Chapter Text
The Russian Connection
Characters/Pairings: Oliver/Felicity, Roy/Thea, Diggle/Lyla, Quentin, Moira, Sara, Isabel, Anatoli, Original Characters
Rating: T/PG13 (violence, sexual themes, torture)
Summary: Isabel hatches a plan that puts Felicity in danger.
Chapter 1
Oliver and Felicity woke early after three days of meetings in Gotham. They were on their own since Isabel had left a day early saying she had Stellmoor business to attend to.
They arrived at the airport to head back to Starling City. They headed to the private hanger but the QC plane was not there. Isabel had taken it.
“That bitch took the plane.” Felicity said. “I thought she had the Stellmoor jet.”
“So did I.” Oliver said. “I guess we will have to go commercial.”
“On it.” Felicity pulled up an airline app on her phone and made the reservations. “We have to pick up our tickets and get through security now or we will miss the flight.”
Oliver nodded. “I hate this. She did it out of spite.”
“You made her mad. Well, we made her mad.” Felicity said. “She wasn’t expecting us to share a suite.”
Oliver sighed. “That’s true. I wasn’t expecting her to try to seduce me either. I didn’t see any reason for her to come with us in the first place. I don’t think Bruce likes her anyway.”
“He probably doesn’t like her because she’s a bitch.” Felicity said. “She definitely wasn’t very friendly to him.”
Oliver scowled. He knew Felicity was Isabel’s usual target when she got angry. It worried him.
“He isn’t the CEO of Queen Consolidated.” Oliver said flatly.
“Lucky for him.” Felicity laughed.
They rushed to the commercial terminal to purchase the tickets and board the next flight. They barely made it through security in time to board the plane.
The flight into Starling City was late and Diggle met them at the airport with a questioning look.
“Isabel took the plane. We need to get to QC now. I was hoping to be there before the meeting now I just hope we don’t miss it all together.” Oliver said to explain.
Oliver and Felicity arrived at the end of the board meeting that they were supposed to be attending. They didn’t even have time to time to do more than throw their coats on the sofa in Oliver’s office.
“Mr. Queen, we were just wrapping up. I’m so glad you could join us.” Isabel said with a smirk.
“I’m sure you are since you took the jet and forced Ms. Smoak and myself to fly back commercial.” Oliver said. “It was almost like you were trying to make me miss this meeting.”
Felicity looked around the room at the board members. None of them looked surprised at what Oliver said. She wondered what Isabel had told them about Oliver not being there for the meeting.
Oliver sat down. “My meetings with Bruce Wayne were productive. He will be coming here for the next series of meetings.”
“I don’t think we should work on the project with Mr. Wayne. It seems a waste of resources.” Isabel said. “Our focus should be more in house.”
“This board has already given the go ahead for the project. I intend to follow through with the Wayne Enterprises deal.” Oliver looked around at the board members
“I just don’t think it’s cost effective.” Isabel said. “We have to watch our costs.”
“I spent three entire days in meetings and now you want to pull the plug?”
No one said anything but one or two looked at Isabel for her reaction.
“Why is that, Isabel?” Oliver asked.
“I just told you. It’s not cost effective.” Isabel said. “Is anyone opposed to that?”
“I am.” Oliver said.
There was silence in the room. The board members were trying to get the courage up to speak after the heated exchange between Oliver and Isabel.
One of the board members coughed.
Isabel shot the poor man an icy glare. She seemed to get angry.
“Should we vote on it again?” Oliver said.
“No Mr. Queen.” The head of applied sciences said. “We stand by the previous vote.”
Isabel shot him a look that could kill.
“Is there anything else that I should be aware of before I call this meeting?” Oliver said.
One of the board members braved Isabel’s wrath and filled Oliver in on the meeting before he arrived
“Thank you. I expect notes on the meeting and copies of your reports on my desk ASAP. We all have work to do so let’s get to it.” Oliver held out his hand to Felicity.
