Thea really was harmless. She was absolutely excited about Lucy and she was already the extremely loving and doting aunt. Of course, she got to hear her share of stories from Thea and Oliver's childhood, but it was good… From Thea, it made Oliver seem more like this person who had a normal life… It was really a nice change from the playboy Oliver Queen that tended to be how the media sometimes still portrayed him. Even though she and Thea had very different personalities, they seemed to do well with shopping for Lucy together.

"Oliver is going to hate it," Thea said gleefully.

Felicity just smiled.

"It's so girly… I wonder if Oliver ever thought about having a girl…"

"You two seem to be close… I don't see why he wouldn't," Felicity spoke up. She was sure that Oliver just never thought about having a family of his own in general.

"We were...growing up… Not as much since he's been back," Thea told her. "Which I guess is understandable… Stuff happened to him on the island… I'm sure he's told you stuff…"

"Not really," Felicity said honestly. She was sure that Oliver had talked to Diggle about things that happened, but Oliver was quiet about that time. He'd made it clear that it had been a time in his life where nothing good had happened and that it didn't matter now. He was a different person. "Oliver is really quiet about that…"

"You two seem oddly close…" Thea added.

Felicity looked over at her. Thea seemed confused, or maybe she was trying to figure out how that was possible? She was about to open her mouth to try to come up with a good explanation for how that was possible, but Thea spoke up again.

"I see you with him...all the time… You work with him at Queen Consolidated and then I've seen you with him and Diggle at Verdant…" Thea said. "My brother can't need you both that much…"

"Well, Diggle is there to keep him safe," Felicity said. Of course, Oliver Queen really could keep himself safe, especially when he was equipped with his bow and arrows. But how did you explain that they were a team and they had other responsibilities without giving away who they really were and what they really did? "And...well, let's face it, Oliver can't keep his own calendar without someone prodding him…"

"True."

"I guess Diggle and I just sort of clicked with him."

"You never call him Ollie," Thea pointed out.

Felicity shrugged as she tried to busy herself with putting away the new clothes that Thea had insisted that Lucy needed away. "He's never been Ollie to me," Felicity responded. It sounded weird calling him that. "That's what everyone who's known him since he was like five calls him… I've only known him for such a short time-"

"I just figured since you two are so close…"

"He's always been Oliver Queen to me," she said as she looked over her shoulder at Thea, who was carrying around Lucy. Felicity had observed several people call Oliver 'Ollie' and most of them were women that grew up with him. Thea, Laurel, and Sara all did… But her relationship was so much different than his with any of them. So, she really didn't feel right calling him Ollie. Plus, Ollie sounded like a five year old… Okay, maybe she'd reserve it to try calling him that next time he acted like he was five… It was worth a try anyways…

"Is it weird that I want to know what your intentions with my brother and niece are?" Thea asked. Felicity turned to her, obviously thrown by the new line of questioning. She and Thea had had such a lovely time out and there'd been questions here and there, but nothing like that. "I mean, I know that you're close to Ollie and that you've taken care of Lucy since she was born… Ollie said that Laurel considered you Lucy's mother because of everything that happened… But I guess I'm trying to figure out-"

"If I plan on being Mrs. Oliver Queen?" Felicity asked.

"Actually, yes…" Thea said slowly. "Don't get me wrong. I'd love to have you for a sister."

Thea got really quiet. "But?" Felicity prompted.

"But," Thea said with a slight nod. "I don't want Oliver to get hurt… He's been through so much… He lost out on a lot when he was on that island… He's still not the Oliver I remember, I mean...I know he's different, but-"

"I didn't know Oliver before," she said. "But I think he's a better person."

"I guess sometimes I forget the trouble he used to get into… I can't really judge because I went through a rough patch too…" Thea was quiet again. "I just miss being close to him… He was never secretive with me before."

