Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Thanks for the reviews last chapter. Hope this update adds to your merriment, although I may be dodging invisible beer bottles afterward. ;) Happy reading!

Chapter 26

"It's too big."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No one has ever complained to me before."

"Well, I'm telling you now. It doesn't fit."

"Felicity, we'll make it fit."

"It's all yours, so do what you want. But I'm not touching it, Oliver."

"I need you to hold it steady."

"How could I possibly hold onto it? The thing is massive."

"Felicity, this was your idea."

"One I'm beginning to regret."

"Felicity," Oliver tried again, barely hiding his frustration. "All you have to do is place your hands on it while I do all the work."

Diggle entered the apartment and paused. "I totally walked in on the wrong part of this conversation. Are the two of you decent, or should I come back later?"

Felicity frowned at Oliver before realizing how their conversation must have sounded to an outsider. She walked around the enormous Christmas tree that was currently taking up a very large portion of the living room. "Actually, Dig, your timing is perfect!" Felicity enthused. "Oliver got a little carried away today when picking out the Christmas tree. He needs help trimming it."

"Hey, I was just doing as Thea asked," Oliver defended. "She said no Charlie Brown trees."

"So you got the Jolly Green Giant instead," the blonde quipped.

Felicity had actually been excited to have a Christmas tree in the apartment. Although she was Jewish, she still enjoyed the beauty of the colorful lights and decorations that would adorn it. Oliver also talked up the natural smell of pine. Felicity had already found the perfect spot for her menorah on the table by the large windows. It had been Oliver's idea, and she loved that he was just as eager to embrace her traditions as she was his.

Oliver was going to hire someone to decorate the tree, but Felicity convinced him that doing it themselves would be fun. She even found the cutest dreidel ornament to hang on it. Her enthusiasm had quickly fizzled, however, when the men from the Christmas tree lot showed up with one of the biggest trees Felicity had ever seen. The loft had a lot of wide open space, but the tree made the space feel cramped. And God knows what critters could be inside. She was half expecting Alvin and the Chipmunks to pop out and start singing at any moment.

"Trimming isn't that big a deal." Oliver would probably need a tarp and some heavy-duty pruning shears, but he could get the job done. He could call down to the front desk and ask for them. The maintenance men would have something, since they took care of the bushes and flowers in front of the building.

"I may be Jewish, but I've seen Christmas Vacation. That thing must be loaded with sap." The mere thought of her fingers sticking to the smooth, sensitive surface of her tablet left her cringing.

"You might want to also check for squirrels," Diggle joined in on the teasing.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "You two are hilarious," he deadpanned.

"I like to think so," Felicity replied and affectionately kissed his cheek. The side of his mouth twitched, letting her know that he wasn't actually as annoyed as he was pretending to be. "Dig, would you like some hot cocoa?"

"Only if you're already making it."

"Oliver?"

He tugged gently on her ponytail, loving the way she smiled at the gesture. "Sure. Why not?"

Diggle added, "Don't forget the marshmallows."

"Of course not." Felicity placed the teapot filled with water on the stove. After the cold day they'd had, she'd been dreaming about drinking hot chocolate by the fire to warm up. Snuggling later with Oliver, of course, would also help. She headed upstairs to change out of her dress and into her yoga pants and comfy sweatshirt.

"Dig, I need your help with something."

"I told you to get the fake one." Shaking his head, Diggle conceded, "Where do you want me to hold it?"

"It's not about the tree." Oliver quickly looked upstairs to make sure Felicity's door was shut. "It's about Felicity."

"What's up? Is everything okay?"

Oliver felt a little embarrassed to admit his next words, but he'd been wracking his brain for days. It was time to bring in reinforcements. "I don't know what to get her for the holidays."

"Are we talking Hanukkah or Christmas?"

"Both," he answered.

Diggle smirked in amusement. "I have to admit I'm surprised, Oliver. You've dated half the women in Starling. I thought you'd have this covered no sweat."

"That's just it. Felicity is different," Oliver explained. He knew exactly how he would've handled this situation in the past. When it came to the women in his life, he'd have either gone the easy route by buying them something shiny and expensive or gotten them something that would ultimately end up benefiting himself, as well.

