#reminder that Tamsyn has been as open as she wants to be about her physical and mental limitations

[chekhovs-tantrum]

Everyone I've met in this fandom is a decent, kind, wonderful person and so I'm not sure how some of you finished a work about the horrors of consuming one's beloved and the destructiveness of capitalism — and then promptly went off to "jokingly" badger/threaten/nag your favorite author's boss because she isn't providing content fast enough for you?

I'm being overly snarky and I know that in a lot of cases this is just an expression of how excited people are: “Starving for Alecto news” translates to “I'm so excited for the next installment of this series!” But let's maybe work on phrasing? If your post sounds like your parent being passive-aggressive about why the dishes aren't done, maybe take a shot at some edits.

I am also beyond stoked for Alecto but I don't go to a restaurant and bitch at the waiters because the chefs are taking a little too long to get my dessert just right. Good art takes time. Grab a snack.

[some1foundme]

Fic: Lost in the Memory Epilogue

Title: Lost in the Memory

Author: Some1FoundMe

Summary: Oliver Queen returns to his home in Star City after a five year tour overseas, much to the delight of his friends and family. There’s just one small problem. The injury that effectively ended his military career also erased a part of his memory.  As he struggles to put together the missing pieces of his past, his connection to his best friend’s little sister becomes something he can’t avoid. Who is Felicity Merlyn and why can’t he seem to stay away from her?  Olicity AU, no Arrow, no island.

A/N: One last time, I just want to send a huge thank you out to each and every one of you for taking the time to read this.  To everyone who left a comment or kudos on AO3 or Fanfiction, who took the time to like or reblog on Tumblr.  Thank you thank you.  You’ve all been so amazing!

Read on AO3 or ff.net.

Epilogue

Felicity woke with a start, the echoing sounds of metal on metal fading as the nightmare left her. Glancing at the nightstand, she stared at the baby monitor for a long moment, waiting for some sign that her little girl needed her.  But when it remained silent, she wondered what had woken her.  She turned and found Oliver’s side of the bed empty.  Sitting up, she swung her legs over the edge and reached for the t-shirt that her husband had shed the night before.

She crept out into the hall and peeked into Thea’s room.  She was sprawled out in bed, her small body somehow occupying every inch of her twin sized mattress, and she shook her head.  Thea was turning into her father in so many ways and Felicity couldn’t have been happier about it.  Closing her door gently, she headed for the nursery.  

The room was empty, the soft lilac walls and white furniture cast in shadow as moonlight broke through the blinds.  It had been a point of conflict in their lives for nearly three months, which room of their home would belong to their baby girl, and she sighed.  The moment they’d discovered the sex of their unborn child, Oliver had gone into overdrive.  He’d started clearing out Tommy’s room, moving the furniture and his belongings into the garage and attic, before prepping the walls for fresh paint.  And she’d had an emotional breakdown that evening when she’d come home from Verdant to find no trace of her brother left in their home.  The resulting fight had been loud and long, resulting in a lot of slammed doors, and had left her completely drained.  

In the end, she knew that Oliver was right.  There’d been no other choice, no place for their daughter to go, and even though he had tried repeatedly to convince her that Tommy would’ve been happy to give up his room for his niece, the words hadn’t lessened the ache in her heart. She’d been reluctant to let go of the last physical reminder of her brother until Thea, with all of her eleven year old wisdom, solved the problem for them.  They’d been sitting around the dinner table one evening, Felicity with silent tears pooled in her eyes, when Thea had offered to move into Tommy’s room so that the baby could have her room.  That way, as she’d explained, they wouldn’t have to change anything.  They wouldn’t have to paint or remove the pictures or even the furniture.  The baby would have Thea’s room and Thea would take Tommy’s room where she could feel a little closer to her dad.  They’d let her keep her bed, deciding that the king sized bed Tommy’d shoved in the room was a little too big for her, but everything else had gone back into the room.

Felicity smiled, pulling the door to the nursery closed behind her and reminding herself that she owed Thea ice-cream every night for the rest of her life if that’s what she wanted. She wasn’t sure how they’d gotten so lucky to have such an incredible kid in their lives but she and Oliver were both so thankful for her every moment of every day.

Moving quietly down the stairs, her eyes caught each new photo that had been hung on the wall. Photos of their daughter in her arms or Thea’s or Oliver’s had popped up all over the house.  She was spoiled, there was no doubt about it, but not only by her parents.  Thea had adapted to the role of big sister with ease and each time Felicity saw the two of them together, she couldn’t help but think that their family had come together perfectly.

