AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey guys!

This is my first attempt to write an Arrow fic, so I'm hoping you have fun reading it, at very least. I can't promise it won't be a bit angsty at some point, though. But who am I kidding? We all love it that way.

I'd like you to consider 2 things. The first is that the events taking place here are in the near future. More specifically in December 2015. There's no really spoilers, because my story is about what might -but most likely won't- happen around mid-season 4 finale. By that time, I'm guessing Laurel, as Black Canary, is well integrated to the team (despite Oliver's and others initial reticence); Thea already knows what daddy dearest did to her; Palmer is still in Starling and with full-operating exo-suit; and last, and definitely, the most important thing: the relationship between Oliver and Felicity is better than now (season 3 episode 11), but not nearly as good as we want to.

The other thing you should keep in mind is that English isn't my mother tongue. I've been writing in English several years now (and getting better and better at it), but I know I make mistakes sometimes. So, if you detect misspellings or something is awkwardly phrased, please let me know.

Also, I want to give a huge thanks to my friend Arizona for helping me to edit this chapter. You're the best!

Without further ado, here I present you "Greek Escapade".

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

Coming down the stairs, his heart began to beat excitedly; wild inside his chest, mimicking the staccato made by slender fingers typing on a keyboard at speed of light. A sound he had gotten used to hearing in the last 3 years of his life. Now his whole body stirred with excitement only listening to it. It reminded him of her, and he could envision her sitting in front of the computer even before he put his eyes on her. For Oliver was almost impossible to believe how much a sassy blond IT girl had changed his life, only for being in it.

Since the first time he met Felicity, he knew there was something special about her. Soon a deep friendship was formed, that grew thanks to all the nights they spent together fighting crime, which also included little everyday gestures they had for one another. The trust, the honesty, the support, and the respect for each other cemented the strong foundations for what came next.

For a while, he didn't wanted to acknowledge the attraction between them. But before he knew it, he was in love with her more than he never been with anyone before. Back then, he wished he'd have had given in to those feelings, but the fear of Felicity getting hurt because of what he did as the Arrow had scared the shit out of him. He pushed Felicity away; it killed him to do it, but for Oliver, Felicity's safety was above anything else, even his own happiness.

That was until he was too close to losing the opportunity to love her as she deserves. If anything good came out of his dangerous dance with death against Ra's Al Ghul was that he learned that life is precious. He wasn't willing to let his fears to rule his decisions concerning Felicity anymore. Of course, his plans to win her back didn't played out without setbacks or complications. He was still paying the price of his foolish decision of keeping her away.

He had hurt her deeply, and he couldn't really fault her for being cautious this time around. They were taking things slow... as in sloooooooooow. At snail's pace. It was driving him crazy. However, he understood her reticence.

When he got at the bottom of the stairs, he saw Felicity sitting alone in her usual spot with the 3 screens on in front of her. She was focused on the screen to the far right. So fixated on it that, she didn't hear him getting closer.

"Hey, what's up? Where's everybody?" he said, making her jump in surprise. She swung about on the chair to face him. She had her right hand over her heart, as if she wanted to keep it inside her chest.

"Geez, Oliver! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Oliver soothed her, clasping gently her shoulder.

"I think I'm in time to change my gift for you, a bell for Christmas could be a better present. A big, big bell to wear around your neck, so you can't sneak up like that. I'm sure it wouldn't do any good when catching bad guys. But you could start a trend, though. Do you think people would be okay announcing themselves like cows?"

He chuckled.

After all these years of knowing her, it was still a mystery for him the extraordinary talent she had to amuse him. Nobody made him smile like she did. Oliver loved her peculiar way to say things. The way she rambled when she was nervous or excited.

But also that she spoke her mind in more serious topics. She was the voice of his reason. Taking her advice has made him a better man. A man that didn't lose himself to the darkness he brought from the years he was away. Instead he was on a righteous path helping those who needed it... saving the city from the hell that wanted to swallow it whole.

"Didn't we said we weren't giving each other presents?" Oliver reminded her. "You told me you didn't want anything."

"I did, but then I realized you really need this one."

