Disclaimer: WB/DC own these characters. I do not, just the original ideas.

AN: Welcome back! Hope you're enjoying this story as much as I've had writing it! I certainly had no idea where it was going to go when I first began it. Kinda proud of where it has gone. Thanks again for all the reviews, follows and favs! Without much ado, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

And I feel I need to put a "fluffy" alert, for the ending. I do apologize, for I never thought this story would end on such a fluffy note. But there it is. And I'm proud of it as well. But if you aren't into that sort of thing, enjoy the part with Malcolm, and the resolvement of this particular AU story. Ha.

Previously:

Suddenly there was thunder and a blur of red and yellow. Before Oliver could blink, Ra's suddenly was bound in front of them, and his own bonds were released. He turned and looked into the smiling face of one masked Barry Allen.

"Thanks, Barry. Not that I don't appreciate the assistance, but how are we to get out of here with Ra's army outside?" Oliver asked. The words were barely out of his mouth when he found himself standing in a hotel room surrounded by his team. Seconds later, with a gust of wind, Malcolm was standing next to him.

Malcolm looked at Barry, masked, in amazement. "What just happened?"

Felicity said, "We just saved your sorry ass, Merlyn. I for one am not sure why, but we thought Oliver and Thea would appreciate it."

Oliver looked around at the group gathered around him, trying to regain his bearings. His entire team was there. Roy, his ex-girlfriend Laurel and her possible new beau Ted Grant, the newest member of their group Ray, his brother-in-spirit Diggle and Felicity. His "girl Wednesday". Not to mention the young man Barry, who had grown into a hero in front of his eyes. How close he had come to losing them all, and how much he could now appreciate them, and each of their significant roles in the Team.

Oliver turned to Barry. "I for one can't tell you how much I appreciate this." Barry was surprised to hear the catch in Oliver's voice, but he quickly schooled his features to hide his amazement at Oliver's display of vulnerability.

"The least I can do for my favorite mentor. However, I do need to go soon. So…are we certain we want to leave Ra's where he is? What's going to prevent him from trying to kidnap you again, Oliver?"

"Wouldn't some kind of one-on-one conversation be beneficial? Then Barry can return him back to Nanda Parbat?" Diggle asked.

Barry interrupted him. "I don't want to be rude, but I can't stay too long. I still have some major things going on in Central City." Pausing, he looked at Oliver. "I considered bringing Ra's here. If I thought it would pay to imprison him at Lian Yu, I'd suggest that, but not with the League, right?"

Despite his continued unsettleness from the entire situation, Oliver was able to process what Barry was saying. "No, we…we can't engage Ra's that way. The League would have him out of there in two seconds." He shook his head, trying to clear out the cobwebs and focus on the situation at hand. It was difficult, but Oliver knew he had to quickly grasp the significance of recent events, and take advantage of his change in fortune.

Even though he hated to do so, Oliver decided to ask Malcolm his advice. "What do you think, Malcolm? What should we do now?"

Malcolm looked around the group, considered his reply, and then stated, "Well, we do at least have to check with him, make sure we all are on the same page. I think he should leave us alone now, since technically the blood debt has been settled." Oliver raised his eyebrows and Malcolm continued, "Because, technically, Ra's did beat you. So…"

"So you would think he would now leave us alone?" Oliver asked. "But you know as well as I do, Malcolm, this was never about any blood debt."

"Oh, the part concerning Thea and I was very real. What isn't so clear is Ra's setting you up for a duel in order to get rid of you." Malcolm fixed a cool gaze upon the younger man. "If you resist in the future any heroic impulse to try to change the world, Ra's will certainly not have any further reason to bother us."

Deciding not to rise to Malcolm's bait, Oliver looked at Barry. "Do you have time to wait for us to have a short conversation with Ra's, then you can return him?"

Barry smiled. "Yes, no problem." Before Oliver could blink, and papers had settled once again, Barry had rushed off and then returned. He deposited Ra's on his knees in the center of the group.

