85A/N: One more chapter left!
It should normally take thirty minutes to get to the airstrip but with traffic it takes her almost an hour. The moment Felicity leaves her apartment she's a bundle of nerves, which isn't good because she's already a bundle of nerves to begin with. However, the ungodly amount of traffic gives Felicity time to rehearse what she'll say when she sees Sara, and it isn't long before she arrives at her destination.
She's never been to a private airstrip before, but the area is empty and there's one lone hanger in the middle of nowhere. It's almost sunset and she's glad she got to Sara before nightfall, though running off with a drug lord's daughter is probably scarier than standing alone in an empty field. Or maybe not.
Felicity pulls up close to the hanger and sees a lone figure standing by it. Sara. Putting her car in park, Felicity jumps out and jogs over to Sara, her heart beating painfully and bursting with relief. But as she steps closer, she sees Sara's head hanging low and her lone handbag hanging limply off her shoulder.
"Sara?" She looks up at Felicity with sad, empty eyes and it's in that moment Felicity realizes she didn't run away to piss off her family, or rebel out of some misguided attempt to live life at its fullest. She did it because she wanted to, because Nyssa . . . meant something to her.
"Hi," Sara croaks. Clearing her throat, she clutches her bag a little tighter and looks down at the ground. For someone so jovial and unbothered by everything, seeing Sara like this is a jarring experience. She seems tired and in another world, as if she hasn't disappeared for almost two weeks and dropped out of school.
Stepping forward, Felicity reaches out to Sara but she stays completely still. Withdrawing her hand Felicity says softly, "I'm so glad you're safe." Giving her an empty smile, Sara doesn't say anything and shuffles her feet. Felicity feels if she says one wrong thing Sara might break and not want to come back. "Ready to go?"
Sara nods. They begin to walk towards her car, and Felicity's acutely aware of how Sara's steps are slow and measured. For once in her life Felicity doesn't know what to say, though it's probably better she doesn't speak until Sara's ready to do so.
They go to sit in the car and Felicity takes a moment to breathe before turning on her car. Felicity's been so focused on righting her wrongs and bringing Sara back that she hasn't had a moment to even think. She went from landing after a 20 hour flight, to hacking and nearly destroying Roy's life, to getting Sara's call all within a span of 72 hours. Glancing over at Sara, she watches her with trepidation and wishes she could go back in time and prevent any of this—Roy coming into Sara's life, having her heart broken, the Lance family fracturing—from happening.
"They're gonna kill me, aren't they?"
Sara looks so small right now and it suddenly hits Felicity how young she is. Her heart aches for Sara and she doesn't know how to make it better. She wants to tell Sara it's okay to make mistakes, to jump into things without thinking them, and that it doesn't make her family love her any less. "God no. They've been so worried about you."
It's silent for a few seconds. The air is still and it's completely quiet inside her car, save for Felicity's labored breathing. "Yeah. Okay."
Taking one last look at Sara, she turns her car on and drives away, all the while hoping by the time they arrive everything will be alright.
In the end Sara's reunion with her family is filled with tears of relief, a distant Laurel and one awkward Felicity. They're all gathered at the dinner table but it's filled with stilted conversations, Laurel downing her wine and glaring at anyone who so much takes a peek at her, Quentin looking relieved that his baby girl is back and Dinah cautiously watching everything unfold. A sense of dread is starting to overtake Felicity, and she picks at her food even though she's starving. The silence stretches even longer when Laurel loudly drops her fork on her plate and glares at Sara, who's been avoiding all eye contact. Laurel's jaw clenches and in that moment Felicity knows everything will be going to shit.
"So, are you going to apologize or are we going to pretend like you didn't scare the shit out of everyone and disrupt our lives because you were being selfish?"
