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#a team of kids that crawled out of the lazarus pits could be a great vigilante team or a HORRIBLE IDEA
knghtlock · 10 months
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[ TOWER COMM LOG: @lazared ] > taru do you think if we ask really nicely and shut the fuck up during the car ride that dad'll let us get taco bell
[ SKULCRSH: ] jace with our powers combined [ SKULCRSH: ] ( & the Sad Wet Eyes ) [ SKULCRSH: ] i think we could scam big z out of not one , but two baja blasts and some crunchwraps [ SKULCRSH: ] what angle are we going for ? disparaged miettes who haven't had taco bell in a Fortnight or silent treatment assholery [ SKULCRSH: ] also i think someone changed my callsign again :/
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redjaybathood · 3 years
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So, let's do more controversal ones: JayTalia, SladeDick, JayRoman
1) JayTalia
Emphatic yes. I don't care what fandom says about the ending of Lost Days. You can ignore it, you know! Pick and choose your canon.
I tend to waver between ignoring it and not. Ignoring because frankly, it's pushing Talia into "yes Jason take revenge on Bruce!!!" mindset kinda out of nowhere. Of it supposed to be in the aftermath of Death and the Maidens, you can honestly just have her hurting and seeking human connection while subconsciously not allowing herself be vulnerable. Voila, sex. It's not, like, the most romantic or healthy thing ever but that's how sex is sometimes.
And Jason is going through some stuff, too. It also doesn't have to be about Bruce.
All in all, Winnick is describing Jason as someone not interested in sex (sex with women in particular) which is more or less how I read him. Having this as his only sex scene is honestly important to me and how I headcanon his portrayal as asexual*.
People who go: she raped him! You can go and fuck off. Neither of them was of a great mental state, true, and it had been ill-advised, maybe. But he's over eighteen. And he has full mental faculties. Thanks to Talia, by the way.
There's not one moment where she manipulated him with her evil viles, okay? You guys can go ahead to headcanoning "Lazarus Pit made him do it".
*how does asexuality meshes with it? So: 1) it's a spectrum 2) sometimes ace ppl still enjoy sex to some degree 3) honestly if it's the first and only time they have sex ever over the course of their relationship, nothing wrong with that either
People who go: but she's his mom! Uhh not really? I mean, it's fine if it's your headcanon. And I love those joking posts that go "Jason is Talia's favourite kid". But. No, he isn't, actually. Even if she did spend a lot of time taking care of him while he had been offline, and helped him to get on his feet after.
I do think that it forged an unbreakable bond between them. I do think that Jason just has to be in awe of her. I do think that she has to be fond of him. I do think that she, Jason and Damian could be a really fun family unit to explore. My fav AU of them is where they leave the League and just fuck off to the middle of Bumfuck, Minnesota, to raise Damian like a normal kid, in safety, which they both lacked. And at first, they're like, fake marriage AU where it's a cover. But with time, it becomes reality.
For a more familial relationship, I prefer Jason staying with Talia and Damian in the League. Adopting Heretic name (because a) no test tube brothers for Damian to take this moniker and b) Jason becoming an assassin is hersey to what Batman taught him). Being Damian's bodyguard/teacher, or Talia SiC.
I also do love to think about an AU where Damian has to team-up with Jason to save Talia and it kills him to acknowledge a bond between his mother and Todd, and his own bond with Todd that goes beyond their father.
I also like to think about an AU one-shot where Talia is raising Damian in Metropolis, across them there's a new neighbor, a very cool woman she would like to become friends with, Nyssa. And Jason is, like, studying in college in Metropolis and sometimes he drops by, and if Talia had a difficult day at the office, she would rant to him while he's massaging her feet or something. Jason, in turn, would vent that college is not everything he thought it would be. They would drink white wine and eat pizza and watch sitcoms.
I am sorry. I just. I love them.
2) SladeDick
No. No shade on fans but it personally makes my skin crawl. Whereas I am pretty okay with SladeJay, for example.
