Emma returned from outside where she had gone to put a garbage bag in the disposal. She closed the back door and walked into the kitchen. From the corner of her eye she caught a shape in the living room and jumped startled.

"Felicity"?

Felicity was standing a few feet away from her, smiling shyly. She didn't know how Emma would welcome her unexpected visit.

Emma walked towards her. "I'm not even going to ask how you found me. I'm sure I have a very good idea".

Felicity sighed. "You've been gone for a month without giving any sign of life. I was worried about you".

Emma got closer and hugged Felicity who was suddenly relieved about her choice of coming.

"And I missed you".

Emma smiled. "I've missed you too".

Emma released her hug on her and sat down in the sofa, Felicity did the same as she looked around the house. There were picture frames on every single piece of furniture and on the walls. All of them were of Emma and her brother and sisters, frozen in time.

"So, this is where you grew up".

Emma nodded. "It wasn't much but it was home. When my grandmother passed away a couple of years ago, I couldn't bear to sell it or rent it out so I kept it and left things as they were. I generally try to come here a couple times a year and the neighbors are great, they keep an eye on it for me when I'm not around".

Felicity nodded. "How are you"?

Emma's eyes lowered. "I'm a mess".

Felicity bit her lip, she didn't know if what she was about to say was the right thing but she felt that Emma needed to know.

"Oliver is a mess too. He hasn't been the same since you left".

Emma said nothing as she took this in. She hadn't expected that. After being gone for a month, she thought that somehow Oliver would have moved on, but apparently, he hadn't.

"Maybe, since both of you are a mess, maybe you can be a mess together"?

Emma shrugged. "I'm not even angry at him anymore".

Felicity looked at her but said nothing.

"Being here, has brought back so much to the surface and I remember how guilty I felt about Steve dying. How it should have been me instead. But then I realized that I was only indirectly guilty for what happened. I wasn't the one driving that rig drunk and too fast".

She paused for a moment. "So, I put myself in Oliver's shoes and suddenly understood what he must have felt when he found out the truth. How devastated he must have been, but he is not directly responsible for what happened. His father is. His father is guilty for paying off whoever he did back then to drop the case. And that's when I realized that we are the same. And just as Steve's parents never blamed me for what happened, I can't blame Oliver. He shouldn't have to be the one to pay for his fathers' sins".

Felicity took Emma's hand in hers. "All of this must have been so hard on you, but you need to tell Oliver this, not me Sweetie. If this is truly how you feel, then you guys can work this out. Maybe it's time you came home".

Emma took her hand away and stood, walked towards the window and looked outside.

"I can't. Not yet".

Felicity stood. "But why. You just said that you don't blame Oliver and you're still wearing the wedding ring and the engagement ring, which means you haven't given up on your marriage. So, what is holding you back"?

Emma turned away from the window. "Because I…" her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes. "Because I'm pregnant, Felicity".

Emma reopened her eyes as Felicity sat back down in response to this unexpected news and her eyes grew wider. She then smiled. Her best friend was going to have a baby.

"When did you find out"?

"Two weeks ago, I'm eight weeks pregnant".

"And you're not coming back because it's not Oliver's baby"?

"What? No! I've never been with anyone else. I love Oliver"!

"Then Sweetie, where is the problem"?

Emma sighed. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet".

"Oh".

"From the start, this whole wedding was a masquerade but we've managed to make it work so far, against all odds, even if it wasn't planned. But a baby? It changes everything".

Felicity listened to what she was saying and quickly understood what Emma was trying to say. "What you are saying is that with this baby there is no way out".

"I always thought that at some moment in time, if Oliver realized how all of this was a huge mistake, he could walk away easily, but if this baby comes into our lives, he'll feel obliged to stick around and he'll be stuck".

Felicity knew that Oliver wasn't perfect but he wasn't a monster either. "I know one thing for sure and that is that he loves you. You have to tell him and you have to give him the benefit of the doubt and let him tell you himself how he feels about all of this".

She stood and walked over to Emma's side. "I know you are confused right now and feel like you're in a dead end and trapped, but it doesn't have to be that way. You're not alone".

"What if he doesn't want this baby"? Emma said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"And what if he does"?

A teardrop ran down Emma's face.

"I've known Oliver for a long time now and I can assure you that if he didn't see himself living the rest of his life by your side, he would have already moved on".

"I'm scared, Felicity".

Felicity took her in her arms. "I know you are, but everything will work out, you've just got to have faith that it will".

Felicity broke the embrace and looked at Emma as she dried her tears.

"Take me home"?

Felicity smiled. "There's nothing more I'd love to do"!