"Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children." ~ Rosaleen Dickson

. . .

Laurel Lance wasn't normally a person that Felicity was excited to see. In her head, she was always 'gorgeous Laurel'. She was the woman that Oliver had loved for so long, but things just hadn't worked out between them. He'd carried a torch for her all those years on the island...and they would try to make things work, but it would end badly in some way. Now, she was always happy to see Laurel. It was weird how things changed.

And things had changed a lot.

At first, minutes had passed by...and then hours...and then days...and then weeks...and then months… Felicity had told Laurel that Oliver would come for them. Felicity wondered if he even knew that their disappearances were linked… Maybe Laurel's had looked like she'd moved, but she didn't know how hers could have looked willing…

"Felicity," Laurel whispered.

And she was there, at her side and holding her hand. "It's okay," Felicity whispered. "I'm here… It's going to be okay…"

"Her name is Sara!"

Felicity closed her eyes. This was how it had been for months… Quentin Lance had taken both her and Laurel and had locked them away. He kept insisting that Felicity was Sara and whenever Laurel insisted that Sara was dead, Quentin would go on about how she was alive. Felicity knew the truth, but Laurel didn't. It wasn't Mr. Lance's fault he'd lost it. Felicity was certain that he'd been affected by something and Laurel telling him that she was pregnant was what had triggered it. He'd taken them away to another state. When she'd been able to leave the apartment they were staying out, she'd tried to contact Oliver...Mr. Lance always caught her. Now, no one except him wereallowed to leave and she swore that he'd gotten even more scary and more dangerous.

"She needs a doctor!" Felicity yelled back at him as tears fell down her face.

"I want you to write a letter for me," Laurel requested wearily. Laurel had been four months pregnant when they'd left Starling City. Now she was one month postpartum. The baby so far had seemed healthy enough, but Laurel had been so weak and sick since she'd given birth. Felicity had cared for the infant full time and had tried her best to take care of Laurel as well. "I want Oliver to know-"

"He's going to be here," Felicity whispered as she squeezed her hand. "You can't talk like this…"

"It's been six months…" Laurel whispered.

She wanted to scream and somehow overpower Lance, but she knew that wasn't possible. No matter how crazy he seemed, he was still dangerous and could easily take her. He'd done it before and she'd ended up with what felt like a sprained arm, if you could sprain your arm. Laurel needed a hospital, at the very least she needed a doctor, but he was okay just letting Laurel die.

"He's coming," Felicity insisted.

The baby's cries interrupted their conversation and Felicity turned towards where the baby lay. At least Lance had been good enough to go out and buy the supplies that the baby needed. For that, she knew they were both thankful.

"It's okay," she cooed as she got up and moved towards the baby. Felicity carefully lifted the infant and held her close. The cries subsided as she bounced a bit as she walked over to Laurel. She positioned the baby so that Laurel could see her face. "Here's Mommy," Felicity told the baby.

Laurel smiled. "You're going to be her Mommy now," Laurel whispered. She reached out and touched the baby's face before looking up at Felicity. "I'm depending on you to make sure that she's okay...that she gets to Oliver…"

Felicity barely held back tears. "You're her Mommy," Felicity insisted. Her voice broke, but she held it together. "We're going to go home."

She knew the truth though. Unless Oliver got there soon, Laurel was going to die. She didn't know what was wrong with Laurel, but she knew that she needed help. She was barely eating and she really couldn't move well. Her pallor was ghostly and she really had no strength yet. Felicity swore that she'd just given up, which was why she kept insisting that she promise her things about Oliver and about the baby.

Even though the child was a month old, they'd yet to name her. Laurel had insisted that the child not carry her name. Her parents had named her Dinah Laurel Lance after her mother, but she'd always gone by Laurel. It was less confusing that way. She'd talked about naming her Hope or something similar…and possibly naming her after Moira Queen. They'd toyed with the idea of naming her Hope Moira Queen, but ultimately Laurel wanted Oliver to have input on their daughter's name. Sara's name had also come up… There'd been other names too, but none seemed to stick. Laurel just wanted her daughter's name to be beautiful and have meaning...

