Oliver and Felicity's First Christmas (Fan Fiction Part 1)

                       “Felicity, what’s all this?”

“Oliver, I thought we should get some new Christmas decorations for the apartment, but I have my side equally represented,” she said holding  up the Menorah, “and, I think William might enjoy the dreidel game.”   Oliver looked at her with such love that it he always found it hard to deny her anything.

“Don’t you mean Holiday, “he said smiling, but added, “I don’t know, Felicity with everything hanging over our heads, and the team…”

“Driven away,” finished Diggle who had just walked in to the lair.  Oliver glared at him and pursed  his lips together in annoyance  and gave that sigh  he always  does. 

“I had thought so too, Oliver, until I talked to Mom and she said that William always looked forward to Christmas, which we should really call it since William  probably  doesn’t know anything at all about Chanukah, and…”

“Felicity,” said  Oliver, in the gentle voice he only used  for her.

“Right,” but before she could go on Diggle said, “Donna’s giving you advice on William?”

“I know,”  said  Felicity, “she  always wanted grandchildren, who knew this would be my mother?”  When Felicity saw Oliver fold his arms she know that it was time she go directly to the point, “So  I couldn’t believe my  mother would  know anything  about what William  wanted, so I went to Raisa and  she  said, it was true.  William and my mom had some type of weird bond, my  words, not Raisa’s, and William did enjoy Christmas and was afraid we wouldn’t  have it.”

“Felicity, I love that you’re so sensitive to William’s needs, but now isn’t the time.  I may go to jail, and now the team is divided.  How can I explain to William why they aren’t around?”

“You’ ll have to find  something to tell them even if we don’t celebrate the holiday.  He will think it strange they aren’t around.”

Diggle jumped in, “She’s right, Oliver.  William’s just a kid whose last six months have been hell for him.  He’s had more adjustments to make in the last six months than most kids in a lifetime.  Give him his Christmas.”

Oliver agreed, and Felicity jumped up and gave him a big kiss, took her decorations and left for the apartment.  Oliver smiled as he watched her leave, but then he began to brood.  Diggle knew the mood because  he had  seen it so many times before.  It had been hard  for Oliver to  accept a team.  It had been enough for him to have Felicity and Diggle, but then with Felicity’s urging he gradually accepted the team, and then Evelyn as Artemis, betrayed him to Adrian Chase.  It hit him harder than anyone knew, including Felicity.  He had let Evelyn in and believed in her, trusted in her, and she betrayed that trust. 

Oliver had little he could trust before Diggle and Felicity came into his life.  His father had worked with Malcolm Merlin to destroy the Glades, his mother had lied to him repeatedly, and she had even prevented him from knowing his son.  He had forgiven them and moved on from wounds his heart had received from them, but the scar remained.  Trust had become necessary and if he couldn’t trust the team, how could he work with them in the field?   He trusted Felicity to do what was right, so he would give William a Christmas, but now he felt that he would be forced to lie to William again about why the team members would not be there.

Felicity came into the apartment bursting with enthusiasm and followed by Thea.  “Who wants to go with Thea and I to get a Christmas tree? “ 

William looked happy, but said, “I know there’s an artificial one here with lights on it, I thought you’d want that.” 

“Is that one you want, because we can totally do that, but I heard from my sources that you always had a live tree, and I thought you might to  keep that tradition.”

“We did, and   I like live ones, but, well, maybe I need to begin new traditions with my new family.” Felicity quietly said, “oh” and bit her lip, and Thea said, “It’s whatever you want, William.”

Just then Oliver came through the door with a huge, fresh Christmas tree. William looked surprised to see Oliver and John holding on to a tree that had to be nearly 7 feet tall.  Felicity had her arm behind her head ,and motioning with her had, which Oliver knew meant not to say  anything,  so he looked  a little confused.  Thea stepped in and said, “Ollie, William is not sure he wants a live tree, he thinks maybe he wants to start new traditions with his family.”

“Is that right, William? If that’s what you want, buddy, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“No, I think I like this tree, it’s huge, and bigger than anything I ‘ve ever had before.”  So everyone went straight to work decorating the tree.  Lance arrived shortly after everything was done. 

Donna answered the door, and the two of them stared at each other.  William spoke first,  “Mr. Lance, this is my new grandmother, Donna, Donna this is Mr. Lance.”  We’ve met was all that could come of their mouths. 

Felicity could tell Lance wanted to talk to Oliver in private so she asked William if he’d like to learn about the dreidle, and she and her mother began to teach him about the how the oil never went out of the lamps for eight days.  William listened initently as they shared their religious custom, and he seemed disappointed that he had missed the lighting of the menorah this year, but Felicity promised next year they would light it.  Donna, Felicity, Thea, and William played the dreidle.  Oliver could hear them laughing, and  he smiled.  He had a family, peace, and happiness.

Later, Felicity, curled in Oliver’s arms on the sofa in the warmth of the fire and with the twinkling of the Christmas  lights, sighed, and said, “This was such a  good night, even with my mother here.”  Oliver chuckled and  said, “I’m so happy you did this for William.  He seemed so happy tonight, and he tells me he  won the game several times.”   Olivier, what did Lance want ?  He had some information on Vincent Sobel, but can we till in the morning to talk about this?  I just want to enjoy what we had here tonight.” Felicity rested her head on Oliver and they kissed. 

Across town, however, Cayden  James  had turned off the device he had on.  “Good job Ms Lance, in getting that bug into their apartment.  However did you do it?”

“Raisa had known Laurel as long as she  had known Oliver, it didn’t take much to get her to believe that I was the same person. Oliver and Felicity make me sick.”

“Are you sure it’s Oliver and Felicity  or just Felicity? “  Laurel glared back at him.  Oliver died on your earth and he’s going to die on this one; I would remember that if I were you.”