Notes:

Okay, please don't hate me. Or you know do whatever you choose to do. But I just had to write this and I had to do it the way I see it. I tried to do her justice and as always be fair and stay true to her character, she's still someone I struggle writing so... bear with me.

Small warning if you're a huge Felicity fan and believe she can do no wrong and is a saint, turn around now, this is not a chapter for you, at all. I'm sorry, but I write them how I see them and season 5 just solidifies my believes concerning her character. She's very superficial and has a superiority complex, at least in my opinion.

Ahm… Flashpoint has been giving me a headache for months now and I did something here to address it a little more. It's very subtle so far, but it will be further explained later on… can't tell you when yet though, lol. Just letting you know that there are a couple of references in this chapter that might make little sense at the time and be confusing. That's cause of this story's version of Flashpoint and the aftermath and changes it led to

Chapter 51

My silence holds the secrets when I answer but don't answer You did not see me well enough To recognize the signs You never really knew my mind

Felicity

She wasn't sure what had been going on with Oliver lately, and why he was so persistent about everything. First his stubborn refusal to rejoin the team. She hadn't understood why he suddenly had decided that being the Green Arrow might no longer be what he wanted. When for years it had been almost the only thing that had mattered to him. The sudden one-eighty that he had pulled had been highly confusing. And then the Dominator Invasion had happened, and he had put on his suit again and decided he wanted to be the Green Arrow again after all. Just like that. She had nearly gotten whiplash he had gone so fast from "Nope, not going to help" to "Let's go kick some alien ass." The turn in his choice had been very sudden and unexpected.

No, no, that wasn't right. It hadn't been just like that. He had refused to go to Central City and help at first until... until Sara had gotten involved in the conversation and taken Oliver aside to talk in private. It had been after that conversation that he had changed his mind and decided he was going to help Barry out with his newest issue. Which was effectively threatening the entire world. It was a principled reason for him to choose to put his suit back on, at least for that issue. Not that she had agreed at the beginning. Going up against an alien invasion had sounded crazy, and it had been crazy. It didn't explain his choice to become the Green Arrow again full time though. What could Sara have said that neither she nor Dig, Thea or Laurel had told him for weeks leading up to that moment?

Well, in the end she had decided that it didn't matter as long as it led to Oliver changing his mind concerning the Green Arrow. Which he had after they had defeated the Dominators. He had rejoined the team almost instantly, well like a week later, because he had injured his hand somehow. She never got the story behind it. Neither Thea nor Laurel had known the cause of his injury, and Oliver had never bothered to explain. It was curious, though. He hadn't been in the field or any fight. So, how had he injured his hand bad enough for him to postpone going back into the field for a week? It had meant that his hand had been damaged badly enough he'd have trouble using his bow, otherwise he'd come right away.

She had thought once he rejoined the team things would go back to the way they were before he had left Star City. Well, at least, everything Arrow related. That they would just continue where they had left off. Just like they had after his first trip back to Lian Yu, right after Tommy had died. It had been a challenge to get him to come back home and an even a bigger one to get him back into his suit, but once that had been taken care of, everything had just slipped right back to where it had been before he had left. She had firmly believed it would be the same this time around. Boy, had she been wrong.

Everything felt different with Oliver back on the team.

Oliver differed from how he used to be before he had left. It almost seemed as if he had gone back to his old ways, only not really. It was strange. But what was the most unsettling about everything was his refusal to do what she and Dig told him to. She couldn't understand why he refused to even consider recruiting the new vigilantes in the city. Or at least Curtis, who genuinely wanted to help. He had been helpful before and he was her friend. Curtis would make an impressive addition to their team, and it would be nice to have someone around who understood what she was saying without having to explain everything and dumb it down, so that they'd grasp what she was talking about. Oliver would be lucky to have him on the team.

