"I'm not going to let you do this, you know." Felicity set her jaw, eyes burning with anger. Her hands were chafed from struggling against the handcuffs; the rest of her was tied with thick, coarse rope that stung her skin with every movement she made.

A dark, derisive chuckle emanated from his throat, "I'd be interested to know how you plan on stopping me, love." Of all the hostages he'd ever taken, she was by far his favorite. Taking a step toward her, he squatted before her, meeting her gaze, "You're another one of his whores, aren't you?"

Letting out an indignant scoff, she stomped on his foot the best she could. He didn't flinch. She frowned; he could have at least pretended she hurt him. The Mirakuru had made his body a brick wall and twisted up his mind. "I am not! Oliver's just a friend. A friend that I like to watch do those pull-up things and who I think would be a really, really amazing kisser but a friend nonetheless!" She spluttered, trying in vain to break free of the rope. "It's not like that between us." Not because she didn't want it…but because he had other women on his mind (and in his bed).

Raising one dark eyebrow, he folded his arms over his broad chest. "I stand corrected. Perhaps you're not like the rest of them…" He stood up again, towering over where she sat in the chair. "Stop struggling, you'll hurt yourself."

"Aren't you planning on killing me anyway?" Felicity retorted. Oliver had said that the Mirakuru had turned Slade into a soulless monster, violent to his very core. At first, he fought against his baser urges but eventually had given himself over to the pain of his experiences and the loss of a woman who never loved him back. "Sara told us about you and Oliver. You were like a father to him…he did everything he could to save you. You should be thanking him instead of trying to kill him and everyone he loves."

Indulgently, he smiled, "Ah I see. He loved me so much that he shot an arrow straight through my eye. He chose to kill me to save that little whore…" He gripped her blond ponytail, tightening his fingers in the silky strands, "She was the reason that I lost the woman I loved. I would think that you of all people would understand that…"

"I told you, we're just friends." She was forced to look into his eyes, her throat bared to him. Were this a vampire flick, she'd totally have her throat ripped out right now. For some reason, the image gave her the oddest urge to laugh…

Slipping the elastic from her hair, he watched her blonde locks spill out over her shoulders. She looked softer, more feminine with her hair like that. "You and I aren't so very different, Felicity." Reaching behind her, he unlocked her handcuffs so her arms weren't so awkwardly twisted. He could sense her relief.

With her hands free, she tugged at the knots of rope holding her prisoner. He made no move to stop her…and so she boldly continued to peel away the tethers that held her down. The white dress she had worn this morning was smeared with dirt and blood. Some of it was hers, she was sure. Her skin was burned from the rope and terribly sensitive. "I don't see at all how we're the same. You're here trying to kill everyone who you think has wronged you. I'm a lonely IT girl who became a part of a crime fighting team that is the only real family I've ever known." Dragging a hand through her hair, she assessed him clinically, "So what's the plan then, Slade? You just untied me. Aren't you afraid that I'm going to stab you with something and escape?"

Slade threw his head back, laughing so deeply that tears nearly burned in his eyes. He was forced to sit down, shaking his head, "Darling, you are priceless. I can see why Oliver adores you."

Pouting, she wrapped her arms around herself. "Yeah, okay, I guess that's not very likely." She sighed, "But seriously, you abducted me from Queen Consolidated and brought me to the old Merlyn mansion. If I was going to abduct someone, I would maybe choose a place that your opponent hadn't practically grown up in. He's much more familiar with the terrain than you are, for sure." This rambling was becoming a problem. "And why take me? Why not Thea or Diggle or even Moira? Oliver can live without me…I'm not family."

"Don't underestimate yourself," He replied curtly. "You're the heart of 'Team Arrow'." He used the term she'd coined for them. "Oliver cares for you; he'd never leave you behind. My sources were very clear about this…" He smiled, "But you always seem to be left behind. You are ensconced in your little prison of computers while Oliver and his lackeys are out fighting on the streets. It bothers you."

"That's not true," Felicity replied but the lack of venom in her argument belied there was some truth in what he was saying. Standing up, she paced the length of the floor. Slade had built a fire, illuminating the otherwise dark room. She had never been in the Merlyn mansion before but based on the sheer size of the place there had to be at least a thousand hiding places. This must have been a guest room of some kind. It was far too compact to be the master suite although the fireplace was a cozy touch. "You mind if I freshen up?" Slade had obviously picked this place out carefully. There wasn't a window in the bathroom. There was a large bay window that opened out onto a parapet positioned right above a concrete slab pavement. There was no way for her to jump and live.

He watched her looking for an exit strategy, clearly amused. "Be my guest." While she "freshened up", he removed the chair he'd tied her to in the first place. He chuckled to himself as she heard her scouring the drawers for a weapon of any kind. Moving to the door, he knocked, "If you're looking for toilet paper, it's under the sink, love." He did so love baiting his prey.

