Role Swap AU: I'm strangely really proud of this one so I hope you guys enjoyed it.

"My name is Felicity Smoak. After five years on a hellish island, I have come home with only one goal: to save my city. But to do so, I can't be the killer I once was. To honor my friend's memory, I must be someone else. I must be... something else."

"Oliver, I need that location now!" Felicity bellowed.

"I'm working on it. The vehicle is using a scrambler that's disrupting our tracker's signal. I need a minute."

Oliver's fingers moved at a frightening speed across the keyboard as he tried to get a location on the vehicle in question. His eyes darted across the multiple screens trying to desperately crack the encryption that was blocking his access to the tracker they had placed on the perp's phone.

"O-li-ver," Felicity growled.

A little red dot finally appeared on the screen and Oliver punched the air in triumph.

"Got it. Okay he's heading down Dunn Avenue. You're about three minutes southwest of his location. He should get stuck at the next set of lights so if you cut down Centennial..."

"On my way." She cut him off.

Oliver muted his com and let out an angry huff as he waited for Felicity to get the bad guy and save the day once again. Oliver knew Felicity well. They had been working together for the better part of two years after all. When Felicity was in the field she was pretty oblivious to common courtesy and that was okay, she had more important things to focus on, but still, Oliver couldn't help but roll his eyes whenever she used her grumpy voice.

He put his head in his hands and listened to the scuffle as it ensued and then Felicity's distorted voice as she threatened Felix Costa, an arms smuggler who had brought his Barcelona-based operation to Starling City. Felicity's voice was cool, distant and sent a cold shiver down Oliver's spine. With his eyes closed he could see her blue eyes piercing the smear of green paint she used to conceal her identity and the strands of gold hair escaping from beneath her hood, which did little to lessen the intensity of her gaze. He could see Costa trembling on his knees in the middle of the deserted street as the vigilante towered menacingly above him, her bow drawn and at the ready. It was not a good night to be Felix Costa.

He couldn't stop trembling as he kneeled in the middle of the empty street. His heart was pounding out of his chest and the edges of his vision seemed to grey a bit. He tried, but Felix Costa couldn't take his eyes off the tip of the arrow that was pointed mere inches from his heart. Under normal circumstances, Felix would have had some snarky comment to offer. After all, it was a woman that stood before him. What hard could she possibly do to him? But she wasn't a woman at all. She was the harbinger of death and he knew it.

Over the days, she had climbed up his ranks eliminating crucial members of his team. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn she did it to instill the fear that he now quaked with. Men he trusted with his business and his life suddenly started dropping like flies. Within the week nearly half of his most trusted men had been caught by the vigilante and arrested by the SCPD.

Whatever happened tonight, Felix knew he wouldn't see the morning. He would either die with an arrow buried deep in his chest or in a prison cell in Starling City. He had pissed off, trampled over, and killed too many people for him to get off any easier than that.

"Take out your phone. Make the call. Cancel the shipment," the vigilante spoke, her voice like a snake slithering through grass.

He swallowed hard, his throat dry as the Tabernas desert. His eyes were still trained on the point of her arrow, which gleamed ominously under the streetlights. Felix knew in an instant that she wouldn't like what he had to say so he tore his gaze away from the arrow. He wanted to look upon the last human face he would ever see. It was a reasonable conclusion; the vigilante's body count preceded her.

He slowly slid his eyes up to her face, his hands still raised, palms out, in surrender. Her face was hidden as he expected, but the hood she wore cast a darkness blacker than the night. Wisps of golden curls peaked through the hood and fluttered softly in the wind. The strings of gold were suspended for a brief moment in time, making the darkness under the hood seem as though it stretched into eternity. But when he finally met her piercing blue eyes, the fear he felt grew like cancer and embedded itself so deep into his core he struggled to breathe. He couldn't bear to look at her any longer. So he shut his eyes tightly, seeking some respite, when he finally spoke.