Everyone's eyes widen in horror and no one dares to breathe. A flush is creeping up on Laurel's cheeks and her eyes are hard with anger and frustration. Dinah glances back and forth between her daughters and Quentin, while Sara uncharacteristically looks down at her food in shame.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
"You didn't mean to scare mom and dad? You didn't mean to drop out of college, a college you begged mom and dad to go to, after they've paid thousands of dollars in tuition?" Laurel's voice rises with each passing second, her breath hitching from hysteria that's about to be unleashed. "You didn't mean to—"
"Laurel, that's enough." Quentin points a finger at Laurel and keeps a steady eye on her, but it only spurs her on.
She scoffs. "No it's not, because Sara does everything for herself and you just let her get away with it!"
"Laurel!" Dinah admonishes.
This is going from bad to worse. There are unshed tears in Sara's eyes and this room is a powderkeg, waiting to explode any second now. Felicity spots Quentin's face turning redder by the second, and Dinah's watching the scene unfold with quiet fury. Anxiety and desperation grips her, and all she wants to do is bolt right out of there before it spirals out of control.
But Laurel's on a roll now and nothing's going to stop her. Leaning forward, she glares so hard at Sara that Felicity's certain she's burned a hole through her. "You're fucking selfish and it's time for you and everyone to know that."
"Stop it!" Felicity hisses. This is beyond what she could've imagined. She's seen Laurel angry before, but this? It's mean, hurtful, ugly and so unlike Laurel. And in that moment, Felicity realizes this is the alcohol talking and Laurel—the one who cares for her sister, who's always excited to try the latest Starbucks drink, who's been there for Felicity when she can't be there for herself—isn't here right now.
Pushing her chair back Laurel storms out of the dining room without another thought. Sara's openly crying now and Dinah's also on the verge of tears, while Felicity's frozen and doesn't know what to do right now. Quentin turns around, his hands curled into tight fists as his eyes narrow in anger. "Get back here young lady!" But it's too late—they hear the front door open and slam shut.
It's all Felicity needs to wake her out of her stupor.
She pushes back against her chair and stands up, her body thrumming with adrenaline and anger—at herself, at Laurel, at how everything's spiraled so out of control. Like a woman possessed, Felicity walks right out of dinner and steps outside, hoping Laurel didn't run off anywhere. Slamming the door shut (she plans to apologize later), Felicity sees Laurel standing at the end of the driveway with her phone in her hands and pacing back and forth.
Stalking over to her, Felicity crosses her arms and asks, "Laurel, what was that about?
She turns to her and rolls her eyes. "I know you like to pretend this is your family but it isn't, so go home and stay out of it."
Oh, so that's how she wants to play it. Of course Laurel wants to say the most hurtful thing she can in an effort to push her away. If Felicity hadn't worked through her abandonment issues and gone to therapy these past few years, maybe this would've gotten to her. Instead, it gives her the right amount of energy to fight back and now she's done playing nice.
"Fuck you." Although it's a chilly autumn evening, Felicity's skin is burning from anger and she steps forward, knowing full well she's in Laurel's space. "You're the one who called me about Sara, you're the one who relies on me for—"
"Whatever. This isn't worth my time." Scoffing and rolling her eyes once more, Laurel turns around and waves at a car turning the corner, presumably her Uber. She begins to walk toward the street, and Felicity realizes if she doesn't say what's on her mind now she'll never get the chance.
"Hey." Ignoring her, Laurel focuses on her approaching Uber and the very obvious dismissal sends Felicity in a tailspin. She chases after her, her bare feet pounding on the pavement in frustration. "Hey! I've been willing to look past a lot of things but you're way out of line." By now the car has approached the both of them and Laurel goes to open the door, but Felicity swears she can see her hands shaking. Good.