"I need to tell him things, Felicity," Laurel said and then gasped. "He's going to blame himself… He'll find a way to… He can't just disappear like he did when Tommy died… You have to make sure that he doesn't… He has to be a father...he has to take care of her… And you have to promise me that you'll take care of her…"

Felicity just couldn't keep up the hopeful 'Oliver is coming' anymore and started to cry. "Laurel, you can't leave me…" She just couldn't fathom dealing with Lance on her own. She didn't know what he'd do if Laurel died… For all Felicity knew, he'd fly off the handle even more… "This baby needs you… She needs her mother…"

"You promise me that you'll be the mother that she needs…"

"I-I can't… I'm not-"

"You've taken care of her since she was born, Felicity," Laurel said all too calmly with a smile. "You may not have carried her, but you've taken the role of mom this last month… I need to know that you'll protect her like I would… That you'll love her like I would…" Now Laurel was crying. She stroked the baby's cheek lightly. "I love you," she whispered to the baby. She turned her attention to Felicity. "Tell her all the things a little girl should be told…"

"Laurel…"

"I know that we've never been friends," Laurel managed to get out. "But I'm glad you were the one who was with me… Oliver is lucky to have you…" She smiled. "He's going to need you… He should have known that before, but he's not always the smartest when...when it comes to the heart…"

"Oliver and I…"

"When he comes," Laurel told her. "He's never going to let you or his daughter out of his sight again…"

"He's coming…"

"I know," Laurel said with the smile still in place. It wasn't sad, it was almost happy, which terrified Felicity. This woman who she'd once been envious of because Oliver had held such a torch for her, Felicity couldn't imagine what the world she'd been forced to live in would be like without her. She wanted someone else there to try to keep her sane. "But he's going to be too late for me…"

"Laurel, please…" Felicity cried.

"Ollie loves you," Laurel told her as her eyes closed. The smile was still on her face.

She wanted to argue with her and tell her that she didn't know what she was talking about, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Laurel was dying and Felicity feared that it was imminent. She looked down at the baby in her arms and tried to think of any way to escape. Nothing came to mind. Felicity looked around and knew that she had to figure out something if Lance went crazy...crazier…

"He loves you," Felicity whispered. "Gorgeous Laurel… Oliver loves you."

"Not the same...as he loves you…" Laurel mumbled with her eyes closed.

. . .

Felicity didn't know exactly how much time had passed, but 'Little One' was growing. Every day, she feared that it would be her last. Laurel had died that night… Lance had dragged her body out of there after screaming for far too long. He'd come back and simply said that 'Laurel was safe'.

"Sara, I think it's time that we talk about moving," Lance spoke up.

He didn't talk to her much, he mostly just sat around and stared at her. He drank and sometimes when he spoke to her, he did so through yelling. Every time, though, he called her Sara and she learned to answer to it and to call him 'Dad' or 'Daddy'. If she didn't, he flew off the handle.

"Where?" she asked. Felicity was rocking the baby and wishing that he'd remember that she needed to eat. She didn't dare bring it up in case it set him off. Luckily, she had enough diapers, wipes, and formula for 'Little One'. The only problem was that Felicity was starting to have balance issues, she figured from low blood sugar. It had been a couple of days since they'd eaten… She'd noticed that since Laurel, he hadn't been as good about going out and getting food…

"Somewhere far away…"

"Remember when we lived in Starling City?" she asked quietly. "I miss that house…"

Felicity watched him. He genuinely looked like he was thinking about it for a long moment. A mix of feelings crossed his face and she prepared for the wrath that was going to come. "No! It's not safe there! I have to keep you safe!"

"What about Mom?" Felicity asked, her voice breaking.

"I don't know where she is…" he mumbled.

"Maybe we could find her…"

And for the first time, Lance looked like he was going to go for this idea. "If she knew you were alive… Then maybe…" He paused for a long while. "Maybe we could be a family again… She could know her granddaughter…"

"Yes," Felicity agreed. "We could be a family…"

All she could think about was that if they were looking for Dinah Lance then maybe she could contact Oliver somehow. If she couldn't, then maybe Dinah could… At least there was hope with that route.

