EMMA

Chapter 25: The Proposals

A/N: Here it is, friends - the final chapter with an epilogue, which is why it is the longest chapter in this fic. I truly hope you enjoy the Olicity endgame, as promised. There are at least four proposals in this chapter; I hope you'll be able to keep up. ;-)

Dr. Wells quietly listened to him speak his mind, speak his heart. Oliver had been at it for a while now, and he appreciated that Felicity's boss had agreed to give him a few minutes of his precious time that morning.

After his talk with Emma the other day, he had called STAR Labs and requested for an appointment with Dr. Harrison Wells. He had wanted to speak with him about Felicity's promotion. The executive assistant had said that Dr. Wells' schedule the following day Thursday could not accommodate him, so he had settled for a Friday morning appointment, which gave him barely enough time before Felicity was scheduled to fly to Boston. Yet, he had been desperate, so he had taken the nine o'clock slot, which was the only thing open for that day.

Oliver had picked up Emma from school Thursday afternoon. They had gone on the long drive and stayed the night at Thea's, whom he had sworn to secrecy about why he and Emma had come to Central City so suddenly. The next morning, he and Emma had gotten up and ready very early, heading straight to STAR Labs right after breakfast. He couldn't leave Emma alone in the apartment because Thea had work, so he'd brought her with him. While waiting for them to be called at the lounge area of Dr. Wells' office, Oliver had realized that it was indeed better for Emma to have tagged along so that they could go straight to the airport to send off Felicity, just in case things with Dr. Wells did not go as he'd planned.

Just in case. Oliver did not want to think about his plan failing. It couldn't.

He knew that it had been a bold move on his part to speak with Felicity's boss and esteemed mentor, especially since he wasn't a spouse or a fiancé. He wasn't even sure if he could be called her boyfriend once again, since their recently revived relationship was now stuck in limbo because of her move to Boston. When he thought about it, they hadn't even talked about the status of their relationship since their argument in the car after the banquet about a month ago. They'd both been evading the issue and avoiding confronting each other about it (like the childish adolescents that they had been), and it was about time that he did something about it.

Of course, Felicity was the one that he really needed to have a serious talk with. However, Oliver figured that he had better chances of convincing her to change her mind about leaving (which was actually his not-so-brilliant idea in the first place) if he was in a position to offer her an alternative. And for that, he needed the help and support of Dr. Wells.

From his encounter with Dr. Wells at the banquet, Oliver had formed an opinion about the man based on first impressions. Combined with Felicity's many anecdotes about him, those first impressions had led him to the conclusion that Dr. Wells was an approachable man despite his stature and hectic schedule; thus, he had braved this meeting instead of backing out. He'd also thought that Dr. Wells cared genuinely about Felicity, his protégée, so he had counted on the man to at least listen to what he wanted to say, for her sake, because he believed that they both wanted what was best for her. Oliver was gunning for a win-win situation, and he had prayed with all his heart while waiting that heaven heard his heart's cry.

Dr. Wells had been listening to him speak for the last ten minutes and had not once interrupted him. The man was a focused listener and a keen observer. However, Dr. Wells was way too quiet for Oliver's liking, and the expression on the man's face was unreadable. Oliver was beginning to worry that Dr. Wells was not seeing things his way.

First, Oliver had thanked Dr. Wells and the company for recognizing and rewarding Felicity's hard work and loyalty with a promotion and a study grant, elaborating that a career in science and technology had been Felicity's childhood dream. Then, he had confessed to Dr. Wells that he had been the one that had convinced her to accept the promotion and its conditions even if she had originally wanted to stay close to her family, especially now that she had just been reunited with her daughter and reconciled with him. He had also been quick to present the possibility of her still getting promoted without being sent to Boston, seeing that she was a brilliant woman who would do a commendable job in any capacity, for as long as she stays in the company that she loved. He reiterated that Felicity would always be committed to doing projects for the greater good because she believed that science and technology were supposed to make people's lives better.