Ragman was a very fascinating vigilante and Felicity still wasn't sure whether or not he was a Meta, but he was very effective in whatever he used to fight criminals. Be it superpowers or a weapon. He could be a great help. Especially if he was a Meta, his powers would be very useful and she couldn't understand why Oliver was suddenly so against having a Meta on his team. It's not like he had any issues with it before… granted, it hadn't been like they had known beforehand about their teammate's Meta status, or even what a Meta was. But still, Ragman wouldn't be the first team member with special powers. Besides, they had spent a lot of time working with their friends in Central City, most of which were Metas, so she really didn't understand Oliver's arguments there. Yes, they currently knew little about Ragman and his powers and where he and they came from, but they'd learn once he was on the team. She was sure of it. It wasn't as if they had known any of those things about them back when they had encountered their very first Meta. And yet, Oliver had never questioned having them on their team. So she really didn't get his reluctance here.

And then there was Wild Dog, who was out there every night, fighting street crime. He could be very useful. Rene Ramirez was a former Navy Seal, which meant he had training and knew how to fight and could be a great help when Thea or Laurel weren't able to make it for one reason or another, which was happening more frequently, especially since Oliver had returned. Thea was putting more time and effort into her studies, which was great. And she was thrilled for the younger woman and how she had found something she enjoyed doing and gave her a purpose in life. Just like Laurel was putting a lot of her focus, time and energy into her work as District Attorney, all the while also trying to learn more about Ruvé Adams. Laurel was really impressive in her role and it reminded Felicity of how the other woman had been when she had first met her. How driven and passionate Laurel had been in her role as a lawyer, how very serious she had taken her job and what and who she had represented at CNRI. It was great to see Laurel thrive in her new role, and she seemed a lot more satisfied than she had in years. But because of both of the women's new primary focuses in their lives, there had been several nights where it had been only her, Dig and Oliver, just like it used to be at the beginning. Which was nice, or would've been nice, had things between her and Oliver not still been weird and slightly strained. Or if Oliver hadn't gone back to giving orders, refusing to listen to suggestions and doing things the way he felt like doing them, not taking her and Dig's inputs into consideration, just like he used to back when she had first joined them. She thought they had gotten past that. And he had realized that this was not the way. That he needed a team. And yet, here they were with him refusing to even talk about the possibility of recruiting very capable vigilantes. She just didn't understand why he was being so stubborn, irrational and persistent on the matter.

Or why he insisted that something wasn't right, that the Ghosts' disappearance made no sense, and that something fishy was going on. They defeated Damien Darhk and won, even though they still had no idea how he had ended up dead in his cell. They'd been working on that off and on for almost eight months and were still no further to finding the answer than they had been the day his body had been found. But fact was the bad guy's underlings didn't usually stick around after their boss was defeated. So, she wasn't sure why Oliver insisted that something was wrong, and it made no sense for them to just disappear when it was quite literally what happened every single time after they removed the big honcho from power.

Sure, Oliver and with that the Green Arrow hadn't been around for months, right after Damien Darhk had died, but they still had been. Spartan, Speedy and Black Canary had been out regularly, taking care of the bad guys while she had stayed back, helping them from the Bunker. So why wouldn't the Ghosts be afraid and leave? They were still in danger of getting captured and brought to justice by Star City's vigilantes. Green Arrow or not. They had done this before. When Oliver had decided to join the League. They had been left alone by him, and it had been up to them to keep the criminals at bay. So they had known what they were doing and done a great job. Proving twice now that they didn't need Oliver. They could handle the city fine without him.

Plus, the new vigilantes that had stepped up after Oliver had abandoned their city were also a good reason for underlings to leave town. Not wanting to risk getting caught by any of the vigilantes protecting their home, and handed over to the police.

Oliver, just assuming that he was the only one who could scare criminals and keep them at bay and off the streets or making them run as soon as their boss was dealt with, was pretty conceited.

He wouldn't have been able to do what he did hadn't it been for her and Dig. How many times had they saved him? How many times had she figured out who the bad guy was and where he could find him, when he had had no clue where to even begin? How many times had her computer skills saved his ass? The Green Arrow wouldn't have become the hero and beacon of hope he was now without her and Dig. They had convinced him to help everyone and be out in the streets actively protecting people from crime instead of following the List almost religiously and only targeting the rich, powerful and corrupt. He had made a difference in the city because he was helping people every day, saving people every night, while fighting against the crime they encountered in their home. Keeping scum off the streets.