Mostly it's because most of what I have seen of Sladick is with Renegade!Dick, and you gotta seriously fuck Dick in his brain in a very no-fun way. Which may be an interesting thing to explore, to some people. But Dick is one of those characters, for me, where I can't read whump with them. I had read whump with him and I haven't regretted anything so much. Maybe Tim whump.
whump and sladick is inherently connected in my mind and thus, I cannot stand it.
3) RomanJay
Now, you may thing those two are similar with previous two. But there's one aspect that makes me really interested.
Here, potentially, any whump can result in Jason killing the shit out of Roman, and that will be satisfying to read.
I am also glad that Jason gets to have a villain obsessed with him as everyone else. And I honestly respect those romanjay writers that I know. But if it's not a revenge porn (not like Roman leaking Jason's photos, that's traumatic; but Jason defeating Roman and spitting at his proverbial grave or something) I won't be interested.
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olicitysecretsanta · 5 years
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UNITED Exchange fic for @tangled23works
Hi @tangled23works
One of your requests was for Olicity and kids.  You inspired me to write my first Olicity kid fic.  Thank you for your challenge.  It turned out longer than I expected but I hope it’s all enjoyable.  There is a little bit of anxiety and worry, but most of it is pure fluff.
The story is set in a canon like environment but in my AU there are a few special features.  Elseworlds and Crisis never happened.  Curtis and Felicity sorted out their differences and became business partners.  Roy doesn’t suffer blood rage after being brought back to life using the Lazarus Pit. The Diggles have three children and I created this aspect of the story long before I watched Crisis.  Oliver knows how to run searches and is confident with other technical tasks using Felicity’s computers.
@icannotbelieveiamhere Liz
UNITED
Part 1 : Mia 3 months old
Felicity looked down at Mia in her arms. She didn’t know what time it was. All she knew was that Mia was having one of her many overnight breastfeeds. Mia was attached well and drinking her milk eagerly. It was a cool night and Oliver had wrapped a multi coloured wool blanket around her shoulders while she sat up in bed.
“Why can’t I do this?” Felicity sighed.
Oliver had a puzzled look on his face. He was sitting next to the bed ready to help Felicity when Mia needed a diaper change between sides. He had jumped out of bed as soon as Mia had cried and brought her straight to Felicity. Once the feed was over he would take Mia back to her cradle and settle her back to sleep. A few hours later the cycle would repeat all over again.
“I’m confused,” Oliver admitted. “You and Mia are doing great with breastfeeding. I think you ARE doing this.”
Felicity smiled.
“Mia and I have been really lucky these first few months. She learned how to breastfeed really quickly and I must have enough milk because the ARGUS nurses say Mia’s putting on sufficient weight…… I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed. I read horror stories of feeding and expressing taking over and hour each time and very little break between one feed and the next. I’m enjoying our breast feeding. I love listening to her little gurgles and how she calms down the moment she senses me.”
“So what am I missing?” Oliver enquired.
“I wake up when Mia does, but I can’t get out of bed. Sometimes I almost fall asleep when she’s attached to me. If I didn’t have you watching me, I don’t know what would happen. You’re a wonderful dad.
Oliver smiled but he still seemed concerned. Felicity attempted to explain how she was feeling.
“I don’t understand why I can’t move at night while you jump out of bed and attend to Mia immediately. Even during the day I sometimes run out of energy. I used to be able to cope with only a few hours sleep a night when I worked during the day and became Overwatch at night. Why can’t I do the same thing now?”
Oliver nodded his head, finally understanding what Felicity was worried about.
“It’s a different type of sleeping pattern,” Oliver started. “After we finished saving the city each night, you were able to go home and sleep for one long block of time, even if that was less than a normal nights sleep. On the weekend we could usually catch up on some sleep and occasionally you got some rest time between work and helping me through the night.”
Oliver paused and Felicity started to remember how that mayhem had felt. It was completely different to the last three months of Mia’s non stop feed, play, sleep cycles.