Without Dr. Wells asking, Oliver continued to argue his case by adding that, while Felicity deserved significant career advancement and better financial compensation because of her brilliance, hard work, dedication, and invaluable contributions to STAR Labs for the last seven years, she also deserved to be happy. He concluded by saying that he believed she would be happiest where her family was, and her family was here.

As Oliver wrapped up his speech, Dr. Wells was still attentively listening to him. The intellectual genius leaned forward in his cushioned leather chair behind his desk, elbows resting on top of his mahogany desk. His chin rested on his entwined fingers, and his gaze on Oliver was locked solid. A minute or two of silence passed between them, but Oliver had held his breath in anxious anticipation.

Finally, Dr. Wells spoke. "Mr. Queen, don't you think it is a little too late for us to be having this conversation? Ms. Smoak's plane leaves in…" He looks at his smart wristwatch. "…about three hours. I was under the impression that she had already made up her mind."

It was a fair point for Dr. Wells to raise, Oliver thought. Yet, he still replied, "I believe there's no harm in trying, sir. I've got too much at stake."

"Hmm…" Dr. Wells leaned back in his chair and touched his chin. "I also do not appreciate unsolicited advice from someone who is not even an employee, or whom I have just very recently met and consider a casual acquaintance," said Dr. Wells.

Oliver swallowed hard and his eyes widened in utter humiliation. His heart began to pound in his chest. "What in the world did I just do?" he thought to himself. This was not going his way.

"But," added Dr. Wells, "I do appreciate and admire someone who speaks his mind so passionately, and knows how to fight for the best interests of the one he cares about. Mr. Queen, in this day and age, there are very few people like you who can discern what really matter in this life, and even fewer who are willing to make sacrifices or take calculated risks like the one you just took today. I must say, Ms. Smoak is very fortunate to have you on her side."

Stunned, all Oliver was able to say was, "Thank you, Dr. Wells." He wasn't exactly sure yet what the man with a classic poker face was trying to say.

"I'll tell you what," Dr. Wells continued. "If you aren't in a hurry, you can wait outside while I make an important phone call. I have an idea that might just work to give you what you want, Felicity what she deserves, and my company what it needs." And there it was, after almost twenty minutes of talk, a winsome smile broke out on the man's face.

Felicity thought that this particular elevator ride was taking longer than usual. On her way to STAR Labs, she had phoned Dr. Wells' assistant, and she had confirmed that he was in his office. She wasn't on his schedule for the day, but she had convinced his assistant to give her five minutes of his time as soon as his nine o'clock appointment was done. Just before the elevator dinged to the executive floor, Felicity looked at her watch. It was twenty minutes past nine. She hoped she didn't have to wait outside his office too long.

She stepped out of the elevator and navigated her way into the reception area of Dr. Wells' office. She was very much surprised to find Emma, of all people, sitting there, staring at the clock on the wall with an anxious expression on her face.

"Emma? What are you doing here?" Felicity asked her little girl.

The girl's face lit up when she recognized her mother. "Mom!" They hugged, and then Emma asked, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the airport by now? Have you changed your mind about leaving?"

"Yes," Felicity replied confidently and sweetly, as she smiled at Emma, who grinned more widely with glee. "And you? Why are you here? Who's with you?"

Before Emma could answer her questions, the door of Dr. Wells' office opened. Felicity stood frozen on the spot, her eyes widening in astonishment as she watched Oliver shake hands with her boss. What in the world was going on?

"Oliver?" She did not even know that she had spoken his name.

"Ms. Smoak! So good you decided to drop by," Dr. Wells acknowledged her presence. "Mr. Queen and I were just discussing some things that concern you."

"Oh, really…?" she responded, not quite sure if that was a good thing or not.

Dr. Wells looked at her and Oliver and said, "If you two could wait out here for a few minutes, that would be great. I just need to make a quick phone call, and then I'll have my assistant send you back in. Okay?"

Felicity nodded, not quite sure of what to say. She was completely flabbergasted. She had come to STAR Labs to speak with Dr. Wells, to inform him that she had changed her mind about taking the promotion and moving to Boston. She wasn't expecting to find Oliver and Emma there. And why had he been talking to Dr. Wells about her on the day that she was supposed to be leaving already?

