Chapter 1

She didn't fall in love with him straight away. At first, beginning with his unexpected appearance in her little office, he came to fascinate her. When she found out he was the city's vigilante, laying on her car's back seat, the fascination started to mix with apprehension. Reason told to leave it at that, he killed people and she'd voluntarily be walking into a territory that was far from harmless.

Did she listen?

Of course not, instead she began spending her nights surrounded by his presence when he wasn't swinging arrows into wrong doers, and the fascination decidedly grew.

Oliver wasn't the world's most elaborative speaker, he didn't share much of his past especially the island parts, but when he did, she listened. He told her about Shado and how in her memory he wore the suit he did, he told her how nothing good ever happened there. She locked it all to memory as well the little things he did, how he would spend hours with the salmon ladder every time he had some frustration to burn off or how his lips would turn upwards when he'd mention Thea. All those things slowly crept up on her. She didn't know when exactly or how, but they did. Before she knew it, she was in love with Oliver Queen.

She was sure he had noticed how flustered she would become every time he would lean in close when she was explaining something on the computer screen, or noticed her staring when he walked around shirtless. And he did that a lot. Those reactions were beyond her control but he didn't seem to think anything of them and she treasured the thought; she didn't want their friendship to take a turn to awkward-land.

Apparently not everybody was as imperceptive as him, they found her actions a notch more obvious. Moira had no problem pointing it out to her face. Barry only asked, but the question remained.

He was haunted by demons, that much was obvious. Since she had known him, he had always had trouble sleeping, still relieving the nightmares of the island. She knew that, often seeing dark circles under his eyes and sprawled mats and weapons he forgot to put away after a sleepless night. What she also knew, was that she took one hell of a risk telling him about Thea's paternity. She was scared the extra load placed on his shoulders would make an inevitable damage, but their friendship was built on a cornerstone of honesty and so she didn't want to let that go.

Was that selfishness? She liked to think that she was simply placing the blow now, rather than letting someone else do it later. She watched the relationship with his mother crumble and him bury himself even darker place than before, but never blaming her in the process.

So when he got together with Sara, she was happy, as much as it stung to see them sharing a passionate kiss by the sparring mats or holding hands when they entered the Foundry, she really was glad. The two had history that nobody could deny and she hoped that this would make it easier for Oliver to open up, even if it was with Sara and not her.

Sara was lively and easy to get along with. She had no problem chatting with her when the boys were busy expanding their bruise collections, whether it was about an upcoming mission or a film that was soon to show in the cinema. In fact she welcomed the female company; for a change she wasn't the only one nagging about the alluring properties of a quick shower session after a workout, in the hope she wouldn't have to sit in an area that smelled worse than a changing room full of college boys.

Three days ago they realised the trail of bodies across the city wasn't just the work of random madman. To be honest, nobody would even have thought to blame the real culprit as to everyone's information he should have been dead. Oliver told them how blood poured from under Slade's closed lids as he took in his last breath and she had no reason to question his words. Then again, people from his past had the tendency to come back from the dead so maybe it'd be wise start asking for more details than the meagre he tended to provide.

Oliver went after every lead she managed to get, each day coming back empty handed. Slade always managed to stay two steps ahead of them, making Oliver ornery and ready to lash out at anybody in his close proximity, yesterday it being her turn.

"Slade must have obscured the signal, making it appear that the security camera that registered him was from another location, the one I picked up," she explained after he walked into the lair.

"I would really appreciate it Felicity, if you'd double check the details before sending me off half way across the city, when he's clearly not there. We can't do things half way here." he snapped, throwing his quiver onto the ground. Before she had the chance to retort, he was gone.

Diggle told her to pay him no attention since he clearly didn't mean it, and she petulantly nodded her head. Yet his words still stung.

When Laurel was taken the next day, she couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes.

Sara was a ball of nerves, a permanent scowl taking residence on her face as she awaited some sort of news. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long; a series of tip offs lead them to the east side of Glades. Sara and Oliver rushed off, speeding the roads on their motorcycles eager to get the ex-attorney out whilst she told them the directions over the comms.

"Keep going straight, after ten miles you should see an old factory on your right - hold on.."

"What's going on?" asked Oliver

"Sorry, I've got an incoming call, it's from Thea" she answered, quizzically staring at the phone screen. She pressed the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Somebody help me!" a sob escaped the line. Her breathing quickened.

"Thea?! Where are you?"

" You have an hour or… or-" Thea's voice quivered, "or you'll be searching the city for my body parts", the last two words were barely a whisper. The line went dead.

Oliver let out a roar. A loud thump behind her told her Roy's fist just collided with the Foundry wall. She could hear Diggle telling the boy to focus, whilst she frantically pressed the keyboard keys. After getting Thea's last location she went through any footage that could let some light on where she was now.

Fifteen minutes later, she was reciting the address to Oliver. She heard his bike brake with a skid, as he turned the other way.

"Oliver, Roy and Diggle have just left. Wait for them."