“Back then, you knew roughly when you could sleep and when you would wake, aside from emergencies like the city being under siege. Now, you’re on a completely different timetable. You don’t know when you will be woken up and when you can sleep. Mia sets the timetable and we fit in with it. She’s totally dependent on us. That’s scary. Your body doesn’t know how to sleep and wake up full of energy. Your might adjust to being woken up every few hours, but hopefully Mia will start sleeping longer and you’ll get better rest.”
Felicity thought about Oliver’s words for a moment. It made sense. After a long night as Overwatch, she had been able to sleep soundly until her alarm went off in the morning for work. Coffee in the morning had helped wake her up but she’d had to cut down on the coffee while she was breastfeeding, and now she didn’t get the early morning rush the coffee gave her. Things started to fall into place and she gazed down at Mia again and smiled. Mia was worth all the long nights and exhausting days. Mia had filled Felicity’s life with joy and she loved finally having Oliver with her nearly all the time. Oliver’s wisdom made everything seem clearer, but the more she thought about it, the more she realised the explanation didn’t explain why Oliver was so good at tending to Mia during the night.
“Wait, what about you? How can you just jump out of bed, ready to do everything?”
Oliver laughed.
“I love jumping into action for my girls.”
“Yes you do, but there’s got to be more to it.”
Oliver sighed. “It’s still hard for me to talk about what happened on Lian Yu, but I think what’s been happening is because of my survival mode and alertness which never left me. On the island I taught myself to survive on short sleeps. If there was someone with me, we’d take it in turns to sleep so there was always someone to watch for danger. I didn’t have time to wake up slowly. If there was a threat, I had to jump straight into action. After Mia was born, those instincts took over again. I rarely go into a deep sleep for very long, so as soon as I hear Mia I can’t help but rush to her.”
Mia finished the first breast and Oliver took her in his arms to burp and change her diaper.
“You said once that nothing good happened on that island, but I’m glad you were able to gain so many skills which have helped all of us. I’m guessing most mums don’t have someone as energetic and eager as you to get up every night.”
“This time with you and Mia feels like my reward for all my struggles. These last three months have given me the most joy I’ve had in years. I barely feel the pain. I know it’s hard for you, but your determination and persistence with everything you do is amazing. You’ve taken on motherhood in the amazing manner you always have and you’re still doing multiple jobs”
Felicity watched Oliver change Mia’s diaper and smiled as he sang and whispered to her. Oliver was right. She was still doing multiple jobs. During some of the day Oliver watched Mia while Felicity worked in the secret room of their Bloomfield cabin. She was glad they had a safe house built by ARGUS and other covert organisations. It had lots of additional features you wouldn’t normally find in a traditional cabin in the woods.
Felicity had installed her Archer security system and had sensors and cameras throughout the cabin. She kept her searches going on the Ninth Circle, alerting ARGUS of whatever she discovered. She also worked on her business, Smoak Holt Dynamics. She and Curtis communicated by video feed and email and shared information across the internet. Felicity had encrypted everything so it couldn’t be traced. She had been determined to keep working after Mia was born.
“I don’t want my brain turning into mush,” she had told Oliver.
So far, things had been going to plan, however she was torn between spending time in the secret room and looking after Mia. Oliver was happy to look after Mia between feeds and Diggle and his three children had helped out as well.
Diggle and his family lived in a cabin a few minutes walk from their cabin. The Diggle’s cabin had a much bigger secret room where Lyla ran operations for ARGUS there. Her life had been threatened as well and this was the only way for her to stay with her family.
The twins, Sara and JJ had great fun playing with Mia and singing to her. Connor, their adopted son, loved to hold Mia in his arms and tell her how he was going to protect her all through her life. Felicity was glad they weren’t completely alone in Bloomfield.
There were also two other babysitters they could call on. Roy and Thea had gone into hiding after getting married. Their cabin was closer to town and Roy worked as a car mechanic. Whenever Felicity went to town, she had to refer to Roy as Jason. Most of the town people knew everyone was in hiding but she still wanted to respect Roy’s wishes.
Thea loved being an auntie and Felicity wondered how long it would be before she and Roy started their own family.