Felicity took Oliver’s lead and got up. She threw a glare at Isabel.
Isabel was still sitting at the table and fuming. She was not making a move to get up. She had turned almost as red as her dress.
The other board members gave her a wide berth as they filed out. It was obvious that they were not happy with her behavior either.
Oliver sat at his desk once he got back into his office. He started to take the files out of his briefcase.
“She can’t do that can she? Just go over your head like that.” Felicity asked.
“No. The board already gave the go ahead for the project so I don’t understand her wanting to kill it now.” Oliver said. “It would look bad for the company.”
“She may not be thinking less like an executive and more like a woman.” Diggle said from the sofa. “What happened in Gotham anyway?”
“Oliver and I decided to share a suite. We essentially put the kibosh on her plans to seduce him.” Felicity said.
Diggle chuckled. “That would do it.”
There was a knock at the door. Oliver looked up and saw Isabel smiling that sticky sweet smile of hers. Oliver sat back and waited for her to speak.
“I want to apologize. I shouldn’t have taken the plane.” Isabel said as she walked in.
“Why did you take the plane? Is it because you failed to seduce me when you showed up in Gotham? You know, right before you stranded us.” Oliver looked straight at her with a look that would make most people be afraid.
“I didn’t realize that your secretary had dibs for the entire trip or I wouldn’t have bothered you.” Isabel said smoothly.
“I am his executive assistant and there was nothing going on.” Felicity said. “I’m really getting tired of saying that.”
Isabel looked over at Felicity. “You were in his room. I saw you.”
“It was a suite and it had two bedrooms.” Felicity snapped back.
Isabel looked at Felicity. “I know what I saw.”
Felicity said. “He is my friend. Haven’t you ever shared a room with your friend? Wait, you don’t have friends. It’s probably because who would be a friend to a skank like you.”
Oliver glanced over at Diggle then back at Felicity. He could tell Felicity was past mad into livid. That was never a good thing. He knew. He had been on the receiving end of her ‘livid’ before.
Diggle went to stand behind Felicity. He was ready to grab her if necessary.
Felicity looked behind her at Diggle standing in his bodyguard stance. She turned to raise an eyebrow at Oliver.
“Ms. Smoak, you are fired. You need to leave the building immediately.” Isabel said. “Leave all your files on your desk.”
“Gladly. I won’t have to put up with your crap attitude and watch you try to seduce my friend.” Felicity said as she started to leave. “By the way, he can do better than you.”
“Stay there Felicity.” Oliver said softly and stood up. “I have had enough of this. If you want to air our differences in front of the board, I would be happy to do it but for future reference, Isabel, I hired her so if she needs to be fired I will be the one doing it. You can’t get rid of her just because she’s in your way to get to me. I don’t want you here but I have been forced to work with you. That is all that I will do.”
“You never had a problem with having a little fun with me before.” Isabel said.
Oliver stood up. “I think you should remember whose name is on this building.”
“You are only in control of fifty percent of the stock. I have the other fifty.” Isabel said.
“That isn’t all you want to have. You want him.” Felicity said.
“I’m not the only one apparently.” Isabel said.
“Isabel, go back to your office. I’m tired and not in the mood for you and your insinuations. Now that I have said that, can we get some business taken care of?” Oliver said.
Isabel gave Oliver a look of confusion. “Why are you so enthusiastic about work all of sudden? I can’t even count on you to attend meetings with any regularity.”
“I have said before I have other interests outside of this company.” Oliver said. “I need to take care of all my business dealings and you and your constant seduction efforts aren’t helping matters.”
Isabel spun on her heel and stormed out of Oliver’s office.
“Felicity, what was all that about?” Oliver asked. “We can’t confront her until we have something to confront her with.”
“I know. I let her get to me.” Felicity said. “I think sometimes I forget that I’m just your secretary, at least at QC.”
“Felicity, you know better than that. I couldn’t do any of this without you.” Oliver said softly. “Right now you need to find me something on Isabel that I can use to get here out of here.”
