"I never thought that this day would come but I have to say that I wish someone would rob a bank," Felicity complained to the room in general as she spun in slow circles in her chair. Her tone turned almost wistful, "Or break out of Iron Heights or unleash an army of super soldiers. I just wish someone would do something." Her chair spinning had picked up pace while she'd been talking and she used her foot to stop it seeing as she was getting a little dizzy. "I'm half-tempted to start following the cops around, see if they have something for me to do. I've never felt so bored in my life except for when I'm trapped at my day job. That's boring enough to make a person narcoleptic," she groaned. She knew that she was being a tad bit over-dramatic but the restlessness was getting to her. The past few weeks had been calmer than usual and that was saying something considering how quiet the city had become since they'd defeated Slade seven months ago.

Dig chuckled, ducking a punch from Oliver, who was frowning at Felicity's words. "I'm sorry that being my assistant is boring," he told her, sounding the exact opposite of sorry. Diggle landed a jab to Oliver's right side and he grunted.

"Don't act like you love being CEO, you'll do pretty much anything to get out of work. Besides, how many hours can you guys actually spend training? Not saying that I don't enjoy the show but that's all you guys have done for the past few weeks. Aren't you going stir-crazy?"

Roy snored lightly from the cot that was on the other side of her desk about ten feet away. She rolled her eyes and threw her pen at him, hitting him in the head while he drooled on the pillow. He grumbled but resumed his snoring, louder this time. She spun back around to face Oliver and Dig. "See? You've turned Roy into a narcoleptic."

"I know that things have been quiet lately," Oliver said between grunts as he deflected Dig's punches. "But this is Starling City, some psycho is bound to start wreaking havoc at some point."

"That's what you said last week and the week before. Face it, Oliver, you might have intimidated every bad guy out of the city."

He stopped and gave her an exasperated look. "I highly doubt that, Felicity." Dig took advantage of the distraction to use his leg to sweep Oliver's feet out from under him, making him hit the training mat with a thunk. Oliver jumped back up and the sparring resumed with renewed intensity.

Felicity sighed, getting to her feet. She grabbed her purse off the table and slung it over her shoulder. "I'm going home. Try not to kill each other." She strode past them, stopping when she remembered something. "Don't forget we have that meeting in the morning, Oliver. Try not to be late." He waved her off, focusing on sparring with Dig. "Men," she grumbled as she started climbing up the stairs. She made it halfway up them when the door creaked open and two armed A.R.G.U.S. guards came through.

She scrambled back down the stairs. "Um, Oliver?" She said, getting his attention as she made her way back over to the training mat. "We've got company."

Heels clicked against the stairs as Oliver and Dig stopped training and joined Felicity. Roy had woken up, standing behind them, arms crossed across his chest, appearing much more awake than he had moments ago, and Felicity narrowed her eyes at him, knowing he'd been faking earlier. Amanda Waller stepped in view, pushing past the guards and coming to stand directly in front of Oliver.

She felt Oliver tense and she knew his fists were clenched without having to look at them. "What are you doing here, Amanda?" He asked, seething.

"And do you have to come so heavily armed?" Diggle asked. The tension in the room had tripled in the past minute.

She glared at him. "Considering that the last time I saw you, Mr. Diggle, you held a gun up to my head, I think my guards are necessary." Dig snorted and shook his head. Waller ignored him, directing her attention towards Oliver. "I came here because I am in need of some outside assistance," she answered in a clipped tone.

"What makes you think I'll help you?" Oliver asked.

"Because you owe me."

He scoffed. "Owe you for what?"

"For the fact that I didn't arrest Mr. Diggle and Ms. Michaels when they busted into my headquarters, threatening me and my staff."

"Seeing as you were about to nuke the city, I stand by what Lyla and I did." Dig snapped.

"I thought you might say that," she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Will you cut to the chase, Amanda?" Oliver asked through gritted teeth.

"We have a situation developing and I am in need of the particular skill set of your team."

"If you want my help, you're going to have to be more specific than that." The irritation was clear in Oliver's voice.

"One of our agents has gone rogue. He also kidnapped Mr. Lawton's daughter before he went into hiding."

