A/N: Seriously. Amazed by the reaction to the last chapter. The support is astounding. You all are the best. Hugs to everyone.
This chapter has a bit of a time jump. About four weeks or so. I think you'll be pleased with where it's going. I'm really happy with this one. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
They fell into an almost comfortable rhythm. Alice would spend her days at the onsite childcare at Queen Consolidated, allowing Felicity and Oliver to still work and yet see her anytime they wanted. In the evening she was content to be with them in the lair, although Thea had grown somewhat suspicious as to what kept them out late almost every day. Luckily with her working at the club most nights it usually wasn't a problem.
Any worries she'd had about Oliver wanting another relationship had been shot down. They were both too busy and too tired to even think about that. There was enough trouble keeping up the appearance of their fake relationship. Starting another one made no sense.
The shared suite seemed to be working. Thea had smiled smugly when Oliver told her he'd moved before making a crude comment about being grateful because she was sure she couldn't hear any noise if they were in the east wing.
There were plenty of nights where they'd end up in his bed, feeding Alice or playing with her until she got tired while they went over files or plans Felicity had pulled up on her tablet, or the numerous baby websites she'd bookmarked for advice.
More than once she'd woken up in the early hours to find he'd put Alice to bed but left Felicity where she'd fallen asleep. The California King was big enough they didn't touch, and she half wondered if he slept better with her there.
The mornings were never awkward, usually because he was already out of bed by the time she woke up. The one time he hadn't been they'd stared at each other for a long while before she slowly slipped away.
There had been some issues at work. Felicity had walked into the ladies room three days after she'd returned and overheard a conversation she shouldn't have. The women were quite sure she'd tricked Oliver into sleeping with him and had gotten pregnant on purpose.
She'd walked out feeling angry and upset, which is how Oliver had found her, slamming sales projections onto a conference table with more force than necessary. He'd made her talk, and then demanded the names of the women but she wouldn't tell him. They weren't the only ones who thought that. The papers had gone there too. She shrugged it off and said the only ones the truth matter to were the two of them.
It had been easy to not play a couple at work because they were trying to present themselves as professionally as possible. Although she had found that Oliver's hand and the small of her back seemed to have been magnetized whenever they walked anywhere together. Not that she was complaining.
At home it had been more difficult. Thea expected a happy couple. There were hugs and an occasional kiss on the cheek if one of them was leaving without the other. He'd even done it once when Thea wasn't around and caught himself as he was walking out the door. It would have been a priceless image if she hadn't been so shocked herself.
They'd made it work for over a month. By best guess and what they could get the doctor to say without making it sound like they didn't know how old their child was, they thought Alice was about three and a half months old and thriving.
Felicity was getting ready for work one morning when Thea came bursting into her bathroom.
" 'Lis! We've got to go shopping this weekend." she screeched, waving a cream colored envelope so quickly Felicity couldn't make anything out.
"What are you talking about, and don't call me that." Felicity said, with no actual hopes that Thea would comply. The shrug she gave before she opened the envelope confirmed Felicity's thoughts.
"This is an invitation to the gala to end all galas. We get invited every year, and usually just Mom and Walter attended, but this year...you get to go with Ollie!" she handed the invitation over and clapped her hands enthusiastically.
"Gets to go where with Ollie?" The man himself asked, as he exited his closet and crossed the main room, towel tied around his hips.
"The invitation to the Mayfield gala arrived. I was just telling 'Lis she needs to be ready to shop until she drops because all eyes are going to be on her as your new lady love." Thea missed the wide eyed stare of panic Felicity shot Oliver in the mirror.
"Speedy, I don't even know if we're going." he said noncommittally
"You have to go. You're CEO of the company, you don't have a choice." she stated matter of fact.
"Well figure it out later, okay." he said, already guiding her towards the door.
Thea rolled her eyes, "Don't think I'm going to give up. You're going to that party." she said, her final words louder as he shut the door on her.
Oliver gave Felicity a look of apology as he turned and headed back to his closet. She tried not to follow him with her eyes but it was difficult. It wasn't like she didn't see him without a shirt on when he trained, but there was something infinitely more intimate about him walking around with just a towel on while she curled her hair and put on make up. Over the weeks he had become more at ease with things like that and she wondered if he even noticed the change, because she certainly had.
