A/N: This was a prompt from Tumblr that I played with a bit. Let me know what you think!

Looking back, he wished he had sent her home that night.

Dig had asked her several times if she was feeling okay, but it was when her answers become monosyllabic that Oliver's eyes were drawn to her. She was a bit paler than normal, her normally creamy skin looking a bit grey in the lighting of the office. His lip twisted in momentary concern as she turned down Dig's offer to grab her some dinner, saying she wasn't hungry.

His feet were moving towards her before he knew exactly what he would say to her. Things had been…different, strained…between them since Sara joined the team. He hadn't really noticed, but after Dig drew it to his attention, he was trying to keep an eye on her. Today, she looked genuinely ill. Normally, he would have physically removed her from the office and made sure she went home and rested. Somehow he knew that the distance he sensed between them would make that a bit harder this time.

She must have heard him coming towards her, speaking without looking up from what she was working on, "I need to finish this report and then I'll meet you guys at the club. I told Dig I wasn't hungry so don't wait on me to eat."

Oliver leaned against her desk, noting the slight flush to her cheeks and tremble to her hands. "Hey, are you feeling okay?"

Her eyes rose then and he frowned at how glassy they were. "Yeah, just tired. Really need to get this done."

Her clipped response only deepened his concern and he took a step forward, his right hand lifting to her cheek. Something twisted in him as she flinched away from his hand, the response so different from the night she'd been shot, the night she practically melted into his touch.

"You feel a bit warm. Maybe you should head home. Rest."

With a slight shake of her head, she pushed back from him just enough that his hand dropped back to his side. "I'm good. I'll see you there in a bit, okay?" She didn't bother to look up again, focused heavily on the task in front of her.

With a sigh, he stepped back. Dig had tried. He had tried. This would be one of those times he would have to trust her.

As long as he lived, he would never forget the fear that lanced through his heart in that moment.

One second, she was guiding he and Sara towards a warehouse in the Glades; the next, she was screaming in what could only be described as pure agony.

In a heartbeat, he had spun the bike on a dime and revved it, heading back towards the foundry as fast as the engine could tolerate.

"Felicity! Felicity, talk to me!" he yelled, desperately needing to understand. Had they been breeched? Had someone gotten in? He had sent Dig back to the office to grab some paperwork…was she alone? "Felicity?!"

A shallow breath and "-hurts" was all he was able to hear on the other line. White hot fear raced through his veins and he took to the sidewalks, anything to make the distance shorter. "Sara, call Dig. Tell him to get back to the club now. Something's wrong."

By the time he made it to the door of the foundry, his heart was pounding. The door swung open and he leaped down the steps, eyes frantically sweeping the room for the threat. He was shocked to find it empty, aside from the petite blonde crumpled on the floor. He was on his knees at her side in a heartbeat, looking her over for a wound that was nowhere to be found.

"Felicity!"

He supported her neck with his hand, sweeping a hand across her clammy cheek, only to feel her raging fever. "Felicity, talk to me! What happened?!"

Her only response was a low moan and a brief fluttering of her eyelids. Her hand was clutching at her side, but he couldn't any blood.

Suddenly there was a thundering beside him and Dig was there, reaching for her with the same scared expression Oliver was sure he was showing. The older man delicately pressed against her side, drawing back when she let loose a cry of pain that made Oliver cringe and hold her a little closer.

His partner cursed, jumping up and running to the cabinets Felicity had stocked with medical supplies and coming back with a blanket.

"She needs a hospital, now. Wrap her in this and I'll get the car. We have to move."

"She just came out of surgery and is in recovery right now. You can be in to see her shortly," the doctor said, giving them a brief nod before turning and walking away.

Oliver released a heavy exhale, noting the burn in his lungs as he did so. The last few hours had been more taxing than he realized.

A hand grasped his and he squeezed in response, letting Sara tug him towards the plastic chairs of the waiting room. Her head found its place on his shoulder as she let out an equally unsteady breath. He watched Dig continue to pace in front of him, arms crossed anxiously across his chest.

All the close calls. All the almost misses. And the one time she took a bullet for Sara. He had never felt fear like he had tonight. Hearing her cries of pain in the car had been tortuous. Sara hadn't tried to hide the tears she had shed as she helped him keep her still in the car. Dig hadn't stopped barking orders the entire time.

What was ironic about it all was that it had nothing to do with the Arrow, or even Queen Consolidated. It had nothing to do with him at all. Her appendix had ruptured. She was here in the hospital, coming out of surgery, because her body had failed her. Not him.

He almost didn't know how to process it.

The hard warmth of Sara leaning into his side brought him back to the present, causing him to blink away his thoughts as she spoke to Dig.

"Yeah, she should be fine. It's a time sensitive thing, that's why we had to hurry. A lot can go wrong really fast once it ruptures, but the recovery isn't that bad. She'll be sore and might be here a few days," Dig was saying.

Oliver felt himself nod, grateful that this wasn't going to keep her down for long.

"Smoak?"

Three sets of eyes rose to meet the nurse's, jumping to their feet as she pointed down the hallway.