"Zoey?" Diggle asked, clearly more in the know than the rest of them. "Why would a rogue agent take Lawton's kid?"

"There was an altercation last week between Jack Hanson and Lawton in Mr. Lawton's cell. It was the next day that he disappeared as did Lawton's kid. It's not a coincidence."

"What do you mean by altercation?" asked Dig.

"Lawton taunted Hanson a few times and Hanson has a short fuse. When I wasn't there, he went into Lawton's cell and instigated a fight. I was going to suspend him the next day but he never showed for work."

"And why do you need our help with one of your agents?" Oliver folded his arms across his bare, built chest. Felicity nearly groaned out loud due to her thoughts. Now was not the time, no matter how sweaty he was.

"We believe he's holed up in a small town about six hours south of here. Unfortunately, A.R.G.U.S. does not have clearance to enter Maple Falls because of a classified military base located in the mountains on the outskirts of town."

"And that's where we come in," Oliver finished for her.

"Can't A.R.G.U.S. just go in anyways? I mean, I have a hard time believing one military base would stop you from doing whatever you wanted to do," Felicity blurted, though she quickly wished she'd stayed quiet when every pair of eyes in the room landed on her. "I just meant that I thought A.R.G.U.S. clearance went pretty far," she added.

"It usually does but this is one exception. General Hewitt has assured me that his team is on the lookout but it's not moving fast enough for me. I want this taken care of immediately and the child returned."

"Why take Lawton's kid? That seems a bit extreme even if they hated each other," Felicity thought out loud, unable to take the silence that had descended upon the room. "And why go rogue? What would make someone throw their whole life away? And how do you know they took his kid?"

Waller raised one perfect eyebrow. "I can't begin to understand Mr. Hanson's motives, I was hoping you could help with that."

Felicity couldn't help but notice how Waller had skirted past answering how she knew that Zoey Lawton was missing.

"We'll do it," Oliver said abruptly.

"I'm happy to hear that."

"I'm not doing this for you or Lawton. I'm doing this for the kid," said Oliver forcefully, making sure she got the picture.

"I don't care why you're doing it, Oliver, just do it right," she retorted wearily. "A rogue agent, especially one of Hanson's caliber, is something that can quickly spiral out of control."

"How much of a problem is it going to be trying to get into Maple Falls? I'm guessing we can't just barrel in looking for Hanson," asked Felicity.

Waller sighed, clasping her hands together behind her back. "It's not going to be easy. Maple Falls is a relatively small town, it's not easy to blend in but I believe you should be fine if you don't try to blend in."

Oliver's face crinkled in confusion. "I'm not following."

"If Oliver Queen shows up with his pretty little blonde assistant for a weekend getaway at a private lake house, the right questions won't be asked."

Felicity stepped forward, past Oliver. "You want me and Oliver to go there under the pretense of a romantic getaway so the military doesn't get suspicious? That sounds ridiculous."

"It's far from it, Miss Smoak. I cannot stress enough the discretion that is needed here. The Arrow can't parade into town to catch the bad guy and neither can Oliver Queen. This should give you enough leeway that you can search the mountains for the cabin we believe Hanson is in without interference."

"There has to be a better option," Felicity said, trying (and succeeding) not to cringe under the weight of Waller's gaze. "I'm more than happy to go with but I don't see what good I can do. Dig or Roy should go with Oliver, they're better back-up. Don't get me wrong, I can hack anything but my right hook is laughable."

"That's exactly why you need to go. Jack Hanson has an extensive background in computer sciences. You can be back-up and a cover, it's beyond convenient," Waller stated matter-of-factly.

"We'll take the plane first thing in the morning," Oliver told Waller as Felicity's eyes bugged out. They were definitely going to exchange some words once Waller was gone.

"You're going to have to drive there. Maple Falls is a no-fly zone and you can't land anywhere close. It would be pointless."

Oliver's jaw clenched, the muscles in his face straining. "Anything else you care to share?"

"I'll send all the information I have to Miss Smoak. The sooner this is over with, the better, Oliver. I would hate to press treason charges against Mr. Diggle and Ms. Michaels, especially with the impending birth of their child."

