Ardour
By Cortexikid
Chapter 5: Four Syllables
A/N: Anonymous Prompted – Oliver and Felicity meet a psychic who has some pretty interesting and insightful things to say…
"They're like The Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and hot British actors that have no qualms with dating their fans."
At Roy's confused squint, Felicity rolled her eyes.
"Wishful thinking," she clarified, "as in, they don't actually exist, and are instead something people want to believe in at one point in their lives..."
"Hot British actors that date their fans are like Santa Claus?" Diggle asked, wiping his brow with the back of his hand as he and Oliver finished their sparing session.
"In the likelihood of actually existing, yeah," she shrugged, not meeting his gaze.
"Someone sounds bitter," Roy laughed as Felicity blushed a little.
"Hey, I implore you to find me anyone that hasn't once fallen for Cumberbatch's voice, Hiddleston's smile, or Tennant's hair," she pointed an accusatory finger at the younger man as she walked back over to her chair to sit down.
"I don't know who any of those people are," Oliver piped up with a puzzled expression, coming to stand beside Diggle.
"It that case, we're totally adding a ton of British shows to our TV marathons," Felicity grinned, her hand thrown over her head as she swivelled in her chair, eyes sparkling.
"You walked into that one," Diggle muttered under his breath with a smirk.
"Hey, it's a gift, not a punishment…one episode of Sherlock and you'll be thanking me," she smirked enigmatically, before a loud ping sounded from one of her computers.
As her eyes scanned the monitors, Oliver stepped closer to her, "so are you actually going to tell us why you have such a harsh opinion of psychics or are we supposed to guess?"
With a sigh, she turned and stared up at him, her jaw clenched.
"They're charlatans. Con-artists. They take advantage of the emotionally vulnerable, and make up lies to cheat people out of their money…what's to like?"
Each man's eyebrows shot up at her response.
"Speaking from experience, blondie?" Roy pondered, arms crossing over his chest.
"No!" she chided, her eyes hardening a little before her shoulders slumped, "yes. Kind of. My mother had weekly visits with one for years after my da—" she broke off, clearing her throat.
"Anyway, the woman was shark. I guarantee this one is too," she nodded, her tone unwavering as she turned back to her screens.
"We already got her on credit card fraud, shouldn't be too hard to convince her to turn on Corlino…" she murmured almost to herself.
From her peripheral vision she could see Oliver's eyes rake over her, his head tilted.
"Looks like Mrs. Harrison has an appointment with The Arrow in her future," Diggle smirked.
Oliver spun around, his expression pensive.
"I don't know Digg…it's been a while since Oliver Queen had his palm read."
Felicity sat forward in her chair at his words.
"You cannot be serious."
"There's no need to tip her off yet. She could easily run to Corlino before we can get to him. This way, we can take a look around without raising suspicion," he replied, his tone even.
"Troubling use of the word 'we' there," the blonde dead-panned, a surge of dread mounting from the pit of her stomach.
"Well, her ad does say couples welcome…" he trailed off, with a quirk of his eyebrow.
"So bring Laurel," she shot back, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her eyes burning a hole into his forehead.
"Yeah, 'cause that won't be awkward for everyone involved," Roy muttered, shaking his head.
"Felicity…" Oliver began, his voice soft.
"Save it," she held up her hand, "I'll agree under three conditions. One, I don't have to say anything. Not a word. No point in making the scam easier. Two, I will under no circumstances give that woman my real name. And three, you're paying."
"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Felicity scoffed under her breath, shuffling in her seat as Oliver threw her a glance from his spot beside her.
"I wonder what the cards has in store for Starling City's newest couple?" the smug voice of Roy Harper trickled into their ears via comm.
"How's that song go?" Diggle piped up, the smile evident in his tone. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a bab—"
"I can see some very embarrassing high school photos falling into Lyla's hands in your future if you don't shut the hell up," she gritted her teeth warningly, just as the door in front of them opened, revealing a rather demure, middle-aged woman smiling at them.
"Thank you for waiting. Please, come in," she spoke with a faint accent, motioning into the room behind her, turning her back and walking towards a large, round table.
"Thank you, Mrs. Harrison. I'm Oliver, and this is my girlfriend, Meghan," Oliver smiled his obligatory charming smile, his hand falling to the small of Felicity's back as they made their way into the minimalistic, office-like room.
"Gloria, please, none of this Missus business, makes a girl feel old," she scoffed lightly. "Please, take a seat."
As they sank into the chairs, Oliver, making a point to gesture around, remarked, "I have to admit, this is not exactly what I expected…"
"Oh, few do…" Gloria waved her hand, taking a seat opposite them, "honestly, it's my impression that most people think of crystal balls and dream-catchers when they hear the word 'psychic.' I however, take a…less-stereotypical approach to my craft."
