Author's note: Hey so my muse got so inspired by what I planned for the rest of this story that what I planned to be only a couple chapters turned into 9 CHAPTERS! And I got them written and read for posting in just a few days so here is a special treat... enjoy and review!
Also check out my polyvore for the story!
A special shout out to my beta warehouseluver13... I just sated betaing for another author and now I realize all that your do for me... YOU ARE TRULY REMARKABLE
Disclosure: I own nothing of Arrow and I also used some dialogue from the show because the writers are just so amazing and I couldn't help myself
"You sure this is a good idea. These people must hate me because of my dad." Tommy groaned as he stood beside Oliver. A few of the guests had started to trickle in so Oliver went ahead and came down, leaving Felicity and Thea to finish primping. He found Tommy shaking with nerves as he tried to calm them with a scotch the catering staff had served him.
"That's why this is a good idea. To show them you had nothing to do with that and that you want to make a change in this city. Help it rebuild. Fix your father's mistakes."
Oliver had asked Max to run the story today about Tommy's reappearance so the world knew that Tommy Merlyn was back among the living. They had set up for the tombstone to be replaced with the name of the false identity Felicity had created to cover for them.
Oliver had also brought Tommy to the site to show him where he had come to when he needed to talk to his friend. Oliver had hidden the tumbler from his bachelor party in the dirt at the grave so he pulled it up and gave it to him. When he started to tell Tommy about it. Tommy explained that Thea and Laurel had beaten to the punch. Tommy had taken the tumbler home the night before and it has sat next to his bedside ever since.
"I thought I was suppose to be the nervous one at this shindig." Felicity giggled from behind the two men. They turned to find her a glowing vision or blonde curls and sapphire blue gown. She has a set of long tear drop shaped diamond and tanzanite earrings hanging from her ears as well as a diamond and sapphire bangle on one wrist; her arrow bangle on her left wrist as always. She had a simple pair of blue wedge heels on that allowed her a little bit of height. Her hair was left loose and wavy to frame her face. Her makeup was light except her signature pink lips.
"Lis you're stunning." Tommy smiled warmly, glad to have the distraction.
Oliver slapped him and joked, "It's my job to say that." Then he stepped up to her and grinned devilishly. "Sweetheart you look amazing."
"Thank you, Mr. Queen." Felicity teased, knowing just what using that name would do to him. He growled at her seductively and she blushed and giggled. "Seems our party has begun. So what are you two doing hiding at the bar?"
"Tommy's nervous about how they will see him."
"Well if they can forgive Oliver and Thea for their mother's involvement in the Undertaking then surely they can give you a chance to earn their forgiveness as well. If not, then they are too narrow-minded for our company and its growth anyway and we can get the money we need elsewhere." Felicity smiled the placed an endearing kiss on Tommy's cheek.
"You would really walk away from an investor over this? Over me?"
"Yes. We want a company that will represent our city properly. Starling is a place of rebirth and second chances. It had been for me and Oliver. And Thea. And it can be for you as well. If these investors don't see it that way then we don't want them tied to our company because they don't believe in what we stand for anyway."
"Okay. That's it. Oliver, you have to help me find a girl just like Lis. She's perfect." Tommy smiled.
Oliver chuckled blissfully at his friend's approval of his girl. Oliver had been a bit nervous to be honest. He wasn't sure if Tommy would really see Felicity for who she is and why Oliver had married her. Now he knew Tommy had a clear picture of the woman who had stolen Oliver's heart away. "Sorry man. She is one of a kind." Oliver leaned over and wrapped his arm around her waist while placing a tender kiss on her temple. He felt her skin warm as she blushed at his words.
Tommy smiled and looked happily on his best friend and the woman he loved. "I bet." Then seeing Felicity's blush deepen, Tommy clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Okay so let's show these people how we host a dinner. Plus that food smells amazing."
"That's because Raisa made it." Thea smiled as she and Walter walked up and joined them.
"Speedy you look so grown up." Tommy grinned proudly as he looked Thea over. She was dressed in a teal and sea blue chiffon dress. The top had the teal fabric climb up from a gold belt at her waist to cross over her chest and wrap around her neck. The bottom was the sea blue fabric and had been pleated and flowed freely from the gold belt. It fell to the floor and there was a high slit along her right leg that allowed her to show off her long, lean legs that showcase a pair of Christian Louboutin full ankle pumps that were mesh covered in crystal studs. Her hair was almost shoulder length now so she had it curled and braided and pinned up. And her makeup was soft for evening. Hanging beautifully from her ear were two long gold fan earrings that had diamonds lining the edges and she had several gold bangles on her wrist and her gold arrow ring in place on her hand, as always.
