TITLE: Partners
CHARACTERS: Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak, John Diggle, Roy Harper, Sara Lance
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was inspired by the summary for "Time of Death" (2x14). I began writing this before the photos for the new episode came out. So I know this is NOT how that situation is going to work out :P I nearly chucked this out but it oddly felt cathartic writing it so I thought I'd share. If you have time, please let me know what you think.
DISCLAIMER: Oliver Queen and company belong to DC Comics.
The lead on the former factory was a bust; there was nothing inside that indicated it had been recently used by William Tockman, aka the Clock King, to plan his elaborate bank heists. Oliver scanned the area one more time to make sure he didn't miss anything. Abandoned years ago, the building was run-down, just like most of the structures on this side of the Glades. He and his ilk have truly failed this part of Starling City.
Tamping down his guilt and frustration, he turned on his Bluetooth. "Felicity? There's nothing here. I'm heading back," he said, striding to where he parked his motorbike behind the building.
"Uhm, OK."
The masculine voice on the other end stopped him in his tracks. "Roy? Why are you answering the comms? Where's Felicity?"
"She, uh, stepped out."
A prickle of fear touched his neck. "What do you mean stepped out? Where did she go?"
"Well, she just left. I think she's following a lead."
That fear now slithered down his spine. "On her own? Why didn't you go with her?" Oliver nearly yelled as he sprinted.
He heard an indignant huff before Roy replied, "You threatened to put another arrow through me if I left the lair without you or Mr. Diggle. Plus Felicity said to stay put, and you told me to follow her orders!"
"What was the last thing she had up on her screen?"
"Uhm—"
Oliver heard muffled pings and beeps, too many sounds that told him Roy wasn't exactly sure of what he was doing.
"Looks like another warehouse. This one is in the Pine Bluffs area. 1345 Pine Drive."
The other side of town, 30 minutes from where he was right now. He felt his heartbeat quicken, and it had nothing to do with him running.
"Get me Digg now!"
"Uhm, OK. Hold on."
"Roy, hurry!" He meant to bark at the younger man to get him to move faster but it came out almost like an anguished cry. Felicity out in the field without backup. She could be in danger right this very minute. What if the Clock King already had her. Killing was not part of his MO. He planned the burglaries down to the smallest details, down to the millisecond to avoid facing complications. But he would consider somebody like Felicity unexpectedly showing up as one, and Oliver wasn't quite sure how William Tockman handled complications.
He swallowed to ease his suddenly dry throat and jumped on his bike, not even bothering to put on his helmet before gunning it.
"Oliver?" A deeper masculine voice came on the line. "Man, I got noth—"
"Digg!" Oliver cut off the older man. All he cared about at this point was getting somebody to Felicity and ensuring her safety. "How far are you from Pine Bluffs?"
"About 10-15 minutes? Why?"
"Felicity, she is out there, possibly following a lead. 1345 Pine Drive."
"What?!"
"I'm heading there now but I might be too … " Oliver stopped himself from voicing his worst fear. "I'm in the Glades."
"Don't worry. I'm on my way."
He should be relieved. But no other emotion could get past the ball of panic that spread in his gut. There was a catch in his voice when he called out again. "Digg!"
John's voice was gentle and full of understanding. "I know, Oliver. I'll make sure she's safe."
She was safe.
He heard her voice, bright and cheerful, as soon as he entered the door leading down to the lair. It sounded like she was giving Digg, Sara and Roy details of what she found about the warehouse.
He'd gotten word from Digg while he was racing toward Pine Bluffs that she was back in the foundry unharmed and ecstatic over the results of her investigation. His relief at the news had been so great he actually had to stop his bike to take a few deep breaths to steady himself.
But by the time he'd climbed back on, relief had turned to fury. What was she thinking putting her life in danger like that? The last time she'd gone out without him or Diggle, she'd ended up as a madman's hostage. Remembering Count Vertigo's hands on her, his fingers twirling her golden hair, caressing her arms, stoked his anger. Oliver may have killed the criminal who threatened Felicity with a fatal dose of his drug, but the memory of her in terror lived on in his nightmares.
He must have made some noise because Felicity swung her chair around. "Oliver! I found one of-"
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Oliver roared as soon as he stepped off the stairs, tossing his bow on top of the closest table.
Felicity's welcoming smile turned into a confused frown. "Excuse me?"
"Going out in the field on your own. Without backup. You could have been taken!"
"As you can see I wasn't," Felicity said, standing up and reaching for his arm. But he stepped away from her touch. "I was very careful, Oliver."
Diggle stepped forward, holding up a hand. "Felicity was never in danger. When I found her, she was actually already on her way back here."
