A/N: This is what happens when I drink a lot of wine! I'm a little nervous about this one. I would love to know what you think because of the fact that it's a first for me. I truly hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for your support! RATED M FOR A REASON!

The mission went off without a hitch - almost too easily - which is why the second she heard the scuffles start, her connections to all three of the guys fill with static and her screens go dark, her stomach plummeted.

"Oliver!" she tried frantically, one hand pressed to her ear where her Blue-Tooth held the only connection to him.

Her heart raced in her chest when she got nothing but static - a sound that was repeated on both Diggle's and Roy's comms.

Her hands flew over the keyboard, desperately trying to reboot the system, bring back her screens of the camera feeds and satellite images that she'd been guiding them with all night.

They'd almost been done. Retrieved the information that they needed. They were twenty minutes to safety.

And now she had no idea if they were okay. If they'd been hurt or if they were even alive.

Bile rose in her throat, tears burning the back of her eyes at the thought and she silently prayed for them to be okay.

When the entire Foundry went dark, she froze, fingers hovering over her keyboard, senses on complete alert.

Her heart hammered in her chest as her training finally kicked in and she carefully reached for the weapon that Digg and Oliver insisted she keep nearby. Clicking off the safety, she held the small firearm close, eyes darting everywhere as her brain flew through possibility after possibility.

Mentally, she counted the number of steps it would take her to reach the fuse box, but she guessed it wouldn't do any good. She knew it took a good five minutes for her back up lock-down to activate and she willed time to move quicker.

At the moment, she knew she was vulnerable from every angle. Their system - her - system had been overridden and until her designed back-up program could kick in, she was left with nothing but the gun in her hand and her brain to protect herself and their home. The system had a three-minute window incase it got activated by mistake or in case of a natural disaster so that they could automatically enter a code to override it. After that it would reboot everything, locking it down for two minutes while everything was rebooted and secured.

After what seemed like hours, her screens crackled, static filling them as an all-too-familiar laugh filtered through the cavernous basement.

"Tempus fugit, my dear," came the voice she knew all too well as the Clock King's. "I bet you wish it was flying a bit faster. I don't forget people who use my own systems against me. Checkmate."

Anger flared within her and she rose from her seat, wishing he couldn't hide behind his own computer screens. The scar on her back tingled as she remembered the last time she'd seen him, the bullet he'd fired lodging itself in her shoulder as she'd pushed Sara out of the way.

"You haven't won anything!" she cried into the darkness, whirling around, wondering if somehow he could see her even though she knew the chances were unlikely.

"I see you've upgraded your systems. I might not be able to destroy them like last time, but I can destroy your home...your family," he teased, and Felicity felt a chill run down her spine. "Ms. Smoak, where is the rest of your 'family?'"

Cold dread swept through her as she heard the system reboot kick in and the lair was automatically locked down, Tockman's voice and static disappearing completely.

Her heart pounded as she sunk down into her chair, her knees to shaky to hold her as the scenarios ran through her head - images of Diggle, Roy, and Oliver lying lifeless in the streets.

"No!" Her voice rang out around her but only the darkness heard her.

Tears poured down her cheeks as the hum of the servers roared to life and light flooded her workspace.

Her screens flickered, numbers and code running across them.

She sat there stunned for a moment, her world crashing down around her until a voice that sounded a lot like Oliver whispered her name in her head. "If anything ever happens, get out...go to the safehouse."

The safehouse. After everything that had happened with the Undertaking and Slade, they had come up with a plan that if the Foundry was compromised again and they were split up, they would meet up at the safehouse - a small cabin thirty miles up the coast from Starling City.

Everything in her wanted to go out in search of them, drive to the place she'd last seen them on her screens and search for them but she knew she couldn't. If Tockman had been able to infiltrate her system - again - then she couldn't be certain he hadn't been able to hack their other means of communication.

They had a plan. She had to trust Oliver and Diggle and Roy to follow that plan as well.

As a last ditch effort she sent out a text on a burner phone to Oliver's with their code phrase.

We need mint chocolate chip.

She knew that if Oliver was okay (he had to be okay), he would come looking and she needed him to know where she'd gone.

Grabbing one of the empty duffle bags, she unlocked the safe that housed their backups and placed them all into the large bag. Running to the lockers, she grabbed the packed gym back she kept inside.

When the door clicked shut behind her, she had to pause, closing her eyes and hoping it wouldn't be the last time she ever walked those stairs.

Fall had dawned in Starling and the nights had turned cold. Pulling her jacket farther around her body, she made her way away from her red mini and to one of the nondescript town cars they kept in the back of the lot.

Throwing both bags into the trunk, she climbed in the driver's seat and took a deep breath, pushing back the fears crowding her throat and making it hard to breath.

Drawing on the hope and belief that her team had made it out of the warehouse and were also heading to the safehouse, she took a deep breath and turned on the car.

As she drove, she kept one eye on the road in front of her and another on her rearview mirror, taking a winding path through the city into the heavily traveled nightclub district before she hit the interstate and headed north.

