Chapter One: Lost In The Light

Author's note: Okay, here's another installment of this Oliver and Felicity's story. I do have to say I'm not a doctor and I've never had kids or cancer so just don't get too hung up on the medical stuff. The chapter title comes from the band The Bahamas – I love this song. I first heard it on The Originals and have listened to it hundreds of times since. That being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Oliver had been through more than his fair share of crucibles in the last seven years. Five years away from his family fighting and surviving just to live to see another day only to come back and start a crusade to protect his city and make up for his wrongdoings. He'd bested countless enemies over the years both in his years away from home and the two years he'd been back. There had been setbacks, sure, that always served to haunt him.

He'd failed to stop the Undertaking that his mother, father, and Malcolm Merlyn had been involved in and it had cost him not only the lives of over five hundred Starling City residents but also the life of his best friend Tommy Merlyn. He later stopped Malcolm, Slade Wilson, and many others but had also lost his ex-girlfriend and fellow vigilante Sara Lance.

And now it looked like he was going to lose his mother as well.

"Oliver, the doctors need you to sign this – it shows that you understand what the document is and that you'll honor it when it happens."

"Don't you mean if? If something happens?" Oliver's hand clenched under the small table in front of him. "Mom he said it himself, there's a chance that you could get better. Five months ago, when we had to rush you to the hospital. He said . . ." Oliver let out an exasperated breath. Moira closed her eyes for a moment, also letting out a breath. "You'll get better. You have too."

Moira opened her eyes, turning to Thea in the corner. "Sweetheart, won't you go get yourself and your brother something for dinner from the cafeteria."

"What!? No… Mom you can't be serious. I'm not going anywhere – Mom you're going to be fine!" Thea stood up from the chair she'd been sitting in and came to stand next to her brother.

"Thea, just go." Oliver sighed, shaking his head.

"Ollie!" Thea protested.

Oliver scowled and pushed his sister out the door, closing it behind her. Moments later the door opened again and the doctor came through. Oliver shook his head and turned back to his mother. "I'm not signing it, you're not dying, end of discussion." Tears ran down Moira's face.

"Mr. Queen, if I may . . ." The doctor started. Oliver rolled his eyes. "We'd like nothing more than for your mother to recover from this and we have been doing everything that we can in fact to achieve that—"

"I swear to god if you say 'but' I will rip your tongue out of your mouth!" Oliver growled.

"Oliver Jonas Queen!" Moira shouted.

Just then Oliver's phone rang in his pocket. He sighed and pulled it out of his pocket – it was Roy. "What?" He spoke into the phone.

"We've got a lead. Dig's military contacts were able to contact someone within the company. You were right, Oliver. The company's corrupt – just a front." Roy told him.

"I'll be right there." Oliver let out a breath, hanging up his phone and putting it back in his pocket. "Mom, Doctor – I have to go. We will continue this conversation later." Before either one could utter a word, Oliver left the room closing the door behind him. The energy completely left his body and he collapsed to his knees on the floor. He knew he needed to meet Roy, Diggle, and Laurel but right now he just couldn't. He couldn't . . .

He'd just had a conversation about the end of his mother's life with his mother . . .

His head was swimming, absolutely swimming and right then he could probably throw up. He closed his eyes and looked up, letting out a breath . . .

. . . completely obvious to the blonde feeling equally helpless down the hall.

OFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFOFO

Felicity swore for the hundredth time, grasping tightly to the railing attached to the wall outside her hospital room. She was so sick of hospitals at this point – completely. Four months of on and off again bed rest, countless doctor visits, and three bouts of false labor (well, today made four) and she was definitely ready for this baby to come out already. More than ready.

Unfortunately her baby wasn't as ready as she was considering she was now a week over her due date.

"Oh god . . ." She gasped, her hand on her back and she leaned over further. Her back was hurting so much, she didn't think she could take this much longer. A tear dropped down her cheek and she brought her hand around to rest on her swollen abdomen.

Everything had been imploding in on her since Ray died, maybe even before. Sometimes she wished she could go back to just being a simple IT girl . . .

Ugh why did her mother have to be so late? She'd called her mother when she'd thought she'd gone into labor in the ambulance on the way to the hospital – Donna was at a spa appointment but would be there soon enough. Then Felicity had been told she wasn't in labor and after telling Donna, the older woman told her she'd be there to pick her up in an hour.

That had been four hours ago, and Felicity just wanted to go home.

A noise down the hall broke her from her thoughts and she looked up. There was a man down the hall outside of a room – and he was on his knees. His eyes were closed, his head facing up toward the ceiling.

She slowly stood up straight(er) and found herself watching the man. The look of despair and anguish marred his beautiful face and creeping into his fit (gorgeous) body. He looked like he felt about as hopeless as she did.

Was he sick? Or maybe someone he knew? Or had he lost someone already?