Felicity was about to say something else when something caught her eye. Her glasses had been left behind. Lance had pointed out that she'd always had perfect vision and there was no need for her to have them. So, everything had been fuzzy. She'd learned to live with the fuzziness. But she saw figures at the window. She wished she had her glasses, though, so she could make them out better.

"You know, maybe we should think about where we could live," Felicity said. "Someplace with a backyard… So 'Little One' can run around…"

"That doesn't sound safe… It has to be safe… Wherever we go," Lance told her. He approached her and he sounded angrier. She hadn't meant to provoke him. "I should have kept you both safe from Oliver…"

"It's okay, Daddy…"

"No, it's not," Lance went on. "I could keep you safe now… Keep you that way… You and the baby could be with Laurel again…"

And that's when she started to panic. Carefully, she got up from the rocking chair and moved towards the crib.

Where they'd been staying was basically two rooms and a bathroom. The front room was most likely supposed to be a living area that had a refrigerator/freezer and microwave. The bathroom connected to the front room. And then the back room had two twin beds along either walls and a crib and rocker at the back. Sometimes the rocker would be pulled out between the two beds though, which was where it was now. There was a dresser crammed near the door, which mainly held baby things and that was about it since she and Laurel really hadn't come with much in the way of clothing.

Lance used to leave them alone. It would just be her and Laurel, and then after the baby came...Laurel had become sick...and Lance hadn't left them alone since then. She missed those times. She missed the quiet.

Felicity looked towards the window again. It was the only window in that room and it was barred. It was up high, but she suddenly found herself wondering if what she'd saw was a hallucination or if it had really been real. Who would it have been? Would they help her? Would they even care?

"'Little One''s sleeping," she whispered as she put herself in between Lance and the crib. Whatever he thought might fix things, she worried that it was something crazy...something crazy where he might end up killing them both. Felicity was determined to keep that baby safe. She'd promised Laurel… Felicity wasn't going to let her down.

"Sara, I have to keep you both safe…"

Felicity sucked in breath as she peeked back at the sleeping infant. She needed to be smart about this. She knew her limitations currently and she knew how Lance got. She needed to...think like Sara. She didn't know Sara well, but she knew her a bit...and she knew her post-island. "Do you remember the last time you saw me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Before you brought Laurel and I here…"

Lance looked even more confused now. "What- Why does that matter?"

"Those assassins…"

"I saw you break one of their necks...right in front of me…" he breathed. For a moment, she thought the old Lance was back. It was like a blink, she could see a change. It wasn't long enough.

Silence spread between them and she wondered if he'd taken it as a threat or if he just didn't care. Felicity really wasn't sure how she could hurt him, but she knew that she had to try if he was going to hurt them. She couldn't fail in this. She had to keep the baby safe...and she had to do what she had promised Laurel… That was it. This was the time where she knew that she had to act.

Grabbing the rocker, she placed it between them, prepared to use it in any way to keep him away from the baby. Felicity really didn't know what she'd do with it, but it was all she really had. "Please…" she whispered. Tears began to fall as she tried not to imagine the man whom she'd been once used to seeing occasionally. A man that she felt was a good guy, even if he hadn't always been on their team. Quentin Lance had been through a lot...and now, he'd have a longer road to face.

"Get away from her!"

The voice was heard before anything else. She knew that voice. The doors came down and the Arrow was there. He wasn't alone, another man all in black with a gun was right behind him. Diggle. Felicity scooped up 'Little One' and moved to the back corner of the room, huddling in the corner. She watched as Lance fought Oliver. If he only knew...his rage would be so much more than it already was.

"Please, don't hurt him," she called. "It's not his fault."

She had to believe that. Quentin Lance hadn't been like that before. He had had chances to just break before… He hadn't… Felicity still believed that there was good in him. Even if they'd been through hell for six months, even though Laurel had died...he still deserved a second chance…

Felicity didn't know how long they had fought, but eventually Lance just lay on the ground. Diggle had even used a dart, but it had taken more than that to knock him out. They both turned to her and the hoods disappeared to reveal two very familiar faces. "I-I-" she tried to get out.