What should have taken an hour took her closer to three due to the few times she thought she was being followed. But both times neither followed her off the interstate when she took an unexpected exit.

By the time she reached the long drive that took her up to the old house set back in the woods just off the coast, she could barely keep her eyes open. Her white-knuckled grip had caused her fingers to begin to cramp five minutes out and she had imagined every horrible scenario that could have happened to Oliver, Diggle and Roy.

She also allowed a bubble of hope to rise within her that they would already be there waiting for her.

That bubble popped as soon as she turned the last corner to find the house dark, potted plant still on the right side. They'd decided that as soon as someone got there, they would move it to the opposite side - a symbol to everyone else that it was safe.

Putting the car in park, she picked up the gun that she'd placed on the passenger seat and took a deep breath.

Grabbing both bags out of the trunk, Felicity made her way up the front porch. Setting the bags to the side, she approached the door. With deft fingers, she flipped up the hidden keypad beneath the faux doorbell.

Entering the code, she heard the door beep and with a quick turn of her wrist, she opened the door and pushed inside, gun drawn in precaution, but she was met with nothing but darkness and silence.

She flipped on the light switch and the place was bathed in light - everything exactly how they'd left it when it had been set up. As she stepped back outside, her eyes scanned the darkness, but she saw nothing but the outline of the car.

Picking up her two bags, she turned and walked into the house, shutting the door. She slid the two locks home and activated the alarm system.

With a heavy sigh, she set down her bags and scrubbed her hands over her face. Her body was exhausted, eyes blinking blearily ahead as her heart ached and her mind continued to race. This was not how the night was supposed to go. Any other night, she'd be at home in her own bed, another night watching over the city in the books.

Instead, she found herself alone, miles away from her bed, her home, and her team.

Her secondary servers sat untouched in the middle of the room to the left, a desk bathed in the same blue lights as the foundry. With a gasp, she quickly ran to the windows and pulled the blackout blinds down, shutting the out the outside world.

She eyed the servers with trepidation, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she wondered how far Tockman's infiltration had reached. But she wasn't going to take any chances, she'd have to rebuild it from the bottom up, just in case so she could get her eyes and ears back up and running.

In the far corner, her eyes landed a chest, similar to the one Oliver had brought back with him from Lian Yu. Her feet moved on their own accord, her hands shaking as she dropped to her knees in front of it and ran her fingers across the edges.

Her emotions hit her all at once. The stabbing jagged edge of truth that she might have lost him for good this time.

A shudder ran through her body, and she pitched forward, catching herself on the chest as the sobs shook her frame.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as the fears she'd pushed away came rushing forward and engulfing her.

Her fingers fumbled with the lock, managing to flip it open after the fifth attempt.

Lifting the lid, the first thing she saw was a suit - one of his suits. She brushed her fingertips over supple green leather, and the indentations on the legs and sleeves. Her heart ached, wishing that she knew if he was alive. Wishing that he was there and he could hear his voice asking her to talk to her - walk him through the latest attack.

Beneath his extra suit, her fingers closed around the fletching of some of his arrows. Digging deeper, she frowned when she felt something soft. Grasping it, she pulled it up and smiled when she saw that it was one of his grey hoodies he usually wore after she'd patched him up for the night or a late night training with Diggle and Roy. She'd teased him once that he must buy the entire stock of them for how many he seemed to have lying around.

She fingered the soft material, hesitating only briefly before shrugging out of her jacket and slipping her arms through the large sleeves. It hung off her small frame, but she didn't care, wrapping it around her as a faint whiff of leather and spice surrounded her.

Please be okay.

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she turned and surveyed the empty room before her.

The silence was deafening and she knew the only way she wasn't going to drive herself mad by thinking about all the bad things that could have happened was to do something.

Her eyes landed on the secondary servers. That was her link to possibly finding the rest of her team and taking down Tockman once and for all.

With renewed purpose, she strode toward the duffles she had brought in from the front porch and carried them towards her work area.

The meticulous work helped calm her, although her thoughts kept drifting to her team - to Oliver - anytime she stopped.

The familiar feel of wires and motherboards in her hands centered her, and she didn't' realize three hours had passed until she placed the cover back on the last server, satisfied with her work. Now, all she had to do was boot them up and input their system codes.

When she glanced at the clock, she gasped. All the fear and anxiety that she'd pushed to the from the forefront of her mind rushing back through her. It'd been too long. If they'd gotten out, they should be here by now.

Unless they hadn't gotten her message. Unless they were injured...or worse.

A chill raced down Felicity's spine and she pulled Oliver's hoodie tight around her as she wrapped her arms across her stomach. She fisted her hands in the soft material, clutching it as if it were her only lifeline to Oliver - the team.

Heading for the kitchen, she dug through the sparse cabinets until she found the coffee she'd made sure they had stocked.

As she waited for the coffee to brew, she paced a steady track through the kitchen and living room and back, chewing on her fingernails.

Her mind went over and over the night, trying to figure out Tockman had managed to do this to them again.