Opening the door, she glared at him pointedly, "I'm all set, thanks." Damn it, he had thought of everything. Frowning, she moved back into the room. Her eyes had easily adjusted to the dark. There was a barren bed flanked by two nightstands. The dark leather couch was covered with a sheet initially but Slade had removed it when she was in the bathroom. "So as a dead woman walking, do I get a phone call?" Yeah right, that wasn't going to happen. "Visit with my rabbi? Last meal?"

"If you're hungry, I can arrange something. My sources have told me you're a regular at Big Belly Burger." He smiled, "Funny, I can't see a dainty thing like you mowing down a hamburger."

"Believe it," Felicity replied, "I'm not the delicate flower you think I am." She shrugged, "I'm not hungry though. I guess getting kidnapped and held hostage by a presumed dead psychopath wearing an eye patch tends to do that to you."She licked her lips, "Um, no offense."

"None taken," Slade replied, shrugging. "That's not the worst thing I've been called, love."

Silence hung between them for a long time. Felicity tucked her legs beneath her on the couch while she watched Slade tend to the fire. He tossed another log on just as she was beginning to feel a chill in the room. "Can I ask you something?" Not waiting for his reply, she barreled ahead, "Oliver never talks about the Island." She peered at him, "What was it like?" She watched his jaw tick; words began to fall out of her mouth before she could stop them. "I went there with Dig. I had to jump out of this rickety old plane and I was really scared," She took a shaky breath, "I thought I was going to die but then the parachute deployed, thankfully. I stepped on a land mine after I'd been there for like twenty minutes, classic Felicity…"

Reaching out, he grasped her shoulder to stop the flow of nervous chatter, "It was hell on earth." No one had ever stopped and asked him what it had been like. He'd gone to that island to rescue his friend and it had turned into years of physical, mental and emotional anguish. He was scarred everywhere, seen and unseen. The island had turned him into a rabid beast hell bent on revenge. "A part of me prayed that I would die to put an end to my suffering. The only thing that kept me going was that I needed to get home to my wife and my son…"

Felicity looked up in surprise, "You have family?"

His gaze hardened, "Had a family." Adeline hadn't even waited a full year before she was married again. His son grew up calling another man father, a pastor who was adored and revered by all. Every instinct he had was to torture and kill him…instead he'd turned his rage on those who had ripped his family away. If Oliver had only done what he was supposed to the first time they'd have been long gone from that island by now. His wife may have moved on but his son would know him as a father. Perhaps he and Shadow would have a brood of their own by now. Instead, her corpse was rotting on the island as a sacrifice to the cold, unforgiving gods that dwelled there. He was dragged back to humanity for one heart wrenching moment. "Killing Oliver and everyone he loves will be my final act of revenge…"

"And then what?" She asked pointedly. "You're not going to feel any better. You'll just have killed everyone who possibly can understand what you went through." She licked her lips, "Oliver, Sara…they were there with you."

He gritted his teeth, "And they betrayed me!"

"I don't know what happened, I wasn't there. But I know Oliver and he would never have tried to kill you unless he absolutely had to." Sara had told them how Slade and Oliver had forged a brotherhood out there in the wild. Oliver didn't talk about his time on the island but even the quiver of his voice as he talked about Slade gave away the depth of regret that he felt over having to lay waste to the man before her. "Slade, you don't have to do this."

"Give me one reason not to, Felicity." His inky black eyes reflected the fire blazing in the fireplace, mirroring the hate that consumed his battered soul. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he simply sat there awaiting her next move.

It wasn't the first time she'd put herself in the line of fire for Oliver and it wouldn't be the last. As long as she had breath in her body, she would do whatever it took to protect those that she loved. She was going to throw herself on the grenade and bear the brunt of its explosive force.

Hesitantly at first, she inched toward him. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she closed the gap between them. He was much taller and broader than she and so she was forced to straddle him as she dipped her head, their lips pressing tenderly together. The wind was knocked out of her as he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him. Her chaste kiss bled into a violent battle for domination. He deepened their kiss, one hand threading through her blond hair. The other reached for the neckline of the white dress she wore.

Slade slowed a moment, his fingertips tracing the alabaster skin of her throat. Meeting her gaze, he let out a guttural laugh as he tore the fabric away. He stood up, lifting her as if she weighed as much as a feather. Her legs wrapped around his body as he cradled her against him. Placing her on the bare mattress, he covered her with his bulk. "You're mine," He growled. "All mine…"

For Starling City. For Team Arrow. For Oliver. Felicity gave herself over to Slade without hesitation. Afterwards she lay beside him, his arm wrapped like a vise around her waist. Felicity closed her eyes. Finally, she was able to relax and she gave herself over to the darkness.

So yeah...about this fic, haha. I am totally an Olicity shipper. I think they are adorable. However this was stuck in my head and I had to put it down. This could be a one shot or I might continue it. I'll leave it up to my readers. Please drop me a review, I'd love it. Let me know if you want more of this fic! I can't wait to see what the Arrow writers have in store for us tonight! Thanks for reading!