Summary: Takes place after episode 2 x 15, and AU after that. Slade captures Felicity and does the unthinkable to her. How will it affect Oliver and Felicity's friendship, and can a romantic relationship still develop between them after such a thing occurs?
Disclaimer: WB/DC own these characters. I'm only borrowing them for a while. I own the original ideas found in this.
AN: Here is another plot bunny that slowly became a plot. I'm rating this 'M' for the sensitive topic, but I'm going to be very sparse on the details of certain events, because…because I don't write those kinds of scenes, but what I do describe could still be triggers. But I still wanted to write this type of story to explore the aftermath of such an event and how it affects the characters. Especially on Oliver, and yet another story how the fight between Oliver and Slade could have taken place
This takes place in season 2, episode 2 x 15. AU after that.
**Warning: Mentions of sexual assault, non-consensual touching and other similar trigger-producing actions mentioned throughout this chapter, and the entire story.
It was a Tuesday. An ordinary, run-of-the-mill Tuesday. Except that a madman was supposedly running around Starling hell-bent on revenge against Oliver for something he didn't really do. Luckily, no other criminals were making their life difficult at the moment, so all of the team's attention had been directed on finding Slade.
It had been two weeks since Oliver learned Slade was alive. Two weeks of Oliver not sleeping, not eating, pushing himself and the team beyond their limits in looking for him. Tracking down possible clues, finding absolutely nothing.
Finally, today Felicity had cracked. She actually yelled at Oliver in his QC office, telling him she was taking the evening off from their "other" activities and spending some time at her home. For once, Oliver looked sheepish, and apologized for working her too hard.
"Hey Oliver, I understand. I really do. But you need a break as well, or else you'll never beat him."
Oliver was about to reply, when she saw him take a swallow, let out a breath, and say in a much softer tone than she expected, "You can't truly understand. This man…he will take away everything and everyone I love. I don't know what he has planned. I can't get a handle on what he's going to do next. I can't even get a hint as to where he's staying."
"A break will give you a rest, and some insight will undoubtedly occur." Felicity placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Please, Oliver, take a break tonight as well. It will do you good."
He smiled at her. "I'll think about it. I promise. Maybe at least I'll make it an earlier night."
Knowing that was probably the best she could do, the most promise she'd get out of him for now, Felicity nodded, grabbed her coat and purse and left. Feeling relieved at having some time for herself, she began to sing as she drove home. Not noticing anything out of place, she got home without difficulty, unlocked her door and entered. Just as she walked to her closet to hang up her coat, she caught sight of the color of bright orange. Turning she observed a large man in a black and orange mask approaching her. Without realizing it, she felt a pinch on her neck then collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
She awoke with a terrible headache and a bad taste in her mouth. At first she had no memory of what had happened to her. Her nose itched, and as she attempted to scratch it, she realized her right arm was extended above her head. She looked, only to find it was handcuffed to her headboard. Her headboard? Quickly she looked at her left hand, which was restrained in a similar way. Looking down at her feet, she realized that both her legs were extended out and bound to the footboard of her bed. In her own bedroom.
"So…you are awake then?" A deep voice tinged with an Australian accent came from the doorway to her bedroom.
She knew that voice. She recognized it as the voice which had come over the intercom the night he had invaded Oliver's home. The night Oliver's nightmare had begun. Slade. The man who struck terror into Oliver's heart. The only man who ever made Oliver so afraid he didn't know what to do, as far as she knew.
Felicity watched as the tall Australian walked slowly towards her, with a triumphant grin on his face. He had taken off the mask and armor and was wearing a solid black T-shirt and jeans which showed his huge muscles to great advantage. She swallowed hard at the terrifying image he portrayed, trying to quiet the fear that threatened to flood all of her senses. She struggled against her bonds, despite herself. She met Slade's eyes, praying her fear was not showing.
"I must apologize, my dear Felicity, for the intrusion. However, I am sure you would understand, if you knew my reasons."
"Yeah, right. I would totally disagree. How dare you be in my house?"
"I'm sure you think my crusade in bringing down the wonderful Oliver Queen is one not worthy of your approval. However, you do not know the man like I do."
"I was taught never to disagree with company, but in this case I'll make an exception, since you're here without an invitation. Oliver is worthy of my approval, support and loyalty. He does not deserve your hatred or your revenge. And I don't know why you're here."
Felicity watched as the man in front of her extended himself to his full height, anger distorting his features into a frightening sight, his one eye burning with hatred. "You don't know? Why, you are the most precious thing in his life. He loves you even more than his 'sacred' Laurel. I thought he'd never get over her, but I was wrong."
