Hi friends – here's a new story/multichapter fic! Hope you like it. Takes place in the "This Love" and "In Sickness and in Sneezes" world!

Please let me know what you think my dudes!

Oliver can't breathe.

He's felt rage before – hell, his time on the island had cultivated and refined fury to a point where it had become the most lethal weapon. But the anger he feels now is mixed with fear and panic, and it blurs the edges of his vision and burns him from the inside out.

When he reaches for his door handle, he realizes he's shaking.

And for a second he can't think, but then he hears the sirens and sees the glare of the flashing blue and red lights on his skin and suddenly all he can think about is getting inside.

To Felicity. Get to Felicity.

He steps past the doorman of apartment and flies towards the elevators. Oliver lets out a frustrated growl as he jabs at the button, and after another five seconds of nothing he's jogging towards the staircase and sprinting the eight flights up to Felicity's floor.

By the time he reaches her door, he doesn't know if he's panting from exertion or on the verge of a panic attack, but he shoves both thoughts down as he reaches for the key under the little Gnome statue that Felicity had decorated with a little Santa hat and candy cane just last week.

His heart squeezes at the memory, but then the door is open and he's staring at Detective Lance, another officer, and a teary blonde woman that looks a lot like Felicity.

"Where is she?"

"Sir - ,"

"Where is she," Oliver snarls, eyes flashing as he steps towards the officer, finger jamming into his chest. He's only been there a few seconds but he already wants to snap the guy's wrist. His eyes scan the room, and they skip to Quentin Lance before falling on the blonde woman.

"Mr. Queen, you cannot just barge in here -,"

Oliver turns his eyes on Quentin, and there must be something there that he sees because the Detective's eyes go from harsh to sympathetic in a flash.

The blonde woman looks like she wants to speak, but all she does is point towards the bathroom, and Oliver's feet are already moving.

He knocks on the door.

"Felicity?"

Oliver waits a second, only hearing the sound of running water.

He knocks again. "Felicity, it's Oliver - ,"

"She won't let anyone in," the woman says, her eyes wide with tears. Oliver turns to her. "Every time we try, she starts screaming to get out." She lets out a sob before covering her mouth, and Detective Lance awkwardly pats her shoulder.

Any other time Oliver would try to reassure the woman as well – he's pretty sure she's Felicity's mother – but her words only intensify the unease in Oliver's chest and he turns back around with more urgency.

"Felicity," he says, a bit louder this time. He jostles the handle and finds it unlocked. "Felicity, sweetheart, I'm gonna come in okay?"

No reply.

Oliver lets out a desperate huff and looks down at his feet. The next time he speaks, his voice is unwavering – insistent.

"Felicity, I'm coming in."

With that he pushes the door open just enough to let himself through. There's no noise – no retaliation – and for a split second he's relieved.

But then he sees her with her legs drawn up tightly to her chest, back to him, curled up under the scalding spray of the shower head. Her back is stained red from the water and, despite the heat, she's shaking all over.

Oliver moves quickly as he shuts the water off, his entire upper body getting drenched in the process, and he blankets a towel around Felicity's body before crouching down next to her.

She doesn't move – doesn't do anything really – and Oliver presses his nose against her wet hair.

"I'm here," he whispers, finally letting the fear in his voice come through. "I'm here Felicity, you're okay. You're okay, you're okay, you're okay."

Oliver waits for a moment before straightening up from his kneeling position and stalks back out to the living room.

"Out." The words fall from his lips, almost like a growl. "Get out. Now."

His eyes move between Lance and the other officer. His shirt is soaked and he's shaking so much that he can barely focus on the frowning men, and he knows deep, deep down that he shouldn't be so aggressive to the people trying to help, but this is something that Felicity can deal with later.

"Mr. Queen - ,"

"Get. Out."

Oliver's chest is rising and falling with each deep breath he takes, and he doesn't realize that he's got his hand curled into a fist – he doesn't realize that the voice that's leaving his mouth is more Arrow than Oliver Queen, and it's only when Felicity's mother steps in that he remembers to breathe.

"She'll give her statement later," she whispers.

"Ms. Smoak, the longer - ,"

"You need to leave. Now," Oliver's distraught voice cuts off the officer, a strong distaste for the man already in his mouth. He turns to the older man, his tone a bit softer, face a bit warmer. "Quentin, please. She'll be able to talk later." His eyes flash to the bathroom before whispering out, "Just not now."

He doesn't wait for an answer, praying that Quentin's hatred of him would be placed on the backburner at least for now, and he's already turning back towards the bathroom to Felicity.

She hasn't moved much. Her eyes are still fixed straight ahead and she's pulled the towel tight around her, but other than that she's completely void of anything.

