Dedicated to @CamrynKissel, @NewYorkDoll, and NoraXSWest-AllenFam for their kind support on my Arrow stories. It truly means the world to me :)

“Beep, beep, beep,” blared the alarm app on Oliver’s cellphone as it aggressively shook the wooden nightstand (the clock having mysteriously disappeared when they’d returned from Russia).

“Ugh…” Oliver moaned agitatedly as he rolled over in the large King-sized bed that occupied the middle of the old apartment’s master bedroom, his right arm hanging off its side, lazily.

Hey, I spent three days in Russia rescuing my kids from my ex-enemy’s criminal sons. Give me a break.

It felt weird sleeping in such comfort without having Felicity lying there with him, without the loving touch of her warm hand wrapped within his. His worries always seemed to disappear when he looked into her blue eyes, the world fading away as her love consumed all his thoughts. Oliver leaned his head back against the pillow, closing his tired eyes, thoughtfully.

He could almost picture the beautiful smile on his wife’s face as little Mia raced into their room, continuously jumping up and down on the bed until both parents finally conceded that they were awake (though, that would probably take longer than the average parent because let’s be honest, our jobs don’t exactly allow us to get a lot of sleep. Either of them). He would scoop his little daughter into his comforting arms before they all headed out into the living room. They’d find William in the festively decorated kitchen where he’d be placing the finishing touches on their gigantic Christmas-themed breakfast, wanting to make every piece perfect for his loved ones. After eating his wonderfully cooked breakfast banquet, his family would sit together in the living room and open all the presents, their children’s laughter filling the apartment with an air of happiness that would always go unmatched by anything else in their parents’ lives.

He wanted that fantasy more than anything else in the entire world, but it was the one thing The Monitor could never give him.

Over this last week, I’ve been focusing so hard on fixing the mistakes I made in their lives before I die in Crisis that I’ve barely even recognized the opportunity that stands right in front of me. I might not be able to expect Mia to move past all of the problems I’ve caused in our relationship, but I still have the chance to make new memories, good memories with my daughter. And I’d be an idiot not to try.

Oliver soon pulled himself out of bed, throwing on a plain green t-shirt and a pair of nice brown cargo pants (there’s no need to go overboard on the holiday traditions if it makes them feel uncomfortable. Plus, it made me feel a little too desperate anyway) before walking out of the musty bedroom, leaving his wife’s photograph flipped up towards the morning lit ceiling. 

Even his bare feet felt bruised against the tile flooring that divided the two small rooms, his balance never shifting despite the slippery surface of the recently waxed tiles.

A small smile crept onto his tired face as his eyes carefully examined each part of the plain gray walls he used to pass by without much thought as to what they might hold. 

They were in much need of a new coat of paint, small bullet holes still lining their surface from various criminal break-ins during his family’s many tribulations within its walls.

I don’t really mind them being here, anyway. They give this place more character. Or at least, I think that’s what Felicity said once.

He was hoping to just slip out of the apartment without disturbing his sleeping kids (They deserve double any amount of rest I need) but as he neared the living room, his eyes were blinded by a glowing evergreen tree’s white lights. The bright bulbs hung down its every branch with a sort of festive elegance, a shining golden framed star covering its topmost boughs. Underneath it lay several wrapped gifts of varying sizes, emerald green sparkling bows placed thoughtfully in each one of their centers.

And as he took a few steps closer to the vibrant decorations, he caught sight of the rest of the room. A long knitted red blanket had been draped over the couch’s dusty cushions as a fake fireplace sizzled from the TV screen’s digital app (That definitely has to be a touch from William). In the middle of the coffee table stood a rustically golden menorah, three of its candlesticks’ flames dancing gracefully in the sugar-scented air.  But even better than the holiday atmosphere that surrounded him were the exclaims of joyful voices that filled his ears only seconds later.

“Oh, I won’t ask for much this Christmas. I won’t even wish for snow,” sang an energetic  man’s voice, each note bouncing with more happiness than the last. 

