Steady Arrow (Oliver and Felicity - Olicity - Fanfiction) ~1st book in the Saga~

Chapter 43

Oliver paced back across the bottom of the hospital bed. The silence that hung in between Felicity and Oliver was unbearing. It was thick and suffocating.

"Say something, please," Felicity begged, breaking the silence.

Oliver shook his head, "Why? You didn't."

Felicity bit her lip, I deserved that.... She shouldn't have waited so long to tell Oliver the truth.

"Oliver, there's something else you should know," Felicity whispered.

"What?" Oliver felt betrayed the slightest. "What could be more secretive than Thea being Malcolm Merlyn's daughter?"

Felicity reached her hand out, like she wanted to touch him - but he was too far away. "Oliver, she might have his blood running in his veins, but she is Robert Queen's daughter. She was raised by him, loved by his family... by you. She's not a different person, Oliver, she's not his child. I... I didn't tell you right away, because of this reason, I wanted a chance to figure out-"

"If you should tell me or not? Lie to me or not?" Oliver's tone was harsh, already like he was blaming her for not telling him.

"Hey," Felicity fired back, "what just happened five seconds ago? I told you. It was a choice I made, I knew that it was the right call. You needed to know, I just wanted time to figure out how to change your mind so instead of looking at Thea and seeing Merlyn... that you will look at Thea and still see the caring, innocent, loving and little sister you know her as." Her voice was gentle, calling Oliver to look at her.

He knew she was right, he was pissed, but not at Felicity. Felicity told Oliver because she cared about him.

"You're right," he said and wiped his hand across his face, exhausted. "I'm sorry."

Felicity crossed her arms, "Are you apologizing to me, or talking to your hand?" Felicity tried to make light of the situation.

"I didn't snap at my hand," Oliver gave her a sad smile.

"It's alright, even though you kind of more than snapped," she was the one to look away now.

He sat on the edge of the bed, "I know, and I'm sorry. This... this whole-"

Felicity knew Oliver didn't want to share his feelings, so she said what he was feeling for him. "I realize that this virus has you freaked out, and Thea is just adding to the drama, but-"

"I don't want to even think about that right now, Felicity, please, please talk about something else?" Felicity nodded, not wanting to hurt him anymore or have him shut down emotionally.

"Okay, but you know you need to tell Thea, right?" Felicity asked double checking.

Oliver shook his head like that was completely out of the question, "That's never, ever going to happen. She can't ever find out about this."

"Oliver," Felicity argued for Thea, "why do you think I told you? Because I didn't want you to find out from someone else and be mad at me because I knew. Thea will be beyond furious if she find out, especially if it from someone that isn't you or your mother. And personally, I think your Mom is out of the question," Felicity laughed humorlessly.

Oliver considered her words, "Who else knows about this?"

"For all I know: Just me and Moira, I would assume, it's just her and I..." Felicity mumbled. "And now you! Of course, duh, 'cause I just told you, but... Malcom Merlin could find out with a DNA test. Robert Queen might have known, oh!" Felicity said remembering, "The doctor. Doctor Hamilton... He might tell if his life is in jeopardy, or Moira gets too threating." Felicity shrugged, "It just depends. If I were you, I would tell her, I wouldn't want someone to keep something like this from me."

"She's the daughter of a mass murder, I don't think she'll take that lightly," Oliver crossed his arms.

"Probably not, but she'll take it worse when - not 'if', when - she finds out from someone else." Felicity watched Oliver consider her words. "You know that she will, Oliver... The truth comes out, and sometimes it hurts, but it hurts a little less if the blow is better served from a loved one." Oliver knew that Felicity was right, she usually always was, but...

He just didn't know....

"Would you hate me if I told you I wouldn't tell her - at least for some time?"

Felicity shook her head, "It's what I did."

He swallowed, "I... I just need time to think."

"Take all the time you need," she smiled at him and he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze.

Diggle knocked on the door then, breaking their passionate - but small - embrace. "Your f-" he quickly stops himself, not knowing if Oliver already knew. "Umm, Felicity? Eric is here to see you," Diggle was acting strange which meant he knew her biggest secret.

She gulped and said, "Thank you, it's okay, you can send him in."

Oliver's eyebrows pulled together, he had never heard Felicity talk about an Eric... But, then again, she didn't talk about her past much either.

Oliver smiled at Felicity, a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he wouldn't like what was to come about this... Eric. He was even starting to hate the name.

Oliver tried to ask causally, "Who's this Eric?"

Felicity misinterpreted what he said and replied, "That's an Eric." She points to where Eric walked in, still in his medic uniform, leaning casually in the door way.

She could tell that this was awkward, Eric started off the conversation with a simple, "Hi."

Felicity blushed, she didn't really know how to act, either. "What are you doing here, Eric?"

She didn't want to ask Oliver to leave, even though she wanted this converstaion private. Oliver would get suspicious and then dig into her past, one that she wanted to stay buried.

"What am I?" He took a step forward, laughing, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Vegas, or a town just over! What happened?"

"I left first, remember?" Felicity said quietly glancing at Oliver to see if he was okay not knowing everything about this conversation.

"How could I not, I remember the sting when you returned-"

"Eric," Felicity cut him off, "I've been shot, and I'd rather talk about long-lost, bad-built, memory lane of my past and my mother and everyone I left behind there, later. Personally, I never want to talk about it again, but I think you're here for a reason, so... How about tomorrow? Lunch?"

Oliver felt like a third wheel between them, since Felicity just asked him out on a date in front of him; he cleared his throat.

Eric noticed for the first time someone else besides Felicity was in the room. He turned toward the man that was sitting on the bed holding Felicity's hand - Very openly, his thoughts added.

Oliver got up and made himself known to the shorter man that was before him. Almost everyone was shorter than Oliver, unless it was Diggle, his arms were just the size of... bowling balls and as tall as a totem poll.

Oliver stuck out his hand, intimidating Eric and not even knowing it, but in every way meaning to.

With a squeeze of Eric's hand and a big smile on his face, Oliver said, "I'm Oliver Queen - her boyfriend."