They had also convinced him to stop killing. He was who he was thanks to them, so why was he being so unreasonable now? Why was he refusing to listen to them? They knew what was best, after all. His behavior was rather ungrateful. His attitude of "my way or the Highway" was very off-putting and unreasonable. And she couldn't understand where it had come from. Why he was suddenly refusing to listen to everyone else or change his mind or tactics when they pointed out faults in his logic. Why he insisted he knew best and that they should fall in line, even when they disagreed with his plans and explanations. That was not how a democracy worked. But then again, Oliver not understanding that was not that surprising: his social studies grades hadn't been the best either, just like his D in algebra. Which again showed that he should be grateful to have a team and why having Curtis on the team would only be beneficiary.

Why was he insisting they needed no additional help and to go back to his old ways?

The List had only led to trouble for them. And a lot of it. Everything pointed towards the fact that the reason they were currently dealing with Prometheus at all was because of the List. If the anagrams were any indication of what his motives are.

Killing had only led to more trouble for them. They wouldn't have had to deal with Slade in the first place if Oliver hadn't chosen to kill him over curing him. She wasn't sure why Oliver had made that choice. He had never really shared much about his five years away with her. Only ever whatever he had to, given the situation they were in at a certain point in time and the connection it had to his past. He had never elaborated what had led from him trying to cure Slade to him deciding to kill him instead. She had never gotten the whole story. No one had, as far as she knew. But he had chosen to go for the kill instead of the cure back then, and it had led to a lot of trouble, pain, and destruction. Thankfully, he had seen the error of his ways and decided to change and to cure Slade in the end.

Oliver had made the choice to change. He had been honoring Tommy. So why was he just throwing everything he's worked so hard for the last couple of years out the window? Why was he just ignoring all the progress and development he had achieved and flushing it down the drain? Why was he suddenly willing to besmirch his best friend's memory? Dishonoring his wishes? Tommy had wanted Oliver to stop killing. So why was he no longer caring about his best friend's last wish? It made no sense. Not when it used to be all that mattered to him. Tommy's wish had been the reason he changed course and his entire mission.

His behavior and actions now made no sense because of that fact.

Which led her to her most important observation and question; was this really his own choice?

She wasn't sure if those were really his opinions and his views, a lot of what he said reminded her of Sara and her stance on those matters, which differed greatly from Oliver's.

"You can't stop someone like Helena by becoming her."

"I'll do what I have to, to protect someone I love."

Her mind reminded her of a conversation she had overheard Oliver and Sara have once, and it made her wonder about Oliver's current actions even more. Was Sara influencing Oliver? Were those her views she was thrusting upon him? Was she the reason he was being irrational right now?

He used to listen to her. And Dig, sometimes. But he used to listen to her and do what she suggested he should. He used to value her opinion on matters, and her current opinion was very simple and made perfect sense. More people meant more help. Which meant they could do more good and get things done faster. He should be all for that, given how fast he usually left after a mission.

He rarely even stayed to work out, he'd occasionally train with Dig or Laurel or Thea, but that was it. He wasn't sticking around to use the salmon ladder or any of the other workout equipment anymore. Not like he used to. She no longer got that very hot, very tantalizing view... which was a shame, really. She had really enjoyed watching him do that, especially the Salmon Ladder. She was very much missing watching him work out in nothing but his pants. The way his body moved and his muscles worked... She admitted this begrudgingly, but only to herself. She missed seeing his very attractive body being worked tirelessly; the sweat making his skin and abs glisten invitingly…

