A/N: We're at the end! Yes, the story is complete as of this chapter. Thanks to everyone for such an awesome response. I love this show and these characters and I think it's fair to say I'll be back in the fall if not sooner. To everyone who read/reviewed/favorited/alerted, etc. You're the best. Thanks again. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

The absolute silence is what struck her the first time she awoke. If her head hadn't been turned towards the windows to see Oliver where he stood stoic, the mid-afternoon sun making his outline hazy, she would have thought she was alone.

She tried to call out, but her voice didn't seem to do what she wanted. She was asleep again before she saw him turn.

The second time she regained consciousness it was dark. There was a lit lamp on the table between the leather arm chairs. Felicity blinked several times before she could make out two forms; Oliver and Diggle. The latter had his injured leg propped up on a nearby stool and his head tipped back in deep sleep. Oliver stared, unblinking out into the room.

Her head still throbbed, although not as badly as before. It was her arm that ached terribly. Felicity shifted uncomfortably and immediately regretted it. She let out a moan and shut her eyes tight. When she opened them the low light had been blocked out and Oliver filled the space next to the bed. His bed, she finally realized.

"Felicity," his voice sounded rough with disuse.

"...tired" she managed to get out. She saw his shoulders slump slightly before he raised a hand and brushed tangled hair out of her face.

"Go back to sleep." it sounded almost like an order, but she didn't have the strength to admonish him. Her eyes were slipping shut again even though she tried to fight it.

The light on the table was off and she knew she was alone before she opened her eyes the last time she woke up. There was a stillness in the room that hadn't been there before.

Just remembering in time that her left arm was essentially non operational, Felicity pushed up slightly with her right and settled back against the pillows. She pushed loose hair out of her eyes and looked down expectantly, not surprised when she found herself in clothes that were not her own.

She was really going to have to find out who kept changing her.

This time it was a t-shirt from the Starling City pro baseball team, accented with a deep aubergine scarf that was being used as a sling for her injured arm.

A scarf that once she touched it she realized must be made of cashmere and must have cost more than she would have willingly spent.

Her glasses were no where to be found, and without them she squinted pointlessly at the clock across the room. From what she could remember she must have slept the day away. She also must not have broken her neck on the stairs, although she wasn't sure how; Oliver had been too far away when she fell.

Deja vu hit her hard as she pushed back the heavy covers and attempted to pull herself to a seated position. It hadn't been that long ago that she'd woken up here. However, she at least knew where she was this time.

The ache in her arm and her head increased as she slowly made her way to the bathroom, and it was with great delight that she remembered Oliver's stash of prescription pain medication.

The image that greeted her in the mirror was one she barely recognized. Her normally fair skin was wan, and despite the amount of sleep she'd had, shadows bruised the tissue under her eyes. She had small cuts and abrasions along her jaw and the side of her face that she hadn't even known about. Her hair hang limp. It was still dusty, and she wanted nothing more than to help herself to Oliver's shower again, but she didn't want to risk undoing the sling.

With a resigned sigh she fished out the least potent medication she could find and swallowed it down before ignoring the filthy Felicity reflected back at her and set out on a quest to find Oliver.

The house was completely silent. The door to Thea's room was closed and even though she'd stitched the girl's head and inserted an IV into her arm, Felicity didn't feel like she could just walk in.

Her need to see Oliver increased with every step. She was beginning to piece together what had happened and it worried her that she'd been asleep so long. Or had she been unconscious?

He hadn't been in the best headspace when they'd talked all too briefly the night of the earthquake. Tommy's death, and the destruction of the Glades had lay heavy on him and she knew that wasn't going away easily.

As she stepped across the foyer, shadows cast from various points and made the space seem heavy and foreboding. A shiver went down her back and she walked quicker.

Her first visit here she'd never made it any further into the house, but there was no imperious Moira Queen to stop her this time.