The first year he'd been dating Laurel, he'd surprised her with a big ski trip with all of their friends. Laurel had been so excited, because she'd always wanted to learn to ski. While that was part of the reason he'd planned it, Oliver also had been looking for a way to get closer with one of his friends' girlfriends. She was a former model and had been flirting with Oliver for months whenever they were at the club. With everyone busy skiing and exploring the lodge, it would've been the perfect opportunity to sneak off for a bit without the chance of their of significant others or the paparazzi catching them. Oliver cringed just thinking about it now. He really had been a spoiled, selfish asshole back then.

"Well, Felicity did like that diamond ring in Corto Maltese," Diggle pointed out.

Oliver considered it for a second before shaking his head. "A ring would be too much this early on. Have you been conspiring with Thea? Because if it was up to her, we'd already be planning a wedding. "

"I just meant that maybe she'd like some bling." Diggle smirked. "But it's interesting that you automatically thought of marriage."

Oliver chose to ignore that assessment and replied, "I don't want to just throw jewelry at her."

"Pick out something meaningful. Or, you know, she is a tech genius. The other day she was gushing about some new processor that would upgrade the comm system in the Foundry."

"I can't get her a gadget for Christmas. That's too impersonal." Oliver asked, "What are you getting Lyla?"

"There's this glock that came out with a new grip design that she's been talking about nonstop."

"A gun. That's what you're getting her?" Oliver replied in disbelief.

"Well, it's not the only thing I'm getting her." A mysterious smile appeared on Dig's face. Before Oliver could prod further, Felicity's door opened. Then the teapot was screeching, which effectively ended that line of conversation.

"You'll figure it out," Diggle quietly told him.

"Ooh, just in time," Felicity exclaimed as she came down the stairs. She took the teapot off the stove before grabbing mugs. Diggle and Oliver joined her in the kitchen as she set about making their hot chocolates.

"A little bit more," Diggle requested when she started pouring the tiny marshmallows into his cup.

Felicity happily obliged, teasing, "And I thought I had the biggest sweet tooth of Team Arrow."

"We don't call ourselves that," Oliver interjected.

"But we totally should."

"Stop." He tugged playfully on her ponytail once more and gave her a quick peck on the lips before taking his hot chocolate.

"You're no fun," Felicity mock pouted and took a large sip of her hot chocolate. She happily sighed afterward. She always bought the dark chocolate one, because it had a richer flavor. Judging by the same satisfied look on Dig's face, he approved. "By the way, I'll be at Merlyn Global tomorrow so I might be late to the Foundry. "

For the last few days, Felicity had been sifting through the mainframe after hours to avoid suspicion as she tried to uncover Cooper's tracks once more. He had to have gotten into the top-secret files somehow, but so far she couldn't find anything unusual. She'd managed to get into some of the project notes, but most of it read like gibberish to her. They were mostly scientific reports with lots of numbers and terms she didn't understand.

"Are you any closer to getting in?" Oliver questioned as they all took seats at the counter.

"Closer than I was yesterday, but I'm still not there yet. Merlyn could afford to hire some of the best encryptors in the country. They really know how to cover their tracks."

Diggle asked, "If you're having difficulty getting in, then how did Cooper?"

"Still working on that, too. I retraced my steps the last time, and nothing looks different. He needed Myron, Drake, Chase and me to pull off the other hacks. If he's been as involved in Starling's criminal underworld as we think, he could've hired some shady hackers to help him this time. I'll figure it out, though. He's never been able to hide from me for long," Felicity assured them. "I promise."

"You'll crack it," Oliver encouraged.

"Oh, and I'm also expecting a package. You can either leave it down here or in my room."

"What is it?"

"An ugly Hanukkah sweater."

Diggle snorted into his mug and nearly spilled the hot liquid on himself. "I didn't know they made those."

Oliver stared at her, perplexed, "What could you possibly need that for?"

"I spoke with Tommy yesterday, and he said the company is hosting its own holiday party this week. Everyone has to wear their best ugly holiday sweater, and we're invited."

"Wait, what do you mean by we?"

"All three of us are going. Don't worry. I already took care of your sweaters, too," she explained, amusement dancing in her eyes. Felicity had had way too much fun choosing their outfits and couldn't wait to see how hilarious they looked in them. "Dig, I sent yours to your apartment."

"Bodyguards don't wear ugly sweaters," Diggle declared.

"Bodyguards also need to blend. Everyone is wearing one. Not only will you be too obvious, but you'll be super boring."

"Thanks, I think," he muttered, still not too keen on the idea.

"You're welcome." She then looked to Oliver. "You're not getting out of it either. Tommy is your best friend, so you have to go. Besides, if you can wear a green leather hooded suit, you can pull off an ugly sweater."

