"You'll never know how strong you are,
until being strong is the only choice you have." ~ Anonymous
. . .
As Oliver stood there, he knew that no matter what…Slade would always have figured out his feelings for Felicity even if he'd been smart enough to send her away. He was terrified as Slade held Felicity and pressed a blade to her throat. How had they gotten here? He had never thought two years ago when he returned to Starling City from the island that had been his prison that this would happen… He had never thought that Slade Wilson would rise from the dead and come back for revenge for Shado's death.
The promise that Slade made.
"I told you I'd kill one more person…" Slade told him.
Oliver slowly set down his bow and let his quiver drop to the ground. He wanted to do what he could to keep Felicity safe. The city was burning all around them and his mother had been murdered. He remembered Blood's words. Originally, Oliver had thought that Slade meant that he'd kill him and then it would all be over… He had been so ready to sacrifice himself, not even thinking about what the world would look like without him. "He said that you'd kill the person that I love most—"
"You can't tell me that I have the wrong girl," Slade said and was clearly agitated.
"Slade! She's not apart of this!"
"Oh, but she is, Kid! She is!" Slade told him, the blade firmly being held in his hand.
Oliver thought about rushing him the moment that he noticed blood on his blade. He was sure that Slade was just barely breaking the skin because Felicity only cringed in response. He knew that if he did, though, that Slade would definitely kill Felicity.
"Felicity Smoak. I know all about her. I know all about how she's been working with you…not only at Queen Consolidated, but helping you at night. She was the first person that you made sure was safe when I visited your little home."
"Then you should KNOW that she helped me, that's all—"
"She's more than just an employee, though, isn't she?"
Felicity screamed as the sword was pulled tighter against her neck. He could see her fists clenching in her coat material. She looked absolutely terrified and in far more pain than she'd previously been in.
"Please!" he yelled.
"She's already confessed her feelings to me," Slade said and Oliver hated the way he looked at Felicity. It made him sick inside. "Or is this just like Shado? She loved you, but you didn't love her in the same way… Is that it?"
"Please, Slade! Please! Don't kill her! Kill me instead!" Oliver begged and pleaded as he fell on his knees. He didn't know what else to do. He was all alone down there and he knew that without the Mirakuru cure that he was no match for Slade. Slade would easily kill them both without a secret thought.
"Do. You. Love. Her?" Slade screamed out in short emphasized beats. "Or do you love Laurel Lance? Or Sara Lance? Or someone else?" Slade would tilt his head as he talked about each sister and it didn't bring Oliver anymore solace. "Or maybe you love your sister more? But loving Thea… That's not quite the same, is it?"
Oliver bowed his head and let tears fall as he fought over what he was going to do. What could he do? He needed help. He needed back up. The others were dispersed throughout the city fighting Slade's army…and fighting Isabel… A band of unlikely allies, allied just long enough to save the city from Slade and Mirakuru army.
"I love Thea, you know that," Oliver told him. "I love Felicity, but I love Laurel and Sara, too."
"Which one do you love the most, though, Oliver? Felicity? Laurel? Sara?" Slade questioned, pausing between each name.
"Slade…don't do this…"
"Do I need to pull out Laurel or Sara?"
"They're not here…" Oliver said confidently, but still entrenched in hopelessness.
"Oh, we're going to play this exactly how we did with Thea and the dearly departed Moira Queen… You're going to have to choose…between Felicity…and…Laurel," Slade finally finished as one of his masked Mirakuru enhanced inmate appeared with a very terrified looking Laurel.
Oliver was certain that she was safe with her father back at the police station. There was so much destruction citywide, but he knew that the patriarch of the family wouldn't have just let her out on the streets willingly. Sara was even out there and Oliver just figured that Laurel had to either have been purposefully picked up by one Slade's men for this specific reason OR she'd been out on the streets and by lucky they'd found her. She was supposed to be safe…so she wouldn't be a distraction. The whole first year back from the island, looking back, that was what Laurel had been…even for a good chunk of this second year…and he'd told himself that he wouldn't do that anymore. But here she was…
And Slade was going to make him choose.
It was an impossible decision. Even if it wasn't Laurel, if it was a stranger… How could he choose one life over the others'? He wanted to say Felicity, but he couldn't lose Laurel. He couldn't tell Detective Lance or Sara that it had been his fault that Laurel was dead. He couldn't do that. He'd lived through Sara's death…twice… He wouldn't be the means for Laurel's death too.
But Felicity…
"Ollie…I'm sorry…" Laurel cried out. She was sobbing and tears were running all down her face, her make-up running dark streaks down her face.
"This one is a lot more vocal and blubbery than your beloved Felicity," Slade told him in amusement.
"Please…just kill me… Leave them, Slade! Kill me! KILL ME!" Oliver shouted as he pounded his chest with the palm of his hand.
"I told you," Slade told him. "You're not going to get away that easily… You have to feel the suffering that I felt…"
"I didn't choose Sara! I didn't choose! I thought Ivo was going to shoot me! I was trying to save them BOTH!" Oliver yelled and for a moment, he felt a great weight lifted off of him.
"You're lying! You chose Sara!"
"I didn't!"
"Shado told me…" Slade said angrily, spit flying from his mouth as he started to lunge towards Oliver, pushing Felicity forward with him. "She told me everything! You can't lie to me!"
