"Oliver, I think I found him." She rattled off the address she was convinced was the hideout where he could find Vincent Marcetti, a high-ranking member of the Cassavette's crime family that they'd been trying to track down for the last couple weeks. She gave him a rundown of exits off the blueprints she was examining on one of her computer monitors but she couldn't tell him much else.
Gunshots rang out through her comm and she was thankful that Dig and Roy were with Oliver, knowing he could handle himself but that didn't always help her anxiety when he was in the field. The sounds of the fight continued for five more minutes before things became eerily quiet.
She was about to say his name when his voice came over the comm. "We got him, Felicity. Give SCPD a call and have them send someone to pick him up."
She clicked her comm off and grabbed her cell phone, dialing Quentin Lance's number.
"Hey Lieutenant, there is a present in the form of some mafia goons waiting for you at their not-so-secret hideout," she said when he answered. He'd been appointed Lieutenant by Franklin Pike, who was currently the interim Chief, after he'd healed up from injuries sustained during the battle with Slade's Mirakuru army. It had been six months since that and four since Lance had become Lieutenant and she didn't think she'd ever tire of calling him that.
He chuckled and asked for the address which she happily gave him. "You know you don't have to call me personally every time he catches some guy. It's almost midnight, I'm not even at the station. Other cops do work there."
Felicity smiled at his teasing tone. "Well, that would be no fun." The truth was she'd left anonymous tips the two months he'd been out but that had become a pain in the ass and she didn't want it common knowledge that she was connected to the Arrow.
Not that it mattered much if the police knew, seeing as the relationship between the SCPD and the Arrow was the best it had ever been. She considered it to be an upside of working together to save the city.
"I'm happy you called actually. I was going to call tomorrow and see if you could come to the station and help me out with something."
She frowned. "Something Arrow related?"
"Not exactly. I'm more in need your IT expertise."
She chuckled. She should have known, she'd been receiving these calls pretty often lately. After Slade had been taken out, she'd helped the SCPD out part-time for a little while they searched for a replacement for their IT guy who'd died during the fight. It had only been for about three months but she'd enjoyed it.
"I take it the replacement guy isn't working out?"
Lance snorted. "The kid's fine but I don't want him touching my computer."
"I have to be at QC tomorrow but I can swing by the station when I'm done, probably after five, sound good?"
He said that was fine, thanked her and said goodnight. She hung up, a smile on her face. She stood, grabbing her purse off the desk she'd recently purchased in celebration of Oliver regaining control of Queen Consolidated and turned, intending to head home for the night.
"Jesus!" She yelled, startled as she narrowly avoided crashing into Oliver. Her hand flew to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. "You scared me. Slam the door behind you or stomp your feet or something."
Oliver's half-smile told her he'd enjoyed scaring her. "I'm surprised you're still here," he said as he gestured around the newish lair. "Dig and Roy already headed home."
She noticed her hand settled on his forearm and he held her by the elbow. She subtlety pulled her arm away and stepped around him, needing to not be so close. She felt, rather than saw, Oliver's body tense minimally before he relaxed again, and she knew that she hadn't been as subtle as she wanted.
"I was on the phone with Lieutenant Lance. He wants me to stop by the station and help him out with some computer stuff tomorrow." She pulled her jacket on, absent-mindedly buttoning it up. "I'll see you in the morning, Oliver," she said without looking at him.
She lost her breath when his hand grasped her elbow again, turning her around, his eyes meeting hers. "Felicity," he said her name as a sigh and she knew she did not want to have this conversation. Still, she found she couldn't move, stuck in place, waiting for him to say something, anything. An inner battle made his eyes stormy and they stared at each for far too long, drinking each other in. Finally, he let her go, smiling at her half-heartedly. "Have a good night."
She smiled sadly. "Good night, Oliver."
She didn't start breathing again until she was safely ensconced in her car. She started it and grabbed the wheel but instead of driving away, her head fell, resting on the steering wheel. She took deep, calming breaths and tried to still her trembling hands. They'd been doing this song and dance for the past six months, acting as if everything was normal on the surface but she couldn't lie to herself. Things had shifted the second he'd told her he loved her and even though it may have only been for Slade's benefit, it had felt real.
She wasn't mad at him. Did she wish he'd told her his plan on the way to the mansion? Yes. Did she wish that he hadn't said it, left it at he took the wrong woman? Yes. But she wasn't mad. It was a brilliant plan and it had made her heart swell to know how much Oliver trusted her. She couldn't lie, either, about the fact that curing Slade had made her feel like a bad-ass.
Oliver had once told her that they were partners and that had been the moment she'd known it was true. It could have gone horribly wrong. What if Slade had found the cure or what if she hadn't been able to get the drop on him or what if he'd killed her before she got the chance but none of that had happened. Oliver had believed in her like she believed in him and she couldn't be mad about that.