"Okay. Thank you again, Dr. Wells," Oliver replied for the both of them.

Dr. Wells went back into his office and closed the door behind him.

"Oliver, what's going on?" Felicity asked him, glaring at him to get the answer she needed.

"I don't know yet."

"What do you mean you don't know? You're the one who's been in there talking to my boss about me for the last how many minutes!"

"I meant that I don't know what Dr. Wells is trying to do and why he's asking us to wait," Oliver answered. "But if you're asking about why I am here…"

Emma stood up and butted in unexpectedly, "Ollie came to ask Dr. Wells to help him change your mind about going away. But I guess that doesn't matter now, does it? Since you've already decided to stay." Emma beamed at them both, ecstatic that things were going to work out for them after all.

Oliver turned to Felicity so swiftly he thought he was going to get whiplashed. Had he heard Emma correctly?

"Felicity…?"

Felicity loved the way he spoke her name. Since the moment she had first realized that she was falling for her best friend, she'd heard him utter her name in a hundred different ways, and she had loved every single one of them. The nuances in the way every syllable left his lips had always reflected his state of mind, his feelings, and his intentions. Right now, he was asking her a question, but if she was reading him correctly, he was asking with a mixture of bewilderment and excitement, which he was trying his hardest to contain. His brows were furrowed in confusion, but his blue eyes sparkled in wonderment and anticipation.

Felicity turned to face him and smiled, shyly at first. She knew he could already tell what the answer to his question was, just by looking into her eyes, but she wanted to make it official. She touched Oliver's forearm and said to him, "I can't do it, Oliver. I'm not leaving anymore."

"Really?" he asked to confirm that he had heard her right.

She nodded. "You know how you said that you just wanted me to be happy? Well, the thing is, as long as you and Emma are in my life, I am. I don't really care about the promotion. I mean, I do, but not as much as I care about you and our little girl."

Oliver's heart soared when he heard her refer to Emma as 'their little girl.'

Felicity went on to say, "The raise, the position, the scholarship – they pale in comparison to the life I now have with the two of you. I've walked away from you both before, and I've lived with some pretty ugly consequences. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

She felt him tuck a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, and then the back of his hand caressed her cheek – all the while his gaze fixed on her face. With conviction, she ended her speech by telling him, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm glue, baby."

Oliver was rendered speechless, but his body was responding to the joy that was flooding his heart. His eyes glistening with unshed tears, Oliver took one last step to close the gap between them. He leaned forward to give her a kiss, but the moment was suddenly interrupted by the voice of Dr. Wells' assistant approaching.

"Mr. Queen, Ms. Smoak, Dr. Wells says you may go inside now," the short, red-haired woman said with a smile.

"Thank you," Felicity said to the woman, who immediately turned around and went back to where she came from.

Oliver turned to Emma. "Okay, young lady, you have to sit back down and wait some more. Can you do that? Felicity and I will go talk to Dr. Wells. Keep your fingers crossed, kiddo," he said with a wink at the end.

Emma grinned. "It'll all work out, big brother." The little girl kissed her older brother on the cheek and then went back to her seat.

Dr. Wells was standing by the floor-to-ceiling glass wall that gave his room a clear view of the city. He had his back turned against them as they entered the room.

"You called for us, Dr. Wells?" Felicity asked, causing her boss to turn around.

"Oh, yes. Please, come in," said Dr. Wells. "Please, sit down. I have good news."

Oliver and Felicity looked at each other as they took seats in front of the huge mahogany desk.

"Ms. Smoak, as you may know by now, Mr. Queen asked to speak with me today to get me to find another way to keep you here. Apparently, this young man right here isn't willing to let you go," Dr. Wells said.

Oliver looked down to hide the blush on his cheeks, slightly embarrassed at Dr. Wells' candidness. Felicity, on the other hand, wondered whether or not she was right in sensing a hint of teasing in his voice and on his face. That was something totally foreign to Dr. Wells, at least, based on how she had known her mentor all these years.