"We all have secrets," Felicity told her. "Sometimes we need to have them. Oliver just seems to have more of them than the rest of us." She paused for a moment. "As for my intentions… I'm not planning on becoming Mrs. Oliver Queen anytime soon. Honestly, I think Oliver and I are still figuring things out… But I want to be close to Oliver and to Lucy… Hopefully you understand that?" She liked Thea, she did. Plus, it was nice to have an ally in the Queen Family, besides Oliver. But she could understand if Thea wasn't okay with things. It didn't mean that Felicity and Oliver were going to do things differently...but it was good to know.

"I get it… Sometimes Roy acts weird...off...you know? And even though we've been together for a while…I still feel like Roy and I are in that...we're not sure period… Plus, we're young…I know, but I guess it's just complicated."

Felicity smiled. "Complicated. I think that's the perfect word for my relationship with Oliver."

Thea smiled in return. "By the way, I know my mom can be hard on you...but she'll warm up…"

"I hope so."

And Felicity really did. It was hard enough being back and being in a hostile environment, it would be much harder if it was long term. Slipping back into things in Starling City was going to be hard enough, she didn't need Moira Queen on her case as well. There was just so much that she knew she had to face coming back that she didn't think she could face anymore obstacles.

"And by the way, once Ollie does get that shack outside fixed up, I'll be more than happy to go paint swatch hunting and shopping for everything else you might need to make it look like a place to live in."

"That's...sweet," Felicity said finally. She knew that the Queens lived in a different world than she was used to, so she knew that getting used to how Thea saw the world was just going to take some time. Oliver could be like that sometime, all about the Queen money, but normally with her he was just a person...a man, a very good looking muscled man...even if he was Oliver Queen and the Arrow. And he was a hero. But most of that was a secret, and it was one that she was happy to keep.

. . .

"You've been quiet today."

"I've been thinking…"

"Thea told me that you two bought a lot of baby things today," Oliver said. "Did things not go as well as my sister played it off to be?"

"No, it's not that…"

"She also mentioned something about not needing to rush into things," Oliver added. "And something about shopping...and how I get no input…"

Felicity just stared at him for a long moment. She wondered if Thea had said anything more. Maybe she really couldn't talk to the younger Queen or perhaps she just thought she was 'helping'. "I have no idea what she's talking about," Felicity lied quickly and looked away from him for a moment. She got up from the rocker and went to check on Lucy, who had fallen to sleep only twenty minutes before. She'd been pretty much hiding out in the nursery in hopes that no one would find her. Though, Oliver was okay.

He smiled, she wondered if Thea had said more.

She'd just tried to be straightforward with his sister, after all, she'd hoped to gain favor with someone else than Oliver in the family...and the family wasn't that big. How she wished Walter was still married to Mrs. Queen, then she knew she'd have points there...or at least she thought she would.

"I was hoping we could walk out to the building that I'm looking to restore… I was hoping maybe you could even help me…"

"Sure...right...of course, though, I'll warn you… Power tools have a life of their own when they're in my hands," Felicity told him quietly as she walked towards him. "It's like they're possessed…"

"I promise to protect you from them, then…" he said. "There might be some fun demolition… You can swing a hammer… Just pretend whatever we need to break is me when I screw up," he teased.

She just smiled as he led her out of the nursery. She looked back over her shoulder for a moment. She really wasn't used to going too far from Lucy. It was hard.

"Don't worry, my mother's in the house… I told her that we'd stop by and let her know we're stepping out so that she can go sit with Lucy," Oliver told her.

"She's probably going to nap for a while…"

"Well, then we'll have some time to check things out outside…"

It was nice to think that they could start making headway towards this place that was theirs. She knew that his family didn't quite understand things, but she hoped that they'd all accept her. Maybe it would all come together once she and Oliver knew exactly what was going on between them. For now, though, she just wanted to stay close to him and Lucy.

After he'd talked to his mom, they'd made their way out behind the house. "You know, I tried to convince Diggle that he should stay on the grounds too… Then everyone would be close by, but he just looked at me like I was crazy and told me I was funny…"

"Sometimes we all need space," Felicity told him.

"I understand that."

