Summary: What if, when Slade kidnapped Felicity, he found the cure in her pocket? What would happen, would they be able to defeat Slade? Or would Slade fulfil his promise?

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or any characters involved.

Oliver knew. He knew what he was risking, what depended on this plan working. And he believed that they could pull it off.

But the terror that filled him when he heard Slade tell him through the comm's that he had Felicity was still unbelievable. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, but he knew it was their only chance of defeating Slade.

To beat the unthinkable, you have to do the unthinkable.

Make him outthink you.

I believe in you.

As he walked towards the location, his mind flew back to at the Mansion, when he told Felicity he loved her. He didn't know why he did it, it was a bad idea, he still couldn't be without her without putting her at risk, and all he needed to say was that Slade took the wrong woman. But he just wanted her to know before he sent her off to be kidnapped by a man bent on taking everything Oliver loved.

"Twitch, and I'll slit your throat." Slade's whispered words echoed through the confines of the building, a chilling edge to them. "My first words to you, do you remember? I do. I remember the exact moment, my blade against your neck, just like my blade is against the neck of your beloved."

Ignoring the spike of fear through his heart, Oliver searched the room with his eyes, before bringing his bow up as Slade continued. "If only I had killed you then, everything would be different."

At that exact moment, Oliver entered the space where Slade held Felicity, she was trembling, his sword pressed against her neck. He could see the smudges on her face, and Slade's face twisted into a sadistic smile.

"Drop the bow, kid." He said, flexing his arm and causing Felicity to give a small whimper. "Do it."

Oliver watched, feeling like he was a third party in the scene, as he placed his bow on the ground and watched one of Slade's men drag a struggling Laurel into the room, she'd always been a fighter, and now she was here because of him.

"Yes…" Slade continued. "Countless nights dreaming, of taking all that you took from me.

"By killing the woman I love."

"Yes."

"Like you love Shado…" Oliver spoke, trying to keep his voice even as he watched Felicity struggle to breathe with his sword against her skin. He continued to talk to Slade, one last desperate attempt to bring him back.

When Felicity was forced to her knees, Slade trailing his sword against her shoulder, when Slade told Oliver he would feel Felicity's blood against his face, Oliver struggled to keep his voice even. But he needed to stay calm. Felicity was depending on him, he glanced down, and Oliver noticed something, her eyes were wide, wild with fear, more than they were even when she had been kidnapped by the Count. She was beyond terrified. It looked like she was trying to communicate something. But then Slade had finished his monologue, and Oliver glanced up.

He saw his opportunity, the wild look in Slade's eyes, glinting with tears. Attempting to calm the thumping that was his heart, Oliver spoke.

"I already know how you feel! I know what it's like to hate, to want revenge." He watched as Slade slowly circled Felicity, and he risked a glance at her. He almost stopped speaking when he saw her face. She looked even more terrified than before. Tears were now running down her face, and she gave the slightest shake of her head at Oliver, before the sword at her neck stopped her movements.

Not understanding what she was trying to tell him, Oliver forged on. "And now I know how it feels, to see my enemy so distracted, he doesn't see the real danger is right in front of him."

He watched as Slade slowly brought Felicity to her feet, and Oliver waited anxiously, for her to make her move. But that wasn't what happened. Instead, Slade's slow, cruel laugh filled the dampened room. Felicity gave a sob and tore her eyes away from Oliver the moment he tried to meet them. Why wasn't she giving him the cure? And why was Slade laughing? The dread in Oliver's stomach grew until he felt like it would make his knees buckle from the force of it.

"I assume," Slade spoke slowly, "that you are waiting, for this?"

Slade held something up in his hand, it was a needle. The cure. Felicity didn't have it.

Slade did.

Slade gave another booming laugh, before dropping the cure to the ground, and crushing it beneath his foot. In a single motion he pulled Felicity back into his chest and placed the sword even closer to her throat. Oliver's feeling of dread peeked and he stumbled backwards, feeling the blood drain from his face.

Slade found out. He realised their plan. Now he truly did have the woman Oliver loved. And Oliver could only stare, wide eyed and slack jawed in shock as another sob ripped from Felicity's throat.

"It didn't take me long to realise, the ploy you and your love had created. 'Make him… outthink you'. That's what she said to you, is it not? When you were in need of assurance." At Oliver's shocked look, Slade laughed again cruelly. "Did you really think that your mansion was the only place I had installed security cameras?" He grinned at Oliver, before continuing. "I see why you stayed with Sarah when she came back. Both of you have tried the same tactic, giving me a rigged gift. She tried to blow me up, sacrificing a man she barely knew. And you… you gave me a 'decoy' in order to cure me of the mirakuru."

Slade yanked Felicity's body closer to him and Oliver took a step forward in a ridiculous attempt to stop him. But he froze when Felicity gave a cry of pain. He watched as a small drop of blood slowly slid down her neck and to the collar of her coat.

"It's amusing, kid. I never would have figured it out. But looking back, it makes perfect sense." Slade's voice was almost a hiss as he spoke and Oliver tried to school his features.

It didn't work.

Laurel watched on in horror from the arms of her captors as the tension in the room increased further. She'd never seen Oliver look so scared, so completely at a loss of what to do, not even when Moira died.