"Those are so not the same thing."

"Oliver, you could wear a burlap sack and still look good," Felicity replied, causing Diggle to chuckle and Oliver to crack a smile. "Trust me, you're going to look adorable."

"If you say so."

"I know so," she confidently declared.

Diggle finished his hot chocolate and asked if Oliver still needed help with the tree before he headed out. Oliver told him to head home. He would call the maintenance men and have them do it. They were usually helpful with things like that. Diggle said goodnight and let himself out.

Felicity went to put their mugs in the dishwasher. She felt Oliver's arms wrap around her waist from behind. He placed a kiss on the side of her neck and rested his cheek against her temple. "What was that for?"

"Just because."

She turned in his arms and stood on her tiptoes to reach his lips. "Just so you know, I haven't given up looking for Merlyn."

Oliver automatically tensed at the mention of him, causing Felicity to run her hands gently up and down his shoulders. "Don't worry about him. We have much bigger problems right now."

"I know how important it is to you that he's brought to justice."

Oliver rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He'd been trying not to dwell lately on their lack of leads where Merlyn was concerned. The anger and frustration would eat him up inside if he let it.

"I promised that I would help you find him, and I keep my promises to the people that I love," Felicity softly replied. Biting her lip, she waited for his response. Oliver still hadn't said that he loved her. Although Felicity knew that he cared for her deeply, a part of her really just needed to hear the words. They were working as a team and living together (sort of) like a couple. Yet, their situation remained tenuous.

Oliver raised his hand to cup her cheek. "You're important to me. The city, too. Cooper is the main priority. We stay on him."

Felicity, though disappointed, nodded and let it drop. Oliver was right that Cooper was more of a threat at the moment, but that wouldn't stop her from hunting down Merlyn. The sooner they caught these bastards the sooner she and Oliver could have a fresh start. She let him pull her back in for another tender kiss and tried to imagine what their lives would be like without Cooper or Merlyn terrorizing them. Maybe then Oliver would finally be able to say the words. She had to hope. Imagining any other outcome would simply break her heart.

"Please, don't hurt me! I don't know anything!"

"Your reputation says otherwise," Oliver replied in his Arrow voice. After stopping a couple of robberies, he spent the rest of his night tracking down a guy called Snitch. He earned his name, because he always had information about what was going on in The Glades. He'd reveal anyone's secrets for the right price.

"I don't know," Snitch cried and swayed upside down in mid air, tugging on the cable wrapped around his legs.

"Like hell you do. Look at the picture this time," Oliver ordered and shoved the photo of Cooper in his face again. "Have you seen this man?" When he didn't answer right away, Oliver brought his fist back.

Afraid of being hit again, Snitch shouted, "O-okay, okay, once! I saw him once."

"When?"

"Several weeks ago. He was living by the docks. You'll find him there."

"He's not there anymore," Oliver stated gruffly. "Try again, Snitch, or I'll be forced to really make you squeal."

"That's all I got. I swear! He's involved with some very dangerous, well-connected people. Way out of my league. I just deal with street thugs."

"Who are these well-connected people?" Oliver demanded.

"He's been w-working with the Bratva. They weren't from around here, but I r-recognized their tattoos."

"When was this? Where?"

"T-two weeks ago. They were near the auto shop-the Bratva headquarters," Snitch stuttered, squirming. "Now can you let me go? Knowing stuff isn't a crime."

"If you tell anyone we talked, I'll make sure you never speak again," he threatened, grabbing his mouth roughly and yanking at his tongue. "Got it?"

"Yes, I got it. I won't say anything!" Snitch promised, his words coming out garbled.

"Good." Oliver delivered his knockout punch before cutting the skinny, gangly man down.

None of the information Snitch had provided was new, but it did confirm that the Bratva were still involved. Anatoly would not be pleased to find out that the Starling chapter was working with Petrov to conduct business behind his back. Then again, Anatoly had told him that Petrov was an ambitious, manipulative bastard. He'd been gunning for Anatoly's position as the head of the Bratva, and his actions against Oliver were just another way to stick it to him.

Oliver returned to his motorcycle and headed back toward the Foundry. He wanted to check out the auto shop and see what was going on there, but it was too dangerous. If they were in Petrov's pocket, it would be too risky for Oliver Queen to show up there again. If he went as The Arrow, then that would also seem suspicious. Cooper could've already told them about his secret identity, but he hadn't had any encounters with the Bratva while running his patrols as The Arrow. Petrov probably knew, though Oliver doubted his lackeys were privy to that information.

