Thanks so much Smood5 for your beta work ;)

Stepfather

Chapter 1

Something was wrong with Felicity, Oliver noticed it.

It had been a week now since she had been acting strange; jumping every time her cell phone rang, forgetting meetings, barely eating and seemed to be clumsier than normal.

"Felicity. What's wrong with you?"

She looked up, and gave him a fake smile. One that he knew very well wasn't a Felicity Smoak smile.

"Oliver, you've been asking that every day now and my answer hasn't changed. Nothing is wrong with me."

Oliver felt the anger at her dishonesty build in his chest. She thought she could see right through his heart, but he knew that he could also read her like an open book. He knew there was more than something platonic between them, he knew every time he touched her. Her subtle shivers told a whole story and he knew and noticed each of them. Just like he knew now she was hiding something from him and he wasn't going to pretend to be okay about it anymore.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before he looked at her again.

"For almost a week now you have forgotten meetings, you jump at nearly everything and you look tired. You haven't ate-"

He stopped talking when Felicity looked back down to her computer and continues working.

Little did he know, she was acting nonchalant about what he had just said. She didn't realise how much he noticed. She decided to keep that thought for some other time.

"I haven't been sleeping well lately. Some new neighbours moved in and they are really loud. They play their music way too loud than I am used to. That's all."

She mustered up as much honesty she could in that half lie. She hadn't been sleeping well, but not for the innocent reasons she just blatantly lied about to the most important person in her life.

"Okay, if that's all it is then…" Oliver still wasn't sure what to believe. Her words or her eyes but he humoured her for a moment, deciding to not push her more for now.

"Yeah, that's really it. Anyway, I have work to do for your meeting. So if you want me to not forget about meetings then…"

She said suggestively, hoping he'll end it at that and leave. Although she knew subconsciously he wasn't buying it, she didn't dwell on that too much. She couldn't.

"Okay I can take a hint." He attempted to lighten things up, gaining a small but still quite fake smile from her. "But you have to eat, too. You haven't been eating."

Again, his notice on trivial things like that made her heart flutter. But she had to let that go. It wasn't fair. To put him in that position. She cleared her throat, and looked down again. "If I finish early, I promise I will go for lunch."

You are so bad at faking, Felicity Smoak. Oliver thought to give her the space she obviously wanted but decided to not leave her alone completely. On some level, it was important for him to assure her that he was there, whether she knew she needed him or not, he was there. He will always be there for her.

"Okay, so I guess as your boss I'm happy with that… but I hope you know that I'm here as your friend, too. You can come to me for anything." He paused, reigning his irritation at his insistence on lack of eye contact. "Felicity, look at me."

She hesitantly looked up at him again, feeling the guilt evident on her face as much as it was in her heart. She hated lying to him.

"You can trust me." He added heavily.

"I know." She knew the guilt would be tenfold if she told him. He didn't need this in his life, it was already complicated enough. "I trust you and Digg more than anyone in my life." She whispered as evenly as she could, glad there was finally some truth she could hear in her voice again.

Oliver heard it in her voice, which only worried him more. Wondering what was so wrong that she couldn't even tell him. "Good."

At lunch Oliver walked down towards the elevator, nervously meeting Digg halfway. He'd only hoped Felicity had at least confided in him, if she was too worried about Oliver having to worry too much about her. But from the questioning look from Digg told him he didn't know either. Typical Felicity. Putting others before her as usual.

"What's up, Oliver?" Digg asked, sensing the dissent in the group was growing. Felicity was acting distant and strange and now Oliver was probably going to find a way to blame himself for this too.

"It's Felicity. Something's wrong with her and she won't tell me" Oliver answered in a tight voice.

Despite himself, Digg gave him a knowing smile. Oliver was so protective of everyone he cared about, including Team Arrow. But he was entirely different when it came to Felicity. However, apparently Digg was the only one to notice that. He knew Oliver was in love with Felicity, as she was with him but he doubted they knew. You think you don't deserve her. But you can't be more wrong, man. She is the only one who gets you, completely. The only one who would love you and heal you whole. You don't deserve anyone less than my favourite IT girl, Oliver.

"Did she say something to you?" Oliver got Digg out of his train of thought.

"No, nothing. Why do you think something's wrong with her?" Digg suspected but had shrugged it off as a personal thing, hoping she'd come back to normal again soon. But if Oliver had noticed it must be bigger than he thought.

Oliver told him about his observations over the week, which confirmed Digg's suspicions and they both agreed to talk to her openly about it in hopes to expect the same from her.

Felicity tried to eat something, but she just couldn't. Last Saturday's events came running back into her head, and she threw her sandwich in the trash.

Maybe I should just tell Oliver and Digg. But how are they going to react? She wondered for what felt like the hundredth time since Saturday night. But how could she? She knew a little about Digg's military past and a little about Oliver's time on the island but she was grateful her past had never been a topic of conversation between them.

No I have to do this on my own, I have to. She knew it was best to do this on her own. It would have been easier to deal with had her mom been alive. Ever since her passing away, Felicity had never felt more alone in that way, than she did now. A single teardrop escaped down her face, while her cell phone beeped.

It was a message. From him.

'Lis, what a nice place to work at. Did you sleep with your boss to get the job?'

Felicity was gasping for air halfway through the message, so rushing through to the restroom was a difficult task, which was made even harder by her running straight into Oliver and Digg.

"Felicity…" Oliver started as he gathered her, or attempted to she flew back from the two men as if she had been pulled back harshly by another force.

She didn't take the time to collect herself and stop to give him a chance to say more, running away again.

Oliver and Digg exchanged a quick glance, before the latter said "Go after her," gritting his teeth. "Go!"

By the time Oliver reached her, he heard her retching inside one of the toilets.

"Felicity!" he shouted, slamming her door with his open palm, in frustration. Even though he knew in the back of his mind to not scare her more than she so evidently was. But he had had enough, he had to find out. "Felicity, what the hell is going on? And do not say nothing!"

After a minute too long, Felicity slowly unlocked her cubicle door and got out, still averting her eyes from him.

"Felicity..." he started much quieter this time.

"I think I'm getting sick. Like a bug or-" she hoarsely began her lie again before Oliver interrupted her with a widening of his eyes.

"I know you are lying to me." He stared at her, noticing her weak form and circles under her eyes. "Please. Just stop lying-"

"No! I don't lie to you okay, I'm not a liar!" Her cutting off wasn't the surprise as much as the yelling was to Oliver. He took a step towards her but Felicity halted him again with her words. "Some things in my life are not your problem, so stop asking me and go do your hood thing."

With a stunned Oliver and feeling smaller than she thought possible, she left the bathroom and quietly walked back to her desk.