Felicity swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly feeling dry while her body was flushed. She grabbed the bottle of water from her desk and took some healthy gulps. Trying to get her focus back on her original thoughts and not on her ex-fiancé's extremely hot body and the things he was capable of doing with it. And on how much she missed watching him train while working, never realizing how much she had really enjoyed it until it was no longer something she could do. Just like so much concerning Oliver. The saying was right, you never know what you got until you lost it. Except she hadn't lost him. She'd forced him out of her life. She'd actively pushed him away while he was desperately trying to hold on to her. But she would have never imagined that this was where they would end up. That she'd be right back where she had been at the beginning. Watching him chase and offer Sara everything. While all she could do was watch and crave what she couldn't have. Only it was worse now, because she knew what she was missing out on, what she could've had. If only Oliver would've told her about William or at least included her in the decision to send him away, or not send him away. If he had, everything would be different now. They'd be alone in the Bunker now, just the two of them, until they'd decide it was time to go home. But that had been the past. They had never been alone together in the Arrowcave, not since he got back. If things had been different, she wouldn't be here working on the anagrams alone. No, she'd be here working on the anagrams while Oliver would be working out right in front of her, waiting for her, occasionally flirting with her. But he wasn't here, he wasn't working out while she was working; he hadn't been working out in the Bunker in months.

She had wondered about Oliver's lack of training for months, because she knew Oliver and he worked out a lot. He needed the physical activity a lot. Even during their time in Ivy Town, he'd spent hours a day vigorously exercising. She'd asked him about it once, and he had told her it was like therapy. It helped him ease his mind and relax.

So, not having him stick around to train had confused her and everyone else a lot. At least until Thea had solved the puzzle one day when she had visited her older brother. According to her, Sin had opened the door for her and Sara had pointed her towards the upstairs part of the apartment. The second level had been a mystery to everyone until that moment where Thea had found her brother working out.

According to the younger Queen sibling, the majority of the second floor of Oliver and Sara's apartment had been turned into a full-blown gym by Oliver. Making the workout equipment at the Arrowcave no longer necessary for him to get his physical exercise in, therefore being able to train was no longer a reason for him to stick around after the mission was done.

And he never did, not unless he had to or someone specifically asked him to train with them.

It was clear to see how his priorities had changed. His number one priority used to be the Green Arrow and helping the citizens of his home, but now, now it was going back home afterwards… to Sara, who was pregnant with his unborn daughter.

Daughter. Oliver and Sara were having a daughter.

Even after months of knowing about the pregnancy, it was still difficult for her to wrap her head around it.

Oliver was going to be a father. Again.

No, not just that. He was going to be a single father… at least according to the information she and everyone else had right now. Sara was going to leave. Leave Oliver and leave her child.

It made no sense to her, even less given the words Oliver had spoken to her when she had first learnt about the pregnancy. How he had defended Sara;

"Sara will be an excellent mother, there's no question about it… There's really nothing easier than picturing Sara as a mom. And a damn good one at that. She loves children, always has, which is why she used to work as a babysitter in her teens…"

... and yet, here Sara was, ready and willing to just leave her baby. That didn't scream amazing mother to her. And yes, she knew things were a lot more complicated than they seemed, but still… leaving your child seemed selfish to her. She could still remember how she had felt after her father had left. She could come up with a lot of words to describe her father. Excellent most definitely wasn't one of them. She couldn't understand any of it. Especially how much Oliver had insisted on how Sara was going to be an exceptional mother and how she shouldn't mention her thoughts about the matter to Sara if she didn't agree with his opinion. Oliver had already known then that Sara chose not to stick around. So what had been the point of him claiming all of that, on defending Sara over a perceived slight towards her? Sara still chose to leave her child after it was born, even with all the characteristics he pointed out. So she didn't get the other woman's choice. Not after everything Oliver had said, not if everything he had said was the truth.

And she also didn't get Oliver. He had given up William. He gave up his son, which was one of the reasons they had broken up over and her opinion on the matter, which he had never even considered. Here they were less than a year later, and Oliver chose to become a single dad for his and Sara's daughter.

It made no sense, and she felt like she was missing something here. Big time.

