A couple of months later
With Christmas being a week away, everyone was in a festive mood except Oliver. What his father had done was weighing down on him. Felicity had been right. This had opened Pandora's box and he somehow wished he could go back in time and prevent himself from opening it.
Whenever Emma and he were together he tried his best to be normal around her and even if he had already lived many years bearing secrets from the ones he loved, this one seemed harder and it was starting to eat him up from the inside. If he told her the truth, it not only would kill her but she would never look at him the same way and he couldn't live with that!
Emma came up behind him as he sat in the sofa and put her arms around him. "You're awfully quiet tonight. Everything OK"?
He smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just tired".
Emma knew it was true. The past weeks the Arrow had been very busy. She and Felicity had worked on implanting a video camera on his suit so that Emma could read, in real time, what Oliver couldn't translate. It was kind of neat, but also stressful for Emma. Not only did it mean that she couldn't get things wrong, but also that she realized how dangerous her husband's vigilante activity was.
On a more personal note, they were more than happy together. With every day that passed, their love for one another grew stronger. They regularly had dinner with either Thea and Roy, John and Felicity or Tommy and Laurel. They also attended dinners and galas along with Moira and Walter to represent the Queen family and with each one, Emma felt more and more confident and at ease with her new role of being the wife of a billionaire.
She walked around the sofa and sat down leaning into him. "Thea wore me out today with her shopping spree. She bought so many Christmas presents, I doubt there'll be any room left under the tree for the rest"!
He smiled. "Did you get me a present"?
"Well, at first I thought about getting you a gift certificate for archery supplies from 3Rivers, but then I thought your family might find that a bit suspicious and would link you back to the Arrow".
He nodded. "Good point".
"Then, I kind of got stuck. What do you get your husband who already has everything? But don't worry, I'm working on something".
"You're right, I already have everything I need and the most important thing of all, you! I don't need anything more".
"Well, you already have me, so I can't be your Christmas present. And on top of that, I also don't think your family would enjoy my standing under the tree in the barest necessities with a bow around my chest, waiting impatiently for you to unwrap me".
He grinned mischievously. "Another good point, but maybe I can unwrap that present now", he said as he kissed her.
He leaned her back so that she was laying down on the sofa and placed himself on top of her as he slowly unbuttoned her blouse. As he trailed passionate, arousing kisses from her neck to her ribs, his phone rang. He sighed in despair as he put his head down again her soft skin. He sat up and grabbed his phone.
"Now's not a good time Felicity".
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to disturb you during dinner".
"We're not eating dinner".
"Oh…"she said as it suddenly dawned on her and she closed her eyes. "Oh! Right. Well um I'm sorry but we need you".
"What's the problem"?
"We've got a bank robbery with a hostage situation at Starling National and the police are in a dead end. Detective Lance called you for backup".
He looked at Emma. "Have Roy suit up, I'm on my way".
Emma smiled. "Looks like you may just have to wait Christmas Eve to open up this present".
She sat up and buttoned her blouse back up as he headed for his jacket and motorcycle helmet.
"I'm sorry. Don't wait up. I love you"!
When he returned home, it was in the wee hours of the morning. Emma was sound asleep in bed. He undressed and slipped into bed, put his arm around her warm, soft body and dozed off.
The next morning, he headed to QC for a full day's work. Emma joined Felicity at the lair along with John and Roy who would hold down the fort in his absence.
Felicity looked at Emma. "What are you wearing tonight"?
"Well, since it's the Queen Consolidated Christmas Gala Party, I'm going to wear a long red bustier dress. What about you"?
"I'm going for something similar but in black. Is Oliver staying at QC till the party"?
"Yes. He brought his suit with him and he'll change there. I'll meet him there just before the party starts".
"I'm actually looking forward to this night out… we've just all been so busy lately. It's like every time we get a moment to ourselves, we are called in to save the world".
Emma smiled. "I know what you mean".
Felicity remembered how she had called at a real awkward moment the night before and blushed.
"Sorry about that".
Emma nudged her playfully before taking on a more serious face.
"Hey Felicity, do you know if something is bothering Oliver"?
"Not sure, why do you ask"?
"I don't know. It's just that sometimes when he thinks I'm not around or not looking, he just seems distant and lost in his thoughts".
Felicity felt bad. She knew exactly what was haunting Oliver but she had promised not to tell Emma.
"Maybe he's tired. It's been hectic these past couple of weeks. Maybe he needs some time off, a vacation"?
A vacation? Why not thought Emma. That would be the ideal Christmas present. Maybe taking a couple of days away from Starling City and all the chaos, would do both of them some good.
At around 5PM everyone left the lair to get ready for the party. Roy dropped Emma off as he headed to the Mansion to get ready and pick Thea up. When she arrived inside she jumped into the shower. A half an hour later, she was dressed, her hair was done and so was her make-up. She put her shoes on and grabbed her clutch when the phone rang.
"Hey beautiful, just wanted to check in on you".
She headed for the hallway and looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm just on my way out. I'll be there in ten minutes".
"Great. I can't wait. I've missed not seeing you today. The car should be waiting for your downstairs. See you in a bit".
She hung up and headed for the door. When she opened it, she found herself face to face with Malcom dressed in a suit.