"Shado's dead!"
"YOU KILLED HER!" Slade raged and threw Felicity to the floor in front of him.
Felicity looked up at him, her hair was a mess and she looked terrified. He stared at her and he opened his mouth to say something, but was watching Slade. He didn't want to anger him anymore. He wanted Felicity and Laurel to leave that room alive. Oliver felt sick as he noticed the blood around her neck.
"Then kill me!" Oliver yelled back at Slade. "Punish me! Not them!"
"Oh…I am punishing you, Kid…" Slade said as he approached Felicity once again. "And I'm still waiting for you to answer my question. Which one do you love most?"
"Slade!"
"You wouldn't choose with your mother and Thea… She chose for you," Slade said. "I will kill them both if I have to…" He grabbed the back of Felicity's coat, his foot came down on her leg, and a crack echoed throughout followed by Felicity's scream.
"NO! SLADE! STOP!"
"Which one, Oliver?"
Oliver was trying to think of words to say that would make it stop. He knew that no matter what he said, it wasn't going to change things with Slade. He was going to torture him by hurting Felicity and/or Laurel…or he was going to kill them before Slade finally killed him.
"Felicity…" he whispered.
He couldn't bring himself to look at Laurel. He'd told her before that he couldn't love her anymore, that he had to stop worrying so much about her. It seemed like ever since then, Laurel was around more and more. Oliver had loved Laurel once, or at least he thought he did… Sometimes, he didn't know… If it had just been because he'd clung to her picture the whole time on Lian Yu…or if it had really been real.
"So, what I have here is the woman that you loved in the past…" Slade said and Oliver lifted his head to watch Slade move towards Laurel, his blood stained blade in his hand. Slade ran his blade too close to her neck for Oliver's liking. "And then we have the woman that you love…the woman that WOULD have been your future… Dare I say, she might have even been the next Mrs. Queen…" Slade said. He crouched down and whispered to Felicity. "There's a vacancy there…"
"Slade!"
"Only one of them can live, Oliver… Are you going to let them work it out?" Slade said and then motioned to his henchmen. The masked henchmen let Laurel go and backed up. Laurel didn't seem to know what to do. "See if they can make the decision like your mother made for you? She had courage… Do you know which one I think is stronger than the other? The one that I know would do absolutely anything for you? Give her life for yours?"
"It's okay, Oliver," Felicity whispered. This was the first time that she'd spoken since he'd arrived. She'd cried a little, but she hadn't been hysterical. To Oliver, it was almost like she was content with what she believed her fate would be. That killed him.
"No!" Oliver yelled.
All he could think of was her voice telling him that he could do this. That he could beat Slade. That he wasn't alone. That she believed in him. He couldn't fail her… He couldn't.
Oliver grabbed his quiver and bow without a second thought and immediately started to go after Slade. He wasn't too close to either Laurel or Felicity, so he felt like it was safe. Slade grabbed him and when he spun him around, so Oliver could see Laurel and Felicity he felt like they were going to be okay. Laurel had moved to Felicity and so far, Slade's henchman hadn't moved from his spot. Maybe this would be enough for Slade…maybe he could just kill him and get it over with…
He used the bow to get out of the hold that Slade had him in and their fight was like a dance. Oliver remembered this… It was familiar just with a harder punch. He preferred the original version better. It was closer to an even playing field before Mirakuru… He just didn't know how long he could keep Slade occupied and how long he could expect for the mindless minion to stay put.
Oliver needed Laurel and Felicity to get away, but he knew that Felicity's leg was broken. There was no way that she'd be able to put weight on it. He just hoped that Laurel would help her and get her out of there.
Slade's blade sliced along his thigh, not deep, but it was deep enough. He let out a cry, but it didn't stop him. All he was thinking about was Felicity and Laurel living. He was focusing on how his sacrifice would ensure that those he loved would live…
"Give up, Kid!" Slade told him as they continued.
"No!" Oliver yelled as he pushed back with all he could. He could feel the bruises already forming on his body, but he didn't care. He could push through whatever Slade could put him through if it meant that he was the one who paid the ultimate price in the end.
The sound of choking caught Oliver off guard and Slade took the opportunity to knock him to the ground. Oliver immediately searched for the minion first, he hadn't moved. He looked towards where Felicity had been and that was when he saw them… Laurel had her hands around Felicity's neck. Oliver's heart dropped. He wasn't seeing this.
Slade grabbed him and hauled him back up; Oliver expected to be thrown across the room again. Instead, Slade held him like he'd held Felicity, forcing him watch Laurel choke Felicity. "Laurel…stop…" he forced out as Slade squeezed him. He was having a hard time breathing himself.
"I like her… I didn't think I would, but she's showing her true colors," Slade told Oliver. "And just for the record," he whispered into Oliver's ear. "We both know that Felicity would be the one to give up everything for you, including her life. You have all these women in your life who have all this courage…and you have NONE!"
"Laurel…" he tried to stop her.
Oliver watched in horror as Felicity gasped for breath. She'd tried to fight against Laurel, but Laurel was behind her. He had never thought that he could hate Laurel, but that's what he was feeling… He managed to get himself away from Slade just long enough to reach for an arrow and fire one off in Laurel's direction. It wasn't with the intent to actually hit her, just to get her to stop what she was doing.