All of Oliver's actions and behavior made little sense to her ever since he had come back home. First his refusal to put his suit back on and then once he did, his change in approach when it came to being in the field. He had been more brutal, usually going for quick take downs and keeping his distance as well as he could. Relying more on his bow and arrows and less on hand to hand. There had been more than one time he didn't hesitate to break someone's neck when he was forced to engage in hand to hand. All of this was information she received from Dig and the women. There had also been a period of time he had spent almost the entire night out, only coming back shortly before sunrise. Then it had slightly changed... and then he had sent a simple generic text to everyone simply stating that he wasn't going to show up for a while and he'll let them know when he's ready to face the world again.

She really didn't get him sometimes.

He had let them know the day before that they could reach him again, even though letting her call go to voice mail later that day. Well, he had called her back only a short time later to be fair and shown up at the Arrowcave after she had called him.

But another huge change in his behavior while he was out had happened, something she had already noticed while they had been in Central City, but she had figured would go back to his old ways once they were back in Star City. Yet it hadn't. He was texting in pretty consistent time frames. Letting Sara know he was alright. Sara rarely ever texted back. She and the rest of the team figured the other woman was probably asleep, and yet Oliver still sent her a text at regular intervals.

So it had confused her last night when he hadn't texted Sara once. Just like Thea's message that she and Laurel wouldn't be able to make it. Both Dig, and she had been confused but figured something urgent had come up that kept the women.

Oliver's mood had been something else entirely. He had been even shorter and gruffer than usual. He had only spoken the absolute minimum requirement and his replies had usually comprised a grunt or were mono syllabic. Something was up. He had also been especially brutal towards the thugs he had found. According to Dig. Something was wrong, something must have happened.

Given his lack of notices to Sara, she had just assumed they had probably had an argument and that was the reason for his crappy mood.

But that thought had felt wrong, even to her. It didn't seem like Oliver.

She found out the reason for his crappy behavior just a few minutes ago, while drinking her coffee at her Laurel's. It had sort of become a tradition that she, her mother and Quentin, would have brunch once a month. It had been her mother's idea. Always changing the location. This month was Laurel's turn to host, which usually meant Thea would probably be there too. And today was no exception to that rule and the younger Queen had joined them.

Felicity wasn't sure, but she felt like things between her and Thea were strained. But she didn't know why and hadn't yet gotten around to asking her. Well, she hadn't gotten up the courage to ask her yet, if she was honest with herself. She could be wrong after all, and Thea could simply be busy, and she didn't want to make a fuss over something that might actually be nothing. She and Thea had never been very close. Not even while she and Oliver had been in a relationship. She wasn't sure why. They just never really clicked. She liked Thea a lot, but they had little in common, and most of the time she wasn't sure how to approach her. Thea reminded her a lot of her mother sometimes, and Moira Queen had been very intimidating. Not that Thea was especially intimidating. There was just something about her that made it difficult for her to approach her. For whatever reason. She wasn't sure why. Laurel and Sara had no trouble approaching Thea, and Thea was always very open and willing to spend time with the Lance sisters, even being the one usually suggesting they hang out. Well, not so much with Laurel anymore. It was kind of unnecessary ever since they've moved in together. But while Thea was very proactive when it came to the Lance sisters and spending time with them, she had never really been when it came to her. And Felicity wasn't sure why. What had kept them from being friends? She had spent more time with both Thea and Laurel socially ever since her mom had started dating Quentin than she had before, while working with them almost every day for years, and she wasn't sure why that was. Or why they still didn't really spend time together, just her and Thea or just her and Laurel. So maybe it wasn't like Thea actually had an issue with her, but she was simply busy and therefore less social than usual, just like her brother.

But that was a problem for another day.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. Everyone exchanged confused looks before Laurel got up to answer the door.

She had been flabbergasted when she had learnt the reason for Oliver's shitty mood the previous night and why the two women had stayed at home. But everything made so much more sense now.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. Everyone exchanged confused looks before Laurel got up to answer the door.

"Di, what are you doing here? I thought you were staying with Sara and Oliver, as usual." Quentin seemed as surprised as the rest, but his words shifted her attention to the bag in Mrs. Lance's hand.

Having Dinah Lance show up at Laurel's door had confused everyone, apparently. She wondered if it was going to be awkward. Her mom and Quentin's ex-wife had not yet met, unless her mother had forgotten to share that event with her. Knowing her mother, that would've never happened. So she wondered how this was going to turn out.

