Oliver loves watching her like this. They're sitting on a blanket on the sand of a nearby beach next to a fire he's built for them. She's lounging on the blanket with her tablet and squishing her toes in the sand. Absently she's munching on the snacks he made and reading an article about his club opening.
"Nature's not too bad," she says looking over at him. She's wearing one of his jackets over her dress and he realizes these were the types of moments he should have with old girlfriends. Instead they usually just fell into bed or went out and partied.
She slips her tablet into the basket and rolls to look at him. They've been out here for hours and now the sun has set and he's nowhere near ready to go home yet. He's surrounded by the sound of the ocean and birds. He feels that sense of calm he rarely feels in the city.
"Come here," he says. She gives him that look, that look that tells him he's a lucky bastard and she knows it. She slides to him, slipping her arms around his waist and resting between his legs. She rests her head on his chest and holds him. "The club opening is killing me."
"You're going to be amazing Mr. Queen," she says. Her voice is muffled against his undershirt until she slides up his body further, nose to nose. "A great success."
"Is that your professional opinion Ms. Smoak?" She looks at him and touches his face gently. Her eyes go serious. He cups her face and just watches her. "Felicity?"
"I believe in you," she says simply. He doesn't have the chance to reply when she kisses him. Slipping her to the blanket, he slides over her. It's too public to do anything more than enjoy her this way and enjoy this moment. Her fingers are warm on his neck and her blonde hair spread across the blanket.
He's been pulling her away more and more trying to find moments alone. The city is still falling apart. His family is still somewhat of a mess with him almost never seeing them, although his mother is not making much of an effort. Thea spends time with Felicity once a week and they've had her over to their place periodically. Their place. He smiles against Felicity's neck and thinks about the big changes in the past few weeks.
Officially he's moved in and receives his mail at her apartment. The majority of his important belongings are in her apartment but a few are in storage. He has barely spoken to his mother since the Unidac merger went through but she knows he's moved out. He goes to bed every single night with Felicity in his arms and wakes up with her every single morning. It's new and refreshing and he can't stop smiling.
They've picked out some new furniture and she managed to clear him a space in her computer room for his own items. It's getting cramped in their apartment but she's unwilling to commit to a bigger place just yet. Well she's willing to go into a bigger apartment but not a house. He'll wear her down eventually.
"Oliver?"
"I believe in you too Felicity," he whispers against her ear. Her hands slip into his back pockets and she turns her head to kiss the side of his head.
He knows as he stares at her. She's it for him. She's the one. He's going to marry her and hopefully after he saves the city, he's going to have children with her. He's never really considered children before other than that one time before the island. It was always an abstract concept to him but sometimes he can't help but think about it.
They pack it in and head for the car and he takes her to the club. She hasn't seen it all done up and ready for opening. He takes her in the front door instead of the South alleyway entrance. He walks her around the room, pointing out important places. She's quiet as she takes it in. She's not a clubber. He knows that. She's more of a Sci-Fi Netflix girl followed by or preceded by a techie article. She's excited for him though. That's enough.
"So you'll be my date?" he asks. She looks at him and then around the club.
"I suppose you could convince me," she says. She tugs him over to the bar. "So are the cameras online yet?"
"Nope."
"Mmm...want to have some fun behind the bar?"
"Always."
Oliver has a bounce in his step. He finds Diggle down in the Foundry but is still thinking about Felicity and her fun with the tequila last night. The hangover is worth it for both of them and he'll never look at the bar the same way again. Smiling he heads for Diggle and glances at the computer screen. Deadshot. Diggle clicks away from it quickly but it's not fast enough.
"Where have you been?" Diggle asks.
"I thought I'd give myself a rare morning in," Oliver says. "Oh don't look at me like that. The club is opening, finally and Felicity and I are...well we're heading towards something. It seemed like a good day to relax."
"Nurse that hangover you mean? Just a tip, the cameras that monitor the entrance down here...they get a good look behind the bar. I don't know if I can even look at Felicity ever again. She's really...bendy. Either way I'm more concerned with this girl on this other camera."
