Bake for a Date with Oliver Queen
Week Eight

Week Eight Baking Challenge: Three New Year's Eve Delicacies to be Served in Celebration to All at the Finale

Oliver had never been this anxious. Given the life he had led up until that point, that was saying a lot.

But perhaps anxious was the wrong word.

What he was feeling wasn't… bad. He wasn't distressed or afraid. He wasn't even worried, though a smarter man probably would have been. But this was perhaps yet another example of how his past experiences were influencing his present mindset. Plus, no matter the outcome of that evening - no matter what Felicity's plan involved, Oliver was resolved on one thing: she was his girlfriend.

Whatever happened (or didn't) because of Bake for a Date with Oliver Queen wouldn't change that fact.

His mother, his sister, his best friend? While Oliver them loved them all, he wasn't going to allow their disapproval, their interfering, or their plotting to dissuade him from being with Felicity or scare her away from him. Perhaps most importantly of all, he wasn't going to allow himself to sabotage their relationship either.

Oliver no longer had to worry about the immature dating habits of his youth. He had no interest in playing the field or chasing other girls; Felicity was everything that he wanted. And more. Commitment, for the first time in his life, wasn't a scary concept... let alone prospect. In fact, he was looking forward to experiencing all those levels of a relationship with Felicity. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. Moving in together. Becoming engaged. Marriage. Kids. Sure, they'd only been dating for a couple of weeks, but, suddenly, the boy who couldn't make up his mind over the simplest of matters was now a man who knew Felicity Megan Smoak was the only woman he wanted.

And that wasn't going to change any time soon.

She made him… happy.

It was such a simple concept for so many, but, for Oliver, it had always been a struggle. In his youth, it had seemed too… common. Why just be happy when you could be elated, euphoric, ecstatic? But those highs - sometimes literal - were difficult to continually reach, especially when one never mastered the simple joys in life and always sought gratification elsewhere. Ollie had been like an addict in that way. And then, in a shock of thunder, screaming metal, wind, rain, and crippling adrenaline, the very concept of happiness - uncomplicated and pure, borrowed and fleeting, or otherwise - became foreign.

For five years, Oliver's existence became one of survival - ugly, desperate, crude survival. Joy became not going to sleep with an empty stomach, and bliss was the reprieve of actually waking up the next morning without the injuries of the day before making him wish for death. Cheerfulness wasn't a smile but, instead, was the acceptance that things could have actually been worse. Lian Yu should have been truly a deserted island, leaving Oliver unprepared and incapable of taking care of himself. Sure, one by one, he lost his friends, his mentors, his companions, even his enemies but not before they all taught him the valuable lessons Oliver would need to eventually make it home again. Even those losses had to become his peace, his hope, because Oliver swore their deaths would not be in vain.

Starting with his promise to his father on that damn, damned life raft, he had to live - not just for himself now but for his dad, too, and not just as he had before, but he had to live better. Be better. Do better. As a man, a businessman, an heir, a citizen, a neighbor, a friend, a son, a brother, a boyfriend, a fiance, a husband, a father. Before his death - no, his suicide, Robert Queen had confessed a confusing, oblique summation of his sins. He told his son that he wasn't a good man, and then he begged him to fix his mistakes, and then he sealed Oliver's unvoiced promise with a single gunshot to the temple. The frantic last seconds of his father's life had been a terrifying, ambiguous blur for Oliver… like the mass of shadows that could be a monster when you're a kid and, because you don't know what your blurry, sleep filled eyes are actually seeing, is that much more frightening.

But then Oliver found the seemingly empty notebook. And then he offhandedly discovered that his father's notebook was filled with names - familiar names, prominent names in Starling City. And then, finally, the pieces of the mystery that Robert Queen's last words had presented his dad to be slowly started to take shape for Oliver. He saw past the polished, glossy veneer of life in Starling City as a Queen and recalled that not everything, not everyone, found his hometown as safe and prosperous.

As he ran, and fought, and clawed to persevere, to withstand, he started to remember other, obviously less immediate, threats to his life. After his dad shut down the Queen Steel Factory in the Glades, there had been death threats. Looking back, Oliver realized his parents had kept the brunt of the danger from both him and Thea, but, after that point, bodyguards and private security became a part of his daily life. His movements were restricted, for there were parts of the city that a Queen just couldn't travel to without safety concerns. As he suffered the physical abuse of his captors, Oliver recalled protests against his family's company, being driven through the streets of Starling only for people to stop, stare, spit, and swear at him.

It did not take long for his desire to return home to transform into a need… and not because he was afraid of living his life without the material and emotional comforts of hearth and kin. Oliver realized just how much he had taken for granted and that maybe he could find that ever elusive feeling of happiness by also doing those very things his dad had beseeched of him and that his island friends had given their lives to help him survive for and actualize. It was an immense, nearly crippling burden to carry, one that certainly did not make returning and reacclimating any easier. Yet, Oliver assumed it willingly - even gratefully.