Dig led them into her room, immediately crossing to her bedside. Dropping to press a kiss to her forehead, he let out a shaky exhale.

Sara grabbed her hand and squeezed, looking as relieved as Oliver felt that their IT girl would soon be on the mend. He moved closer to the bed, taking residence at her feet as her eyes flickered open.

"There she is. Hey, how are you feeling?" Dig spoke softly, settling into the chair at her bedside.

She blinked a few more times, focusing slowly on each of them before turning back to Dig and giving him a faint but suspiciously happy smile, "Aspirins."

The tension that had been thickening since Oliver heard her cry of pain snapped in half as relieved grins spread across the other faces in the room.

They hadn't stayed long that night, knowing Felicity needed her rest. That and the nurses had kicked them all out, but not before promising to return the next day.

At least that had been the plan. They had ended up taking shifts, coming by to check in on her before she shooed them out, reminding them that they all had lives.

"Sara, the delinquents of Starling need their alcoholic beverages. If you don't supply them, who will?"

"Dig, I'm fine. These meds are a-maz-ing and honestly I don't feel a thing, so just go. And tell Lyla I said hi."

"Oliver, you can't give Isabel any ammo against you this week. That call is important. Just go."

After she resorted to her loud voice, they had all listened, making sure that she was well stocked with her tablet and phone, and after making her promise she would call them if she needed anything.

He was stopping by the check in on her before he went to the foundry when he paused in the hallway, her favorite daisies in hand, hearing multiple voices coming from inside her room.

"Your incision is looking good Miss Smoak. I don't have a problem sending you home tonight so long as you have someone to look after you."

Oliver peered through the doorway, frowning a bit when he saw Felicity bite her lip and shake her head, "Yeah, no, there's no one. It's just me. I'm sure I can handle it though."

The doctor responded but his words were drowned out by Felicity's, set on repeat in his mind.

There's no one.

There's no one.

It's just me.

Something heavy and sad wrapped around his heart and clenched. A wave of hurt hit him first, surprised that she wouldn't ask him.

But the reminder of how life had changed the last few weeks was sobering. He had Sara now. They were more or less living together in the clock tower. She was on the team and he found himself at her side more often than not.

Looking at Felicity now, he wracked his brain, trying to pin down the last time he had really talked to her. Not about work or mirakuru. Just to check in. To see how she was doing. A wave of shame followed the hurt when he couldn't recall anything since he apologized to her in the foundry weeks before, or was it months. Things had exploded since then. Since she told him about his mother's lies, since he confronted Moira, since Sara "came back to life" and they started their relationship, since Tockman.

"Oliver?"

Her soft, surprised voice shook him from his thoughts. His eyes rose to meet hers, noting that the doctor had left her room at some point and wondering how long he had been standing there, flowers in hand, staring at her.

"Hey."

His greeting seemed so insufficient in the wake of his realizations, but he honestly didn't know what else he could say in that moment. He stepped forward, easing into the chair at her bedside. Placing the vase on her bedside table, he leaned forward, taking in her appearance.

There was more color in her cheeks than before and the haze of heavy medication was gone. With her hair down and without makeup, her natural beauty was on full display and would've drawn a smile to his face had he not been drowning in his own thoughts again.

There's no one.

"You okay? You look worried. Something happen at the office today?" she asked, eyebrows drawn together in concern.

Of course she would pick up on his emotions, she always did. Shame washed over him again, reminding him of how oblivious he had been of her, ever since she told him about his mother.

Desperate to touch her, he grabbed her hand between his and squeezed it.

"Nothing to worry about. How are you feeling? Have they said when you can go home yet?"

He wanted to give her the opportunity. Give her the option of telling him, of asking him. If not him, Diggle. Anyone.

Instead, he watched her worry her lower lip with her teeth before looking just above his eyes while she said, "I'm a little sore but they said that's expected. Hopefully in a few days."

His heart sank a bit and the hurt began to morph into a bit of anger. "A few days?"

"Mmhmm."

Leaning forward, he eyed her closely. The distance that had formed between them grew shorter as he caught her gaze, searching, seeking. He saw new walls, new barriers that hadn't been there before. She seemed guarded and it unsettled him.

"I bet if I throw some weight around, we can get you out of here tonight."

Her eyes widened just a bit, "Oh no, that's not necessary. I'm sure you have people to fight, arrows to shoot, things to do, people to see. I mean, after all, Starling City doesn't really have anyone else fighting for it, though the SCPD does try and –"

A raised eyebrow and a finger pressed to her lips silenced the ramble. He schooled his features to not show his frustration with her.

"Felicity. Let's get you home."

"Well, thank you for the ride Oliver. I appreciate it. Will you tell Sara and Dig hi for me? Oh and Roy if you see him?"

He knew she was trying to shoo him out. She had been saying "goodbye" ever since he arrived at her place. He had ignored her while he situated her on the couch, and again when he got her medication out and ready to give to her, and again when he started fixing some toast for her to eat before she took her pills.

"I'm not leaving, Felicity."