Silence greeted her back.

"Oliver" she repeated. "I'm serious, I know it's your sister, but you can't help her if you get hurt. It's a suicide mission if you go alone."

"It's Thea, Felicity! I have to go, to end it once and for all."

"Don't you get it? It was his plan all along! Eliminating all the others to get you by yourself," she took a breath."Don't go." she was pleading now.

"I'll be fine" he brushed her off.

As if, twelve minutes later the comms were cut off. Somehow, Slade or whomever else that was working for him managed to override her system.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, both the enemy and herself for not doing a better job at securing the network. And to think she was good. Tapping her fingers, she wondered what next. She stared straight ahead at their medicine cabinet in thought. She recalled Barry listing the names of the bottles inside, one of them being benzodiazepine. Would that work? She got up from her swivel chair and ran towards it, grabbing enough to knock out a horse. She hoped she wouldn't have to use it, after all who knew how a mirakuru injected man would react to the drug, and if it were to leave him unfazed, well, let just say she'd rather not imagine what then.

She parked her mini a distance away from the warehouse, to stop the noisy engine ruining her goal of being unseen. They were at the docks, completely secluded. Just the perfect place for holding teenage girls and luring in their big brothers.

She conquered the space running, leaving her face flushed and her heart racing. She decided she'd have to reconsider renewing the gym membership she spent so long trying to get out of.

She ran towards the back, circling the perimeter, in search of a way in other than the main door. She hated not being able to keep tabs them. She slowed down. Glancing at her tablet, she realised the signals from their phones continued to be nothing but useless; constantly jumping back and forth as if something was deflecting them.

Eventually she found herself in an area so dark she had to use her tablet to lit the way, she saw a door with peeling blue paint, partly out of it's hinges. She trudged towards it, hoping this was her pot of gold. Pulling it back, it rattled as the hinge completely broke, and she sighed in relief. She pushed the weight of the door off her body so it would rest against the building wall and entered inside.

The smell of dry rot washed washed over her.

The space was stacked with boxes and tins. The black arches above her held lines of wire with bulbs at the other end, some of them working, most of them not. Those which did, were at brink of dying. The lights flickered, and she blew out a deep breath. Relax.

She moved swiftly, her gait light. She was somewhat disorientated at how quiet it was; she was expecting to hear the others if not fighting then at least negotiating, and instead she was met with this deadly silence.

It did not bode well.

A grunt of pain reached her ears at which she scrambled to her knees, her body hid behind a pillar. Something hit the floor and she breathed in sharply, pulling her arms to her torso, completely stilling. She waited for a few seconds, but when she heard no signs of anything too close to her, she dared to have a peek.

A giant man with his back to her, held Oliver in a headlock whilst Diggle lay on the ground unconscious, his face bruised and his lip split. Behind them, Thea was tied up to a chair.

She sighed, now was probably the time. Stretching her legs which felt very much like logs, she reached out for the syringe she was hoping would save them all, tucking it into her hand and abandoning her tablet for the time being. She got up and Thea's eyes widened slightly when she saw her. She shook her head to let her know to be quiet.

Slade threw Oliver against a nearby wall, and couldn't help by flinch. She heard Thea gasp. The damage inflicted to his body by Slade's inhuman strength wasn't hard to miss. It will be hell trying to get that sorted. She didn't see Roy anywhere, where the heck is he? She took a deep breath as she neared their nemesis, her steps deliberately slow and steady.

"Stay down kiddo, or they both dead" Slade said, swinging his gun from Diggle to Thea, his eyes strained on Oliver.

Her breath hitched in her throat. No.. Her breaths came out shallow.

She met Oliver's eyes, his brows furrowed in confusion. She saw panic set in his face and realised it was because she wasn't supposed to be here.

'Now brother, we all knew it would have to end like this -" he gestured the pistol to Thea's head. One… Two… Three… She was close to hyperventilating.

"- killing you would be a release that you don't deserve. I want you to live with knowing that again you have failed those who you held close. So who will it be? Sister or best friend?"

Her hands shook so hard the syringe clenched inside her fist began falling. The moment it clacked against the concrete floor, all heads turned her way but she only saw one.

His face was older and held varying shades of grey. How could they not? Eighteen years was by no means a walk in the park.

An almost hysterical laugh escaped her lips. Blood rushed to her head, clouding her vision.

"Felicity ," she heard Oliver's voice as if it were underwater. Yet, it did the trick and she once again focused on the man in front of her.

Her chest heaved.

"Dad" she rasped. The words tasted sour on her lips.

She was numb. She blinked to clear her vision from the tears she didn't even realise she was shedding, and looked at him again. Frozen and white as a sheet of paper.

An arrow cut through the air, breaking the unmoving image. And then he was falling.

He was in and out consciousness, his entire body restrained. It looked like a medieval torture device. Where did they get that from? She tried to think back to her history class, and the only name that seemed fitting was 'iron maiden', maybe that's it then.