Minutes later, he was back at the Foundry. Diggle got up from Felicity's chair. He'd been running comms while she was at Merlyn Global yet again. "So when are we hitting up the auto shop?"

His partner knew him too well. "If Cooper really has been staying there, it won't be easy to infiltrate. For all we know, Petrov could've given his own men those performance enhancers. Whatever our next step, we have to be smart about it."

"Agreed. We can figure it out later-after the party."

"What?" When Diggle held up his ugly Christmas sweater, Oliver cursed under his breath. He'd totally forgotten about the event at Merlyn Global. Tommy had sent him a text earlier-most likely reminding him-but he hadn't gotten the chance to read it since he was on patrol. The sweater Felicity had picked out was red and looked like the front of Santa's suit with the white fur, black buttons, and a black buckle.

"Felicity thought you might need reminding."

"I think I purposefully blocked it out."

"Could be worse." Diggle held up his own sweater. It was red with green horizontal stripes. Sewn in front was a reindeer with Christmas lights tangled in his antlers while he threw up candy canes and small gift bows.

Oliver couldn't help but chuckle. "Nice."

"Felicity said to text her when we get there. She'll come down and meet us."

While Diggle shut off the computers and went to change out of his suit, Oliver pulled out his phone. A Santa sweater. Really?

Felicity texted back: Don't you love it?! Seemed fitting since you're technically the big boss and all.

I'm heading straight for the spiked eggnog.

Don't drink too much before I get there. I still need to sit on your lap and tell you what I want...

Oliver's eyebrows immediately shot up at the flirty response. They could have a lot of fun with this. That depends...have you been naughty or nice?

Hmm...not sure yet. We'll see what happens tonight. Heard there's plenty of mistletoe around ;)

Oliver smirked, imagining her sexy smile and the mischievous glint in her eyes when she sent that text. Suddenly, the Santa sweater didn't seem so bad.

Felicity was in the middle of running a decryption program she'd designed when her phone rang. Seeing that it was her mother, she couldn't help but cringe. This was the third time in two days that she'd called, which meant that this was intended to be more than a friendly chat. Although Felicity had been busy this week, she also had been avoiding this conversation. She already had a pretty good idea what her mom wanted, and Felicity wasn't sure if she could agree to anything.

Knowing she couldn't avoid her mother forever, Felicity sighed and answered her phone. "Hi, Mom."

"Felicity, glad to know that you're still alive. I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"I know, Mom. I'm sorry. It's been a bit chaotic here."

"Calling me once and a while wouldn't hurt. I know you're all grown up now, but you live so far away. It's hard not to miss you."

Felicity closed her eyes in an attempt not to succumb to the guilt trip. "Like I said, I'm sorry. What's up?"

"I'm going to be hosting the first night of Hanukkah with some friends next week. I was hoping you could take some time out from your busy schedule and come home to celebrate with us."

It was exactly as she'd predicted. "I'd like to, but I'm not sure that I can. I'm still under contract at Queen Consolidated. I can't just leave."

"It's the holidays. I'm sure they will understand."

"I'm working on some projects that can't be put off. They're really important."

"And I'm not?" Her mother sounded more hurt than angry.

"No, of course you are. But, Mom, you can't just call me out of the blue and spring this on me. I have responsibilities and people to answer to. I can't simply pick up and leave."

"Well, what if I came to Starling instead?" she suggested. "I can come for a few days. It won't be a big deal. The ladies won't mind if I host the last night."

"I don't know."

"Felicity, honey, is there a reason you don't want to see me? Is everything okay? You sound...stressed."

"Mom, I want to see you," Felicity replied. "And yes, I'm stressed. I've got a lot on my plate right now. But I'm staying with a friend, and I don't want to start inviting people over to his apartment without his permission."

"Wait a minute, you're staying with a man?"

Felicity stiffened. "What?"

"You said his apartment."

"Yeah, so?" she tried to play it cool but knew it was futile. Her mother had most definitely picked up on her slip. No way would she drop this. Commenting on her love life-or lack thereof-was her mom's topic of choice during most of their conversations. Felicity could win a Nobel Prize and her mother would be more concerned with who she was taking as a date.

"Who is this friend exactly? You never mentioned anyone who lived in Starling."

"We met when I was at M.I.T. and kept in touch."

"Is he cute?"

"Mom!"

"Is he?" she pushed, undeterred.