Oliver handed Mia back to Felicity. They still worked well as a team. Oliver had learnt all of Mia’s routines and loved being with Mia. Occasionally he fell asleep on the sofa with Mia in his arms but she knew he would protect her with his life.
After the feed Felicity slipped back down under the covers and tried to go back to sleep. Soon she felt a comforting arm around her, keeping her warm and safe.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“Always,” Oliver said softly.
Part 2: Mia 6 months old
“Archer, where is Mia?” Felicity cried out.
Felicity frantically ran around the cabin in Bloomfield looking for her six month old. She’d been putting books back on the bookshelf which Mia had pulled out earlier. The last time Felicity saw Mia she had been lying on the rug playing with little animals, but after her book sorting job was finished Mia had disappeared.
“Mia is behind the sofa,” Archer replied.
Felicity was glad she had been so thorough when she installed sensors all over the cabin, the yard and the surrounding areas.
Felicity crawled across the floor and looked at the narrow gap between the wooden wall and the sofa. Mia was there on her tummy, playing with her little panda.
“How did you get in there?” Felicity said in amazement. Mia looked up at her and smiled.
Felicity couldn’t help but smile back, even though she was more frustrated than happy. She wondered how she was going to rescue Mia. Oliver was in town at the Farmers Market and wouldn’t be back for another hour.
Suddenly, Felicity felt movement on the cabin veranda.
Archer’s voice broke the silence.
“John Diggle, Sara Diggle, JJ Diggle and Connor Hawke have entered the cabin,” Archer announced.
“Hi John, I’m so glad you’re here,” Felicity said.
“Where’s Mia?” Sara asked.
“Mia did a disappearing act. Somehow she managed to get behind the sofa,” Felicity replied.
Connor went to the opposite end of the sofa and looked at Mia excitedly.
“I can get her out,” he said boldly.
“Let Felicity and I move the sofa before you get Mia,” John instructed.
John and Felicity slowly and carefully moved the sofa while Connor kept his eyes fixed on Mia in case she ended up under the sofa. Connor quickly moved behind the sofa and brought Mia out and gave her a big cuddle.
“Were you scared of the sofa monster, Mia?”
Mia just laughed at Connor and gave him the panda. Connor waved the little animal in the air.
“Panda Panda Panda,” Connor said as Mia watched her toy moving up and down. He gave the panda back to Mia and handed her to Felicity.
“I’ll always save you Mia, no matter what you do.” Connor exclaimed.
“Can we play with Mia now,” Sara and JJ said together. The twins were adorable when they came up with the same words.
“Of course,” said Felicity, “But make sure she stays on the rug with you. Felicity put Mia on the rug a few feet away from the sofa and watched her pull herself around on her tummy as she gathered together all her animals.
“Is that crawling?” Felicity wondered. “I didn’t think babies could crawl as young as this. Plus it looks more like she’s pulling herself along rather than crawling. I thought she’d be only rolling around at this time but she’s doing much more than that.”
“She’s got really strong muscles,” Connor said proudly.
“I’m not sure it’s just strong muscles. I think she might have strong joints as well. John, would you watch Mia while I do a bit of research.”
“My pleasure, Felicity,” Diggle replied.
Felicity looked at his eyes. They had been through so much together and he had protected her for years. Maybe that’s why all his children wanted to protect Mia. Compassion for others came naturally to John’s children.
Felicity picked up her phone and typed a few searches into her web browser. She had a hunch about Mia’s skills, but she wanted to check her facts before she shared her theory.
Oliver arrived home while Felicity was still researching and started unpacking the shopping.
Sara, JJ and Connor were crawling around the floor with Mia, testing how quickly she could move from place to place. Mia squealed with delight as she moved between the children. She loved having friends.
“Uncle Oliver,” JJ said with excitement, “Mia’s a ninja! She disappeared in front of Auntie Felicity.”
Oliver looked at Felicity with a puzzled expression on his face.
“I was sorting out the bookshelf. Mia was on the rug one moment and behind the sofa the next. I thought she was just rolling a bit but she’s actually crawling and moving quite swiftly. She’s got really strong joints and I think she’s got extra mobility in them. I’ve watched her over the past few months and I can see her flexing her fingers a long way.”