"Thanks Bro. Can't expect people to give you money for your company if you don't look the part, right?" Thea teased as she leaned in and hugged Tommy, who placed a sweet kiss on her cheek.
"Mr. Steele, it is good to see you again." Tommy smiled politely towards Walter.
"As you Tommy and please call me Walter. You're family." Walter grinned shaking his hand.
"Now we are here to impress some investors so how about we go loosen their checkbooks a bit." Tommy placed his playboy smile into place and lead the group into the party.
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"I'm telling you, green solutions is where everyone is heading. I feel that it is a over saturated market. There must be somewhere else we can venture." One investor, Mr. Collins, stated as they all ate dinner. "There can't be that many advancements left to make in that field."
"That's where I think you're wrong." Tommy noted quietly. Most of the dinner he had been quiet and sat back, not wanting to take focus away from QI. Plus there had been an underlying tension between him and most of the guests there all night because of the history they all had with Malcolm Merlyn and Merlyn Global.
"How so Tommy?" Felicity asked sweetly. She had watched him struggle all night to stay quiet and wanted to encourage him to speak up and participate. She knew it was tough for him but she knew he needed a slight push as well to get him back into the world and she was determined to do just that.
"Well I have been reading about the solar panel project QI has in the works and I think it is great but there must be other ways that we can take something simple and use it for something else. Just like that project. You are taking the roads we drive on everyday, the sidewalks we walk on and never think twice about and turning them into something to help generate power. So what about billboards that can collect rain water then we can process it into reusable water. Or plexiglass walls that double as solar panels for high rises to create power. We can also start looking at ways to use today's technology growth to manufacture and produce products for cheaper. They are making advancements with 3D printers everyday. I mean they are using them to make limbs for people now. So what says we can use them as well?"
The party had grown silent, stunned by what Tommy had said. He stared around and noticed that they were all staring at him. He became uncomfortable and shrugged, slipping back into his carefree playboy persona easily. "Just a thought."
"Tommy that's exactly what we want to do at QI with our new division. Find and produce green solution ideas that will be used as everyday products but will also help companies and cities become self-sustaining." Oliver smiled warmly at his best friend and his ideas. Oliver knew that Felicity had told Tommy about some of the ideas she had about options for their new division as well as the latest projects at QI. "We will also considering creating a new computer advancements division in Applied Sciences to help create some of those advancements in the computer world. Felicity has plenty of program and software ideas rolling around in that head of hers that I figured it was about time to put them to use."
"That is just because you are tired of me bugging you and boring you with the techno talk as you call it." Felicity teased, glad to take to attention of Tommy for a minute.
"Never honey. You could never bug or bore me with that brilliant mind of yours." Oliver chuckled.
"Well it seems that QI is in the right hands. Between you two and the ideas you are working towards plus Thea and the charitable moves she is making in name of the family and company, you three will see a lot more success than I think even Robert and Moira could have imagined." Mr. Foster stated.
"I agree." Walter smiled from his seat. "A toast. To the Queens and their successful future with QI and their growing family."
"To the Queens." the rest of the party followed happily.
When the conversation died down again, the party moved back to their dinners. Soon the meal was over and the party started to break up to enjoy dessert and after dinner drinks. Felicity had moved into the sitting room to enjoy her slice of cake comfortably.
Mrs. Steems, the wife of another investor from Washington state, asked, "Felicity, I read that you two are expecting twins. Congratulations. Any idea on the genders or names yet?" She came and sat down across from Felicity in the sitting room.
Thea walked in with Tommy, who had gone to get Felicity's cake for her. He smiled at her as he handed it to her. "Not really Mrs. Steems. Right now we just want them to be happy and healthy." Mr. Foster was the only board member in attendance tonight and he knew that Oliver and Felicity wanted to keep the genders of the babies a secret for now so he and the board had made sure to do so.
"Well is there something you hoping for?"
"I think one of each would be fun. That way she would have her little boy. On top of Connor of course. And seeing Oliver wrapped around the little finger of a little girl would be too cute. And too perfect." Tommy grinned and winked at Felicity as he handed her a cup of tea.
Just then Harper decided she wanted to say hi and kicked Felicity. "Oh! Okay I think that one really likes Uncle Tommy." Felicity giggled. She had noticed over the last two days that whenever Tommy was talking near her belly, Harper was more active. She placed her hand on the side of her belly and smiled up at him.