Felicity comes up in front of Laurel who's opened the passenger door, and Felicity stands right by the driver's side but she pays them no mind. She's fuming and desperate to make Laurel see how she's spiraled out of control, but in the back of her mind she knows it's going wrong in all the ways she was hoping to avoid. "I've watched you become this—this ugly version of yourself who's mean and almost misses work—"
"You don't know what I've gone through!" Laurel shuts the door and sizes her up, but all Felicity can see is a broken woman who's so deep in her own despair that she can't see out of it. Laurel's eyes, which used to be full of so much light, are haunted with regret and bad decisions, and the way she carries herself now is tortured and soulless. It hurts so much to see her this way.
Shaking her head Felicity tries to reason with her. "Yeah I do and it's not an excuse anymore!" Her voice trembling Felicity pleads, "This has gone beyond you being unemployed and dealing with heartbreak."
A gust of cold wind hits her and she shivers, though it might be due to what she has to say next. Felicity warily watches Laurel, whose chin is quivering, and she prays tonight will give Laurel the wakeup call she needs. A wakeup call Felicity's held back from saying far too long now.
"You're an alcoholic and you need help."
It's completely silent save for Felicity's ragged breathing and the gentle hum of the car's engine. She searches for something, anything, that'll let her know Laurel heard her but . . . Laurel's eyes gloss over as if she hasn't processed a single thing she said. She's so empty and so lost. Swallowing thickly, Felicity watches Laurel get into the car and drive off to God knows where, and in that moment she feels like such a failure. She's done absolutely nothing to help Laurel and this might have been the one and only chance she had to make things right. But she blew it.
"Felicity?"
She turns around to find Sara hugging herself and she cautiously steps forward, her eyes wide with fear. Felicity's throat closes up and she can't muster the energy to say anything. There's nothing to say. Everything is broken and she can't fix it. And that's all she ever really wants, to fix things. To fix her broken home. To fix her broken heart. To fix her relationships. To fix people even when they don't want her help.
"I fucked up so bad, didn't I?"
"C'mere." Enveloping Sara in a hug, Felicity holds onto her as if she's a liferaft in a vast ocean of uncertainty. And Felicity hopes she reaches land soon enough because she can't take this any longer.
They've been walking around the neighborhood for the past thirty minutes, taking random turns and strolling past immaculate lawns. When she was a kid all Felicity wanted was a large house with a large yard, not a tiny, two bedroom apartment with mean landlords. But tonight that dream doesn't give her the escape she's looking for. Instead, the very thought of living in these homes and having a certain kind of family feels oppressive. There's so much room to walk but none to run.
Felicity's starting to understand Sara's restlessness, now. This life constricts the free-spirited Sara, and it was only a matter of time before Sara couldn't take it anymore. It doesn't excuse her actions but Felicity knows Sara feels extremely guilty, and it takes strength to recognize when you're wrong.
The Sara in front of her now is quiet and measured, and Felicity wonders what exactly caused her to come home. It must have been hard. "Are you okay?"
Shrugging, Sara shoves her hands inside her pockets. "I actually really loved Nyssa."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
This is a first. At least her suspicions were right; still, somehow knowing Sara loved Nyssa makes this situation a thousand times more complicated, and she's struck by how different Sara seems. She's young but also old enough for her heart to shatter in a million different ways, and understand some things aren't meant to be.
"You know, I wasn't planning on coming home this early." They continue to walk in silence while Felicity patiently waits. "But two days ago, we were in Seychelles and Nyssa told me we were going for a drive. We ended up in this private airspace, and she got out of the car and . . . I saw her talking to Oliver Queen."
Felicity stops in her tracks. "What?"
"Yeah," Sara continues as if she hasn't dropped the biggest bombshell known to man, "he . . . convinced her to bring me back. I don't know what he told her, but Nyssa agreed and I had no choice but to go."
Her vision swims and for a moment Felicity can't breathe. She wants to sit down in the middle of the sidewalk, cry, or shake Sara senseless until she can get the real truth out of her. There's no possible way Oliver could've brought Sara back—Felicity's a renowned hacker and even she was having some trouble finding Sara. Her mind jumps from one impossibility to another, but as the seconds pass she realizes for someone with money and connections, finding the daughter of a drug lord might not be that difficult.
