Chapter Text
The first time Oliver Queen set eyes on Felicity Merlyn, he was only four years old. He had been living three days in absolute heaven. His best friend, Tommy Merlyn, had been staying with his family for the past three days. Oliver didn’t really understand when his mother told him that Tommy’s mom was finally having her baby, twelve days late according to Oliver’s dad. Oliver and Tommy had been playing out back, under the supervision of Raisa, the Queen’s housekeeper. Both boys were currently covered in dirt and grass stains, but were still enjoying playing together. They were playing a made up game that involved spies and they were swinging around sticks that they had found on the ground. Raisa was laughing and reminding them not to hit each other, but it was the most fun young Oliver had ever had.
Moira stepped out into the backyard, a place she rarely visited, and smiled at seeing just how happy her son was. “Tommy, your parents are here.” Tommy huffed and moaned as he followed Moira back into the house. Oliver walked in, less vocal, but still upset. He looked up at Raisa, who nodded and ushered Oliver into the house. Oliver stopped short of the foyer of his house to see Malcolm Merlyn with a rare smile on his face. His arm was wrapped tightly around his wife, Rebecca. Rebecca looked tired, but she was beaming. She was holding a little bundle in her arms and Tommy was peeking at the bundle cautiously.
“Oliver.” Rebecca’s sweet voice called out. “Would you like to meet Tommy’s little sister?”
Oliver shrugged his dirty shoulders and stomped over to Tommy. He looked at Tommy’s expression of awe and looked at the bundle. Inside was a round face, with chubby cheeks and a tuft of dark hair. Oliver looked back to Tommy and then to Rebecca. “Her name is Felicity. And I know you will help Tommy to always look after her and protect her.” Oliver nodded at his friend’s mother, not completely understanding the responsibility she had imposed on him. Oliver looked over at Tommy, who shrugged back at him.
A couple of months later, Tommy and Oliver were sitting at a table in their preschool classroom. Tommy laid his head down on the table and looked at Oliver. “Baby sister’s cry a lot.” He said.
Oliver pouted and thought for a minute. “Can they give her back? Maybe she’s broken?”
Tommy shook his head, his dark hair flying wildly. “My mom said that Lissy cries because she needs my mom.” Tommy closed his eyes for a minute. “She always needs my mom. I kinda wish they could give her back.”
Oliver felt bad for his friend. Until Felicity Merlyn was a little over one year old and Tommy began to like his baby sister, Oliver wished the little girl away. Until Tommy told Oliver that it was actually kind of fun having a little sister, Oliver had wished and hoped that his best friend’s parents would give back Felicity.
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Even though Oliver stopped wishing Felicity away, he still never really paid any attention to her. Until one day at the park. Oliver and Tommy were six years old and had just had their kindergarten graduation. To celebrate, Rebecca Merlyn had taken the day off of work and had taken the two boys and a two year old Felicity to a local playground for the afternoon. Oliver grumbled to himself, as he sat at the top of the slide waiting for Tommy. “Come on, Tommy. The bad guys are coming.” The boys were often playing games as super heroes, always as the good guys.
“I know, Oliver. I’m coming. I can’t leave Lissy behind.” Tommy was slowly making his way up the mountain of steps, crouched behind the rolly polly toddler. Felicity was still chubby, with a round face and dark curly hair. Her bright blue eyes took in everything the world had to offer and were the constant source of her praise by strangers.
Felicity crawled up a step so she could see Oliver waiting impatiently. “Ollie!” Felicity pointed in the direction of Oliver and some of his impatience melted away.
“Did you say ‘Ollie’?” Tommy asked, as he helped the little girl to the top of the slide.
Felicity smiled widely. She pointed at Tommy and then at Oliver. “ ‘Ommy, Ollie.”
Tommy laughed and even Oliver couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face. “Ok, ok. Grab Lis, let’s go.” Oliver flew down the slide and Tommy followed, with a clapping Felicity perched on his lap. They got off the slide and Tommy and Oliver debated where the bad guys were hiding.
A kid bigger than them ran past and pushed Felicity down onto the pavement. “Stupid baby.” The kid muttered and kept running.
Felicity’s lower lip pushed out and her eyes filled with tears. Her mouth opened and for ten seconds no noise came out, until she began to wail. The kid had pushed her to the side, and while her instincts had her bracing her little body on her hand, the pavement cut her palm. There was blood trickling down her palm and tears streaming down her cheeks. Tommy looked between where his mom sat, talking to another mother and where the kid had run off to. “Go take her to your mom.” Oliver said, as he took off running towards the kid.
Tommy helped Felicity up and held on to her uninjured hand. “Come on Lissy. Let’s go find mommy.” Tommy led his baby sister to his mother. “Mom, some kid pushed her down.”