"It's too late. You're too late. The shipments reached the buyer half an hour ago. Fifteen trucks. You won't be able to track them all. You won't be able to stop them."

"The buyer. I want a name."

Felix Costa weighed his choices carefully. The panic alarm he had managed to set off in his car before the vigilante pulled him out had been set only moments ago. He didn't have enough time. The sound of police sirens wailed in the distance.

"I'm going to die either way. I'd rather take my chances and not piss him off. Death at his hands is something I am not willing to face. He has men everywhere. If I tell you what you want to know, I won't make it through the night in your prisons."

When the vigilante spoke next, her voice was softer than before, but it cut painfully into him nonetheless. "You're mistake tonight was that you underestimated me. I fight for no one. I have no allegiance. All I have is vengeance. If your weapons are so much as seen in Starling City I guarantee you, I will have you begging for death."

Felix's eyes were still shut tightly. He refused to open them in fear of losing whatever little courage he had left. The cold wind bit at his skin. The sirens drew nearer. He waited for the arrow. He wanted it to be over and she was toying with him. After weeks of this sick cat and mouse game, she stood there prolonging the inevitable. He hated the bitch.

Suddenly, screeching tires pierced the night and the shock of the nose had Felix opening his wide. Three police cruisers surrounded him and a Starling City police officer had his weapon drawn.

"Felix Costa, you have the right to remain silent."

Felicity stood high above the street she left Costa kneeling in. High above the city she finally let her hood drop. The wind whipped her hair across her face as he stepped toward the edge of the roof, the tips of her boots extended past the bit of concrete she was perched on. Felicity narrowed her eyes as she watched Detective Lance read Costa his Miranda rights as he was placed in the back of the cruiser. Costa's eyes scanned the night sky as he looked for her. Her grip on her bow tightened reflexively. Tonight, the vigilante had failed the city.

Felicity stepped back down from the ledge and placed the bow on the ground as she sat down next to it, one leg bent and the other stretched out in front of her. She pushed her back against the ledge she had been standing on and let her head fall against it. Everything ached. Every muscle screamed in protest. Her jaw ticked in anger and she shut her eyes tightly to stop the tears of exhaustion from slipping down her face.

Felicity hated everything tonight. She hated her parents for being involved in something as vile as the undertaking. She hated herself for getting on that damn yacht. She hated herself for failing Tommy, for failing this city, and for failing herself. Costa was right. Even if Oliver managed to track all the shipments it would be too late. There was no way of knowing all of the people and organizations it would be distributed to within the limits of Starling City. It would be near impossible to track them if any of the shipments left Starling. The scope of this went beyond what Felicity could handle even if they somehow managed to get SCPD on their side.

She threaded her fingers through her hair and held her head. She wanted to hit something, hard, despite how much her muscles might complain. She didn't allow herself this often, but tonight was an exception. Felicity let go and let herself feel the overwhelming burden of it all. Protecting Thea and everyone she loved, bringing Smoak Consolidated back from the brink of total collapse, saving this city, keeping it all a secret… when had this gotten so far away from her? When she returned from the island the mission was exquisitely clear: save this city from the people that sought to destroy it and now she was torn in a thousand different directions and she felt her hold slipping on all of it at once.

Over the years on the island she had gotten so used to being alone, so used to only having to think about her self; she didn't know any other way anymore. Now she was juggling more than she ever thought she would. Her obligations to her family and Smoak Consolidated had caused her to drop the ball on Felix Costa and now millions of dollars worth of illegal weapons were making their way through and out of Starling City. Felicity pulled her hands out of her hair and stared down at them. For a brief moment, they were stained red and she had to clasp them between her thighs to stop them from shaking.

To make it all worse she had snapped at Oliver at every available opportunity the day had presented and she couldn't forgive herself for that. Oliver Queen was the one of the two people who always stood by her side. He never wavered and he brought sparks of light that she had long forgotten existed, her dark soul be damned. From the moment she had approached him in SC's IT department with a laptop riddled with bullets, he had been a constant source of loyalty, of friendship, of joy, and she let her selfishness mar the beauty of it.