"She's right though. We really can't get out of this event." he stated, as he walked back in, finishing the buttons on his shirt.
"Is it really that big of a deal?" she asked, feeling nervous of the prospect of having to represent the company and him at such a major function.
"It really is. You'll do fine though." he slid his tie around his collar and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet.
"Here," he said, handing her a black AmEx card. "Get whatever you want. Thea will know what's best."
She took the card automatically but couldn't stop the anger that welled within her. "No." she said defiantly and shoved it back his direction. He looked at her in complete confusion.
"Why is your first reaction always to just throw money at the problem? Paying my lease, lending me your black card, and, lets not forget my personal favorite, depositing a million dollars in my bank account before you disappear for five months!" she said all in a rush, feeling the flush crawl up her chest and neck as she expelled something she'd held onto for months.
They'd never talked about it. Not once. She knew he was aware that she'd used the money he left to redo the lair, but he'd never mentioned it, and neither had she.
"It makes me feel cheap. It makes me feel like you-"
His eyes darkened, effectively shutting her up. "Did you ever consider that maybe I do this because it's my way of fixing things. You wouldn't need to pay for an apartment you don't live in if it wasn't for me. You wouldn't need a dress worth three months of your salary if it wasn't for me. You wouldn't need to be protected, if it wasn't for me!"
All the fight left her at his words. "Oliver...I'm sorry...I didn't." she stopped herself, and looked down at the mascara wand she held in her hands before she brought her eyes back to his. "I shouldn't have just assumed. All of this is...I'm just not used to it." she said with a look around the lavish space.
"It's just stuff." he said, his tone calmer, but still tight. "It doesn't actually mean anything."
"It might not mean anything to you, but it means something to the people who go to these parties. It means something to the people who are going to be studying me like a specimen in a lab waiting for me to do something noteworthy. I'm sure I will drop a crab cake all over my dress or spill champagne on your suit, or step on your toes, or..."
His hands lightly grabbed her arms and halted her ramble. He looked down at her, another three inches of height between them since she didn't have her heels on yet. "My toes can handle it, trust me."
"Okay." she replied, starting to feel flustered from how close they were.
"Now, are you going to take the card, or not?" he asked with a challenge in his voice.
She never knew what possessed her, but she gave him a wicked grin and lifted on her toes before she slowly slid the card from his hand, their fingers brushing together for a long second. "I'll take the card." she breathed into his ear and turned on the spot, not stopping until she was once again in the bathroom with the mascara wand on her lashes like she hadn't just done that.
She risked a look in the mirror to see if she could spot his reaction but he was already heading towards his room, although she could have sworn she saw him flex his hand as he walked away.
True to her word Thea drug her out first thing that Saturday morning. She'd already called ahead and made them appointments, something Felicity had never experienced before. They were served champagne while models, actual models, showed them different dresses.
Thea had insisted this designer was perfect for Felicity's body type. She watched as one gorgeous dress after another was paraded in front of them. She would have been delighted to wear any one of them but it was the sixth one that made her sit up.
Thea spotted her reaction immediately and motioned to the assistant.
The model came closer and Felicity could now tell that instead of black, the color was actually a deep, dark, green. Thin tiny straps ran all the way down to almost the waist where there was a lovely rouched panel, but it left the back almost completely bare. The front was more conservative, the vee cut not too low and the skirt flared to the floor in elegant folds.
"You love it, don't you?" Thea asked with glee in her voice.
"It's gorgeous." Felicity answered.
"She'll try it on." Thea said decisively and the model disappeared.
The next thing Felicity knew she was being whisked into a dressing room where she was helped into the gown.
Thea's eyes went wide when Felicity stepped out. "Wow! Ollie's going to...just wow. That dress was made for you, seriously."
When Felicity saw herself in the mirror she had to agree with Thea.
She spent the next several hours standing for alterations. They assured her it would be ready before the gala.
She'd thought they were done, but Thea had made lunch reservations. And then there was shopping for shoes, and the right undergarments. When Felicity pointed out the dress had no back and she wouldn't need a bra Thea had grinned evilly and convinced her to buy a $200 thong. As she slid the black AmEx across the counter for the fourth time that day she wondered what world she'd stumbled into.
Felicity wearily punched in her code to the lair and slowly went down the stairs. Digg put a finger to his lips when she came around the corner, Alice was asleep in his arms and she couldn't help but smile.