The buzzing of the coffee maker startled her and she jumped, placing a hand over her heart as she was immediately pulled out of her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she poured herself a large mug and headed back to her desk.

It wasn't too late. She kept telling herself. If they are moving by foot, it would take them a lot longer than her. If they're injured it would take even more time...

Or they're not coming at all because they're gone...dead...lifeless...and you left them all alone..a taunting voice in the back of her head whispered.

Her eyes slammed shut and she gripped the edge of her chair as she fought against the sob that rose deep from in her chest. Her head dipped as she struggled for control, knowing she had to keep it together. She didn't know what she was up against and she had to do what she could so she could help them. She couldn't think the worst, she had to keep fighting.

Two tears slipped down her cheeks, rolling to the edge of her chin and splashing onto Oliver's hoodie, turning the light grey fabric darker.

Swiping one hand beneath her glasses, she took a deep breath and gathered her emotions.

If Oliver was dead - if any of them were dead - she'd know. She'd be able to feel it deep inside her. They were her family. She'd know.

Everything inside her was screaming to keep fighting. For them. Because they were still fighting too.

With a heavy sigh, she booted up the computers and got back to work.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, melding numbers together to create a language few understood, but native to her.

Another hour passed as Felicity zoned into her task, ignoring the gnawing pit growing in her stomach with every minute that slipped away and she was still alone.

it was the sound of the door alarm beeping that had her whirling in her seat, heart in her throat as she blindly reached for the firearm she'd placed on the desk next to her.

She stood on shaking legs, weapon aimed at the door from her position to the side. Her entire body trembled with anticipation and fear.

Her quick, shallow breaths weren't helping matters, and she forced herself to even them out, drawing on her years of yoga to steady herself.

Everything happened in a blur. One moment, she was standing, gun aimed and the next, Oliver was stumbling through the door, shutting it quickly behind him as he reentered the code.

Her finger that had been poised on the trigger fell away and a desperate sound left her throat.

His head lifted then, body tensing at the noise and he pivoted, one hand reaching for an arrow out of reflex.

He dropped both when he saw her, stark relief flashing through his eyes. The gun fell limp in her hands and then she was running for him as he took two more steps towards her.

He caught her as she crashed into him, causing him to rock back as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck. His familiar scent wrapped around her and and she inhaled deeply, letting it calm her.

His arms banded about her back, pulled her closer, both hands splayed on her back until one moved up to cup the back of her head.

The halted breath he released as he buried his face in her hair wracked his entire body and she trembled with the force of it. Pushing herself up higher on her toes to hold him tighter.

The rapid thrum of his heartbeat was the only sound that could be heard over the blood rushing through her ears and she zeroed in on it.

His chest rumbled beneath her and she knew he was speaking but she didn't know what he was saying until he dipped his head and his lips brushed the shell of her ear.

"You're safe…" he breathed, repeating the phrase over and over as if trying to make himself believe it more than anything.

She nodded into his chest and released the breath she'd been holding, sagging against him as the sobs finally overtook her and she cried in relief in his arms.

He was alive.

"Thank God," she breathed, "I thought you….I thought you were all…"

It was then that it hit her that he was alone. She gasped, lifting her head abruptly to find his face. "Where are they? Digg and Roy? You were all in there when I got cut off and where are they?" she cried desperately.

Oliver's hands cupped her face, his thumbs swiping over her cheeks as he stared down at her, and her stomach dropped at the sadness in his eyes.

"I don't know," he ground out, "I don't know...I tried to find them but I couldn't...and then I realized I couldn't hear you anymore…I got your message and I came."

Felicity shook her head, vision blurred by the tears in her eyes. "They have to be okay. Oliver...they have to be okay…"

He hushed her, pressing a hard kiss to her forehead and pulling her back into his chest as she clutched handfuls of his leather jacket.

"They know where to meet, Felicity," he murmured against her hair, "I've never known Digg or Roy to give up. They'll be here."

The calmness of his voice soothed her and she nodded her head. "It's all my fault," she hiccuped, voicing the truths that had been rattling around in her head all night. "He got in again...all of this happened because I failed…"

He pulled back, looking down at her as he once again brought his hands to her cheeks. "Hey," he whispered, voice soft yet strong. "You are not to blame for this. You did everything you were supposed to do and your safety backup cut him off after only a few minutes. Digg and Roy will be fine. We're going to get him, Felicity."

Her eyes fluttered shut as she released a breath, letting her head rest against one of his hands. "Do you hear me?"

It took her a few moments, the lump in her throat too large to speak over, but she finally opened her eyes to find his inches away from hers, forehead to forehead. She nodded and he sighed in relief.

Her fingers released his jacket, winding their way behind his back as she let her head fall to his shoulder once more.

He pulled her close and held her tight, hands running over her hair and down her back.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, locked in each other's embrace. It was the beep of her computers that caused them to break apart, Oliver's hand lingering at her back as she raced over to the computers to see the system booting up.

"Yes!" Her fist flying in the air and she heard Oliver's amused huff behind her.

