a tip, telling Emma to finish her leftover milkshake because they were ready to leave. When they stepped out of the restaurant, he took the little girl's hand so that he could lead her to their truck that was parked a block away. But before he could tug at her hand to go, Emma suddenly embraced him, her little arms wrapped around his waist, and her trembling hands clinging to the fabric of his shirt on his back. He leaned forward and hugged her back, kissing the crown of her head. He knew how utterly disappointed she was.

"Oh, Emma," he whispered, as he felt her sobbing against his midsection. "We'll be okay. We have always been." He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her cheeks dry. Emma put her tiny hand in his big one and began to walk in the direction of the parking lot. She looked up at him and said, "Let's go home."

Little did they know that the person that broke their hearts was right across the street, watching them both. Felicity had been waiting in her car for more than half the hour they were inside the restaurant. She had tried, but had only gone as far as driving to the spot and watching them in tears from afar - her guilt and shame and fear overpowering the compassion and desire to spend time with the two living people that she hadn't realized she'd missed sorely all this time. After composing herself, she drove away from the curb, the piece of paper with Oliver's number clutched in her right hand. Maybe one day.

Emma had Oliver wiping away her tears that day. Felicity had no one. Yet who could say whose heart was broken the most?

A/N: Please do bear with the angst and drama for a few more chapters. Thank you for reading and following this fic! I appreciate the comments and encouraging words, including the ones coming from Guests that I cannot personally reply to. Y'all are awesome. :-)