A/N: This is the first chapter of my new story. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

10:00 AM; Hour 1

For homicide detectives, the clock starts ticking the moment they are called. Their chance of solving a murder is cut in half if they don't get a lead within the first 48 hours.

Oliver Queen had never been the type to dread going to work. Maybe back when he'd first graduated from the Academy and begun putting in his time as a beat cop – back then he'd been assigned an old car without heating or air conditioning. But besides that one trying summer, he generally enjoyed his job.

Since working his way up to achieve the title of detective, he'd begun enjoying his job even more. There was something satisfying about hunting down the animals who committed the most heinous of crimes and making sure they got the justice they deserved.

And he was good at it.

At only 29, Oliver had already risen through the ranks of the Star City PD to become one of the leading homicide detectives in the city. He'd been recognized by the mayor at City Hall for his efficiency at what he did, he'd been awarded the highest honor the department offered for his marksmanship for four years running, and he had even received a call from the governor last year congratulating him on being the leading detective in the state in solved homicides.

How did he do it? He'd been asked that question over and over again by rookies throughout the years. His answer was always the same.

Don't feel.

A good detective wouldn't let the hideous nature of a crime impact how he or she interprets the facts. A good detective wouldn't allow an emotional connection to the victim, or their crying mother, or their distraught children, cloud his or her head while they're supposed to be analyzing everything for clues. A good detective didn't get sidetracked by the human aspect of a crime.

A job was a job.

And Oliver Queen had gotten pretty damn good and his job. So good, in fact, that he sometimes wondered if he even remembered how to have an emotional connection with someone. With his mother and sister living across the country, he didn't really have anyone to test his empathy out with.

Good thing empathy wasn't needed at his work.

He trudged through the sloppy January snow and to the front doors of the precinct, only to be met almost instantly by his partner, John Diggle.

Diggle was a kindred spirit of sorts. The man was endlessly dedicated and professional on the job, and he was good at what he did. Oliver considered him a friend. Or as close to a friend as he could get considering Oliver was determined not to get too close to anyone at work. Ever since the rookie, Roy Harper, had been killed in the line of duty a few years back, Oliver had taken it upon himself to maintain as much emotional distance from coworkers as possible.

A job was a job.

He wouldn't let attachment to anyone he worked with be his undoing.

"Hey, is that for me?" Diggle said excitedly, reaching for one of the two coffees Oliver was carrying. Oliver swiftly swiveled the styrofoam cups out of Diggle's reach and threw him a glare.

"No," he responded curtly, ignoring Diggle's amused huff as the older and bulkier man fell into step beside him.

"Let me guess. Felicity?"

Oliver threw John another look. "I owed her after she helped us with that Reinburg case on Tuesday."

Diggle scoffed and threw up his hands. "Whatever you say man. Chief wants us all in the briefing room for an announcement anyway. She should be there."

Oliver took a sip of his black coffee and ignored the way Diggle was grinning at him knowingly while they made their way towards the elevator. It was annoying. Just because he was being nice and thanking the cute computer forensic analyst for her help on a case – again – Diggle didn't need to make it into a thing. Yes, Oliver liked being around her. But who didn't? Felicity Smoak was like pure sunshine. Everyone liked being around her. So she'd told Oliver to repay her help with a coffee? So what? It didn't mean anything.

It didn't mean he was attached to her. Which was exactly what Diggle had accused him of when Oliver had suggested they ask for her help on the Reinburg case in the first place.

Which was ridiculous because Oliver didn't get attached.

Diggle didn't know anything.

"So have you given any more thought to that offer?" Diggle asked conversationally, pressing the elevator button for the second floor. The doors closed and the elevator started to move.

"What offer?" Oliver deadpanned, taking another sip of his coffee.

"The one from the FBI, Oliver."

Oliver looked at his partner and shrugged. Yesterday, a woman from the FBI had shown up and offered him a job. She'd said the FBI was impressed with his record and they could use his skills in federal cases. It was a great offer, but he'd have to move to Virginia. For some reason, that idea didn't sit right with him. "I don't know Digg. I don't think it's my thing."

"Not your…," Diggle sputtered. "Oliver, that job would pay you three times as much as this one! Plus you'd get to travel all over the country and really make something of your career. Isn't that what you've always said you wanted?"

The elevator door dinged open into the large briefing room. Over half of the department was already gathered there, and Oliver instantly noticed the curly golden hair of Felicity Smoak as she laughed at something that douche from the horseback unit, Ray Palmer, said. Oliver couldn't stand that guy.