It was then that she realized the date, the realization causing her steps to falter.

Exactly one year had passed since the car accident that had killed her father and, at the same time, returned her husband to her.  One year to the day since she’d discovered she was pregnant.  Looking back, the changes in the lives were staggering. Oliver was mostly himself again. There were still some things that he couldn’t remember, some small things, others more significant.  But she’d taken to simply reminding him and moving on.  His memory of the months after the bombing returned slowly, each new detail more frustrating than the last as he learned that, of all people, she had been the one that he’d forgotten.  And he’d spent months trying to make it up to her even after she’d insisted – resorting more than once to using her loud voice – that it wasn’t necessary.  He wasn’t at fault, no one was, and all she had ever wanted was for him to come back to her.  And he had.

She found them in the living room.

Bundled up in the middle of her father’s chest, Tamsyn Lucille Queen snored softly.  Oliver’s hand cradling her back was nearly as big as she was and the sight of them made Felicity smile.  She’d wondered for years what type of father he would be.  He was an excellent husband, loving and kind, supportive and loyal, romantic but strong.  She had hoped that he would be an even better father, if that was possible, and Oliver had gone above and beyond.  At just four months old, Tamsyn had her daddy wrapped around her teeny little finger.  She was by his side as much as humanly possible, Oliver not relinquishing his baby girl to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary, and certainly not without a fight. She hadn’t had to worry about how much help he’d be once they brought her home from the hospital.  She hadn’t once had to wake him to help with the baby because, most nights, he beat her to it.

Tamsyn stirred, whimpering softly, and Felicity reached for her, extricating her from Oliver’s arms and rocking her as she began to fuss.  She settled into the armchair opposite the couch and worked quickly to free her arm from the t-shirt she wore, pulling it halfway off before adjusting the baby in her arms and bringing her to her breast.  Now a pro at breastfeeding, Tamsyn latched on easily, her bright blue eyes slipping closed almost immediately.

“That’s what you wanted, huh?” she murmured, running her fingers along her daughter’s little arms, “Always so hungry.”

Oliver sat up then, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he watched them.  Felicity smiled at him.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“How long have you two been down here?”

He shrugged, moving from the couch to the arm of the chair she sat in.  He bent to press his lips to the top of her head.

“Not long, an hour or so. I couldn’t sleep and when I stopped in to check on her she was just lying there, wide awake and staring up at the ceiling.”

They stayed that way for a long moment, the only sound filling the room was that of Tamsyn suckling. Soon, though, the suckling was replaced with soft snores and Oliver took their daughter into his arms as Felicity fixed her shirt.  She followed him from the room, her small hands hanging onto his hips as they made their way up the stairs.  Together they placed Tamsyn back into her crib, Oliver winding up her mobile while Felicity leaned in to kiss her cheek, before making their way back into their bedroom.

Oliver climbed into his side of the bed before she slipped beneath the covers, her body immediately seeking the comfort of his.

“Felicity?”

“Hmm?”

Her eyes were so heavy she could hardly keep them open.

“How long until we can have another one?”

She snickered, shaking her head and pinching his side playfully.  Her lips brushed along his jaw when she answered.

“Can we maybe get this one out of diapers first?  I mean, she’s only four months old.”

He sighed dramatically, “I suppose that would be alright.

She laughed again, trailing her lips across his stubbled cheek and seeking out his mouth.  He kissed her fervently, both arms winding around her waist and drawing her closer.

“Seriously though, do you want another baby?” he questioned, his breath somewhat ragged as he nuzzled her ear, “Because I think that we should have as many kids as we can while we can.”

She rolled her eyes, “Well considering that I’m the one that has to carrier those babies around in my belly for nine months, I’m going to have to pump the brakes on that idea.  At least for a little while.  Let me rest before we start trying for the next one, okay? We’ve got plenty of time to have a couple more, Oliver.”

They lay tangled up in one another for a long time, neither of them willing to let sleep take hold.

“Oliver?”

“Hmm?”

She sighed happily, inhaling the scent of his skin and confessed quietly.

“I love you and… and the more I see you with her, with that sweet baby girl that we made together, the more that love grows.  I don’t know if I could possibly love you anymore that I do right now.”

Oliver’s fingers twisted in her hair as he angled her face to his and pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

“I love you, too, baby, always,” he whispered, “But I think I could maybe make you love me just a little more.”

He rolled, taking her with him, and pinned her to the mattress.  She gasped, giggling, until he kissed her again and stole the air from her lungs.

And he was right.  In that moment she did love him just a little more.

The End