Upon seeing Felicity is no longer walking next to her, Sara stops and turns around. "Shit, I wasn't supposed to say anything. He promised me not to."
And he doesn't want anyone to know what he did? Great. Groaning internally, Felicity's still having a hard time processing Sara's big secret and how Oliver Queen came into the picture. She can't imagine why he would even bother with bringing Sara back. He owes Sara and the Lance family nothing—hell, he barely even knows Laurel let alone Sara. Besides, how did he even have the time to search for Sara and bring her back? And again, just why would he do this?
"It's okay, I won't tell anyone." Taking a deep breath, Felicity shoves her hands in her coat pocket and tries to pretend this isn't affecting her as much. Oliver is a lot more complicated than she anticipated, but perhaps he's always been this guy. In between all the judging, moping and working, Felicity never really took the time to see that Oliver isn't the man she thought him to be.
Hoping to change the subject Felicity adds, "And I'm sorry Nyssa did that." She really is.
Sara shrugs. "Yeah, well. It's what I get for running off with someone like her, right?"
"No one deserves to be treated like that." Especially not Oliver.
It hits her then, when she's curled up in her bed and waiting for the sun to rise: Oliver only brought Sara back after Felicity told him. He did it because it was the right thing to do and he didn't even hesitate.
Oliver Queen is complicated because Felicity's made him to be. He's just a man who's kind, selfless and loves his sister. He's someone with a past and who's trying to grow up in front of millions of people, and in front of her own judgmental stares. He's made mistakes like every other person on this planet and he manages to roll out of bed every morning without letting them weigh him down. He's trying his best.
As she burrows deeper inside her blanket, Felicity knows she's indebted to Oliver forever. And not just for bringing Sara back, but for showing her how wrong she was about everything. For opening her eyes and proving to her that people can change, that people aren't what they seem. And for that she's forever grateful.
She's feeling pretty sluggish today as last night was a whirlwind of everything. Felicity didn't see Laurel this morning, let alone check to see if she came back, but there's no doubt they need their space right now. Of course, there's a part of her wanting to make sure Laurel's okay but there's only so much she can do. Chasing after Laurel will only push her away, and Felicity needs to think about her next steps very carefully.
Currently it's lunch time now, and while Felicity normally goes to the nearest greasy food joint (i.e. Big Belly Burger), she's in the mood for something a little healthier. Walking into Verdant, Felicity goes to stand in line and waits to place her order. Even though it's a quarter till 12 there's already a big line—it's a trend she's noticed only happens after the weekend. By the time Friday rolls around, there's hardly a line to get salads and this restaurant is a ghost town.
Eyeing the menu, Felicity doesn't notice a tall figure come up behind her. "Fancy seeing you here."
Oliver. At the sound of his voice Felicity's heart skips a beat, and when she turns around it takes every ounce of willpower not to openly gape at him. He's smiling at her, and his eyes are soft and searching under the fluorescent lighting. His cheeks are flushed from walking in the cold air, but he's not wearing a coat over his suit—a suit that simultaneously leaves a lot and little to the imagination.
But all the ogling feels strange when she's reminded of Oliver's very selfless deed, and how he's been nothing but kind to her despite her own horrible treatment towards him. Now all she sees is a man who will help another in need, all while silently shouldering everyone's judgments as he navigates the world. A man who took Felicity's insults and accusations in stride, and hasn't let that change how he treats her.
"Hi!" Clearing her throat, Felicity tries to act normal in front of the man who's turned her world upside down. "How are you?"
He smiles shyly. "Good, been busy. Although I feel like I'm on trial whenever I attend meetings with the Board. And there have been a lot," he sighs.