"You're safe," Diggle told her as he approached her.

"Laurel-" she started to say, but her voice broke and the tears took over.

"We know," he responded quietly.

"You know we have to go… The police are already on their way," Oliver finally spoke up.

It was then that she realized that he'd kept his distance. Even after he'd dropped his hood, he'd kept from looking at her. He'd just stood there like a statue. They knew, though, and Felicity had to guess that he was in mourning. She could understand that, but she was so happy to see him...to see them both. Why couldn't he look at her? Was he upset that she had been the one who had survived all those months? Was that it? He had wished that Laurel had survived instead of her?

The sound of sirens cut off her thoughts.

"You have to go," she got out.

Diggle put an arm around her quickly and kissed her temple. "We'll be there at the hospital...as soon as they call… We'll be there."

Felicity just nodded as her hand found his. She held it for a moment before reluctantly letting go. She knew that they couldn't be there. The Arrow or Oliver Queen. They needed to disappear and pretend like they knew nothing.

. . .

The hospital was almost worse than the room she'd been held in. She'd screamed and kicked and tried to get out of the bed that they'd eventually secured her to. They didn't understand, she couldn't let 'Little One' out of her sight. The moment she explained that the child wasn't hers and was Laurel's, they'd taken her away. Eventually, they'd sedated her. She was fairly sure the line 'I'll calm down when you bring my baby back' sounded pretty crazy after she had admitted that it wasn't hers. They didn't understand.

"How's Lance?"

Diggle laughed. "So forgiving…"

"It wasn't him."

"You're right," he told her. "He was affected by something in his system. It put pressure on the area of the brain that controls rational thoughts. They're taking care of him now."

"And the baby…" Felicity said, trying to stay calm. Tears fell anyways. "They won't let me see her."

"I know that they were working up tests to ensure she was okay, but other than that… I don't know…"

"I promised Laurel that I'd take care of her," she whispered.

"Felicity, what you had to-"

"That's why he's not here, isn't it?"

Diggle was quiet for a moment. "He's gone through a lot… He thinks he failed…"

"Because Laurel-"

"Because Laurel died and because he couldn't find either of you fast enough," Diggle told her. "We were sweeping through Starling City and The Glades every night… But there are only so many buildings you can look inside every night…"

"We knew you would come...both of you...and Laurel knew that it wouldn't be soon enough for her, which is probably why she made me promise things I apparently can't keep…" Felicity admitted and her voice broke again. She hated that she couldn't keep those promises… She needed to.

"What did you promise her?" Diggle asked.

"That I would make sure 'Little One' was safe...that I got her to Oliver… That I took care of her...that I took care of Oliver…" Felicity summed up. She looked at Diggle. "But he wouldn't even look at me…"

"After we found Laurel… He thought, like everyone, that you were dead too. The police were saying that Laurel had been pregnant and she'd probably been killed for the baby…" Diggle told her. "That the baby was probably sold…"

"You didn't think anything when Lance was gone too?"

"We looked for him," Diggle said. "Sara's been here several times… She's looked for them...all of you… Lance is a cop. He's smart even when he's crazy. He knew to use cash and to keep out of sight of cameras…"

"That's who he thought I was," Felicity told him.

"Who?"

"Lance. He thought I was Sara. He told us that he was keeping us safe… He thought Oliver was going to hurt us…"

"I told you, he was messed up."

"I know. Laurel knew too."

"And Oliver feels like he failed you both…"

"Does he know about the baby?"

Diggle shook his head. "I don't know. When they found Laurel. They insisted on doing a DNA test. The paternity results came up as Oliver. They investigated and found nothing. But I don't know if it's still hit him."

"I just want to make sure she's okay," Felicity told him with a sigh. "She's not used to strangers…"

"Maybe I can go and see if they'll give me an update on the baby…" Diggle offered. "Would that make you feel better?"

Felicity just nodded. What would really make her feel better was if they'd just let her have the baby back…in her arms...and then let her go home. She wasn't hurt. Though, she apparently was malnourished and dehydrated, but she figured that could be fixed with a large bottle of water and stopping at Big Belly Burger.

So, she waited…

. . .

TBC…