This was my first attempt at writing in the Arrow fandom. I wrote this prior to 3x20. It's just how I imagined the jet scene would play out. I originally posted this to Tumblr (links in bio), but thought I'd share it here too. I appreciate critiques, so please leave feedback. Enjoy! :)

They had boarded the plane just an hour before. Diggle & Malcolm had fallen asleep shortly after take off. Oliver tried to fight off the sleep but failed. He had been through an exhausting few days, and Felicity was surprised, but pleased, to see him get some rest. When she noticed he'd fallen asleep, she moved to sit next to Thea. She wanted to keep a close eye on her in case anything changed.

A few hours later they hit some turbulence, and it woke Oliver from his slumber. His eyes opened slowly but immediately focused in on his sister and the woman by her side. He didn't know he could love Felicity more, but seeing her care for his sister only further reminded him that his love for her was endless. He gazed at them both with more love than he ever had. He would do anything to protect them, to keep them safe, but he didn't know if he would get back home to them, and he had to make sure that if he didn't, they would have each other.

"Hey."

She glanced back at him, "You're awake. I'm glad you were able to get some rest."

He moved to sit by her side. "Thank you for sitting with her."

"Of course," she replied with a hopeful smile.

"You should get some rest too," he suggested.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed tight. "I'm not going anywhere," she said gazing deeply into his eyes.

Oliver turned to look at Thea but held onto Felicity's hand. He remembered the last time he left his sister. How distraught she was. Those short days back in Starling. He glanced down at his hand in Felicity's, moving to intertwine their fingers, and he remembered the very first time he saw her…during those same short days. "During my time in Hong Kong, Amanda Waller brought me back to Starling City for a mission, but she wouldn't let me tell anyone I was alive."

Felicity looked at him questioningly, unsure of why he was telling her this.

"One of my first stops back was at Queen Consolidated. It was late, and I thought there was no one left in the building other than security, but I was surprised when a blonde woman with glasses walked into the office."

He saw the look of confusion on her face, but he continued, "I know you probably don't remember."

"How do you know it was me?"

He laughed. "You were babbling to yourself." He paused when he saw her smile. "And then you said I was cute," he continued with a grin. "I thought it could have been you when I brought you that bullet riddled lap top, but I knew it was you when I brought you that syringe with the sports drink." They both laughed, remembering Felicity's adorable comments.

She blushed and looked down. He picked up her chin with his other hand guiding her eyes to his. "When I saw you that night, it was the first time that I'd smiled in a very long time. And I carried that with me for a long time after. It gave me hope that I could find normalcy someday."

They smiled at each other with so much love in their eyes. The stare was interrupted by more turbulence, and Oliver immediately turned his attention back to Thea, checking to make sure she was ok.

"What were you doing there," Felicity asked trying to keep his mind from worrying about Thea.

"I had to retrieve a file for Argus from my father's computer. But I also found two video files on his computer. One addressed to me and one to Thea. In the one addressed to me, he said that he had failed the city, and that I could come back and save it. I tried, but now I don't know if I'll ever make it back there to finish."

"You will," she insisted.

"But if I don't," he said softly, "I need you to promise me something."

She nodded, and he continued. "During that week back in Starling, I was able to slip around town to check in on Thea. I was horrified to find that she had turned to drugs to cope with the loss of me and our father, but I was immensely grateful that Tommy was there to help her. If she loses me this time, I can't let that happen again. She won't have our mother, she won't have Tommy, and I can't let her turn to Merlyn."

Practically reading his thoughts, she interrupted. "You know I'd never let him get near her. I'll look out for her. I'll be there for her. I'll take care of her," she said firmly.

Tears started to swell in his eyes, "Felicity, when you return to Starling City, I need you to show her this." He pulled a USB stick from his pocket.

"The video from your father," she asked.

He nodded in reply. "In the video, my father reminds her of her kind heart. He thinks she can bring out the good in people, just like you do, and I think so too. She needs to know that she is a Queen. Not a Merlyn. She can do some real good in the city, just not in the way Malcolm would guide her to." He paused, "And so can you. You always see the good in people, even in me, and you've always pushed me to be better. You have such an incredible heart, and I love you all the more for it."

"Oliver, you were a good man before you knew me," she said with a reassuring smile.

He cupped her cheek with his hand, "But I'm better just for knowing you."

He started to lean in to kiss her when they heard cockpit door open. He turned around to see the pilot.

"We'll be landing in about 10 minutes," the pilot announced.

When he had turned back to her, the moment had passed. She stood up, still holding his hand, and guided him to a seat next to hers. Once they fastened their seat belts and prepared for the landing, she grabbed his hand again, "Oliver, you can't give up hope. We'll figure out a way around Ra's demands. We'll find a way to bring you home with us. We always find a way."

He cupped both her cheeks and slowly placed the most tender kiss on her lips, refusing to let the moment pass again, and it felt like it could last forever. When their lips parted, he spoke up. "I won't give up. I promise, I won't give up on reaching for that normalcy ever again."

She smiled brightly up at him, and the smile he returned assured her that things would be different this time. He wouldn't give up on himself, and he wouldn't give up on them.