He started slowly. Oliver went to work at Queen Consolidated. Not that he had any desire to do such things anymore, but he stopped using and taking advantage of people. Foolishly - no, naively, he thought that, if, in his position, his wealth, and his influence, he started to lead by example, others would follow. Just as his father's fellow businessmen and women had been led astray along with Robert Queen, if Oliver Queen could show them that generosity and goodness could be just as rewarding, just as profitable, then they, too, could be steered back onto a better path. But Oliver couldn't even positively impact his own family.

Thea was quickly spiraling out of control just as Oliver himself had, and his mom was… far more complicated than Oliver recalled. Both of those facts had become glaring the night his mother and sister had met Felicity. Whereas six years ago, the setbacks would have been more than enough to completely discourage and distract Oliver from his goals, now, they just made him that much more grateful for the unwanted and unfathomable intervention life had handed him and that much more determined. Plus, speaking of Felicity, having her in his life now certainly didn't hurt matters either.

Because of her, joy was watching Felicity explain and share with him some aspect of pop culture that she loved. That little, bouncy dance she did whenever the Doctor Who theme came on was just… adorable. Bliss was making her food and watching her enjoy it, while cheerfulness was making her laugh and smile. Oliver certainly experienced elation, euphoria, and ecstasy when he and Felicity were together, but it was more than that… perhaps because, for the first time in his life, he was aware of his ability to make someone else feel those things, and that insight only made his feelings that much greater.

But it wasn't just about what dating Felicity did for him. Oliver's happiness couldn't just be dependent upon someone else. And it wasn't, for his peace now came from the knowledge that he actually liked himself - not in some braggadocious, egotistical way, but it was genuine, because he could recognize his own good traits (he cared about others; he had real, honest, useful skills; and, despite everything he had been through, he could be funny… even if it was in a very unintentional way), and his hope came from the knowledge that someone else, someone as happy and as good as Felicity - Diggle as well - could see him as a happy and good person, too.

"Who. Is. That?"

"What," Oliver asked instinctively, automatically. Leaving his thoughts behind and refocusing upon the man standing beside him, Oliver once more found himself frustrated that Tommy was there that evening. As far as Bake for a Date with Oliver Queen was concerned, Tommy had already done enough damage. The situation was already tentative enough - what, with his mother's disapproval of Felicity and his mother and Thea's knowledge of what Felicity looked like, so he had no idea how the reveal of Megan would go over, how it could possibly work out in their favor. Yes, Felicity assured him that she had a plan, and, if anyone was smart and capable enough to… get the two of them out of this mess, it was Oliver's girlfriend. But adding Tommy to the mix was like tossing gasoline onto the fire, and Felicity's temper, especially where Oliver's best friend was concerned, was already quick to spark.

Yet, Tommy insisted. He said he wanted to be there to support his best friend, that someone needed to be there to pick up the fragile, desperate pieces of the girl whose baked goods did not win Oliver's heart. Plus, both Tommy and Thea were still suspicious of Oliver's behavior concerning the reality competition, Thea having met Felicity… and then subsequently running to gossip about her with Tommy… doing nothing to allay their doubts. Now that the contest was over, Oliver wasn't sure what they hoped to discover or accomplish, but neither could be persuaded into not attending. Hopefully, neither pulled any stunts like the last time Tommy attended a tasting, because, plan or no plan, Oliver wasn't sure Felicity could let either play her for a fool again.

But especially not Tommy.

"I just… it hurts, Ollie. It hurts. So. Good."

If Tommy was really in pain…? "What does?"

As quickly as Oliver's concern for his best friend materialized, it then evaporated with his response. "The attraction." Tommy gestured with his flute - Moira Queen already had the champagne flowing freely - into the bustling crowd.

For what was supposed to be a surprise mayoral campaign announcement, there were far too many people in attendance for just the last contest tasting. Oliver didn't turn to look in the direction where his childhood friend indicated, though, because he was too busy looking for someone else. He was supposed to try the baked goods and pick the winner in a mere handful of minutes, but he had yet to lay eyes on Felicity. Or Megan… whoever she may be according to Felicity's plan.

"I've never been more scared of a woman in my entire life or, subsequently, more turned on."

"And I've never been more convinced that you're Malcolm Merlyn's son, Tommy," Thea announced, joining their little group after obviously hearing what Oliver's best friend had just said. Standing up on the tiptoes of her already ridiculously high heels and using both Oliver and Tommy's shoulders for leverage, she peered out into the gathering. "So, who are we looking at?"

"See the female Casper with the black… well, everything," Tommy described. And Oliver rolled his eyes, because it was just so Tommy - a childlike innocence morphed and twisted by a perversity born of wealth and privilege that Oliver had once shared. "The one that, forget the quarter, you could bounce the whole damn roll of coins off of her ass?"

If Oliver was dating anyone else besides Felicity Smoak, looking out into the throng of people at Tommy's description would have made him a bad boyfriend with a straying eye, but Oliver had never seen an ass as nice as Felicity's before. While it certainly wasn't why he was with her, that didn't mean that he couldn't - and didn't - appreciate it nonetheless. Worshipping it might have been an option as well. So, he found the woman Tommy was talking about and Thea was searching for, his actions born from curiosity… and more than a slight intuition that Tommy's mystery girl and Oliver's girlfriend were one and the same.

