Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Tonight had not gone according to plan; the Dollmaker was still out there on the loose, Lance had been arrested and Felicity . . . Felicity had been injured doing something that Oliver knew was reckless and dangerous but he had agreed to it anyway.

Maybe if he hadn't been on the roof, but on the ground instead, he might have gotten to her sooner. But they needed an overview of the situation and normally that was Felicity's job back at the Foundry, watching over them all with her computers and access to every surveillance camera in the area.

Sighing Oliver punched in his code and pulled the door open to the basement. At least she was at the hospital getting checked over after the police had taken her statement. Not that he had been able to hang around, Lance had been right to send him on his way as soon as the sirens came too close. The former detective was in enough trouble without being seen colluding with Starling City's very own vigilante.

Oliver's steps slowed on the stairs when he saw Dig's broad back in front of Felicity's workstation. 'I figured you'd still be at the –' His words trailed away when Diggle moved to one side to reveal Felicity sitting hunched over on her chair, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

Realising that he had a strangle hold on the banister; Oliver made a conscious effort to relax and continue walking down the stairs. He ignored his two friends, walking past them towards the weapons area where he calmly put his bow inside the glass cabinet and unhooked his quiver of arrows. Then, after a deep breath, he unzipped the green leather jacket and slowly pulled off his gloves. Only when he felt like he was under some sort of control did Oliver turn and walk back to the workstation.

'I thought you were going to the hospital?' the words might have been directed towards Felicity but Oliver's burning gaze was fixed on Diggle.

Dig shrugged, 'She refused.'

'Actually,' Felicity pulled one hand out from underneath the blanket to point towards Diggle. 'I told the nice police officer that I was going then I decided to come here instead.'

Oliver turned to look at Felicity. 'Why?'

Felicity frowned and pushed her glasses up her nose before tucking her hand back under her blanket. 'What do you mean why, because we didn't catch the Dollmaker, he could be anywhere by now. I have to check security footage in the area, see where he went.'

'All the things the police are doing.' Oliver answered.

'But I can do it quicker.' Felicity looked from Oliver to Diggle. 'Guys, I'm fine.'

Oliver tilted his head, frowning. 'I didn't realise you could also get medical degrees at MIT, Ms Smoaks.'

'Hey!' Felicity began to launch herself out of her chair at Oliver, when she sat back down with the groan and closed her eyes.

Oliver shot a look over at Diggle. Who could only shake his head slightly and shrug in a what can you do kind of way.

'Dig, get the car,' Oliver demanded.

'What?' Felicity opened her eyes and looked from Diggle to Oliver. 'What part of fine did you not understand?'

Oliver ignored Felicity's outburst and turned to Diggle. 'I said get the car.'

Diggle held up his hands in surrender before dropping them to his side and leaning back against the desk. 'You two need to get this sorted out before I go and get anything.'

Oliver bit back a growl. 'She's going and that's final.'

'You're not the boss of me!' Felicity snapped. 'Okay technically you are the boss of me, but in this circumstance you are not the boss of me.'

'She sounds pretty normal,' Diggle said, with a small smile.

'Felicity,' Oliver reached up and rubbed his eyes, 'you were hurt.'

'You get hurt on missions all the time.'

'But you're not me.'

Felicity opened her eyes really wide in mock surprise. 'I'm not? I'd better cancel that subscription to Vigilantes Monthly then.' She swivelled her chair about slowly and began to tap randomly on her keyboard.

Oliver reached out and spun her chair back around. 'I'm serious.'

'Ow,' Felicity scrunched up her face as her head swam from the sudden movement.

'I'm sorry,' Oliver reached up, as if to touch Felicity before dropping his hand. 'This was not supposed to happen,' he muttered as he stepped backwards away from her.

'Me getting hurt,' Felicity asked as she reached up to brush a finger against the butterfly bandage on her forehead, 'or not doing as I'm told?'

Diggle snorted. 'My guess right now is both.'

'You're not helping.' Oliver glared at Dig, who just smiled back at him.

'Honestly,' Felicity said, 'I don't know what all the fuss is about, both of you come back here beat up all the time and no one goes to the hospital.'

'Well one of us is a professional who doesn't get hurt half as much as he could,' Diggle replied, 'and the other one is a billionaire vigilante idiot who thinks suffering is part of the job.'

'Still not helping,' Oliver snapped.

'Oliver I am part of this team,' Felicity said, quietly, 'you need to stop treating me like some sort of porcelain – ' the word "doll" stuck in her throat as images of the Dollmaker's victims flashed through Felicity's mind, 'like a child.'

Rubbing the fingers of his right hand together Oliver stared at Felicity before seeming to reach some sort of decision. 'Fine,' he held up one finger towards Felicity. 'Follow the finger, without turning your head.'

Felicity sighed as she tracked Oliver's finger left to right, then up and down. 'I didn't know you got a medical degree on that island, Mister Queen,' she grumped.

'Let's just say I picked up a few things.' Dropping his finger Oliver reached out and tipped Felicity's head forward. He began to massage the back of her neck, working his way up through her hair, looking for any bumps or broken skin. 'Do you feel any nausea, dizziness?'

Felicity hummed contentedly. 'If you ever want to give up the vigilante thing you could always moonlight as a masseuse.'

