Chapter 2


As it turns out, the trip to see Ray Palmer was the exact opposite of what Felicity needed. To say it was a horrible disaster would be a grave understatement. It started out with Palmer telling Felicity she looked like death and ended with Felicity puking on his shoes after he surprised her with lunch. Needless to say, he now believes her excuse of being 'sick' and is more than happy to give her all the time she needs to recover.

"That was mortifying," Felicity groans, leaning her head back against the car seat. "Who throws up on their boss?"

"You sure you're okay, Felicity?" Diggle asks her, glancing warily at her. The sedative should not have had these kinds of side effects. "Maybe we should get you to a doctor to check you out."

She stiffens.

"I'm fine."

Time at the doctor means time away from her computers where she could be searching for Oliver. Besides, there's nothing a doctor can do for her. Finding Oliver is the only cure she needs.

But for the first time since he left, Felicity finally asks herself that all important question. What if he doesn't come back? Is she just going to go down in that lair and die there? She once accused Oliver of doing the exact thing and swore to him, and herself, that she would would live her life. Isn't she going against that now?

She can hardly blame Ray for thinking she looked like a ghost because she feels like one. Oliver is the one who died, not her. That realization hits her low in the gut, causing a real, physical pain. She gasps at the hurt.

"Felicity?" Diggle asks, concerned about her.

"He's gone, isn't he? We can't find Oliver because there is no Oliver to find."

Shocked to hear the words come from her mouth, Diggle stays silent to let her absorb it.

"It's been nearly a month. He's not coming back. It's time I accepted it. It's time we move on."

A silent tear drips down both their cheeks. Felicity's, for the final acceptance of Oliver's fate. Diggle's, for the pain he knows his friend is feeling and the inability to do anything to end it for her.


Roy is waiting for them at the lair when they get there. There are things the three of them need to do. Decisions that need to be made involving the future of the team. There hasn't been an Arrow sighting the whole time Oliver's been gone. People are starting to get suspicious.

"Should we announce to Starling that the Arrow is dead?" Roy wonders aloud. "If we make that announcement along with the announcement of Oliver Queen's death, then more than one person is very likely to put two and two together and realize Oliver was the Arrow."

"We can't announce anything yet," Felicity says. "Especially not before talking to Laurel and Thea. They should know first."

"We don't have to make any decisions right now," Diggle promises her. "Roy and I can handle Arrow sightings for awhile. We'll stay low key, but visible enough so nobody starts to wonder about his absence."

"Good idea," she nods, instinctively moving to her computer to start searching for crimes in the area that might need their intervention. "This feels right. It's what Oliver would want. For us to continue to watch over the city."

They are able to keep that plan of action going for about a month before Laurel comes to them, demanding the truth. She tosses down a stack of photos on the desk in front of Felicity and angrily stares at the blond.

"Documented Arrow sightings over the past couple weeks," she says, pointing to the pictures. "The only problem is, none of those pictures are of Oliver."

Diggle and Roy stop their sparring and come over when they note the anger flashing in Laurel's eyes.

"Will somebody tell me what's going on? Where is Oliver?"

Diggle and Roy both look to Felicity, waiting for the slight nod she issues them. Despite her non warrior status, she's somehow become the decision making leader of the group.

"Oliver is dead."

Diggle says it quick and clean to make the blow slightly easier. But it's not an easy pill to swallow.

"What?"

Felicity has to look away when the other woman's eyes fill with tears.

"How? When? What happened?" Laurel asks.

Again, Diggle and Roy look to Felicity. But this time, she's the one to answer. She's thought about what to tell Laurel and Thea since she found out about Oliver's death. There are things both women need to know and things that they don't. It's going to be a delicate balance.

"This goes back to Sara's death," Felicity starts to explain. "Oliver promised The League of Assassins he'd discover Sara's killer."

"We know who killed her. It was Malcolm Merlyn," Laurel interrupts. "Did he kill Oliver too?"

"No. Not really, I mean …" Felicity grasps for the right words to explain this. Especially without bringing Thea into it. The last they any of them need is for Laurel to demand revenge on Thea.

"Merlyn is a hard man to track down," Diggle finally says, jumping in to finish the story. "The League lost all patience. Nyssa's father, a man named Ra's al Ghul, put a death sentence on the city if Sara's death could not be avenged. Oliver sacrificed himself to protect the citizens of Starling."

"He what?" Laurel gasps. "I don't understand."

"A battle to the death between Oliver and Ra's," Felicity says softly, tears starting to fall down her face. "Oliver lost."

"And that's it?" Laurel practically shrieks. "You're going to just, what? Let it go? Let's this Ra's al Ghul get away with killing him? Let Malcolm Merlyn get away with killing Sara?"

"There's nothing we can do to Ra's," Diggle explains. "It's a matter of honor and codes. Oliver went into that duel understanding what the outcome would mean."

"And you just let him?" Laurel screams. "I don't accept this. I won't accept it until they pay."

"Laurel, don't," Felicity pleads. "We have to all just stop this madness. We're not going after the league or Merlyn because we'd all be killed. I can't stand to lose anyone else."

"Well, I have nothing to lose," Laurel says.

"What about your father? Do you not care what losing you would do to him? Or this city?" Diggle points out. "You do good work as the DA putting away the criminals that we help your father catch. If there's any way to honor Sara and Oliver, staying in your job and letting us help you clean up this city is the way to do that. Let that be enough."

"It will never be enough. I'll find a way to make this right, with or without your help," she promises, her tone ominous as she angrily storms out the door.

"That did not go well," Diggle points out unnecessarily.

"Should I go after her?" Roy asks, looking to the group.

Felicity just shakes her head and sighs.

"We can't worry about Laurel right now," she says. "We've still got one more person to tell. And something tells me, it's going to be even more … unpleasant."

"Thea," Roy says.

Felicity nods.

"Should we go over to her place?" Diggle suggests.

"No, let's do it here," Felicity decides, looking around the lair. "Thea is going to have to see and understand what her brother had become. We can't just explain Oliver's death to her with some BS story. She needs as much of the truth as she can handle."

"I'll go call Thea," Roy offers. "I hope you're sure about this."

No. Felicity is far from sure about this. She can only hope things will turn out better with Thea than they did with Laurel. But somehow she doubts it.


Thanks for reading! Comments welcome and appreciated.