"Good day?" she whispered and he nodded.
He motioned towards the training room with his head, letting her know that's where Oliver was.
She pushed the door open and barely glanced around. She could hear the rhythmic metal thwang and knew he was on the salmon ladder. With a grunt she laid down on the training mat and toed her boots off. She'd worn them because they were the most expensive ones she owned and she didn't want the people at the stores Thea took her to look down on her. But they were almost half a size too small and now her feet were killing her.
One hand was draped over her forehead, the other lay loose across her stomach. She was enjoying just being still.
"Rough day?" he asked, halfway up the ladder.
"Your sister should be a professional shopper. That should be her job. She should get paid to spend money." Felicity said without opening her eyes.
"I thought that's what she did." he deadpanned, never breaking rhythm. "Did you get what you needed?"
"Yes. A dress, that I never even actually saw the price for. I hope you meant it when you said to get anything. Then we had to go shoe shopping. And lunch. You paid by the way." she informed him before stifling a groan as she curled her toes into the mat beneath her. "My feet are killing me. I didn't know there would be so much walking, and standing, and...standing. It took two hours for the fitting. And I have to go back for another one next week. It's absurd. I know that card has a spending limit that's higher than some country's GDP, but seriously, how does $200 for a thong make any sense? It's a scrap of fabric. And this one was lace, so it's not even solid fabric, it's all see through, I don't even know if that-"
There was crashing sound and she sat up quickly to see Oliver picking himself up from the ground, the bar for the ladder clenched in his fist.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" she asked immediately.
He didn't turn around when he answered, "Maybe, in the future, you don't talk about lace thongs when a man's trying to concentrate." he said between gritted teeth.
Her cheeks flushed red as she recalled what she'd said.
"Sorry," she said meekly, deciding to resume her position and pretend like she hadn't just sent the scariest man in the city falling to his knees because she was talking about a lace thong. That Oliver hadn't just fallen off the salmon ladder because of what she'd said. A swell of satisfaction rose up within her and there was a tiny smirk on her face she couldn't erase.
She listened as he put the bar back where it belonged and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
"How was Alice?" she asked, hoping to turn the conversation back to something less explosive.
He was silent and she wondered if he was upset with her. When there was a touch on her foot she yelped and pushed herself up on her elbows to see him sitting by her feet. She'd never heard him approach.
"Alice was good. Digg's some sort of baby whisperer. All he has to do is hold her or speak and she just stares at him, quiet as she can be." As he talked he took her foot in his hand began to rub it.
She stared at him in shock and bit her lip to keep a moan from slipping out as his knuckles rubbed over one particularly painful spot.
"That's...that's good." she said breathlessly, hating how affected she sounded. The little uplift at the corner of Oliver's mouth let her know he'd heard it too.
"Those searches you were running on Bererra's thugs came back. Digg looked over them but you might want to take a peek when you get a chance." he was using both hands now and when she groaned he froze.
She peeked through her lashes and saw how dark his eyes had become, she wasn't sure either of them were breathing.
Slowly she slipped her foot from his hand and stood up. "I'll just...I'm just going to go look over the searches now." her heart beat wildly in her chest. It took all her concentration to bend over and pick up her shoes and make her way across the floor without tripping. Or turning around to look back.
They ignored the foot rubbing incident. By the time Oliver emerged from the back Felicity felt like she had returned to her body. It was time to get Alice home to bed anyways.
Felicity suffered through the second fitting a week later. Thea had gone with her again, and insisted on lunch again, but Felicity had drawn the line at any more shopping.
The day of the gala drew nearer and she was shocked when Thea presented her with an itinerary the night before.
"What's this?" she asked in confusion.
"It's your schedule for tomorrow. I took it from one of my mother's old appointment books and made a few changes, but that should work." Thea explained like she was talking to a small child.
"A schedule? I need a schedule? Why do I need a schedule?" Felicity asked, fluttery panicked feelings began to make themselves known.
"Relax. For an event like this it's an all day affair to get you ready. Just sit back, and enjoy the pampering."
Felicity looked closer at the paper and practically screeched, "A massage? An aromatherapy session? Thirty minutes set aside for my 'perfectly crafted juice blend'! Thea, this is...absurd. And please don't tell me all I get to have tomorrow is juice!"