"You are wrong. Oliver and I…we're only friends. And partners. That's all. Loving me more than Laurel? That's a laugh. How wrong can you be? Besides, he's with Sara now."
"No, you are wrong, my dear. I have observed the two of you together. He can't take his eyes away from you. It's as if you are his light, fighting the darkness of his soul, so to speak." Slade laughed. "Even though that whore Sara is part of the reason for my being here now, Oliver doesn't love her. Not like he loves you." Another laugh. "But don't worry. I have quite a different revenge planned for Ms. Lance."
Felicity wondered what she could say to persuade this madman not to hurt her, that hurting her would be the wrong thing to do. She swallowed as he loomed over her, smiling as though he was a shark about to devour its supper.
"I don't know how Oliver has stayed away from you, but he's going to regret not tasting you after I'm finished with you. Why he was waiting to have that type of relationship with you, I don't know." Reaching slowly towards her, Slade took ahold of her ponytail and began to play with it, in the way the Count had, drawing her silken golden strands slowly through his fingers. Similar feelings of fear and disgust went through her. She attempted to avoid showing her feelings on her face, but doubted she was successful. "You are so beautiful, Felicity. Not usually Oliver's type, but I can certainly see the attraction."
Yanking her ponytail out of his grasp, Felicity attempted to show defiance and said, "Leave me alone. No matter what you do to me, it wouldn't affect Oliver. So don't use me as any silly pawn in your game of revenge. It's not going to be worth your effort."
Grabbing her chin and forcing her head up to him, he looked into her eyes. "Oh, I really do think it will be very much worth my effort. I will definitely take advantage of his feelings for you as a means to ruin him." Letting go of her chin, he caressed her right cheek, saying, "Oh, you are most delicious. Your glowing skin, your charming eyes. Such a beautiful face." Allowing his eyes to roam down her body restrained to the bed, he let out a satisfied sigh. "And your body…compact but beautiful. Luscious, even. Even though I don't usually enjoy such a thing, I think I will enjoy taking you against your will."
Suddenly Felicity had no doubt what Slade's plans were. With the mirakuru in him, she knew she couldn't fight him. Chained to her bed, she definitely had no way to stop him, even if she did have the strength.
"It will absolutely kill Oliver that I had you first," Slade said, as he ripped open her blouse and smiled lasciviously at the sight before him, her breasts shown to great advantage in a pink lace bra. He then grabbed her skirt, pushed it up to her waist and ripped her pink panties off.
A scream came out of her unwittingly and she tried to get away from him but the chains and restraints wouldn't let her. As he began to kiss her along her neck and climb on top of her, all Felicity could do was pray she'd survived the next moments. The world began to swim in front of her eyes as she watched in horror as Slade zipped down his jeans and maneuvered himself back over her. She tried to scream, but he placed a huge hand over her mouth.
~~FS~~OQ~~FS~~
Some time later, Felicity woke up, finding herself alone in her bedroom, no longer restrained to her bed. Looking down, she saw her ruined blouse, her bra torn, her skirt pulled up to her waist, leaving her lower part of her body bare, and her torn panties hanging from the footboard. Suddenly, nausea rose in her throat which she couldn't control. She reached her wastebasket in time and emptied her stomach of the remains of her lunch hours ago.
Felicity stumbled to her feet and found her way to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she realized Slade had given her a hickey on the left side of her throat, and a black eye. "Great! How am I to explain this?" She tenderly touched her right eye, wincing from the pain.
She stumbled to the bathtub and sat on the edge, placing her head in her hands. If she didn't have the physical reminders on her body, she'd have thought of it as a dream. A nightmare. I must have blacked out. I can't remember anything after…after Slade…she couldn't finish the thought.
Felicity was about to turn on the shower when the facts she had learned as a volunteer at a sexual assault center during college returned to her. No shower, would wash away the evidence. What she should do next came into her mind unbidden but necessary.
Stumbling out to her living room, Felicity reached for her purse on the coffee table. Taking out her phone, Felicity curled up on the couch and googled the phone number of the sexual assault center in town. Luckily, they picked up right away. Felicity explained, as she softly cried, she had just been assaulted and wondered if there were anyone available to accompany her to the hospital. She was told a volunteer would be there within a half hour. For a more effective visit, she was told to bring along the clothes she'd been wearing during the assault, if they were in no condition to be worn, not to shower, and to bring any other physical evidence, if possible, along with her. After regaining control of her emotions after hanging up, Felicity stumbled to her bedroom to change into a T-shirt and sweatpants.