"Helena," Oliver breathes. He knows it is only a matter of time before Helena returns. She'll come looking for her father or to rain down all kinds of hell.
"Yeah that psycho ex or at least she wishes she was an ex. This was taken at Alley Cats, the strip joint. The police report lists the stiff's name as Gus Sabatoni. That's Bertinelli's lawyer," Diggle says.
"Why would she come back to Starling for him? He didn't even do a good job," Oliver says watching the footage. "Her father's serving consecutive life sentences without parole."
"Come on Oliver we both knew it was just a matter of time. You tried to help her and you couldn't. Now the only question is how long before she tells someone about you?"
"Okay, okay," Oliver thinks. "Okay get in touch with my contacts at the Bratva. Get them to find out what her plan is. If she's here, it's for a reason. If it's not her father then we need to know what it is."
"Okay," Diggle says. "You should...you should warn Felicity about Helena. She's dangerous."
"I'm heading to the Manor first then I'll call her. I want to make sure Thea and my Mom are aware of Helena."
The Manor seems different to him. It's no longer home for him anymore and being here is weird. He still keeps missing his mother. He tries to make lunch meetings with her but she's always out or busy. So he gets his news from Thea and hopes for the best.
"Speedy?"
"Oh we're in here!" She calls back. Oliver heads into the parlor and finds Thea sitting with Helena. Freezing in the doorway he starts calculating ways of incapacitating her.
"Hello Oliver," she says softly. "I missed you."
"Ollie, I have this pseudo friend that's looking for a job. Is the club still hiring?" Thea asks randomly.
"Yes. Why don't you go call Tommy right now. I'll see to Helena." She gets up and heads out hugging him happily. "Helena? Where have you been?"
"Around. I needed to forget who I was and I realized I never really fought for you," she says seductively. "Think about how powerful we could be together. We could do what you want all over the world together." Her hands trail down his chest and he reaches up to remove them.
"After dealing with your father, you mean?"
"Naturally," she says slipping up next to his ear. "He cut a deal and will enter witness protection tomorrow. I can't take on the marshals alone. Together we would be unstoppable."
"Not interested Helena," he says firmly. "It's murder not justice."
"Oh Oliver!" Moira slips in behind them and Helena takes a step back from him, turning on that Bertinelli charm she's perfected.
"Hi!" she says offering her hand.
"Moira Queen," she says. "You must be Oliver's very serious, very secret girlfriend."
"Innocent of that, I'm afraid," Helena says looking to Oliver. "I'm Helena. I'm just a friend. I wasn't even aware Oliver was seeing anyone."
"Well my son hasn't exactly been forthcoming to me either," Moira says pointedly.
"Helena was just leaving," he says steering her towards the door.
"I guess I'll just have to be more persuasive," she whispers. "Fortunately you have a family too and apparently a woman you would hate to lose."
Oliver watches her go, tightening his fist absent-mindedly. He needs to warn Felicity. He reaches for his phone and notices he left it at the Foundry. He spins around and his mother is standing there.
"You know, I understand you are enjoying your life being back but it's a shame my housekeeper had to tell me you moved out," she says angrily. "How very little you care about me…"
"When was I supposed to tell you Mom?" he asks. "You refuse to call me back. You're always conveniently in a meeting. You're never here according to Thea."
"When am I going to meet this girl that has convinced you away from your family and suddenly has access to the Queen fortune."
"If you're going to say things like that to her, then never Mom. She means alot to me and I won't bring her around that. She deserves better."
"I am your mother Oliver."
"And she is the woman I love," he replies simply. "I won't let you treat her badly because you don't understand. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."
"Oliver!"
He ignores the call and heads to Diggle and the club. He needs to up security on the people closest to him. Diggle agrees and admits he already has extra security on the three women. Felicity has not been briefed but he has extra security watching her. So far no sightings of Helena.
Oliver sighs and turns to face Tommy. Tommy's been in and out of the club, narrowly missing Oliver every time. He's trying hard to avoid him and Oliver's been letting him.
