Disclaimer – I do not own Arrow.

~::One year later::~

"Let me get this straight; you guys went to Vegas?"

"Yes".

"And got married?"

"Yep".

"So you're officially Mrs. Merlyn now?"

"God Felicity, you're being unusually slow today. Yes. We drove to Vegas and got hitched, because why wait? He's perfect, I'm happy Felicity, ecstatically happy, and I couldn't wait even a day longer to call him my husband. Yes its sudden, we know that, but when have either of us ever been conventional?"

That was certainly true.

Felicity could see the happiness radiating off her best friend, the pure joy that was shining in her eyes, and decided then and there that she would certainly not be the one to take away from that happiness.

Reaching out to Sarah, someone she had known for what felt like her whole life, she encased the other woman in her embrace, hoping to pour all the love and affection that she felt for the other blonde in the hug.

"If you're happy then I'm happy. But I may never speak to you again, considering the fact that I couldn't stand next to you and be your maid of honor and all. Don't even get me started on the lack of a hen's party…" Felicity said with a roll of her eyes.

The two girls giggled at that, Sarah knowing very well that no matter how much she tried to influence her, no matter how much Felicity had changed and come out of her shell since college, she would still never be the party girl that Sarah had tried to change her into.

In retrospect, now that she thought about it, she was the one that had changed. She was the one that had changed her priorities. Sarah almost couldn't believe the fact that she was married before Felicity.

Unbeknownst to her, Oliver Queen was having very similar thoughts across the room as he stood by his best friend, a man who he had known since they were in diapers as he told him about his latest and greatest adventure.

Tommy Merlyn was now a married man.

"I never would have guessed that out of us two you would be the first one to get hitched Tommy".

"Get real Ollie, we never thought that either one of us would ever find someone to settle down with, bachelors to the end and all that remember?" They exchanged knowing glances, both pleasantly surprised with the way their lives had changed. The way they had changed.

"Bachelors to the end I hear? Well I'm personally very glad that Starling City lost its two most eligible bachelors, the less I have to hear about your sexcapades the better it is for me".

Both men's head swiveled to the sound of the new voice, taking in the very smug look on Thea Queen's face as she smiled up at the both of them.

"Speedy, think of all the poor unfortunately ladies of our city that we have failed. At least show some compassion".

Tommy Merlyn was a lot of things. He was funny, caring, smart and could be witty and cunning when he needed to be.

He, however, wasn't very aware of his surroundings at the best of times. So he definitely didn't see the well-placed slap upside the head from one Moira Queen.

"Me slapping some sense into you is becoming a common occurrence Thomas Merlyn and I don't like it. I love you like a son but how your wife plans to put up with you I will never know but I pity the woman all the same." And with that she shooed him away towards Sarah and then allowed her gaze to move onto her one and only son.

Her knowing gaze and questioning raised eyebrow made Thea aware that she was being left out of something.

And Thea Queen wasn't a person that liked being out of the loop.

"What am I missing?"

Oliver's head shake and sigh gave nothing away so her mother decided to quench her daughter's curiosity.

"Nothing Thea, Oliver just had to ask Felicity a certain question but clearly hasn't gotten around to it yet".

Thea's squeal brought everyone's attention to them as the Queen siblings got thrown various degrees of curious looks.

"Sorry, sorry", was Thea's hushed response at Oliver's threatening gaze, but she continued talking anyway, "But how else am I going to react to my one and only brother proposing? When will the wedding be? Oh my God I am so in the bridal party. Can I help plan the wedding…"

Oliver knew he had to stop her before she hyperventilated from all the excitement.

"Thea, slow down. I have to ask first and she has to say yes before we can even think about any of that".

"So ask!"

Oliver looked around at their families, crowding around the newly married couple, each person either giving their congratulations or scolding them for not inviting them to the wedding.

"I wont take away from their moment Thea, me and Felicity will get ours, but when that moment comes it will be ours and only ours."

He searched for her then, seeking and finding her azure depths from across the room.

He knew that he would never be tired of the way his heart melted every time he saw her. Touched her. Tasted her. She brought a sense of calm to him that he had never known.

The ring that he had purchased last week with the help of his mother burned a hole through his pocket. He knew it was stupid but he couldn't, wouldn't, part with it until it was on her finger; a true testament of his love for her.

Yes their moment would come, and he would bend down on one knee in front of the woman than he loved more than life itself and she would say yes and they would live happily ever after.

It was clichéd and cheesy and he was pretty sure that if his twenty year old self heard his thoughts he would have scoffed at him and then punched him in the face, but he was happy.

Their moment would come; he just had to be patient.

~:::O&F::~

While neither of them would ever remember their first meeting that fateful autumn day twenty-one years ago, that was the beginning of their story; their very own love story.

And who knows what the future may hold for them?

Only time would tell.

.

COMPLETE! Holy mother but did this epilogue take me a long time to write. Almost a year. I can't even apologize enough. The muse just left me (for absolutely all my stories) and I hadn't written anything half decent in about six months. Trying to get myself back into fiction but I needed closure with this fic.

ANYWAY, hope you guys liked it; your feedback has been simply amazing (understatement of the year). I cant thank you all enough.

Hope all of you and your families stay safe.

Love to all – Stace - XOX