"Please tell me that you did the smart thing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Which tends to be our problem."

Oliver sighed and shook his head. "Or I could be avoiding your line of questioning."

"I think it tends to lean more towards you being oblivious to what's really going on," Diggle told him.

"You're talking about Felicity," Oliver said just to prove him wrong. They were both at the Foundry. Felicity had wanted to come, but they'd agreed to wait a bit. They needed to work out a schedule or figure out where to set up baby equipment down in the Foundry that wouldn't interfere with any of the work areas. Felicity had seemed a little bummed to stay home, but when he'd left she'd been happily rocking Lucy.

Diggle started to slow clap.

Oliver just glared at him.

"What? It's only been how long? I mean, I practically had to throw her at you…"

"I wasn't that bad."

"Yes, you really are…"

"I don't want to hurt her," Oliver told him. "Look at what's happened in my past—"

"This isn't the past, Oliver… This is the present and we're talking about the future…and I think it's something that you should let her have a voice in," Diggle said.

"Did you two have a meeting?" Oliver asked suddenly as he sat down in the computer chair.

"What?"

"Felicity said that too."

Diggle shook his head. "Oh, yeah…I forgot to mention that you missed the 'conspire against Oliver' meeting," he said sarcastically. He was serious again a moment later. "You know, just because sometimes Felicity and I tell you the same thing…that doesn't mean that we had some kind of meeting…it could just mean that we're both onto something…"

"Or you two could be conspiring against me," he teased.

Diggle just smiled in response. "So, what are you going to do?"

"She's going to stay at the mansion for the time being."

"And she's okay with that?"

Oliver really was starting to wonder if he'd talked to her beforehand just so he had a million questions to ask him. He knew that Diggle meant well, but at the same time…he thought he was doing okay. "I know she's a little hesitant…"

"Your mom doesn't seem to be her biggest fan," Diggle pointed out.

"She'll come around."

"Too bad there's not some other building like a small house or apartment on that estate…" Diggle said as he walked the length of the Foundry.

Oliver listened and twisted around in the computer chair. He stopped at Diggle's words. "There are some other buildings on the estate." Of course, Diggle already knew that. "I don't even know if the water works…or they have power though…"

"I'm just saying…then you could be at the house, but not in the house," Diggle suggested.

And it was smart.

"Why didn't I think of that first?"

"You're not used to thinking outside of the box."

Oliver really didn't feel like that was true, but maybe it was to a certain extent. He had to think about so many options, keep on his toes, when he was on the island and then before he finally came home to Starling City… He wondered if he'd gotten too comfortable… Maybe he'd relied on Felicity and Diggle too much, but then...was that really so bad? They were a team...but maybe he just needed to widen his perspective on the world…

"I thought I was."

"Well, then I must think outside the box you think you think outside of…" Diggle countered.

"Cute."

Diggle smirked. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I'll talk to my mom tomorrow about remodeling one of the smaller buildings on the estate. I mean, we might as well use it… It's sort of sad that we have those buildings and we're not using them."

"What were they used for before?"

Oliver shrugged. "Servants' quarters or something…"

"Maybe you could come up with better use for them," Diggle suggested. "I mean, really… The mansion is massive and the Queens are a rather small family…"

"Don't start any line like that with my mom," Oliver said quickly. "She'll expect Thea and I to have ten kids each…"

"Well, one down," Diggle teased.

"Thanks."

. . .

"Oliver, be reasonable!"

"Mom, I really don't think I'm being very unreasonable… Lucy and I will still be on the grounds, we just won't be here in the main house…" he tried to rationalize. "It's really a good option, Mom. It's better than us moving away into our own place-"

"Why would you do that?!"

Oliver sighed. "I've been trying to explain to you-"

"This is about that blonde girl, isn't it?"

"Her name is Felicity," he told his mom. Oliver's tone was a little stern. He was getting a little tired of how irritated his mother seemed to be with Felicity. He had thought that she'd at least be a little more understanding. Maybe he just needed to be flat out clear with her.

"She's your assistant, Oliver!"

"I love her, Mom!" he shouted back and then stopped. Oliver was shocked at his own words. He knew how he felt, but he hadn't just come out and said it before. It made it more real was all. He hadn't expected to say that to his mother before to the person he loved. He just stared at the shocked look on his mother's face. It was sort of satisfying. But at the same time, he really knew he couldn't care what she said. He needed to talk to Felicity…

"Oliver-"

"No, that's it, Mom… You should think about it… You're here all alone without Thea or I here… Wouldn't it be nice if Felicity, Lucy, and I were here? Maybe even Thea and Roy would be up for moving here if I got another one of the small buildings up and running…"

"Those buildings are so small," Moira said. She sounded sad and almost like she pitied the buildings. "They're smaller than one of those homes in The Glades…"

Oliver shook his head, a smile on his face. "They're just big enough, Mom… I went out there and walked through one… Besides battling the spider webs...it's just enough space. It's not like we're going to live in squalor…"

"I just-I really need to just think about it… We can talk about this later, right?"

