You'll meet her under weird circumstances. She will be in the IT Department of Queen Consolidated and you will need her help to figure out what's on a laptop you got while trying to go after a sniper who you eventually learn is Deadshot.
She will look at you and smile while tilting her head just enough to let you know she doesn't believe the lie you tell her. You'll get the answers you need from her and leave, not realizing your life has been changed forever.
In time, she learns about your secret because you needed her. You needed her help because your own mother shot you and she was the first person you thought about when you were injured and bleeding. She saved your life for the first time that night.
She quickly fits right into the groove you have built with Diggle. You all save Starling City one problem at a time over the next two years, but not alone. Thea's boyfriend Roy joins you, as well as Laurel. They're not part of "Team Arrow" as Roy would say, but they help.
Your feelings for Laurel are only friendship now. She was your first love, but after everything that happened with Slade, you know she won't be your last.
It's been five months after saving the city from Deathstroke's army. You finally feel like you can be with her. Things have been great and crime is almost extinct in Starling City. Things between the two of you have been… different since you told her you loved her. She knew you weren't saying it for Slade because she always knows when you're lying. You should've known you could never hide how you feel from her.
So, you ask her to dinner. She smiles knowingly at you and says yes. Later that night, you're chasing after a criminal in the glades while Felicity is in your ear guiding you and you can't contain your excitement for the evening plans you have made.
You take her for Italian, because everyone likes Italian, right? She looks breathtaking in a red dress, with her beautiful golden curls flowing over her shoulders. You know you'll never forget the way she looks that night. Your first date.
You should've known things wouldn't be that good for long. You were so close to grasping the future that you forgot things can go to crap real fast. After seeing her lying unconscious in the foundry after the explosion, you closed yourself off from her.
For three years you watched from afar as she dated guy after guy. She was never with them longer than a few months and you wondered what you would do when she found someone to settle down with. Would you let her be happy? Would you be selfish and try to ruin it? Would you only then tell her how you feel? You selfishly hoped every day you wouldn't have to find out how that would feel.
It had been almost a decade since the Queen's Gambit left you shipwrecked on Lian Yu. You had crossed everyone off you list, saved Starling City from countless threats, and got Queen Consolidated back after your mom died. Everything was looking up, but you knew it wouldn't last. You had learned 3 years ago, when Felicity almost died, that nothing was good for long.
You were chasing a lead in the Glades because someone had been robbing armored trucks and killing the drivers. Felicity had tracked down a bullet that had barely missed your shoulder to a man named James Boyd and it should've been a quick capture and then you could turn him into Lance.
Felicity was guiding you through the Glades to the address she had on her computer.
"Oliver, take your next right and his apartment is in the second building. Apartment 815."
"Ugh. Eight floors?! Why can't they ever just be simple and be on the first floor? It's like they think I won't climb to the top story to catch them."
"Well, maybe they think your stamina isn't that great."
"Felicity. My stamina is awesome. I could go for hours."
You flinched when you realized what you had said. Maybe you'd known Felicity for too long, because your brain did not filter that before it came out of your mouth.
"I wouldn't know." You heard Felicity reply, and all of the blood rushed between your legs. You know she didn't mean for you to hear it, but it definitely couldn't be unheard now.
You didn't reply to her comment as you pulled up to the apartment building and parked your bike close to the door.
"Do we have a satellite view of the apartment?" You asked, hoping this could be just a little bit easier.
"No. There's too many people in the apartment to know who is who. Be careful." Felicity replied, sounding nervous. She never liked it when you had to go in blind.
You spent the next few minutes climbing stairs until you got to the 8th floor. 815 was at the end of the hallway and you could see the door was cracked open. As you got closer, you pulled an arrow of your quiver and nocked it into place on your bow. You pushed the door open with your foot and saw a man sitting in the middle of the room.
"James Boyd. You have failed this city." You say, never moving your gaze from him. He seemed totally calm and you had an arrow point at him. Something was off.
"I thought you'd never get here. It took you long enough." James said, with malice in his voice.
"Oliver, he knew you were coming. Something isn't right." You heard Felicity say in his comm.
"How did you know I was coming for you?" You asked with the voice modulator on.
"I've realized you don't like when people take things that isn't there. I knew if I took money from the armored trucks and killed the men with them, you'd come for me eventually." He replied, staring at you.
"Why would you want me to come after you?" You asked, never wavering. You wanted answers.
"Your family took everything from me. I know you're Oliver Queen. It's not that hard to figure out. When your mother destroyed the Glades, my house caved in on itself and my entire family was killed. You deserve to feel how I feel. When I heard your mother had died, I realized I'd never get the revenge I deserved. Who better than her son to take in her place? I knew once you seemed like you were doing better, I had to take you down. It was only a bonus figuring out you were the arrow. I saw you when you killed that man years ago at Queen Consolidated. The Count I believe is the name everyone knew him by? I saw you look out the window when his body fell from the window. That wasn't very smart of you, exposing yourself like that. Now, I can finally have my revenge."
You barely had time to react when James jumped out of his chair and charged at you, knocking you to the floor. Your bow had fallen out of your hands and slid across the room. James landed on top of you and started trying to punch you, but you were definitely the better fighter. You blocked all of his punches then kicked James off and reached for your bow. You turned around just in time to get an arrow off as it sank into James' chest.
James fell to the floor with a shocked, yet peaceful look on his face. You went over to him to try and do something, but you knew it was too late.
You knew a kill shot when you saw one.
You knelt next to James as the life slowly drained out of him. You didn't say anything as James gulped for his last breaths.
"Oliver? Oliver! What's going on? What's happening?!" You heard Felicity's frantic voice, but couldn't say anything.
James looked at you and with his final breath, he said "I get to see my family again."
He died with a smile on his face.
You had killed again.
You took a deep breath and just sat there next to James' body. You felt numb.
You knew you should do something. Leave. Call Lance. Something. But you couldn't.
You had killed before, but this felt different. This felt… wrong.
James had died for his family. While the reason was twisted, he still had someone to fight for. He had a family once. He had a wife and kids.
You realized you wanted that. You wanted someone to come home to everyday. Someone you could fight for. Someone you could live for.
With that final thought, you told Felicity to call Detective Lance and left the apartment.
You didn't look back. You were done looking back.
The next day, you went to Queen Consolidated and asked Felicity out on your second first date, as well as your last first date.
You kissed her that night when you dropped her off, and you thought your heart was going to fly out of your chest.
One month later, you made love in Felicity's apartment for the first time. It was the best night of your life.
Until you asked her to marry you on your one year anniversary and she said yes.
That was the best night of your life until 6 months later, when she walked down the aisle to you in a gorgeous white dress. Your eyes never left hers and you knew it was the beginning of the rest of your life together.