They continued to fight and all of the sudden there was a commotion. Arrows flew in his direction, but didn't hit him. They hit Slade instead. Slade seemed to slow and when he looked over his shoulder and saw Nyssa al Ghul there, he wondered if the tips were poisoned with the venom they'd used to keep Roy in a coma before.
"Come on, Felicity!" Diggle shouted.
Oliver noticed that the henchmen seemed to be being taken care of and so he looked around for a moment. He finally spotted Laurel up against a wall, her hands over her face. He would deal with her later, but now… He moved to Felicity. Diggle was doing CPR and Oliver's heart felt like it was slowing to a stop, just like Felicity's. "No! Felicity! Breathe!" he shouted. "Breathe!" Oliver said, his voice breaking.
Felicity finally began to breathe and Oliver just wanted to scoop her up and hold her and whisper to her that he loved her. Instead, he allowed Diggle to fuss over her as he looked towards where he'd left Slade.
He was gone.
Crap.
Oliver couldn't worry about Slade right now. He could go after him later. Right now, he was just happy that Felicity was breathing. He moved a little closer and noticed that she wasn't conscious. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not. "Her leg is broken…" he whispered.
"And it's not the kind of break I like either," Diggle said. "Compound fracture…and never good when the bone is sticking out."
Oliver hadn't noticed that before, most likely because of the pants she was wearing, but he was certain that any moving of Felicity hadn't helped her condition in any way. He thought about saying something to Laurel, but Sara's voice caught his attention and distracted him from his anger towards Laurel…though only briefly.
"Where's Slade?" Sara questioned.
"He got away," Oliver responded quietly and looked back towards where Sara and Nyssa stood.
"How's Felicity?"
"She'll live," Diggle spoke up this time. "Though, she needs medical attention."
"The hospitals have to be slammed," Roy said. Oliver turned to him and had forgotten that he'd been there. He was standing near Diggle and Oliver was happy to have his help, but also to know that he could count on him even when things got dicey. He knew Roy was a good kid and could be redeemed from the Mirakuru. It was just going to take continued practice and discipline on his part.
"He's right," Diggle said. "We can probably treat her…"
"But the Foundry's been compromised and we didn't move everything—"
"She's going to need blood, but I'm pretty sure if everyone knows their blood type that we can make that work," Diggle said. "I just need some supplies…"
"I can help, if you need it," Nyssa volunteered.
Oliver watched Diggle just nod slightly and smile in acknowledgement of her offer of help. It was odd, but it felt good at the same time for them to be united. He looked back towards Nyssa. "Thank you." Now, she bowed her head.
"We should go," Sara said. "Nyssa and I will take the front."
"Take Laurel," Oliver said. He didn't know if the others had seen what had happened; all he knew was that he couldn't be around her right now. He slung his bow over his shoulder and crouched down to pick up Felicity, Diggle helped him to make sure that he had her securely and that they weren't jostling around her leg too much.
The others slowly headed back towards the entrance, he noticed that Laurel was behind Nyssa and Sara, which he hoped would keep enough space between them. Oliver was carrying Felicity at the back, Diggle was right in front of them and would turn to check on them every few seconds. He wished that he'd had more foresight to have moved more of their supplies to the new Foundry…or at least have doubled up the supplies. He could have had at least a few bags of blood… And all of the medical equipment… As he thought about it, a few people could probably go to the Foundry under Verdant and try to get some of the supplies that they needed. It wasn't like stores would be open in this chaos.
"Diggle, what if Sara took Nyssa and Roy to the Foundry? If you gave them a list—"
"That could work," Diggle said. "As long as the items we need aren't compromised."
With all the destructions citywide, if the Foundry had been compromised, even if it had just been hit…items inside that should be sterile might have been compromised from the dirt and dust. Normally, though, they were fairly good about keeping things sealed away, so he just hoped that they'd have everything that they'd need for Felicity. He also knew that she had to be in so much pain… He knew that Diggle had pain medication stashed there as well.
"Oliver?"
Her voice brought so much hope and happiness to him as he stared down at her. Felicity's eyes were just opening and a smile was on her face, even though he knew she was in pain. She reached up to touch his face and just smiled.
"You're safe," he tried to assure.
All he could think was that he nearly lost her. That this woman that he'd tried not to love, but who had crept into his heart and taken it hostage just the same…that he'd almost lost her forever. And why? Because Slade Wilson's twisted mind still believed that he was to blame for Shado's death. He already had enough guilt in his life for people who he felt that their blood stained his hands.
Robert Queen, his father.
He thought that he'd lost Sara, twice.
Yao Fei.
Shado.
Tommy Merlyn, his best friend.
Moira Queen, his mother.
And he'd almost had both Laurel and Felicity's blood on his hands as well because of Slade. Oliver kept telling himself that all of this wasn't because of Shado, but rather because of how twisted his mind was because of the Mirakuru. It didn't make it any easier though.
"I'm sorry," Felicity whispered.
"Nothing for you ever to be sorry for," he told her and tears started to well up in his eyes. He hated to think that she blamed herself for something that was his fault.
"I should have been—"
"Shh…" he tried to hush her.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and suddenly shifted her weight like she was hugging him.
"Careful of your leg," he whispered, but he had to admit…he was more than okay with her holding onto him like this. It eased his guilt more and more.
"Time to end this, Kid!"