Small table lamps here and there gave off some light, but it was still hard to discern what rooms she was walking past. The one on her right was massive. The picture windows spilled in moonlight, the glass dominated by a huge replica of a sailing ship. There were several couches and chairs arranged in very orderly and precise ways, and while Felicity thought it was a nice room it was too formal and stuffy for her tastes.

She passed by a dining room that could seat twenty, an office, and a library. The latter she actually appreciated and wouldn't have minded spending time in there.

The kitchen surprised her. It had a very different feel than the rest of the house, and while yes it was large and had every top of the line appliance imaginable it still seemed like it was used and had a purpose.

Felicity made her way to the center island and rested her fingertips on the cool surface. She peered at the small numerals on the microwave and saw it was almost midnight. A sound behind her made her jump and she winced as she turned, only to see an equally startled woman staring back at her.

"I'm so sorry Miss. Is there anything I can get for you?" the woman wore a uniform and was obviously a member of the Queen's household staff.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just looking for Oliver." Felicity stuttered out

A fond expression crossed the woman's face, "Mister Oliver is around. He goes for walks sometimes. He thinks I do not know, but I know." the knowing twinkle said everything. This woman knew all that happened in that house; not that she would ever divulge a secret.

Felicity was suddenly aware that she was once again walking around the Queen mansion with only a shirt on. She tugged the hem self consciously and adjusted the sling. "I'm sorry. I seem to keep losing my pants when I'm in this house."

There was no comment, and she didn't know if that was good or bad.

"Sit, Miss." This time Felicity wasn't given a choice as a stool was pulled out for her.

Felicity sat down gingerly, "Thank you. I don't want to be a bother..."

"No bother. This is my job, Miss."

"It's Felicity, my name, you can just call me Felicity." she didn't like the feeling of having someone deferring to her. "What's yours?"

An appreciative smile crossed the woman's face, "It's Rosa, Miss...Felicity." and Felicity returned her smile.

"You must be hungry, you slept all day." Rosa said, and began to pull items out of the mammoth refrigerator.

Just as she was about to protest, Felicity's stomach gave a large grumble, and she flushed, "Must be." she agreed,

"The doctor said you were very lucky, Miss Felicity." Rosa said, already falling back on decades of habit.

"Doctor?" Felicity questioned, not bothering to correct the woman who seemed to be putting together a delicious looking sandwich for her.

"Mister Oliver called in the Queen's doctor to look at you and Miss Thea. The vultures at the gates would never let you out." her eyes darkened and she scowled as she referred to the reporters that were waiting for a member of the Queen family to emerge. "He yelled loud enough to shake the rafters and said he'd bring in a helicopter to take you to the hospital but the doctor said you could stay as long as you rested.

The image of an angry, worried Oliver saying he'd bring in a helicopter for her made her stomach flip. "Is Thea ok?" Felicity asked hastily. She didn't want to dwell on what she'd just learned, and fear that she hadn't been able to treat Thea correctly sliced through her.

"Yes. Her young man said you saved her. The doctor agreed."

Felicity looked at her lap and fiddled with the fringe of the expensive scarf. "I just got lucky."

Rosa slid a plate in front of her, a sandwich and fresh fruit, and Felicity's mouth watered.

Before she could reach out and pick up the fork, Rosa's hand covered hers. "Thank you." she said, tears clouded her vision and Felicity could see how much she cared for Thea.

Felicity could only nod.

Rosa turned back to her tasks, but paused after a moment, struggling with whether to say what was on her mind or not. She folded a dish towel slowly and then looked back at Felicity. "Thank you for saving Mister Oliver," she said carefully, Felicity opened her mouth to reply but Rosa continued, "I do not mean last night." and Felicity was left gaping as the older woman slipped quietly out of the room.

She managed to eat half the sandwich and a few pieces of the fruit before her stomach rebelled and she pushed it away with a grimace. Rosa's words echoed within her. They sounded so simple, but they held more weight than Felicity was sure she could bear.