“Like being double jointed?” Diggle suggested.
“Yes and no,” Oliver said. He looked at Felicity realising, what she’d been researching. “I’ll let you explain the rest.”
“It’s extremely rare for someone to have extra joints. I think Mia has joint hypermobility syndrome. It means she has joints that easily move beyond the normal range. I’m guessing she also has very flexible tendons and ligaments which means she has more control and mobility over her bones, muscles and joints. I think she inherited it from Oliver.”
Oliver smiled.
“I’ve always been like that, but I never learnt to use the ability until I was on the island. My training involved using my extra mobility to dislocate joints when needed.”
“Yes, you were always very good at that,” Diggle said.
“As long as you don’t teach Mia to do that, I don’t have a problem with her hypermobility. Aside from the fact that she’s going to be even more difficult to keep track of.”
“Does it hurt?” Connor asked.
Felicity wasn’t sure when Connor had started following their conversation. His connection to Mia seemed to be increasing each time he saw her.
“Some people get sore joints and they take medicine for the pain, other people have no symptoms and don’t need any extra help,” Felicity replied.
“I’ll start figuring out which training routines will work best for her,” Oliver said.
“Wait, she’s only 6 months old. Why would you start thinking about training her now?”
Felicity hoped that Mia would never have to use training skills to defend herself and would be spared from all the dangers they had faced.
“She loves activity. I’ve seen that even when she’s in her cot in the mornings, before I pick her up. I want her to be able to focus that energy. It will help her release frustration. Plus, me training Mia will give you extra time for Smoak Holt Dynamics, rest or whatever you feel you need.”
“Okay, I see what you mean,” Felicity sighed.
Oliver looked at JJ.
“JJ, would you like to wash the vegetables with me before I prepare dinner.”
“Yes please,” J.J replied. He loved getting his hands wet.
“I’ll put Mia down for a nap. She must be tired after all that crawling,” Felicity said.
Diggle smiled.
“Mia’s good for both of you,” he said.
“Definitely,” Felicity said. She picked up Mia and gave her a big hug. She carried her to her bedroom and laughed as she watched Oliver getting all the Diggle children involved in dinner preparations. She wondered whether Mia would inherit her cooking skills or Oliver’s. She was hoping Mia would take after Oliver.
Part 3: Mia 9 months old
JUMBO
Felicity stared at the online catalogue. Yes, Jumbo was exactly what she needed. She stared at the large wooden playpen. It had plenty of space for Mia to play in and she could probably stand herself up using the wooden bars and playpen surf around the hexagonal shape. She hadn’t started climbing out of her cot yet. Felicity was hoping it would be months before they had to worry about that problem. Mia was growing stronger and more flexible each day. If they purchased Jumbo, Felicity could watch Mia play in the cabin and work at the same time, without worrying about which storage units Mia would crawl into or kitchen appliances she would discover.
Roy had been delighted when he’d seen Mia moving around. He started to teach her basic parkour moves which she practised inside and outside the cabin. There were plenty of uneven surfaces and obstacles she could maneuver around. Roy had wanted to nickname her Little Speedy but Thea and Oliver didn’t want any part of Thea’s moniker being used.
Roy and Thea were happy to look after Mia while Felicity worked on Smoak Holt Dynamic projects and Oliver caught up with sleep during the day. She wondered whether Roy and Thea were thinking about starting their own family. They loved playing with Mia and the Diggle children. Roy had also taken John and Lyla’s children on parkour expeditions in the woods around the cabin.
Mia still woke up each night and Oliver looked after her. Sometimes Felicity didn’t wake up at all during these times. Felicity had been expressing milk after each breast feed and had been putting it in bottles which Oliver used for the night feeds. The sleep deprivation had finally caught up with him and he usually slept for a few hours during the day.
They were probably going to need more babysitters.
Felicity looked longingly at Jumbo but decided not to buy it. The wooden bars made it look like a prison. She and Oliver had seen too many prisons in their lives and she didn’t want Oliver experiencing any flashbacks when he looked at Mia inside Jumbo.