'This is serious,' Oliver let go of the back of Felicity's head and reached around to gently press down on the faint bruise that was beginning to show over her right temple.

'Ow!' Felicity snapped her head backwards, out of Oliver's reach. 'That hurt.'

'No kid gloves, remember?' Oliver growled at her. 'You could have a concussion or a subdural haematoma and begin bleeding into your brain; you could be forming a blood clot as we speak and end up experiencing a heart attack or a stroke.'

Felicity rubbed around her bruise. 'Now you're just trying to scare me.'

Oliver leaned in closer to Felicity. 'Is it working?'

'You know,' Dig spoke up, 'head injuries should be taken seriously, Felicity, that brain of yours is too valuable to damage.'

Felicity sniffed and looked over at Diggle. 'So you only love me for my mind?'

Dig smiled back at her. 'Other bits of you are okay too.'

Felicity sat up straighter in her chair, lips twitching into a small smile. 'Don't you forget it.'

Sighing, Oliver leaned back and ran a hand over his tired eyes, 'Just go to the hospital Felicity.'

Felicity's eyes narrowed and a stubborn look crossed her face. 'No, you guys don't go, so I'm not going.'

Oliver knew all too well how stubborn Felicity could get; she was one of the few people in the world that happily stood up to him on a regular basis, the thought of losing that, of losing her. When the Dollmaker had grabbed Felicity and then Oliver had seen her lying there on the ground, unconscious . . . it had felt like his whole world had tilted on its axis. For that briefest of moments his priorities weren't for the city, it was Felicity's safety.

'Please,' he said, quietly, looking directly at Felicity he let his walls down for a moment giving her a chance to see what he was feeling. 'Go for me, between my mother's upcoming trial and this serial killer on the loose, the last thing I need to worry about is you.'

'Well,' Felicity's breathe caught in her throat as she absorbed the brief burst of hurt and worry on Oliver's face, before he closed his feelings off and became Oliver Queen, CEO and vigilante again. 'I do have this killer headache and you did say please.'

'Finally!' Diggle stood upright. 'I'll get the car.'

But,' Felicity interrupted causing Dig to turn back towards the other two, 'I reserve the right to make both of you go to the hospital the next time either of you get hurt.'

'I'll take it,' Dig said.

'I'll think about it,' Oliver answered.

'Which is Queen speak for "no chance in hell".' Diggle rolled his eyes at the younger man.

'I said I'd think about it,' Oliver growled.

'Baby steps,' Felicity told Diggle, 'at least he's thinking about it.'

Oliver felt himself relax for the first time since he had walked into the Foundry. He watched as Felicity bent down to retrieve her handbag from under her chair and juggle with her blanket at the same time. He resisted the urge to walk over and help her, she'd just take it as a sign he didn't think she was capable or something and knowing his luck change her mind about going to the hospital.

'Oh,' Felicity stopped what she was doing and turned to Diggle, 'what do I tell the doctors when they ask what happened? You guys always have an excuse like a motorbike accident or something, right?'

Diggle shrugged, 'Tell the truth, you were attacked and a handsome black colleague came to your rescue. The police already have your incident on file, no point denying it.'

'You weren't the only one there, Dig.' Oliver said.

'Just don't forget to emphasise my handsomeness to the nurses,' Diggle told Felicity and totally ignoring Oliver, 'and if you could mention how heroic I was that would be great too.'

Felicity mocked gasped, 'Diggle are you using my tragic incident to go looking for a date?'

Diggle shrugged, 'I'm keeping my options open.'

Felicity nodded, 'Consider me your wingman for the night,' she stopped and thought over that sentence, 'or should that be wing woman?

'Whatever, and if there is some cute doctor there that catches your eye,' Diggle winked, 'Just let me know.'

'Nobody ever offers to help me find a date.' Oliver didn't need both Felicity and Dig turning and looking at him to know that was one of his dumber sentences as soon as he said it, 'Never mind.'

'I'll let you know how it goes as soon as Felicity sees the doctor,' Dig told Oliver.

Oliver nodded, 'Good.'

'Try and get some rest, Oliver,' Felicity told him, 'you have a big day tomorrow.'

Oliver nodded.

Felicity sighed, knowing that she and Dig had a better chance of getting a date tonight than Oliver had of actually resting. Turning she tucked her hand around Diggle's outstretched elbow.

'Your carriage awaits, milady.' Diggle told her.

Oliver watched his two friends as they walked up the stairs, Felicity was busying trying to come up with the perfect story to tell the nurses, while Diggle looked on in amusement.

As the door closed behind them he dropped heavily into Felicity's chair and closed his eyes. All Oliver wanted to do was sleep but he knew that wasn't on the agenda, not until he had heard from Diggle, and more than likely not even then.

There was too much to do, the Dollmaker was still on the loose, he had to reconnect with Lance and find out where the police stood on the case and then there was his mother's upcoming trial. Thea needed him more now than ever and on top of everything else there was trying to work with Isabelle in keeping his company afloat and the never ending work trying to save his city.

Oliver sighed and dragged himself to his feet. People like him didn't deserve rest; people like him had to constantly keep moving. Some days it felt like he hadn't stopped moving forward since the Gambit went down. But right now, more than anything; after the night he just had, he wanted nothing more than to hit something. Oliver walked over to the workout mats.