“I’m just gonna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe,” finished a younger woman, her angelic tone ringing around the brightly lit room that surrounded the two of them.

They really are just like you, Felicity. In all the best possible ways.

“I won’t make a list and send it to the North Pole for Saint Nick.”

“I won’t even stay awake to hear those magic reindeer clicks.”

 “Cause I just want you here tonight, holding on to me so tight,” the two voices continued, only now their every word in rhythm to the beat of two spoons stirring thick yellow cookie batter in a tight circle.

“What more can I do?”

“Oh, baby, all I want for Christmas is you!” Shouted both of the two siblings, their simultaneous exclamations of the famous song’s sweet lyrics soon followed by even louder laughter.

Oliver smiled widely as he leaned up against the hallway’s wall patiently awaiting his children realization that he’d entered the room. Though, honestly he could’ve watched them smile and joke with one another for the rest of the day without the warmth leaving his heart.

It was the first time he’d ever witnessed both of his kids laughing with one another, and now that he had, he would remember the sound forever.

There’s no harm in watching for a few more seconds…

“Okay, now you really need to tell me how mom got you to memorize those lyrics,” joked William as he poured some of the yellow batter into a metal cupcake tray, his right hand wrapped carefully in black gauze. Though Oliver took much relief in knowing that other than a few bruises, William’s wrist was the only injury either of his kids still obtained days later.

But that’s what happens when they have siblings as great as they are to protect each other.

“Two words, toy bow. Specifically, a neon green and orange nerf one, though that backfired heavily on her when I started shooting her with it,” answered Mia, smirkingly before taking a small bite out of a fully frosted green cookie that had been left out to cool on a plate near the sink.

“Wait, did you say green and orange?” Confirmed William, surprisedly.

Is this another one of the things between him and Felicity only or should I be remembering this too?

“Yeah, so what? It was just some Christmas gift,” replied Mia, shruggingly.

“One of which I actually used before you,” stated William, smilingly.

And as if on cue, the vivid memory of the father and his son flashed into Oliver’s mind stronger than the winter breeze. 

Three empty green beer bottles lined up on the countertop, each one assigned a different point amount. William was a natural and of course won, though that’s to be expected when his father is the literal Green Arrow (And intentionally missing every other shot doesn’t hurt, either).

That was actually one of the first times we got to just have fun with one another.

“Are you kidding me? So I was getting hand-me-downs from you before I even knew I had a brother?!” Groaned Mia, exasperatedly.

“Being sentimental was always one of mom’s greatest superpowers. Along with, you know, saving the world,” smiled William, appreciatively as both siblings pulled their earbuds out before he headed over to the oven and pulled out a large tray of delicious-smelling snickerdoodles. 

Now would be as good a time as any to join in…

“Your brother’s got a point there,” interjected Oliver, jovially as both of his children jumped slightly in surprise.

“Oh my God, give us a warning next time,” commented William, his breathing slowly returning to its normal speed.

The days had long since passed where he was used to his dad popping out of nowhere to talk to him, yet something about the sensation brought a silent sense of familiarity to his chest. Even if that feeling involved a mild panic attack, too.

“Yeah, exactly how long have you been spying on us?” Asked Mia, her voice ringing with an odd sense of anticipation.

“Just a few minutes. Why?” replied Oliver, successfully masking his voice with a layer of obliviousness his daughter didn’t see past.  

There was no harm in saving Mia from the embarrassment of others knowing that she actually liked spending time with her brother.

Thea always acted the same way, so I get the feeling.

“Because we wanted this to be a Christmas surprise for you. Surprise,” William smiled awkwardly, throwing his arms out happily.

“Yeah, what he said,” shrugged Mia, pretending like she didn’t honestly care if he liked it or not.

Just seeing how much they care means more to me than they know.

“It’s perfect, thank you,” smiled Oliver, gratefully as he joined his two kids in the kitchen, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders and squeezing them both tightly, the muscles on his arms bulging slightly under the pressure.