She'd known Oliver was different, that being with him, in whatever capacity, would be different, but she didn't realize until the night of the earthquake what that would actually entail.

It wasn't just keeping his secret; that part was easy. Protecting him from himself, and making sure he didn't pull her down with him was going to be the hard part.

She was beginning to feel that panicky, out of control feeling she had felt last night when it was up to her to save everyone. She leaned her good elbow on the counter and braced her forehead into her hand while she concentrated on her breathing.

The air shifted around her, and even though she knew there was some sort of logical, scientific explanation for it, she could tell the minute he entered the room. Her mind drifted to overly poetic novels and over used movie tropes. But facts were facts, and she knew he was there.

She didn't start when one broad arm wrapped itself around her waist from behind and came up so his hand could tangle with the one in the sling where it rested between her breasts. She let out one long, slow exhale and reclined only inches before her back was solidly against his chest.

She could feel the tension in him. It rolled off in waves, and was so strong she didn't know how it didn't physically force her away. His left hand was an anchor at her waist. She let her eyes slide shut and waited.

The steady thud of his heart, and his even breathing reassured her. She felt her own anxiety ebb, even if she had no idea how he was.

When he finally spoke his voice was a deep rumble that she could feel as well as hear. "You scared the hell out of me." he rasped

She took a moment before she answered, because she needed him to understand that losing someone you care about wasn't something unique to him. "You scared the hell out of me too."

He shifted closer, held her a little tighter. His head lowered and she could feel his chin brush the crown of her head. "How are you?"

"Sore, and tired." she admitted, knowing he wouldn't accept anything less, "How are you?"

He got tenser, if that was possible, "I'm fi..." he began but she cut him off by digging her nails into his hand.

"Don't say you're fine. There is no possible way you're fine."

He used his deft fingers to detach her nails from his skin and twine between the digits. "I'm here." he said finally

The tight fist around her heart loosened some as she settled against him more firmly, "Here is good. I'll take here."

Here was probably all she could expect right then. Tommy, the Glades, Thea, her. Oliver's normal sense of responsibility was higher than most, and now...combine it with the guilt... the fact that he hadn't bolted was more than she could ask for.

She knew he wasn't going to say another word or make another move until she did. Felicity shifted in her seat and turned so she could see him, immediately missing his warmth.

"You're aware that Rosa knows about...you know." she said and tried to mime pulling a bow but her hurt arm wouldn't let her.

He stared back at her, disbelief taking away the dead look that had been in his eyes. "Rosa?" he asked

"You didn't know?" she asked, surprised

"She can't..." but as he trailed off she could see his brain processing through numerous encounters to see if he could spot when exactly the long serving housekeeper had caught on.

"Trust me, she knows." Felicity assured him, "I think she likes me." she said, trying to maybe tease a smile out of him. "She fixed me a sandwich."

His lips tugged slightly and she felt a small surge of victory, "A sandwich huh? If she used the special sauce you do rate high."

She gave him a broad grin, "It's never bad to be on good terms with the one who controls the pantry."

"Must be why Digg likes Carly so much." he replied. It was forced, and a bit stilted, but he tried, and thats what counted.

She slid off the stool, leaving a hand on his arm for support, and was glad to feel him wrap around her waist from behind and guide her from the room.

Before they stepped onto the inlaid parquet floor of the foyer Oliver paused and looked up at the railing where she had almost tumbled to her death.

A shudder went through her, "What happened?" she asked and felt the hand at her back bunch in the material of his shirt.

He looked away, the tightness in his jaw returning. "I'm sure you're tired." he deflected

"I am," she agreed, in fact that pill she'd taken was starting to work a little too well, but before her brain descended into mush she needed to know what had happened. "But I don't understand how I wasn't being scraped off this very lovely floor."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. Oliver's arm fell away from her and his eyes shut tight. The clenched fists at his side seemed to be the only way he was keeping control, and that was tremulous at best. "Don't." he ground out.