Oliver can feel his throat tighten, but he buries that feeling deep down as he crouches next to the tub.

"Felicity, sweetheart?" He starts, voice quiet and gentle. "Let's get you out of the tub, okay?"

He wants to cry when she looks at him. It's the first form of acknowledgement he's able to get from her and it's so numb that something inside of him breaks. She just stares, her eyes pooling with tears, and Oliver presses his palms against either side of her face as he thumbs her cheek.

"You're okay, Felicity. You're safe. I've got you, okay? I've got you." His voice trails off in a whisper, and though Felicity says nothing, the pressure he feels from her pressing her face into his hand speaks volumes. He runs his thumb along the span of her cheek on last time before pressing his lips right between her eyebrows.

"C'mere," he whispers delicately. Oliver makes sure the towel is completely covering Felicity before he gathers her into his arms. She tucks her head under his chin and he takes a second to just hold her – to just reassure himself that she's here, that she's okay, that she's alive.

Because when Dig had walked into his office earlier that night and told him to check his phone – that It's Felicity, man. Something's happened – he hadn't known if any of that were true. He thinks it has to be some sick joke – thatthe one day they take off from playing vigilante, reality has to go and remind him that he can't always protect the people he loves.

His throat tightens and his eyes start to burn so much so that he has to press his face into Felicity's hair to avoid breaking down. He takes a deep breath and turns, not caring that the two of them are dripping water everywhere, and he starts when he sees Ms. Smoak staring at him with wide eyes.

"Did they leave?" Oliver's voice is raspy and drained and he's already moving past her when she gives a quick nod, and by the time he enters Felicity's bedroom, he feels less like he's about to break down and more like he wants to hit something.

But then he glances down at the girl who's already fallen asleep in his arms, and all he can feel is an overwhelming sense of something and it nearly brings him to his knees.

It's also then he realizes that Felicity is unclothed under her towel, and while the two have them have started paving their way to a relationship a bit deeper than work colleagues and nighttime vigilante pals, they're still only friends and helping her into clothes doesn't quite seem to be an action that falls into that category.

Donna's already entering the room when he turns to look for her, and though the two of them had never officially met before, it's an unspoken understanding that let's Oliver know that Felicity will be fine in her mother's arms for right now. He doesn't want to leave though, doesn't want to stop running his calloused hand through her hair or watching the rise and fall of her breathing, but he knows Felicity needs warm clothes and a long nap far more than he needs her to be near him.

So, he does the only thing he can do – does the only thing that can slightly ease the slamming of his heart and shaking of his hands – and he presses his lips to Felicity's hairline and leaves the room before the tears in his eyes threaten to spill.

"Oliver?"

The man in question freezes, and for a second, he's not sure if he has the mental strength to talk to anyone right now. But then he looks up and is met with Digg's worried face and kind eyes and he remembers that he's not the only one who loves Felicity Smoak.

"Jesus, man. What the hell happened?" Digg gestures to Oliver's shirt, and suddenly Oliver notices the cold draft against his wet clothes. He doesn't care though, and he slowly lowers himself down on the couch as he drags his hand down his face, too tired to do anything about it. Digg brings over a glass of water, and Oliver gratefully downs the glass in one sip before glancing up at his friend.

"She was in the tub when I got here. Just sittin' in it. God Digg, it's like she wasn't even there," Oliver says in a tight voice. "She was just staring straight ahead."

"Do you know what happened?"

Oliver bites down hard on his lip, eyes fixed on the floor. He's about to say something when the sound of heels against hardwood fills the room.

"She hasn't said a thing since she came home," Donna Smoak says, rounding the couch and finding a seat in the armchair across from the two men. "I came up here from Vegas, you know to surprise her – she never answers my calls so I just thought to show up, but that's not the point." Donna shakes her head.

Oliver can't help the small tug of his lips as he stares at the woman in front of him, the rambling so very reminiscent of a blonde, IT girl.

"I was waiting here and the door opened and she just walked in and God," Donna squeeze her eyes shut and takes a few steadying breaths. Digg reaches across the coffee table and gives her arm a squeeze, and Donna gives him a small smile.

"She had blood on her face, blood on her knees. Her clothes were ripped. I-I didn't know what to think. I tried to ask her what had happened, if anyone had – had t-touched her - ,"

The sound of glass shattering fills the air, startling the three of them, and it's then Oliver realizes just how hard he was holding the cup. The glass has cut into his hand, and he's bleeding a little, but that doesn't stop him from squeezing his hand into a fist in an attempt to ground himself.

"Swee-,"

"I'm fine," Oliver manages to push out, eyes fixed on Donna. "What did she say? What did Felic - ," Oliver can't even get the sentence out as his breathing picks up, and now it's Donna who places a reassuring hand on Oliver.