"Need what?" she averted her gaze. "Why I get the feeling I won't like the answer?" Exhaling long and hard, he growled softly, "Felicity..." his effort to leave impatience out of his tone went to the trash.

"You're going on vacation," was her soft declaration.

"What? No, I'm not. Don't even think about it."

She drew herself up to her full height. Determination bottled up in her 5 foot 5 shape howled, loud and clear, that she was ready to convince him otherwise. Oliver knew that the chances of losing the battle ran high, and against his best judgment, he'd end doing whatever she wanted him to do. He always did. But that didn't mean he wouldn't try to talk her out of that insane idea.

"Felicity," she couldn't really think he'd go out of town for the holidays, could she? "I can't go on vacations. You know I don't know how. And more to the point, I don't want to."

Bad guys didn't take vacations, so neither could he. And Starling was far from to be a crime-free zone.

"Why not? It's holiday, Oliver. Most people take vacation during this time, you know."

He cocked the head slightly to the left, with a grin on the lips. "I'm not most people."

"No, you're not. Most people don't have near-death experiences around holidays, year after year after year."

The tremble in her voice struck his heart. He only could imagine the hell she had been through while he was M.I.A last year. "Felicity, that won't happen."

"Really?! You're telling me that you can't see the pattern here. Diggle told that your first Christmas back, Malcolm Merlyn put two arrows in your back and almost killed you. A year later, I was there when, if it wasn't for Barry-" his mouth curled up, when a pang of irritation went through him. He and Barry were in friendly terms, but he didn't like hearing the kid's name in Felicity's lips. Under any circumstances. "If it wasn't for Barry," she repeated emphatically, "you would've stroked out and died."

Felicity took a deep breath in. Breathing out, she placed her hand on Oliver's torso, right over where the scar Ra's Al Ghul had gave him was under his shirt. "Please, don't make me remind you last year."

Cupping her face with his hand, Oliver leaned over and gently he brushed his lips on her forehead. "Stop worrying. Nothing of that will happen this year, I promise."

Her stare spoke volumes. "You can't promise that. In this city, trouble finds you even if you don't want to."

"Trouble can find me anywhere, not only in Starling city."

"Maybe, but here is almost certain it will. So, you're going on vacation!"

"You can't make me."

"Try me!"

Okay, his time had ran out. He knew he was a step from losing the battle... and the war. Even when she was being a little obtuse about the matter. "Can't go, Felicity. I got a job to do. The city needs-"

"The city will be fine. It wouldn't be the first time Starling is without its favorite hero, and it's still standing strong, right? Besides, I talked to the guys and they're on board. They can take care of it while you're gone."

Speechless, Oliver glared at her. As it turned out to be, it wasn't just her idea, but she brought other people to conspire against him. Who else was in it? John for sure, Laurel too. Roy... more than maybe. It wouldn't surprise him that even Thea was into it, too. They meant well, he knew that. They cared about him and probably went along with Felicity's idea just to humor her. She could be a bit scary when she was determined to accomplish something and somebody dared to get in her way.

There was something that worried him, though. Did Ray Palmer knew about what Felicity pretended to do? If anyone gained something with Oliver's absence, it was Palmer. Why? Because he was going to have the opportunity to play with his toys at his heart content without anyone policing him. Thinking about it, it wasn't that bad. Oliver wasn't happy with the new vigilante in town, but he couldn't deny the help Palmer, with his exo-suit, had been on a few occasions.

What did really bothered him was that without him in the city, Ray Palmer would have the opportunity to come after Felicity. He hadn't stop his flirty ways with her. Felicity had assured Oliver there was nothing between them. He trusted her completely, but didn't trust him. What made it all worse was that, Oliver knew that it wasn't his call to determine what happened between Felicity and any of her potential love interest. He respected Felicity deeply, and whatever she decided for her life he'd accept it... even if it destroyed him. If she wanted to be with Palmer, or any other, he'd step back.

He simply didn't want to give the chance of that happening. Not anymore. Not without giving a gory fight. He had wasted too much time already. He would give anything to be with her.

The light bulb went on in Oliver's head. He might have a way to make Felicity and himself happy at the same time. "I'll go, if you go with me. What do you say?"