Felicity nodded. “I need to check the mail then I’ll get right on it.”
Oliver watched her walk to her desk.
“It’s obvious that she feels more than just friendship with you.” Diggle said quietly. “Isabel wouldn’t have caused that reaction otherwise.”
“I know.” Oliver sighed. “I tried to talk to her in Gotham but we kept getting interrupted.”
“Wait you mean you tried to have the talk, don’t you?” Diggle grinned.
“Yeah the talk.” Oliver said. “We talked but we didn’t get things out in the open. I’m going to try to talk to her later on tonight.”
“At the lair?” Diggle said.
Oliver nodded. “So if you want to take off early you can. She has some searches to do and I really need to train.”
“I’ll train with you then I have to get out early.” Diggle smiled. “Lyla is coming in for the weekend. I’ll still be available but I would like to have a little time for her.”
Oliver grinned and nodded. “That goes without saying.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Diggle said.
Felicity came back in and put a stack of opened mail on his desk. “What’s a plan?”
“We are going to train while you do your searches and then Dig is heading out early to get ready for Lyla’s visit this weekend.” Oliver said.
“That’s really why he is grumpy.” Felicity said. “He hasn’t hit anything in a few days.”
Diggle laughed. “I don’t think that’s it but I’ll go along with that.”
Felicity looked between the two men and frowned. “Did I interrupt guy talk again?”
Oliver shook his head and tried to look innocent. Diggle just looked at the floor.
“That’s not cool, you know. Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t participate.” Felicity sounded hurt.
“We were discussing you.” Oliver said.
“Oh! What have a done now? Well other than make Isabitch mad as a heck.” Felicity said.
“Dig is concerned that you and I haven’t talked about some things.” Oliver said.
“Oh he is, is he? Dig, we tried but Isabitch kept trying to throw her panties at him.” Felicity said. “Which is kinda easy because it’s not like she actually wears them anyway.”
Diggle and Oliver both started laughing.
“How do you know?” Oliver asked.
“Two words - Panty lines. She doesn’t have them. I have them. Dig has them. You sometimes have them. Felicity winked at him.
Diggle burst out laughing at Oliver’s face.
“I wear underwear.” Oliver blushed.
“All the time? Because I swear, last week if your sweats had went down any farther I would have seen the royal jewels.” Felicity said.
“Oh man, she’s got you there.” Diggle said.
“Thank you. I will remember to wear underwear at all times from now on.” Oliver shifted in his chair.
“You don’t have any on now, do you?” Felicity tilted her head at him.
“Let me check.” Oliver grinned at Dig. He stood up and started to unbuckle his belt.
Felicity put her hand up to stop him. “Oh Kay. I’m going to go file something now.”
Oliver grinned at sat back down and watched her leave the office.
“What would you have done if she had called your bluff?” Dig asked.
“I would have shown her more than she maybe wanted to see at the moment.” Oliver said. “She’s right. I do go commando a little too often. I never even thought about it on the island.”
“I think the thing to focus on is that she pays attention to your ass and whether or not you have lines on it.” Diggle teased.
“I can’t believe she would look.” Oliver said.
“She stares at you while you train all the time.” Diggle said.
Oliver nodded. “I know. I like it.”
Felicity walked into the office. “I have something for you.”
“Already?” Oliver said.
“I hacked her financials. She has a holding company that she doesn’t think anyone knows about. It’s registered in Moscow. I can’t read the actual Cyrillic but maybe you can.” Felicity handed him the tablet.
Oliver started to laugh. He handed back the tablet.
Felicity looked at him. “Well share the joke with the rest of us.”
“Natasha Incorporated. She made a joke once saying she sounded like Natasha before she lost her Russian accent. I never got the reference.” Oliver said. “She was adopted from a Russian orphanage and brought to the US as a child.”
“That will give me something else to look into.” Felicity said.