Oliver led her to the little house, it was about the size of a very small house. He unlocked it and when the door opened she could smell that the house had been closed up for some time. She waited until Oliver entered first before following him in. It really had been a long time. He led her through and pointed out the rooms and what he thought they could be used for. It was three bedrooms, which perfect for them. As much as Felicity would love to curl up in a bed for Oliver, neither of them were at that point in whatever their relationship was. There was a very small kitchen, which they agreed was perfect because they really mainly needed room for a sink, fridge, microwave, a coffee maker, and perhaps a toaster. They weren't concerned about an oven or a stovetop. After all, the main house had a big enough kitchen for all of them. There was also a small dining area attached to the kitchen area, just big enough for a small table and a few chairs. The living room was a good size and was what you walked right into. The little house had one bathroom, which Felicity knew would be interesting for them to share, but she was up for the challenge...she hoped she was anyways.

"I know it's not much."

"It's perfect," she told him. Felicity was quiet for a moment as she examined the rooms she could see from the living room area for a moment.

"We don't have to do this, if you've changed your mind," Oliver told her.

She turned to him and could tell that he was worried. Maybe he thought she'd changed her mind or that this was just too much. Maybe it was too much, but where else could she go? She wanted to be close to him, but there was no way she could remain in the main house of the Queen Mansion. It was too much with his mother. She knew that she'd been fairly silent throughout his whole tour, but that didn't mean that she didn't like it...it was just so much to process and to really realize that this was going to be them. They were going to have this domestic relationship that she hadn't thought they'd ever have.

It was surreal.

"It's not that…" she whispered. Felicity didn't know why she was whispering, it just seemed right. The house was quiet and empty and it just seemed right. "I just…" She was quiet again. "I want this, I do…"

"But?" he asked, she noticed that he'd quieted his voice as well.

She nodded. "But… I'm afraid," she told him truthfully.

"Felicity, if this is about my mother-"

"No," she said and then stopped. "I mean, she's in that mix of what could go wrong… But that's not what comes to mind first."

Oliver closed the short bit of distance between them, his hand rested on her arm and he stared at her. "We don't have to do this…"

"I'm afraid of how things will be between us with so much of our time being together," Felicity said. "I'm afraid that I'll screw things up somehow and I'll have to be distanced from Lucy after I've been so close to her… I'm afraid that I'm going to continue to fall in love with you and that it will somehow mess things up… I'm afraid that I'll mess things up at the Foundry…" She took a moment to take a breath. "And then there's the fact that your mother doesn't like me…"

"You don't have to be afraid," Oliver whispered. He cupped her face with his hands. "Let's face it. If someone's going to screw things up, it's going to be me. You and Diggle will be mad at me. Eventually I'll figure it out and I'll apologize the best I can…"

Felicity smiled at that.

"So, see...you don't have to be afraid."

"But you and Lucy…" she said as her hands snaked up his arms. "I'm just-"

"You're everything to us, Felicity," he told her. His voice was full of truth and passion. She wasn't used to him speaking to her this way.

She felt like she couldn't speak suddenly. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again. Nothing seemed right. Felicity felt like her response had to be perfect to that statement. What could she say that was just right? How could she convey exactly how much they meant to her. Didn't they know? Felicity was fairly sure that they knew.

So, she kissed him.

Her hands were on either side of his head and she was up on her tip toes. She kissed with all the passion she had for him. As if this was their first and last kiss. Felicity thought of all the times Oliver was hurt or she thought he was dead...and she channeled all of that into the kiss...all of the relief and love that she'd felt for him.

When they finally parted, she sucked in breath and stared up at him as she lowered back to the ground. Her mind raced as she waited for some kind of sign that that was okay. It had felt okay. Her mind kept telling her that it was wrong, though. "I-" she finally started to ramble.

"Shh…" he whispered before his lips met hers again.

Here they were kissing like there was no tomorrow… Tears fell down her face. Felicity wasn't sad, though. She was so happy. They'd been close before, but she'd never thought they'd be here… But they'd both let walls down to allow the other in… Now they were standing in the middle of a living room that they'd soon be sharing with a child that Oliver wanted to declare as theirs…

Life really was like a dream.

Just as long as it stayed like a dream…

That's one of the things that she feared.