She spun on her heel, tilting her head to the side, "Looks like we are back in business. I rebuilt the system just in case Tockman left something behind. As soon as it finishes rebooting, we should be able to hack back into the satellite feeds and turn on the trackers in both their boots. Since they weren't activated when Tockman got in, they were completely off the grid and he wouldn't have been able to see them. I just need both of these to…"

Her eyes flicked up to Oliver and she stopped mid-sentence when she saw him grimace as he took a step towards her.

"You're hurt!" she cried, forgetting her computers as her hands flew over him, running over his shoulders and arms and then his sides to find where he was injured. "Why didn't you say something?!"

Her voice was hard, fear flooding her as she realized she'd been so happy to see him she hadn't thought to check to make sure he had actually made it back to her in one piece.

"It's nothing," he muttered, shifting and she shot him a look over the top of her glasses as her hands moved to the top of his jacket and pulled the zipper down, her hands delving inside, over the black t-shirt he wore underneath. He radiated heat and she could feel the hard planes of muscles and scars through the thin fabric.

His muscles bunched and coiled, jumping as she searched. It wasn't until her hands shifted to his waist, landing on the closure of his pants that he jerked, hips jumping as he quickly grasped her hands holding them tight as he sucked in a hard breath through his teeth.
"Felicity," he ground out through his teeth and the low timbre of his voice caused her eyes to widen as she looked up at him, realizing where her hands had been and surprised at how much she wanted to put them back there and continue her search.

"Sorry!" she squeaked, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath before reopening them. "But it's not nothing...where are you hurt, Oliver?"

She pleaded with him through her eyes, staring softly up at him. He gazed back at her with hooded eyes.

After a few seconds, his shoulders deflated as he sighed. "My leg, under the quiver. The blade slipped beneath it…"

Felicity was already moving, gently lowering to her knees as she let her fingertips run over the bands that held the thigh quiver to his leg.

Distantly, she heard him suck in a deep breath and what she thought was a low growl, but she ignored it, focusing on her task.

With as much care as possible, she reached behind his leg and opened the buckle, lifting the side of the quiver.

Oliver hissed and her eyes flew up, realizing for the first time that she was literally on her knees in front of him.

He was looking down at her with hooded eyes tinged with pain and she swallowed thickly, her throat suddenly very dry.

"It doesn't look too deep," she whispered hoarsely, eyes dropping back down to his wound. The side of his pant leg had been ripped open and she saw the blood that had dried coating the leather. "But these are going to have to come off in order for me to get a better look."

She laid her palm flat on the topside of his thigh and watched as his eyes grew even darker before he slammed them shut and shook his head. "I'm sure I can manage…"

"To see behind you?" she asked, eyebrows raised, "because where this is located isn't going to be easy to dress yourself. Just take off the damn pants, Oliver. It won't be the first time…"

The low, primal growl that escaped his lips caused her eyes to widen as he pinned her with a look filled with nothing but desire and want and need.

They'd been walking a thin line lately - after their disastrous first date in which they'd both made the heartbreaking decision that because of everything going on and Oliver's reaction to her getting hurt, they couldn't be together - not now...maybe not ever.

Her heart still ached when she thought of that night. The excitement that had filled he as she'd gotten ready, the smile that had lit up his entire face when she'd opened the door to find him dressed up on her doorstep, the deliberate sweep up and down of her body as he'd drunk in the sight of her and the way her stomach had flipped in the most delicious way. Dinner had started off amazing - their conversation flowing like it always had once they realized they were still Oliver and Felicity and that's all they had to be with each other.

And then everything had exploded. Literally. A bomb tore through the restaurant and the next thing Felicity remembered was waking in Oliver's arms as he carried her from the debris. The breathtaking fear and anger and agony she'd seen on his face was forever seared into her memory. She'd tried to reassure him, lift her hand but only managed to push her face into the crook of his neck before she passed out again, his name on her lips.

When she'd woken hours later in the Foundry, she knew. She saw his rage - the anger radiating off him at the man who'd done this to her - to them. He'd lost all control, going after him, not caring if he put his entire quiver into the man for hurting her.

She'd never wanted to be the reason he killed again. But he'd told her that there would always be no choice to make when it came to her - he'd do everything and anything to keep her safe. Her life came before everyone elses to him and that scared her as much as it made her heart soar. In the end, they both knew being together at this point, with him in such a place wouldn't work. She'd wanted to tell him they'd find another way, her heart so heavily twined around his she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to move on - or even if she wanted to but the agony on his face about the decision had her biting her tongue knowing this wasn't easy for either of them.

They'd danced around each other ever since. Touches and looks filled with even more unspoken words and desires. Her heart longed for her no matter how much she tried to move on - she couldn't - because every man she looked at or thought about dating or tried dating had one flaw that always made it impossible for her to invest in them. None of them were Oliver, and that is where her heart lay - with him.

All of the months of dancing around their feelings had led them here, to her with her palm splayed intimately against his thigh as he looked at her with such longing and desire she couldn't breathe.

