Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or its characters, although it would be great if I did! Then again, I might just burn it all down to the ground by accident...

A/N: So, I wrote this about a month back right before season 2 came out. That being said, you can pretty much consider anything that's happened in season 2 nonexistent as far as this oneshot is concerned. I hope you like it, even if it is a bit behind the times.

Felicity never really understood the desire to spend any amount of time in an alley. Why would anybody in their right mind willingly enter one? Sure it was occasionally a shortcut, but the cons heavily outweighed the pros. They were dirty for one thing, filled with trash that nobody deemed necessary to clean up and fluids of a questionable nature. Aside from that they were a breeding ground for the more unsavory citizens. That's not to say she didn't like homeless people, because she did. Usually. Sometimes they liked to look at her breasts or up her skirts, and those ones she didn't like, but homeless people in general she didn't dislike. No, what she wasn't a fan of were the rapists and murders who lurked in the shadows behind dumpsters and knocked over crates.

It was just her luck, too, that she was in one right now – backed up against a brick wall, even – with a 'murderer' – she used the term loosely – looming over her with a menacing glare and the desire to kill. She might have found it ironic that she and this man were in such close quarters if she weren't in such a predicament.

"What the hell are you doing here?" the man asked between grit teeth.

"Oh, you know, taking a stroll," she responded flightily, wincing at the horrible and quite obviously fake excuse.

"Felicity, I'm not in the mood for games. You know what it's been like around here since The Undertaking."

"I thought I saw a stray cat?" she tried again, knowing it was futile to keep pushing her luck. He would get the truth out of her eventually, it was only a matter of time. And the look he sent her indicated that ASAP would be the perfect time. She had to agree.

"Okay, look. It's not a big deal! I was going to head straight home from Verdant – don't give me that look, the systems needed to be updated and this was the only time that I had free – oh that look isn't any better. I'm not saying you're overworking me or anything, I just wanted to get the updates done before tonight and I got done with my work at Queen Consolidated earlier than usual so I clocked out early even though I really shouldn't have because I'm sure more work showed up. But you know, now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not the only one who works there and I'm sure somebody else can take care of anything that might come up. I mean, certainly they're all qualified to restart a router and make sure the firewalls are working correctly. Besides, they all have my number so they can get a hold of me in case of an emergen...cy – right, sorry, babbling again. Look, the point is I was going to head home! See, no problems!"

"Felicity," he all but growled out her name.

"Well there weren't any problems!"

"But there could've been! And you still haven't told me why you're here. This is nowhere near Verdant," he said, his voice as tough as gravel as he leaned in closer to her.

Felicity was becoming uncomfortable due to the constant steely gaze he was pinning her with. That, coupled with his arms caging her against the wall, she could honestly say that she wasn't very far off from feeling like the soon-to-be victim of a murderer or rapist. Although she would be willing if it were the latter, but only if it was him, so that wasn't the correct word in this circumstance. Still, that was beside the point. She knew that her reasons for being here would be unacceptable to him, but it was too late now. How he even managed to find her and pull her into this alley was beyond her. He was supposed to be at a meeting with some bigwigs at this particular moment, not in the middle of the Glades taking advantage of her in an alleyway.

"I kind of, maybe, heard someone yelling for help?" she finally replied timidly, averting her gaze and wringing her hands together.

He just gave her a blank look before letting his head fall forward so his forehead was resting on her shoulder. "Felicity," he all but groaned out in exasperation. She'd never admit what the sound of him all but moaning her name did to her insides and she could only hope that he didn't feel the shiver that wracked her body.

"Oliver," she teased warily, poking him in the stomach several times to keep herself from fidgeting, or maybe if she were being honest, letting her hands run over his arms. She'd like to assume that she had enough self control not to but she didn't want to test it and find out.

"So you heard someone yelling for help?" he asked, almost to make sure he hadn't heard her wrong. He still hadn't lifted his head from her shoulder and for that she was glad. It gave her more time to erase the possibly mortifying tomato red hue her face had taken on.

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p' before giving two short laughs, both of which were more stale than the doughnuts in the break room at Q.C.. All her response did was make him exhale loudly through his nose. Another shiver went down her spine as the air blew down her chest, and it was this action that seemed to alert Oliver to the position they were in. He quickly withdrew his hands and took a step back. His eyes snapped shut and he took in a deep breath before continuing with his interrogation.

"And what were you hoping to accomplish by running through the Glades. By yourself. In an expensive outfit. Without a weapon."

Well when he put it like that... "But what was I supposed to do, Oliver? Ignore them?"