And unfortunately - or maybe it was fortunately, because Thea had finally found Megan in the crowd, and she obviously didn't recognize her (yet), he was right.

Gone was the woman Oliver… knew and, in her place, was a completely different person. But it didn't look forced or awkward. In fact, Felicity looked extremely comfortable and familiar in her new appearance. Jet black hair, clothes as dark and dramatic as her makeup, and Felicity had even covered up her gorgeous, and warm, and bright blue eyes with sharp, and cold, and steel gray contacts. The transformation wasn't just physical, though. She walked differently - like each step was both a burden on her and a threat towards others. She looked even smaller, but that might have been the monochromatic, colorless clothing. However, at the same time, she was a force to be reckoned with and just as fierce. And perhaps that's where Oliver (and not Thea) could still see his girlfriend. Though this woman, this… Megan… was a stark contrast to Felicity, both possessed a unique strength of character and identity. No amount of makeup and no disguise could hide that, could hide her… at least, not from someone who knew how to look, not from him.

"If the goth look is actually a thing again, and I wasn't the first one told, there will be hell to pay. Heads. Will. Roll."

"Way to embrace the spirit of the style, Speedy," Tommy teased Thea. "I know they say that the clothes make the woman, but you don't need a black ensemble to inspire fear, dread, or make me think of Satan."

Oliver could hear the smirk in his sister's voice, but he didn't, couldn't, tear his eyes off of Megan to glance in Thea's direction. "Then I'd be careful if I were you, Tommy, or you'll start calling me 'Daddy'... both emotionally and sexually."

If there was ever anything that could rip Oliver's attention away from Felicity, it was his baby, seventeen year old sister shamefully flirting with his twenty-seven year old, playboy of a best friend and having said best friend return the flirt. Oliver had noticed the unpleasant and inappropriate shift in their relationship upon first returning home, but this went beyond the two of them feeling comfortable discussing the other's sex life. However, before he could confront them and shut down… whatever it was that he was witnessing, his mother was there, and she was not nearly concerned enough about Tommy and Thea and far too concerned with the burden that was the reality baking/dating competition Oliver had foolishly agreed to participate in.

"That's enough, you two," Moira indulgently chastised. "I expect you to remember why we are really here and represent this family accordingly. That goes for you, too, Tommy." Before either could respond, his mother was already rounding on Oliver. "As for you, I believe you have a commitment to see through." Reaching up to unnecessarily straighten his tie… though the tightening of it certainly sent a message, she warned, "do nothing to ruin this for me, Oliver."

Luckily for the both of them, no one wanted the charade that was Bake for a Date with Oliver Queen over with more than Oliver himself. So, he ignored his mom, and he decided to pick a more important battle - how she treated Felicity - with her at a later date. His concern over Tommy and Thea's relationship would have to wait as well. He had baked goods to taste, a winner to announce, and a performance to give to the press. Plus, he had a Megan to meet, the one part of this ridiculous evening that Oliver was suddenly very much looking forward to.

As Oliver approached the table where the final two contestants' baked goods were arranged and displayed, he finally was able to pinpoint that elusive feeling that had been dogging him all night. He was right in that it wasn't anxiety. It wasn't even nervousness, because, again, it wasn't a bad feeling. Just different, new. Rather, it was anticipation, and excitement, and curiosity. No matter how the night turned out - and, for the first time, Oliver wasn't filled with dread at the prospect of this contest, Felicity would still be his girlfriend, Tommy and Digg still his friends, Thea, his mom, and Walter still his family. Sure, if anyone discovered the ruse he and Felicity were playing, his mother would be furious, but she'd eventually get over it. The entire mess was almost over, and they'd all be getting out of it much better than Oliver had ever believed was possible.

On autopilot, Oliver made his way through the desserts. Distantly and distractedly, he narrated the experience… as was required of him by the cameras and the crowd. He tasted, and he smiled, giving nothing away. The other woman's baked goods were adequate, Oliver supposed. On top of not actually appreciating sweets, it turned out that there really was something to the idea that food was just better when made with… affection. Upon learning of the final week's prompt, it had actually been Felicity who designed Megan's menu. Granted, she had presented her suggestions with many questions of feasibility, but an innate baker or not, she knew food. And, apparently, her liquor, too, and, per Felicity, what said New Year's Eve better than booze?

So, they made Baileys chocolate souffles with mint creme anglaise… which was a strange dichotomy of decadence and refreshing flavor. The pink champagne macarons were as pretty and exquisite as Felicity herself. Oliver's favorite dessert to make that week, however, had had the rum creme brulee - not because of how it tasted but, instead, because Felicity's excitement over getting to use a blowtorch had been hilarious. (And slightly frightening.) She had been enjoying their time baking together so much in fact that Felicity had insisted that they go above and beyond the requirements of the challenge, making four entries - the last being red wine truffles, because she couldn't not use red wine. She loved red wine.

"Well, who is it?"

"Yeah," another reporter chimed in from the audience. "Don't leave us in suspense."