She watched with wide eyes he unfurled one of his fists and lifted it to her cheek. Warmth seeped into her cool skin and she couldn't - nor did she want to - stop herself from leaning into his touch. Calloused pads scraped over her skin and she hummed softly, tears pressing hot and fresh at the back of her eyes because she'd missed this and longed for it over the months.

"Oliver…" she breathed, turning her face into his palm and speaking his name against his skin.

She felt the tremble that ran through his frame and lifting her gaze, she caught the all out war happening inside him in that moment.

Her hand tensed on his thigh, fingers digging in as she waited, chest expanded and refusing to contract until she knew. This moment right here was a difference maker.

She shifted her head almost imperceptibly and her nose bumped against his palm, nudging it softly, never taking her eyes from his.

The moment the dam broke and the battle was won she felt his hand shift to the back of her head and slip beneath her ponytail. With gentleness she knew people would be surprised the Arrow possessed, but something she always believed, he guided her up until she was once against standing before him, her hand trailing up his side to land on his waist just beneath the jacket.

His eyes searched her face, roaming over every facet and feature as he tilted his head closer and closer.

Her fingernails fisted in the fabric of his t-shirt and when he was centimeters from her lips, she breathed his name again, a prayer and benediction - a plea and release.

His lips crashed against hers, mouth slanting across hers in a searing kiss that had her stepping closer as his other hand fell to her lower back and pulled her up into him. She trailed her other hand up and wrapped it around his neck, nails biting into the skin as his tongue glided along her lips before she gasped and opened to him. Everything he gave, she returned, their tongues dancing with each other, exploring, tasting, memorizing.

All of Felicity's sense were in overdrive. It was too much and not enough. She'd waited for this moment - thought it might never come at one point - and now that it was here she wanted to savor it and hold it close to her heart.

When they had to pull away for air, she gulped in deep breaths as he rested his forehead against hers.

Her eyes fluttered open to find him watching her intently, blue eyes bright and dark at the same time. She saw the smile twinkling from behind the hooded desire and it sent a bolt of heat straight to her core.

Her name fell from his lips and she let out a long breath, sagging against him as he pressed soft kisses into her skin.

When she shifted, she could feel the evidence of his arousal pressed up against her stomach and she couldn't help it when her hips flew north and grinded with his.

He grunted, the grip on her hips tightening as his eyes narrowed and blue pools turned black.

"Fel-i-city," he drew out, a warning and a plea.

"I thought…" she began, wanting to say so many things that were working their way up her throat - things she'd kept bottled up for so long, "I didn't know if I would ever...and then tonight happened and I didn't know if I'd ever see you again,"

Her voice broke and she gasped, looking up at him before making a decision and lifting on her toes, fusing her lips with his once more.

"Don't you dare tell me this won't work again," she stated, her tone brooking no argument when she pulled back, his mouth following hers and placing a hot, opened mouth kiss against her neck before pulling back abruptly at her words. "Don't you dare...I can't…"

"I want you," he cut her off, hand sliding around to cup her cheek again. "I want to be with you. I can't...I hated these last few months, watching you try to move on - watching you with someone else...I can't - I won't do that again. I love you, Felicity. Period."

Her lips curved up into a smile, relief flooding through, the vice around her heart easing as she flung her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest.

"I love you too," she murmured and she felt him freeze, his body going stiff beneath hers and she slowly lifted her head to see his eyes wide and she realized it was the first time she'd told him that outright.

Planting both hands on the side of his face, she held his gaze, "I love you, Oliver Queen."

The smile that lit up his face was her favorite and she found herself being lifted and it wasn't until she saw him grimace as her thigh bumped his that she remembered his injury.

Reality slammed back into her. Tockman, Diggle, Roy, the Foundry…

Guilt followed quickly and she knew she hadn't masked it when Oliver set her down and put both of his hands on her shoulder, squeezing softly. "Hey...it's okay. I'm fine and we're going to find them and get Tockman. I promise…"

She began to shake her head, wanting to tell him not to make promises he couldn't keep, but he raised his eyebrows, voice firmer as he repeated, "I promise…"

His gaze held hers for more than a few seconds and she finally let out a sigh and nodded, accepting his words and pushing the fears to the back of her mind.

They were a team and they would get this done and afterwards, well, they could continue where they left off…the gleam in Oliver's eyes promised her that as well.

Squaring her shoulder, she swallowed and nodded, refocusing herself. She grabbed one of his hands in hers and led him to the couch that had been pushed up against the fall wall near his Arrow chest.

With a gentle motion of her head, she eyed his pants and then him, her cheeks flushing slightly at the way her hands itched to help him do the task but she knew if she did, she wouldn't want to stop and judging by the look he sent her, neither would he.

Blowing out a shaky breath, she watched as he slowly unbuckled the belt that ran around his waist securing the other side of the thigh quiver to his body. Her eyes tracked his every movement and when his gaze flicked up to hers she found herself frozen in place, heart hammering in her chest as she fought for control of her rapidly spiraling restraint. Reaching out her hand, she lifted the quiver from his hands and set it on the couch behind him, their fingers brushing and she jumped as a bolt of electricity spiked between them, running from his fingers all the way to her toes.