She'd pushed him a little while they'd been standing on the beach of Lian Yu, hoping he would say one way or another how he'd felt in that moment. She'd waited for him to say he really meant it or sit her down instead and tell her that he loved her but he wasn't in love with her. Instead, he did neither, simply smiled and skirted around the answer and she knew he wasn't going to say anything else.
Six months later and life had mostly returned to normal. With the help of Walter Steele and a few other people, Queen Consolidated had become Oliver's once again. Which meant she was back to being his Executive Assistant, not that she was going to complain...too much anyways. At least the people were better to work with than the ones at the job she'd picked up at K.O.R.D. Enterprises to get her through while the company was in limbo so to speak. She'd hated it there, spending her days counting down the minutes until she was free to help out Team Arrow.
Reluctantly, she lifted her head from the steering wheel. Tomorrow was looking like a busy day and she'd need all the rest she could get.
Oliver watched her drive away, hiding in the shadows outside the building. He'd almost walked up and knocked on the window, concerned that she'd been sitting there for a long while.
As soon as her tail lights faded into the distance, he hopped on his bike and followed her, keeping a safe distance. As much as he hated to admit it, this wasn't the first time he'd followed her home. For the past six months, this had become an almost nightly routine, following her home and sitting outside her place until the lights shut off. Some nights he couldn't do it but he did his best to do it as often as he was able to.
He'd done it before everything had happened with Slade,too. There'd been a few times where he'd zoned out while on his bike only to find himself, inexplicably, outside of her place. Now he found that there was a part of him that didn't quiet down until he confirmed that she was there for the night. He needed to know she was home, that she was safe.
He reached her place where she was already inside, her red mini-cooper parked in the driveway. He shut the bike off in what had become his normal place. The spot was perfect, minimum lighting so she couldn't look out her window and see him but he was able to see her shadow moving through the light curtains.
The phone in his pocket vibrated and he pulled it out, turning his back to Felicity's on the off-chance she looked outside and saw him illuminated by the phone screen.
It was a text from Laurel. 'Where are you? I thought you were coming over?'
He barely suppressed a groan, typing a quick reply that he would be there soon before shoving the phone back in his pocket, annoyed. He'd forgotten that he told her he would be there. They'd been tentatively seeing each other for the last few months but Oliver was discovering that his feelings for her were more conflicted than he'd first suspected.
He loved Laurel and he always would but the more time that passed, the more he doubted that he was in love with her. He'd spent five years trying to get back to her, hoping against hope that she could forgive him for his past transgressions and she had. It had taken time but she had. Then Tommy had died and she'd fallen apart. Things were better now and she'd proven to be a pillar of support after the showdown with Slade and the loss of his mother and he was mostly content with their relationship.
But there was a part of him that had to admit that he'd spent five years in love with the idea of Laurel and everything that she had come to represent to him. Love, safety, family. They were different people now, time had passed and changed them both in dramatic ways. These changes had made them better friends and he was beginning to think that's what they were meant to be. Friends.
There was also the small matter of the woman whose house he was outside. He'd known that he'd cared for her before he'd said those words that night but he hadn't realized how much he'd really cared until they'd been standing alone in the mansion.
He hadn't planned to say that but he couldn't help himself. Staring into her blue eyes as realization had washed over her, when he'd told her that Slade had taken the wrong woman, had made his heart stop. The words had slipped out, unbidden, and he'd hated himself when he'd slipped the cure into her hand, hated that it had negated what he said.
He'd been terrified from the moment Slade had fallen for the trap, hearing him say that he had his Felicity had made his blood run cold. When he'd found her, sword against her throat, he'd wanted to say screw the plan, wanted to put another arrow in Slade's skull but he hadn't. He'd trusted her, believed in her and it had worked. He'd taken Slade down without killing him, in large part thanks to Felicity.
It had taken a large amount of restraint while they'd stood on the beach of Lian Yu to not take her into his arms and tell her that he'd meant every word he'd said in the mansion. It wasn't the right time though, he wasn't sure if he was ready to admit to himself how he really felt about her, let alone tell her. He wasn't going to risk jeopardizing their partnership or friendship, it meant far too much to him. She meant far too much to him for him to risk losing her.
He sighed as her place fell into darkness, telling him it was time to leave. He drove away, his mind too busy fantasizing what it would be like to knock on her door, kiss her senseless and join her in bed, to notice her watching him from her bedroom window.
The following day went by quickly, the kind of day she was grateful for. It was Friday and Felicity had spent most of the day making sure everything important was taken care of before they left for the weekend. She'd been busy gathering her things, not noticing that Oliver was standing on the other side of her desk, watching her, amusement sparkling in his eyes. She jumped slightly when she finally caught sight of him, earning him a playful glare.
"Are you heading over to the station?" He asked.
