A/N: Hey all! I wanted to write some different Christmas fluff with Arrow on their Christmas break and I love all those cheesy Hallmark/Lifetime/ABC Family Christmas movies and this popped into my brain. It's a ton of fluff (as those who read my other story can attest, that's what I do the most). This story will have either 4 or 5 parts, depending on how quickly I can get all the parts done before Christmas) and I was thinking about a New Years Eve epilogue. I would love it if you left a review. If people hate this then I probably won't post the other chapters, but I'm just trying to have fun. Thanks!

The Christmas Date

Prologue

The little girl with dark hair and glasses loved her father. He was the center of her universe. Her hero as he taught her how to build her own computer and create her own programs all before the age of 8. She adored him leaving her devastated on the day he walked out and never came back. It was the saddest day in her life.

She saw how losing the love of her life destroyed her mother. It left Donna as a single mother with an almost teenager.

And Felicity Smoak vowed to never put herself in a situation where her heart could be crushed.

Part One

With her blonde locks pulled tight on top of her head, Felicity fixed her black rimmed glasses on her nose ready to command the day at Smoak Technologies – a company she built after graduating early from MIT five years ago. Her company helped keep the biggest companies in Starling protected from hackers and viruses. Her company was almost single handily responsible for Starling's business cyber security.

So Felicity's life was perfect - she was her own boss, lived in a wonderful condo and found a great group of friends upon her venture to Starling. Unfortunately those friends were traitors right now trying their hardest to fix her up with every available bachelor in town. That wouldn't be so bad if her mother didn't call weekly asking about her male prospects.

She entered the building smiling at the employees she passed. Settling down at her desk, Felicity fired up her computer. She sat back and took a gloriously slow drag of her favorite coffee and fell back into her previous thought trail. She didn't need a man or see how one would fit into her life right now. Like she said, she was her own boss in the business word and in her personal life too. She liked not having to check in with someone. She played by her own rules. Her happiness wasn't dependent on a man which made her exuberant.

Felicity took another gulp of her coffee and logged into her email. She saw a couple of interoffice notes talking about updates to their latest project before she spied countless emails from Queen Consolidated about a potential breach in their security. The problem started last night and seemed to get worse. As she finished reading the chain of emails her assistant ran in, "Jerry, I hope what you're going to tell me is good news about the Queen situation." Should could feel a headache coming on.

"Actually, Miss Smoak, Mr. Queen asked for you to come over personally to help them deal with the problem," Jerry stuttered out, nervous about her reaction to being asked to leave the office she had just entered. "He said their in house IT can't hold off the hacker much longer."

Felicity quickly grabbed her coat, huffing as she flew to the elevator with Jerry hot on her heels.

"Call Mr. Queen tell him I'm on my way," they both stepped through the opening doors. "Then tell Curtis to take over the rest of my schedule today especially that -"

"meeting with Ray Palmer today," Jerry finished her sentence. "I'm sure Mr. Holt's schedule can be pushed. Don't worry, Miss Smoak, I'll take care of everything while you're gone."

She made it to QC in 15 minutes. Flashing her special badge to security she hurried to the bank of elevators climbing to the executive level. She walked up to the assistant's desk saying, "Felicity Smoak here to see Oliver Queen." She didn't have to wait for him because when he saw her he was across his glass covered office in three strides.

She took his outstretched hand, "Miss Smoak, thank you for coming over so quickly." She shivered at the strong grip of his handshake, feeling a pulse of electricity.

"Well I don't want to leave QC vulnerable to an attack so my fingers are here to work their magic," when he smirked at her she replayed the words she just said. "On a computer I mean."