Felicity went back to her searches on the Ninth Circle and wondered how they were going to keep Mia safe while she explored the world around her.
Part 4: Mia 15 months old
Felicity and Oliver were cuddled up on the sofa watching Mia show her latest trick to Roy and Thea. At 15 months she was walking confidently and she was showing off by walking between Roy and Thea who were standing at opposite ends of the room. Each of them would hug Mia and she would squeal with delight.
Felicity was tired. More tired than she’d ever been. The good news was that now she wasn’t confused. She knew why she was so tired. It had taken her months to figure it out, however.
Mia had stopped drinking breast milk just after her first birthday. Felicity had been hoping to breastfeed for much longer but there wasn’t much she could do once Mia made up her mind. At 13 months, Mia had started sleeping through the night. Felicity was delighted to get extra sleep but no matter how much sleep she got, she still felt exhausted half way through the day. She’d fallen asleep during a video call with Curtis. He’d been chatting about his husband Nick and the vacation they were planning and Felicity had dozed off when Curtis started rambling on about the troubles of finding a direct flight to Bermuda.
Curtis had eventually realised Felicity was asleep and sent a message to Oliver’s phone. Oliver had carried Mia into the secret room, hoping she wouldn’t remember going in there, and woken Felicity up. Felicity had wished Curtis well on his travels before letting Olive take her to the bedroom. Mia appeared confused but happy to have her mum back.
Later that day, one of the ARGUS doctors had visited for Mia’s regular check up. She asked Felicity whether her menstrual cycle had resumed, but Felicity couldn’t remember when she’d had her last period. The doctor suggested a pregnancy test. While they waited for the results, Felicity had called Oliver over so they could get the news together. She felt bad about the fact that she had kept her first pregnancy a secret from Oliver. This time she wanted Oliver to know as soon as she did.
They were all delighted with the positive result. Even Mia seemed to sense the excitement and started babbling.
“There’s another baby coming, Mia.” Oliver said.
“Ba Ba Ba Ba, “ Mia replied.
Felicity looked at Mia with awe, suddenly realising she was the first one to know her brother or sister was on the way.
“Mia knew,” Felicity said to Oliver.
Oliver looked at her strangely.
“Mia stopped breastfeeding when she turned one. Breastmilk changes taste when a woman gets pregnant again. Mia knew there was something different.”
“Amazing,” Oliver said. He looked over at Mia, “You’re going to be as smart as your mum.”
Oliver kissed Felicity on the cheek as they watched Roy start another activity with Mia. Roy was trying to get her to balance on one leg. Felicity wondered what Roy was up to.
Thea turned towards Oliver and Felicity.
“If she can balance on one leg, she can kick with the other,” Thea explained.
Felicity turned to Oliver. “Isn’t she too young?”
“I think she’s okay. We’ll make training like a game. If Mia gets tired or frustrated we’ll stop. Once she’s older, we’ll start explaining what we’re doing.”
“Shall we call Autie Nyssa?” Thea asked.
“No,” Felicity replied, “We have enough experts with us. If I was alone at the cabin with Mia I’d definitely reach out to Nyssa. Now that all of you are with us, I think we’ll manage with Mia’s training.”
Felicity couldn’t believe how well things had worked out. It was wonderful to have their family and friends so close. She wasn’t sure how she was going to cope when her next baby was born however.
“We’re definitely going to need more babysitters after the next baby arrives,” Felicity said.
“Have you talked to the ARGUS babysitters John and Lyla suggested?” Oliver asked.
“Not yet,” Felicity replied. “I know they’ve been security checked but I’d prefer family and friends looking after Mia and our new baby. I’m just not sure how we’re going to cope.”
“We’ll cope. It’ll be tricky with Thea’s baby due at the same time. I have a couple of ideas. Give me a chance to figure things out.”
“Okay,” Felicity sighed as she rubbed her belly.
“Precious cargo” Oliver whispered in her ear.
Felicity put both arms around Oliver and kissed him intensely.