"That was the plan, and I was... until our pregnant daughter asked me to leave for a day or two... for personal reasons." Laurel's mother explained her unexpected visit and the reason behind it. Not that it cleared anything up for her.

"Seriously? They just went MIA for four days until yesterday." Oliver and Sara had just been off the grit until yesterday morning, so isolating themselves yet again was very confusing and honestly irritating. And given some of the other reactions, she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"What's up with that?"

"Again?!"

"Their behavior is very irrational and dangerous; the co-dependency is starting to turn into a serious issue."

"Enough! Everyone, just stop with the accusations and blame right now! This is atrocious! They spent the last four days figuring things out, talking about having a baby and what that means for both of them. They turned off their phones so that they would not get interrupted while they were working their future out. It makes a lot of sense. Especially given that Sara came to the decision to stay and help Oliver raise their daughter. Which in my opinion was a very smart move and thing to do. They seemed to have figured a lot out, according to Sara. And for the first time in years, they both looked happy and at peace, at least to some degree. So everyone just back off!" Dinah Lance's outburst came as a surprise to everyone and Laurel's apartment was suddenly deathly quiet.

Felicity was still processing everything she had just learnt when Sara's mother continued.

"They took four days for themselves to plan their future and those few days led to Sara asking me to go to a mall to buy items for their baby girl. All it took for her to go from not acknowledging the gender of her baby to go out, in public, into a possibly very crowded space, being confronted with a mass of people to buy baby things for her daughter were the four days, that Oliver and she spent in solitude. Sara was so excited to show Oliver what she had bought afterwards, the first items ever that she had bought for their baby. Especially the musical toy shaped like a bird in its nest that she got because she knew 'Ollie would love it'. Instead of sharing her excitement and happiness, with her child's father, she spent the evening worrying about him. You know they were happy when they picked me up at the airport, happier than I've seen them in years. You know how their day ended? With Oliver falling apart in Sara's arm after a nightmare, which was probably a memory. So, stop. Just stop. I'm done with this. I'm done with people giving them a hard time and criticizing every single thing they do. Believe me, no one is harder on them than they are themselves. And they don't deserve any of it. Not after everything they have been through, everything they have suffered. They do have the right to be selfish every once in a while and they most definitely deserve to take whatever time they need to get used to their new life, which involves their daughter. Having a child is a monumental change in one's life and takes a lot out of everyone. So it will be especially hard and difficult for two people who are already struggling mentally and emotionally. What they need now is our support and understanding. Not accusations and attacks." Felicity was completely taken aback by not only Mrs. Lance's tone of voice, which left no doubt that she was fed up with everyone, but also by what the older woman was sharing with them. It was difficult to process everything, and all she could focus on right now was that it seemed Sara had nothing to do with his grim mood yesterday.

She felt bad when she realized that Oliver not texting Sara last night like he usually did led to her spending hours worrying about him, not knowing what was going on. She could've kicked herself. She should've texted Sara and let her know what was going on. She had plenty of time to do that. She just had thought nothing of it. The thought that Sara might worry about Oliver when he was out never crossed her mind. Sara was such a badass and always so cool and collected… she felt terrible now. She made a note to herself to make sure Sara was in the loop next time Oliver was having a bad day and not texting her. It couldn't be easy being at home, unable to help them out and not knowing what was going on.

"You, both of you need to let it go and move on. Both of you had your chance with Oliver and you both blew it." Dinah Lance's next words ripped her from her thoughts and she focused back on the woman, curious as to what information she might provide them with next. And was startled when the woman was actually looking right at and addressing her directly, just like she did her daughter.

"Laurel, my beautiful, smart, ambitious baby, you need to put the past aside. What Sara and Oliver did was not okay, and I know they hurt you. But baby, you and I both know that you are no innocent when it comes to this entire mess. You knew how your sister felt towards Oliver and you purposely sabotaged her, an action that hurt her deeply, too." Dinah Lance's words were soft and sympathetic, but also firm. She was understanding of her older daughter's feelings but also determined to bring her point across. Felicity did not expect those words. And this was information she had not been aware of. Sara had had feelings for Oliver before he got together with Laurel? What? How… she thought it had just been about sex... she wasn't able to finish her thoughts before Laurel's mother continued.