Dr. Wells shifted his gaze to Oliver and said, "I was just on the phone with my very good friend and colleague, Dr. Christina McGee. Fortunately, she and I have come to the conclusion that Ms. Smoak would be a valuable key player in the upcoming merger between Mercury Labs and STAR Labs."

Felicity's eyes grew bigger at the mention of Dr. McGee and Mercury Labs. The well-renowned scientist had had her eye on Felicity for years, and had, on more than one occasion during science and tech conventions, hinted that she had wanted to offer Felicity a job. Mercury Labs was established about a decade before STAR Labs and quite reputable, so Felicity had thought it quite flattering that the woman had thought very highly of her and her work with facial recognition softwares. However, Felicity loved her job at STAR Labs and valued the mentorship of Dr. Wells, so she had turned down Dr. McGee's offers each time.

"A merger?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes," answered Dr. Wells. "I wasn't at liberty to announce it during the anniversary banquet last month because the proposals and negotiations were still in the works. But the deal was closed last week, Felicity."

"Wow," she said, "that is such good news! Two of the scientific community's best minds under one prestigious roof. That's just awesome!"

"Here's even better news," Dr. Wells said with a smile directed at Felicity. "You're not going to Boston anymore, but you are still getting your promotion as Director of Applied Sciences… on loan to Mercury Labs… while the details of the merger as still being ironed out. Dr. McGee needs someone she can trust to make sure that the on-going and upcoming projects in their Applied Sciences Division make a smooth transition with ours."

"What does this mean?" Felicity asked, unsure of what the implications of this new development are to her personal life.

"Felicity, the main office and laboratories of the Applied Sciences Division of Mercury Labs aren't in Central City," explained Dr. Wells. The glint in his eye hinted that she was going to like what he was about to say. "You are being reassigned to Hope Springs, for good, since we are moving our Applied Sciences Division there as well once the merger is completed." Dr. Wells ended with a decisive nod in Oliver's direction.

Hope Springs. The city was just a 45-minute drive north from Starling Town, in the opposite direction of Central City. Felicity thought that Hope Springs was perfect. So did Oliver.

"I'll take it, sir," Felicity exclaimed excitedly, standing from her seat. "Thank you, thank you very much!" If she hadn't thought it inappropriate, she would have run to her boss and given him a tight hug to show how grateful she was that he had found a way for her. For them.

Oliver was also up on his feet now, standing next to her. He took her hand and squeezed it eagerly. "Thank you, Dr. Wells. This is… This is so much more than I ever expected. Thank you!" he said.

Dr. Wells stood up behind his desk and replied, "You are most welcome. Now, I have an important meeting with the Board that's supposed to start in a few minutes. So, if you two would kindly excuse me, I shall head to the conference room now and have the corporate secretary add two more items to the agenda – changing the terms of your promotion, and convincing the Board to push through with your study grant, but this time at Hope Springs Institute of Technology. Please, feel free to stay in my office a while longer. I'm sure you two have a lot to take in." The man smiled at them once more and left.

Oliver and Felicity heaved sighs at the same time as soon as the door closed. They still couldn't believe what happened. He enveloped her in an embrace just as she turned to face him. Her arms tightened around his midsection as he nuzzled her hair and rubbed her back.

After a minute, Felicity pulled back and said to him with glassy eyes, "I can't believe it! I was ready to lose the promotion and the scholarship, if it meant I could stay. Be with you. And Emma."

Oliver replied, "Instead, we're getting everything we've ever hoped for. Finally."

She nodded her head several times. She was much too overwhelmed to say anything more.

"You called me 'baby' a while ago," he said to her, grinning like a love-struck fool. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"M-hmm…" she replied, nodding her head twice. "I recall telling you that the next time I have to leave again, you should come after me. And you did."

"But you didn't leave."

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "Not this time, and not ever."

Oliver kissed her nose. "I'm so glad to hear that. I'm never ever going to let you go, Felicity. You've always been 'the one' for me. You are the love of my life."