"It doesn't matter."

"Oh my God, he is!" her mother excitedly exclaimed. "I can totally hear it in your voice. Is something going on with you two? You sound smitten."

"Mom, I am not smitten." She could just picture the calculating look on her mother's beautiful face as she figured out ways to get more information out of her.

"Felicity, we may not see each other often, but I am still your mother. I can tell when you're hiding something. You always clam up when it's a guy you really like and considering it's been years since you've mentioned anyone to me, this is obviously serious. What's his name?"

"I honestly don't think I should tell you."

"Why not? He's not a criminal, is he? Because I know those bad boys may seem sexy at first and are usually great in bed but in the end they'll just-"

"Ew, Mom, stop!" Felicity interrupted. "He's not a criminal."

"Well, what does he do for a living?"

"He's...in business."

"Ooh! Does he work for Queen Consolidated? Is he a co-worker?"

"Um, kind of."

"Felicity, you don't have to be so secretive. It's not like I'm going to tell anyone. I'm your mother. Please?"

Felicity just knew she was going to regret this. "Fine. It's Oliver Queen."

There was a crash on the other line and some scuffling. It sounded like her mother had dropped the phone. Finally, she replied, "Oliver Queen like the billionaire?"

"That's the one."

"Oh my God!" her mom screeched, causing Felicity to yank the phone away from her ear. "Felicity, you're dating a handsome billionaire. I can't believe my daughter is dating a handsome billionaire!"

"Mom, he's more than just his money and his looks." Her mother was a good person, but sometimes she could be a bit shallow. She'd certainly had her fair share of well-to-do boyfriends over the years that ended up being total scumbags.

"I'm sure he is, but you have to admit those things don't hurt."

"I'm dating him, because he's a good guy with a good heart," Felicity reinforced.

"So you guys are dating! This is too perfect."

She really did need to stop with these slip-ups. "Mom!"

"What? I'm just so excited for you. You know I've always wanted better for you."

"I know that but don't get ahead of yourself. We're still sort of figuring things out."

"Do you love him?"

She hesitated before admitting, "Yes."

"Does he love you?"

"I think he does but..."

"But what?"

Felicity hadn't anticipated their conversation taking this turn, but maybe it was good that it did. Despite their differences, her mother really was good at offering advice when it counted. "I've told him how I feel, but he hasn't actually said the words back yet."

"I see," her mother commented. "Look, I don't know Oliver but I know men in general. Most of the time, they're terrible with words. And the men who do have some verbal ability, sometimes that's all they can offer-talk. What matters is how he treats you and how you feel when you're with him. Perhaps Oliver hasn't said the words yet but if he expresses how he feels in other ways, then you have your answer. Does that make sense?"

Felicity thought of all the ways Oliver had helped her since they'd first met and realized her mother had a point. "Yeah, it does."

"Don't worry about coming home, honey. Stay with Oliver and work it out. Or, you know, you could invite him to come with you. Just throwing that out as an option."

"I'll talk to him and let you know." She didn't want to make any promises, but she also didn't want to dash her mother's hopes. The computer beeped, signaling that the software had finished the decryption. "Mom, I have to go. I'm still at work right now, and I've got to finish up before I go to an event tonight." Felicity tugged at her ugly Hanukkah sweater. The mainframe room was slightly warmer because of all the equipment running.

"All right. I love you, my beautiful girl. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"I love you, too. And thanks," Felicity said before hanging up. Saving her mother's advice for later, Felicity refocused on the information in front of her. The files were finally unlocked. She pumped her fist in the air. "Yes, I did it!"

While she uploaded the information she'd found to their system in the Foundry, Felicity scanned through portions of it. One file in particular caught her eye, and she quickly skimmed through it. "Oh my God," Felicity muttered. She had to find Oliver. Now.

After making sure to erase any trace of her presence in the system, Felicity bolted out of her seat and headed for the elevators. She barely got a few steps out of the room when she saw one of the members of her security detail lying on the ground with an arrow in his chest. Blood pooled on the floor around him. Panic filled her and she sprinted for the elevators where another guard had also been shot. Felicity pushed the button frantically as she pulled out her phone. She'd just started dialing Oliver when the doors opened.

Felicity screamed when she saw the dark hooded figure standing inside. Before she even had a chance to turn and run, a hand shot out and grabbed her. Felicity struggled against him, but he was too strong. He pulled her roughly into the tiny space. Her last memory was of the doors sealing her shut inside and the room tilting before everything went black.