The night air was comfortable with the subtle edge of cold slipping while the moon peeked through the scattered clouds. Felicity walked leisurely down the street towards the restaurant she was meeting Oliver at. They were both stressed out over things with Thea and the board of Palmer Technologies but they were both still going strong so a dinner to relax and celebrate the small victories was definitely needed. A chill swept through the streets causing Felicity to pull her dark blue coat tight around her chest and shoulders. A few stragglers hustled by as Felicity's phone started to ring. Seeing the caller id come up as Captain Lance, Felicity quickly answered her phone.

"Hello Captain Lance. This is a bit of a surprise. Is everything alright?"

"Ms. Smoak. I hope I am not interrupting but something has come up that I would like to talk to you about as soon as possible. In person. Are you free now?"

"Yes, I have a few minutes. Where would you like to meet?"

Lance paused for a few seconds and then, "There's a warehouse near 11th Street, it's towards the back. I am here already to check something and if you're close then that's two birds with one stone."

Felicity glanced towards her watch and deciding there was enough time, she replied, "That sounds fine. I'm only about ten minutes away. I'm walking so it might take a bit longer but I will be there soon. Should I call in anyone else? Laurel?"

"No, Ms. Smoak. Just you please and that will be fine. I will wait for you here. See you soon." Lance hung up.

Felicity found it odd that Lance only wanted to meet with her but seeing no real problem with it, she pulled up Oliver's contact and sent him a text saying that she was running a bit late but that she would be at the restaurant as soon as she could.

She gets a response almost immediately "I'm running late too. I will see you there. Race you? I love you."

Smiling at the message and his constant penchant for running late, she responded that she loved him as well. That will never get old, she thinks.

Speeding up, Felicity quickly arrives at the warehouse she is to meet Lance at and wanders inside. He is standing in towards the center of the building with his back towards her.

"Captain Lance." Felicity announces, smiling. Lance turns toward her with a solemn expression on his face. "What has happened? Is everything alright? Are you hurt? Laurel?" Felicity's questions shot out one after another without pause.

Lance's expression cracked as his lips turned into a strangled smile, being reminded of Felicity's tendency to babble.

"No, Ms. Smoak. No, I am not injured and Laurel is fine last I checked."

"Then why do you look so-?"

Lance cut her off. "It's just that I realized something. This Damien Darhk fellow. He seems pretty smart right? Always a step or three ahead with his 'ghosts' and his little assassins that take out our city leadership. I just thought that someone that's so…in control, so hidden and manipulative—smart if you will, I thought someone like him would know that having a weakness is deadly."

"Captain Lance, what do you mean? Every one has a weakness. We may not have much on Darhk now but we will and we will find a way to defeat him."

"Ms. Smoak, I know you will. You and my daughter, and Queen and your mini 'Red Arrow' and that guy in all black—I know that you could find and more than likely stop Darhk but I think that would take too long. Too drawn out, too many casualties—like my daughter."

"Captain Lance, I'm confused. You said Laurel was fine…" Felicity trailed off as a shot rang out—deafening in the empty warehouse. Felicity stood stock still staring at Lance and the gun in his hand that was pointed at her. Looking down, Felicity sluggishly noticed that her hand was pressed to her stomach were a dark patch of red was spreading. In confusion, Felicity looked back up at Lance who now wore a somber expression.

"I'm truly sorry Ms. Smoak. I wish it didn't have to be like this."

"What…" Words failed Felicity as Lance stepped towards her and grabbed her, supporting her body against his as she was about to fall. He held her and made soothing noises. Felicity rested her head against his shoulder as her legs were growing weak. Taking a breath hurt but not as much as feeling the gun pressed into her stomach released again. Her body jerked in Lance's hold. Lance slowly lowered both of them to the ground, going so far as to gather Felicity's body into his arms and arranging her head to loll on the arm around the back of her neck.

"Ssh sweetheart. Just breathe. It'll be over soon" He whispered; his eyes were glassy and his breathing heavy.

"W-Why?" Felicity choked out when she was able.

Lance took a shuddering breath, brushed some blonde hair from Felicity's face and looked at her, straight in the eyes. "He threatened Laurel. I can't lose her too. He said if we worked together we could fix this city—maybe not save it but change it. He threatened to kill Laurel if I didn't work with him. I had to. But I was able to dig into some of secrets. He also had a weakness—one no one ever knew about. He had a daughter. I thought it was strange that a man so driven, so one track minded would be foolish enough to leave something so valuable to be used against him. But when I tracked down who it was, I could see why he left this valuable jewel exist. He loved his daughter. He loved her enough that he abandoned her and her mother a few years after she was born and then attempted to wipe both the mother and daughter from his past so no one would find them. But you know better than most Ms. Smoak that you can't get rid of everything."

Felicity's mind was whirring even as her breaths got shorter and the pauses in between got even longer. Damien Darhk has a daughter? Her body was becoming heavy and cold, numb. Words seemed to escape her as only ragged, wet sounding gasps that seemed to shake her frame as she stared up at Lance.

"I realized that I could use his weakness, his love for his daughter against him to save Laurel. To get out from under his thumb. He wouldn't know it was me—just another act of senseless violence in cursed 'Star City'." He chuckle darkly. "I wasn't going to because I'm a cop and cops don't break the law and they don't kill innocent people—I wasn't going to when I found it was you but then I saw Laurel and-and Sara and I knew that I'd do anything to protect my daughters-daughter. I'm so sorry Ms. Smoak—Felicity. I know that sorry doesn't make up for any of this, but I am."

Felicity's eyes were filled with tears; tears of betrayal, anger, long buried pain heaved up and rushing through her. Felicity felt conflicted-betrayed by someone she trusted, anger that she was being used and that Lance was being used, sadness and disappointment that the man she had been searching for was this dark figure that threatened to kill people—children of her friends, for nothing, but most of all, she felt tired. The world around her was growing dark but Lance's face was clear in her mind. It took everything in her but Felicity looked into Lance's eyes and nodded.

Lance heaved in a long, choked breath and looked up towards the ceiling in an attempt to stop his tears. How could this woman that was dying in his arms after he shot her show him any compassion? He felt her body tremble and she took in another shuddering, wet gasp of air and he looked down at her face knowing she would soon pass.

Her eyes never looked away from his face and his arms never dropped from their comforting position. "It's alright sweetheart, I'm still here. I won't leave you alone. It's almost over."

In response Felicity took in another breath and her eyes slipped closed. She released her exhale like sigh and her left hand that had been resting on his right arm across her front slid to the ground unmoving while her head rolled towards his chest.

Lance looked down at the young woman in his arms, gathered her even closer and began to sob—loud frame-racking sobs as he attempted to hold Felicity's body even closer to him as if to erase what he had done—or will her back by his tears alone. But no matter how many tears he cried or how tight he held Felicity in his arms, she remained still and quiet. It went unnoticed by the weeping Captain that Felicity's phone lit up with a text message, "Hey; I'm at the restaurant now. I hope you get here soon. There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about. Be safe. I love you. ."

NOTE: I absolutely love Felicity and Captain Lance. I ship Olicity 110%. I felt I had to clear this up because someone came to the conclusion that I hate Felicity and I do not. She is my favorite character on the show and is the reason that I actually stuck with the show. I am sorry if anyone thought this but please know that I do love her character, very much. I wrote this story because this plot had been haunting me for a while and with the revelation that Lance was working with Damien to protect Laurel the theory that Damien is Felicity's father, everything came together for me.