Felicity had told him once that she had given careful consideration when she had chosen Oliver, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Oliver had chosen her, he had made himself known, and Felicity didn't stand a chance against him. She couldn't imagine doing this, any of it, without him.

Felicity didn't know much. She didn't know how it happened or when it happened, but Oliver Queen and John Diggle had found a very permanent place in her life. Funny enough, she didn't think she had much choice in the matter, but on nights like this, she was glad she didn't. She took some comfort in the knowledge that she wasn't alone.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and tiny droplets of water landed on her face. The cold seeped slowly under her skin, causing Felicity to shiver involuntarily. She knew she had to go back to Verdant soon. Oliver would worry and call Diggle in if she didn't. It was time to go home. Felicity tapped the com back on.

"I'm on my way back."

The sudden sound of a door closing made Oliver swivel in his chair to face Diggle as he made his way down the stairs of Verdant's basement. Diggle was dressed in his casual wear, which Oliver wasn't used to seeing despite the amount of time they spent together. It was always suit and tie at Smoak Consolidated or his workout-wear when Felicity and Diggle trained on the mats.

"Hey. I got your text. Costa?"

"Yeah."

"I brought you guys some coffee," Diggle said as he held out Oliver's cup.

"Thanks Digg."

"She need back up?" Diggle asked walking around Oliver's chair and perching on the table beside him.

"Doesn't seem like it. I was able to track Costa using his the tracker we placed on his phone and we were able to catch him on route to a destination where, let's just say, he doesn't normally need his security."

Diggle snorted at the suggestion. "I bet Felicity loved that." Diggle's voice was laced with thick scarcasm.

"Yeah, not one of the more relaxing moments of my night," Oliver replied, running a hand across the back of his neck in embarrassment. "She's in a mood."

"Uh-oh. What happened?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Harrison Bertinelli, AKA psycho ex-boyfriend turned up at the Smoak mansion. Let's just say Felicity was anything less than pleased. Roy spent family dinner apparently fangirling about the vigilante and asked Thea to move in with him. To top it all off, Isabel Rochev is on the warpath to claim the 5% the board is releasing tomorrow."

"So, just another day then?" Diggle asked, his lips turning up at the corners.

Oliver shook his head and smiled in reply. He was genuinely worried about Felicity. He couldn't believe how she handled everything she did, but she always did, even if it wasn't always in the most graceful way. The word 'hero' came to mind not for the first time. He took another tentative sip of his hot coffee when his com crackled. "I'm on my way back."

"Copy that," Oliver replied. He turned the com off, pulled it out of his ear, and faced John once more. "She wasn't expecting much trouble and she didn't want you have to cut your date with Lyla short… again."

Diggle crossed his arms lazily across his chest and smiled a tight smile.

"Date not go so well." Oliver stated it as if it was a fact, but his eyebrow was raised in question. If there was one thing Felicity and Diggle had in common it was definitely the fact that they were of the 'strong and silent' type and he didn't want to push his luck with either of them when it came to matters of the heart.

"You know I love you guys, but let's just say that if they had I wouldn't be here right now. Why are you here though? I thought you had plans this weekend in Coast City."

"I did, but I cancelled. Felicity needed me here," Oliver offered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Diggle squeezed Oliver's shoulder in a show of support and solidarity.

"I'm gonna change. She's probably going to want to hit something when she gets back and she might as well hit something that hits back."

Oliver nodded and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He gave himself a few extra moments to enjoy his coffee before he began searches for all potential buyers Costa may have lined up for the shipments. He let himself get lost in the rhythm of programming comprehensive searches and placing some alerts on the CIA's file on Costa and his known associates. Verdant's basement door slammed shut just as Oliver placed the last of the alerts.

Oliver didn't turn around right away, wanting to give Felicity a few moments to collect herself. Knowing that she would want to see what the SCPD were planning to do with Costa, he pulled up the ongoing investigation file. He counted backwards from ten, and, when he reached one, he turned around to see Felicity sitting in a chair near the med bay staring at the bow on the table in front of her.