Felicity smiled affectionately as she said, "I love you, Oliver."

"I love you," he told her just before he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

Epilogue

"That is the best birthday gift ever!" Emma all but squealed, bouncing on their bed with glee.

"Okay, take it easy, Emma," Oliver told her. "Your mother is still on bed rest, and we don't want your little brother to get dizzy."

"Babies don't get dizzy in the womb. Do they, Mom?" the ten-year-old genius asked.

Felicity just smiled. "I'm the one getting dizzy, honey, so stop bouncing." She was just six weeks pregnant but had experienced premature contractions the previous week, so the doctor had put her on temporary bed rest. Nothing too serious.

"So, you're really my mom and dad now? For real?" Emma asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, we are," Oliver answered.

"Cool!" exclaimed Emma. She threw her arms around Oliver and kissed his cheek, and then she crawled over to Felicity, wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulder, and kissed her cheek as well.

Oliver and Felicity had just told her the good news that her adoption papers had finally been signed by the judge in Starling Town. This was truly an answer to prayer.

When Felicity moved to Hope Springs and started work in the Applied Sciences Division two years ago, she and Oliver had started dating while continuing on co-parenting Emma. After a few months, she and Oliver had started talking about Emma's legal status. She loved her daughter, and she really didn't need a piece of paper to make their relationship legitimate. But she had started thinking long-term, and Oliver had agreed. Emma was growing up fast; they needed to set her affairs in order to prepare her for her future, especially since Oliver knew that his legal guardianship of Emma automatically ended when she turned eighteen. She needed parents as far as the law was concerned.

Oliver hadn't wanted to remain just her legal guardian forever. He had wanted her to become officially his, because he loved her and he loved her mother. Thus, he had consulted Jean Loring for legal counsel, and the woman explained to him that he had two options.

The first option was for him to resign as Emma's legal guardian and then adopt her later, but that would put Emma in the foster care system for as long as no relative came forward to assume guardianship. Jean advised against it, because the legal and administrative procedures often take time. Oliver didn't want Emma to have to be in foster care indefinitely; it was out of the question.

The second option was to go straight from legal guardianship into legal adoption, but that entailed one or both of the Emma's biological parents signing an independent adoption consent. Since Emma's birth mother had already given up her rights when she signed the adoption papers years ago and had lost any legal or custodial rights over her child, and since Moira Queen, her adoptive mother, was already deceased, it was up to the court to decide. Oliver liked that option better.

Jean, however, had given him a third option. She had explained that Oliver can opt to remain Emma's legal guardian, marry Felicity, and then they could adopt her together, as husband and wife, before she turned eighteen. Oliver had had no qualms about going for it. As their family attorney, Jean had warned him that the process might be a bit tricky but not improbable. The judge that will handle the case might even consider it quite an exception, because in this particular scenario, the woman that would seek to adopt Emma was actually her biological mother, whose rights to her child had already been relinquished when she gave up Emma for adoption years ago. But Jean assured him that all they needed to do was present evidence that Felicity already had her life in order and was now able to provide her daughter with a stable environment, and that it was in the best interests of Emma to grow up in a loving home where her adoptive parents happened to be her adoptive older brother and her biological mother.

So, on the day that Oliver got down on his knee and presented Felicity with his mother's ring, he had expressed two proposals. He had first asked her to marry him, and then he asked her to adopt Emma with him after they're married. "Yes! Yes!" Felicity had cried out, teary-eyed and overjoyed. Emma had also been there when Oliver proposed under their tree in the woods near the ranch, and she had taken the groupie of her with the happy couple showing off the engagement, which was now among the framed photographs on the spinet piano in the den of their house in Queen Ranch.