Briefly, Oliver allowed himself to feel frustration with the media. Of all the things in Starling City that actually deserved reporting, these idiots were at Queen Consolidated instead. Granted, his mom was going to announce her bid for mayor after he was finished, but the newsmen and women didn't know about that. They thought they were just there for Bake for a Date with Oliver Queen, and, what was worse, they were perfectly content with covering the event like it was actual news. It was a part of what made fulfilling his promise to his father so difficult: the people of Starling were so conditioned to do and say what the corrupt wanted of them that there was no one left to speak out against the malfeasance. And it wasn't just the press either; it was the local government and police department, too. But, again, these were not things that Oliver could change that night.

Smiling… and it was only partially insincere, he glanced out at the crowd and started to speak. "Thank you for coming here tonight. I know this is a busy time of year, but it shows just how much this town cares about me, my family, and this company that you are all here." While it wasn't actually how Oliver felt, don't let it be said that his girlfriend was the only one putting on a performance for the sake of their plan that evening.

"I hope, as we all enjoy the delicious baked goods prepared for tonight's challenge, that we remember those less fortunate. There are hundreds if not thousands of Starling residents who do not have enough to eat… let alone such delicacies." This little… addition to the night's events was a surprise Oliver had been cooking up. His mom wouldn't like this either, but, as a burgeoning politician, she certainly couldn't object to a non-glamorous charitable initiative… at least, not in public. "If you're interested in making a monetary donation to our local food bank… as I will be doing myself later tonight, please seek out John Diggle, my bodyguard and friend, who is manning a table by the doors. And don't forget that the local shelters and soup kitchens could always use more volunteers to serve the food our money will purchase.

"Furthermore, I'd also like to thank not only the two women standing beside me," Oliver took a moment to turn towards each of the remaining contestants - one of which was Megan - and smile before once more addressing those gathered before him, "but all of our baking participants. Everyone has been impressive." There was a brief, obligatory round of applause during which Oliver paused and slightly angled his body towards Felicity. "However, there can only be one winner, and you, Megan Kuttler, are it."

The compulsory clapping didn't stop, but it also didn't become any more enthusiastic or sincere either. Rather, it sounded stunned… as did the whispers and murmurs that quickly joined in. Before things could get out of hand (or away from her control), out of the corner of Oliver's eye, he witnessed his mother reign everyone in with a lift of one meticulously groomed brow. That single, slight movement signaled the waitstaff to start circulating with the champagne once again and made the audience question what else was about to happen, because it was obvious the night was not over… even if they didn't know why.

Oliver, however, did know why.

Turning towards the runner-up… well, as much as one could be a runner-up when the competition didn't actually exist, he shook the woman's hand, thanked her far more sincerely because it wasn't her fault that he came to the contest with reservations and, in the process of trying to protect everyone involved, ended up falling for Felicity, and wished her both good luck and happy holidays. Once she moved off into the crowd and disappeared, Oliver was finally free to turn to and speak with Megan… only for his mother, Tommy, and Thea to join them.

"I must say, Miss Kuttler, you are not what I expected," Moira started in immediately. It was said with a smile but intended to cut nonetheless.

Before Oliver could intervene, before Felicity could respond, before Thea could offer her opinion, or even before Tommy could open his trap and inevitably make everything worse, good ol' Bethany Snow was right there, ready to pounce. "Yes, I think all of Starling City would agree with you, Mrs. Queen-Steele." Rudely shoving a microphone towards Felicity, the blonde reporter demanded to know, "tell us, Megan, what made you want to win a date with Oliver Queen?"

"I didn't."

Bethany laughed nervously; everyone else watched on with varying levels of interest. "I don't think I understand," the reporter tried to dig deeper. "You don't want to date Oliver Queen?"

"I didn't enter this competition. Frankly, I find it repulsive, and, thankfully, Oliver Queen just told me that he has a girlfriend, so the date is both inappropriate and not happening." In just three, pointed sentences, Oliver noticed another difference between his girlfriend and Megan: Megan did not mince words. "My mother entered me, and I only stayed in the contest, because, if I won, I'd have the opportunity to address the very prejudice that Moira Queen just showed me."

Rotating 90 degrees so she could look directly at his mother, Felicity, who apparently felt extremely confident in her plan and disguise… or maybe she just didn't care anymore about getting caught, said, "my looks, my style, do not determine my skills or my abilities. A woman does not need to wear a string of pearls in order to bake. We are not stereotypes; we are not cliches. We can do, and say, and think, and be anything we want. We are not defined by our gender, our appearance, our genetics, or our socio-economic backgrounds."

Oliver thought his mother would be furious… and she probably was, but she didn't show it - not a single flinch, or twitch, or eyelash batted. She didn't even tense up. Instead, she simply smiled demurely, reacting for Bethany Snow, the other reporters recording the exchange, and the entire assemblage. "Miss Kuttler is absolutely correct, and, while expected or not, I can't even begin to express to you how pleased I am to have her and her message here tonight when I announce to all of you and all of Starling that I plan to be not only the first woman to run for mayor of this great and wonderful city but also the first woman to serve as mayor of Starling."