Part 5: All together now
Felicity screamed as she pushed.
She lay with the multi coloured woollen blanket around her. The same blanket which had kept her warm during Mia’s birth.
“Not long now Felicity,” said one of the ARGUS midwives calmly.
“I don’t understand,” Felicity said, “My labour with Mia took ages. Why is this one coming so fast? Thank goodness you arrived so quickly.”
“Your body knows what to do now. Labour is usually quicker the second time around. Okay Felicity, it’s time to push again.”
Felicity lost complete track of time after that. Oliver held her hands and spoke softly to her. Felicity wondered if a boy or a girl was on their way. This time she and Oliver had decided not to find out the sex of the baby before the birth. They wanted this to be a surprise.
Felicity kept pushing when directed. She heard a scream and her new baby was placed on her tummy.
“Congratulations. You have a baby boy.”
“Lucas,” Oliver and Felicity said together.
“Mia’s going to love her baby brother.” Felicity said.
The next few minutes passed quickly as one midwife examined Lucas while the other midwife helped Felicity deliver the afterbirth.
Suddenly there was a rush of footsteps along the corridor.
Mia burst in the door with Lyla close behind.
“Baby. Baby. Baby,” Mia screamed with delight.
“I’m sorry,” Lyla said, “I gave Mia a hug when we heard your baby screaming but she wriggled away somehow.”
Mia rushed to Felicity and Oliver. The midwife who had been looking after Lucas handed him to Felicity. He was wrapped in a yellow blanket and a green bonnet was keeping his head warm.
“Mia,” Oliver said, “This is your new brother, Lucas.”
“Hi Lucas,” Mia said timidly, “Why you wrinkly?”
“Your face was wrinkly when you were born,” Felicity replied.
“Was I tiny?” Mia asked.
“You were tinier,” Felicity replied.
“Now I big strong.”
Mia lifted her arms in the air.
Felicity laughed.
“You are very strong.”
John Diggle appeared in the doorway surrounded by Sara, JJ and Connor.
“I rang Roy,” John said, “They’ll be here soon.”
By the time all the Diggle children had a look at Lucas there were more visitors. Lucas was sleeping soundly by then.
Roy and Thea entered the room. Thea was holding her new baby wrapped in a red blanket.
“Hello Tommy,” Felicity said to the one month old, “This is your cousin, Lucas.”
“He’s beautiful,” Thea cried.
“It’s great to have everyone together,” Roy said.
Oliver looked worried. Felicity wondered what he was thinking about.
A proximity alert went off on Oliver and Felicity’s phones.
“I’ll check it out,” Oliver said. “Roy, Thea, you’re on guard.”
“Of course,” Roy replied.
Roy grabbed Felicity’s phone and gave it to her. He stood at the door and kept his eyes between the corridor and the window. Thea held Tommy and Mia close to her.
A minute later there was another alert on the phone.
“All clear,” Felicity said.
Everyone relaxed. Mia and the babies hadn’t even noticed there was a problem.
Felicity heard Archer announcing visitors entering, but the volume level was too low for her too hear any names. She made a note to herself to investigate why the volume had changed. She wasn’t expecting any other visitors, but Oliver sending the all clear alert meant the situation was under control.
Suddenly a tall, dark haired woman, all dressed in black, appeared in the doorway. Mia hid behind the other side of the bed. She wasn’t used to seeing strangers in the cabin.
“Who you?” Mia shouted.
Nyssa smiled.
“Hello Mia. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” she started and then turned to Felicity and Lucas. “Greetings sister wife and my new step son.”
“I thought you annulled the League marriage?” Felicity said puzzled.
“Yes, but I swore to protect Oliver and his entire family, so I use these terms with respect and fondness,” Nyssa declared.
“Thank you. But why are you here and who turned down the volume on Archer?“ Felicity asked beginning to get suspicious.
“That would be my fault on both questions,” Oliver said as he entered the room side by side with Nyssa.
Felicity knew there was definitely something going on now. Oliver and Nyssa were standing so close together she knew there was something happening behind them.