A soft snort erupted from Felicity. Oliver shifted, laying a hand on her knee in warning. She stared down at it under the table, where it was resting just below the hem of her dress.
Her throat went dry.
"I don't need to consult my cards to see you're sceptical, Meghan," Mrs Harrison smiled, her eyes drinking in her guests.
Felicity's eyes snapped up, a little flushed at the inspection, sharing a fleeting glance with Oliver who cleared his throat.
"She's here more as support…this isn't really her thing," he murmured, eyes turning back to meet the older woman's.
"Well, that's okay. If you're not comfortable, you're free to just observe as I give a reading to Oliver…it could give me a chance to win you over," she replied, flashing Felicity another smile.
Silently, Felicity nodded before Mrs. Harrison sat forward, addressing Oliver, "your hand, please."
Leaning over, Oliver placed his other hand in hers, his eyes doing a sweep of the room, looking for anything out of place.
"I won't mince my words, Mr. Queen. Your past, at least before and a little after your five year absence, has been made quite well known to the public. I won't waste your time regaling you of things I could have easily determined from publications and idle gossip. Instead, I'd rather look…deeper," she paused, her dark eyes catching his, before flickering quickly to Felicity, and back again.
"You said on the phone, that you were seeking some guidance…a little insight into your future?" she asked, turning Oliver's hand in hers.
Felicity sat back a little in her chair, trying to mask her surprise at this information. She knew Oliver had to call to make the appointment, but she had no idea what he had said to get them there.
"Yeah, an insight would be nice," he responded, feeling Felicity's gaze on the back of his head.
"Hmm…" Mrs. Harrison hummed, her fingers trailing over his palm, "it's no secret that you haven't had much…luck in the love department in the past. But," she paused, her eyes rising to meet Felicity's, "I have a feeling that is about to change."
The blonde's throat tightened at those words, her heart hammering in her chest as she felt Oliver's fingers tense a little on her knee.
"You said your relationship…was in its infancy?" the elder woman continued, her eyes slipping closed.
Oliver took that moment to catch Felicity's eye, silently communicating their next course of action, taking his hand off her knee.
She tried not the miss the warmth.
"We've been dating for about two months," he replied with ease, his mind recalling the agreed back-story they brainstormed the night before.
"Hmm…" Gloria hummed, her brow crinkled, as Felicity bent down slightly to pick up her bag.
"I don't think so," she said suddenly, halting Felicity's movements, her eyes jerking back up to stare at the woman.
"Uh…excuse me?" she couldn't help but ask, speaking her first words since entering the room.
Gloria's eyes snapped open then, her fingers paused on Oliver's hand.
"I said, I don't think so. What you two have…has been going on a lot longer than two months…"
Felicity's eyebrows shot up, her jaw clenching angrily, images of 'Miss Clarice' her mother's psychic from when she was a kid, flashing vividly across her mind.
"And what is it we have exactly?" she heard herself ask before her brain could catch up with her.
"Your relationship…it is one based on a remarkable friendship," Gloria responded without a beat, "the romantic elements however…while there from the start, haven't fully come to fruition yet."
Oliver and Felicity stared blankly at her in silence.
With a roll of her eyes, Gloria motioned rapidly between them, exclaiming:
"No sex!"
The tech genius' mouth dropped open, her startled eyes catching sight of Oliver's hand twitching in her peripheral vision, her mind reeling, having absolutely no idea what to say to that.
Instead of letting loose the babble that wanted to desperately claw its way out of her throat, she hurriedly thought that this might be the opportune time to make her hasty retreat:
"I'm so sorry, but could I use your restroom?"
Gloria smiled all-too sweetly, "why sure dear, it's just down the hall and the second door to your left. Would you like for us to wait for you before continuing?"
"N-no, that's okay. You go ahead," Felicity stammered as she stood up, her treacherous cheeks burning as the woman's words echoed in her ears.
Why did she agree to this ridiculous sham again?
Without as much as a backwards glance, she scurried over to the door and stepped out, closing it with a snap behind her and made her way down the corridor, her eyes darting around to find where the woman could possibly keep her personal laptop. She had given the room she just left a good once over and couldn't see it anywhere, or indeed a place within the room where it could be kept. That left the rest of the house to explore in the time it would take a normal person to visit the bathroom.
Fantastic.
"I hope I didn't make the poor girl uncomfortable," she heard Gloria's concerned voice in her ear via Oliver's comm.
She rolled her eyes as he quickly responded, "oh no, she just had too much coffee and was cursed with a small bladder."
Back in the room, Gloria chuckled at the charming man in front of her, before leaning forward once more, regarding him with a more sombre stare.
