Dark Green Shadows
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Arrow. It belongs to DC Comics and The CW.
Pairing: Oliver & Felicity (Olicity)
Rating: T
Summary: Set somewhere between 04x10: "Dark Water" and 04x14: "Sins of The Father."
Author's Note: Snippets of dialogue taken from 04x12: "A.W.O.L.
Felicity Smoak knew that she was dreaming. Between their pursuit of Damian Darkhe, Oliver's mayoral campaign, the wedding plans, and her work at Palmer Tech, she was perpetually exhausted.
And not to mention her injury.
Her life-altering, permanent, spinal cord injury.
Courtesy of Damian Darkhe.
The one that left her in a virtually constant state of pain that forced her to swallow more painkillers within the past few weeks than she'd consumed in her entire twenty-five years on this Earth.
She snuggled closer to Oliver, who was sleeping soundly beside her, and tried to focus on her breathing so that she would drift off into a peaceful sleep.
She was standing on a dark and deserted street somewhere in Starling City.
The location was familiar, yet she couldn't place it.
And she knew she was dreaming because she was standing on the street.
And in reality she couldn't stand.
Not anymore.
Not ever again.
Damian Darkhe had made certain of that.
In the dream, she squeezed her eyes shut trying to relish every fleeting moment of standing and walking because she knew it wasn't going to last.
She took a deep breath, despite the chill in the air and the fact that a slight mist was falling and it obscured her vision as it covered her glasses within a few seconds.
Felicity pulled her coat more tightly around her to ward off the cold, and tried to focus instead of the things that she'd never realized she'd taken for granted until after she'd been injured.
The stability of the pavement beneath her feet.
The sound her heels made as she walked across the slick asphalt.
Before her injury the sensation of the cold damp air against her skin would've been unpleasant but now it felt refreshing.
"Open your eyes, loser."
The moment Felicity heard the voice, her own voice, she realized she wasn't alone.
She opened her eyes and saw the earlier darker angrier version of herself from five years ago.
That Felicity, the dark Felicity, was a brunette with dark clothes, Goth make-up, and an attitude to match.
Behind her glasses, present day rolled her eyes and sighed, "You again. I thought I told you to go away."
Dark Felicity chuckled and replied, "Since, I'm you that could be a little difficult don't you think?" She said in an echo of something she'd said when the hallucination first appeared about a week after her injury.
"Okay," Felicity replied, "I'll bite. So what are you here to show me this time?"
"I'll show you if you stop pretending." Dark Felicity answered turning away in disgust.
Here we go again.
Present day Felicity thought.
"Stop pretending that this is the real you…the blonde hair…glasses…sensible fashion…People wear masks for a reason to hide who they are. Just like you have been doing for the past five years. First you decide to sign up to be the world's most over-qualified IT girl. And then you decide to try beginning a hero. And look what it got you…A ringside seat to the rest of your life."
Just when she thought she couldn't take the incessant ramblings of her darker self for another second there was the familiar sound of an arrow whooshing through the brisk night air as Oliver appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
"That's enough," The Green Arrow shouted.
Even though his voice was masked by the voice distorter that he used in the field, she smiled when she heard him speak.
I'd know Oliver Queen's voice anywhere.
"Oliver, I'm so glad you're here," She whispered, "I need you to tell her to go away. I need you to tell her…to tell her that she's wrong…please?
Even Felicity could hear the desperation in her own voice as she spoke the last word.
The Green Arrow shook his head; even behind his mask she could see the sadness in his eyes, "I'm sorry. I can't." He answered softly.
Felicity looked at the man she loved as if he were a stranger who she'd never seen before.
"Why not?" She whispered, her mouth open in an expression that was made up of equal parts panic and surprise.
"Because…" The Green Arrow replied, "She's not wrong,"
She thought she heard the sound of the darker version of herself laughing, just before she disappeared.
Was that disappointment that she saw in his eyes?
Suddenly her vision blurred again. But this time the wetness on her glasses wasn't from the rain. It was from the tears that she hadn't realized she'd shed until they ran down her cheeks.
"What do you mean?" Felicity asked, confused, "Oliver, it's me…It's…"
Her voice trailed off as The Green Arrow took aim and spoke the familiar words that she'd never thought she'd ever hear him say.
Not to her.
Not ever.
"Felicity Smoak, you have failed this city."
She shuddered at the sound of his familiar usually comforting voice speaking the same familiar harsh words that he used when he spoke to hardened criminals and petty street thugs.
"No, Oliver. I didn't do anything wrong…All I've ever done is try to help…" Felicity protested.
"I'm not finished…" The Green Arrow, shouted over her protests.
"I'm sorry…" Felicity said under her breath, her fallen tears mixing with the rain now cold against her cheeks.
"Felicity Smoak," He said again, as if she hadn't interrupted. "You have failed this city. You have failed your team."
She thought he was finished and she opened her mouth to speak, but he went on before she could, this time the voice she heard was Oliver's without the distortion.
"You have failed me. And you've failed yourself."
"Oliver, please don't do this." She begged, just as he let the arrow fly.
"No, Oliver…" She pleaded with him one last time, before her whispers turned to screams of pain as the arrow penetrated skin and muscle and she sank to the ground paralyzed.
Oliver awoke startled by the sound of Felicity's terrified screams.
After his time on the island, he was usually the one who woke up screaming.
But when he heard his fiancée calling his name desperately in her sleep; he couldn't ignore her pain.
He would neverignore her pain.
"Oliver, please don't do this…" She mumbled, her body pressed against his side as they slept, her tears soaking his bare skin.
"Felicity," He whispered softly, reaching for her. "Hey, I'm here."
"Oliver..."She whispered desperately as fresh tears running down her cheeks, onto his back, his side, his shoulder.
"Felicity…Honey, wake up…" He spoke a little louder this time as the endearment that he usually only used in jest slipped from his lips as easily as breathing.
It was the sensation of the thin layer of stubble on his upper lip brushing against her ear, as he whispered, "Hey, you're dreaming," that finally roused her.
She blinked in the darkness, her vision unclear without her glasses.
"Oliver…" She whispered, uncertainly as the veil between sleep and waking slowly lifted.
"I'm here." He repeated, gently pulling her towards him, "It's okay."
Felicity nuzzled against his muscular chest, her shoulder length blonde hair and her t-shirt damp with sweat and tears.
"I'm sorry I woke you," She whispered.
"Don't worry about it," He replied softly, "Are you in pain?"
She nodded almost imperceptibly and in seconds he was reaching for the pill bottle on the nightstand.
"I'll go down and get you some water." Oliver said getting out of bed.
"Thank you, my love," Felicity called after him, as he disappeared down the stairs.
"You're welcome," He replied as he suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs as if he'd never left the bedroom.
He handed her a bottle of water with one hand and brushed her sweat-soaked hair from her temple with the other.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, climbing back into bed beside her, as she swallowed her pills.
She shook her head, and he gave her a skeptical look, "Are you sure?"
She nodded and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too, "He replied, kissing her forehead, "If you change your mind, and you do want to talk. I'm here. I'm always here for you."
"I know," She said, her voice trailing off as she pillowed her head against his shoulder. But for now, can you just hold me?"
Without a word, Oliver pulled her close and they were both asleep within minutes.