Slade's voice hit his ear almost as quickly as the blade entered him. Oliver didn't have time to react. He looked down and much to his horror; he wasn't the only one being impaled with Slade's blades. Two blades stuck out of Felicity's back, the blades were pulled out of their bodies, and Oliver fell to his knees. He gripped her body tightly even as her arms loosened around his neck. One of the blades was suddenly at his neck and he could see everyone moving to action, but freezing. They were all speaking, but he couldn't hear any of it.
This was the last moment of his life.
Slade had succeeded.
He'd taken everything away from him.
Thea hated him.
His mother was dead.
Queen Consolidated.
Queen Mansion.
Starling City.
Felicity…
And now his life.
Why couldn't his life have been enough? If only he'd died on Lian Yu… If only he'd been able to prevent all of this from happening…
"I suggest that you do exactly what I say if you want any hope of saving either of them," Slade said as the blade was pressed against his throat. He didn't think the blades had punctured any of his internal organs, but that didn't make it any easier. He was still in immense pain.
"You'll just kill them," Sara said.
"Go on, take Felicity," Slade said as he nodded his head towards Diggle.
Slowly, Oliver watched as Diggle moved towards him. He was watching Slade the whole time. Oliver released Felicity to him once he knew that he had hold of Felicity. "Take her and go…" If Felicity could live, then he was okay with dying right now. Hell, he was okay with dying if that meant that Slade would leave his city and the people he loved alone.
"I think they're rather attached to you, though I can't say why…" Slade said, the blade still at Oliver's throat. "They obviously don't know who you are deep down… They think of you as I did once, like a brother… They don't know that when they least expect it that you'll kill someone close to them…"
"Slade, let Oliver go," Sara said slowly.
Oliver watched them all. Diggle was worrying about Felicity at the moment, which was how it should be. She was far more important and he noticed that it didn't look like her eyes were moment; he just hoped that she was still breathing… Diggle had been moving his head with his ear pressed to her chest around and it was worrying Oliver. "Take care of Felicity… Get out of here and take care of her!" he told them.
"We can't move her yet," Diggle announced.
That only worried Oliver more. What was happening? What had Slade done? Had his blades punctured her internal organs? Her heart? Her lungs? Something else? Was she just bleeding too much? He noticed that Diggle had Roy putting pressure on wounds…
"Oliver and I are going to walk…" Slade told them as he pulled Oliver to his feet. Oliver didn't fight Slade. His thoughts were solely on Felicity. Of her surviving…of keeping her safe… "I'd suggest that you not follow us if you want him to keep breathing…"
Slade was using him as a shield. Oliver really didn't think that Slade was worried about the others; it was more that he was torturing him…because all he was seeing was Diggle and others fussing over Felicity's lifeless form. And when they finally turned the corner and he couldn't see them, his heart sank. Would Felicity be okay? Would they be able to get her the help that she needed?
Or would her name be added to the list of people he had failed?
"I think this is far enough, Kid," Slade said and before Oliver could react, his vision went black.
. . .
"We need to seal the entry wounds on her back and chest."
"We're going to need to suck any excess air out."
"I need tape."
"I need that needle."
"They're sealed, but we're going to need to keep checking on them to ensure that they stay sealed up."
"I'll start removing excess air."
To Oliver, it sounded a lot like he was in a hospital. He knew he wasn't. The voices speaking belonged to Diggle and Nyssa. He opened his eyes and found that he was being treated as well, but by Sara. He was going to argue about how she should be helping Diggle and Nyssa because he assumed that they were tending to Felicity when Sara spoke first.
"If you're going to lecture me about doing this, you can stop now," Sara told him. "You could have a concussion and you needed stitches… We don't need to have to worry about giving you a transfusion too."
"Felicity?"
"She's alive," Sara said and looked in the direction, Oliver assumed, of where Felicity lay. "Right now, that's pretty spectacular. I didn't think they'd be able to keep her alive as long as they have."
Oliver swallowed hard as he watched Sara's face and listened to her voice. He knew Sara well enough to know that she was telling him the complete truth. That scared him. Would she make it? "Does she need blood?"
"Don't worry about that. We're not taking it from you anyway," Sara told him.
"If she—"
"The blood at the Foundry was compromised, but Laurel and I have the same blood type. We've booth already done our quota of donating for the time being… And so far, that's more than enough," Sara explained.
"Slade—"
"We'll find him, but not right now," Sara told him evenly. "Right now, I think we need to focus on healing and rebuilding."
"What about everyone else?"
"Roy and Laurel were fine. Digg, Nyssa, and I had a couple of wounds that required a stitch or two. I've already tended to it though. We were just waiting for you to come around."
Slowly, Oliver sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the table. Sara held onto him for a moment to keep him steady. His hand came up to his head as it thudded, but he took in their surroundings. They were in the new Foundry. He really hadn't meant to give away their new location to everyone, but he couldn't really complain since Nyssa was helping with Felicity. "What's wrong with her? Maybe we could get her to the hospital…"
"Roy's already checked the hospitals. They're completely filled and overflowing. Not enough medical staff and there are some areas where the Mirakuru army just destroyed sections. Once Felicity is stabilized enough for Nyssa to go out, we were going to go out with the others and patrol the city… Try to take care of however many of Slade's soldiers are still out there."