Wait, she knew – her nurse earlier had been talking to another nurse. His family was known in Starling City (not that she knew since she hadn't been here long nor did she follow the local gossip) and someone had . . . hmm – was it cancer? Yeah, she's pretty sure that's what the nurses had said. They had thought she was asleep but really she didn't sleep much anymore with the enlarged stomach, swollen feet, aching back, and small bladder.

Judging by the affliction on his face, it wasn't him that was sick or suffering – no, it had to be someone else in his life. Someone important to him. Wife? Brother? Friend? Parent?

The compassion is his torment was enthralling to her – this man knew how to love.

Oooh – a twinge in her abdomen cut off her appreciation of this broken man. "Babe, help me out here . . ." She hissed, both hands now on the railing. Her legs were starting to feel like jelly – maybe a stroll down the hall by herself hadn't been such a good idea . . .

She looked up – the gorgeous sad man was gone. Hmm . . . she hadn't even heard or seen him get up. Her knees started to buckle and her eyes widened. Frack . . .

"Felicity, sweetie, what are you doing out of bed!" Before she knew what was happening, her mother was leading her back into the room and onto the bed.

"Thanks, mom." Felicity sighed in reluctant relief, shifting on the bed to find a comfortable position. "Even though you're late . . ."

"Lissy, I came as soon as I could." Donna took a seat on the chair next to Felicity's bed. "Now how are you feeling? How soon will my grandbaby be here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Felicity sighed. "The doctor says I'm close, but they can't induce for a couple of days – possibly a week at the most." She leaned back, lifting her legs to lounge on the bed.

"Well," Donna rolled her eyes. "I always did say those doctors were useless."

It was then Felicity's turn to roll her eyes and decide to ignore that particular comment. "Anyway, we're definitely in the homestretch now. Which means mostly bedrest for the rest of this torture-fest. Not that I can really move around much anyway. I'm pretty much a beached whale at this point."

"Oh but you're a very cute whale baby," Donna gushed.

"Mom! Not helping." Felicity groaned, rubbing her sore back. "Can we just go home, please? These hospital beds are so uncomfortable and I just need a nap…"

"Yes, yes of course." Donna nodded. "What do you need me to do, Lissy?"

"Can you just go find the doctor so that I can sign the discharge papers?" Felicity closed her eyes, laying back on the bed. As uncomfortable as the bed was, it still felt good to stretch out and get off of her feet.

"Sure thing, babe." Donna bolted up out of the room.

Felicity let out a deep breath, closing her eyes. She was excited to meet her baby but man if she wasn't sick of being pregnant. She opened her eyes-

-and instantly regretted it because the entire room was spinning. Oh god…

She swallowed, feeling the practically un-edible hospital food she'd had earlier rising in her stomach. She swallowed again, panic rising within her. "Mom…" Her voice was small. Her eyes widened, her heart beating rapidly. Her fingers fumbled for the call button but then she remembered that she had dropped it on the floor earlier… "Mom… ugh…"

Oh god… now her head was pounding and she didn't think the pain she felt near her ribs was the baby kicking—

"H-help…" She shouted as loud as she could, which wasn't loud at all. Her senses overloaded, panic at an all-time high right about now. Tears fell full force down her cheeks. Grasping at straws, she reached out and grabbed the clock on the table next to her bed. She cried out and chucked it as hard as she could manage at the door. It shattered loudly against the door, clattering on the floor.

"Please, someone – please!"

After a few moments she began to lose hope that anyone would reach her in time. Getting out of the bed was out of the question – if she thought her legs felt like jelly before now they were like lead.

And just like that the door burst open.

"Mrs. Palmer?!" It was her nurse – Susan.

"Aaahhh how many times have I told you not to call me that?" Felicity groaned, leaning forward holding her stomach.

"Yes yes – now what's going on here? What are you feeling, my dear?"

"Ugh… oh god I'm gonna puke…" Felicity put her hand over her mouth. Susan grabbed a bowl from the counter across the room and soon was holding it under Felicity's mouth. Though as much as she felt like she was going to throw up, it didn't happen. She still felt weak, though, as Susan helped her sit up.

"Other than the nausea, what are you feeling?"

Felicity swallowed, letting out a deep breath. "My head is pounding. Ouch….oooh there's this pain above my stomach, but I know it's not the baby."

Susan nodded. "Okay. I'm just going to go get the doctor and we'll see what she says."

Felicity exhaled, shaking her head. "N-no don't leave me please!"

"Miss Felicity, it's okay – you need to calm down." Susan told her. "I will be right back with the doctor."

"My mom went to go get her…" Felicity breathed.

Twenty minutes later they'd established that the reason Felicity wasn't feeling well was because her blood pressure spiked slightly. Luckily the doctor had been able to get it under control and – much to Felicity's dismay – was able to avoid inducing labor or doing a C-section. They said that it was better for the baby to be ready to come out on its own rather than all the risks that came with an unnatural birth plan.

Either way, it meant at least another night (if not more) in the hospital – frack.

Luckily, though, her mother had agreed to go home for the night which meant she might actually get some sleep.

That is if the child in her womb would stop being so active.

to be continued…