"Tommy? I'm sorry," Oliver says. Tommy turns to face him and just stares at him. "I kept this a secret to protect the people that are closest to me. I never meant to hurt you."
"Do you think that's what I care about? You think my feelings are hurt?"
"Tommy…"
"You're a murderer. A killer. I don't know you anymore."
"I can explain to you. I can explain the how and the why…"
"I don't care about any of that. What would be the point? I wouldn't believe you anyway."
The club is a success or at least the first night is. Moira and Thea make their way through the throngs of happy, energetic people. Thea is smiling and looking at all the bright lights. It's not Moira's scene but she hopes Oliver is happy. The bouncer directs them to the stairs.
"Mr. Queen is upstairs," he offers. The two head up the stairs with Thea bouncing to the music.
Oliver greets them both full of smiles and looking much better than he has since coming home. She had not noticed earlier that day with Helena. Oliver looks good. He came back to her so broken and she meant to be there for him. Instead she has been distracted by her missing husband and running a company. Her boy...her son has had no one to make sure he really makes it home. She hasn't even tried to treat him like he's been through a trauma.
The three of them are standing there looking over the successful opening. Oliver is talking with Thea and answers direct questions from Moira. Otherwise he's distracted. He's looking over the dance floor but he's quiet. He's thinking and so unlike the boy she'd lost. Oliver was almost never pensive. You could read him like a book. He was simple...smart, but simple.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I moved out," he finally says. He turns to look at her and gives her that odd smile he'd given her in the hospital. "I should have told you about Felicity, Mom."
"I haven't been around," she admits. "It's as much my fault as yours. Oliver we need to talk about this girl you've been seeing. You've been through a trauma and it is natural to latch onto someone unconnected to that trauma. Oliver…"
"Mom, just meet her. Felicity is special and she means alot to me," he cuts her off.
"Oliver, I'm just worried." Moira watches him as his eyes lock on something over her shoulder.
"Felicity," he breathes softly. Moira freezes. In front of her it is like a transformation. The tension in Oliver dissipates and he lightens. She steps back in shock when a real smile lights up his face. He brushes past her and moves towards the blonde standing at the top of the steps.
"Oliver? Why was Dig following me today?" Felicity asks him. Moira blinks away her confusion for a moment and watches her son cup Felicity's face and kiss her gently. "Hi."
"Hi," he replies. "There's been a security problem and I wanted Dig watching you...just in case."
"I know you're Mr. Self-Sufficient but I wish you'd let your bodyguard, you know, guard your body. It's one of my favorite things."
Moira watches them and sees it. This is the son she lost. This is where her little boy went. He found himself in this woman. He's smiling and confident. He's relaxed. Here he is and she feels like the outsider.
"I told you it was amazing," Thea says. "Oliver's a totally different person with her. She's really great Mom. She's good for him." Thea heads away, hugging Felicity before bouncing down the stairs to dance.
Moira watches as Mr. Diggle stops in and the three of them look at ease with each other. Felicity playfully shoves Mr. Diggle's shoulder and smiles up at the bodyguard while Oliver's eyes are on her. He pushes hair behind her ear and then Moira sees them. Pearl earrings. She reaches up absently and touches her own pearl earrings. A Queen tradition. She's wearing the ones Robert gave her right now. He had told her that was when he knew she was the one and now this woman is wearing pearls. Her son is in love and he's making a point. Felicity is his future.
She nearly drops the champagne flute at her realization. She doesn't even know this woman. Is she like Laurel or is sne of the others? Who is she and what does she want? Moira watches in horrified fascination as Felicity turns in Oliver's arms and kisses him again, straightening his lapel. Before Moira can say anything the two head down the steps and separate at the bottom. Felicity goes to talk with Thea while Oliver heads for the bar.
Moira stands there and watches after him before clutching at her throat. Her son...she's lost him and she doesn't know if she can get him back. He's already moved out. He's on his way to engaged. How can she fix this before Oliver makes a huge mistake?