Oliver Queen made her nervous. She had only met him a few times since she typically handled most problems from the comfort of her own office. But QC was one of the first companies to believe in her abilities so when they had a problem she didn't hesitate to deal with it in person. Additionally she had originally dealt with Oliver Queen's stepfather Walter. He had tried to recruit Felicity out of MIT for his own IT department, but she had her heart set on growing her own business after witnessing her mother struggle financially most of her life. Not that Oliver Queen had taken over the CEO position, she was a little intimidated. Not mentally (because she knew she was smarter than most people. Not a brag. Just the truth), but he was a huge, hunking man who towered over her. Add in his devastatingly charming smile and he made her feel out of her element and that brought out Felicity's word vomit as she just demonstrated.

He only the other hand didn't seemed affected by her at all.

"I'll take you down to the IT department so you can get started," Oliver led her back to the bank of elevators, punched in the floor number and then silenced engulfed them. The only sound was the hum of the elevator. "I really can't thank you enough for making this a personal priority. You're really saving me from my first disaster as CEO."

"That's what I'm here for." She mentally scolded herself. She sounded like a corporate robot now. She needed to act professionally.

Reaching the department floor Oliver set Felicity up with a work station and his best group of employees.

"Miss Smoak, I'll leave you down here to work. If you don't mind coming back to my office when you have news I would appreciate that," he forced a smile, one that Felicity could see never reached his eyes. It seemed he had the ability to be a corporate robot, too. But she thought he could also be having a spectacularly bad day. "Plus, I wouldn't be any help to you. I'm not very good with a computer."

Felicity nodded her head in understanding not many people could do what she could. "No problem, Mr. Queen. That hacker won't know what hit them."

"Please, call me Oliver. When someone calls me Mr. Queen, I look over my shoulder for my father." It was the first time she saw Oliver Queen look vulnerable. He looked like a little kid playing dress up in his father's suit and he was a man that cut quite a handsome figure in suit. He had no trouble filling it out. Dear god, she hoped she hadn't said that out loud, but Oliver hadn't reacted like she said it so she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll do that only if you call me Felicity," she smiled back happy to have seen the perfect Oliver Queen have a human moment. "I think it's time to get to work."

Her fingers began their work flying rapidly and expertly over the keyboard knowing instinctively how to thwart the attack.

"Whoever the hell you are," Felicity grunted toward the computer, "you've messed with the wrong person."

Oliver had lingered for a second, genuinely smiling at the blonde woman talking smack to a computer. She was beautiful making it hard for him to look away from her. Oliver was quite worried she would catch him staring at her, but he noticed she had a nervous habit of looking down at the ground ashamed of the innuendos that came out of her mouth. He hadn't wanted to embarrass her when she said that he filled out a suit well so he decided not to react. She looked relieved and that made his heart swell with elation. Having her at QC was the highlight of his day.

After a lot of coding, back channeling and a triumphant fist pump later Felicity made her way back to the executive floor. She saw Mr. Queen - or Oliver - on the phone and made her way to a chair just outside his office. Before sitting down she locked eyes with his through the glass and he waved her inside gesturing for her to take a seat here instead. He soundless told her he would just be a minute. The familiarity of that surprised Felicity.

Then when she heard his phone conversation, she had confirmation that he was having a terrible day.

"Mother, it isn't that big of a deal...no I don't need help. I can handle it myself," Felicity thought his mom was talking about the potential hacking problem so she quickly told him there was no more problem. "I don't care that Carter Bowen just got married. I don't need my mother fixing me up...I don't think the board cares if I'm single or not...It's not like I can find a girl you approve up at a club...This is a ridiculous conversation, Mother. Why? Because...because," what he wanted to say was because Oliver Queen doesn't need his mother finding him a wife. Oliver Queen could get a girl by shooting her his trademark smile, but he didn't want those types of girls anymore. He wanted a woman. So when Felicity gave him a smile that gave him an idea. "because I've been dating someone and I don't think she would appreciate you fixing me up with someone."

Good for him, Felicity thought, even though picturing what beautiful, leggy model he was dating made her stomach drop. But she knew what it was like to have an overbearing mother.

