Chapter 5: More Than Allies
******Same Day******
Willow followed Felicity back to her work. Although Willow offered to do a spell to confirm if they were related, Felicity wanted scientific proof. She called someone to her office that she trusted and had them take DNA samples.
"We should know in a few hours if we're a match," Felicity said, giving Willow a nervous smile.
"If weren't not, it won't change anything," Willow told her. "Xander and I will still stick around and help you. I will still teach you magic."
Felicity gave her a grateful smile. "I appreciate that," she said.
"But I'd like it a lot of we're sisters," Willow said softly.
Felicity reached for Willow's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Me, too," she said. Her assistant buzzed her phone. Felicity let go of Willow's hand and walked over to desk to answer. "Yes?"
She listened a minute. "Okay. Give me give minutes," she said before hanging up. "I have to handle a conference call."
"I'll get out of your way," Willow said.
"I will call you as soon as I find out," Felicity promised. Willow smiled and said goodbye.
She met up with Xander at their new base. "How did it go?" Xander asked.
Willow gave him a wide smile. "It went great, Xander! I told her our theory, and she had a DNA test ran!" she said excitedly.
"So it's confirmed? She's your sister?" Xander asked, grinning.
"We should have the tests back in a few hours," Willow said. "But I just feel it, Xan. She's my family. The test will confirm what I already know in here." She put her hand to her heart.
Xander pulled her in for a hug. "I'm glad for you, Will. You deserve a sister like her," Xander said.
"Yeah, she is pretty awesome," Willow said. "She's CEO of Palmer Tech, you know. An entire multi-million or billion-dollar company! But she still makes time to fight evil!"
Xander loved seeing Willow's pride. Neither of their personal lives had ever been perfect for long. Happiness in relationships seemed to always be fleeting with both of them. Willow's last two relationships hadn't worked out. At the time, Xander had just been glad Willow's exes were still alive, not wanting another Tara situation. Willow's parents didn't approve of her choice not to pursue a degree beyond her bachelors. They rarely called. Xander and Willow had each other and the Summers, so they didn't want for family. Giles was the best father figure anyone could have anyway.
"She's amazing," Xander agreed.
"I don't know how I'm going to wait until this afternoon to find out the results," Willow said, anxious.
"How about you occupy yourself by taking a few of the girls with you to buy furniture for this place? We have five bedrooms and three bathrooms to furnish and decorate," Xander told her. "If I have to go, I might end up poking out my remaining eye!"
Willow laughed as she nodded. "Sure," she said as she welcomed the distraction.
*****Several Hours Later*****
Felicity was just finishing up a report when the results of the DNA test was brought to her. Taking a deep breath, she looked at it.
It was a match. Willow was her sister. She sat there for several minutes, her mind trying to come to terms with it. Then she reached for her phone.
"Mom?" she said when her mother answered the phone.
"Sweetie! How are you? I miss you!" her mother gushed.
How to go about telling her mother you have a sister? She just plunged ahead. "I just found out that I have a half-sister," she announced.
Her mother was silent as she absorbed the news. "How do you know?" she finally asked.
Felicity explained. Then she asked, "Did you know? Did you know I had a sister?" Anger welled up inside of her as she thought that her mother might've purposely kept that information from her, denying her a sister.
"No, honey, I didn't," Donna replied with a sigh. "But I suspected he had a family somewhere. It's the only thing that made sense."
"You knew he was married?" Felicity asked in dismay. "I always thought Smoak was my dad's last name."
"Smoak isn't a Jewish name, sweetheart," Donna said gently.
Felicity felt incredibly stupid. "Rosenberg. Of course! How could I not know that?" she murmured.
"I wanted you to have a connection to your father, so I converted," Donna explained.
"This is just so messed up," Felicity said.
"But this is good news, right?" Donna asked. "You're happy to find out you have a sister?"
"Yes," Felicity agreed.
"What's she like?" Donna asked eagerly. She'd always wanted more children. Felicity was so self-sufficient that Donna never felt like her daughter really needed her. She'd wanted to have more, but she'd never met a guy she liked enough.
"She's pretty incredible, Mom," Felicity said. She shared her impressions, leaving out the witch part, of course.
"She sounds great, honey! I'm so happy for you!" Donna enthused. "I want to meet her. I'll come to Star City, so you can introduce me."
"No!" Felicity said quickly. "You know the city is too dangerous. Ray was murdered and Oliver. Detective Lance was killed yesterday, and he was a police officer. I won't risk you."
"Then maybe you should move back home, Felicity. I don't want to lose you!" Donna said fearfully.
"I promise that I'm perfectly safe, Mom. I have hired the best security. I have the money for that now," Felicity assured her. "You don't need to worry."