"It wasn't anything like that. That much she told me. Said someone attacked her as she was leaving work – said she was able to able to fight him off with the pepper spray that her friend had made her keep in her bag."

At that, Oliver throws an appreciative look at Digg, knowing full well that the larger man had placed a bottle of that stuff in almost every purse of Felicity's after the two of them had watched her unsuccessful attempts at boxing.

"Then she disappeared into the bathroom – wouldn't let anyone come in until you came."

She looks up at Oliver, and it's then all of them realize that proper introductions hadn't officially been made.

"I'm Donna Smoak, by the way. Felicity's mother."

Oliver tries to reply, but his voice finally seems to have left him. He feels a swell of gratitude when Digg fills the silence."

"Digg. I'm a friend of Felicity."

Donna smiles and then turns to Oliver. "And you're Oliver Queen, Felicity's boss."

It's more of a statement than anything else, but Oliver nods along.

"Also a friend of Felicity?"

Oliver quickly recognizes the absurdity of the situation – the CEO of a fortune 500 company being this concerned of an employee's well-being. But he can't find his voice – can't do anything but stare into the eyes that he had grown so familiar with.

"He is," Digg says, swooping in. "I believe Felicity was the first person Oliver befriended after coming back to Starling. Fixed his laptop."

And suddenly, his voice is back and Oliver smiles slightly at the memory – at the flashes of pink lips and red pens and innocent quips that had brought so much light into his life.

"I thought she was going to kill me," he rasps out. "Thought I had purposely broken the thing just to offend her."

"That sounds like my Felicity."

"Yeah."

Donna stares at Oliver for a long while, a hint of question and intrigue in her eyes, before speaking. Digg phone starts ringing, and he quietly excuses himself from the living room.

"She's out like a light, now," Donna says, a sad smile gracing her lips.

Oliver just nods, too lost in thought to really say anything insightful, and Donna continues.

"Thank you, for taking care of my Felicity."

Oliver's attention sharpens at that, and it's with such adamant thankfulness that Donna looks at him.

"Of course," he murmers. "She's done the same for me."

A confused look falls on Donna's tired face, but she brushes it off. Her eyes flicker to the clock and the flashing 3:00 AM plastered on the screen, and Oliver's eyebrows shoot up at just how late it is.

"I'm gonna head to bed," Donna says, standing up slowly.

"I'd like to stay here tonight, if that's alright," Oliver asks quietly as he follows suit. "I just – I can't, I -I-,"

He takes a shuddering breath and is startled when Donna closes the distance between the two of them and pulls him into a hug.

"I think Felicity would really appreciate that," She pulls away from him, giving his arm a motherly squeeze. "She was right about you, you know? You're a good man, Oliver Queen."

With that she turns and heads to Felicity's room, and Oliver is left with a lump in his throat and a warmth in his body that he hadn't felt in a long time. He stands there for a bit before Digg returns with a frown on his face.

"What is it."

"It's all over the news, man."

Oliver doesn't need to ask why that is. There had already been gossip going around about a relationship between Queen Consolidated's CEO and executive assistant. Anything to do with Felicity – at least anything this big – was bound to start circulating the news.

That doesn't stop the anger he feels from welling up inside of him, like a volcano ready to burst. He's across the room and to the window within seconds, and while the sidewalk below is clear for now, he knows that they'll be cameras and critics there in the next three hours.

"Cops don't know anything about who did this?" Digg asks.

"Felicity hasn't talked to them yet," Oliver says, turning to his friend. "But I don't know Digg, she seems a lot more shaken up for this to be a random mugging or robbery. I mean, she's faced a lot of shit in the field."

Digg frowns, watching Oliver's face under the stream of moonlight flitting in through the window.

"Well," Digg says. "Whatever happened, we'll figure it out, Oliver. We always do. You just – just be here for our girl, alright? I'll be back in a couple of hours – bring you back some clothes, okay?"

Oliver nods, mouth drawn in a thin.

"Don't do anything stupid," Digg adds as he makes his way to the door. Any other day Oliver would completely disregard that request, but he knows, just as Digg does, that there is no way he is leaving Felicity's apartment tonight.

It's only when the front door is shut and locked – only when there is no sound coming from inside Felicity's room – that Oliver lets the dam that has been building within him break. He stumbles to the bathroom, his breath coming fast and short, and he stands there staring blankly at his reflection for a good while.

It's then he notices the blood on his hand – then, when he is looking for a towel, that he sees Felicity's bloodstained and torn clothes strewn across the floor.

It's also then that Oliver completely falls apart, collapsing to the floor and retching into the toilet with shaking hands and a tearstained face.

Let me know what you think! Please review it makes me smileeeeee! :)))

Love you all!