She lifted a hand to touch him in apology but he stepped back and began to pace around her. The hands that had been fists were now scrubbing over his close cropped hair.

"Every time I shut my eyes..." he began and then stopped himself short. "Every time, I see your body, bent and broken on this floor, or Tommy dying, or Thea laid out in the street...I can't..."

She followed him, her hand clamped down on his bicep and halted his movement. "I'm right here." she assured him, but it didn't seem to be enough

"I watched you fall, and you were too far away...I shouldn't have been able to catch you, but somehow I did. The doctor said you had mostly passed out from exhaustion, but that the blow to your head could have caused internal damage he couldn't assess." the way he spat the words out made her think he was repeating them verbatim. "Moving you, or leaving you here was the same risk."

She gasped, "But Rosa said...she said all I needed was rest" Felicity was confused.

He finally looked at her, and even in the dim lighting she could make out how fearful he'd been, "Rosa doesn't know everything."

Her hand left his arm to brush along his cheek, "I'm so sorry I scared you."

His hands came up to cup her face and the kiss he gave her was so soft and reverent it almost felt like a goodbye. Ice clenched in her stomach until he pulled her towards him and held her as tightly as he dared.

"How are Digg and Thea?" she mumbled into his chest, the drug beginning to make her feel like her mouth and brain weren't completely connected any longer.

"Digg will be fine, and so will Thea. The doctor was suitably impressed with your suturing."

"And how about you?" she asked

His pause made her pull back and look up at him, "Oliver..."

"I might have needed all new stitches after I caught you on the stairs." he admitted, but she knew he didn't regret it.

"I'd scold you, but you saved my life, so I'll let it slide this time." she told him, and laid her head back on his chest.

"Come on, you need to rest, and something tells me you've helped yourself to the contents of my medicine cabinet."

"It's not like you were using them." she countered, but allowed him to pull her to his side as they climbed the stairs. His grip grew even more solid the higher they went which she purposely ignored.

Her feet drug as they navigated the hallway, her head now firmly tucked into his shoulder as he all but carried her back to his room. The thought had never occurred to her that she should be going back to her own place.

He reached for the door handle when a voice from behind them called out, "Ollie,"

He turned swiftly and brought Felicity with him, her hand clutched into the fabric of his shirt in a feeble attempt to keep her balance.

Thea stood outside her own room, Roy hovering close behind. She looked tired but whole.

Oliver made sure Felicity was steady before he took three long strides and scooped his sister up in an embrace. "You ok, Speedy?" he asked and the girl could just nod her head. He sat her back down and pushed her hair back so he could see the bandage on her temple.

She caught his hand and gave it a squeeze before dropping it. "I'm better." she told him

Felicity took a few steps closer, but didn't want to intrude. Oliver and her had never discussed what being 'together' entailed. For all she knew he could have meant he wanted to keep it a secret so he could continue his playboy persona for the press, which also meant his family wouldn't know.

"Hi," Thea said softly and Felicity realized with a start it was directed at her.

"Hi." she replied, once again mortified to realize she was in only a t-shirt, and that Thea had, no doubt, just seen Oliver with his arm around her. So much for that whole secret thing.

Thea came a little closer, "Roy told me, that you saved me. So I just...I just wanted to say thank you."

Felicity flushed, "I just got lucky," she protested

"That's not what the doctor said. So, really, thank you. And thank you for taking care of my brother too, even if the big grump won't say it himself." she said with an easy smile.

"You're welcome. And don't worry, he's not always a grump, and he's already thanked me, in his own way." she pressed her lips together tight as soon as she was done speaking and the words resonated with her. Thea's eyebrows shot into her hairline and Roy pretended that the pattern of the carpet was absolutely fascinating.