Felicity bit her bottom lip, stifling the ragged breath threatening to spill out of her and shook her head. Turned, she pulled her gaze from his and hastily walked to the cabinets that they'd stocked with medical supplies. Her hands full, she returned to where Oliver standing, pants half down his thighs, powerful thigh muscles on display along with his black boxer briefs that were molded to his body leaving little to the imagination.

She tightened her grip on the supplies in her hands, feeling the flush rising up her chest and to her cheeks.

Oliver paused as he slowly eased the pants over his wound and she winced when she saw the red, irritated skin, jagged edges where the blade had sliced through his skin.

Laying the materials on the couch next to him, she bent down, untying his shoes so he could toe out of them and then she stood, pushing on his chest, urging him to sit. The overwhelming need to tend to him - take care of him - washed over her.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, mouth opening to protest, but then must have seen something in her eyes because he closed his mouth and sat gingerly, carefully situating himself so that his injured leg wasn't pressed into the cushions.

She sank to her knees in front of him and eased the close-fitted leather down his legs and off, careful to keep her fingers from touching his skin.

The computers behind her beeped and her head shot up, twisting around to look at the screens.

"Everything is looking good," she said with a relieved smile. "Soon I'll be able to get back into the satellite feeds and we can find Digg and Roy."

"Good," he murmured and she felt the way his eyes never left her face, although she knew he was worried about the rest of their team as well, could hear it in the tightness of his response.

Shifting around him, she leaned over him to get a better look at his wound. The bleeding had almost completely stopped, but dried blood caked the jagged edges.

Oliver twisted trying to get a good look. "It's going to need a few stitches," she answered his unasked question. "Serrated blade?"

A shiver went down her spine at his clipped nod and she was thankful that this is the only place he'd been hit.

With soft, gentle strokes, she cleaned the wound. Oliver didn't make a sound, although she felt his muscles tighten as she poured the alcohol over it. Her eyes flew to his in a silent apology - no matter how many times she'd patched him up, she always hated causing him more pain. He'd already been through a lifetime's worth and she wished she could protect him from at least this much.

The muscle in his jaw twitched, but his gaze caught hers and his eyes softened. That look of wonder flashed behind deep blue and she lifted the corners of her lips. It was a silent exchange they had perfected, one that started with him wondering how he could deserve her and her making sure he knew, he deserved every happy story he could get.

His hand slipped over one of hers as it reached for the suture kit. Her fingers automatically curled around his, holding on to him tightly as he sighed and leaned down, pressing his forehead against the top of her head. It lasted only a few moments, but it was enough to fill her heart and make her shift so she could place a soft kiss against his scruff.

A sound bubbled from his chest and he leaned back, that dark flash of desire returning and she knew she was playing with fire and she grinned.

He shook his head as she turned her head away and he let her hand go with one more squeeze.

It only needed four stitches but that was enough. Felicity never liked putting in stitches, but she often insisted on being the one to do it when Oliver needed them. Once Digg had taught her, he'd told her she had steadier hands than most medics he knew and she was actually really good, despite her nerves.

She placed a gauze pad and taped over her stitches, smoothing down the edges against his skin. She lingered on the last end of tape, swirling her thumb over his skin and the powerful muscles beneath. He shifted beneath her touch and her eyes were drawn upward to find him watching her, eyes inky black, pupils blown wide. The rise and fall of his chest increased as he stared at her and she realized with a start that her hand hadn't stopped moving. It trailed over the edges of the bandage and up to the hem of his boxer briefs.

The muscle in his jaw ticked as he clamped down, fingers digging into the cushions beside him.

"Felicity," he growled, and the deep tone of his voice sent shivers through her, a flood of heat and wetness pooling in her belly.

Rising on her knees, she leaned forward, suddenly emboldened by the obvious effect her touch was having on him.

Her eyes fell to his mouth, remembering the feel of it against hers mere minutes before.

Oliver was the one to close the distance this time. His lips claimed hers, nipping at her upper lip and then her lower, pulling moans from her throat as his hands moved to her hips and pulled her between his knees.

One of her hands stayed on his thigh, playing with the thin material of his boxer briefs while the other snaked up beneath his t-shirt and to the hot flesh beneath.

His grip tightened at her waist as he he slipped his tongue into her mouth and she mewled softly as it swept through each crack and crevice, tasting her.

Heat spiralled within her, building until it felt as if she was going to explode if his hands didn't move. It was then that she felt him begin to pull back and she was ready to protest until she remembered where they were and why.

They broke apart with a gasp, her head falling forward and landing on his collarbone. His hands squeezed her hips and she lay one hand over his chest, his heart beating fiercely - same as hers.

When the computers beeped again, she lifted her head, eyes fluttering shut as she tried to pull her thoughts and emotions together and get her breathing back under control. Never had she had a man take her breath away quite like Oliver Queen.

"Let's find our team and catch this bastard so we can finish this," he growled against her ear and his words sent a shiver of delight down her spine. It was a promise, and she couldn't help but lift her lips in a smile.