Oliver finds Helena with Tommy and nearly loses it. Helena dares to come into his territory and attack the people under his protection? He nearly lets himself off his leash and takes her down but he cannot bring himself to do that. Instead he decides to help her, hoping it will get her out of his city.
She gets a glimpse of Felicity and he can see his reaction to her is startling but she covers well. She leaves and he hopes Helena did not catch the importance of her to him. Felicity is leverage and harder to watch over. Tommy may have been an easy target but he's not enough leverage for her. The heart is much more dangerous.
Of course it is an absolute bust and instead Helena gets captured by the police. Diggle refuses to help him but Oliver rushes to break her out of the police precinct. He can't risk her giving up his secret and risking the people closest to him. Helena refuses the passport and ticket and he knows it is only a matter of time before she makes her move.
He heads home and stands awkwardly in the doorway. Sometimes he still doesn't know how he can have this. How he is so lucky to come to this. The Manor was home but it was always imposing and cold. Thea made it better but he spent so little time there growing up. He wants to feel more. He wants a real home.
"You have grumpy face," Felicity says. She tugs him to the couch and sits him down, kneeling on the couch and rubbing the back of his neck. "What's wrong?"
"I feel like I'm letting everyone down. Between being the Hood and a club owner and a brother and a son and a boyfriend...I feel like I'm failing everyone. I feel like I'm failing you. You believe in me so much and I don't know why."
"You are being too hard on yourself," she says softly.
"I don't know what I'm doing with you sometimes. I'm not very good at this."
"Oliver you are amazing at this. I didn't have the most traditional family growing up so this whole falling in love, living together, building a life together thing? It's crazy for me too. But I do know that when you believe in each other, you find a way to make it work."
"How?"
"You find someone that never makes you apologize for being you. They just accept you and sometimes...they make you homemade pizza…"
"I see. So it's my cooking skills you want," he says.
"Yeah but after."
"After what?" She just smiles at him and brings him in for a kiss. It's a few hours later and they're laying in bed when her phone chirps. He has spent some of their time telling her about Helena and catching her up on what she has not been told.
"A local sporting goods store just got robbed of one high powered crossbow. Could be your psycho...well you know."
She watches him leave with that news to go and see what clues might be there. She lays in bed a few minutes longer and stretches, smelling his scent. Finally she gets up and gets dressed, throwing his discarded shirt on and a pair of pajama bottoms. She can probably do some tracking of her own to help Oliver and Dig find Helena. They never did get to pizza.
"I don't think we had a chance to be properly introduced earlier," a voice says. The arrow is pointed at her neck and the woman is staring at her. "I think you could help me."
"Helena…"
"Oh...he told you about me. So you're the girlfriend. A little vanilla for him, don't you think?"
"I may look vanilla but trust me I'm more rocky road." Felicity smiles when her fist connects with Helena's face.
He doesn't even realize there is anything wrong. He just leaves the sporting goods store and heads home. Diggle will stop by later to give him any updates. Instead he plans to make homemade pizza and spend time with his girl.
He sees the door standing open and the grocery bag falls to the floor. He steels himself not knowing what he's going to see. Inside he sees the room tossed. There was a struggle and there is broken glass everywhere. An arrow is lodged in the wall and he sees a droplet of blood on the floor.
He finds her laying on the floor in the computer room, her body limp. He has her in his arms but other than looking disheveled she's fine. She has a small cut above her eyebrow and a bruise on her cheek. Otherwise she's fine.. He cuts her arms and legs free and holds her. He calls Dig while he waits but she's breathing and should wake up.
"Felicity?"
"Oliver? Is she...is she gone?"
"She's gone. What happened?"
"She wanted the address to the safe house and made me hack the FBI's database. I'm sorry."
"No," he says. "No...you fought her?"
"Not very well," she breathes, massaging the back of her head. "I managed to cut her with one of your flechettes but she was too strong. Don't look so surprised. I watch you and Dig spar every night."
"You did fine," he whispers. When he hears footsteps on glass he stands quickly bracing for a fight. It's only Dig. "You're going to stay with her while I handle Helena."