Olive gave an awkward chuckle and scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, "I think those pain pills might be kicking in." he said, even though they both knew she said things like that on a regular basis without the assistance of legal narcotics.

Thea shot her a sympathetic look and then turned back to Oliver. "How are you? Roy said the doctor had to stitch you up."

"I'm fine." he said automatically, and Felicity flashed back to only a short while ago where she hadn't let him get away with saying that, but Thea didn't press.

The girl studied him for a long moment, clearly struggling with what she wanted to say next, and then she just blurted it out.

"What about mom?" she sounded so much like a little girl then

Oliver flinched, "I don't know. Mom did...for whatever her reasons, she did a horrible thing..." the control he had to execute was beginning to wear thin and talking about his mother was probably going to be the last straw.

"Ollie, it's Mom! I know how bad it was, I was there! But she's still Mom! You can't just abandon her." Thea retorted, her grief at losing another parent making her lash out at her brother. Felicity took a step closer to Oliver because she could seem him fighting to tamp down his emotions but she didn't know if he'd be successful.

"I'll call the lawyers in the morning." he capitulated, and for a second it seemed to placate his sister.

Confusion crossed her face, "You haven't called them already? What the hell have you been doing."

This time it was Roy who stepped forward. His eyes exchanged a glance with Felicity. Whether he knew how close Oliver was to losing it or not, he sensed that now wasn't the time for Thea's criticism. He grasped Thea's elbow and bent low to whisper something in her ear.

Felicity didn't know what he said, but Thea's eyes cut over her and suddenly she felt self conscious. She was about to turn and head into the room, as awkward as that would have been as well, when Thea spoke.

"I'm sorry, Ollie. I didn't know." she said quietly and gestured to Felicity although she didn't look at her. Oliver appeared to understand what she hadn't said and nodded.

The longer she stood there, the more sleepy she became, and she was never more grateful when Thea announced that her and Roy were going off to raid the kitchen. Oliver's hand captured hers and towed her back to his room.

She sat gingerly on the bed and looked up at him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Do you need anything else?" he said to the space over her shoulder

"Just you." she replied, the drugs loosening her tongue even past it's normal point.

His gaze shot back to her and she tugged ineffectually on his solid form. "You haven't slept, have you?" she asked, but he didn't answer.

Felicity scooted over to make room and watched as he battled internally. She let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding when he slid in next to her.

Their respective injuries made laying down difficult, but she finally laid on her right side, using his good arm as a pillow. He wrapped his forearm around her waist and latched her to him.

She felt him let out a long exhale.

"Just sleep." she instructed, and wished she could rollover to face him just then. His lips brushed a kiss over her hair but he didn't reply.

The drugs were pulling her under. As she drifted off she thought of everything that was ahead of them. Rebuilding the foundry, Moira's trail, Tommy's funeral. None of those seemed as daunting as rebuilding Oliver.

He'd lost his purpose. She'd seen it that night after he'd pulled her out of the rubble. She'd seen it when he didn't seem that upset that Roy had found out his secret. She knew he was doubting himself and his place in the city; the Hood's place especially.

So she'd get him through the trail, and help him write Tommy's eulogy, hold his hand at the graveside service, and direct him towards Diggle when he needed to use his fists to expel his emotions. She'd oversee construction at the foundry, and make sure her fiber optic cables were run correctly, and the nightclub back on it's feet. And when every possible distraction and excuse was out of the way she'd force him to face his demons and realize, like she did, that the city did need him as a hero and not a vigilante.

"Stop thinking" he murmured into her hair, and she smiled into the warm skin she lay on. He was giving her a base to work from at least. It would be slow and it would test her in ways she could't imagine, but she knew it would be worth it.

"Good night, Oliver," she said softly, her voice already trailing off

He kissed again before replying in kind, "Good night, Felicity."

As she finally fell asleep, her last thought was that even though they had been faced with so many horrible obstacles, she felt hopeful that they'd come through. Oliver's soft snores were proof.