Nodding, she pushed away from him, grabbing the pair of sweatpants she'd grabbed from his chest - the ones that matched the hoodie she just realized she still wore.

"Put these on," she muttered, "You can't stay like that…"

He sent her a lascivious look and she returned one that told him that was exactly why he needed to put pants back on as much as her body might not want him to at the moment. She slipped them over his feet, knowing bending forward might tear his stitches.

Standing, she reached down and helped him up as best she could, steadying him as he pulled them the rest of the way up.

Once she was sure he was good, she turned and headed for her computers. The last of the scans she'd set up were running as she sat down in the chair that wasn't the same as her one in the foundry and she found she didn't quite feel right without it.

Her fingers flew over the keys as she pulled up the tracking app she'd created and activated both Digg and Roy's trackers. While that loaded, she hacked into the satellite feeds and zeroed in on their last known location.

She felt Oliver come up behind her, his scent flooding her senses and her body responding to his proximity.

He leaned over her, bracing one hand on the desk beside her.

"And don't think I don't know you're wearing the other half of these sweats," he murmured against her ear and her fingers faltered, her shoulders tensing before they relaxed as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"I'm keeping it," she told him in no uncertain terms as her eyes searched the screens.

"Good."

Her eyes widened at his words and she spun her head to the side to find his trained on the monitors, as if he hadn't just told her he wanted her to wear his clothes.

When her eyes returned to the screens, she saw the red dots appear before the alerts sounded.

"There they are!" she cried and Oliver leaned in further, squinting his eyes as she magnified the view.

"They're alive and they're close!" She sank back into her seat in relief, tears blurring her vision momentarily as she realized how scared she'd been for her friends that she considered her family.

The satellite images confirmed that it was two men and no one else, and although she couldn't make out their features, the thermal imaging showed heat masses that would be approximately their sizes.

His hand landed on her shoulder and she automatically reached up, covering it and holding on tight as they both breathed a little easier.

"Anything on Tockman?" Oliver asked, interrupting her thoughts and she blinked, her hand slipping from his as the dread and anger associated with that name rushed back through her.

"Not yet," she groused, stretching her fingers out, "but give me an hour. I set up a program that would piggyback any threat that was able to breach our security walls. He's good, damn good, but I'm better. By hacking us, he will lead us straight to him…"

She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow, grin on her face, feeling more emboldened and confidant now that she knew the rest of the team was okay and Oliver was at her side.

"That's my girl," he whispered before brushing a kiss across her cheek, that caused her heart to flutter. Her eyes slipped shut for a second as she felt him shift away and head towards the corner where his chest sat and she smiled. Maybe she'd have to thank Tockman, right after she brought him down - again, she thought.

She and Oliver were finally on the right path again - no more wasting time. After all - time flies.

Except when you're waiting to hear from two of your closest friends.

That didn't happen for an agonizingly long two hours. Once she'd found their location, she identified the burner phone he'd turned on and sent him a text.

When he finally called back, she was thankful she was sitting because her knees gave out in relief.

"We're okay," Digg relayed after Felicity rambled off how worried she'd been and to never do that again and then asked where in the world they were and if they were in fact okay.

"Roy's a bit banged up - busted ribs," he supplied before Felicity could ask the question, but we're both okay. "The only problem is there's an accident on the freeway out of town and they've closed down the road. We're going to have to take a different way and it's going to take us an extra hour. We should be there in three…"

She'd put him on speaker so Oliver could hear and he spoke before Felicity good. "Be safe, both of you."

"Will do, Boss. See you soon." Digg replied before he hung up.

After hearing Diggle's voice some of her concern receded. She was able to breathe without the constant worry of whether she would see two members of her family again.

The searches were running on Tockman and now all they had was time. Time.

A tension hung between them. Oliver had returned to the couch where she'd sent him after he'd paced a limping marathon behind her. Her loud voice and eye-brow raise had caused him to huff but begrudgingly comply.

And now she was the one pacing.

"Felicity."

His voice was low, gravelly and sent a tingle all the way through her, her stomach tightened in the best way as her eyes automatically found him.

He was tracking her, cobalt blue eyes turning darker by the second as he watched her.

Something rose up within her, fast and desperate and spontaneous. Although if she was honest, this had been building since the moment they'd met.

The memory of almost losing him - the fear of never being able to see him again - had her moving towards him, sure, purposeful steps until she stopped just in front of him, her thighs brushing his knees.

He stared up at her with the same need, the same desire, the same emotions.

Her heart thrummed out a staccato beat in her chest, threatening to break free of her rib cage and she couldn't' stop herself when she finally let go.

One knee and then the other planted firmly on the couch and his hands were reaching for her at the same time. She hissed when they landed on her hips and brought her down against him. hard.

Straddling him, she could feel everything, his erection pressed into her at just the right spot and she tilted her head back and moaned.

That all-pulsating pleasure broke the dam. Her hands cupped his face and her lips were on his before she could take her next breath. His fingers wove into her hair, releasing her blonde locks from the confines of its ponytail and raking through the strands.

