Epilogue

An: Here is the epilogue. When I started writing the epilogue I had no intention of it turning out like this but once the pen hit the paper something else entirely happened. It is much longer than I intended. It's actually like a whole new chapter with new plot which isn't what an epilogue should be! The Muse however refuses to budge so I'm stuck with this 'epilogue' below. I also cried writing this but the tears weren't for Olicity.

A guest reviewer, koko-chan, raised two very good questions. 1) Moira was supposed to be surprised at the photographer chosen and 2) In the September chapter it was Donna's 2 year death anniversary but during the scene with the video Felicity had said gone over a year.

In answer to the first question, I knew I was supposed to put in the details about the photographer but I just couldn't get it in especially since I felt Moira would have been in such a state about the dress and so many traditions being broken that the photographer wouldn't matter. The photographer was a female Elvis Impersonator so she was dressed up at Elvis and did Elvis antics which loosens up her subjects to get them to photograph better.

For #2, it is mathematically correct that Donna died two years ago but in that moment the emotional side of her brain had taken over. Logic and analytical thinking went straight out the door. Her emotional side did not want to calculate or acknowledge how much time had actually passed just that it had been more than a year. That was all she was able to compute at the time as her emotions overwhelmed her.

The honeymoon had been the most amazing experience of Felicity's life. It was just the two of them enjoying each other's company and enjoying life. They did all sorts of romantic things, like watch the sunrise and sunset together, walk on the beach in the moonlight, kiss in the rain, and spend the first three days in bed. Felicity couldn't imagine a better honeymoon.

They returned in time to celebrate Hannukah and Christmas with the family. There were lots of teasing comments about the honeymoon and babies but Felicity ignored it. Oliver kept up the Hannukah tradition of adding to her charm bracelet and he got her a little silver bungalow which was representational of the bungalow they had spent their honeymoon in.

They spent New Year's at the Merlyn residence excitedly talking about the baby Merlyn to come. She returned to work on January 2nd, extremely pleased to discover that the Applied Sciences Building was still standing, Curtis had not burnt it down in her absence and all of their projects were on track. There were even three new project proposals waiting for her review and comments. Barbara had done a fantastic job in her absence.

It was a bit difficult at first to readjust to going back to work. As much as she loved the work that she did, she missed being able to see Oliver at any time she pleased. Sometimes she would call Oliver's assistant to get an idea of when would be a good time for her to randomly pop by to see her husband. She figured by the middle of January she had regained the sense of balance that she had before.

The end of January brought Moira's ball at Starling Grand Hotel in their honour. Felicity knew it was going to be torture. Oliver was away the entire week leading up to the ball. Robert had sent him to Russia to meet with their Russian investors and Felicity missed him plenty. He would be returning the day of the ball and going straight to the Manor to get ready. Felicity wouldn't be getting ready at the Manor. Moira had a ball gown made for her by a promising local designer and she had to get ready in a suite at the hotel.

The gown looked absolutely gorgeous but it made contact with people extremely difficult. It was the perfect Disney Princess dress, a deep green dress with a sweetheart neckline, fitted bodice with lace overlay and then a wide puffed out skirt that circled around her. The diameter of the dress at the base was six feet. There was no doubt how beautiful she looked standing in the dress but that was all she could do in the dress, stand! She knew Moira had disapproved of her final dress option at the wedding and this dress was Moira's way of getting Felicity into a grand wedding dress but it backfired on her.

Felicity dress kept many people from getting close to her and conversing with her. Even Oliver voiced his frustration as he had to fight with the dress to get close to her. Eventually Robert guided Oliver away to handle all the schmoozing with the investors and Felicity found a nice spot between the bar and a potted plant to stand alone. The length of the dress allowed her to kick off her heels without anyone noticing. The one good thing was that being so close to the bar meant she had an uninterrupted flow of wine.

About an hour into the soiree Thea and Roy made their way over to her.

"Having fun?" Thea asked.

"A lot better than if I was at Oliver's side," she said nodding over to where he was on the other side of the room surrounded by a bunch of older men.

"Do you know any of these people?" Thea asked curiously.

"I actually do know most of these people," Felicity answered honestly. "I don't know what that says about me though."

"It says you're a true Queen," Thea replied with a smile and a sip of her drink.

Felicity nodded and continued staring at the people in the room. She had about two more hours to go before they all left and she could take this dress off.

"So what's up with you and Tommy? You keep looking at him like every ten seconds," Thea asked.

Felicity cringed at the question.

"Thea!" Roy protested.

"What I didn't mean it in a romantic sense more a mother goose keeping a close eye on her gosling," Thea explained.

"He's had a tough day," Felicity replied cryptically.

She glanced at Roy and he looked away unable to meet her eyes. Thea noticed.