"What are they doing?" he asked quietly as he watched Nyssa and Diggle work on Felicity. Roy and Laurel were both there assisting and as much as he wanted to bark at Laurel to get away from Felicity, he knew that he couldn't do that and risk Felicity's life. She was assisting and there was no way that Diggle or Nyssa would let Laurel get close enough or do anything in which she could harm Felicity.
"One of the blades punctured her left lung," Sara explained. "They're trying to get it to the point where it'll heal. They've sealed up the wounds for the time being. Nyssa is removing any excess air. Once the air is out, the lung will hopefully begin to be able to heal and re-inflate. Nyssa is confident that the lung won't require actual surgery." She looked at Oliver. "Though, we might need to put her on a ventilator and put her in a coma while she heals… We're not sure yet, but I figured that we might want to make sure we're prepared."
"We don't have a ventilator back at the Foundry or what you would need to put her into a medically induced coma," Oliver said slowly and worriedly.
"I actually think I know where I can get it," Sara told him. "And it won't even affect the hospitals or clinics treating people out there right now."
"I can go with you," he said as he pushed himself off of the table. He fell forward and couldn't keep his balance like he expected, Sara grabbed him and pulled him back so he wouldn't fall on his face.
"Not sure that's the best idea…"
"I'll go," Diggle said as he approached and grabbed Oliver as well. "But I could use your help observing Felicity while I'm gone. Perfect job for you, involves you sitting in a chair."
"I'm fine!"
"You have a concussion. A bad one."
Oliver really wasn't too thrilled about not being able to go out and help Sara, so that they could get everything that they needed for Felicity, but he supposed that at least he could help this way. Diggle guided him to a chair that he'd pushed where he'd been standing before.
"I need you to watch her for any change. Every thirty minutes, we're going to need to check the bandages and where I have everything sealed up. If there's bleeding or it doesn't look right, then Nyssa needs to know right away because that means that there's something wrong like internal bleeding," Diggle explained. "She's already having a hard time breathing…so just watch her."
"You'll be able to help her?" Oliver asked as he settled into the chair.
"It will just take some time to complete all of the steps to get her body to the point in which it can start to heal… And it will take her more time to heal. I believe that she will survive, though," Nyssa told him. She didn't look up at him once as she did her work on the other side of Felicity. "She's stronger than I believed… She's held on for this long, I believe she will pull through."
"We'll be back as soon as we can," Sara spoke up.
"Please," Oliver said as he watched Diggle and Sara move towards the exit. "Be careful."
"We will."
They left and Oliver moved his attention to Felicity. He knew that Laurel was still standing nearby in order to help, if Nyssa asked, as was Roy. In Oliver's mind, though, he was alone there with Felicity as she slept. It was easier in his mind for him to cope if it was just him and Felicity and it kept him from watching Nyssa too closely.
"I believe that I've removed most…if not all of the air that was in her chest," Nyssa said after some time. "We should just let her rest and hope that Sara and Diggle find the items that we require."
Oliver nodded and watched as Nyssa and Roy moved away. He took the opportunity to check her bandages again. Everything looked as it should. Nyssa had told him the last time that they'd checked Felicity's wounds that if there was another major problem like internal bleeding that it would have likely have presented itself by now. So, he felt fairly confident and hopeful that she was going to be okay, that there weren't any other unseen problems. He just didn't like the fact that she wasn't awake…but then she was in enough pain… That was enough to keep her unconscious.
He moved his chair closer and took her hand in his. It was a little cold and he frowned. He stood back up and felt her skin in different spots to test to see if her torso was warmer. "Nyssa, should we cover her?" he asked and looked towards the black-cloaked woman.
"We should keep her body temperature at the average if we can, do you have blankets?" Nyssa questioned.
If they were in the other Foundry, Oliver knew that he'd have everything that they needed…well almost. But here… He hadn't been prepared to just move to the new Foundry without moving EVERYTHING over. "I'll get them," he said and moved towards where they were. Laurel was in his way, he tried to step around her, but she seemed to move in the wrong directions. He sighed and held her in place by holding her shoulder and then moving around her. Oliver grabbed two blankets and then moved back towards Felicity. Nyssa was standing there and he was thankful that she was double checking things.
"Her body is fighting," Nyssa told him as they carefully spread the first blanket over her. "She's still taking in the blood." He'd forgotten about the bag of blood that hung nearby and that was connected to an IV. "Plus, the trauma of her leg…"
Her leg.
Oliver felt even worse.
How could he have forgotten?
The sound of the bone snapping and Felicity's screams were still fresh in his memory.
"We will keep checking on her," Nyssa assured him.
He nodded after they had the second blanket on her. He took his seat once again and tried to stay as calm as possible. Oliver reached up under the blankets and took her hand once again. He stared at her and in his mind; he was willing her to be okay. He needed her to wake up and Oliver needed to hear her voice…even if it was one final time before Slade came back and killed him.
. . .
"Oliver?"
"Don't talk to me."
"Please, let me explain."
Oliver didn't want to hear her words, especially since Laurel's voice sounded nearly hysterical. There was no need for that. She wasn't in any mortal danger at the moment. Sara had said that both Laurel and Roy had been fine. The only person Laurel really had to fear was him…
"I really don't want to hear it right now," he replied as evenly as he could.
