Disclaimer: You know the usual. Don't own it. Just write the fiction to it.

Thomas didn't often hear his parents fight. Especially when he, or later Maddie, was around. No, when the kids were there Oliver and Felicity's bickering and fights were only in cutting whispers and frustratingly controlled gestures. The single fight that was an exception to this rule was the beginning of Thomas' understanding of love. His parents united would teach him many more often by example but the first was completely unknowingly.

He knew his mother had a loud voice, she was notorious for it. Useful for intimidating into action a man who was broken or to pull him back from the edge or when someone doesn't brush their teeth, it only happened once.

Thomas could hear it erupt, from his room, he remembers hoping that the baby in his mother's belly couldn't hear the sound. It was confusing, he'd never heard his father sound so completely broken and his mother so steely.

Thomas, in hindsight, was able to determine the cause of the fight. His mother had been in the middle of planning the setup for the teams field support. In the office downstairs. When Oliver had found out he'd all but called to cancel the deliveries. Thomas had been woken by the catches of conversation when Oliver confronted a very Maddie-pregnant Felicity on the matter, "We said no fieldwork... what are you thinking... the baby".

Hormones pushed Felicity's anger to the surface.
"We didn't meet in a coffee shop Oliver. You didn't get me a second drink after I hypothetically and probably inevitably tripped and landed on your lap."

Thomas dropped from his bed lightly, and rolled to the door, crouching right next to the banister he could hear his mother still.
"You came to me. If you weren't dressed head to toe in green leather, shot and bleeding I would've thought you were car jacking me! I was the one that drove you to the sketchy foundry, despite my brain screaming hospital over and over again."

A few more steps down and Thomas could see them. His father was seated with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. His mother stood over him, narrowed eyes and stubborn stance.
"So please, spare me the usual I don't want you to get hurt talk. I'll be right here, in our home, Oliver. I've taken every precaution. The baby will be safe. My life, my choice."

Thomas learned that there were many different types of love and that they could tear someone down in desperation or build someone up with fierceness. The latter currently applied to his mother.

Felicity wanted to help, not out of a selfish need to be a part of the action but to guide and protect the team she loved, borne from the love she had for her found family and her husband.
Thomas' father wanted to end the plans because he wanted to do the same for the woman he loved and their unborn child.

He watched his father sigh. He couldn't ever not give in to his wife. Thomas looked on as his dad stared at his mother. His shoulders dropped."I just need you to be safe."

Felicity's posture loosened. Thomas watched as she met his father on even ground. Wrapping her arms around Oliver's shoulders. "And I need to help you stay safe. We'll be on comms from the minute you step out our front door."

Oliver raised his head, wrapping his own arms around his wife's waist. They stayed like this. Thomas thought it was like they were each others teddy bear. Taking comfort in each other. His teddy always made him feel great.

Thomas couldn't be sure how they'd reached an outcome, whether it had been through whispers or simply the long look they shared when they finally untangled. All he knew was that his butt froze on that top stair and watched. He didn't move till his parents did. Then he did a run and jump to his bed cause he heard his father saying "I'm going to check on Thomas".

That night Thomas learned love, in part, meant Understanding.

Mostly this started with the Felicity lines. But I hadn't written a chapter for this in a while so I was like, why not try make it work.