And, just like that, the room erupted, and everyone forgot all about the lesson Felicity was trying to impart upon all of them.

As his mother moved further into the swarm of buzzing press, Thea and Tommy moved that much closer to Oliver and Megan, refusing to give them even a moment of peace or a second to be alone. "Well done, Sister Suffragette." A slow clap accompanied Speedy's somewhat mocking yet also somewhat respectful… if the two styles could really coexist… words. "That was quite the speech."

It wasn't Megan who responded. "It was," Tommy sighed in agreement. In contentment. In wistfulness. Switching gears rapidly, he sidled up to Oliver. "In the ever immortal words of Sonny," and the next part he actually sang, squeak included, "could she get me a friend?"

"She doesn't think that you could handle any of her friends, Mr. Merlyn."

Tommy elbowed Oliver in the side, never taking his eyes off of Megan and making Oliver frown. "Did you hear that? She called me 'Mr. Merlyn.' She knows who I am." Not waiting for a response, he replied to Felicity, "oh, don't worry, I don't want to handle anyone; I want to be handled."

"And how would that be any different than all your nights home alone, Tommy," Thea asked coquettishly.

Throughout the entire evening, soft instrumental music had been playing in the background. Up until the point when his mom made her announcement, it had been holiday classics and standards, only switching to patriotic marches afterwards. But then, somewhere between his mother explaining that it was her right and privilege to run for office on behalf of Starling City's citizens and how this wasn't for her but for the people, hard drums and crunchy guitars replaced trumpets and flutes, and Moira Queen became livid. Although she politely excused herself from the reporters in order to 'check on the malfunctioning sound system,' by the time she pivoted around in her stately and classy pumps, her green eyes were kindling with rage.

"You," she hissed, coming to stand toe to toe with Megan. Thea and Tommy stopped mid-bicker, the latter having been waxing on about how tiny, soft, mean, pale hands with black fingernail polish were so much better than, well, anything… but especially his own. "I know you are somehow responsible for this."

Instead of answering to the accusation right away, Felicity just tilted her head, effectively demonstrating that she was listening to the music, listening to the lyrics. Her actions made Oliver pay closer attention himself.

But they took our ideas to their marketing stores
And now I'm spending all my days at
Trying to buy back a little piece of me

And that was just the beginning. As the song grinded on and as the silence stretched on between Felicity and his mother, Oliver, too, knew that his girlfriend was indeed responsible for the protest song being played during his mom's candidacy announcement. Between Felicity's feelings towards Bake for a Date with Oliver Queen and how his mom had treated her when they met the week before, he couldn't blame Felicity for her small rebellion, though he did worry about what it would mean for the women's already strained relationship if his mother's suspicions were ever confirmed and/or she learned the truth about Megan's identity. But those would have to be worries for another day, because he had more pressing fires to put out first.

"Who me?" Felicity emphasized her words with a quick fluttering of her dark lashes before turning her own hostile glare onto Tommy… just as Oliver had earlier feared. "But I'm just a massage therapist who washed out of college and her sorority." His mother had already stormed off, apparently deciding that shutting off the music was more important than confronting the accused culprit. Felicity, however, was not backing down. Spinning on her booted heel and then advancing towards his friend, she only came to a stop when there were but a few inches separating them. "After all, the only things I'm good at are shopping and caressing down horny pigs. There's no possible way that I could gain access to the Queen Consolidated mainframe and preprogram the sound system to play "#1 Must Have" by Sleater-Kinney upon my remote command, could there, Mr. Merlyn?"

Tommy's eyes became wide and rounded. Oliver watched him as he gulped compulsively… like his throat was suddenly dry and he couldn't swallow properly anymore. Meanwhile, it was Thea who spoke up. "Why do I feel like I'm missing a vital piece of information? What's going on?"

Felicity looked squarely at Thea, though she didn't step away from Tommy. "What is happening is that Mr. Merlyn is realizing that, when you treat women like nothing more than inconsequential bitches, they bite back. Hard." Once more smirking at Oliver's best friend, Felicity taunted, "and not in the good way, eh, Tommy?"

Tommy started to back away, reaching for and taking Thea with him. "Come on, Speedy. I need to go check my bank balances… and make some charitable donations."

Oliver could still hear his sister loudly protesting Tommy's actions and her lack of knowledge regarding the subtext between Tommy and Megan, but Oliver tuned them out in favor of finally getting to talk with Felicity. Only… with one, quick glance at her face, he could tell that she had other ideas. "You and me, Mr., have a date with no clothes and my bathroom in one hour." Her orders were somewhat abrupt and certainly unexpected, but Oliver wasn't going to argue with her. "You bring… well, all of that." In a circular manner, she waved her hands in the direction of Oliver's torso and arms. Before Oliver could enjoy her obvious appreciation of his body, Felicity was continuing, "and I will bring the hair dye," replacing his smugness with amusement in just a few words.

She was gone, lost to the crowd before he could chuckle… let alone agree to the final part of her plan for the night. Not that he'd ever not want to spend his evening with Felicity (or tell her no), two things which, evidently, his girlfriend already knew about him and their relationship.

Oliver wouldn't have it any other way.