Thea just raised her eyebrows and gave her a look, "This is how the insanely rich live, 'Lis, get used to it. And you have to fit into that dress. That very unforgiving dress, I might add, which is cut in such a way that does not allow for Spanx. So yes, you get juice tomorrow. Now, I suggest you get some sleep because the manicurist will be here at eight sharp."
Felicity had, of course, barely slept a wink.
Oliver knocked on her door at quarter to eight, Alice already in his arms. Thea had begged them to let her watch Alice while they were gone and they finally relented when Raisa had surreptitiously mentioned that she'd be around all night if needed.
Felicity hardly had time to go to the bathroom and slip into the robe Thea had left for her. The next thing she knew Thea was there whisking her to an unused guest room that had turned into a staging area worthy of a military ground strike.
Her life was no longer her own. For the next nine hours she was buffed, steamed, lotioned, filed, painted, waxed, coiffed, and made up. She was also allowed unlimited juice and water which just made her glare at Thea every time she took a sip.
"I don't think you understand what happens when I get hungry." she warned the girl.
Thea just shrugged, "Not my problem. And they'll be food there, you just won't be able to eat much of it."
That only made Felicity glare harder.
At six she was directed into the bathroom and told not to mess anything up as she got dressed. Her hair was up in a sweeping loop that didn't seem physically possible. And her makeup had never been that good before.
She slid on her $200 lace thong and had to gulp at the memory of Oliver falling off the salmon ladder and then rubbing her feet in retaliation.
An assistant from the designer knocked on the door and asked if she was ready for the dress. With a sigh, and the acknowledgement that she'd given up any sense of modesty she responded that she was.
The fit was still as amazing as it had been in the store. She slid into the shoes and stepped out of the bathroom to honest to god applause, led by Thea.
"Amazing, really, 'Lis. You're a bombshell." Thea said. "Now, you've got to hurry up." she said, handing her a clutch that already held her phone, a lipstick, and a few hairpins. "You're running a bit behind. Mr. Diggle has the limo pulled up out front already and Oliver's downstairs waiting for you."
"Like a prom date?" she asked and Thea laughed.
"No corsages." she promised.
"Wait!" Felicity said suddenly, shocked that out of everything that had been done to and for her today no one had anticipated this. "I don't have any jewelry on. I can't go to this thing like that, can I?"
Thea gave her a knowing smirk and opened her palm. Long, drop, art deco style diamond earrings sat there, glinting at her. "You didn't actually think I'd forgotten the final touch, did you?"
Felicity picked them carefully and slid them on. "I don't want to know how much these are worth, do I?"
"No, you do not." Thea confirmed, "But you should know that Mr. Diggle has been instructed to protect your jewels more than my brother for this evening only."
Felicity gulped, "No pressure." she said flatly and then turned back to Thea, "What about a necklace?"
"Come on, it's time to go." Thea said, waving her out the door and ignoring her question.
Raisa met them in the hallway, Alice in her arms. Thea went to her immediately and scooped her up. "Hey there, Alice, look how pretty Mommy looks." she said in a sing song voice. "She's about to knock daddy's socks off."
She went to reach for Alice but Thea batted her hand away, "You do not want to find out what I will do to you if she spits up on that dress." she said in a voice more serious than any Felicity had ever heard her use before.
As they headed for the staircase a flock of butterflies took up residence in her stomach. When she reached the top she looked down to see Oliver pacing the foyer, his hands behind his back. He was turned away from them and Thea had to call his name to get him to look.
She'd swear, for years to come, that in that moment the world had tunneled down to just the two of them. His jaw actually dropped and that gave her the courage to lay a hand on the banister and make her way down.
The tuxedo he wore fit him like a second skin, and had been cut to accentuate his physique. He'd gone for the classic bow tie look and she liked it.
When she got to the bottom she let out a breath and gave him a shaky smile. "This, apparently takes nine hours to make." she joked as she swept a hand over herself.
"You look amazing." he finally said, his voice very different than it usually was.
"Thanks, you...that suit...it's good. Really good." she began to bite her lip and remembered at the last second that the make up artist would probably rap her knuckles if she did.
He brought his hands to the front and she saw he was holding a box.
"Here," he said, a little too excitedly for him. "Thea told me the color of your dress, I highly approve, by the way." he said with smirk, "And I ran by the vault the other day to get this."
The vault.