He stared at Felicity. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he kept thinking that Sara and Diggle should return at any moment. So far, though, Felicity was doing okay, or at least he kept telling himself that. She was breathing and she wasn't bleeding out. Oliver was taking that as a good thing.
"Oliver…"
"I can't!" he snapped and looked over his shoulder at where Laurel was standing now. He hated himself for becoming so upset and for being so loud, he had wanted to just let Felicity rest. He didn't want any discord to be felt by Felicity as she held on and her body tried to start the healing process. "Damn it, Laurel! I just can't! Not right now! Not after what you did!"
She was hysterical and crying and her make-up was still running. Oliver just couldn't pull his focus to her. He just couldn't. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't let Laurel be a distraction anymore. Laurel had tried to kill Felicity and even though he had a feeling that Laurel would put it off onto Slade. Oliver didn't know if he could forgive that or not…not yet at least.
"What the hell is going on in here?" Diggle asked.
Oliver looked over to find that both he and Sara were standing there, they were wheeling in equipment. He wasn't sure how much they'd heard or seen. All he knew was that there was a lot of disapproval on their faces. "Did you get what she needs?" Oliver asked and turned his attention towards Sara and Diggle. He was trying to forget the way he'd just snapped at Laurel.
"We got it," Diggle said all too slowly.
Oliver could tell that he wasn't going to get out of what Diggle and Sara had just witnessed. It was quite clear from the looks they were giving him. Oliver didn't know what was coming next, but he wanted to hope that right now they could just focus on Felicity getting better…
"Ollie, can I talk to you outside?" Sara asked a moment later after everything was pushed to the other side of Felicity's makeshift bed. "Nyssa and Digg probably don't need anyone else in here while they're working."
He sighed and knew that Sara was going to want to talk about Laurel. Oliver didn't want to be in the way, but he really didn't want to have to leave her. He got up from his seat and moved away from Felicity and towards where Sara had moved near the door. He had been friends with the Lance sisters for some time and he'd been through a lot with both of them, so he knew that they could work things out…but he just wasn't ready yet. He wasn't ready to relive what he'd seen…
"Laurel…" Sara said a moment later.
At least he wouldn't have to worry about Laurel being in that room with Felicity. Nyssa, Diggle, and Roy were all in there, but he just didn't like the idea of Laurel being in there without someone specifically watching out for what she could really do to Felicity. He still didn't know if the others had seen what had happened…
They walked out of the room and just far enough away that Oliver was sure that their conversation wouldn't be heard by the others. He stood there in silence, really not wanting to be there. All he was thinking was that Diggle and Nyssa were taking care of Felicity in the other room. Oliver kept his gaze on Sara rather than Laurel; he was still trying to work on the idea of her just not being present. To him, that was easier right now. It made him feel less like punching things.
"Are we going to talk about this?" Sara asked.
"I was just trying to apologize to Ollie," Laurel blurted out, still hysterical.
Laurel Lance, he'd once loved her, and over the last year he'd kept thinking if his relationship with Laurel had ever really been a good one. Oliver knew that Laurel had gone through a lot and in a lot of parts; he was to blame in some way. He knew that. Oliver wondered if maybe he should have distanced himself completely from Laurel after he'd made the decision to stop chasing her. He had wondered if Starling City was really the best place for Laurel to be, if she wouldn't be happier someplace where she could start over with a clean slate.
"You could have KILLED Felicity," Oliver said as calmly as possible while not looking at Laurel.
"I—I—" Laurel stumbled.
"She stopped breathing, Laurel," Oliver said and was finding it harder and harder to keep calm. His fists balled up and he finally chanced looking over at Laurel. "If Diggle and the others hadn't come… She would have died… Slade—"
"He was right, you know," Laurel mumbled. "She would do anything for you… I thought that Slade was wrong… That you didn't love her… That she wasn't the one who would do everything and anything for you…"
"Laurel…" Sara said in shock.
Oliver looked towards Sara. He couldn't look at Laurel anymore. It was too hard. Slade had almost gotten Laurel to do his dirty work. "You should leave Starling City…before Slade can get to you again," he said before turning and heading back to where Felicity was.
When he returned, Felicity was hooked up to a machine, but it wasn't the ventilator. "What is that?" he asked as he approached.
"The ventilator is really a last resort," Diggle replied. "We wanted to be prepared. She was barely hanging on when we left."
Nyssa moved away from Felicity and towards him. "She woke up and asked for you. We gave her something for the pain and it seems to have eased her back to sleep," Nyssa explained. "The machine using suction on the lung that is punctured. It will give it time to heal. Hopefully, we will only have to do this through the night."
"Worst case?" Oliver questioned.
"She needs surgery."
"Which we can't do here," Diggle added immediately. "But it might take days for her lung to start to heal properly… We really just have to watch her."
So, they had to wait.
He could wait.
. . .
"Come on, Oliver…"
"She's sleeping."
"Maybe if we had moved the salmon ladder in here, she'd wake up if you were on that," Diggle teased.
Somehow, a smile appeared on his face. He hadn't meant to let that happen, but he knew Diggle was right. He'd spent a lot of time on that over the last two years and it hadn't gotten past him that Felicity enjoyed watching him. She'd even flat out told him when he'd been dragged back from Lian Yu that she liked watching him work out on it.
