Code of Silence

Untitled Part 33

FIVE YEARS AGO - RUSSIA

Felicity watched with pride as Oliver was given his Bratva tattoo. He had passed initiation and Anatoli had been very impressed. The men of the Bratva had grown to respect him, and Anatoli knew that when the time came for him to step down, they would welcome Oliver as their Pahkan. Felicity had also shown her strength during the last few days and her commitment to Oliver. Anatoli hated having her go through what she had, but his men needed to see that she could be just as ruthless as Oliver in case it ever came down to her making a decision that affected the brotherhood.

Oliver winced as he pulled his shirt back over the white dressing that had been placed over his tattoo and he smiled at Felicity. She looked so proud. They both knew they had come a long way since their boat went down. Neither one was going to walk away from Russia the same as they came. They were both harder, tougher, but to live in their world you had to be strong. They had proven they were, together.

The next few months passed quickly as Oliver worked with the brotherhood and learned Russian, and Anatoli had set Felicity up with someone to train her on self-defense. As time passed they worked deeply within the Bratva, learning the ins and out of the brotherhood and for Felicity it was a way to learn a little more about her mother. She could not wait to get home and tell her about her time here.

Oliver and Felicity had decided to call and let only those that were closest to them know they were alive. They had sworn them not to say anything or let anyone know. Anatoli's contacts had verified that Noah had been the one to sink their boat. The man he had paid to rig the explosive had been caught in Europe and tortured until he gave up the truth and told them who hired him. Felicity thought she would be more upset knowing her father tried to kill her, but she had resigned herself long ago that the father she knew and loved no longer existed. He was a man she no longer knew, and he deserved whatever punishment Oliver had planned for him.

She had mourned her father long ago and now she just wanted revenge.

One Year Ago - Russia

Time had passed so quickly during their time with the Bratva. Oliver thought back over the last few years and the things he had learned. Being a mob boss was tough and even though he had grown up in the family it had taken him awhile to get use to the violence. But that had been nothing compared to what they had experienced the last few years. Men died, widows were made, and children lost their Dad's. Some even lost their families and it had been one such month of loss that Oliver and Felicity had made a huge decision. They wanted to have a child.

They had slowly realized how precious time was and how tomorrow was not guaranteed for anyone and their love was stronger than ever. Oliver had looked into Felicity's eyes after making love and he had known. He wanted to start a family. He smiled as he thought of seeing Felicity's stomach swollen with his child and he softly kissed her stomach. She had looked at him with curiosity and he had said the words that she had been thinking herself for awhile.

"Felicity, I want to have a baby!"

She had looked at him in shock, and then brightest smile had crossed her face. She had grabbed him and kissed him all over his face, cheeks, neck, chin, forehead, until he was laughing and they were both breathless, and the day she had told him she was pregnant had been the most emotional day of his life. Oliver had been sitting in the bed writing in his journal when Felicity had walked into the room. Her face had been flushed a soft pink and she had a smile that wouldn't leave, and then he had seen her shirt. It had an arrow pointing to her tummy and it said Ребенок на борту! (Baby on board)! It had taken a moment for the words to register and then Oliver had looked up at her in awe. She smiled with tears in her eyes and he gently touched her stomach as his emotions overwhelmed him. Felicity had watched her big strong, Bratva Captain husband cry as he thought about being a father, and it had been the tenderest moment of their lives. They had held each other and cried tears of joy together, the thought of adding to their family in nine months the most beautiful thing either of them would ever experience.

Over the months Oliver had gone with Felicity to every single doctor appointment. They had both laughed with tears in their eyes as the doctor had performed the sonogram and they saw their baby for the first time. Oliver had stared at the sonogram picture every single day. And they had both decided to wait until the birth to find out the sex of the baby. They had picked out names for both, not caring whether it was a boy or a girl. Felicity would laugh at night when Oliver would lay his head on her stomach and tell their son or daughter stories about them, and how much he loved her. Felicity would playfully swat his arm if his stories strayed from PG. But those months had been some of the happiest in their lives. And then the day to have Zoya had come.

The day Zoya Grace was born, Oliver had been a mess. He had tried to keep calm but had barked at every single nurse or doctor that looked at Felicity. She had finally pulled him to her and calmed him down, but his glare had been present the whole birth, telling all involved that if anything happened to Felicity or the baby that he would bring hell down on all of them. But the minute Zoya had been placed in his arms; the minute he had seen her tiny fist curl around his finger and her blue eyes look up at him, he had been a goner. They day they had held her in their arms and felt the love and completeness of their family, Felicity had looked at Oliver and said, "I want to go home!"

PRESENT DAY

Oliver did not know how long they sat there, he had a crick in his neck, his back hurt from no support, but he would have sat there for ever if she needed him to. Her sobs had slowly turned to hiccups and as she pulled her face away from his neck, Oliver gently pushed her hair from her face.

"Ты в порядке, моя любовь? (Are you ok my love?)", he asked softly, gently stroking her hair.

She nodded as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I am glad he is gone Lev. My mother can now rest in peace. She will never be hurt by him again and neither will I."

"But you killed him Felicity. Can you live with that?" Oliver asked concerned. He knew his wife was tough. She had proved that over and over in Russia, but killing her own father. Would she be able to live with that?

Felicity thought for a moment. She had not hesitated to pull the trigger. In fact when she had learned that Noah had Zoya her mind had blanked and all she could think of was him hurting her. It had been a simple decision to end his life. And she was amazed to find that she did not regret it.

"He wasn't my father anymore Oliver. He stopped being my father the day he allowed those men to touch me. The day he ignored my hurt and pain. So to answer your question, I will be fine. As long as you and Zoya are here with me that is all that matters."

Oliver gently wiped her cheeks and kissed each one. "Will you get Zoya and bring her in here?" Felicity whispered.

She climbed off of Oliver's lap and settled on the bed as Oliver went to the nursery. Zoya was sleeping soundly, so he gently picked her up and walked into the bedroom, a loving smile on his face as he looked at her. "She is as beautiful as her mother!" he said as he handed her to Felicity. He walked around and crawled into bed beside her as Felicity held Zoya in her arms and nestled against his chest.

"This is all I need Lev. You and Zoya!" she said and gently pushed her daughter's baby fine hair back from her forehead. "Do you know what makes me happiest?"

Oliver gently stroked Zoya's arm, feeling her soft skin. "What?"

"Knowing she will grow up with love. That she won't grow up the way I did! She will always, always know she is loved and appreciated by both of us." Felicity said, and kissed his cheek. Sadness briefly flickered through Felicity's eyes as she thought of her mother, not ever getting to know her daughter. But it quickly passed as she knew that when Zoya was old enough, she could tell her some wonderful stories about her grandmother.

Her mother would live on through Zoya.