"Oliver I'm fine," Felicity says. "Dig should watch your back."
He gets the address from Felicity and leaves her under Diggle's watchful gaze. She'll be safe with him. As he is leaving he notices the two heading for dust bins to clean up the broken glass.
Oliver watches as the ambulance loads up McKenna. She should never have been shot. He listens to the doctors discuss her case using one of his listening devices. All he can see is what if it had been Felicity. What if Helena had shot her and he had come home to that? What if it was her with a year of rehab and the potential of never being whole again?
Felicity finds him outside the hospital and hugs him to her. He holds her closely and just thanks whoever is listening up there for her safety. He doesn't know what he would have done if it had been her laying in a pool of blood.
Oliver lets her lead him home. She just leads him to the bedroom and sits him down on the bed. She tugs his shirt off and leans down to tug his shoes and socks off. She stands and reaches behind herself, tugging down her zipper and pushing her dress to the floor. Clad in only her bra and underwear she slips over him, straddling his lap and wrapping her arms around him.
"Still feeling sorry for yourself?" she asks softly.
"No," he admits. "Just thinking."
"About?"
"I'd love to say this," he says fingering her bra strap, "but honestly I was thinking about McKenna."
"I'm fine and she will get better," she says.
"I'm worried something might happen to you or Dig."
"John and I knew what we were doing when we signed on. We understand it is dangerous and something could happen."
"I don't know how I would get through it if it had been you."
"It wasn't. I feel this way every night you go out but I push it down because what we're doing is important and we can't get distracted by what ifs."
"How'd you get so strong?"
"I take my lead from you."
Felicity loves waking up like this. She sits up and stretches, reaching for her glasses. The bed next to her is cooling but she can hear Oliver making breakfast. Hopping out of bed she grabs one of his shirts and follows the delicious smells. He's shirtless and flipping pancakes. Growing up she never thought she'd have this or anything like this. She's used to be abandoned or left alone for hours at a time. Now he's always here and when he's not she can still feel him there.
He loves her babbling and he watches Sci-Fi shows with her even though he doesn't really enjoy them. He respects her working on computers and listens to her explain how things work. He makes sure she eats and gets enough sleep. He keeps her satisfied. Sometimes she wonders what she does for him and then he looks at her and she knows whatever it is, it's enough.
"I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to introduce you to my mother," he says. "I meant to but with Helena…"
"I get it," Felicity says. She slips behind him and kisses his dragon tattoo. She feels the tension leave his shoulders. "You're crazy almost-ex was way more important."
"Enjoy your pancakes," he says with a smile. "I'm going to take a shower. If you finish in time…"
"I'll come find you," she says already eating a bite. He makes the best pancakes. She slips up onto the stool and starts eating, reading her tablet. The shower barely makes any noise in the apartment so she knows he's in there but she can't actually hear him. The knock on the door is unexpected.
"Oh! Mrs. Queen," she says opening the door for the woman. She gestures her in and stands there unsure. She's only wearing Oliver's shirt and a pair of underwear while the CEO of Queen Consolidated is dressed for battle.
"I would say you have a lovely home," Mrs. Queen says with distaste, "but it seems you have suffered a break-in?"
"Last night. We're both okay. Mrs. Queen, Oliver's not available."
"I'm not here for him," she says. She walks to the counter and pulls out a checkbook. "You have latched onto my son when he is vulnerable. How much to make you leave my son alone and leave Starling?"
For those of you who caught the very brief posting window for my story "All In" and wondered what happened, well here it is.
I pulled the story for now. My intention is to rework it, leaving the general gist, but fleshing out the story. I wrote it quickly and with a lot of quick comments, I realized it was not saying what I wanted it to say. So I took it down for now and if I find time I will re-release it. For now my focus will be on "Remarkable" and the other entries in the series.
I can promise this. This trilogy I'm working on is a romance. That means, by definition, it will have a happy ending. For those worried, I promise we'll get there. There may be fights or momentary separations **cough** the Climb **cough**. Trust me to get us there.
