Oliver stared at the woman he had met roughly seven years ago. Donna just raised her eyebrows under his scrutiny.
"May I come in?" Donna asked, a hesitant smile gracing her lips. He heard the underlining worried tone in her voice and reluctantly let her in the door.
"Would you like some refreshment?" He asked, manners his mother had ingrained in him coming to the surface.
"No, thank you." Donna shook her head. "But, would you mind terribly if I used the restroom?"
"Yes, just down that hall. I'll just be in here." Oliver motioned to the sitting room.
"Thank you."
It had been a week since everything had gone to hell. Felicity had gaped at her mother, gaped at him, the hurt expression piecing him deeply. He could see the trust she inexplicably had in him waver. He'd expected Felicity to blow up at this knowledge, but instead she just looked pained, walking out of the precinct without another word.
Felicity went and stayed at Diggle's place, with Oliver moving back to the Queen Mansion. Thea was happy to have him back, even if he kept avoiding her. She had questions about his time away that he wasn't willing to share. Instead, Oliver spent his time in the Glades, reiterating his position as Kapitan. Roy was supposed to get him information about where Contact was supposedly held. Bratva Tech experts were kept in a safe house. This place was more of a prison for Contact, though. He wanted out—out of the death, out of the mob, just out. Because if anyone knew that Contact had this information, let alone had shared it, he was a dead man. And Contact had something important on why the bratva was diverting men, weapons and guns to a certain party. Oliver didn't know the guy's name, all he'd seen was a face from across the room. Kapitans, after all, didn't associate much. It was rare for two to meet, and even rarer for them to share the same city .
Blood would be spilled soon. That's what happened when two kapitans fought for power.
Thea was terribly disappointed that Felicity left. She'd just begun the process of getting to know her sister and Felicity had just walked away. Secrets had driven her away. Oliver, however, thought that this was a good thing. Because Oliver and secrets were bedmates. And if Felicity wanted answers and not secrets, then he wasn't the best person to keep around.
He couldn't stay away from Felicity though. He tried. He'd get on his motorcycle after reprimanding one of his men—it was scary how easily he fell back into the role of ruthless murderer and mobster—and head towards Queen Mansion. However, no matter how good his intentions, he always found himself parked outside Diggle's house forty minutes later, watching her through the window, making sure that she was safe.
She was comfortable around Diggle. talking and laughing, sometimes even having serious conversation which would make Felicity cry. Oliver always wanted to go to her, wrap her in his arms as he had done that day with Captain Lance, hold her and never let go. In his mind she was his, no matter how briefly they had known each other, no matter that he had done nothing to deserve her. If Oliver had believed in soulmates, he would have insisted until his dying day that she was his mate in every way.
They fit perfectly.
Which was why he fought against this feeling. The urges he got to just hop up off his bike and go to her, blow into Diggle's house and kiss her. He never liked the complexity of perfection. That was a messy situation, being perfect. Oliver had always been a screw up. He screwed up his relationships, he screwed up as a captain in the special forces, he had screwed up being a secret agent. Oliver knew in his bones that this thing he had with Felicity was the one thing he couldn't screw up. He would rather keep his distance than watch it fall apart because of him. He was broken. Felicity felt like she could fix him, make him better. But she couldn't. He had red splashed over his past and no amount of Clorox would make it clean.
Maybe he should have died.
The instant he thought this Thea's face came to mind, her surprise and disbelief and elation at seeing him. How even though he wanted to run, even though he was damaged and destroyed Thea loved him, welcomed him back with open arms.
Thea had noticed him going out of his way to associate with her as little as possible. So she would come bursting into his room in the morning these past few days, double check that he was awake, then drag him to places around the city. They did normal things in the morning until Thea went to her internship and he slipped away down back alleys. He felt almost like his old self, until he looked down at his left arm and saw the knife mark that scarred down the skin.
Once he had an episode in front of Thea. He hadn't hurt her—unlike Felicity—but he'd pushed her behind him and wouldn't let her move. He had pulled a gun, holding it out in protection as his mind had wandered back to the mountains of Afghanistan, holed up in an old building, waiting and waiting for the enemy. One that never showed itself.
Thea had finally talked him out of it, holding him as he broke down from his involuntary actions. She put up with him as he insisted that he couldn't walk down the left side of the road, that side being the only side soldiers were allowed down. He had so many issues, defense mechanisms and eschews, that he loved Thea all the more for acquiescing to his requests.