“Oh, my little angel.” Rebecca scooped Felicity up and began kissing her daughter’s cheeks and her hurt hand.
Tommy ran to where Oliver and the older kid were fighting. Tommy kicked the bigger kid and that took the kid’s attention away from Oliver. The kid turned his back to Oliver to hit Tommy and Oliver grabbed a stick from the ground and hit the kid in the back with it. The kid fell down and smashed his nose on the pavement. Blood flowed from his nose and he choked back the tears. Tommy and Oliver were stalled in their celebration, as the boy ran away, by a stern voice. “Boys!” Rebecca Merlyn was standing less than five feet away from them, Felicity on one hip and her hand on the other. “What was the meaning of that?” She pointed at the older child who had run to his father.
Oliver looked down, ashamed, but Tommy looked his mom in the eye. “That’s the kid that pushed Lissy down and called her a ‘baby’.” Oliver looked up to see Rebecca’s face softening and he nodded in agreement.
Rebecca let out a soft sigh and a tiny smile appeared on her face. “So this is the moment that I need to discipline you two for fighting.” But Rebecca set Felicity down on the ground and bent her knees, so she could look both boys in the eyes. “But I’m not.” She whispered. “Because you only fought to avenge and protect Felicity.” Rebecca picked up her daughter and smiled at the boys. “Just don’t make a habit of this.” They left the park and the incident was never spoken of again. But something in Oliver changed and he could now agree that Felicity wasn’t so bad. Oliver wouldn’t admit it yet, but he began secretly looking after and protecting Felicity Merlyn that day. And that was something that would never stop.
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Everything changed for Tommy and Felicity Merlyn when they were nine and five, respectively. Rebecca Merlyn was murdered and it devastated their father. Tommy understood what had happened better than Felicity. Their father dropped them off at the Queen home with three bags of clothes and toys for an undetermined amount of time. Oliver felt bad for his best friend, but was excited about him living with him for a while. The first night put everything into perspective for Oliver. They were supposed to be sleeping, but Tommy and Oliver were sprawled out on the floor, watching TV and eating the cookies that Raisa had brought up. “Why do you think my dad just left us, like this?” Tommy asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe he just needed sometime to be sad and he couldn’t do that with you and Lis around?” Oliver offered. He knew the death of Rebecca Merlyn had been traumatic for everyone. Even his own mother had shed a couple of tears over Rebecca.
“But I miss him too.” Tommy said, holding back his tears.
“It’s ok, Tommy.” Oliver didn’t know what else to say. All he knew was that his best friend was hurting and he wouldn’t make fun of him if he needed to cry.
“It’s not ok, Ollie.” Tommy viciously wiped away the few tears that had escaped. “Mom is dead and my dad just leaves us. I have you and our friends at school.” Oliver looked at his friend, confused. “Lissy. I’m worried about Lissy.”
Oliver nodded, finally understanding. Before he could respond, a sad cry rang out down the hallway. Tommy leapt to his feet and Oliver followed Tommy out the door. Tommy ran into the room housing his sister. Oliver peeked in to see Felicity, looking tiny sitting in the middle of a queen sized bed. She was crying uncontrollably. Tommy hopped onto the bed and pulled Felicity into his lap. He sang her favorite song from Beauty and the Beast, while Felicity sobbed the words “I miss mommy.” After about twenty excruciating minutes of Tommy singing the same three minute song over and over, Felicity’s sobs ceased and she fell asleep. Oliver helped Tommy tuck Felicity back into bed. They quietly tip toed out of the room, leaving her door open a crack.
Once they were back in Oliver’s room, Tommy punched a pillow. “My mom died eight days ago. For the past eight nights, I have had to do that. Felicity wakes up crying every night and me, not my dad, goes in there to calm her down and get her back to sleep. It’s not fair for her, Ollie. It’s just not.”
For the next three weeks, Oliver would accompany Tommy when he went to get Felicity back to sleep. Eventually, Felicity stopped waking up screaming for her mom. But the little girl still spent the first four weeks of living in the Queen mansion speaking only to Tommy and Oliver. It was Raisa who finally got the little girl to laugh for the first time in over a month. After that, Felicity started to resemble the happy, sweet little angel she was to her mother. Six months passed before Malcolm came back for his kids. He had expected Tommy’s snarky behavior at his return, but he had been shocked when Felicity clung to Raisa and begged her not to leave her too. Everyone except a six month pregnant Moira was surprised by Felicity. Moira had watched how Felicity had taken to Raisa. Oliver would learn many years later, that if Moira hadn’t been pregnant and needing Raisa, she would have let the woman go live with the Merlyn’s.