She can't imagine sitting with a group of high powered individuals for hours on end and getting grilled to death. As of late, Oliver's also had a tough time in the public space—he had an interview on CNBC and Twitter decided to have a field day. Felicity watched the interview and felt he didn't say anything inflammatory but his words were clearly taken out of context. Over the course of the next hour, Felicity went down a rabbit hole and tried to find other interviews and comments that were misrepresented, which turned out to be a lot. Even she's fallen victim to believing everyone's analyses instead of forming her own opinions about Oliver's comments, something she vows not to continue doing.
Upon watching his mood go sour Felicity hopes to lighten the atmosphere. "You would think being put on a Twitter trial every other day would help you prepare for your endless board meetings."
It does the trick—he laughs and shakes his head. "Tell me about it." Smiling, they both step forward as the line gets smaller, and a moment of silence passes them. She's tempted to say something else but Oliver beats her to it. "How was . . . the rest of your Hong Kong trip?"
She balks and doesn't know what to say to the man who brought Sara back in one piece. There's a part of her wondering if she should tell Oliver that she knows what he did, but he specifically asked Sara to not tell anyone and Felicity's not sure if she's ready to have that conversation while she's getting her lunch. In the end she pretends to not know anything, which is easier said than done.
"All things considered not bad. I just need to put my findings together and hand it over to the team in Hong Kong." Sighing, Felicity toys with the ring on her finger. "And then off to the next project."
An odd look passes over Oliver's face and he seems to struggle with what to say next. She hopes he doesn't plan on telling her that sometimes you need to work hard to play hard because, well, she's been working hard and hasn't played much. As of late Felicity's pretty worn out from the myriad of projects she's been given. She doesn't want Oliver to think she doesn't appreciate working at QC—in fact, QC has given her more opportunities than she could've imagined. But she needs a break.
Stepping forward once more, Felicity watches Oliver's mouth open again and waits for him to say what's on his mind. "Um, you're not supposed to know this yet—you definitely didn't hear it from me—but I heard from the grapevine that you're being considered for a director position."
Felicity stares at Oliver in shock and tries to grapple with his bombshell. "What?"
"What can I get for you?"
Turning back around, Felicity sees an employee patiently waiting for her but she can't think right now. She glances at Oliver once again but can't ask him a million questions when there's a line behind her. Inhaling deeply, she rattles off what she wants though she can't focus. In between adding a hundred different toppings and trying not to trip over her own two feet, she's hyper aware of Oliver behind her and wants to know if he really meant what he said. If she really is going to get promoted, when will this happen? Surely it can't happen till March or April when QC hands out bonuses. And more importantly, Felicity's only been a manager for a couple of years and hasn't even been senior manager. How can she get promoted to director when there are plenty of others who deserve the title?
By the time Felicity gets to the register her mind is a thousand miles away and she forgets she needs to pay. Shaking her head, Felicity goes to take out her credit card from her phone case when Oliver suddenly comes up from behind and says, "I got it for both of us." Looking at the employee, Oliver gestures to their salad bowls. "Can you . . ."
The employee nods and goes to add their totals together. A flash of embarrassment hits Felicity and she struggles to convey that Oliver really doesn't need to pay for her lunch. "Oh, I—I can't let you do that. It's not—I'm totally fine with—"
"I'm not doing anything, QC is." Winking (God, even the way he winks is so cute), he whips out his company card and pays without another thought. She feels weird watching him pay for her lunch, especially since with all the extra additions it cost almost fifteen dollars. She already owes him so much and now there's something else to add onto her list.
Once he—well, QC—pays for their lunch, they walk outside in a companionable silence. The street is busy with passerbys trying to get their own lunch fix, but they continue to walk back towards the office at a leisurely pace. The normalcy of their interaction and walking side by side as if they're good friends surprises her, and she craves more moments like these between them. There's something safe and comforting being next to Oliver.
"Thank you for lunch. You really didn't have to."
"It's the least I could do."
"Hopefully Accounting doesn't mind that you spent nearly thirty dollars on salads."