“Well, we have to do something nice for you every once and awhile,” commented Mia as she leaned ever so slightly into her father’s embrace, soaking up the full extent of her father’s comfort.

My secondary mission is now complete.

All three of the Smoak-Queens continued to hug for another several seconds before Mia finally pulled away, having claimed that Oliver was holding them too tightly.

“There’s no such thing as loving your kids too much,” corrected Oliver, firmly as he watched William returning to frosting their freshly made cookies with colorful layers of red, green, and blue.

“Yeah, sure…dad,” scoffed Mia, smirkingly as she brushed a few strands of her wavy blonde hair away from her face.

I never thought I’d see someone more beautiful than Felicity until the day Mia was born.

“Okay, I think that the cookies are officially done baking,” announced William before sliding the dish across the bar table to the two Smoak-Queens for testing.

It wasn’t hard for their father to tell who’d made the majority of the deserts from the signature crispy dough chunks that lay strewn across the countertop.

“We’ll be the judge of that,” stated Mia as both she and Oliver took a large bite out of their delicately decorated cookies, their taste buds immediately being blasted with their sugary taste.

I wonder if he got those baking skills from me or if it’s just a bonus of Felicity giving him an endless amount of sugar as a kid?

“Meh, it’s okay I guess,” shrugged Mia, though it was hard to believe her when even as the words were leaving her mouth, her hand was inconspicuously extending across the table for another one.

“It’s an improvement,” smirked William as he pulled off his flour-covered apron to reveal a casual blue flannel shirt beneath. 

His happy face was dotted with the fluffy substance, his brown eyes shining with what Oliver would personally call true holiday spirit.

“How about I go get ready for today’s holiday activities while you two clean up,” suggested Mia, her eyes only looking into Oliver’s for a single second before whipping her attention back onto William’s.

“Neither of you have to do any of that if you don’t want to, especially after everything that’s happened over the last few days,” reassured Oliver, calmly.

Patience had always been key when it came to talking to his kids (something that I can say came easier to me than Barry).

“We know, but we want to,” said William, his voice ringing with a sort of sensitive softness neither of the two vigilantes would ever dare to reach.

“Yeah, especially after you didn’t let me have any fun in Russia, you have to at least let me have fun here,” agreed Mia, the slightest tinge of happiness hidden within her words.

“Well, there’s no way I’m going to pass up that offer,” conceded Oliver, the warm feelings of his children’s love coursing through his usually cold veins like a burning flame.

They really do want to spend Christmas together as much as I do.

“Good, because I wasn’t asking,” stated Mia, clearly before waltzing back into her temporary bedroom.

“Also known as Mia for thank you,” whispered William, both father and son laughing quietly.

I always knew I’d need a new handbook for raising a daughter.

“So, how are the Wilsons doing? You know, after the whole kidnapping and threatening us thing before surprisingly changing their minds,” asked William as he washed dishes alongside his father, their elbows bumping afterevery few seconds.

“Good. Joe and Grant are in a secure Argus prison off the books where they’re going to try and make amends for their crimes,” answered Oliver, thoughtfully.

The amount of times I’ve heard people say something similar to that is higher than I can count.

“And Slade?” Added William, curiosity carrying his voice as both men placed the last dishes in their rightful places inside the kitchen cabinet.

“He’s finishing up the few last things revolving around his sons’ organizations before he gives himself up, too,” responded Oliver.

Even though I never would’ve expected it to be his choice, I respect him for making the right decision in the end. And I guess it’s kind of nice to have ended things with him on somewhat good terms, at least by our standards.

“So, I guess it all worked out in the end. Well, aside from the whole Joe breaking my arm thing, but that was more of a complication as opposed to a problem,” rambled William, jokingly holding up his broken wrist.

“Yeah, but we only won thanks to you,” commented Oliver, proudly as he looked across at the remarkable man he’d been so lucky to have in his life.

William was right. Having someone as great as him in my life will always be worth it, no matter how many days I have left.

“Eh, pretty sure I remember Mia doing most of the work on our end and that’s not even including the fact that you saved both of us from Grant, either,” countered William, his voice cracking in disagreement with his father’s words.