He had tried to restrain it for hours, but the anger leaked out in his voice at that, and her slight gasp told him she had heard it as well. Dropping the toast unceremoniously onto a plate, he grabbed it and her pills and stalked towards the couch with determination. Her wide-eyed expression morphed into indignation when he picked up the toast and held it at her lips.

"You may have lived on an island but the caveman routine is so not happening here."

He practically snarled in response, "Felicity, eat the toast. And take your pills."

Her eyes narrowed as she took a bite, apparently wanting relief from the pain more than she wanted to maintain her guard. His gaze never left hers, hard and pressing, as she ate the toast and tossed back the medication. Without a word, he took the plate from her and the cup and set them aside before situating the blanket around her legs.

"Oliver, I'm fine. I've had my meds and will likely either start rambling about rainbows and kangaroos or pass out soon. You can go. Why are you still here? You can leave."

He had been preparing a blistering retort, losing patience with her stubbornness when she said the last few words. Suddenly, they were at the rally, her holding back tears, him filled with concern at her behavior. Her admission about her dad shocked him, the fear on her face at the thought of losing him the way she had lost her dad.

His eyes shot to hers, seeing her guarded expression with knowing eyes. Grabbing her hands, he leaned closer to her, sitting on the edge of the couch so that they were eye to her.

"Felicity, I'm not leaving. You're not going to lose me."

The wild look in her eyes was not what he was expecting, nor was the push of her hands against his. She made a sputtering noise as she tried to push herself back on the couch, failing slightly as her incision pulled, inciting a short gasp of pain. Oliver shot forward, steadying her back onto the pillow she was resting against, whispering soothing words as she breathed through the pain.

"Oliver," she breathed, eyes still tightly closed. "What are you talking about?"

"I overheard you earlier, talking with your doctor. I heard you saying you had no one to look after you."

To her credit, she didn't look away or even seem phased. When she didn't react, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"It was the truth."

Before he had a chance to refute that, she continued, "I wasn't saying I'm alone in the universe, but I don't have anyone that can stay here with me and make sure I don't tear my stitches out while I'm sleeping or whatever the heck they would need to do."

The hurt spread through him again and he regarded her sadly, "You have me, Felicity. Diggle. Sara. Heck, Barry would be here in a heartbeat if he knew you were hurt."

She scoffed a bit at that and Oliver winced at the sound, "Oliver, you have better things to do than sit around here and make sure I'm okay. You three already spent too much time at the hospital as it is. You have the company to look after, and you have Sara. Dig and Lyla are trying to get things worked out and between our two jobs, he barely has enough time with her as it is. And uh – Barry has Iris to focus on. I could never ask him to leave her and come here, even if he could be here in – well, a flash."

Her eyes shot down to their joined hands and she stiffened just a bit, "So uh, there's no one. And that's okay. It's nothing new."

The resigned sadness in her voice hit him harder than he could handle, so he tried to process what she had said, "Wait – who's Iris? I thought you two were – you know –"

She raised an eyebrow, "Together?" He nodded mutely, still having to restrain a surge of…something whenever he thought of the kid and Felicity dating. "We never were. He woke up and met Iris. She really is great though. Smart, beautiful, and he's crazy about her."

He had the sudden urge to hug her as he watched her rattle off the other woman's qualities. How had he not known? He had assumed the two had picked up where they left off when she had shot off to Central City to see the newly awake Barry. Had she been upset when he came back? A cup of regret poured over him as he realized he hadn't paid enough attention to see that she was hurting. Unsure what to say, he simply squeezed her hands, hoping she would receive the bit of comfort he was offering.

As much as he hated it, he understood how she was feeling. The more she had talked that night, the more clear everything became. He had been a class-a jerk the last few weeks to her – not much a partner and even less, her friend. He hadn't even taken the time to talk to her after the rally, after she had opened up to him, been honest with him when it could've cost her his friendship, at least in her mind. To him, that wasn't even a possibility, but looking back over the distance between them, he couldn't help but think he had already broken his promise.

Scooting closer, he reached up to brush an errant strand of hair off her forehead. "Felicity, you and I need to talk about some things. A lot's happened the last few weeks and honestly, I'm not proud of how I've been around you. I hadn't thought about how it's all impacted you until tonight."

She looked away, fidgeting slightly under the softness of his gaze. He let her, knowing that it would take more than a few words to get through the walls she had erected over the last few weeks.

"There's time for that later. But you need to get something straight right now." With a knuckle beneath her chin, he gently recaptured her gaze, "You have me. Whether you want me or not, you have me. I'm here. I'm not leaving. And I'm going to take care of you. You can argue all you want. It's not going to change a thing."

She held his gaze, eyelids beginning to droop just a bit as her pain medication kicked in. He brushed a thumb over her cheek, knowing he was losing her to the haze of the pills.

"Let's get you to bed."

He gently lifted her, cautious of her incision, and carried her to her bed. As he tucked her in, a small hand landed on his forearm, causing him to stop and look down at her. She was nearly asleep, eyes heavy and half-open.

"Thank you."

Her soft whisper shot straight through him, and for the thousandth time, he was reminded of how remarkable this wonderful woman was, and how lucky he was to have her in his life. Leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead, he decided that he would have to remind her of that the very next day.