"Something's going on," Thea said crossing her arms over her black dress. "And don't tell me it's nothing."

"I wasn't going to say it's nothing just that you will find out later but if you could go and sit next to Tommy by the bar and keep him from inhaling his fifth drink of the night, I would be very grateful," Felicity indicated to her.

"Fifth drink! This show has only been going for an hour," Thea said surprised.

Felicity nodded. "And it would be much appreciated if you could try to sober him up too. Stuff some of those crab cakes in him. He loves crab cakes," Felicity tacked on as Thea squared her shoulders to go and deal with the young Merlyn seated at the bar.

"Ok, I'll go and slow him down and try to keep him out of trouble but I can't promise anything regarding sobering him up," Thea said.

"Anything you can do to help, is fine," Felicity said.

She watched Thea and Roy start talking to Tommy and let out a relieved sigh when he invited them to sit on either side of him at the bar. They were in for one hell of a night.

Shortly before the ball finished Felicity asked Thea to help her take off the dress so she could change into a normal dress that would allow her to share a limo with everyone on the way home. When she returned to the ballroom Oliver latched on to her immediately, his arm encircling her waist and pulling him into his side where she belonged. They saw the last of the guests off before Digg bought the limo around. Felicity had arranged for one limo to take everyone home.

A moderately drunk Tommy entered the limo first and plastered himself by the opposite door, Felicity went next, then Oliver and Thea. Roy got stuck on the other side with Robert and Moira as well as Malcolm who she had invited to join them.

"It's pretty crowded in here?" Thea observed expecting someone to explain to her why they were all in one limo.

Felicity was going to explain but Malcolm cut her off to ask his own question.

"Felicity, you strongly urged me to join you in this limo to discuss a matter of great concern to me. I assume it has to do with why my son plastered himself at the bar and Laurel never turned up," Malcolm said stingily.

She felt Tommy stiffen next to her.

"Laurel and I are no longer together dad," Tommy said bitterly refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

"What!" Oliver exclaimed surprised. Felicity squeezed his hand in comfort.

"No Tommy that can't be possible," Thea said in disbelief.

Robert sighed heavily, "What happened Tommy?" he asked. The fatherly concern very present in his voice.

Tommy was silent for a while as everyone waited for an answer. Felicity had spent all afternoon listing all the reasons why he needed to tell them today.

"Three days ago Laurel miscarried. She blamed me for it. Said I wasn't as good a husband as Oliver was. That I wasn't supportive enough that I never said the right things like him. She said it was a mistake to marry me. She should never have settled for me. She should have pursued the love of her life instead. She said she should have been married to Oliver and that it should have been his baby and then she would still have it because he would have taken care of her properly," Tommy said angrily as tears rolled down his cheek. He was still staring out the window.

Even though Felicity knew the whole story she still couldn't help the tear that made its way down her own cheek. She sympathised strongly with Tommy. In one night he had lost his baby and his wife. The grief must be unbearable. To make matters worse, the divorce papers came to Verdant today. Roy happened to be there and called her right away when Tommy broke down in his office.

Oliver was at a loss for words besides her and she understood why. How do you comfort your best friend after what Laurel said?

"Tommy, I think you need to ignore everything Laurel said. She's in pain like you and she was just lashing out. It can't be easy to lose a child," Thea reasoned.

"No," Tommy said. "She meant it. She always made subtle comments about the way Oliver treated Felicity and the way I treated her. I know what she said was true."

"I'm sorry Tommy this is my fault," Moira said looking genuinely guilty. Felicity certainly didn't expect that admission.

It was the first time Tommy looked away from the window.

"It's not your fault," he said looking at her with red puffy eyes.

"It is. When laurel was young, I encouraged the idea of marrying Oliver. I encouraged delusions of what being Mrs. Queen would be like. She has this fantasy in her head that no man, not even Oliver, can satisfy. At the time I was hoping it would keep them together and that when she grew up she would realise that the dreams I gave her were just that dreams, not achievable in real life, but it looks like I was wrong. I can talk to Laurel. I'm sure she's confusing her grief over the baby with the fantasy in her head," Moira said.

"No it is over. I should have just signed the stupid divorce papers that came this afternoon but Felicity wouldn't let me," Tommy said bitterly throwing a glare at his best friend.

She felt Oliver tense besides her at the look Tommy was giving her but she squeezed his hand to remind him that it was ok. Tommy was just upset.

"Felicity is right," Malcolm said defending her actions.

"You never sign a legal document when you're emotionally upset and you never sign without letting your legal team look it over first," Robert said softly to Tommy.

"Where is the document?" Malcolm asked.

"I have it. I assumed you would want to read it and have your legal team review it," Felicity explained.

"Yes, I will handle the legal matters. I assume Tommy's been staying with you," Malcolm said.