"Stunning. Absolutely stunning", he said as he checked her out.
She pressed her lips together. "I highly doubt that you are my chauffeur to the party, so if you'll excuse me, I've got a car waiting for me".
He smiled deviously. "This will only take a minute", he said as he entered the apartment leaving Emma in the hallway irritated. She closed the door and looked at her watch.
"What do you want Malcom? Oliver is waiting for me".
"You truly love him, don't you"?
"He's my husband, of course I love him".
"Then it's rather unfortunate that the feeling is not mutual".
She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not going to listen to your lies, you're wasting your time".
"I'm not the one who is lying to you Emmaline. Oliver is".
"What are you talking about"?
"The fact that Oliver has known now for several months that the truck that killed your siblings belonged to Queen Consolidated. Which obviously implies that Robert was the one who buried the whole story".
Emma started to shake. "You're lying"!
"If you don't believe me then have a look for yourself". He handed her a file with not only the documents to prove what he had just said but also a list of computer terminals that had logged on to the Transport Department archives. The second to last was the IP address of a Queen Consolidated server that Felicity pinged off to cover her tracks.
"In case you are wondering whose is the last, that would be mine. I learned about what happened to your family and I in turn felt that justice should be served. You can obviously imagine my surprise when I found out that someone had already found the information and it was your husband".
Emma's eyes burned as she tried to prevent the tears from welling up.
"I figured that Oliver would want to honor his father and keep this for himself, but I know what it's like Emmaline to lose someone you love at the hands of a murderer. The pain, the anger, the feeling that your world and your life are falling apart. I never got closure. I'm giving you closure".
Emma felt numb. She didn't have enough strength to say anything. Oliver had not only investigated behind her back, but he had concealed the truth to protect himself and his father's reputation!
Malcom walked closer to Emma. "If you ever feel the need to talk about this, you know where to find me".
He walked out of the apartment with a victorious smile on his face.
Oliver looked at his watch again. He took his phone and dialed Emma's number. There was no answer. She was more than an hour late and he was starting to worry. He had called the driver who had told him that no one had come down and had asked him to go knock on the door, to which the driver had said that no one had come to open the door.
John and Felicity came up to him. "Where's Emma"?
Oliver scanned the room one last time. "I don't know. She should have been here an hour ago and she's opening the door to the driver. Something's not right. I'm going to head over there and see what's going on".
"We'll come with you", said John. Oliver nodded.
Oliver opened the door to the apartment, alert and ready for anything.
"Emma"? he called out as he walked in followed by John gun in hand.
"Emma"?
He headed for the bedroom while John and Felicity headed towards the living room. He joined them puzzled.
"I don't get it. Her clothes are laid out on the bed. She told me she was on her way out. What the hell is going on"?
Felicity turned to look at him with a desperate and hurt look on her face. "I think I know". She handed him the open file that Emma had left on the table.
When he saw what the file contained, his heart fell down a bottomless pit. He sat down and grabbed his head in his hands. "What have I done"?
Felicity who always took her tablet everywhere with her, started typing away on it. "I know you didn't tell her Oliver but if you really want to blame someone, blame him".
She handed him the tablet showing the video surveillance in the corridor leading to the apartment. There unfolding in front of his eyes was a beautifully dressed Emma opening the door to Malcom. Five minutes later Malcom had come out of the apartment. Oliver continued to watch helplessly as ten minutes later Emma walked out of the apartment in tears, changed in a sweater and jeans and carrying a duffle bag. She was gone!
Anger rose inside him as he threw the tablet across the room. He stood and walked over to Felicity.
"I don't care what you have to do, but you find her"!
He started to walk out the apartment. "Oliver, where are you going"? asked John trailing rapidly behind him.
"I have some unfinished business with Malcom"!
John knew there was no point in following him.
Oliver walked into the Merlyn mansion enraged. He walked up to Malcom with clenched fists and punched him in the face.
"You son of a bitch! How could you"?
Malcom wiped a trace of blood from the side of his mouth. "How could I? I'm not the one to blame for this Oliver".
Why'd you do it? To hurt me? Out of spite? To seduce her like a knight in shining armor coming to save a damsel in distress? You think I don't know what game you're playing?
"I did it because she had the right to know"!
"It wasn't your call to make"!
"No, you're right. It should have been you. But you are so keen on honoring your father's memory, that you just lost the woman you love. I was right when I told her you were exactly like your father. I wouldn't worry too much about her if I were you, I'll be very gentle with her"!
Oliver punched him again.
"Stay away from her, or I'll kill you"!
He walked out and headed for the lair.
"Felicity, tell me you know where she is".
She shook her head. "I'm sorry Oliver. I've tried everything. I've tried geo-localizing her phone, doing face recognition, checking credit card and bank transactions, there's nothing".
He banged his fists firmly on the inox table. "That's not possible, she's got to be somewhere. Try harder"!
She removed her glasses and wiped a tear. "I get that you're upset right now but you're not the only one OK"! She paused for a moment. "You've got to remember that she is one of us. She knows how we work, she knows what we look for, she's covered her tracks Oliver. She doesn't want us to find her"!
He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, a broken man. "I can't live with that".
"Neither can I, but until she decides otherwise, we are going to have to live with that".