He laughs and shakes his head. "I can't believe how much they cost. It's just leaves."
She finds herself smiling at their easy conversation. "Well, there's an upcharge for the organic items, recyclable items, the pretentiousness of their whole business model . . ."
They reach the end of the sidewalk and wait for the crosswalk signal to let them go. Oliver toys with his large salad bowl and grins. Under the grey, October skies his eyes appear bluer than ever and she finds herself hypnotized by them. "I probably shouldn't complain when it's the only healthy food option in a four block radius."
Nodding, Felicity watches a car speed through the intersection and, seeing no other cars are coming, walks before the crosswalk signal lights up. Oliver hesitates for a moment before following her, though she should probably be careful and not get QC's future CEO murdered for jaywalking. He easily catches up to her and says, "Eating their salads for lunch are the only healthy things I eat throughout the entire week, so I concur."
"I wouldn't know."
She can't believe herself—she's blushing over the most basic comment anyone can give her, but somehow knowing Oliver can't tell she gorges on Big Belly gets her hopes up in ways that haven't in a long time. Felicity clears her throat in an effort to not say something embarrassing and tries to change the subject.
"So about that thing you heard . . ."
They're fast approaching QC's building and she desperately wants to know if Oliver was joking or misheard the rumor. She's not known for her patience and can't handle a mystery, especially one concerning her livelihood. This may be her only chance to get this out of Oliver and Felicity needs to know.
"Right, yeah, just don't be surprised when you get promoted in March as a director."
"But I don't even—how?"
They go through the revolving door and approach the elevators, swiping in their badges to let them through. Her mind is running a mile a minute and she finds herself at a loss for words. The news that this is truly happening should make her excited, but Felicity's so shocked that she can't process anything. She doesn't feel she deserves it when she hasn't even hit thirty yet, but in the back of her mind she knows all her hard work is starting to pay off.
"People are taking notice. You've done great work for QC, Felicity." He presses the elevator button and selects the floor he needs to go on, while Felicity does the same. The waiting area is starting to get a little crowded and she spots a few people watching Oliver in hopes he'll acknowledge their presence. But as she noticed back in Hong Kong, Oliver's entirely focused on her and isn't the least bit distracted by all the staring.
As they wait for their respective elevators, he takes a small step towards her and leans forward, as if he plans on whispering a secret to her. Her mind freezes up and damn, staring at Oliver this close is making her body go haywire. She's reminded of the dance they shared all those months ago—her skin tingling at his touch, the soft look in his eyes—and wonders if her body knew then what her heart didn't.
"You're one of our biggest assets and the work you've done for us is irreplaceable. The least we can do is promote you."
Warmth blossoms in the pit of her stomach and her breath hitches as she tries not to let the importance of this moment go to waste. She's reminded of when she met Oliver in the club all those months ago and felt embarrassed for discussing her work in front of him. But now, he's thanking her and letting her know she's a valued member of this company. It means the world to her.
"Thanks, Oliver."
"Sure." Smiling gently, Oliver turns to see that his elevator has arrived and he steps inside. He nods and adds, "I'll see you around."
By the time Felicity comes back to her office and settles in front of her computer with her free lunch, she realizes Oliver told her about the future promotion only after she briefly expressed how tired she is from work. He correctly assumed she was being overworked without Felicity uttering a single word, and tried to make her feel better by spilling details about her eventual promotion.
Oliver Queen really is something else, isn't he?
The next couple of days pass by with no fanfare, though Felicity has yet to be in the same room as Laurel. By the time Felicity comes back from work Laurel's either sleeping or away, and when she leaves in the morning she doesn't bother to check if Laurel's back home. She can see from her social media that Laurel's hanging out with other friends and staying busy, but it's all a ruse.
