Disclaimer: I do this strictly for fun, not for money. CW and DC own it all.
The first call Felicity got was from Robin. She was implementing an emergency girls night immediately. Apparently finding your best friend as a headline on the number one gossip blog in town was a pretty big deal. Felicity agreed on the condition they have it at her apartment. While she tidied her small home, it was amazing how dirty it could get when she was barely there, her mother called. A well meaning cousin had alerted the decidedly not tech savvy Mrs Smoak to the article's existence. After several apologies for not mentioning she was dating a famous billionaire and a promise of an introduction dinner on the matriarch's annual visit, Felicity hung up just in time for her door buzzer to sound. She unlocked the door and went to the kitchen to start pouring wine. It was a long established fact that the ladies would just let themselves in.
" Marco!" Robin called out upon entering.
"Polo!" Felicity replied alerting them to her location. Robin, Janna and Melissa rounded the corner for hugs and distribution of drinks.
"So how does it feel to be famous?" Melissa asked as the foursome headed to the more comfortable couches.
"First of all, I'm not famous, they don't even know my name yet. Secondly, It's kind of creepy." Her phone buzzed and Felicity rolled her eyes. "And now I've gotten Facebook requests from the other 75% of our graduating class wondering what I'm doing to these days, you know besides Oliver." The girls were so used to Felicity's unintentional innuendos they didn't even point them out any more.
"So what did it actually say?" Janna asked. Felicity grabbed the tablet from the coffee table, unlocked it and passed it over. The website, Starry Nights, was already bookmarked. Janna began to read it out loud.
"While most of the city was focusing on the sincere statement issued by Oliver Queen on behalf of the heirs of Queen Consolidated and Merlyn Global Corp, this reporter was distracted by the new addition to the Queen entourage." There was a photo of Oliver and Thea at the podium with Felicity and Diggle off to the side. Felicity was circled in white with a question mark next to her head. "Sources have seen her entering and leaving the family estate on a regular basis as well as accompanying Queen to Starling Hospital on visits to Tommy Merlyn. Could she be the same girl we've been getting sporadic tips about for months?"
"Why do they make it sound like I'm sneaking in through the bathroom window? Actually I couldn't do that even if I wanted to because all the bathrooms in that place are on the second floor which seems really weird to me." Felicity cut off her babbling with a sip of wine.
" What did Oliver have to say?" Robin asked.
"Not very much. But he and Thea are so used to this by now that it doesn't even register. He asked me if I was ok, which I guess I am? I mean it's not like we were trying to hide anything we just never went out very much so there wasn't really a chance to be seen." Robin's cell phone rang. She checked the called i.d and answered
"Hey Candi." Robin looked from friend to friend in the unspoken question of whether to include the other woman. Felicity shrugged as the other two mouthed 'No'. " I'm at the office, what's up? Yeah I saw it, kind of crazy huh. Oh I'm sure they'll be fine." She arched her eyebrows. " Brunch? Well I'll ask her next time I talk to her. Uh huh, uh huh, listen hun I have to get back to work, ok , ok bye." She hung up the phone and looked at the group. " Do you want to have brunch with Candi on Sunday?"
"Um, not really? But I will if everyone else is going." Felicity looked around, Janna and Melissa shrugged. " Why?"
"She thinks it's been too long since we all got together." Robin quoted.
"And I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with Felicity's possible celebrity?" Janna rolled her eyes.
" She didn't say anything about it but she did ask if I had seen the article and how you and Oliver were doing." Robin admitted
"Yep, absolutely nothing to do with it." Janna deadpanned.
"I still don't get why she's still around." Melissa poured herself another glass of wine and topped everyone up with the rest.
" History? I've known her since we were five." Robin looked uncomfortable, this was a conversation they had as a group every few months. "But there is a good person in there."
"Just let me think on it ok? It's been a long day."
While Felicity was off having a girls night, Oliver had gone to see Tommy. He had been moved to the rehab centre of the hospital which meant his room was now less hospital looking and more like a small apartment.
"Well the good news is you are in the blogs for being an upstanding guy with a girlfriend." Tommy wheeled himself over to the sitting area while Oliver carried a pizza. "You could have peed on a cop again."
"That's never going away is it?" Oliver groaned putting down the pizza where they could both reach it.
" I'm contemplating putting it on your next tombstone." Tommy took a bite. "You know, I didn't really get a chance to tell you before the world went to hell, but I like her. She's good people."
"Yeah I noticed that." Oliver smiled a bit. "I just hope she doesn't decide to go back to, as she puts it, her regular boring safe life. We both know that's one thing she won't get with me."
"Has she said she wants to?" Tommy eyed his friend skeptically.
"Not recently. It's what she said when she first started helping me. She wanted to find Walter then go back to her boring safe life. But I guess a lot can change in eight months."
"Understatement of the year there. Eight months ago my biggest concern was where to go party each night. Now, I've got a business to rebuild, a city to make amends to, all the while getting used to this." He gestured to the chair he was sitting in.
"We've got to do what we've got to do I suppose." Oliver added. "Avoiding it won't make it go away." They ate quietly for a few minutes before Tommy chuckled to himself. "What?"
"It's kind of funny, everyone used to say you and I were in a state of permanent adolescence. I think we just grew up."