"That won't be necessary, Amanda, and you know it," Oliver snapped, livid.

"I sure hope so." She looked back at her guards, jerking her head towards the door. She spun on her heel, making her way out, every step punctuated by the click of her heel on the concrete floor. The second she disappeared from sight, everyone in the room let out the collective breath they'd been holding.

"Well, at least the club is closed. That would hard to explain those people stomping through," Felicity offered, needing to break the silence.

"Are you still bored?" Oliver asked.

"How was I supposed to know that saying I was bored would immediately summon Amanda Waller? Trust me, if I'd known that, I would've just kept my mouth shut."

"What the hell was that all about?" Roy interrupted.

"Waller flexing her power," Oliver answered wearily.

"Are you seriously going to go along with this plan?" Asked a bewildered Felicity.

"No. I'm going to Maple Falls but just me. You're staying here."

Felicity opened her mouth to protest, even though she wasn't sure why. Only moments ago, there was no way in hell she was going but the second Oliver said no, her mind changed. Go figure. "Oliver—"

He raised a hand, cutting her off. "Waller's right, a rogue A.R.G.U.S. agent is serious. We can't just sit back and let this guy run free but I can do this on my own. I don't care what Waller thinks, it's better if you stay here." His eyes settled on her, feeling like they were burning into her, and she was torn. She didn't want to necessarily go but she didn't want him to go on his own. If Hanson was highly specialized in computer sciences, then Oliver needed her. She just didn't know if she could survive a six-hour drive with Oliver, let alone who knew how long in a private lake house, which sounded scarily romantic.

"You need back-up, Oliver. We have no idea what you're really getting into, this could be a trap for all you know," Dig said.

"IThat's occurred to me but you're still not coming. You need to stay here."

Dig shook his head, worry etched into his face. "You need back up."

"I'm going to do this one on my own. I need the three of you to stay here and hold down the fort." He said as he brushed past her.

She shook her head, steaming, and for a brief second, she wanted to throw something at him. "You heard what she said, Oliver. This guy knows what he's doing, you need back-up."

"Fine but you're not coming with me, Felicity. I'll take Roy."

She was trying hard not to take offense to the fact that he didn't want her to go with but she was failing miserably. "Roy doesn't even know how to turn on a computer, let alone take on a guy who was trained by the government."

"Hey!" Roy protested.

"He can shoot an arrow, which is more than you can do."

"Stop being so damn stubborn. I'm going with and that's that."

Oliver snorted. "I'm being stubborn? We have no idea what we're walking into, Felicity. I'm not putting your life at risk."

"Exactly, Oliver, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into and as for putting my life at risk, that's a choice I make, not you."

"I'm not entirely convinced this isn't some ploy from Waller to get me out of the city for some nefarious reason. I need people here in case she tries something."

Felicity huffed and gave him an exasperated look."So, first, you don't want me to come with because you don't want to put my life in danger and now you want me to stay in the city in case Waller is planning something? I'm sorry, Oliver, but I'm having a hard time not taking this personally. I get that I'm not really an asset as far as fighting goes but if this guy does know his way around computers then I should be there."

They'd ended up impossibly close to each other and they both became aware at the same moment, the argument coming to an abrupt halt as they both stepped away. He paced the floor, briefly, waging an internal war.

"I should be the one to go," said Dig. "Lyla and I are the ones she's threatening to press charges against and as much as I dislike Lawton, I have to help him."

"I need you here, Diggle. I don't know how long this will take and you should be in the city. That baby could be here any day and you don't want to miss that just to catch some bad guy for Amanda Waller."

Dig leaned against the table, folding his arms across his chest. "It's my decision to make, Oliver."

"So everyone keeps pointing out to me," he grumbled in return. "What about you, Roy? Are you going to argue about why you should come?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I was actually going to argue the opposite. I should stay here since someone needs to run the club while Thea's gone."

Oliver sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Fine. Dig and Roy, you guys stay here. Felicity and I will go take care of this."