"Wha…at is going on?" Ra's mumbled as he became aware of his surroundings, looking up at the various individuals surrounding him.

"His guards hadn't discovered him yet?" Oliver asked, part of him marveling at the fact he was still bound.

"No, and I had knocked him out when I returned to get Malcolm, so he was still in the same spot we had left him in."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. The other individuals shuffled in place waiting for Oliver to proceed. Ra's found Oliver and fixed upon him a regal look. Oliver unconsciously stood up a little taller as he prepared for the war of words he felt was going to occur.

"Ra's, I would like to know whether you will leave me, my friends and family alone now," Oliver asked.

Pulling himself into a full regal pose, even though he remained on his knees, Ra's managed to give off the impression of looking down his nose at Oliver even though he was kneeling. "You do not fully understand exactly who you are threatening, Mr. Queen."

"Oh, I think I do."

"My army will rescue me wherever I am, and will kill whomever is standing in their way."

Oliver attempted not to show a reaction to this. This was what he was afraid of. His only hope was that his threat would convince the leader of the most dreaded assassins to come to an understanding. Oliver walked over to his bow and quiver sitting on a nearby desk, picked it up and walked back towards Ra's.

"Again, Ra's, what will it take for you to leave us alone? Or should I take your head off right this minute, since you are in front of us bound, without your army?" Oliver brought his bow up, nocked an arrow, and pointed it at Ra's.

Ra's took a moment and appeared to consider what Oliver had said. He allowed his gaze to wander, and it settled upon Felicity. She found herself taking a step back before she recovered herself. Ra's returned his gaze to Oliver.

Looking Oliver in the eye, Ra's said, "I thought you no longer killed."

"For you, I gladly make an exception. You certainly have earned it." He repositioned the bow, took a step closer, and reaimed. "I'm almost tempted not to wait for your answer. But I will. So, what will it be, Ra's?"

Looking at each individual gathered around him, Ra's nodded. "When I first began this endeavor, I thought I would succeed. I underestimated you and your team." Ra's' expression darkened when he looked at Malcolm, who was attempting to hide a smirk. "You, Al Sa-her. You have disappointed me greatly. I will consider this a draw." Returning his gaze to Oliver, Ra's continued, "I will leave you, your family, friends, and city alone. As long as you do not cross my path as well."

Lowering the bow, Oliver nodded. "Thank you, Ra's. I certainly don't plan to ever engage you again. Barry, you can now return him back to his home."

Barry quietly nodded, and with Roy assisted Ra's to his feet. "Bye, guys. Will talk to you soon." The women's hair blew and papers flew off the nearby desk as Barry supersped out of the room with Ra's.

Oliver blindly walked a few steps back and collapsed into the chair behind him. The bow fell out of his limp hand, and his head fell into his other hand. Diggle gathered Roy into a one-arm hug, as Ted did the same with Laurel. Malcolm leaned against one of the desk tables and combed his hand through his hair. Ray shuffled in place, feeling slightly out of sorts being the newest member. Felicity slowly walked over to Oliver and gave him an awkward hug from her standing position. He leaned into her, and sighed.

"It's over."

"Are we sure? Can we really be sure, Oliver?" Felicity asked.

Malcolm said, "I think so. As long as we, and Starling City, stay off his radar."

"What about his plan for world domination?" Roy asked.

"He will have to come up with another plan. That could take some time," Malcolm offered to the group. "Besides, I know several other groups capable of tracking any such endeavors." Smirking, he said to Oliver, "If you're able to, I would advise you to let those groups handle Ra's in the future."

Oliver raised his head from his hand and looked at Malcolm. Biting his retort, he instead asked, "So, Malcolm, looks like you are now free. What are you going to do now?"