Felicity knows she can't fix Laurel, but she's willing to jump off the highest mountain if it means she can be there for her. And yet, that all depends on Laurel and whether she even wants Felicity by her side. She regrets blowing up on Laurel at dinner as it only pushed her away, but Felicity's struggling to figure out how to deal with this situation. It's uncharted territory for her but the only thing Felicity can do is be the rock Laurel needs, even if she doesn't realize it.
It's evening time now and Felicity is lying on her bed, trying not to let her mind tear itself apart. After a few minutes of listening to the hum of the heater in her room and muffled noises from the street below, she's unprepared to hear a gentle knock on her door and interrupt her mindfulness session.
"Felicity?"
She sits up immediately and watches the door in apprehension. Her throat suddenly feels dry and for some inexplicable reason Felicity smoothes out her skirt. It's only Laurel—how bad can it be? "Yeah?"
The door slowly opens and Laurel comes into view, nervousness etched all over her face. A lump forms in Felicity's throat and she has to physically prevent herself from running into her arms. Leaning against the door frame, Laurel clears her throat and toys with the edges of her sleeves, avoiding any and all eye contact. "Can you—Are you busy right now?"
This seems important and Felicity's heart automatically wants to ease Laurel's worries. "What do you need?"
Taking a deep breath, Laurel finally looks up at her and for the first time in months, Felicity notices something different about her. Her eyes aren't distant and glassy, and a second later Felicity's able to recognize what's changed: Laurel looks hopeful.
"Do you think you can drop me off somewhere? Only if—if you can. If you have the time."
It seems Laurel's hopefulness is contagious, because there's something about Laurel's question that causes Felicity to stand up from her bed as if nothing's happened between them. A couple of seconds pass when she realizes, no matter how small the request is, that Laurel's asking Felicity for help—help she hasn't asked for in a long time. And that's all she needs to grab her purse and coat off her chair, ready to go wherever Laurel needs to.
"Where to?"
The ride to Laurel's mystery destination is silent with Laurel only speaking to give Felicity directions. The location is pretty far from their apartment, and after twenty minutes Felicity realizes they're edging on The Glades. She feels a little apprehensive but knows Laurel wouldn't suggest coming somewhere that wasn't safe. The sun is about to set and she slows down, looking around to see where she should drop Laurel off.
"Where do I stop?"
Laurel puts her phone in her purse and points to a building on the left. "I think at this . . . church."
Confused, Felicity sees an open spot and manages to parallel park in one try (a personal best). Shutting off her car, Felicity looks at the surrounding area and sees a few people entering the church, all greeting a lone person by the entrance. She sees people of various backgrounds and wonders why they're all congregating when there appears to be no church service today. But as the silence drags on and Felicity continues to watch people enter the church, she's hit with the sudden realization this is an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
"Laurel I . . ."
Looking over at her, Felicity's eyes well up with tears—from happiness, relief or sadness, she doesn't know. But what she does know is that Laurel's taking the first step towards making a lasting change. They may not be blood related but for all intents and purposes they're family, and no matter what happens Felicity will always be there for her.
"I'm sorry, Felicity. You were right—I have a . . . problem." Exhaling harshly, Laurel glances off at the church before focusing on Felicity. It seems a weight's been lifted off her shoulders but she understands the seriousness of what's transpired the last few months. "And I can't blame it on anything or anyone but myself."
It takes an immense amount of strength to admit that and to be vulnerable enough to say it out loud. She's so proud of Laurel for acknowledging she wants to get better. It's going to be a long and arduous road ahead and she doesn't doubt things will be tough before they get better. There may be days when Laurel won't want Felicity by her side, and there will be times when Felicity feels like things are going bad again. But they'll go through this together and it's all that matters.
Facing Laurel, she grabs a hold of her lithe hand and gives a tight squeeze. Felicity wants to say and do so much for Laurel right now, but she gives her comfort the only way she knows how.
"I'll be waiting here until you're finished, okay?" And I'll be waiting here for as long as you need me to.