The metal chamber from one side was filled with spikes, far enough from him to keep it pain free but with enough proximity to make it highly uncomfortable if he decided to move. Someone placed it in the middle of the Foundry, almost like a panopticon except the watchtower in this case was where Slade was.

She didn't remember getting back to the lair. Her attention, unwavering remained solely on the man whose chest got pierced with an arrow.

At some point Sara returned and informed them Laurel was alright albeit a bit shaken, then silently pulled on her gloves and went to Diggle's workplace. Together they examined their supplies, contemplating what cocktail of drugs would keep their prisoner languid before a decision was made involving his foreseeable future.

She stood in far off corner unmoving.

"Get me out of here Meghan," Slade slurred in his drugged up state.

Her whole body tensed. When she got the courage to shift her gaze to his face, his eyes were closed.

He left her when she was eight and the first thing he says to her after all this time is to get him out. No apologies, no words of regret but already a request. This wasn't her father, it wasn't. She repeated the words in her head like a mantra, childishly hoping if she said them enough times, they'd come true.

A warm hand landed on her shoulder, and she didn't have to look up to know who it was. He didn't say anything, only held it there for some time, slowly rubbing circles in silent comfort.

Oliver then slipped outside, while she continued to watch. He had to be there for Thea.

Some time later something tugged her shoulder. It was Diggle. She had no idea how long he stood by her side.

"Come on, I'll drive you home."

Diggle's concerned expression left her compelled to agree.

Freezing water poured over her head but she didn't care. Grabbing a body brush, she forcefully scrubbed her body clean as if the hard bristles could remove the emptiness that settled in her mind. She was reunited with her father, yet she felt more alone than she had in years. The shower helped, but not quite.

She glanced at her reflection. There were shadows under her eyes she wasn't surprised to see. Then her focus travelled lower down, landing on her nose. As a child she was repeatedly told she had her dad's nose. She wrinkled it in distaste. Wrapping a cream towel around her water dripping body, she headed towards her freezer. What better time than now for some ice cream therapy? An image of Slade holding his gun flashed in her mind. She ignored it and reached for a spoon.

Regardless of how many spoonfuls of chocolate mint she pampered her tastebuds with, the taste remained insipid and the image in her head refused to disappear. What was he doing on that island? She took another spoonful anyway. Why did he leave? She shoved the ice-cream box away and it toppled to the floor. Deciding she'd clean it later, she walked towards some of the disregarded clothing on the floor. She picked the first few items closest to her feet and cursed each time she failed to put her arm in the sleeve. Her hair still wet, she stumbled out of the door.

Her hand instinctively travelled up to switch the lights on but there was no need. Sara and Diggle were still there.

"Hey", Sara greeted softly.

"He's going to be out of it for some time. So go home, all of you", she said in return, her voice was firm.

"Felicity-" Diggle gently began.

"No." Flinching at how harsh she sounded, she started again. 'Please, I need some time here alone, with him. Even though he's unconscious, and it's stupid, I just need to be alone."

Uncertainty remained painted on Diggle's face.

"Fine, but we'll be back in few hours and at any sign out of trouble, you call us and get out. Understood?"

'Yes, thank you'.

She watched as they grabbed their jackets and headed for the stairs. Diggle turned around to send her a pointed look and she smiled faintly. He was like a big brother she never had. In the two years they have known each other, he had shown her more concern than she received from either of her parents.

She ended up sitting in her usual chair, and eventually powered up her computer screen. She spend years trying to find the smallest of clues that would at least tell her if he was dead or not, but there was never anything. No police records, no bank accounts in his former name. Nothing. Yet now that she knew all the things Oliver told her, she had a reasonable chance of filling in the blanks.

Two hours later, she was still encrypting codes, and writing her own ones. Australian Secret Intelligence files were a bitch to hack, but she was determined.

""God knows I deserve them" she muttered to herself.

"I don't doubt that," a thick, Australian accent echoed through the basement.

Felicity jumped, nearly falling off her chair. She swiveled herself around to face him. How did he get out? Was it all a part of some sick game; pretend to be harmless as a cheese ball to get to be alone with her?

"Don't you dare come near me." she warned, her finger carefully treading over her phone's speed dial button.

"Do you really think child, he won't use you as a leverage against me?" Words of a deranged man. Was Oliver all he thought about? Apparently so, even as she stood in front of him after all those years.

"No, he's not you." she said steadily. "And, You lost the right to call me that the minute you walked out on your family", her voice went up a pitch.

"I had no choice"

"There's always a choice"

"Not in that case",

"So I'm supposed to just accept that like you accepted it when Oliver told you he couldn't have saved Shado?"

Anger suddenly bubbled up to the surface of his eyes, but died down just as quickly.

"Come with me" he whispered.

"What?" frustration filled her voice. She must have misheard him.

"I promise you, if leave with me, I will not touch Oliver nor any of his friends. I will forget about that kid. He'll be a ghost from the past, but I need you to come with me"

She was rendered speechless.