Malcolm shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know. I would like to hang around and get to know Thea." After receiving a thunderous look from Oliver, he said, holding up his hands, "I'm not planning on starting anything illegal around here. Let's just call it an extended vacation." He looked at his watch and said, "Actually, there are a few things I can start taking care of." Walking towards the door, Malcolm said, "So, I will take my leave. For now. Oliver, thanks again." As Oliver was about to say something, Malcolm said, "Let's not get all sentimental. We'll leave it at that, shall we?"

Oliver watched in silence as the older man left. He shook his head in disgust and blew out his cheeks. He rose, turned to his team, and planted a smile on his face. "Well, guys, I don't know what to say. You came and rescued me. Twice. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

Roy said, "Oh, I think you should try. We deserve it," he smirked but yelped when Diggle hit him on the back of the head.

Laurel said, "I suppose we should have an after-mission discussion, but I think it can wait. I for one want a hot shower and a nap in my own bed."

Diggle said, "I would like to be able to hug my daughter and tuck her in bed, that's for sure."

Oliver smiled at his team. "Yes, you all have earned a few days off, at least. If not more. We'll talk, later."

His team gathered up their belongings and as a group left the Bunker. Oliver looked at Felicity, who hadn't moved from the spot by the chair he had vacated.

"So."

"So."

A silence threatened to cover them both up, swallowing whatever it was they'd say to one another. Threatening to make them both uncomfortable, but Felicity had decided on something while she waited for Barry to bring her Oliver back to her.

"You said something to me before you left," Felicity said.

"Yes I did." With all the courage he had, Oliver didn't allow his gaze to waver. He continued to hold the gaze of the beautiful woman in front of him.

"I was angry at you for saying it and not allowing me an opportunity to say it back to you."

"If I had, I wouldn't have left. And I had to leave. You understand, right?"

Felicity gave a small smile and shrugged. "I guess." Uncertain what to say, she took a breath, and then decided to go through with her plan. "Well, I do know. Yes, you wouldn't be you if you didn't feel like you had to do what you did."

Taking a step towards her, Oliver said, "I really didn't want to face Ra's without letting you know…letting you know I do love you."

"You only said it because you didn't think you would return," Felicity said, having suddenly realized this fact. She looked up at Oliver, her eyes wide. "You said it in the same way you did the night at the mansion with Slade. You didn't think you would survive that night as well, did you?"

Oliver shrugged, then looked down at his feet and shuffled in place. He suddenly didn't know what to say. What the woman in front of him was going to say. When that same woman gently took his chin in her hands and led his gaze back to hers. "It's okay, Oliver. I understand. But you need to understand, I love you too. And I believe in you. In us. And I know we deserve the chance to live out that love."

"I don't deserve you. I'm so afraid you'll be hurt. By what we do, by who I was, the darkness which may still be out there threatening us."

"With or without our love, I'm still in danger, as long as I'm part of Team Arrow. Don't you know that yet?"

"I guess so. It's so difficult for me…"

Interrupting, Felicity quickly said, "I know. You'll have to grow as a person for our relationship to work. But I have faith in you," she said with a smile.

This elicited a laugh from the man in front of her. "Well, I'm lucky you're so remarkable. Only a woman like you could handle a man like me."

"Thank you for remarking on it," she smiled.

Oliver leaned in and Felicity closed her eyes in preparation to receive the sweetest kiss ever. And it was.

AN: Well, I currently write without an outline, which has resulted in me ending this without knowing it was to be the last chapter. Oh well. I do appreciate you going on this journey with me. I also am grateful to having the opportunity of correcting the "error" of what should have been the follow-up of the ILY in episode 9. That was fun. And a surprise. (again, writing without an outline, letting the characters go where they go). Anyhow, thank you again for all the favs, follows, and reviews. If you haven't written a review yet, I sure hope you will. It really does make a difference for a writer, even if it is just one sentence of what you liked about the story.

I may write a sequel to this, but no promises. I do still have a few stories to complete before season four. And of course we have no idea what plot bunnies may be created by the new season. But….there is still the threat of a live Ra's. And the possibility of a romance between Ted and Laurel. So I hope you will return as the new chapters/stories are created.