"Yes, Mother, if it makes you happy I'll ask her to come to Christmas Eve dinner but she might say no. We haven't been dating that long. Okay, well I have to go now, Mother. I have a successful family company to run." Hanging up the phone he turned a smile on for Felicity. "Sorry that took so long."

"Don't worry. I know what it's like to have an overbearing mother," she felt sorry for him. "Mine can't, or rather won't, take no for an answer ever. But she lives in Vegas and I don't know why I'm telling you my life story. Sorry."

He laughed, a honest belly laugh, and Felicity almost peed her pants in shock.

"No, I completely understand as you could just hear. I know she only wants the best for me but it's too much. I'm a CEO not 12," they seemed to be bonding over the commiserating. Oliver took that as a good sign.

"Thankfully for you there's a girl to bring home that should help a little bit," Felicity added. "I know my mother would certainly take about a week off if I brought someone home."

"Right. About that," might as well rip the band aid off, Queen. "There really isn't any girl. I just made that up so my mom would leave me alone. I actually thought we could help each other out, although I'll admit that I didn't know that until just now. How do you feel about pretending to be my girlfriend?"

"What?" Felicity was dumbfounded. "You're crazy. Did you just think I would just agree to this when you told your mother you had a girl? That's a pretty big gamble and I'm from Vegas."

He moved from behind his desk to lean against the front corner mere inches away from touching her knees and his closeness was intoxicating. His proximity clouded her judgement because for just a second she wanted to say yes to his insane idea.

"I don't have time to find anyone that my mother would approve of, but you're perfect. You own your own company so you're not after my money. And from what I've seen, you have a great head on your shoulders. You're not crazy like the girls I've dated in the past. I would be willing to meet your mother and we can fake date until we fake break up which might get us through at least New Years."

Felicity pushed up from the chair and walked across the room. She had to get out of the same space as him. It made sense in a way because it would get her mother off her back and even if that lasted for just a few seconds it would give her a few weeks of silence. But this was crazy. That seemed to be the most blaring thought.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he sounded desperate which didn't make sense to Felicity.

"That you're crazy," she said simply. "And there's no way people will think we're dating when you look like you and me with the glasses and the ponytail. And that I'm Jewish which could throw a wrinkle in the Christmas plans not to mention that it would be a plane ride to see my mother and that seems like a crazy commitment."

"So far I haven't heard you say no," he was smirking, because he knew she was going to agree to it. "And none of the things you listed will be a problem. I need your help, Felicity. Please help me so I don't have to deal with the wrath of my mother. I can't ask anyone my mother already knows, because she wouldn't believe it. You're my best chance of pulling this off."

She knew he was laying the charm on thick, "Does that puppy dog look and sickly sweet smile normally get a girl to do what you want?"

He smirked again, "Yes. Is it working?"

"A little bit," she admitted. Her mouth had betrayed her again and she withered onto the couch in Oliver's office. He was there by her side in an instant gentling pulling her hands into his.

"So that's a yes," his only response was a short nod. She couldn't believe she was going to fake date Oliver Queen. Someone pinch her. "Thank you. This is going to work. Then we can just go back to being business friends."

"How long have we been dating? Where did we meet? Through work or maybe through friends? Are you a cuddler? Do you like ice cream?" she asked in rapid fire fashion. "I basically know nothing about you. How is this going to work, Oliver? I don't know you're middle name. We're basically strangers."

Oliver stood at attention and pulled Felicity to her feet too. "How about I treat you to lunch and we can get to know each other? Plus you can tell me how you saved my company today."

"Alright, but I'm going to work you hard. And by work you I mean get to know you and by hard I mean ask you a million questions. See, that's something you're going to have to deal with - my word vomit. Good luck with that."

Following her out of his office she heard him add, "I enjoy a challenge."

Felicity Smoak knew she was going to regret this, but she had no idea just how much fake dating Oliver Queen would change her life.

A/N: So what do you think? Should I post the next parts or no?