Diggle looked annoyed but he didn't say anything else, accepting the decision. Felicity, on the other hand, had gotten what she wanted but now she was feeling anxious. It wasn't because they were going to deal with a rogue A.R.G.U.S. agent, that kind of stuff was the status quo in her life now but the idea of spending that much time with Oliver, just the two of them, was enough to make her stomach churn with nervousness.

"Do you think Lawton knows his daughter is missing?" Roy asked no one in particular.

"I doubt it. I know Lawton and if he knew Zoey was in danger, he would go after her." Dig leaned against a table. "I'm guessing Waller hasn't told him because she doesn't want to have to detonate him just yet," he said, disgusted.

"Detonate him?" Roy asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Lawton's part of something called the Suicide Squad. A.R.G.U.S. took a bunch of criminals and placed trackers that double as explosives in them, first at the base of their skull and after we removed Lawton's, they starting fusing them to their spines. They do A.R.G.U.S.'s dirty work and if they step out of line or try to escape, they detonate them."

"That's twisted," Roy said.

"Which is why we need to get Zoey back. I'm not going to allow Waller to use the kid as leverage," Oliver told them.

"Do you really think Waller would do that?" Felicity asked before shaking her head. "Never mind. That's a stupid question."

"I'm going to try to get in to talk to Lawton, see if he knows anything," Diggle said.

"Even if Waller will let you talk to him, maybe it is best if he doesn't know Zoey's missing," Felicity said.

"He needs to know. There's no love lost between Lawton and I but what A.R.G.U.S. has done to him is wrong. Zoey is the only thing Lawton cares about and he deserves to know. Plus, he could give a little more insight into what went down between him and Hanson." Felicity suspected he was feeling more of a kinship to Lawton now that he was about to be a father.

"Okay, Dig, go see if you can get in to talk to Lawton tomorrow. Felicity and I will leave first thing in the morning. I'll pick you up at your place, be ready." He turned to leave, assuming the conversation was over.

"What about the meeting in the morning?"

"Reschedule it for next week."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You'll take any excuse you can to get out of meeting, won't you?"

A boyish grin came over his face, the smile that made her think billionaire playboy more than any other one. "If you really want, we could go to the meeting and then drive six hours."

She sighed. There was no way she was going to subject herself to a boring meeting before having to be in a car that long. "I'll call in the morning and reschedule. It's a good thing we only make it to the office 40% of the time so this isn't unusual."

"Are you sure the two of you go in that much?" Dig teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I would be there everyday if my boss would show up. In fact, when I worked in the IT department, I was there everyday. Besides, we've gone in every day for the last month. That should buy us some goodwill, at least."

"I almost wish I was going so I could enjoy the show that would be a road trip with the two of you," Roy said before he frowned. "Actually, no. I don't think you could pay me enough to be in a car with you two for that long."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Felicity asked.

"An enclosed space with the two of you bickering like you usually do, does not sound that fun."

"We don't bicker," she defended herself but she didn't really mean it. Roy had a point, for once.

Both Roy and Diggle gave her a look that clearly said they didn't believe it but it was Dig who spoke this time. "Whatever you say, Felicity."

She was going to say something else when the computer beeped. The information from Waller had arrived.

"I'll see you in the morning, Felicity," Oliver said before walking out of the Foundry.

Not long after, she said good night to Dig and Roy, making her way out of the Foundry, through the club, and out to where her car was parked. She was surprised to find out that Oliver was still here, leaning against her car, and apparently waiting for her. "What are you still doing here?" She asked as she dug her car keys out of her purse.

He pushed off the car, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I wanted to apologize for earlier, for trying to make you stay here."

"Well, it's a good thing you can't make me do anything," she shot back.

He pulled a hand out of his pockets, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. "I know and I shouldn't have tried. I know you can handle yourself and you'd rather be in the thick of it alongside all of us. The thing is, I can't make up my mind when it comes to you." He stared at her with a perplexed look on his face before shaking his head. "On one hand, there's no one I'd rather have as backup because I trust you explicitly, but I'm nervous every time I put you in a situation like that. If something happened to you because of me," he trailed off.

"Oliver Queen, nervous? I don't believe it," she teased lightly, brushing past the implications of what he'd said.