The words echoed in her head and she had no idea what could lay in that box.
He opened it slowly and she couldn't contain the gasp she let out when she saw it.
It was an emerald and diamond necklace. It wasn't too ostentatious, or gaudy. But it was very very expensive.
He took the necklace from it's satin lined home which he sat to the side before he motioned for her to turn around. As his arms enveloped her to loop the necklace around her throat she hoped he couldn't see how fast her heart was beating.
The cool weight settled over her collar bone and she couldn't stop the shiver that went through her when his fingers brushed her neck as he fastened it.
When he was done his hands cupped her shoulders, sending fire through her veins straight to her core.
He stepped back and she turned around. She lifted a shaky hand to touch it, "It's so heavy." she commented and he smiled.
"It's been in the family for almost seventy years. Story is my great grandfather bought it for his wife when he asked her to marry him." Oliver said with a smile which only got broader when she gasped again.
"Haven't you people ever heard of engagement rings?" she muttered, unable to stop touching the piece. "It feels even heavier now."
He took her hand in his and leaned in so only she could hear his next words. "It's the only emeralds we own." When her eyes lifted to his she could see how dark they were. "I may have to change that."
Before she could even try to get her brain working Thea made her way down the stairs, Alice in her arms.
"I do good work, do I not, brother dear?" she teased.
"You do excellent work." he confirmed, his voice clearly deeper than he had intended by the slightly surprised look on his face.
Thea laughed at his plight, "I told you Daddy was going to have his socks knocked off, didn't I?" she said to Alice who was grinning at her. "Auntie Thea is a genius. Yes she is."
"Alright, Speedy, maybe you can save the brainwashing until we're out the door." he half scowled and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Hey, don't teach her that."
Felicity turned and looked at Alice and Thea, "Remember, she'll probably eat twice more before she's down for her long sleep. But you should put her in her pajamas before the last one in case she falls asleep. If she makes that one funny cry that's kind of interrupted it's because she wants to be walked."
"Rocking won't work." Oliver interjected and Felicity nodded, "And walking in circles is better than pacing."
"A ten meter diameter seems to work best, but..." she trailed off as she realized Thea was looking at her like she had truly lost her mind.
"We've got it. How hard can it be?" she scoffed.
"Don't say that!" both Oliver and Felicity yelled at the same time.
Thea rolled her eyes and turned Alice so she was facing them, "Tell Mommy and Daddy have fun, and stay out as late as you want, and don't worry."
"Bye." Felicity waved,
"Bye, baby girl." Oliver said and reached towards her, but Thea pulled her back.
"Armani." she said with a look towards his jacket and shook her head no.
Oliver let out an exasperated sigh and shot her a glare, "Call us or Digg if there's a problem."
"We'll be fine. Now leave, we have plans." Thea said, shooing them out the door.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Oliver stated as he held his arm out for Felicity to take.
Digg was waiting patiently on the steps, looking quite handsome in his tux, and did a double take when she stepped out.
"Wow." was all he said and she blushed.
"Nine hours, Digg. Nine. Hours." she commented as he opened the door and gave her his hand so she could slide in. "And all I've had was juice today." she caught the look he exchanged with Oliver, they both knew how she got when she was hungry.
"Glad she's not my date tonight, man. Good luck." Digg said as he shut the door behind them.
It was a twenty minute drive and Felicity tried to sit as still as possible as to not wrinkle the dress or damage anything on herself before they got there.
"You okay?" Oliver asked and she gave him a tight smile,
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just...incredibly nervous and worried I'm going to make a complete fool of us both. So...fine."
"Just be yourself." he advised and she scoffed.
"That's not what those people want. They want someone they know. They want someone poised and elegant, who knows when to stop talking, and say the right thing. Who can wear a dress like this like they've done it all their life." she paused as a thought suddenly struck her and she couldn't stop herself from continuing. "They want someone like Laurel."
Her name rang in the open space of the limo and Felicity would have given anything to be able to rewind the last few seconds.
Oliver's head tilted to the side and his brow furrowed before he spoke. "Laurel's not here right now. You are. And you're here because I want you here."
"Okay," she agreed softly, her fingers itching to do something, but every time she touched the fabric of her dress she could hear Thea yelling at her.
Oliver's hand slid over hers and pulled it down to lay between them. They rode the rest of the way with his thumb stroking over her knuckles.