"I really think that you focusing on your arrows is a lot quieter than the clanging that comes from the salmon ladder," Diggle told him. "I even bought a tube of tennis balls… Though, Roy doesn't understand why those were necessary. I figured that you could show him and it would be interesting to see how well he does when it's his turn."
Oliver nodded slowly.
Diggle had been right, it had cheered him up. Roy had seemed confused, but even Nyssa had a go at it. It was definitely nice to do something other than sit at Felicity's bedside and worry. It hadn't taken them long to go from shooting tennis balls than to coming up with plans to slowly bring things from the Foundry under Verdant to the new location.
"She's going to be disappointed if this ceiling isn't high enough," Diggle told him in regards to the salmon ladder.
Oliver shook his head, but continued to plan out where things would go and what they needed to bring over. He'd also decided that they needed a separate area with cots. He also had designated a small area as medical treatment, complete with its own table. It wasn't large or elaborate. It was just big enough to hold what they needed, so they weren't wheeling it all over. The new Foundry space was big enough for that.
"How exactly are you going to hook up enough electricity and internet for this place?" Roy asked.
"Don't worry about that, it'll get done," Oliver assured him.
"Are you sure about all of this?" Sara questioned.
"I don't know," Oliver admitted as he turned to her. Laurel hadn't shown her face since Sara had taken them for their little 'walk'. He really wasn't sure where he stood with Sara, but he really hadn't had the time to talk to her much. She had been sticking pretty close to Nyssa, who Oliver was thankful for staying around a little longer.
"You know, she's going to be fine…" Sara said slowly.
"Her breathing sounds on the injured side are getting stronger and stronger," Nyssa chimed in. "But I would not suggest her going up against this Slade Wilson again."
"That was never the plan," Oliver said quietly.
"You know, maybe that's enough brainstorming for one day…" Diggle said slowly. "Maybe the rest of us should go out and see what we can do… The city could use some help rebuilding…."
"How are we going to help at this hour?" Sara asked.
"I'm sure the police could use some help…or we could patrol to make sure there's not people vandalizing the city anymore than Slade's army already saw to."
Sara and Nyssa seemed to be considering it. "As long as we're keeping busy," Roy responded.
It didn't take long until they were all gone; they'd left him alone with Felicity, which was really what he preferred. He went to dim the lighting, when he heard her stirring. Felicity had been in and out of consciousness since they'd brought her to the Foundry. She was still in a good day of pain and Oliver knew that keeping her comfortable was best for her, even though he'd rather tell her all the things that she really needed to know. All the things that he knew that he should have told her some time ago.
"Oliver?"
"I'm here," he whispered and turned immediately around to be at her side. Oliver stared down at her. Her coloring was so much better than when he'd first awoken. Her eyes were bright and happy. Oliver ran his fingers through her golden locks and just smiled down at her. "I'm here," he repeated.
"Can I go home yet?" she asked sleepily.
"Soon," he promised. In all truth, he didn't know if Felicity had a home to go home to. With the citywide destruction, Oliver couldn't be sure if her place was in tact. He would make sure to go—or have Diggle or Sara check on Felicity's place.
"Are you okay?"
Oliver didn't understand how Felicity could be concerned with him when she was the one who needed the concern. "I'm—"
"Tell me."
"I'm just happy that you're okay," Oliver finally pushed out.
She smiled a little up at him and reached out for his hand. "You're not sleeping…"
"I slept."
"For more than an hour?"
Oliver smiled back at her and stroked her cheek. "Are you hungry?"
"No."
"You should have something."
"I'm afraid to move," Felicity confessed.
"You are still healing," he said gently. "But you could sit up, so you could at least drink something…maybe try to eat some pudding. Diggle brought some here," Oliver explained. "You'll heal a lot faster if you eat…"
"Maybe a little…"
"How about if I put you onto a real bed?" Oliver offered. "Well, as close to a real bed as we have down here?"
"I'd like that," she whispered sleepily.
Oliver leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Give me a minute," he said as he moved to the far side of the Foundry where a couple of cots were set up. It wasn't anything fancy, but he was certain it was far more comfortable than the table she was on. There was a pillow and blankets. He expected it would be like sleeping on a cloud compared to the table. He pulled back the blanket and made it ready for Felicity. He wanted to move her once and not jostle her in any way to possibly upset her injuries. Oliver pulled the other pillows from the other two cots and placed them, so that her head and torso would be elevated.
He grabbed a bottle of water, a pudding cup, and a spoon. Leaving them by the cot, Oliver then headed over to Felicity. Carefully, he moved her from the table to the cot. He was slow and mindful as he moved her, making sure to listen for any signs of distress. So far, her breathing had been fine, but he was still concerned.
"You're going to have so many worry lines," she muttered as he set her down.
"Well worth it."
Felicity ran a finger along his forehead. "I'm okay… No more worrying…"
He sighed. "I almost lost you," he told her. "Twice."
"I think it's really more than twice," Felicity reminded.
Oliver frowned. "Twice within half an hour is pretty hard for me to live through." He pulled over a crate to sit on before picking up the pudding cup and spoon. He removed the foil lid and turned back to her. He just hoped that they could talk about something else now.
"Now you know how the rest of us feel," she teased.
