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Oliver stood and observed his handy-work, it was perfect. He smiled, settled himself just out of sight, and waited.
***
When Oliver opened his eyes all he could see was light. Nothing else, no up, no down, just suspended in light. He remembered Sarah and Barry standing over him, then peace.
This must be heaven, he thought.
He then heard a soft cough behind him, and felt ground beneath his feet. So he turned, face-to-face with the Monitor.
“Thank you Mr Queen” Mar Novu said, “You saved the multi-verse, while making a few changes that I did not authorise.”
“Where am I?” Oliver croaked, his throat still raw from the battle. “Is this heaven?”.
“To restore balance to the multi-verse, I had to place you in a dimension away from the multi-verse. As Spectre you are immortal, but you must remain here to keep the balance. However, you will not be alone, another will join you.”
“Who?” Oliver asked, still a little dazed.
“Your wife, Mr Queen.” Novu stated, a little resigned “She made a bargain with me, that when she is ready, she will join you here. Knowing that it is a one way trip”.
“But she has to….” Oliver started, but Novu raised his hand to stop him.
“Felicity Smoak will raise your children until adulthood. That is her plan. In around 20 years, earth time, she will leave Earth Prime and join you here.”
“I can wait 20 years” Oliver sighed happily.
“Time does not work like that here, Mr Queen. Neither does anything else. This dimension is yours to create and build. She will be along once you’ve made this world ready for her.”
Oliver, all at once was filled with the knowledge he needed as the Monitor turned to leave. It was as though someone just dropped the knowledge into his brain. He knew exactly what he needed to do.
****
Oliver’s task now was to make a place to welcome his wife. He wanted it to be perfect, to show that he was so grateful that she would leave her life, their children, to be with him.
He stood in the welcome place. The deep red of the hanging drapes, and the twinkling candles were warm now. He remembered this was the place that Felicity had first told him she loved him. The first time he let himself be lost in her. But the place was tainted, he’d had to make her leave this place.
He shook his head, and the room faded away.
The park appeared around him. The place were she’d finally made him the happiest man alive by marrying him. But there was no John, No Barry and Iris - just a place. She was giving everything up for him - would she appreciate remembering that she’d walked away from her friends too.
Nope, he thought, this isn’t the place.
He tried Ivy Town, the Loft, even the Bunker. But none of them were right. Yes, they were happy in all those places, and he knew Felicity would like them all, but it just didn’t quite work.
He pictured Queen Consolidated, him walking up to her cubicle, that first day, with the laptop. He smiled, remembering, finding her, realising that she was real.
Then, it came to him. His mother’s office, the first time he smiled in 3 years. The first time he saw the woman who would become his everything.
The room solidified around him, and it was almost ready. Just one more thing, that materialised in his hand, and he put the red pen on the desk.
…. And waited.
***
She appeared moments later, or was it 20 years, Oliver didn’t know. Time didn’t work the same there. She wandered round the room, taking it in. He stayed in the shadows, just to take her in. His girl was here, she’d crossed time and space to be with him.
She picked up the red pen and his heart exploded with joy. Every sacrifice, every moment of pain was worth it.
“Hi” Oliver said quietly. “Glad you could finally make it”
Felicity smiled and moved towards him, pulling him in for a kiss. Then hugging him as hard as she could. Oliver sighed, the feel of her, her smell, everything was just perfect. He felt, finally at peace.
“This is so nice” Felicity told him “I don’t want to complain, but I just thought the afterlife would look less like your old office.”
“It’s my mom’s office” Oliver told her. “I wanted it to be where I first saw you”.
“Well, that would be in the IT department, 7 floors down”.
“Are you sure? It’s a long story, lucky for us, we have all the time in the world.”
***
“So do we live in this office? Or, how does this place work?” Felicity asked Oliver.
He leaned down and kissed her, and suddenly she knew. She smiled as he took her hand and led her round the corner. Suddenly they were in their old house in Ivy Town, but with a much bigger kitchen. Felicity couldn’t help but laugh.
She walked to the door, to the garden, not letting go of Oliver’s hand. She wouldn’t be doing that for a long time.
“Aruba” she exclaimed looking at the beach outside their house.
“I just thought” Oliver shrugged.
Felicity laughed, turned to kiss him and mumbled “I hope you have a bedroom in this house”. Oliver picked her up and carried her upstairs.
****
Later, as time doesn’t work the same, Oliver cooked and Felicity watched.
“Sorry it took me so long” she told him apologetically.
“I understand” Oliver conceded “You had to raise William and Mia. You did a great job, they’re both wonderful”.
“Oh no, that’s not what took all the time” Felicity said. “What took the time was working out how we’re going to get you home.”
Oliver turned and stared at his wife.
“Did you really think I’d just leave you here, Oliver Queen. Honestly, you have met me, right?”
“How?” Oliver said in wonder.
“Cisco, Barry, Ray and a few others - friends of John - who you’ve not met yet, have been working on this for 20 years. I’ve got everything set up at the other side, just need to hammer out a few details here. We’ll be home a minute after I left. Sorry I can’t get us back sooner, so you could help raise our kids, but that would break the universe.”
Oliver stared again at his genius wife. This was so Felicity, saving him all over again.
“So when do we start?” Oliver asked, eagerly.
“In a few days” Felicity smiled naughtily, raising an eyebrow “I want to take some time, just to get to enjoy you with no interruptions.”