…

"When Speedy and I were younger, we would have these candy cane eating contests. No biting, no chewing, but the first one who finished theirs would win."

With the Queen holiday party bubbling around the manor, Oliver and Felicity had found a secluded corner just for the two of them. To talk. To hide. To disappear. While Oliver had his back to the wall, Felicity faced him, his suit and her dress a whisper away from touching. For Felicity, their position was advantageous, because she could focus on Oliver alone, convincing herself that they were the only two people there; for Oliver, it allowed him to be attuned to both her and the room. It had not taken long for Felicity to realize that, in order for Oliver to feel comfortable within his surroundings, he always needed to maintain a sense of vigilance. Luckily, instead of this awareness making Felicity feel unappreciated or forgotten at times, it actually made her feel safe. Plus, it didn't hurt matters either that Felicity was proud of the fact that her boyfriend was perhaps the only man in the world capable of multitasking. Oliver could watch her and watch out for her at the same time.

That was hot.

As was his devotion to his baby sister… as illustrated by Oliver's recollections of holidays past… even if Thea Queen, in Felicity's estimation so far, was totally undeserving of such fondness.

As Felicity smiled up at Oliver, she also reached up to smooth at the lapels of his jacket and tie. They were both already perfectly straight, but she wanted to touch him, so she pretended otherwise. "Remind me later then, when we see your sister, to thank her for that skillful tongue of yours." The words weren't even entirely out of her mouth before Felicity was cringing and backtracking. "On second thought, let's just ignore the last ten seconds and pretend like I never said anything. Otherwise, I don't think our sex life will ever recover."

Oliver, grinning, leaned down to whisper in her ear, "that would be my preference."

Felicity flushed poinsettia red (see, not only had Oliver embraced her beliefs, but she was willing to observe some of his own holiday traditions, too) from the roots of her once again blonde hair to the tippy-tip-toes of her stilettos. Clearing her throat and avoiding his gaze at all costs, she asked, "speaking of your family, where exactly are they? Didn't you say that this is the first time since you… in five years that they hosted a Christmas party? I kind of thought they wouldn't let you out of their sights tonight." Which would have made Felicity's presence there just a bouncy house full of fun. (Cue her melodramatic and ironic eye roll here.) "Plus, given your mom's mayoral campaign, this just seems like too good of an opportunity to present her 'all for one and one for all rich, white people' image to, well, all the rich, white people who will already be voting for her." And, while Felicity stood by everything she said, hidden behind her snark was also her surprise that Moira and Thea Queen weren't taking Felicity's presence in their home as yet another opportunity to ridicule and belittle her relationship with their son and brother, respectively.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any of them since Thea thought she was sneaking that boy up to her room."

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "She wouldn't."

Oliver merely quirked a solitary brow in challenge.

"I mean… she totally would. Trust me," Felicity said with as much conviction as she could muster, "I wouldn't put anything past your sister. But that guy?" She hitched a thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of where said guy had greeted Oliver and his family after first arriving. "Oliver, he wore a horizontally striped shirt, and presented your mom with a drug store bouquet of flowers."

"I'm aware," Oliver gritted out between his teeth. "I met him, too, remember."

Oh, she recalled. It had taken her hand running under Oliver's coat and along the small of his dress shirt clad back and a pointed glare at Digg to ignore his boss' silent orders to get rid of the kid by any means necessary for the teenager to actually still be there for someone to, apparently, sneak him upstairs. And, while Felicity had seen the boy and Thea go upstairs as well, she hadn't jumped to the same conclusions as Oliver.

"Honestly, I just thought that he was some pompous fool son of one of your mom's friends, that he had a crush on your sister, and that she tricked him into going upstairs with the promise of more from her… only to end up locked in some closet, alone, and for the duration of the party rather than just seven minutes."

"I've never seen that kid before in my life, and I haven't seen Thea since she left with him."

"Oh." But, still. Despite the evidence Oliver was presenting in favor of his unfavorable case, Felicity just couldn't see it. "But seriously?! That rice cake?"

"Excuse me? Rice cake?"

Whirling around on her heels, Felicity came face to face with a perturbed Thea Queen. Before answering the younger woman's question, Felicity took a moment to backhand her boyfriend's chest, because so much for him watching out for and protecting her from all threats! She couldn't dally for long, though, because Thea, arms crossed over her chest and green eyes spitting sullen irritation, was tapping an impatient foot on the carpeted floor. "Uh. Yeah. As in… no matter how much sugar you put into it or on top of it, it's still bland, stale, and of absolutely no nutritional value." Felicity shrugged her shoulders… as if her explanation had been obvious. (And it kind of was, right?) "A rice cake."

"Well, I don't think you should be one to judge, considering you weren't even on the guest list."

"I asked her to be here tonight," Oliver corrected and chastised his sister. "As my date, Speedy."

"Too bad this was supposed to a way for our family to reconnect, Ollie. We wouldn't have even had this stupid party if you hadn't insisted, and, yet, here you are, spending the entire night with her."

While Felicity tensed next to Oliver, her boyfriend threw his arms up in frustration. "Thea, you invited a boy you don't even like just to get under my skin and piss off mom."