"When I attacked your hideout, your first instinct was to protect her. You grabbed her, and ran, leaving your girlfriend to fight while you protected another. Just like you did to Shado. But that wasn't everything, miss Rochev spoke to me about the two of you, how close you two are. I never realised, that the feelings extended to both sides."

Oliver was breathing heavily now, and, finally, he managed to speak in a quiet voice.

"Let her go Slade, she has nothing to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this! I made you a promise, kid! That I would rip all you love from you! But before that, you were my brother, for a year."

Slade, who had begun shouting in his crazed fury, once again dropped Felicity to her knees, her knees hitting the concrete made a small cracking sound and she winced. Oliver, who had long since given up controlling his features, was shaking his head from side to side.

"No. Please, not her, just let her go." He whispered, his voice cracking. He didn't know how he could fix this, their last defence had failed, and now, Slade had all the power in his hands.

Slade once again grinned, placing the edge of his sword against Felicity's shoulder, and he continued his victory speech.

"And in that year, that we were brothers, I discovered something, Oliver Queen. I discovered, that I could tell when you were lying." Felicity's eyes snapped to Oliver's face in confusion, but he wouldn't meet her eyes, his were glued on Slade's. "And when you confessed your love, to Felicity, in your childhood home, you gave me my final piece."

Oliver's fists were clenched in anger, his eyes blurry with tears, as he watched Slade take a step back from Felicty, keeping his sword poised on her back.

"Slade, you don't have to do this. We can end this. Just let her go. Let her go and kill me! This isn't about her, this is between you and me! Stop this!"

Slade took no notice of Oliver's shouted pleas. His eyes were fixed on the blonde in front of him. Whose shoulders were shaking with her sobs, but she found the strength to look up, searching for Oliver's face. When she found it, her face filled with determination, and she gave Oliver a shaky smile, before speaking in a trembling voice.

"My life, my choice." I believe in you.

"You finally gave me the person you love the most. And now, you can watch her die."

"No!"

"Ollie!"

Oliver and Laurel's cries were drowned out by the sound of a shot being fired. Slade gave a grunt of pain and stumbled to the side, lifting his hand to his neck. A dart protruded from the side and he ripped it out, but it was too late. The blue liquid had already entered his system. Felicity took her opportunity to jump to the side, almost crashing into Nyssa, who stood, blow gun still raised. Oliver froze for a moment, staring at Felicity with wide eyes as she righted her feet and met his gaze. He could here Slade shouting and Sara and Laurel, but he couldn't move his feet.

He'd been so close.

If they survived this, he knew one thing. She was never going in the field again.

"Ollie!" Sarah's shout snapped him back in time to see Slade standing up again. With one last glance at Felicity, Oliver snatched his bow up and charged at Slade.

Oliver watched as Diggle walked off, leaving Felicity and Oliver alone on the beach. When Felicity began speaking he swallowed back his nerves and listened.

He listened as she spoke about his plan, and how ultimately it didn't work, but he still defeated Slade. He listened as she talked about the idea of the two of them being 'unthinkable'. And held back the words on the tip of his tounge, just watching her, every part of her, with a sad smile on his face.

She was so beautiful, so brave, and so perfect. He didn't deserve her. Why had it become so difficult.

"And when Slade said he could tell, when you lie.." she gave a soft laugh. "Well it just shows how well you sold-"

"He does know." He spoke, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them. He inhaled a deep breath, preparing for a response, a lie or excuse he could give for his mishap. But he couldn't think of anything. He was just tired. So unbelievably tired of hiding his feelings. Of watching her get in danger because he cared for her, and yet not being able to be with her.

Felicity gasped softly and looked up at him intently. "What?"

"He wasn't lying," Oliver responded slowly, watching every emotion in her eyes. "When he said he could tell when I lie, he was right. Slade knew me better than almost anyone when I was on the island, he can tell when I'm telling the truth."

Felicity was speechless. She just stood there, staring at Oliver. And he watched her just as intently. Finally, she swallowed back the lump in her throat, and spoke.

"Why?"

He honestly didn't know what she meant by that, so many options. Why do you love me? Why are you admitting it. Why now? Why is this so complicated?

The list was endless, and Oliver honestly didn't know the answer. But he knew what he wanted now. This was just one more life-death experience. But it was different. He was finally accepting that no matter what he did, she'd be in danger. And so he may as well allow the two of them to be happy.

Oliver's soft smile turned into a full-blown grin as he placed his hand on the side of her face and she closed her eyes momentarily, before snapping them open and watching him as he leant closer and kissed her softly.

It was a soft kiss, and innocent kiss, barely what you would expect after months of unresolved feelings. But the emotions it brought out of Oliver were almost too much to bear. She didn't respond at first, obviously in too much shock, but finally, he lips moved against his.

Too soon, they pulled away, resting their foreheads together, before Oliver reached down and linked his hand with Felicity's intertwining their fingers.

"Let's go home." She finally said, and they turned, walking back towards Dig and the plane.

Diggle crouched on the ground, playing with a rock in his hand, and he made no attempt to hide his grin when he saw the two of them. Oliver, in an attempt, to distract the attention from him and Felicity, asked Dig about him and Lyla.

"It can wait." He replied, watching them with a 100W smile on his face, smug and proud.

And with that, they began walking back towards the plane.

AN: I know some of you may feel that Oliver wouldn't react this way or any other concepts of this that may feel OOC but I did the best I could so thanks. :)