"I can see you're scared," she murmured quietly, "and I can understand that, Mr. Queen. You have had your fair share of strife in your short lifetime…anyone could understand your…hesitance…" she trailed off, her eyes searching his for something unknown.
"My…hesitance in what?" he found himself asking, more so to give Felicity time to find something useful, than actual curiosity.
He wasn't buying what this woman was selling.
"Your hesitance in letting yourself have what you really want," Gloria continued, squeezing his hand. "I can see it in your eyes, Oliver. The fear you have of letting somebody in…to open up that part of yourself completely to another person. To share your life with someone you truly care about…"
Felicity straightened up suddenly, stopping her search of Mrs. Harrison's bedroom as those words rang in her ears.
"Perhaps…that's why you have not taken the next step with Meghan? That same fear…that she means more to you than you're willing to admit?" Gloria prodded, her eyes flickering to Oliver's left hand as it jittered, her gaze softening.
"The way you look at her…it's plain to see, even within a few moments of meeting you both, that if you were to take that step, to admit just how deeply you actually are in lov—"
"Aren't you meant to shuffle around a deck of cards, or something?" Oliver interjected suddenly, Felicity snapping out of her reverie at his voice, she frantically realizing how much time she wasted on eavesdropping when she was supposed to be searching.
Now was not the time for startling personal reflections…even if the so-called psychic woman was making some very intriguing, if incredibly unthinkable, points…
Gloria's stared at him for a long moment, drinking in every inch of his face. After what seemed like an eternity, her eyes narrowed, her face hardening somewhat as she heaved a sigh, her shoulders slumping, "I know why you're really here, Mr. Queen. And what your companion is really doing while pretending to use my facilities…"
Felicity's hand froze on the laptop that she just uncovered from under the woman's bed.
"Excuse me?" Oliver asked, his voice giving away nothing.
"Bob Corlino," Gloria pushed back her chair, standing up, her back rigid, all pretence evaporating from her.
"You made?" Digg's voice floated into Felicity's ear as she, with shaking hands, booted up the laptop.
"I—I don't know," she stammered, her eyes gluing to screen, "I'm just pulling up info now but it could take awhi—"
"Who's Bob Corlino?" Oliver cut across them, feigning confusion as Gloria laughed.
"Oh don't try con a con, Mr. Queen…" she smirked, "I gotta say, when I got a call from the infamous Oliver Queen, this was not what I was expecting…"
"Shouldn't you have foreseen this? Being psychic and all?" Oliver asked hotly, deciding to roll with the heightened ambiance of the room, and change tact.
"Funny," she chuckled, "and they say you're just a pretty face…"
"Who's they? The spirits?" he shot back with a smirk.
"That's mediums," she grinned with a point of her finger, "now that that's cleared up…let's get your not-yet-lover back into the room where I can see her."
Felicity stilled, watching the download bar reach 51% as she copied files from the laptop.
"Oliver, I'm not finished! What do you want me to—"
"Meghan's not a part of this," he began, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms, "I came to check out your operation myself. A buddy tipped me off to a possible con-artist in the area, and I wanted to see it for myself before reporting you to the police. But as far as Meghan knows, I'm here to get my palm read, or fortune told, or whatever other scam you're running."
Gloria stared down at him, her expression unreadable before she reached into her pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes.
"And here I thought it'd be The Arrow who paid me a visit," she responded cryptically, placing a cigarette between her teeth and lighting it.
Felicity desperately urged the download bar to move faster as she heard those words. 78%...
"Guess a tall man clad in green leather is too much for an ol' gal like me to hope for, huh?" Gloria gave another chuckle, inhaling deeply.
"Or is it just too bright outside?" she continued with a wink.
"I don't know what you're—"
"Again, Mr. Queen, with the lies," she held up her hand, "no offense, but you're incredibly bad at it. Really, I've no idea how you've gotten away with it as long as you have…" she laughed, before walking over to the desk and snatching up something off the table.
"You want Corlino? Fine. I'll give you everything you need to take down not just him, but the entire smuggling operation. 'Meghan,'" she paused, emphasising the name with air-quotes, "won't get everything from my laptop. So…here," she finished, holding out a manila folder in front of him.
As Oliver reached out to take it, she snatched it back an inch, her eyes boring into his, "let me make myself clear. Just because I may not be able to prove who I know you really are, that doesn't mean I won't kick up hell trying…but if I give you this, and every incarnation of you leaves me the hell alone, in return, I'll graciously keep any suspicions I have to myself," she paused, holding out her hand, her eyes glinting, "we got a deal?"
Oliver stood, his eyes on the folder, taking it from her with a sharp pull, quickly leafing through it. After a few moments, he closed it again, with a nod.
"You stop taking money from innocent people and we've got a deal, Mrs. Harrison," he retorted with a hard stare, holding out his hand.