"And Oliver,… you were pushing him too hard, baby, expecting too much of him, pushing for commitments he wasn't ready to make yet. We were all telling you this. Warning you. You chose not to listen, to not see the signs pointing out that the two of you might not fit as well as you wanted to and admit that your relationship was less than perfect. We both know that you were aware that he had the tendency to stray. Everyone was aware of that. It was even a topic the Gossip Magazines picked up once in a while." Felicity knew for a fact that the last bit was definitely true. She had seen some of the headlines of those Gossip Magazines while digging into Oliver's past. It had made her wonder about Oliver and Laurel's relationship. It surprised her though that a lot of people seemed to have thought Oliver and Laurel weren't a good fit but she had thought… everyone had always made it sound as if they had been perfect together… well they had mentioned Oliver's missteps but Laurel, everyone had always made it sound like she hadn't been at fault at all. So how was it that her mother was suddenly claiming something else?

"And you know I love that boy to death, and have considered him as part of our family for years, but he was one hot mess and very troubled as a teen. Something your sister recognized and, more importantly, acknowledged. She didn't try to sweep it under the carpet like everyone else in his life or pretend it wasn't so. Probably because she was one hot mess too. They fit baby, they always have. From that very first moment you brought him home back when you were in first grade…" Dinah stopped for a moment to turn towards her ex-husband who looked about ready to say something.

"And I'm not trying to make excuses for their actions, Quentin, what they did was wrong and they are both very aware oft hat, but they were also very young and I'm just trying to point out the fact that while yes, what Sara and Oliver did was wrong, they are not the only ones to blame, and yet, they both have always taken the blame with no hesitation. They never argued their case. Even though it wasn't really their fault, yes, how they proceeded and handled the situation was. But that is the only thing anyone can hold against them while still being fair to them. Can you really blame them for falling in love? It's not like they chose the way they feel about the other. But there is no denying the fact that they do love each other dearly, and have for years. I think it's way pastime to stop making them feel guilty about that fact. We can't choose who we love and it is not fair to punish them for their feelings and give them the impression that what they are feeling is wrong and bad. When in actuality it is something beautiful. Seeing them together, the way they treat each other, the way they support each other, I've never seen anything like it. The deep understanding, respect and utter devotion they show to the other. The way they help each other feel better. It is such a rare, beautiful thing. Their love is raw, and it's real, and it is nothing they should feel bad or guilty about. It is the kind of love everyone dreams about finding. Do you really want your granddaughter growing up believing that you should feel bad about loving someone, just because it might be more complicated than your average rom-com?" Sara's mom put so much emotion and feelings into her words that Felicity couldn't help but listen intently and be touched by everything she said. And feel bad about some of the things she had said to Oliver over the years, concerning Sara and his relationship with her.

This was all news to her and it made her wonder… she really knew nothing about their past. She had no idea who Oliver and Sara used to be before. She had thought she had, given the internet searches she had made on both of them and the stories she had heard, but it seemed that those hadn't even scratched the surface of their past. She'd known that they had been wild, but she hadn't been aware that they had been troubled. And what exactly did Mrs. Lance mean with troubled? Troubled how?

Felicity was very surprised by the turn this day had taken and the unexpected insight into Oliver and Sara that she was suddenly receiving. Knowing that it would take her a while to digest everything, she had just been made aware of.

"Di… I…" Quentin started but he seemed to be at a loss for words too.

"We can talk about it and our role in all of this later. There is one more thing that I need to address to Laurel, and then I will leave my bag and go for a walk. It's been a rather long, emotional 24 hours and I need some time to clear my mind." her tone was neutral and matter of fact while addressing the father of her children before she turned back to her older daughter.