“You’re right, Mia did great out there today, but so did you. In fact, you did the one thing that neither of us thought to do,” reasoned Oliver as their eyes’ met with a sense of pride that was only matched by their love for one another.

William listened intently for his father’s next words, his smile only growing with each minute that passed them by.

“You appealed to his heart, to his love for his father. And Felicity would be so proud of you, just like I am,” finished Oliver, tears of joy now sparkling in both of the men’s eyes.

William said nothing as he just threw his arms around his father’s chest, a few tears falling onto the latter’s jacket.

“That’s literally the nicest thing I’ve ever heard,” whispered William, thankfully.

“You deserve nothing less,” replied Oliver, softly.

These moments are the ones that make being a parent seem like the best job there is.

He held onto his dad for several more seconds before finally letting him go, using the tips of his fingers to brush the tears out of his eyes. Oliver just smiled at his son’s gratitude, his words only speaking his true feelings.

“Are you two seriously having another emotional moment together?” Remarked Mia, playfully rolling her green eyes as she joined them in the living room.

She now sported a much edgier red leather jacket and black jeans, though Oliver could still see the shine of her compassionate eyes hidden behind her attitude.

“Yeah, and you know, it actually feels really good to be so open. Maybe you should try it more often?” Teased William back as he grabbed his black denim jacket from a nearby coat hook.

“No, I think I’d prefer to just stick with beating up criminals to get my anger out,” smirked Mia, a knowing expression worn on her face.

Oliver strongly agreed with her sentiments, though he decided to keep those thoughts to himself.

I don’t need to be giving her an excuse to hurt someone, unless it’s in training.

“Can you give us a minute please, William?” Asked Oliver.

“Oh, no problem, I’ll meet you two outside,” nodded William as he quickly opened the front door and left, having played enough of a part in his family’s reconciliation between the last few days.

Mia leaned up against the sofa’s arm, her eyes finding particular interest in the musty tan carpeting.

“Mia, I just want to apologize for…” started Oliver before Mia abruptly cut him off.

“Dad, you don’t have to say sorry for any of it because whatever happened in the future hasn’t happened yet. And I was stupid to be spending the whole holiday ignoring you,” admitted Mia, her voice much quieter than its usual tone.

Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder, a sense of understanding passing between both father and daughter’s eyes.

I don’t want her to be upset, especially when nothing that’s going on is her fault. I just wish I could say more than what I am now.

“I think it’s fair to say that we both haven’t been the most honest with each other recently,” reasoned Oliver, sighing a deep breath of regret as he spoke.

“Honesty isn’t really any of our strong suits,” joked Mia, sarcastically scuffing the heel of her black-boot against the carpeted ground.

“Not yet, but I want it to be with us,” stated Oliver, gently.

“Yeah, that’s what everyone says until they actually have to keep a promise,” commented Mia, absentmindedly.

He didn’t have to see her expression to know how badly saying those words aloud actually hurt.

“I know that I wasn’t there for you growing up and for that I’m sorry but right now, right here, I can promise you that as long as I’m still breathing, I will do everything in my power to show how much I love you,” explained Oliver, genuinely.

I don’t care if it's an hour or a year, I will love her until the day I die.

Mia looked up into her father’s eyes, appreciation covering her face.

“That actually sounds pretty nice,” commented Mia, smilingly.

Oliver smiled back, pulling her into a soft hug, letting her head rest on his worn shoulder.

“I love you, dad,” whispered Mia, a few tears falling down her cheeks as she pushed herself further into his embrace.

“I love you too, Mia,” whispered Oliver back as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, revealing the perfection that was known as his daughter.

My family will always be the best part of me. 

“Now, enough of this mushy gushy stuff and let’s go kick the team’s asses at training,” commanded Mia as she gestured towards the open door, her demeanor slowly shifting back to her usually sassy self.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” agreed Oliver as the two Archers left the apartment, the prior carefully shutting the door behind him.

We did good, Felicity. Just like you always said we would.