"Felicity?"

He watched as she shut her eyes in response. Oliver stood and walked over to her. He placed her hand on her shoulder. Realizing she was freezing and soaked through from the rain, he walked away to grab a towel. When he returned, he bent down and offered it to her.

"Here."

"Thanks." Felicity took the towel into her hands and held on to it.

Under normal circumstances, Oliver would have walked away. Oliver should have walked away. Under normal circumstances, he would have used his brain, which he was pretty damn good at using; he would have given her space and let her work through it on her own, but Oliver Queen was quickly realizing that when it came to Felicity Smoak, using his head was a lot harder that it seemed. When it came to Felicity, he tended to lead with his heart. Sometimes it seemed that he was fighting a losing battle with himself. He tried to keep his distance. They were partners, friends even, and he tried over and over again to remind himself that that's where it ended. That's where the line was drawn, by whom he didn't know, but the line was there.

Kneeling beside her, Oliver watched her silently. The rain had slightly darkened her normally sun-kissed blonde hair and the green paint had started to smear down her cheeks. Her bright blue eyes had taken on a shade of grey, as they often did when she had more on her mind than she was letting on, and were rimmed with water-darkened eyelashes that still held on to a few stray raindrops. The redness of her cheeks and nose were slow to fade as she tried to warm herself in the cold basement. A smattering of goosebumps could be found just at the base of her cheeks and jaw line travelling down to her neck. She looked beautiful.

"Hey. It isn't over. We'll find the shipments," Oliver said, his voice soft and earnest, a tone that he strangely reserved for Felicity alone.

He didn't realize when it happened, he didn't know why he did it, but suddenly he felt the coldness of her cheek under his palm. Realizing the intimacy of the touch, he quickly pulled his hand away and cleared his throat.

Felicity blinked rapidly causing the last of the raindrops to fall from her lashes. Finally, she turned to look at Oliver; a small smile ghosted her lips, a smile that she strangely reserved for Oliver alone.

"I want to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have snapped like that…" Felicity began.

Oliver silenced her quickly. "I appreciate it, but I have no idea what you're even talking about. I mean I know what you're talking about. It wasn't exactly subtle, not that you're known for your subtlety or anything… I mean…." Oliver ran a hand down his face giving a moment for his brain to catch up to his mouth, "what I'm trying to say is that it wasn't a big deal."

Felicity reached out and placed his hand in between hers. "No, it was. I didn't have any right and you shouldn't be treated like that by anyone much less me. Sometimes I forget that I'm not doing this alone anymore."

Oliver couldn't help the smile that formed on his face.

"Does this mean I have a shot …at employee of the month?"

"You are so much more than that Oliver. You are my friend. You're my partner."

"Partner." Oliver tested the word on his tongue.

His hand burned under Felicity's. She made him feel alight, alive. He didn't know she managed that, but suddenly there was nothing to forgive. There were no hurt feelings. There was just Oliver and Felicity and hands touching and gazes shared and hearts beating together.

The sound of Diggle approaching broke them out of their reverie.

"So, what do you have for me?" Felicity asked, as she stood from her chair, placing her bow and quiver back into its proper place.

"Nothing yet. I've got searches up and running and I've placed alerts on Costa's file. It's a waiting game now," Oliver replied as he made his way back to his desk.

Oliver sat at the edge of his chair, his elbows on his knees and hands clasped together. Diggle slowly made his way to stand beside him leaning on the table, his arms crossed against his chest. After Felicity had gotten rid of her mask, she joined them, and together, they formed a perfect triangle at the centre of the foundry floor. None of them knew what came next or what their next step ought to be, but they knew, no matter what it was, they would do it together.

So, that is it for now. Hope you guys enjoyed it. I really liked this and hope you did too. I'd love to hear what you think/what you were expecting/ what you think I should have done differently.

Cheers!
-TLH