Oliver nodded. "Sure...sure…"

A long quiet moment passed between them before his mother finally turned and headed back up the stairs. Oliver let out a long sigh before turning and heading in the direction where Felicity and Lucy currently where. He stopped when he made it right outside the room and found Felicity standing there, tears falling down her face and looking rather upset.

"Felicity…" he breathed.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Felicity rambled. "I was just coming to ask you something...and then I heard your mom...and I wasn't going to just stand here...but…"

"It's okay," he said softly.

"I told you that I didn't want to come between you and your mother," Felicity told him.

"How much did you hear?"

"Most of it."

Oliver just stared at her, he was trying to think of what to say. He'd hoped that she'd missed most of it. It wasn't that he was embarrassed or ashamed of what he'd said… He'd just wished that he'd been able to tell her that he loved her to her face rather than her just overhearing it. "I...I didn't want you to hear it that way…" he whispered.

Felicity smiled a little sadly. "It's okay… It's not like it was a complete secret."

"Wait-"

"You've felt like that for longer than since you found us, right?"

"Right," Oliver said a bit slow. He was trying to follow her train of thought and he wasn't connecting the dots the same way she seemed to be. "I'm still confused."

She smiled at him. "You know how I feel about you, right?"

He nodded. "Yes…"

"I mean, maybe it started off as a crush…" she told him, talking with her hands as she took a step towards him. Felicity blushed as she continued to talk. "But...you know that I'd do anything when it comes to you, Oliver…"

"Yes."

"And you'd do anything for me?"

"In a heartbeat," Oliver admitted.

"You may not have said it before, but your actions...they've been there," she told him. "Long before you told your mother that you loved me."

It didn't sound so weird coming out of her mouth. It actually made him smile. It was like she'd really made it all so real for him… Like she'd taken the awkwardness and uncertainty out of the possibility of them and out of them as a family… He stared at her. He knew her. He did. She was his Felicity… She saw right through him… She spoke with her mind and her heart… And she was the mother of his daughter, even if she wasn't biologically so… They had this complex and maybe even odd relationship, but that didn't matter. It worked for them and to him, it was perfect.

"Good news, though… I think my mom's warming up to the idea."

"Which one? You sprucing up one of those house-things or of me being here?" Felicity asked.

He smiled. "Both."

"I doubt that."

"She's going to learn to love you," Oliver insisted. "I think she's just afraid that my feelings for you are going to somehow equal you stealing Lucy and I away from her…"

"That's the last thing I want."

"And she'll figure that out." Oliver paused for a moment. "But my mother is a stubborn woman-"

"Well, you had to get it from somewhere," she teased.

Oliver chuckled. "The point is. It has to be something that she comes to realizing without being pushed there… Everything really has to be her idea…"

"You're racking up the points for mama's boy," Felicity joked with a grin.

He shook his head. "Anyways… You said you were coming to talk to me about something?"

"I had just wanted to find out if it would be possible for me to take Lucy out...just for a walk...once she's up, I mean…"

"Of course. You don't have to ask…"

"She's technically not-"

"She's yours."

"She is."

"On her birth certificate-"

"I want you to adopt her."

Felicity just stared at him.

"It's what Laurel would want."

"The Lance family… You know, they don't even all know what's gone on."

"Dinah and Sara think the baby's dead," Oliver admitted. "There was next to no hope of finding her if she was sold on the black market or something… We looked-"

"Well, it probably didn't help that that didn't actually happen," Felicity pointed out.

"True."

"But they might not appreciate me adopting Lucy," Felicity said. "Even if it was something that Laurel wanted… Plus, it's so soon…"

"Laurel would have wanted it. I know it."

"No offense," Felicity said quietly. Her tone turned sad and she looked right at him. For a moment, he was worried that tears would fall. "I don't mean to sound horrible, but Oliver, you weren't there… You can't know that…"

"The letters… They're pretty clear about what she wanted for Lucy… How she felt about you… How she hoped the future would go," Oliver told her. "You should read them."

Felicity shook her head and looked down for a moment before looking back up at him. "Too soon," she whispered. The tears really were threatening to fall.

"Okay," he whispered. Oliver hadn't meant to upset her so much. When he'd first been handed the letters, he hadn't thought that he'd ever be able to bring himself to read them. And then he read them and everything had been so emotional… But sometime after that, it was like the world had clicked in all the right ways. Everything had seemed to make sense. "But if-when you decide you want to read them…I have them…"

She smiled at him, it was so sad. "I appreciate that."

"So, I was going to go into QC…"

"Oh?"

"I thought it might be a good idea…"

"Having a job is kind of a good thing...you know for normal people…"

"Right."

"But you're not normal."

Oliver smiled. "No, but I should try to act normal, right?"

'Right! Have to keep things normal-ish…"

"Are you going to be okay here?"

"You mean without you protecting me from your mother?" she asked. She seemed actually amused by that idea.

He thought about it for a moment and couldn't think of a better way to phrase it. "Yeah…"

"I'll survive…"

"Diggle-"

"You should take him. You may need him."