"That's not the point," he said through gritted teeth. Why can't they understand? "You didn't even tell Roy where you were going. We won't be able to protect you if we don't know where you are!"
"I didn't need protect—" Felicity responded heatedly. But Oliver was not listening.
"What if Tockland was there? What if he caught you snooping around the place?" he asked, advancing on her, his voice rising with every question. "Would you have been able to fight your way out? Take out his goons?" He stopped when he was inches from her. "Would you have been able to save yourself?"
"No," she yelled back. "Which is why I took a spot on a bluff, half a mile away from the place. I'm not stupid, Oliver. I know I'm not a kick-ass vigilante like you and Sara. I don't have military training like Digg. And thank God, I don't have that crazy drug Mirakuru in my system like Roy." She tossed the young man a glance, "No offense."
"So I did what I do best," Felicity said with a defiant toss of her head. "I hacked into his system. Made easier because I was only half a mile away." She shook her head. "I don't understand what the big deal is. Why are you so mad?"
"Because I could have lost you!"
His roar reverberated inside the Arrow cave.
From the corner of his eye, Oliver saw Sara take a few steps back, turn and walk up the stairs. He'd been so focused on Felicity and her safety, he'd actually forgotten about the woman he was in a relationship with. Diggle gave him and Felicity a look that said "figure this out" before he followed Sara, dragging a reluctant Roy with him.
Oliver turned away from Felicity and took a few deep breaths to calm down. He took off his quiver and put it away, grabbed his bow and placed it in its case. He could feel her eyes on him, could almost hear her thoughts. Mercifully, she stayed quiet as he tried to come to terms with the admission of his greatest fear.
He'd told her a few days ago that she would never lose him. The truth is, he could never lose her. She was his friend, his partner. She'd shown him nothing but trust and respect, even when he'd try to sell her ridiculous lies. She'd prodded him, challenged him, made him think of another way to do his mission. She was among the first to see in him what he hoped to be — a better man, a hero.
He heard her come up behind him and so he turned to face her.
"I was never in any real danger," she said quietly. "I didn't realize it would piss you off so much."
Oliver sighed. "I'm not really angry, Felicity."
Her raised eyebrows signaled her disbelief.
"OK, maybe a little, more than a little. But I was more scared. I kept thinking of what would happen if you were in danger and I couldn't get to you in time."
He leaned against one of the tables. Seeing her now looking so somber, he finally let relief wash over him. Strangely enough, it was her yelling back at him that drained away the last vestiges of the terror he'd felt. She was really safe. She was unharmed.
"Why did you do that? There were three of us out there. You could have tagged any one of us if you really wanted to follow a lead."
She shrugged. "I felt I had to. I was responsible."
"For what?"
"For not stopping Tockman from hacking our systems. That's my job. I let his expertise trump mine."
Oliver closed his eyes and wanted to kick himself. He'd told her that weeks ago, about the bomb maker Shrapnel. He'd placed the heavy responsibility on her shoulders. Of course she would take it seriously. Never mind that he didn't really mean it, that it was said in the heat of anger and frustration. And yes, jealousy over a kid in a coma.
"Felicity, I was wrong. Totally wrong about that."
"No, you're not. I have one job and I have to do it right. Otherwise, what's the point of me being here," she said softly, her voice almost breaking at the end. "I can't go out and beat up the bad guys."
"Hey," Oliver tugged her closer. "You don't have to smash skulls and break bones. That's what me and Digg are for."
"And Sara. And Roy," she added.
Realization dawned. "Is that what this is about?"
"One of these things is not like the others," she sang the line in a whisper, giving him a sad smile after the last word.
Oliver sighed. "You've got it all wrong. No, listen," he rushed to add when she made a sound of protest. "I could fall off the roof and die tonight and Digg can suit up as the Arrow. A few months of training and maybe Roy can help out. But you, what you do every day and every night? Not a single one of us can do that. You are a very important part of this team."
"And you are a very important part of my life. I meant what I said earlier," Oliver cupped a hand under her elbow to tug her closer. "I'm afraid to lose you, too. You are my …. my friend. One of the few people I could truly trust. Without you and Digg, I can't be the Arrow. I can't be Oliver Queen CEO either. I can't be a brother, a son, a friend. I just can't BE. You are my center. You are what keeps me grounded when everything around me goes to hell in a handbasket."
He wanted to pull her in his arms, but he settled for taking her hands and gripping them tightly, willing her to understand he truly meant what he'd just said. The eyes she raised to him where bright with unshed tears. But there was a smile in them as she nodded.
"Even with all these new people in … Team Arrow." Oliver couldn't help but roll his eyes at the name. "You'll always be my—"
Felicity frowned. "What? Girl Friday?"
"No!" He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, careful not touch anywhere else. "Partner, remember?"
The end