Author Note: Hello lovely readers! This is my first multi-chapter fic and I would love tons of feedback on your thoughts! I will probably be updating once a week throughout the summer, so look forward to updates! Happy Reading!

It started as a normal Saturday night.

…

"Hey babe! Are you almost ready? We're supposed to be there at 7:00 and it's frowned upon for the Mayor to be late to these sorts of things, or at least that's what I've been told…" Oliver muttered the last part to himself, allowing his voice to trail off. He spoke from his position by their front door, his voice projecting across the lofty penthouse apartment that overlooked the city. As he stood there, fixing his cufflinks, he heard the telltale sound of heels clicking against their wood floors. He looked up to see Felicity walking towards him in a black floor-length gown, her hair falling down in soft, golden curls that framed her face.

"You look beautiful," He said, his lips forming a small smile, an uncontrollable reaction to the beauty in front of him.

"Thank you," She replied softly, a slight blush staining her cheeks as she instinctively reached up to adjust his bow tie.

"You also look tired," He murmured as he bent down to press a gentle kiss to her lips, forcing her to crane her neck upwards, despite the heels she was wearing.

"Mmm, I suppose I am," She said, keeping her eyes closed, her arms resting against his chest as she took a moment to enjoy the quiet, the stillness, the absence of any demanding entity.

Minutes later and they were on their way to the Starling City Museum of Natural History for a fundraiser. Throughout the car ride, Felicity remained quiet, staring out her window at the city that was overwhelmed by oppressive storm clouds above it, rain falling freely to the pavement with no regard for its victims. Oliver glanced over and was met with her reflection in the window. There was something about the image that unsettled him. Maybe it was just the subdued tones that the window imposed, or the manipulation of the lights as they fluttered across her face, or the streaks of rain that mimicked tears against the image of her face, but for some reason the façade that the reflection presented chilled him. She didn't look like his Felicity, she looked hollowed and worn, and he didn't understand why.

Oliver was about to ask her if something was wrong, but they arrived at the venue before he had the chance. As he pulled the car to a stop, there was a quick shift in the atmosphere. Insistent valets holding umbrellas quickly assaulted the quiet, subtle enigma that had existed between the two of them in the automobile and unrelenting camera flashes demanded their attention as the men behind the devices shouted questions at the Mayor of Starling and his girlfriend.

Oliver ushered Felicity up the steps of the historical landmark, his palm warm and steady on the small of her back where her skin was exposed by a cutout in her gown.

Once inside, they made their rounds through the event, Oliver greeting those he was obligated to greet, striking up political conversation with those who were interested. Oliver had fallen into the role as Mayor quite easily over the past months, and he naturally conversed with the multitudes of people vying for his attention, always appealing to whomever he was speaking. The only subject he didn't waiver on was the Green Arrow, but then again, people were never too quick to intrude on that mysterious piece of his persona.

At some point, Oliver pulled Felicity to the dance floor, insisting that the Mayor was deserving of a dance with his beautiful date.

She was quiet in his arms, resting against his chest as he led them in slow circles to the lazy melody played by the band. Eventually, Oliver pulled back to see her face screwed up in a look of anxious concentration, similar to the complexing features he had seen in the car.

He kissed away the crease between her eyebrows, before leaning down to whisper into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?" He asked, his voice low and intimate, all of his focus centered on the small blonde in his arms.

"I guess I just haven't been sleeping that well lately," She responded. At his concerned look she continued, "Really, Oliver, it's nothing." But, despite the reassurance, her voice was detached from the statement, as if she was trying to brush off whatever was nagging at her, ignoring it's existence and making up an excuse to take its place.

Oliver wanted to believe what she was telling him, he wanted to but he couldn't. If he was honest with himself, this behavior had become more and more commonplace over the past two months. There had been a very gradual shift in her… well, everything. Her stature, her manner of interacting with others, her manner of interacting with him, and he had tried to attribute it to whatever weak excuse she gave at the time, because he was afraid of the very real reason why she might be withdrawn and what it would mean for their future, but he couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Well, in that case, what do you say we ditch this thing a little early, take a night to ourselves to catch up on some sleep, hm?" He murmured gently, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"That'd be nice," she responded with a sad smile that didn't quite reach her eyes like he had hoped it would, like she didn't believe it was actually going to happen.

And Oliver thought maybe that was just it. Maybe he had been too busy at the Mayor's office, neglecting her as a result. Maybe she no longer felt like the most important part of his life. Maybe she just needed to be reminded that she was his life, regardless of his occupation or other obligations, Maybe he just needed to remind himself to always make her a priority.

With these thoughts rushing through his head, Oliver kept good on his promise, wanting to prove he would sacrifice whatever he needed to in order to keep her, in order to give her everything she deserved out of their relationship.

They made their rounds back through the crowds, saying their goodbyes as was expected of them.

Oliver led her back down the stairs of the museum that were in the same state of frenzy as when they came. Fortunately, a valet had already pulled his car around front, so they were able to quickly cut through the paparazzi and get in the waiting car.

The city was bright as Oliver drove through the streets, but there was a quiet blanket settling within the car, setting a rhythm similar to the rain that was beating against the pavement, their breaths matching the pace.

Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale, Breath, Breath, Breath.

It was odd for Oliver, and he didn't know how to deal with the thickness between them.

"Oliver," Felicity started in a hesitant tone that easily broke through the barrier of silence, piquing his attention. "I umm- there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about…"

Oliver looked over to the girl in the passenger seat. She was staring out the window again, as if she was trying to imprint the pattern that the raindrops were creating on the glass into her memory. He could tell that whatever was going on was serious. Things with them were usually easy, but this felt complicated, and Oliver didn't understand why.

"Well?" He asked, when she didn't keep talking. He blew out an anxious chuckle before saying "C'mon Felicity, you're making me nervous… What is it?" He asked, his voice breaking at the end, a lump forming in his throat when she finally turned her blue eyes on him, portraying a million emotions in one glance.

"I, well, I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I didn't lie about that, but that's not the only thing that has been going on," She said, while his eyes shifted from the roads that were slick with rain, to her eyes that were glossy with unshed tears. "I've been dealing with some stuff, Oliver, stuff that I thought I had left behind me. I didn't think any of it would ever resurface but- Oliver watch out!"

She screamed the words too late for him to react as another vehicle ran into the driver's side of the car, just behind where he was seated.

It was a surreal moment in time. It felt like slow motion, but it was impossible to move fast enough to prevent anything from happening, so Oliver was just forced to watch it play out in front of him, paralyzed by a lack of time in an instance where everything was moving incredibly slow.

All Oliver could see was Felicity's face, the impact forcing her hair to defy gravity, like a golden halo around her head. He couldn't hear the glass shattering, but he could see it. That is, until his head came into contact with the dashboard, effectively knocking him out.

The next sensation he was aware of was the pulsing sound of sirens moving closer and closer to his location. As he blinked his eyes open in the wrecked car, he turned to see the door of the passenger side pried open to expose the outside world. He couldn't comprehend why this was odd, until a realization came crashing down on him, one that chilled his soul and his bones, eliciting a visceral reaction, his mouth going dry and the blood draining from his face, all for one reason.

Felicity was gone.

…

It started as a normal Saturday night. It ended as a haunting nightmare.