"Felicity Smoak. It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Queen."

"You may sit down." Moira sat as she study the woman that now took main stage in her son's life. She watch Oliver going outside taking a phone call and took the opportunity to come down and talk to Felicity, alone.

Oliver was head over heals with this woman enough to make Moira go through the embarrassing scandal of calling off his wedding with Laurel. All her life Moira had avoided that her family would be the source of scandal and gossip and now... Moira would never tell Oliver but she blamed Felicity.

"Thea, would you please ask Raisa to bring us something to drink."

Thea knew what her mother was doing and she firmly take her gaze and linger as long as she could. She left fully intend to, not only call Raisa, but also get Oliver into the room.

"Oliver tells me you are and IT Expert. A good one."

"My employer his happy with my work."

"I am your employer, Felicity." she smiled. Felicity recognized a polite fake smile when she saw one.

Felicity also acknowledge the intimidation tactic but two could play that game. She knew plenty of little bit's and pieces of Moira's secrets. Felicity couldn't paste them together, that was what Walter did, but she had enough to hold off Moira.

"The Queen Consolidated appointed CEO his my employer, really."

"And Oliver definitely is pleased with your work."

"Has was Walter."

The way Felicity referred to Walter was, oddly, in a friendly almost familiar way and Moira noticed.

"Oh yes you worked for my husband. On the company business."

The way Moira said "company business", implying company business wasn't really what she workd on, ticked Felicity off.

"Mostly, but also some other issues related to the Queen family."

"Oh? What kind of business."

"Just data research, nothing major."

Now Moira was not only upset but also surprised and a bit frighten. She had covered her tracks, always, but some how Walter had found out her biggest secret. Moira never before knew how he did it, how did he get the information. This woman, this Felicity, she now knew, was able to uncover her tracks and feed them to Walter. Felicity was good at her job, Moira now had no doubt.

"If Walter was happy with you work, you really are a good asset to the company, Walter would never protect and promote you otherwise."

Moira realized Felicity had effectively closed all chances of her proceeding with this line of questions. Felicity was too aware, thanks to Walter, she knew too much about her private business.

"Tell me about your family. Oliver tells me he visited your mother in Vegas."

"Yes" Felicity smiled when she remember her mother, Donna "I love my mother, Mrs Queen. She worked hard all her life to provide me an education and to raise me right."

A spark of admiration went through Moira, she couldn't help but to admire Felicity. Moira had known many "gold digger's" never any of them talk this highly of their working class mother's.

"I see. Where does she work?"

Felicity knew Moira was going to use her mother's job to bully her, but she could take it, she was proud of Donna and thankful for everything she was and for everything she did and do for her.

"She's a waitress at the Casino."

"I see." Moira was expecting Felicity to lie or dodge the question, the honest answer disarm her.

Moira live in a world of pretending and she movement perfectly in it. A world of honesty and without deception was unreal and unknown to Moira, she didn't know how to work around it.

Oliver was outside, shamelessly, eavesdropping. He had stood there since the beginning.

When he arrived at the door, almost running after Thea's warning, Moira and Felicity were already at it, but just for a few. Nevertheless, he knew both women well enough to know that he wouldn't be welcomed, they would probably "bit his head off" if he dare enter the room, so he wait. And when Thea came with the refreshments he stop her from going in.

They were now both listening in, and both were smiling.

Moira's voice was heard "What about your father, Felicity? Does he also work in Vegas?"

The image of Felicity's father and the circumstances surrounding the only time Oliver saw him popped up in his mind. That moment when Oliver thought he lost Felicity forever, even if it was just for a few seconds. All the feelings resurfaced. He ache for Felicity, only she could make all this angst go away. He entered the room surprising Thea, that follow suit, and surprising both Moira and Felicity.

"There you are, Felicity. I see you and mother are talking." Oliver sat by Felicity's side and eagerly took her hand. She smile to him puzzled. "I'm so sorry to interrupt."

"I was just telling Mrs Queen my father left when I was little and I don't know where he his."

"So you never searched?"