He tilted her head back, his tongue sweeping through her mouth and she arched into him, her body melding to his and suddenly she needed it all off. She needed to feel him - all of him pressed against her.

Her hands clawed at the ends of his shirt, his jacket long discarded. Small fingers found the hem and lifted, a growl erupting from his throat when he had to break apart from her to shuck it over his head and across the room.

He took the opportunity to lower the zipper on the hoodie she wore, hands delving inside, kneading her breasts and causing her to rock into him, seeking pressure where she craved it the most.

"Oliver," she breathed, and it was as if his name on her lips was a catalyst. The sweatshirt joined his shirt as well as hers on the floor in seconds and then she was left only in her black bra, chest heaving as she opened heavy-lidded eyes to gaze down at him.

A grin broke out on his lips and her stomach dropped deliciously as he leaned forward and pressed a hard, hot kiss into the top of her left breast. She keened, back arching and hips thrusting against his as his tongue traveled over the tops of her breasts to the thin black straps and back to the middle.

He pressed a soft kiss in the center of her breast bone as he found the clasp at her back and flicked it open.

She let her shoulders fall as he lifted his hands to her shoulders and slowly eased the scrap of material down and off her arms.

The cool air hitting her skin along with the rush of emotions caused her nipples to pebble, and when Oliver's lips closed over one rosebud peak, she couldn't keep the groan from escaping. Her fingernails scraped through his hair, pulling him closer as he nipped at the sensitive bud, teasing it and laving it with his tongue until she was steadily rocking against him so much so that he had to move his hands to her hips to hold her still.

She didn't realize how close she was until suddenly, wave after wave of pleasure crested over her and she cried out, spots dancing before her eyes. She felt the hot press of his lips against hers and she let herself get lost in the feelings he'd pulled so expertly from her body.

When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her, chin propped on her chest, a grin on his lips and wonder in his eyes.

"You're beautiful," he whispered huskily, pressing another kiss to the skin above her heart.

Felicity couldn't speak so she responded by grinding her hips into his as she cupped his cheeks and sought out his lips.

Oliver's hands splayed over her lower back, pulling her closer and she cried out when his erection pressed into her core, a shockwave of pleasure cresting through her.

"Oliver...I need…"

Her lips broke away from his in a breathless gasp and he was already moving his hands to her pants, fingers working the closures and then pushing them down her legs. She stood long enough to slip them off, kicking her heels in the same direction, his hands on her hips to steady her. And then she was back in his lap, palms cupping her ass and kneading.

Sounds worked their way up from the back of her throat and she blindly reached for his own pants, her fingers fumbling with the drawstring and suddenly so thankful that he'd already changed out of the inhibiting leather.

She managed to push them down enough to release him, and he groaned when she made contact, wrapping her hand around him and pumping once and then twice.

His head fell to her breast, his breath labored as his hand moved to her front, slipping over her folds, a finger darting inside.

She gasped and his head flew up, pupils blown so wide she could barely see the ring of blue in them. He watched her, captivated as he pushed one finger into her and then another.

Her chest heaved with each slow, agonizing pump and when he curled his fingers, she tightened her own grip and the both cried out.

She wasn't sure who moved first but suddenly his hand was gone and his erection was pressing against her entrance.

A gasp caught in her throat and she leaned forward, her head coming to rest against his as they stared at one another.

Slowly, he pushed up and Felicity lost all coherent thought as he filled her completely for the first time.

And then she knew what home felt like.

He was home. This was home. Being with him in the most intimate and real way - that was her home.

Her chest heaved and for seconds that dragged into a minute, they stared at each other, panting for breath, taking each other in as if realizing that denying themselves each other had been the stupidest thing either of them had ever done - because this - this - them together, this was finally something that made sense and fit in their lives.

She saw the question in his eyes, the threadbare restraint he was holding on to for her - waiting for her cue.

With a soft smile, she tilted her lips forward and captured his in a searing kiss as she pushed herself up and then shifted, bringing him back in again.

He pulled away from her mouth in a desperate growl and then she felt his hands on her waist and she was being flipped, her back hitting the soft cushions as he loomed over her, elbows holding his weight as he thrust into her again and again.

Her fingernails raked across his back, delving into his hair as she hiked her legs up higher on his hips, changing the depth of penetration.

Breath left her and she felt herself nearing the edge, that precipice of culmination that she'd been dreaming about for years with him.

Her body buzzed and hummed, a dull roar filling her ears as Oliver lowered his head and sucked a nipple into his mouth and it was all she needed.

She came with a shout, his name a hoarse plea echoing in the empty safe house.

Her limbs became light and stars danced on the back of her eyelids as pleasure rocketed through her. He worked her through her orgasm, his thrusts becoming more and more desperate until she heard him cry her name as he buried his head against her neck.

Chest heaving and limbs heavy, she turned her head into his, pressing a kiss to his hair. Her hands found their way into his hair and she let her fingers card through the damp strands as they both came down.

She tugged him down, and he gave, letting his full weight drop on her and she loved the blanket of protection and love that surrounded her.

For once, time seemed to be on their side.