“What do you mean you don’t get the reference? It’s Boris and Natasha. It’s a Bullwinkle reference.” Diggle said. “I used to love that cartoon.”
Felicity and Oliver looked at Diggle.
“Oh come on. You two have never seen it?” Diggle was shocked. “Boris and Natasha were evil and they kept plotting to kill Rocky and Bullwinkle.”
“Obviously we had very different childhoods.” Oliver said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the adoption records were sealed and possibly not on line.”
“Yes but birth certificates and passport information is hackable. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find where she was born and when she arrived in the US.” Felicity said. “I think maybe this may be where we should go. I just have a feeling.”
Oliver nodded. “I trust your feelings. They haven’t failed us in the past.”
“I’m going to have to wait to use the computers at the lair. They have some special encryption on them that won’t set off alarms. I don’t want to get arrested for espionage.” Felicity said.
Oliver nodded. “We are about to head out here. There is nothing else I can do here today. I have to wait on those reports from the board and look over the budget for the W.E. project. I can do that while you run your searches.”
“I’ll get it and start to pack up for the day.” Felicity said. She turned to walk out and saw Thea coming down the hall to the office. “Oliver, it’s your sister.”
“What?” Oliver looked up to see Thea coming through the office door. “Thea what is it?”
“Mom is acting all weird. She’s been really quiet lately.” Thea said. “I think it’s because she found out that Walter is dating some woman.”
Oliver winced. “Isn’t this the kind of thing that you two talk about?”
“Yeah but she won’t talk to me. Ollie, can you see if she will talk to you?” Thea asked.
Oliver sighed. “I’ll try but I can’t promise anything.”
“Thanks. That’s all I wanted to hear.” Thea pulled a letter out of her bag. “I came to give you this too. It’s the renewal for the liquor license. You have to sign it because it’s still in your name. I’m not old enough to drink, remember?”
Oliver held out his hand to take it. He read it over and signed it. He held it out to Thea when he was done. “I will talk to Mom tomorrow. I have some other things to take care of first.”
Thea nodded and smiled. She shoved the renewal letter back in her bag. “Thanks Ollie.”
“Sure Speedy.” Oliver smiled back.
Thea smiled at Diggle and Felicity then left as quickly as she came.
“Let’s get out of here before something else happens.” Oliver said. He stood up and walked around the desk.
“Don’t you want to go check on your mom first?” Felicity said.
“What am I going to say to her? I’m the last person she should take relationship advice from.” Oliver said.
“You should see if she wants to talk then just listen. That’s all she really needs.” Felicity said.
Oliver sighed. “Do you have your car?”
“Yes. It’s in the parking garage.” Felicity said.
“I’ll walk you to your car and then go to the mansion. We’ll meet up with you later.” Oliver said.
“Oliver, just try to be sympathetic.” Felicity said.
“I know.” Oliver said. He helped her with her coat and waited as she went to load things into her bag at her desk.
“I can’t even get my own relationship off the ground and I’m supposed to talk to my Mom about hers?” Oliver said.
“I don’t envy you at times. This is one of those times.” Diggle said.
“Thanks for the support.” Oliver said.
Felicity waved them on and they all went to the parking garage. Oliver walked Felicity to her car and Diggle went to get the town car.
“Hey!” Oliver said softly as he helped her into the driver’s seat. “I want you to know that we are going to talk about some things we should have already talked about.”
“You mean the way you have softened your tone when you talk to me or the way you are always in my space.” Felicity said. “If I didn’t know better I would swear you act more like my boyfriend than my boss.”
“That is part of what I want to talk about.” Oliver said.
Felicity nodded. “I can’t wait. I’ll see you at the lair.”
Oliver shut the door and went to get into the back of the town car that Diggle just pulled up in.
Diggle and Oliver drove off and Felicity pulled out of the space and followed.
Felicity drove to the back of Verdant and parked in her usual space. She looked around like Diggle had taught her before getting out. She leaned back into the back seat to get her bag and the world went black.