“As Husband here, phrased it, I was transporting ‘more precious cargo’. Our route took longer than expected,” Nyssa explained.
Oliver and Nyssa took a step apart to reveal a tall, fair haired teenager.
“William!” Felicity cried as she gave him a hug. Oliver held Lucas while they embraced.
Mia had hidden behind the bed again when William appeared.
“Mia,” Felicity said softly, “This is your big brother, William.”
“Hi kiddo,” William waved to Mia.
“Yippee,” Mia cried, “ Two new brothers.”
Mia climbed on the bed to take a closer look at William. Mia looked from William to Nyssa.
“Why black,” Mia said, pointing at the clothing William and Nyssa were wearing.
“Nyssa said it would hide us when we travelled in the dark,” William explained. “We’ve been walking for 3 days and before that we travelled by truck and train, in the cargo section.”
“It was the only way to keep you safe,” Nyssa said.
“I’m sorry this took so long to organise,” Oliver said, “Samantha’s parents made things very difficult and they didn’t understand why everything had to be arranged via phone and video conference.”
“I wanted to come back to you for a long time but my grandparents wouldn’t let me contact you. I found out they’d been keeping your messages from me.” William said.
Felicity had allowed Oliver to use her secret room in the last few months to check her searches and assist with Smoak Holt Dynamics duties. She realised he’d been doing a great deal more with his time.
“Thank you.”
Felicity was crying with joy.
“You asked for more babysitters who were family members. William is staying with us for as long as he likes, Nyssa will be here for a few months, but I’m not sure how long our third babysitter will be staying here.”
“Third?” Felicity said in amazement.
A middle aged woman with blonde hair and a hot pink and gold dress rushed into the room.
“Bubbe’s here! Hello bebbies!”
Mia hid underneath the bed overwhelmed with all the visitors.
“Mum!” Felicity cried, “How did you get here?”
“I have no idea,” Donna said in confusion. “One minute I was in my kitchen. The next minute I was on the porch standing next to William.”
“You got the Flash express,” William said in awe, “When do I get to meet the Flash and why didn’t the Flash bring me here?”
“It’s complicated,” Oliver said.
William laughed.
“Okay. I’ll let you say that for once.” William conceded.
“I’ll arrange a meeting with The Flash when I can,” Oliver said apologetically.
“I think we shall leave Oliver and his family alone while the rest of us get acquainted,” Nyssa announced.
Everyone started to leave until only Oliver, Felicity, Mia, Lucas and William were left in the room.
Oliver rescued Mia from under the bed and placed her on the bed next to Felicity and Lucas. He walked over to the wardrobe in the corner of the room. He opened the wardrobe and brought out a large brightly coloured parcel.
Mia stared in amazement at the present.
Felicity looked at her daughter.
“Mia, this is a present for you from Lucas. I think you’re ready for it now.”
“Thank you, Lucas” Mia said as she started tearing the wrapping paper excitedly.
Mia gazed at the tiny bow and arrow set which Felicity and Oliver had made for her.
“Mia hands strong?”
“Yes, very strong,” Oliver said.
“Mia love slapping water.”
Felicity laughed remembering the water slapping stories Oliver and Roy had told her. True to his word, Oliver had made training fun for Mia and she’d been incredibly enthusiastic. She loved water play and the slapping routine had come naturally to her.
“Hey Dad, will you teach me archery as well?” William asked.
Oliver looked at William proudly.
“Of course,” Oliver agreed, “But you’ll need a bigger bow.”
Felicity, Oliver, Mia and William laughed.
“It’s so wonderful to have everyone together,” Felicity said.
“I will always keep us together,” Oliver said.
Felicity knew they would get through everything together. She wondered why she had ever been afraid.
“Okay time to fix Archer,” Felicity said.
“No, time for you to rest. We’ll all look after Mia and Lucas,” Oliver said.
William looked at Felicity, his eyes full of joy.
“May I sit with you…….Mum…..?” William asked.
“Of course…..Always, “ Felicity smiled as she leaned back on the pillow. William held Felicity’s hands as she put her head back on the pillow and relaxed.
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