"There was no point, Mrs Queen. If someone doesn't want to be found it's useless to search. Even if you do find who you are looking for probably he, or she, would still not be back to us, at least not the way they were before." She squeezed Oliver's hand.

She wanted Oliver to know she was found because she wanted to be found. She wanted to be back. And she wasn't the same Felicity that left, she was stronger.

Raisa came in "Mrs Queen, dinner's ready."

Oliver got up still holding Felicity's hand "Shall we?"

"Yes of course." Thea immediately agreed and Moira had no choice but to follow.

At the table the settings were rigged. Oliver immediately understood Moira's plan so he signal Thea that took the place, set for Felicity, right beside Moira. Oliver help the ladies to sit, starting with Thea. Moira wasn't happy with the new arrangement but couldn't do much anymore.

"So Felicity, you have known my son for a while. How come we never met you before?"

Felicity was going to answer but Oliver beat her to it.

"I'm afraid that is my fault, mom. She's my friend of years but we always met at her house or at a coffee shop or bar. It really wasn't done on purpose, it was just a lapse on my part."

"I'm glad it's fixed now." Thea smile at Felicity as she talk.

"Yes. Very glad."

Oliver knew his mother. She wasn't happy about Felicity. She like his girlfriends to be like her and to always agree with her, Felicity did not, she stand on her own. And Oliver was truly glad she did.

"Oliver I was thinking about organizing a small get together just for a few friends. To present Felicity to everyone. I was planning to invite Malcom, Tommy, Laurel, Sara..." Oliver stopped listening after this, he was in shock. He now understood Moira's plan and it was devious at best. She had tipped off the reporters about he and Sara.

Now that Felicity had dealt with the tabloids and was still by Oliver's side she was going to provoke a meeting between Laurel and Sara in front of Felicity. She hoped Felicity, when she knew what Oliver had done, would leave him.

The dinner couldn't end fast enough but it took forever. Moira trying to pin Felicity and Felicity dodging every bullet with amazing class. Oliver only thought for the rest of it was that he couldn't lose Felicity he wouldn't survive without her, she was his life and his light.

The drive home was a short one. Felicity was worried. Oliver was terribly quiet and still and avoid looking at her.

As soon as he close the door behind them she turned, put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

And panic rose deep inside of her. The kiss, strangely, taste like a goodbye kiss.

"Oliver you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

"Remember when you promise not to go away again?"

She nodded.

"I free you from that promise, Felicity."

What the hell was he saying? What was going on inside his head?

"Oliver. Look at me. I'm not leaving. I'm happy. With you. I love you. I always will love you. Now please tell me what's wrong."

"My mother's get together..." He saw her smile wickedly which puzzled him exceedingly.

"Where she's going to provoke Laurel and Sara to fight over you, expecting I am so shocked I will leave you? If anything I would leave the room for politeness. They are sisters and that kind of fight should be held in private. But I won't leave, not even the room, because Tommy will be there and he will need us both in the end. And even if it pains you, Oliver, you too must stay for Tommy."

"How did you...?"

Oh, so that's what was going on in his head, her leaving him for something he did way back went.

She smiled and decided to tell him everything.

"The first time we met you lied to me. I hate when people lie to me. Oliver, please understand, I had to know what were you hiding about that laptop, I had to know what really happened to it. It looked like someone had run over it with a car, several times. I knew your playboy ways so I figure the odds were some bimbo had done it out of spite. It wasn't hard to find your latest flame name, Sara Lance."

Oliver was in total shock. Felicity knew everything.

"I'll admit I was shocked knowing Sara was Laurel's sister. Like Oliver Queen, the playboy, did that? Really? And back then, you were just building up to be my friend remember? I just thought you were a prick and that Laurel should dishe you but that was her problem, I had nothing to do with it. It was bad you had ended it, hence the run over laptop, move on. Now after all these years... it's ancient history and still has nothing to do with me. And you are not that Oliver anymore. You are my Oliver now."

Plain and simple, Oliver thought.

"What did I do to deserve you?"

"Simple answer, you love me."

"Yes, I do" Everyday a little bit more. He thought as he kissed her and guide her to their bed.