"I'll always worry, sweetie. It's what moms do," Donna said. "You'll bring her to meet me soon?"
"As soon as I can," Felicity promised. Then she hung up. It was time to call Willow. "Can we meet?" she asked.
"Do you have the results?" Willow asked eagerly.
"Yes. Where are you?" Felicity asked.
"I'm at the hotel. We found a place, so I'm checking us out. I spent the day shopping with some slayers. I'm beat," Willow said.
"How about I meet you in their restaurant for dinner?" Felicity suggested.
"I hope we have something to celebrate," Willow said hopefully.
"I have the results with me. I'll bring them," Felicity said before hanging up.
A short time later, she spotted Willow at a table in the corner. Willow waved her over. She stood when Felicity approached. "Are we sisters?" Willow asked, unable to stand the suspense.
Felicity handed her the results. "Yes, we are," she said, smiling.
Willow squealed and embraced her. "This is so great!" she exclaimed.
Felicity sat down. "I'm still in shock. My mom told me that she figured your dad had a family. She converted to Judaism, so I'd have something of him," Felicity said.
"That's very sweet," Willow said. "I don't practice much except for Hanukkah candles."
"I'm not orthodox, but I try to keep up with the all the major holidays. The Jewish history is too rich to ignore," Felicity said.
Now Willow felt guilty. "I guess, you're right. I'm a bad Jew!" she complained. Then she spotted Xander and waved him over.
"I can tell from your happy faces that I was right, right?" Xander said smugly as he sat at their table.
"Yes, we're sisters!" Willow announced.
"I knew your similarities to my favorite Willow-tree wasn't a coincidence," Xander said happily.
"So what happens next? How can you help us?" Felicity asked.
"Down to business already. Giles would really like her," Xander said with a grin.
Willow smiled, just happy to have the familial connection. "Yes, he will," she agreed.
"We have acquired a place to stay, but I'm not sure it will work as a base," Xander said frowning.
"We could see if Thea will let us use the Queen mansion on the outskirt of town. It's very secure," Felicity suggested.
"I thought the Queens lost their fortune?" Willow asked.
"They did, but Thea is also a Merlyn. She stopped the sale of the house when Malcolm gave her access to her inheritance," Felicity shared.
"So talk to her and find out," Xander suggested.
"Not until we have dinner, though," Willow said. "I want you to tell me all about yourself."
Felicity had mostly just had her mother, so this was a really nice change.
*****Two Hours Later*****
After dinner with Willow and Xander, she stopped by Thea's on her way home. Thea was surprised to see her, but she greeted her warmly.
"This is a nice surprise. What brings you by?" Thea wondered.
"Well, I wanted to ask you about your old home," Felicity said, stepping in. She followed Thea to the sofa.
"What about it?"
"You still own it, right?" Felicity asked.
Thea nodded. "Yes, when Malcolm gave me my inheritance, it was one of the first things I did. I thought I'd move into it, but I realized I couldn't bear to be there without my family," she admitted sadly.
Felicity reached for her hand. "One day, Thea, you'll fill it with your own family," she assured her.
"That seems impossible to imagine," she admitted.
"Things still cold between you and Roy?" Felicity asked.
Thea nodded. "Yea. I just can't seem to let him get close again. I'm tired of getting hurt," she shared.
"I get that," Felicity told her. "You know your brother's last words to me were, 'I only know two things. The first is whoever I am, I'm someone who will do whatever—whatever it takes to save my sister.' Then he kissed me one last time. I asked him what was the second thing, and he said that he loved me."
Thea had tears streaming down her cheek at Felicity's words. The guilt was crippling her, but she said nothing.
"I've been recently feeling the guilt I feel because I didn't say it back. It was like I was too caught up in the bad timing, the horror of his battle ahead, my fear for him," Felicity shared. "I've been so angry with him for leaving me. He kept pushing me away for months and then tells me he loves me before going to fight Ra's. But now I get it."
"You do? Then make me understand!" Thea begged. "I've been so angry with Malcolm, with myself—with everyone."
"If Oliver and I had been together—really together, I don't know how I'd survive the loss. It's hard enough as it is. Oliver knew this. He knew the price of loving him. He loved me enough to make sure I didn't suffer that way," Felicity said. "He loved you enough to not hesitate to save your life because he couldn't fathom living in a world without you. If you had died instead of him, it would've been the final blow that would've destroyed him. Thea, he wouldn't have recovered. So don't feel guilty that you live, and he doesn't. It's the only outcome besides Ra's defeat that he would've accepted."
Felicity held Thea as she sobbed in her arms, both finding comfort in the other. Only Thea really shared her pain except it was worse for Thea. The only family she had left was Malcolm.