"Oliver?" Diggle pressed. "So what's the deal? Why aren't you jumping for joy about this offer?"

Oliver stepped off the elevator. "Maybe I don't want to leave you, Digg," he replied over his shoulder with a smirk.

"Yeah, I don't think it's me!" Diggle called after him, shaking his head.

Oliver lifted his hand to flip his middle finger against the cup in Diggle's direction. Digg laughed and Oliver continued to work his way across the room.

"Felicity," he greeted when he got close enough to hear her telling Ray all about some new software she'd invented that could help differentiate the time of day a footprint was left based on a mud sample. She turned at the sound of his voice and offered him a bright smile.

"Oliver!" She turned back to Ray. "I'll catch up with you later, Ray."

Oliver hoped she didn't. She could do a lot better than that tool. He extended the coffee in his left hand to her. "Two creams and three sugars. Just as requested."

Felicity clapped her hands together excitedly and took the cup from his hands. "Thank you! You're a lifesaver!"

"No, that would be you. I never would have solved that case on Tuesday so quickly without your help. A coffee was the least I could do."

Felicity lifted the cup up to smell the steam rising from it, a happy smile on her face. "You know I was mostly kidding about you owing me coffee, right?"

Oliver smirked. "Well, I figured if I keep you happy, maybe you'll help me again."

Felicity took a sip of the coffee. "Mmmm," she hummed while nodding her head. "You have the right idea."

"Alright everyone, I need you all to take a seat!" the police chief, Lyla Michaels, called out loudly above the noise of the crowd. For someone who was usually pretty positive and sometimes even began meetings with a joke, Oliver noticed that Chief Michaels looked especially somber today. The detail nagged at the back of his mind where his ability to worry should have been located.

Oliver pulled out the chair at the table beside him and motioned for Felicity to sit. She smiled in gratitude and took a seat. He sat down next to her because he didn't want to look around for another spot. Not because he wanted to be near her.

The fact that he liked being near her was just a happy coincidence.

"I have some unsettling news to share with everyone," Chief Michaels began as the room quieted. Chairs creaked as men and women settled, preparing to listen.

Oliver folded his hands and rested his forearms on the table, leaning forward in anticipation of whatever news this was. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Felicity sit her coffee down gingerly and lean forward.

"We have a new case that is going to need to take priority today. Whatever you were working on, it needs to be paused. We're going to need all hands on deck."

Oliver looked around in interest. It had been a long time since a directive like that had come down from the top. He hoped the case was assigned to him.

Chief Michaels paused and looked around the room, seeming to be building her courage to deliver some unhappy news. She took a breath, and then spoke. "15 minutes ago, I received a call from the Ivy Town police chief – just across the county line. His officers found a body in an abandoned house surrounded by what looked like bird feathers." Chief Michaels clicked on the projector in front of her to show a map of an Ivy Town residential neighborhood. She used a red laser pointer to circle the house where the body had been found.

"Bird feathers?" Oliver heard Diggle question from across the room.

Chief Michaels nodded. "No doubt it was intentional," she affirmed. "I've asked that the crime scene be undisturbed until our team can get there."

"Uh Chief?" Ray spoke up, raising his hand tentatively. "Shouldn't this be in Ivy Town's jurisdiction? Why are we taking this case on? And why are we dropping everything for it?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow towards his chief, wondering the same thing. Maybe Raymond wasn't totally useless.

Chief Michaels took a haggard breath then squared her shoulders. "Because," she began in a strong voice, "the deceased is ADA Laurel Lance."

The room erupted in shocked shouts and cries of confusion. Oliver heard Felicity gasp next to him. He turned to look at her and saw her mouth hanging open and her hands beginning to shake. He himself was surprised. He'd just seen Laurel on Wednesday morning when she stopped by to have him sign off on a deposition testimony he was set to give in a couple weeks. It seemed strange that she could exist then but not today.

"I know this is a shock," Chief Michaels said. "I know many of you have worked with Ms. Lance in the past and will, no doubt, want answers. I do too. The best thing we can do for her and her family is find out who did this as quickly as possible. Remember that her father, Quentin, hasn't been retired from our ranks for long. Let's close this as fast as we can for him."

"I'll volunteer for the case," Digg spoke up again.

Chief Michaels nodded and gave a grim smile. "Thank you John. As a matter of fact, I was hoping you and Oliver would volunteer. We need our best on this one. Queen?" She turned to him, waiting for his response.