"Oh, please," his sister defended. "I didn't even text him until after she showed up on your arm."

"You know what," Felicity started, capturing the dueling siblings' attention while slowly backing away from them. "I think I'll just… give you two a few moments. Or an hour. Maybe four. And I'll go find Raisa and a bottle of wine."

"No." If the hard, clipped word wasn't demand enough, Oliver snagged one of her hands before she could completely slip away and pulled her back towards and into his side. Before Felicity could read him the riot act, Oliver offered an explanation for his caveman behavior - one which, while not allaying her displeasure with his actions, certainly made her sympathize with his motivations. "Because that's exactly what Thea wants. She thought she'd come over here, be rude to you, and chase you off, but, for once in her life, Thea's not going to get her way."

"Yes, because, for the past five and a half years, my life has been a perfect fairy tale. Screw you, Ollie."

"None of that is Felicity's fault." When his sister went to say something else, Oliver gave Felicity's hand that he was still holding a squeeze and Thea a conciliatory allowance. "You're right in that this party was my idea, Speedy. I felt like it might help us feel more like a family again. After Bake for a Date with Oliver Queen, me moving out, mom's announcement that she's running for mayor, and how badly it went when you and mom met Felicity for the first time, I thought we needed a reminder of how much we all mean to one another. And I was hoping that the family tradition of hosting a holiday party for all of our friends and business associates would inspire everyone to give Felicity a second chance. While, yes, we've always called this the Queen family Christmas party, look around you, Speedy. This has never been an intimate, private gathering."

"Yeah, well, it was at least the one time of the year when mom and dad would put aside their issues and actually get along, but mom and Walter are off fighting… about a stupid book of all things, and Walter's threatening to leave on an open ended trip to Australia… like he can't possibly get far enough from her," Thea pouted. While the words 'from me, from our family' weren't said, they were certainly implied by the teenager.

What Felicity liked to consider her healthy curiosity level flared to life at the youngest Queen's words, but she tamped down on her instinct to investigate, because, really, she was less 'inquiring minds want to know' and more of a 'nosy Nellie.' Plus, digging into Moira Queen's marriage wasn't going to score her any 'Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Brownie with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting' points with her boyfriend's already antagonistic mother. So, Felicity pushed aside her instinct to snoop and, instead, distracted with, "Oliver was just telling me about your candy cane competitions."

Softening slightly and casting a small smile upon her brother, Thea rhetorically asked, "you remember those?"

Oliver returned the tentative, affectionate expression. "Of course, Speedy."

That was all it took - Thea's moment of vulnerability and suddenly obvious affection for her big brother - for Felicity to want to somehow make what was supposed to be a healing night for the Queen family at least a little brighter for her boyfriend and his baby sister. "So, where's Tommy? Why don't you guys make this a three horse…." Upon Thea turning a judgemental eye on her, Felicity quickly amended, "I mean… a three pony - a three show pony, a three show My Little Pony, Princess Sparkles! - race, huh?"

While Thea didn't glare in hostility, sneer with derision, or mock Felicity, she did glance at her like she was weird… which, really, kind of felt like a victory of sorts. Like progress. (Hey, Felicity would take it. Beggars couldn't be choosers, and she had absolutely no musical abilities whatsoever.) After a brief, observing pause, Thea answered, "Tommy's a little preoccupied at the moment. He keeps calling to check on his credit card balances, worried that he's been hacked again, but then he gets nervous that the hacker will realize that he's worried, so he ends up making a donation to a women's rights charity anyway. Lather, rinse, repeat. It's a vicious cycle - amusing to watch but also sad. Who would've thought that it'd ultimately be altruism that would finally break the great Tommy Merlyn?"

For a moment, when Oliver let go of her hand, Felicity feared that he was upset with her, reprimanding her for not yet coming clean to Tommy about her role in his charitable donations and finally putting his best friend's mind at ease once more. But then Oliver wrapped that hand - and arm - around her waist, pulling her into his side even further, and Felicity was reassured once more. Yes, she eventually needed to have a talk with Tommy, but, for now, Oliver was perfectly alright with his childhood friend's paranoia… which would hopefully translate into a lesson learned by the time everything was said and done.

"Speaking of altruism," Oliver segued, bringing Felicity out her thoughts and both her attention and Thea's back towards him. "There's a project I've been meaning to speak with you about, Speedy. I'd like your help with something. We can probably even set it up as an internship for course credits come fall."

"I'm all for helping you with something, Ollie, because we all know you need my help desperately and on so many levels, but 'an internship for course credits come fall' implies that you think I'm going to be a college student in September, and you couldn't be more wrong about that."

Considering the fact that Thea wasn't dismissing Felicity's relationship with Oliver for once, Felicity decided that she, too, would give the younger woman the benefit of the doubt. "Oh, do you plan on taking a gap year to travel?"

"If by gap year you mean for the rest of my life, then, yeah, sure, I guess," Thea responded flippantly.

Okay, Felicity attempting to give Thea the benefit of the doubt? Yeah, that was over. Aghast, she exclaimed, "but you have to go to college; you need a degree!"