The right side of his mouth twitched. "I just wanted to make sure you knew that you're all the backup that I need."

Her heart beat a little faster but she schooled her face. "Thank you. And I guess we can forget about your misguided attempt to keep me from the action. This time."

He hovered over her, a smile on his face, and she could tell he wanted to say something else. Whatever it was, she didn't know because he stepped away from her and walked over to his bike. "I'll see you in the morning, Felicity."

"Good night, Oliver," she said softly as she climbed into her car.

What exactly had she just gotten herself into?

It was seven the next morning when Oliver pulled up to the curb outside her house in a black Range Rover she hadn't seen before. She locked her front door and he got out of the vehicle to help her with her bags. She was normally a pretty light traveler but she'd wanted to be prepared for anything which was why she had one suitcase that was all clothes and two other bags for her computer equipment. "Where'd you get that?" She asked mid-yawn, pointing at the Range Rover.

"It's a company vehicle. My bike isn't ideal for a long trip like this and a town car is too conspicuous."

She raised an eyebrow as she stifled another yawn. "And a giant black Range Rover is the epitome of low key?"

"Well, it should at least make the drive a little more comfortable than it would be in your tiny car."

She couldn't argue that as she carried her suitcase full of clothes to the car before climbing into the passenger seat. There were two steaming cups of coffee in the cup holders and she grabbed one, burning her tongue because of her impatience.

Oliver climbed in, chuckling. "It's hot."

"I know that but if I don't get some caffeine in me right now, this is going to be a miserable trip for you."

"And that's why I brought coffee." He started the car and pulled away from the curb.

She yawned again and blew on her coffee, trying to cool it off before taking another drink. She pulled her tablet out of her purse and opened the files Waller had sent her last night. "According to this, Hanson is, or well, was, higher up in A.R.G.U.S. than Waller let on."

Oliver snorted. "Shocker."

"He was promoted about a year ago and before that he was their main computer science expert. Of course, it doesn't say in here where exactly he was promoted to but it does say that he was reporting directly to Waller, which doesn't bode well."

"If he was that high up and had enough access to Lawton that he could enter the cell, I'd guess he was a part of managing the Suicide Squad."

She shook her head in disgust. "I don't know how they can get away with that. I understand that these are murderers and all-around bad guys but that's just sick."

Oliver nodded in agreement. "What else does it say in there about Hanson?"

"To be honest, not a whole lot. He was born and raised in Starling City, both parents are dead, no other family. He started out in the military before moving over to A.R.G.U.S. and that's all it really says. Other than the fact that he's considered armed and dangerous, nothing unusual for us."

The left side of his mouth had quirked up in a small smile. "You've come a long way from just being an IT girl if hunting down a rogue agent is just another day in the life for you."

"Like it isn't for you," she said. "You've come a long way from being a vigilante working your way down a list."

"A lot has changed since we met."

That was true, she thought while her mind flashed back to the day she'd met him at Queen Consolidated. She'd had no idea back then where life was going to take her, content to be an IT girl, meandering through life. If someone had told her then that three years later, she would be an integral part of a team that fought hard daily to keep the city safe, she would have laughed in their face. If someone had told her that she would be taking a road trip to catch a bad guy with Oliver Queen, just the two of them, she would have told them they were nuts. If someone had told her that Oliver Queen would tell her that he loved her, ruse for a madman or not, she would have had them committed.

She looked over at Oliver in the driver's seat, admiring the way his gray cotton t-shirt hugged his upper body and the way the early morning light was making his blue eyes sparkle. For the millionth time since that moment in the mansion, she shoved her feelings towards Oliver back into their little box and locked them up tight. They would bang on the sides, begging to come out, but she couldn't let them. They were friends and partners, they needed each other, but not in that way. This partnership was important to her and she knew it was important him. That meant more to her than anything else, so she would continue on as she was, ignoring these feelings that she could admit were growing in intensity, and enjoy the relationship she already had with Oliver.

As he glanced over at her, a small smile on his lips, her heart skipped a beat, and the lid on the box opened a crack, much to her annoyance. This was going to be a very long drive, indeed.