One night Diggle had come out after Felicity had gone to bed. Their conversation still haunted his memories.
"What do you think you're doing Oliver?" Diggle had demanded. Oliver had shrugged in response, not really knowing.
"Look, either come inside or don't come back. I don't want you half way here or there. You know I don't approve of you doing anything with Felicity, but it's mostly because she's important to me, and I don't want to see her hurt. I'm afraid—"
"I don't plan on hurting her."
"But that's what you're doing Oliver! She's mostly upset at her mother because of all the secrets she's been keeping. Apparently, you were in on one. Her anger at you is just a by-product of that. You're doing more harm than good staying away. Just come in and explain."
"I can't Diggle. I'm no good for her. I've done things… I can't…there are things that she can't know."
"Felicity is very adamant about helping you. But that can only be done if you want her to and let her."
"She can't know these things, okay? The way she wants to help me is by digging deeper and John, there are things that she shouldn't have to know. They're my sins, my mistakes, my burdens to bear. Felicity… she's too pure to be tainted by this."
"Oliver... for some reason, i have no idea why, you barely know the girl, you trust Felicity. Then actually trust her. It's not easy to let someone in, believe me I've been there. But Felicity can handle it. She has a good judgement on character. Who ever she trusts means that that person is worthy of it."
"But—"
"No buts. Now either come inside and talk to her, or leave. Your choice."
Oliver desperately wanted to follow Diggle into his home. But he couldn't. Not yet. When he was done with the Brotherhood, when he was out, then and only then, would Oliver give himself a chance to heal.
Because why try to stitch the wound when you were only going to open it further?
"What's going on between you and my daughter?" Donna interrupted his thoughts, appearing in the doorway.
"Mrs. Smoak—"
"None of that. Call me Donna."
"Donna…"
"Because I think you're the best thing that has ever happened to her."
"Excuse me?"
Donna came towards him and took the couch opposite, leaning forward slightly.
"Mr. Queen—may I call you Oliver? —Oliver I have done many things in my life that I regret. The one thing I don't is my daughter. She has,and always will be my first priority."
"I don't see… I trust… Donna-"
"Just hear me out. Felicity has always been special and I've done my best to protect her from ...everything. From all the people in this world who I just didn't think were good enough for her. And I know I've been wrong many times when it comes to her, But I'm not wrong about this one thing: my daughter needs you. I don't know why, but she does. I could see it in the precinct. There was something tangible between the two of you. She looked at you like ...like you were her whole world. I've only seen that look on her face once."
"When?" Oliver couldn't help but ask. He was floored by this revelation. Felicity looked at him that way? If Diggle had said it, or Thea, he wouldn't have believed them. Donna, on the other hand, hardly knew him. Plus, she knew her daughter. If Donna said it, then it had to be true.
"In the mirror right after Quentin asked me to marry him."
They both fell silent. The ticking of the grandfather clock was the only sound in the house, Thea being at QC.
Oliver spoke up. "You never told her about Tommy. Why?"
"Because she didn't need that pain. You see, when you and Thomas Merlyn showed up at my doorstep, I was shocked. "
"I remember."
"You remember our conversation then. You remember me telling you that Malcolm loved Rebecca and that I was a lapse, the only one. The reason he came back all those years later was because of Felicity. Because he felt duty bound to her to be in her life, his penance for cheating on his dear wife. Tommy understood. He just wanted closure as to his parents Felicity, she would never have understood. She would have always felt less, like her father didn't love her. And in his own way, he did. Even if Felicity was more of a chore than an actual choice. He just didn't love her like she deserved. That's why I kept this secret all this time."
"What I don't understand is how she didn't figure it out. Felicity is brilliant."
"Yes, yes she is. Be that as it may, Malcolm is also cunning. Take the Undertaking for example." Oliver shuddered, remembering blood and concrete. "I'm sorry about Tommy. It seemed you two were very close."
"We were." He choked, getting unexpectedly emotional. He was touched that Donna had even noticed his reaction, let alone know he was thinking about Tommy. She knew how to read people, that's for sure.
"Anyhow, Malcolm always visited us under an assumed name. Felicity knew her father as Damien. So did I for the longest time. It wasn't until his last visit that he accidently let it slip who he really was. I was so angry at him that I threw him out. Felicity didn't understand why her father never came back, and it's because he wasn't welcome."