"Ollie doesn't have a degree," Thea argued. "In fact, he went to and dropped out of four colleges, and the only thing he earned during that time was a reputation. Now, he's a vice president of QC and has full access to his trust fund. If he can do that much without a degree, trust me, I'll be fine."

"But… but," Felicity sputtered, trying to align all of her objections and select the most important one. "But those experiences aren't connected! Just because your brother got a D in tenth grade algebra, that doesn't mean you should skate through life without knowing that every non-constant single-variable polynomial with complex coefficients has at least one complex root!"

"Wow. You guys have been dating, what? Three weeks? And you've already gotten into the minutiae of sharing high school report cards?"

Felicity looked between Thea's amused face and Oliver's... Well, to be blunt, her boyfriend was flashing her some serious heart eyes. Despite the adorableness of his utterly smitten expression, Felicity couldn't help but feel frustration, because, "that's not my point!" Focusing in on the teenager, she told her, "you don't want to follow in your brother's footsteps, Thea. While, yes, he eventually made it to a healthy and successful place, it was the hardest of hard knock lives there for a while. Unless you plan on eating seaweed and chocolate covered beetles - hold the chocolate - for five years, too, then you might want to reconsider attending college."

Smirking, Thea told her brother, "she's very dramatic, Ollie."

"Hello!," Felicity yelled, waving one of her hands in front of Thea's face and the other before her boyfriend's. "She's right here, and she's making some very valid points."

Except, apparently, Oliver didn't think they were that valid, because the next thing he said was, "so, you're not going to college?"

"Not even if mom threatens to deny me access to my trust fund and cut me off financially."

"Fine," Oliver stated.

"Uh, not fine," Felicity argued, looking over at him like he had lost his mind… or had grown a second, brainless head… of the 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' variety, not of the other variety… which, in Oliver's case, really put a whole new spin on the idea of a 'two headed monster.' And, banana shenanigans!, she should've asked for a lobotomy for Hanukkah.

"If you're not going to college, then, instead of a project that I want your help on, it can just be your solo project that I help you with… when needed. I'll listen to your ideas, and I'll offer you advice, but you will do all the work on your own."

"I really don't see how you have any say in this, Ollie, but I'll admit that I'm curious about what you have in mind, so I'll bite. What is it exactly that you want me to do," Thea inquired.

And, yeah, for the first time since she met her boyfriend's sister, Felicity was actually in agreement with the younger woman, because what could be important enough that Oliver would so easily accept his sister not wanting and refusing to go to college?

"If Dad were here and he could see how badly things have gotten in The Glades, partly because of selfish decisions he made, I think he'd regret shutting down the Queen Steel Factory. So, it's only right that, as his children, we try to help. QC still owns the building, and, while it'll never be a steel mill again, it can be a useful and much needed place of employment for the people of The Glades once more."

"And you want me to do this," Thea questioned, part in doubt and part in hope. "You really think that I can do this?"

"I don't think," Oliver assured his sister. "I know." At her still tentative expression, he added, "and, like I said, I'll help you, Speedy."

"Me, too," Felicity piped up, her earlier reservations already forgotten. While she kind of felt bad for her lack of faith in her boyfriend, Felicity silently promised to make it up to him later. Privately. "Anything computer or electrical engineering related, I'm your girl." Upon second thought... "I mean, not your girl… girl. Because I'm Oliver's girl… girl. But your girl." Turning towards Oliver, she asked, "she knows what I mean, right?"

"She's picking up what you're putting down, Megan."

Felicity gasped, and Oliver demanded, "how the hell did you figure that out?"

"Puh-lease, Ollie. I told you my life's motto."

While Felicity was still waiting for Miss Marple to explicate her solving of the Megan mystery, Oliver actually played along with his sister's game. "Uh… kicking ass and taking names?"

"Like I would dare risk my shoes on physical violence when snark will suffice." Sidling up to Felicity's free side and hip-checking her, Thea flashed a toothy, smug grin. "Panty lines don't lie… and neither does that ass. It's as distinctive as a fingerprint."

Oliver didn't deny it. Sure, Felicity herself was shocked speechless, but, a five year sabbatical or not, Oliver should have been conditioned to handle Thea and her sass. But all he did was chuckle at his baby sister. He chuckled, and then he bussed a kiss along Felicity's right temple. "I think she's got you there, hon." Considering it was his hand which dropped down to cup, squeeze, and then hold her rounded bottom as those words left his mouth, Felicity would actually argue that it was Oliver who had her there.

Felicity was still adjusting to her rear end serving as the real end to their secret (Oh, the whiplash!) when a wicked gleam entered Thea's eyes. "And what if I want to turn the old factory into a reality TV studio? After all, your foray into television went so well, big brother."

"Just as long as you're the star of the series, Thea, and not me, go wild."

As Thea ran off to find Tommy and tell him the news, Felicity had a feeling that Oliver's last words to his baby sister, 'go wild,' would come back to bite them all in their baked goods fattened tuchuses.

And, quite frankly, her derriere could not handle any distinguishing marks. Apparently, it was distinctive and memorable enough already.