"Laurel, honey, I know Oliver talked to you yesterday. And I know I was pushing for the three of you to talk about it and clear the air between you. And they did, they talked to you and I assume explained some of their actions to you. You got some much needed, and well deserved answers. But you need to let it go now. You need to let them live their lives, free from the past. What happened can't be changed and it is neither fair nor healthy for them to be constantly confronted with it. And it's not good for you either. Alright, baby?" Dinah Lance had moved towards her daughter and taken her hands into her own, she let one go towards the end to brush it over Laurel's hair.

"Yeah, mom, I know. I talked with Thea and Joanna yesterday, they helped... I… can we talk about it tonight?" Laurel's voice was chocked, and she was blinking furiously.

"Of course baby. We'll talk later and I'm going to leave you all to it now. Please give Oliver and Sara some space. They'll let us know if they need anything." Dinah Lance turned around after her words and walked out of the apartment.

Leaving them in silence to contemplate the last half-hour.

Notes:

Sorry, only not really, lmao! I had to bring up Felicity ogling Oliver and all that, especially after that flashback (haven't seen the episode yet, but I've seen the flashback and the aftermath of it) Plus, Arrow made sure from the beginning that we knew that Felicity was very physically attracted to Oliver, to the point where had she been a guy and Oliver a woman, it could've even been looked at as harassment… her behavior could be looked at as „inappropriate in a cute and funny way" or as very inappropriate in a work place and she had made Oliver very uncomfortable at the beginning, understandably so. I mean, just imagine a guy telling a woman he's having a work relationship with:

„I love spending the night with you."
„It feels really good having you inside me."
„You get shot and I get to play doctor with you."
„I kept that. I liked watching you do that" (Salmon ladder)
„Felicity hold on to me tight. - I imagined you saying that under different circumstances."

just to mention a few… so, yeah, I sort of pointed the superficial part of their relationship and Felicity's interest in him out. Cause, I sometimes feel that was the most important to her… but I could be wrong and it's simply my interpretation. I'm a little touchy when it comes to the double standard with what women are allowed to say about/to men and what men would never be able to get away with without being called out for harassment. I don't think it's funny or cute, I tend more towards inappropriate and disgusting.

Just like her treatment of Oliver at work at Queen Consolidated was highly unprofessional. Her disrespecting him and his position while they were alone is one thing, still not okay in my opinion, Oliver was her boss, even if he hadn't given her the promotion from simple IT worker to EA of the CEO/Owner, so it wasn't appropriate either way. He was her boss no matter what position or department she was working in, but again, she treated Walter the same way which just shows that she doesn't understand the hierarchy in a company and doesn't respect her superiors. Very unprofessional. Just like bringing up Oliver's tenth grade transcript. What does his math score when he was 15/16 have to do with anything he does at age 28/29? Except her trying to put him down and address her superiority in intellect because she got better grades in school…? Seriously? Doesn't matter she's his employee, you got to respect the hierarchy and respect your boss even when you're alone with him, there is some leeway there if you're close with him I guess. But to disrespect Oliver's position and the job she was supposed to be doing while he had clients or his business partner, who was looking for any reasons to get him out of the company, was not just unprofessional but also very stupid and she seriously didn't understand what was at stake and the effect her actions could have on Oliver. As in no one taking him seriously because his own EA wasn't even taking him serious and respecting him in his position. Very bad message. And on top of that, she is surprised when the entire company believes she's sleeping with Oliver? Well, they probably wouldn't have, had she behaved professionally and in a way that is appropriate at a work space. But I sort of rambled on which I didn't mean to. Sorry! But it points out the double standard perfectly. Had the roles been reversed Oliver would've gotten so much shit had he acted the way Felicity had.

Dinah had had enough of everyone's shit. So... let me know what you thought.

As always I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter and I'd especially love to hear your ideas concerning the Flashpoint changes I made, lol.

I really hope I got Felicity right and wasn't too harsh, and that she was in character. Otherwise please let me know. Felicity is a character that is really hard for me to write and I really try to do her justice and be fair.

Chapter title is from the song "You Never Knew My Mind" by Chris Cornell.