"You're sure?"

"I promise not to fall apart or do anything to piss off your mom while you're gone…" Felicity told him.

Oliver just stared at her. He really didn't know how serious he should worry about her 'falling apart' or her mental condition. He didn't think that she was crazy or that her emotional state was really something to worry about, but he wanted to be there if she needed him. After all, she'd been through a lot and everything that she'd been freaking out about had been normal as far as he felt.

"You'll call though if you need anything?"

"Of course," she said and he could tell that the smile she was pushing forward was for his benefit.

Now, he really was rethinking the idea of going into work. He needed to do it though. He needed to straighten out his life. She was his anchor and she was back again, while she was gone he'd allowed himself to slip out of being a responsible adult. That was easy when you were a billionaire and your night job was as a masked vigilante. Not showing up for a job that your family owned was fairly easy…

He couldn't do that.

Not anymore.

He was strong, he knew that…

It really had been a long time since he'd let his emotions get the best of him. He'd shut down. He had to be stronger than that. It wasn't for his own benefit, but for the benefit of the ones that looked to him and expected him to be better.

"I hope that you two have a good walk," Oliver told her with a smile.

"You should come along tomorrow…" Felicity told him.

"Where?"

They both turned. Oliver hadn't heard her come in, but he figured that was most likely because he'd been so focused on Felicity. "Felicity is going to take Lucy out for a walk once she's up from her nap."

"I was hoping to steal you and Lucy away for some shopping," Thea told them. "I guess you can come too, Oliver," she said. He could hear the slight irritation and reluctance in her voice.

"Doesn't she have everything she needs?"

"Absolutely not! She's a Queen! Plus, a baby needs more than a crib and some things… We need a swing and a mobile and a ruffle for the crib and-"

"Okay, okay…" Oliver said holding up a hand. "I'm afraid I'm going into Queen Consolidated so I'll have to pass on the shopping trip."

Thea didn't look displeased with his response. She actually seemed rather thrilled by it. She looked to Felicity. "You'll come, right? The three of us will have so much fun! Plus, you and I have to hang out… Bonding time… It'll drive Oliver nuts."

Oliver just frowned. Maybe he wouldn't appreciate this.

"I...guess…" Felicity said a bit hesitantly and quite slowly. "If it's okay with Oliver…"

"You two do whatever you want...but I want you taking Diggle with you," Oliver told them. The last thing that he wanted was for them to be out in public with Lucy and for something to happen. The media had already started up a stir about Lucy. They hadn't come out and said that she was Oliver's child. They just didn't feel like it was necessary or needed to start a media storm like that.

"I thought he was going with you?"

"I'll be okay."

"Oliver-"

"Felicity, you know I can take care of myself… I'll be fine," he told her.

"Not when it comes to everyone…"

Oliver frowned. He knew exactly who she was talking about. She didn't seem jealous, but he knew that she didn't like Isabel and Felicity just never got along with her. That didn't matter though. His plan was to steer clear of Isabel and to just see what he could do as far as work went. And if he happened to run into her, he planned on keeping her at arm's length.

"I would feel better if I knew Diggle was with you," Oliver told them. "I'd rather you have security and I'd rather it be someone that I know I can trust," he clarified a moment later before they could argue that any other security person could go with them. Diggle would likely not be thrilled, but he was sure that he'd understand. Diggle would look out for all three of them like he would. That was what he wanted. Oliver didn't think that he needed to apologize for being protective of his family.

"Okay," Felicity finally said.

He nodded and then pulled Thea into a half hug. He kissed the top of her head. "Have fun, Speedy… Try not to spoil Lucy too much…"

"Ollie, I looked it up… You can't spoil babies… It's a myth," Thea told him.

He smirked. "All the things that you buy...they should be able to fit into a room. A normal size room."

"Easily solved...give her a bigger room…"

He sighed and let Thea go before moving to Felicity. Oliver thought about it for a moment and then decided not to care that Thea was there. He pulled Felicity into a hug, holding her close for a long moment before finally releasing her. He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her. "Good luck," he teased.

Felicity just smiled in response.

"I mean it," he said, trying to sound serious. He looked over at Thea. "Speedy here is an expert shopper and you'll be lucky to be back before dinner…"

"We're taking an infant out, I hadn't planned such an extensive outing…" Thea said quite seriously and she even sounded a bit irked at his comment. "I'll save that for when she's like five…"

"So kind."

"Plus, a couple of hours will be just enough time for Felicity and I to exchange all kinds of stories about you…"

"I really think this is a bad plan," Oliver half teased. Of course, he was half serious. He was fairly sure that nothing Thea could say was going to scare off Felicity though. She'd been through a lot with him. If his attitude hadn't scared her off, then he doubted any skeletons from his past would...especially the ones that Thea knew about. At least he didn't have to worry about Felicity sharing too many stories as most of them would relate to their night jobs.

Thea shook her head. "Just go."

"Diggle's still going…"

"As your spy?"

"He might have stories," Felicity told Thea.

"I really don't like where any of this is going…"

. . .

TBC…