Six months after their wedding and honeymoon, Oliver and Felicity had begun the process of adopting Emma. The process had been slow, and they had had to appear in court quite a few times. Emma also had gotten to meet with the judge, and she had had her chance to tell the old man who held her future in his hands that Felicity was the best mother anyone could hope to have. She had told the judge how grateful she was that God had brought her birth mother back into her life. Moreover, she had begged the judge to let them be a real family. Another six months later, the judge had decided in their favor at last. Jean Loring had informed Oliver and Felicity of the court's decision a week ago, but they had decided to defer telling Emma about it until her tenth birthday as a surprise.

"Good night, Emma," Felicity said, kissing her daughter's head and giving her a hug.

"Good night, Mom..." Emma replied, and then turned to Oliver, "…and Dad." She made sure to emphasize the last three words.

Oliver kissed the top of Emma's head and pulled her up from their king-sized bed. "Don't forget to say your prayers."

"I won't," Emma replied, as she blew her parents a good-night kiss from the doorway. And then, all they could hear were her footsteps and the shutting of her bedroom door.

"Mom and Dad… I could get used to that," Felicity remarked, smiling at Oliver.

"Me, too, honey. Me, too," said Oliver, as he joined her on the bed.

Spooning her and pulling the soft, fluffy duvet over them, he peppered her shoulder and the crook of her neck with kisses. He had discovered during their wedding night and their subsequent honeymoon that cuddling together this way was one of Felicity's favorite things. Her past trauma hadn't really affected their intimacy; Felicity had always felt safe, loved, and pleasured whenever they came together. Since they'd gotten married, they had usually alternated positions when they snuggled together, but now her baby bump made it hard for her to be the one behind him. His hand caressed the portion where her stomach bulged, loving how he was beginning to feel their baby moving inside her.

"Pretty soon, there'll be two of them calling us that," Oliver added.

"Yeah, I can't wait to meet William," Felicity told him.

"William?" he asked, surprised. "When did you decide that, if I may ask?"

She chuckled. "The day Jean came with Emma's papers signed by the judge," she answered. "The judge's second name was William. I thought it was fitting to name our son William Jonas Queen. What do you think?"

"I think I like William Jonas Queen," he answered with a smile.

"I thought you would."

Felicity turned and lay on her back. Oliver lifted his head and propped himself up with his elbow. With his free hand still on her baby bump, they kissed each other good night.

THE END

A/N: Thank you very much for coming along on this amazing journey with me. I am so happy that I got to finish this fic. Really. Thank you for putting up with the extended angst. Thank you for the reviews, constructive comments, and lovely words of encouragement that kept me going even when times got hard and I almost quit on this fic entirely. As it is time to bid farewell to this story, I hope that, if you have any positive feedback left to tell, you would do so. I surely appreciate them, no matter how short. Let me know if you've enjoyed or appreciated this, and why.

This is especially important to me because EMMA will be the last fic I will be posting before I close my account here at FF. As some of you may know, I have also stopped posting in another site and am about to close my account there as well, as soon as a handful of the stories I am following are completed. After three years of wonderful experiences with fanfiction, I am turning another page and moving on with my life, seeking to expand my reading and writing beyond this genre, and I expect to be busy with new commitments related to this. So, if there's anything you would like me to know about EMMA or my other stories, or my writing in general, I truly would appreciate knowing. I'm giving it 2 weeks before I close both accounts. I'll understand if some of you will feel sad about this news, but I have made my decision and I am standing by it. I am not closing my doors to writing fanfiction in the future; maybe then I will come back with a different username (or not), if circumstances in my life change. We'll see. ;-)

As such, I would like to thank all of you my dear readers - those who have read my other stories or even just this one (including anonymous Guests) - for how you have enriched my life and helped me grow in my writing. I will never forget this, never forget you (especially those that have become my virtual friends in this site and the other one). Shoutouts to some of the avid readers of my fics - alayneni, mjf2468, Toodles147, weird-but-wonderful, KasumisMom, Mione-angra, malafle, highlander348, CaptainSammyAngel, bahall1964, Ficwriter93, kitsune2077, kiaraj0222, pacuna1502 - just some from off the top of my head. (I'm really sorry if I missed anyone.)

Again, THANK YOU so much, from the bottom of my heart. I am holding back the tears...

Farewell!