"Yes!"

"Wha- How can you of all people say something like that?" The notion that he wouldn't want her to help someone was ridiculous, and a little bit insulting. Did he not think that she was capable of helping? She'd been training with John, and despite what he thought she did have a taser in her purse.

"Felicity," he said in a normal voice - the first time he'd used it since he accosted her into this dingy cramped space, – "You're not me. What were you planning on doing if they had a knife? A gun? You could've gotten hurt. You could've died." His voice may have wavered on the last word, or it may not have. Sirens started in the distance just as the word left his mouth and Felicity was known for having an overactive imagination so she probably just imagined it. "Don't you know how important you are to," me "our operation?" Her mind filled in the blank with the very wrong word 'me.' Gave her hope only to make her heart stop seconds later.

"Yes," she said petulantly, like a child being scolded for eating candy before dinner. She glanced to the end of the alleyway where a car went speeding past.

"Do you?" he asked tenderly, reaching a hand out and tilting her chin upwards so he could look her straight in the eye. He had taken several steps closer to her while she wasn't watching.

"Y-yeah," she stuttered, surprised at his sudden closeness.

"Good. You do so much good already, helping The Hood with the criminals of Starling City. If you were hurt or..." he swallowed. "If you were hurt and couldn't do that, many of the people on the list would walk around free men."

"Or women," she said offhandedly as she stared at his throat. She couldn't help but watch as his adams apple bobbed. She also couldn't help where her thoughts inevitably went while looking intently at his throat.

"Or women," he agreed, and she could've sworn that his voice got deeper. It was probably just her imagination playing tricks once more.

"So," his words broke her of her very pleasant reveries, and he moved away from her again. His fingertips trailing along the underside of her jaw until he pulled away completely and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Now that you know how important you are to," me "The Hood, you wont go out trying to get yourself into trouble again."

"I don't know, if they're calling for help I'm not sure if I'll be able to resist helping them," she said quietly, still trying to get her body under control. Her chin was trembling and she could still feel his fingers on her jaw.

"It wasn't a question, Felicity. It was a statement."

She wasn't sure if she'd be able to agree to that statement but she didn't want to disagree with him and start an unnecessary argument. Instead of verbal agreement she just nodded her head and looked out to the end of the alleyway again. It wasn't a long distance away in all actuality, only a few feet, but right now it seemed so far away.

Her mind wandered to the woman she'd heard screaming for help earlier. She'd been on her way out of Verdant, systems updated and ready for that evening, and headed to her car when she'd heard a shrill cry. It wasn't close but it wasn't far, and Felicity's first reaction was to call Oliver for help. She'd already picked up her phone when she remembered he was supposed to be in a meeting – evidently he wasn't – and she'd put the phone back into her purse. Then she heard the scream again, further away than it was the first time. Making a split second decision she started heading in the direction of the shouts.

She followed the occasional calls for several blocks before it stopped. She kept going anyways, hoping to find the woman before something horrible and irreversible happened. She'd been peeking into every alley she came across and when she'd made it to this one she'd almost screamed, herself. In fact, she would have if Oliver hadn't placed his hand over her mouth to stop her. He then proceeded to pull her in and, well, she didn't have to think much to remember what happened after that.

"Can we just go?" she asked suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere. She didn't want to be here anymore. The woman that had been screaming was either safe or... not safe, and Felicity didn't want to think about that option. She'd just consider the woman unharmed and try to forget about it because if she didn't she'd probably have nightmares.

"Yeah," he said curtly, seeming to realize her change in demeanor. He moved into the street and waited for her there. She didn't know what he was doing while her mind wandered, but she was thankful that he hadn't interrupted her musings. "Come on, I'll walk you back to Verdant."

"Okay," she said softly, moving up behind him. Her mood had changed drastically in only minutes and all she wanted now was to go back to her apartment and take a scalding hot shower. Alley walls were so dirty and she'd just been pushed up against one for several minutes. Perhaps if the circumstances were different she wouldn't have minded so much, but as things stood now she just felt exceedingly dirty.

"Say," she began, hoping to change the subject and get her mind off of things as they began their trek back to Verdant. "Weren't you supposed to be in a meeting right now? You didn't skip it, did you?"

He just scoffed and picked up his pace.

"Hey!" she shouted, pumping her legs to keep up with him. "That wasn't a very reassuring answer," she admonished.

"Neither was yours in the alley," he said with a raise of his brow.

Well, he had her there. And with no considerably witty comeback, they fell into silence.