After a moment, she sighed and begrudgingly shook it.
Felicity's blood was boiling. The nerve of that woman! Finally, the download was complete, and within a split second, she was reefing the USB from it's port and shoving it into her bag, hissing:
"Are you kidding me, Oliver?! I can get the dirt we need. You don't have to make a deal with this woman to—"
"Thank you for your time, Gloria. It was very…enlightening," Oliver cut across Felicity, turning on his heel and making his way towards the door.
"You know, it's funny," she called after him, causing him to pause, his hand on the door handle.
"It seems," Gloria continued, stubbing out her cigarette on the desk, and walking towards him slowly, "when it comes to you and your lady loves, over the years their names go up by one syllable."
Oliver turned around to face her, tilting his head.
She shrugged, a smirk playing about her lips, "first, there was your elementary school crush, Claire. Second, your intense high-school-sweetheart, Laurel. Then there was the one you like to forget…the one who nearly changed your life in a big way. Sandra. Then, your last fling before the island, the wild and forbidden, Sara. Then…someone else. Her name also began with an S and had two syllables…your time on the island is still quite blocked to me. After the island, you seemed to move onto three syllables, like with the misguided Helena Bertinelli. Only for you to fall back with Officer McKenna Hall…and Laurel…and Sara again…" she trailed off, her dark eyes glistening, "you should always look forward, Mr. Queen, never back."
Oliver stared down at her, the gears in his mind grinding as she gave another care-free chuckle, "that's why I was so surprised to learn of your companion's name," she stepped even closer to him, their gazes locked, her tone sombre, "I have to say, I was quite expecting the love of your life to have a four syllable name…"
Felicity froze as she went to step back out into the corridor, her heart lurching.
It's a trick, a scam. Don't believe the lies. You are not the love of Oliver Queen's life! she berated herself silently.
"I thought you weren't psychic?" Oliver fired back, his mouth on autopilot.
"Goodbye Mr. Queen…" she winked, before reaching around him and opening the door.
Shaking his head, Oliver stepped out in the corridor, walking towards the front door, his eyes landing on Felicity who was standing on the threshold, her expression one of a deer caught in headlights as he led her outside.
"It was nice meeting you…Meghan. You are going to have quite a fulfilling future with this one, I can tell. If you ever want your cards read—" Gloria paused at Oliver's glare, "it'll be free of charge, of course," she flashed them an enigmatic grin, before slamming the door in their faces.
"So…is anyone gonna say it, or are we just gonna ignore the giant elephant in the room," Roy was the first to break the silence that had descended on the team since Oliver and Felicity were left standing on the Harrison's doorstep.
"We got what we needed, there's no point dragging up—"
"Dude, she knew you were The Arrow. Knew that you wanted information on Corlino and just happened to have it right there to bargain with. She knew pretty much all the women you've dated. Including Shado, when you were on the island. How could she possibly know that? I didn't know that till recently, and I've been running around with you shooting people with arrows! And what about that whole four-syllable-named-woman that's meant to be the love of your li—"
"Roy!" Oliver snapped, cutting the younger man off mid-rant as he paced back and forth back in their new lair.
Digg for his part, was only nodding, and Felicity…hadn't spoken a word in the last hour.
With a glance to where she sat, back to them at her computers, Oliver sighed, "she never said Shado's name, so she doesn't know anything about the island. As for everything else, she obviously did research on me, hired a P.I. or something. I don't know. I don't care, either. She has absolutely no evidence of anything. And it's not like the SCPD take much stock in what psychics with criminal records say either. This isn't The Mentalist."
"Really? That you can reference?" Felicity whirled around in her seat suddenly, sounding scandalized, "I would have totally gone with Psych…"
Oliver merely stared at her as she stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder, flipped her hair out from her coat-collar and walked towards him.
"We're totally adding Psych to our TV marathons too…after we binge-watch Sherlock," she informed him softly, not quite meeting his eye, before nodding to Diggle and Roy, "'night boys…"
The three men watched her go silently. Once she had ascended the stairs and was out of ear-shot, Diggle leaned over to Oliver, a knowing smile on his face, "so, about this woman you're in love with that has a four syllable name. Can't be too hard to figure out who she is…there's not many names out there, right? I mean, off the top of my head, I can only think of a few: Elizabeth, Olivia, Victoria, Felicity…" he trailed off, his smirk widening.
Oliver tensed, glaring at his friend as he laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Yeah man, you didn't have to go to a psychic to figure that one out. I coulda told you that. And it wouldn't have cost you fifty bucks either…"
A/N: I love both The Mentalist and Psych btw. But Psych will always be my first love. I miss it so much :( Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to send me a prompt if you like :)