Felicity pulled back and told her, "Thea, I don't want you to feel like you're alone. Malcolm is not the only family you have. You have me. You have me, and Roy, and John. If you let us, we'll be here for you."
Thea wiped her eyes and smiled. "Thanks, Felicity. That means a lot," she said.
"I found out today, though, that I have a half-sister," Felicity shared.
Thea's eyes widened. "Really? Who?" she asked.
"Willow. Turns out my father is her father. He took one too many business trips when she was a kid," Felicity said.
"The witch is your sister? Wow!" Thea exclaimed in surprise.
"Yea, it's a lot to take in. But she's really great. We have a lot in common," Felicity said. "I always wanted a big sister."
"Me, too. I always thought of Laurel as one," Thea said sadly.
Felicity reached for her hand. "Maybe Willow can help Laurel. Surely, there has to be a cure?" she suggested.
"You think so?" Thea asked hopefully.
"I don't know, but even if she can't, you have me," Felicity said. "And Willow has a lot of slayers with her that can also help us. That's why I was asking about the mansion. We thought it'd make a good base. One that Laurel won't be able to enter because it's a home. Vampires can't enter without an invitation."
"Okay. That'll work. You can tell them that's fine," Thea said. "I'm glad I can help."
Felicity thanked her and said goodnight.
The next morning, she called Willow to tell her about Thea's agreement. They agree to meet there after she got off work.
Xander and Willow admired the mansion. "This is pretty nice. I've not seen many American homes as nice as this," Willow said. "We saw lots in England, though."
"Yea, those Brits knew how to use slave labor!" he joked.
"It's pretty impressive," Felicity agreed. "It's kind of sad, though, it's so empty. The last time I was here was the first time Oliver told me he loved me." She didn't get into the fact that it was for show or that he still meant it. She just focused on what she felt at that moment.
"That's sweet," Willow said, lacing her arm through Felicity's.
"Oliver wasn't usually sweet, but he could be sometimes," Felicity said. "He killed a crazed drug dealer who was about to kill me, breaking his vow to not kill anymore. He said that he didn't have a choice."
"Sounds like a man who'd do anything for the woman he loved," Xander said, giving her a look of compassion.
Willow pulled away and opened up a door, peering into a room. Felicity stopped when she saw a portrait of Oliver. He was a teenager with a carefree expression on his face. Xander stood next to her and looked with her.
"I never saw him that happy or carefree," Felicity said, her voice breaking. "He never got a chance to be again after the island." When she started crying, Xander pulled her into his arms, his eyes connecting to Willow, who had tuned into the tears in concern.
"I know it's rough," Xander said. "I've lost every woman I've ever loved except for Buffy and Willow."
"I lost Tara, the love of my life, when an idiot tried to kill Buffy with a gun. A random stray bullet killed her right in front of me," Willow said. "Since then, I've not been able to let any woman touch my heart the same way she did."
"We're a sad bunch," Xander said, causing a small laugh to escape from Felicity.
Willow reached for her hand. "I guess, we'll muddle along with each other," she said.
Felicity was filled with gratitude at their support. Eventually, they left to make plans. Xander and Willow went to gather their girls. Felicity went to find Dig and Roy.
"We need to relocate," she told them.
"That's probably a good idea," Dig said. "Too many people know where this place is."
"Like Laurel," Roy said glumly.
"Thea said we can use the Queen mansion," Felicity shared. "It's got plenty of room for the slayers to work out and for all of us to coordinate."
Roy exchanged a look with Dig. "So you just decided this without consulting us?" he asked annoyed.
"I'm consulting you now," she said. "We need a new place. I suggested that and asked Thea. She said yes."
"Felicity, you need to slow down. We don't know these guys. We don't know what their end game agenda is. Amanda Waller should've taught us to be weary of strangers offering gifts," Dig reminded her.
"She's my sister," Felicity blurted out.
"What?" Roy asked. "Who?"
"Willow. Willow is my half-sister," Felicity shared. "We took a DNA test."
"Wow," Roy said surprised.
"How did you discover this?" Dig wondered.
"It was Xander. He thought we were too similar. Willow told me, and we just had my lab run a test. It was true. Her dad traveled a lot when she was young. One of his trips took him to Vegas," Felicity said.
"That's a lot to take in," Dig said.
"I know it is. I'm still reeling. I talked to my mom yesterday. It's crazy, but I'm happy," Felicity said. "Trust me, Dig, even if you don't trust them. The fact is, we are out of our depth and need help. The city is turning into a dark hole. We can't let it be turned into a hellmouth."
Roy kept his misgivings to himself as John hugged Felicity. He hoped this was the right move. He was tired of losing people.
*****Chapter End*****