That it would transform into a gruesome nightmare...

"I love you," he whispered as they parted once again.

"I love you…"

How had those words become so easy for both of them? Felicity didn't know and right now she didn't care… Things seemed to be falling into place. She had to remind herself to breathe suddenly as she stared at him.

It was perfect.

The dreamlike state in that living room was soon broken, though. Life really wasn't perfect. His phone sounded first and he'd let it ring, then hers rang. Oliver laughed suddenly and she couldn't stop the smile that crept onto her face. "I'm thinking Diggle," Oliver said before he retrieved his phone from his pocket.

Felicity did the same, but managed to pick up the call before it went to voicemail. "Digg. What's up?"

"What are you two doing that's so important that you can't pick up my phone call?"

She stopped and looked around. There were shutters on the windows. How did Diggle know? "How-"

"Of course you two are together…" Diggle said. "He's at Queen Mansion… You're at the Queen Mansion…"

"Right."

"I was hoping that Oliver...or both of you would be up to that night job…" Diggle said.

"Isn't it a little early?"

"Crime doesn't stop just because the sky isn't dark."

"Of course...right," she said and suddenly felt very awkward. "I'll tell Oliver...and one or both of us will be there…" She hung up the phone and then silently cursed when she realized that she hadn't said goodbye before hanging up. She hated when people did that.

"Arrow business?" Oliver asked.

Felicity nodded as she slipped her phone back into the pocket she'd had it in. "He wasn't specific on what the actual crime that needed to be seen to though…"

"You could come into work," he said quietly.

She'd thought about it. It was tempting. She wanted to. Felicity on one hand was really excited to getting back to how things used to be, but on the other she was very attuned to where her responsibilities lay...especially when it came to Lucy. She still had some guilt because of Laurel… "Not yet," she told him. "I'm not ready."

"Okay," he said with a nod. "When you're ready…"

"You should go."

This meant that she was going to be left behind with Moira Queen in the house. She was doomed. Felicity knew that she could hide away in her room, but she'd have to run into the matriarch sooner or later… She really didn't see it going any better than the other times she'd run into her or had to speak to her or anything…

He turned to go and she couldn't stop herself from speaking up. "Oliver?"

"Yes?" he asked as he turned back to her.

Felicity stared at him for a moment as she went over what she was about to ask him. Was it right? How hard would it make things? Was it necessary? But she knew that if roles were reversed that she would want to know. "Have you tried to contact Sara? Or Dinah?"

"No."

"You can't keep Lucy a secret… They deserve to meet her… To know that not all of Laurel died… They deserve to know that Lance might have snapped, but that he thought he was protecting Laurel...and me, well...Sara. He thought he was protecting Laurel and Sara...and the baby…"

"I just didn't want things to be harder on you until things settled down around here," Oliver told her. And she understood that, but they needed to put Lucy first. Felicity knew that in this, she couldn't come first, no matter how much Oliver wanted it that way.

"If you don't contact them, then I will," she told him.

Oliver nodded and sighed. "Okay. I'll try to contact Sara...and I'll call Dinah tonight… She'll probably be here tomorrow, but I have no idea if Sara will come."

"She'll come."

"How can you be so sure?"

Felicity shrugged. "Lucy is all that's left of her sister… She'd want to see her niece, even if it's only for a few minutes… Sara would also want to know what happened, why her father did what he did…"

"They still have Lance confined at the hospital," Oliver spoke up. "Psych hold as far as I know… They're monitoring him… I haven't checked on him the last day though…"

"He wasn't himself. He wouldn't have done that…"

"He wanted to protect his family… Anyone can understand that."

Felicity stared at him. "I'll see you later?"

He nodded. "Call me if there are problems…"

She smiled. "I'll just try not to be the cause of any…"

Oliver walked back over to her and kissed her forehead. "It's going to be fine… I'll see you in a few hours…"

Felicity knew better. Arrow business would take hours and hours of his time. "Are you going to come kiss me goodnight?" she teased.

"I just might…"

"Then," she said with a smile. "I'll be waiting…"

. . .

TBC…