Sometimes it amazed him at how she could smile and stay so positive through everything. Felicity had this light inside of her… This light that made you want to go on even when you were ready to give up… He'd been there and Felicity (and Diggle) seemed to keep pulling him back from the edge. Oliver didn't know how he'd ever have lived without her… It made all those years on Lian Yu worth it, without them…he would have never come back to Starling City as a vigilante and he would have never needed Felicity's help or met her…or loved her.
He tried to push a smile forward for her and held out the spoon with pudding. She looked at it with confusion.
"I was strangled and stabbed with a sword," Felicity told him. "I can still move my arms around." She proved this by moving them both for him.
"Humor me," he begged.
"I feel like this will not end well," Felicity mumbled.
"It's okay," Oliver told her. "It's my shirt you're in. I think that I can risk chocolate pudding stains."
After a minute of making faces at him, Felicity finally allowed it. He smiled as she accepted the bite of pudding from him. They'd gotten her to take a sip of water here and there, but something in her stomach would help cushion any more pain pills they gave her. Oliver took a little too much joy in this simple task, it was the first time since Felicity had almost died…twice…that he actually felt like he was able to do something to help her recovery.
"Are we really going to do this?" she asked after the pudding cup was empty.
"What?"
"There's something you're worried about—"
"Slade is still out there…"
"Oliver, together we'll face Slade."
"No," he said quickly. "I don't want you anywhere near him next time… I don't want you on his radar."
"Slade isn't the one that—" Felicity started and then paused. She stared at him and he was confused as he stared back. "That's really what's bothering you… Slade isn't the one who—who strangled me," she said all too calmly. "Laurel did it. That's what's weighing on you. I think we can all agree that it wasn't entirely Laurel's fault though—"
"How can you say that?" he questioned and he was far more upset in that question than he'd intended. He stared at her and his fingers lingered around her neck. "HER hands are the reason why you're bruised…not Slade's."
"He broke my leg...violently. He put two blades into YOU and they came out through my back, Oliver… I'm fairly sure that Diggle having to give me CPR and it taking a second for me to get air again is far more forgivable compared to what Slade did," Felicity told him. She was trying to look at the big picture, he could tell, but sometimes that was still hard. All he could think was that if the others hadn't been there, she would have died. "Laurel made a mistake… She was afraid and—I don't care if her father is a cop…there's no way that anyone could ever prepare you for Slade forcing YOU to choose between us… To think that you were going to die and the other person who you really don't even know…is going to live… I don't know how anyone can be sane in that situation."
"You didn't—"
"I wouldn't have been surprised if you had chosen Laurel."
He stared at her in shock, his jaw dropped and he couldn't speak. Oliver felt his mouth go dry and he felt sick. "Felicity…"
"You and Laurel have a history… And all I could think was that Detective Lance couldn't lose another daughter… I know Sara's alive and everything now, but…he's so happy now that he has them both back again…" Felicity explained. "And I wouldn't want that guilt on you… After Tommy—"
"I would have chosen you," he whispered.
She stared at him and tears fell from her eyes.
She was right. Felicity was completely right with what she'd said about Laurel, but that didn't mean that the choice was that easy. He wanted to die in their places… Slade would not allow that. He could remember how calm Felicity had been when Slade had her…how calm she'd been the whole time… She was so much stronger than she knew…and she surprised even him with her strength.
"Laurel—"
"I would have chosen you," he whispered again.
"Oliver—"
"I love YOU, Felicity," he said quietly and at his calmest. He cupped her cheek and just stared at her. "If Slade had—" And he couldn't bring himself to say it. She'd technically died… She'd almost died again… It was hard for him to be three feet away from her. He didn't know how things would ever go back to normal again… How he could breathe when she was all the way across town in her own place… Even thinking about it right now made him worry.
"I know," she whispered to him as she stared at him. Her hands came up and grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. "You might be quick with your arrows, Oliver Queen, but other things take you a lot longer…" She smiled at him as they separated.
His mind was still spinning from the kiss. Oliver had no shame in admitting that Felicity was a lot smarter than he was in a lot of different ways. He smiled at her, letting his hand move through her hair to the back of her neck before kissing her again. He really was stupid, he thought, she'd been right in front of him the whole time…
"It's about time."
Oliver froze and then turned around to see that not only Diggle, but Roy and Sara were standing there behind them. Nyssa was someplace else, he assumed, as he didn't see her. Diggle and Sara seemed overly amused.
"I won the bet," Diggle told Sara before showing the reason why they'd returned. Diggle grabbed his cell phone from one of the chairs in the other area and holding it up for Oliver to clearly see. They didn't linger. The three of them exited before Oliver could reply to the comment.
He turned back to Felicity. "Good to know our friends had a bet…"
"I should have gotten in on that bet," she teased.
He ran his hand along her cheek and just stared at her. "Where do we go from here?" he questioned.
"We rebuild…and we start again," Felicity told him as if it were the most plain thing in front of him.
"But Slade—"
"I'm not sure I would count everyone that came together to help as friends or allies…but this temporary truce…that's what's going to help us take the fight to Slade," she whispered. "And win."
"He could come after you again."
She pulled him back to her and his lips crashed against hers. Before it had been soft and beautiful, but this time it was filled with so much passion. When they finally separated for air, he pressed his forehead against hers and he closed his eyes. He couldn't believe that this moment might have never happened… Tears rolled down his cheeks as she finally whispered a response.
"Let him come."
. . .
The End.