She nodded and swept a piece of her loose hair behind her ear. "Yes but it shouldn't take too long. I should be done in an hour or so."
He nodded but his eyes didn't leave her's, his gaze burrowing into her's, sending a shiver up her spine. These moments had happened more often as of late but they never failed to steal her breath. He smiled, a rare full smile, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Ok, I'll see you later." He lingered for a second before pivoting around and walking away.
She smiled and shook her head before grabbing her things. She felt like they were at an impasse of sorts, sharing meaningful moments but never acting on them, unsaid things plain on both of their faces but never spoken out loud. She was content with it, she was happy simply having him in her life, satisfied while working side by side with him. Maybe if she was a braver person or if she was selfish, she could admit how she felt but he wasn't ready for it. Hell, she wasn't sure she was. Until then, she was happy being his girl Wednesday.
She'd decided, for the sake of keeping things normal, not to bring up his new habit of following her home. Last night hadn't been the first time she'd busted him sitting outside her place, barely visible. If she hadn't memorized every edge and curve of his body, every mannerism and body movement, she might not have known it was him. Her neighbor had actually been the one to bring it to her attention one morning while Felicity was leaving for work. Mr. Shultz had been taking the garbage out and asked her if she knew anything about the man who was hanging around on his bike late at night. She'd been startled at first, almost mentioning it to either Oliver and Diggle before deciding against it. It had taken two nights of trying to get sneaky glimpses out her curtains to see who it was before she'd seen him. When she'd discovered it was Oliver, she was relieved and anxious at the same time. So she'd kept her mouth shut, checking every night to see if he was there, experiencing the same jolt of feelings every time. She'd made sure to tell Mr. Shultz not to worry or call the cops, it was simply an over-protective friend. His face had told her he didn't completely buy her story but he hadn't called her out, even if technically it was true.
Traffic was busy so her drive to the station had taken longer than she'd expected. She'd lucked out and found a decent parking spot, jumping out and locking the car before dashing across the street and into the building. She grinned the second she caught sight of Lieutenant Lance, which he returned in full.
He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her towards his office. "Thanks for coming by, Felicity."
"Of course, Lieutenant, I'm always glad to help." She quickly glanced around, checking to see if the new IT guy was there but she didn't see him. 'Thank God,' She thought. She understood why he didn't like her, Lance shouldn't be calling her to help but the IT guy had no way to know that she had developed a special bond with the Lieutenant over the last year and a half. Either way, she was happy to not see the slightly over-weight man glaring at her from over a computer screen.
It had been an easy problem, taking a little under an hour. "You're all good," she said as stood up, smoothing out the lavender dress she was wearing. "Though you really should let the new guy do this for you. You're making him hate me."
He chuckled and opened the door for her. "I highly doubt that."
She walked past him and nearly ran into a prisoner being escorted through by two officers. She took a quick step back and avoided the collision but his head whipped towards her. He stared at her curiously for a moment before an unnerving smile came over his face. He shook his head and laughed loudly as he turned his head away from her. She narrowed her eyes and watched him disappear, his laugh echoing through the building.
"Who was that?" She asked Lieutenant Lance as he escorted her out.
He gave her a funny look. "That's Frank Shepard, he's the right hand man of Marcetti. He wasn't at the warehouse last night but they got him this afternoon."
'That's why he looked familiar,' she thought. Marcetti was the guy they caught last night and both him and Shepard had extensive rap sheets. Marcetti had recently been exonerated of homicide and Shepard had been on the run for the past month on charges of attempted homicide, kidnapping and a chunk of other charges.
Lieutenant Lance stopped just in front of the exit. "Were you with the Arrow last night? Did these guys see your face?" His face was etched with worry.
She shook her head jerkily. "No, I've only seen pictures of them, I've never seen them face to face." She pulled her jacket tighter, a deep chill settling in her despite the warm building.
"Just be careful, ok? I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of the Cassavette's."
She nodded, assuring him she would and gave him a warm smile before bidding good night. Her senses were in high alert as she crossed the street, making her way back to her car. She already had the keys in her hand and she tried to get in without appearing nervous on the off-chance someone was watching her.
The Cassavette crime family had been trying to take roots in Starling City for the last few months, funneling drugs and guns into the city. Marcetti had been here to set it up, playing the role of representative for the family. It had taken almost two weeks of research to find the warehouse, she'd spent damn near every night delving into the lives of the Cassavette family, frustrated by a lack of progress but she'd gotten a break the night before last, leading them to the warehouse last night.
She was wigged out by the way Shepard had looked at her, laughing like he knew something she didn't. As she headed to the lair, she planned to find out anything else she could about Shepard. She couldn't think of anyway that Shepard could know who she was but she decided to err on the side of caution as far as they were concerned. The Lieutenant had a point, she did NOT want to be on the wrong side of the Cassavette's.