Oliver spoke up for the first time since the meeting started. "We'll solve it, Chief."

Chief Michaels nodded. "Good. Assemble your team then. I want you headed for Ivy Town in ten minutes."

The room thrummed with noisy chatter as Chief Michaels descended from the podium with the thin manila folder she'd started compiling files and evidence into before the meeting began. Oliver turned to Felicity and frowned when he saw her staring straight ahead. She was trying to take a sip of her coffee, but her hands were shaking so much that drips of coffee were spilling over the lid.

"Felicity, hey," he grabbed the coffee from her hands and set it on the table. "Are you ok?"

She looked at him, her eyes wide. "Yeah I'm…. I don't know. I knew Laurel. I … worked with her on a case a couple of months ago." Her eyes left his and looked down and to the side like she was remembering something. "She was nice to me. She offered to go out to dinner with me for my birthday since I didn't have many friends in the city yet. Who… Oliver, who would do this?"

She looked back at him and he felt his stomach sink when he saw her eyes. She was upset. He didn't like it.

"I don't know yet," he answered honestly.

She looked away from him, her eyes unfocused. "I've never lost a friend on the job before."

Oliver was silent. He didn't have anything to say. He knew what it was like to be blindsided by the loss of a friend. Thank God he hadn't let himself get into that position again since Roy.

Felicity looked back at him, her mouth dropping open. "I'm so sorry! I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself and you…you must be devastated. God I'm an idiot!"

Oliver just looked at her and blinked. "…What?"

"Laurel," Felicity whispered, her voice wobbling slightly. "You used to date her, right? I'm so sorry Oliver. If you need anything -"

"We went on a few dates years ago. It wasn't serious. How did you even know that?" Something about her thinking that he was dating Laurel Lance bothered him.

Her face turned an endearing shade of pink. "She uh… she told me. When we were working together. I'm sorry, should I not have brought it up?"

Oliver shook his head, wondering why he cared if Felicity knew about his past dates with Laurel. It's not like they'd led anywhere. He and Laurel had never been compatible. She wanted a commitment, and when he wouldn't give it, she'd (accurately) called him a cold-hearted bastard. He'd barely seen her since then except for work, and he hadn't really thought twice about it. "It's fine. We just…weren't close or anything if that's what you thought."

Felicity nodded and looked like she was about to say something before Chief Michaels interrupted. "Queen, you're going to need a tech analyst with you on this one. Chief Poole said there were some flash drives left behind at the scene. I want them analyzed initially there so we can get a start on any leads they provide, then sent back here for deeper examination."

"Ok, Chief," Oliver nodded. He looked next to him. Felicity had just told him the other day about how she sometimes got bored sitting behind her desk all day. She'd said she wanted a chance to prove herself in the field and to earn more opportunities to work at actual crime scenes gathering her data instead of being the lab tech they brought everything back to. "Felicity, you want to come to Ivy Town?"

"Me?" Felicity questioned, looking from Oliver to Chief Michaels. "I don't get to go into the field often. I'd love to help, I just … Are you sure - "

"She's the best," Oliver asserted, looking back at Chief Michaels. "We need her there."

Chief Michaels nodded then turned to Felicity. "You're in, Smoak. Remember to vest up. We're not taking any chances with this one."

"Thank you, Ma'am. You won't regret this," Felicity beamed. Chief Michaels dropped the folder in front of Oliver and then walked off to talk to someone else who was calling for her attention. Oliver watched Felicity turn to him with a big smile on her face.

He liked it much more than that sad look she had a few minutes ago.

"Thank you, Oliver. That was really nice of you to say that to Chief Michaels."

"It's the truth," he shrugged, smiling a little when he saw her face light up even more.

"Ok, well I'm going to go grab my vest. I'll meet you and Diggle in the lobby?"

"I'll grab Digg and meet you there," he confirmed. She smiled again and walked off towards the elevator – her coffee forgotten. He figured he'd do another kind deed and take it to her for the 45 minute car trip.

"So, I just heard Felicity's coming with us?" Diggle said, coming up next to Oliver and clapping him on the back. Oliver internally groaned at the note of amusement in the man's voice.

"Don't start, Digg. She's the best at what she does, and Chief wants some flash drives analyzed on the scene." Oliver stood up and grabbed the folder and Felicity's forgotten coffee. He looked at Diggle and saw the man smirking at him. "What?"

Diggle threw his hands up with a smile. "Nothing. I just definitely don't think it's me you don't want to leave."