He knew that was the little princess and smiled as well. "Well maybe they will just have to have their uncle wrapped around their little finger as well."
"Seeing Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn following around and tending to whatever a girl wants? Now that will be a sight." Thea teased.
"Thea!" Felicity groaned, trying to get her to be nice.
"What? I'm just saying. I never thought I would see that day. What with their dating habits a decade ago."
"Well some things change with time." Tommy grinned as he hugged her into his side.
"Well, Mr. Merlyn, do you have any plans now that you are back in Starling?"
"Tommy please. And really I don't. I decided to leave so abruptly a few years ago and sort of hid away from the world. But I decided it was time to return. I missed my friends and family and my home. Starling has always been home to me. Seeing all that it has gone through these last few years upset me so I decided I needed to come back and see what I could do to help make it better."
"Well I'm sure between Felicity and Thea here, they will find a way for you to do just that." Mrs. Steems smiled at him.
"Well thank you. I hope so too. I just want to show everyone that I am not my father. That I want to do good."
"It was awful what happened with your father. I'm sorry for your loss. But just give people time. They will see you are your own person. It took a while from me to step out of my father's shadow as well."
"Father's?"
"Yes. My maiden name used to be known for all the good it did but my cousin amd his family seems to have tainted it a bit in Metropolis. Luthor is now a name that no one really likes to hear. It was hard for me when I first started in this world. Even after I married, people still only saw me for my old last name. It took some time and a lot of work but now they see me for me and all the good I want to do in this world. It will take a lot of work but the end result is well worth it." She smiled and patted his knee.
"Well thank you Mrs. Steems. And I know with friends and sweet people like you behind me, I can do it."
"Tommy!" Oliver called from the back porch where several of the men were standing, smoking and discussing business.
"Ladies, it seems I am being requested elsewhere. If you'll excuse me. Lis, do you need anything?"
"No I'm good. If I need anything I can get Thea to help me." Felicity smiled warmly at him. He patted her shoulder and leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple before moving towards where Oliver was.
"It's so sweet that he is taking such good care of you."
"To be honest, he was a bit nervous about coming tonight and I was nervous about hosting my first dinner so I asked him to keep an eye on me. I tend to babble and say inappropriate things when I get nervous and I didn't want to scare off any of the investors." Felicity blushed. "He is being a good friend. Which is surprising since he really doesn't know me. We haven't spent too much time together."
"No but he knows Oliver. I have done business with the Queens and the Merlyns for a long time and I knew both of them from when they were boys. If Oliver chose you, Tommy knows that you are worthy of his loyalty. It's good to see those two together and happy again. They both seemed a bit lost without the other for the last few years." Mrs. Steems grinned as she watched the two men in question laughing together on the porch.
"That they were but I must agree. It seems that the last bit of Oliver has finally made it home." Thea smiled warmly as she took in the sight of both of her brothers happy.
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"You're sure you'll be okay?"
Tommy chuckled. "Lis I'll be fine. Now you three go and have fun. Enjoy your family time away. I will hold down the fort here. Thea, Laurel and Roy have patrols. Sara, Nyssa, Talia and the League have Darhk under close eyes so if he even breathes wrong they will know it. Lyla is still monitoring his accounts so he isn't going anywhere. I will wait for Constantine and his guys to come back. Plus I have lunch with Laurel today."
"Yeah. You sure you're ready for that?"
"I need to do this Lis. We can finally be honest with each other about everything. I need to see if there is something there."
"You still love her."
"Yes but I don't know this new Laurel. I need to see if I love her as well. Ollie and Speedy aren't the only ones around here to change since the last time I saw them. She's been through a lot."
"Don't I know it. Just take it easy. Be slow. Enjoy getting to know each other again. Start as friends and see where it goes."
"I will. That is my plan."
"Well good. I don't want to see two of my friends get hurt. Again." Felicity smiled shyly up at him.
"Felicity Queen, you are too good to believe." Tommy smiled and cupped her cheek then kissed her other one and hugged her. "Now get on that plane and take good care of those babies and our boys."
"I will and we will see you tomorrow night okay?"
"Sounds perfect Lis. I'll have Raisa make dinner for all of us." Tommy called as he waved and watched Felicity climb up into the private plane. The pilot followed her inside. Tommy stood next to Darren and the town car they had rode in to get to the airport as they watched the plane taxi out and take off.
"Back to the mansion, Mr. Merlyn?"
"Actually I believe I have a lunch date, Darren. Table Salt please." Tommy grinned happily as he ducked into the back of the town car.