"Because he was 'a rich billionaire who could've been providing life support,'." Oliver remarked, remembering Felicity's words the first time he met her. He remembered everything she said. His particularity for details had zoned in on her and everything about her.
"Exactly."
"Then why did you decide to tell her?" Oliver questioned. If Donna had worked so hard to protect Felicity why had the truth come out now?
"It was an accident. I'd just accepted Quentin's proposal. Mr Que-Oliver, I have been hit on by many men in my life. Only one has ever proposed. After so many years I'd given up hope of ever being married, of having a true father for my daughter. I was happy. I am happy.I wanted to share my joy with Felicity. Imagine my surprise when she was vehemently against it. She was upset that she hadn't seen it coming, I think. She'd only met him once, which I admit was less than ideal. She accused me of trying to replace her father. She already had a father, she told me, and that father had left her. She didn't need a new one. And ...well, in the heat of the moment, I let it slip. I was just so frustrated that she couldn't be happy for me that I told her ...I told her that her father was Malcom Merlyn and he didn't give a damn about her. I...I regret telling her in such a way. I regret telling her at all, really. And, of course, she stormed off after that. I gave her some space, because that's what I figured she needed, but when I came home after work that day ...she was gone."
"Donna, I have no idea why your telling me this..."
"Because you can get through to my daughter. You have secrets, yet she trusts you more than she's ever trusted me. And it's my fault, I feel like it's my fault that she hasn't been able to follow her dreams. I know she blames me for it. I don't want her to miss out now. So I'm asking you, please, for me, go talk to her."
Donna stood up and went to the door. Oliver followed her like a good guest. Just before the door closed she ducked her head back around it.
"Love her, for me please. You're the only one who can."
XXXXX
Impatient men either win or fail epically.
In Oliver's mind if he got Contact out today then he could start the healing processes. Start over. Start something with Felicity.
Her should have known that things would be more complicated.
Roy called him just after Donna Smoak left, telling him he had overheard two men talking just outside of the garage. They were complaining about a computer part shipment to a particular warehouse near the wharf. Roy guessed that that was where the safe house was.
Irrationally but wanting this hellish nightmare to end, he burst into the warehouse with no backup plan, no escape routes, just him and his weapon. Dig would be disappointed. There was evidence of life, computers and bullet shells. Roy had gotten the right place but he was too late.
Oliver turned over a table in frustration. Computer parts scattered all over the floor. Oliver owed a lot to Contact-who to kill to move up in the ranks, dirt on competitors, the best way to release trafficked girls without raising suspicion- and just missing them increased his frustration. he felt like he had failed Contact.
Suddenly light caught his attention. One of the computers had turned on.
NAME?
Oliver tried typing. Nothing. Perhaps it was voice activated.
"Oliver Queen".
Имя?
"Kapitan Koroleva".
A black screen appeared. Slowly, as if someone was typing it, words appeared on the screen.
TOO LATE CAPTAIN. TRY AGAIN
It was the kind of cynical sarcastic humor that Contact always gave him. Like this was all a big game to him.
ADVICE THEN COMES THE WARNING
TRY A NEW STRATEGY . YOU'RE GETTING WARMER. PERHAPS A DIFFERENT ENTRANCE TO THE CLUB. MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK. RIGHT PLACE WRONG TIME. TRUST COMES HARD TO THOSE THAT ARE ALONE. TO WIN THE GAME AND RESCUE THE PRINCESS LINK NEEDS TO FACE THE VILLAIN. TO FACE THE ENEMY. FIND THE ENEMY. YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING THE RIGHT WAY IF THERE ARE ENEMIES IN FRONT OF YOU.
NOW, A STORM OF BLOOD IS BREWING. HIS BLOOD. THE BLOOD DRUG. BEWARE BLOOD. BEWARE THE LOVER. BEWARE HER FATHER.
FOLLOW THE BLOOD. THE TRAIL LEADS TO THE WOUNDED.
The computer shut off, the words on the screen slowly fading.
The email was cryptic, even for one from Contact.
Find the enemy. That was clearly meant for who ever was in charge of the drug operation. But wasn't that Ivo? Or had something happened that had made them change leadership? Because Contact always called Ivo "the Doctor".
Beware Blood
Follow the Blood.
Oliver didn't know whose blood or what blood but Contact's advice was clear-
Get help.
Имя- Name