"Yes," Felicity answered. He had turned up on her doorstep at 2:00am three days ago. It was the worst she had ever seen him and she held him the entire night while he cried. He didn't explain to her what happened until the following night but she knew it had to be bad. She had concluded that whatever happened between him and Laurel that it would be permanently over this time. She wished Oliver had been there to talk to him but he wasn't and she knew if she called him and told him it wouldn't help. He needed to hear it from Tommy. She wasn't going to tell anyone but the appearance of the divorce papers changed her plans. She had to act in Tommy's best interests. His father needed to get the papers and the family needed to know because she was fairly sure the media was going to catch wind of what was happening fairly soon.

"He's welcomed to stay as long as he likes," Oliver reinforced without missing a beat.

They were soon at the loft and the minute Thea stepped out of the limo a reporter appeared from a behind a potted plant at the entrance and started asking questions about Tommy Merlyn. Digg promptly removed the reporter and they were all able to make their way inside without photographs being taken.

Malcolm, Robert and Oliver were pouring over the divorce papers while Thea and Moira doted on Tommy. Roy was helping Felicity in the kitchen as she warmed up some appetizers and prepared a hangover concoction for Tommy. From the face Malcolm was making he was less than thrilled with the requests in the divorce papers. Felicity had briefly scanned through the documents and she was fairly sure some of Laurel's demands were in violation of the prenup she had agreed to.

"You think he's going to be ok?" Felicity asked Roy as she glanced over at Tommy. Thea had actually gotten him to smile.

"Of course. How can he not be when he has so many people taking care of him," Roy answered. She knew Roy had no one home to support him.

"Hangover prevention cocktail is ready, who needs one?" Felicity asked and several hands went up in the air. Felicity arched an eyebrow because she was fairly sure that only Tommy needed one. It was a good thing this recipe was formulated for at least five servings.

Moira arrived to collect the drink for Tommy and Thea.

"Have you spoken to Laurel," Moira asked her quietly.

"No, but Quentin and Dinah called Sara home. Sara told me her sister is an absolute mess. One moment she's sad and miserable and the next she's cheery and happy. They're concerned for her mental health. Quentin's having a psychiatrist come by to evaluate her. She needs help. The miscarriage broke something inside of her," Felicity told Moira.

"I'll talk to Quentin discretely. Laurel may be the one who broke Tommy's heart but she was once very important to us. I had a hand in shaping who she is today. It would be remiss of me not to offer some sort of help, even if it is just financial," Moira said picking up the glasses and moving over to the couch.

After they finished reviewing the papers, Oliver hustled everyone but Tommy out of the apartment. They helped Tommy up to his room, Felicity took off his shoes and left Oliver to do the rest to get him ready for bed. Felicity showered while she waited for Oliver to return. She exited the bathroom to find Oliver staring worriedly at the ceiling.

"Talk to me Oliver," Felicity encouraged as she crawled onto the bed. She settled her head on his chest and she relished in the smell of his cologne.

"Three months, Felicity. Tommy's been married for three months and he's getting a divorce. What does that mean for us?" he asked fearfully.

"Oh Oliver," Felicity said raising her head off of his chest and taking his face in her hands. "I meant my vows Oliver. I will fight for us. We are not Tommy and Laurel. Everyone in our family can confirm that. We know there will be obstacles but we will overcome them baby. I'm in this for the long run."

Oliver nodded, "About what Tommy said about Laurel," he said addressing something that was bugging him.

"I'm not the slightest bit threatened. Whatever unrequited feelings Laurel has, they're hers to deal with not mine. My only concern is us. I know you Oliver and I know what we have and I know how you feel about what we have," Felicity stated fiercely.

"You know I was looking forward to sex tonight but after that news," Oliver said trailing off.

She linked her hands through his, "I know baby. I know," she reassured him. "It's also ok if you spend a little bit more time with Tommy over the next few days instead of me. I understand."

Oliver laughed, "You are the best wife on the planet but I'm not even sure I'll get to spend that much time with him. Thea has booked a significant portion of his weekend time for therapeutic shopping, Roy is helping him with plans to renovate the club, Dad is taking him golfing, Mom is taking him on some trip she has coming up and his own father is also taking him on some private retreat just for the two of them to celebrate his birthday. The only time I think I'll get with Tommy is at nights."

Felicity smiled mischievously, "That's always been the best time for the two of you."

"Maybe, but that's in the past. My nights are 100% dedicated to you," he said with a charming smile.

"I love you Mr. Smoak."

"I love you Mrs. Queen."

An: There we have it. The end of this story. Thanks to everyone that left reviews.

There were a couple of questions about writing a third part called the Baby Challenge but I think if I continue this, I want to write Tommy's point of view. I think it would be much more interesting to write about him going through his divorce and recovering. It would also be a third party view of the first year of the Olicity marriage.