Chapter 2

The box

That first day was awkward… and the next ones were no better…

She could feel Oliver's eyes on her and even overheard his worried conversation with Diggle about her, but Felicity squared her shoulders and smiled at them, waving her goodbye at the end of every day. She knew she couldn't let her feelings get in the way of their friendship. Sara could be good for Oliver and that was what she kept repeating in her mind, like a mantra.

But when, that afternoon, Felicity arrived home to see a box in front of her door with her name impressed on it, she was far away from imagining just how much such a simple thing would be so life changing, not only concerning herself, but the rest of her friends' lives.

She grabbed it without a second thought. It was light and the sound when moved made it look like there were just papers inside.

After closing the door, Felicity left the box over her sofa, happy to change her formal clothes for leggings and a large hoodie. The irony was not lost on her.

While eating some leftovers, Felicity brought the box closer and opened it, while balancing her plate of food. However, when she saw what was inside the box, a clatter of chine echoed through the apartment, while her knuckles turned white with tension.

There were not simple papers inside the box, there were pictures and some manuscripts of scientific articles. She didn't recognize the handwriting… what she recognized was the face and the name written behind every one of those pictures. Anthony Smoak. Her father. He was with different people in those photos, that looked like they were taken for a long span of time, probably since he left her.

The last time she saw him she couldn't be older than five, she remembered that just days after that she started building her first computer. She remembered seeing him leave the house with a suitcase, while her mother eyed her with distaste.

"If you weren't born, I could go with him…" she spited and left the little girl in front of the window watching while the man she called daddy disappeared inside his car.

He had grey hair and a handsome face. His blue eyes just like his daughter's.

Felicity grabbed the photos, eyeing one by one.

And, after taking all of them out, she found a business card with an address and a phone number.

Arthur Williamson, she read, and on the back the handwritten words In case of doubts.

Oh, she had lots of them. The most recent photo looked old and when she saw a calendar in a wall she was able to discern a place in time, seven years ago.

She felt her hand move from her own accord and try to reach the phone, but she stopped the movement. The words her mother said when she left home, echoing inside her mind. "Finally, now I can be free." and that was the last time she saw her remaining parent.

Felicity shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. It had been a long time since she let herself think about that, and now, in the middle of her emotional crisis that she was now in control, would not be a good time to remember.

However, the things in her lap intrigued her. Seeing her father after all these years made her heart beat in an unfamiliar way. He abandoned her and she would never forget that, but at the same time, she wanted to know why. Why would he do something like that?

For days she evaded the order in her mind: call the number.

Obviously, the first thing she did the next day, in the foundry, was run a check on the address. Apparently it was a normal lawyer firm, specialized in emigrant's rights. It was recent and worked in the ethical field. She couldn't find anything wrong with it, the taxes were paid, no sign of irregular activity. It looked too good to be true, actually. But if they were hiding something, they were good.

She was starting to sound like Oliver.

And speaking of him...

"Are you okay?" Oliver's voice grabbed her attention while she was distracted and she couldn't stop herself from remembering the moment, a few days ago, when he made the same question in the exact same spot. And just like then, her answer was the same.

"I'm fine, just worried with some renovations I will have to do in my house… There are mice in there, not the house, but inside the walls, I think it was my neighbor's kid who let his pets escape and now the entire building has their own ghost inside the walls…" Felicity answered with an exasperated sigh.

She was not sure why she didn't tell him or Dig what was really happening. It was not an Arrow business, so why worry them when they had already so much in their plate? And now with Sara and Roy she sure didn't want to weaken the team with her personal problems. But, at the same time, lying made her feel bad. She never lies to Oliver, it was an unspoken rule, and she knows how much he hates people lying to him. However, telling him that small bit about her family was hard enough, and right now, she didn't want to share that painful past with him. She didn't want him to pity her!

And then, she saw the light. The longer she let it stay in her mind, the longer she wouldn't be able to give her best to the Team. She had to come to terms with her discoveries and face whatever it brought her.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go…" and without waiting for another word, she grabbed her things and left the lair.

However, before closing the door, she could distinctly hear Sara's voice asking what was wrong with her and Oliver's sigh. She didn't know what she felt about the other woman's worry, at some point she thought they were close friends, and she still felt they could be, but, that nagging feeling of not belonging, when she looked at them, didn't let her alone enough time to come to terms with the new team dynamics. Now was the time to face her problems and, after that, work towards a better relationship with the team.