The volunteer ended up being a young woman about Felicity's age, with brownish hair and a comforting smile. She introduced herself as Stacy, and asked if there was anything Felicity needed to do before they left. Shaking her head, Felicity said she was ready to go. She grabbed her purse and the bag of her clothes and followed Stacy out to her car.
Felicity knew Stacy and the staff tried to do their best, but the examination was almost as bad as the assault. Without meaning to, Felicity began to hyperventilate the moment the doctor began to examine her genitals. Stacy hurried up to the head of the exam table and led Felicity in exercises to calm her breathing. Something inside of her realized these were the exercises Diggle had taught her to handle her anxiety, and it comforted her to have something familiar to do.
Her head was all messed up as the nurse described the tests they'd run on the samples they had obtained during the exam, what they'd do with the evidence gathered, and what the pills she was handed were for. Stacy observed the blank look on Felicity's face and told her she'd explain it again to her later. Felicity nodded, barely able to restrain herself from crying once again.
When they asked if she wanted to make a report to the police, Felicity began to cry again. She had thought it over on the way to the hospital, and realized that if she made a report, it was possible Oliver or Dig would discover it, and she had decided not to tell them about it. Oliver wouldn't be able to handle such a thing happening to her by his worst enemy. It would destroy him, she had decided, and she wouldn't be able to bear that, Oliver totally destroyed because of her.
So when she was asked if she knew her attacker, Felicity answered in the negative. Part of her balked at the lie, but she kept telling herself it was for Oliver's sake that she was doing that. At least she had reached for help from the assault center, even though it almost killed her.
They gently but firmly led her through her description of the events of her attack. A little voice inside of her kept telling her it was for her own good to talk about it, but it took everything inside her not to run out of the room. Hopefully, after they captured Slade, they could use the evidence to add to his charges and send him away for a good long time. Even if her assault would be but a blip on the list of charges, she feared, after all he'd have done.
At least Felicity could understand the part where the doctor told her she didn't have any lasting damage to her reproductive organs and it didn't appear she'd have any diseases, from what she had seen initially during the exam. She was also told she needed to be tested for HIV again in two weeks, then in six months, to ensure she didn't have the disease. Felicity thanked the female doctor and nurse for their care, and allowed Stacy to lead her back to her car.
"Is there anywhere you'd like to go or anyone you wish to contact?" Stacy asked as she was driving.
Felicity shook her head and softly told her no. Stacy had warned her about isolating herself during this time, and Felicity acknowledged it half-heartedly. However, that was indeed what she was going to do while she waited for the bruises, the hickey and the black eye to fade. After they had arrived back at her house and she had walked Felicity up to her door, Stacy asked if Felicity wanted her to stay for a while. Felicity considered it for a moment, then shook her head, claiming she was tired and needed to lie down. Stacy stated understanding, but also said she would call Felicity tomorrow to check on her, and to discuss everything that happened in the doctor's office. Felicity nodded and offered her gratitude.
Stacy slowly placed a hand on Felicity's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Felicity, for calling us and for going in for an examination. I am sorry this has happened to you, but you will get through this." Handing her a business card she said, "Call whenever you need to, to talk or whatever. Any time."
Felicity nodded and unlocked her door, watching Stacy's car disappear around the corner. She stumbled into her house, and found her way to her couch. Searching inside her purse, she got out her phone and texted a message to Oliver saying she had the flu and wouldn't be in for work at QC or at the lair tomorrow. He texted back, saying "Sorry to hear. Let me know if u need anything. Feel better."
Looking at her phone, she realized the time was 11pm. Felicity knew she should head for bed, but as she looked at the doorway of her bedroom, all she could see and think about was Slade standing there smiling down at her. Beginning to cry, she laid down on the couch and let out all the fear, shame, and hurt she could before she fell into a restless sleep.
AN: A difficult chapter. I tried to display the brokenness that Felicity would undoubtedly be experiencing. But I also thought some of her strength and her will for survival would show through as well. I also wanted her to be a good role model in getting the right help right away to begin the healing process after something like this has occurred.
For the record, I don't hate Felicity; she is one of my two most favorite Arrow characters. This idea had been spinning in my head ever since Slade appeared, and Felicity was shown as a possible means of revenge against Oliver. What would be the worst type of revenge Slade could inflict upon Felicity that would drive Oliver insane? I am very happy the show did not go this route, because I know it is a little stereotypical and sexist, but…the plot bunny was insistent.
So I hope you found this chapter to be…well, cathartic I suppose. Since it would be weird to say 'entertaining'. And hope you will return for future chapters for more adventure, healing, surprises, revenge, and going after Slade BIG TIME! He's going to pay but it wouldn't be easy, and he wouldn't go down without a fight. See you next time!