Part 2
Oliver stood up then turned to gently wrap his hand under her good arm. As he slowly lifted Felicity to her feet, she stumbled and let out another sharp cry. He immediately lowered her back down to the ground and asked, "What's wrong?" Fear and guilt permeated his voice, something he hoped she wouldn't notice.
"My… My leg," Felicity whimpered.
"Left or right?" Oliver was kneeling down beside her once more, first aid kit out and ready.
"Right."
His fingers skimmed down her khaki-clad leg, gently probing until he reached her knee. A single touch was all it took for her to hiss and cringe in pain. Oliver pulled back immediately, grabbing the hem of her loose pant leg and dragging it up until he could see what was wrong. Felicity's knee was swollen to the size of a softball.
"Shit," Oliver muttered under his breath.
"Oh, my god! What's wrong with my knee?" she cried, the fear and panic evident in her voice.
"You probably bruised it in the fall," he said, shooting for comfort and reassurance but ending up still sounding just as distressed as she did. Oliver reached into the first aid kit for the three inch wide roller bandage before ever so gently lifting her leg into his lap. "This is probably going to hurt," he warned.
"Do what you have to. I'll be okay," Felicity reassured him as her hand fell to his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. A tiny smile worked its way onto her pale pink lips and he nodded his head.
Taking a breath, Oliver began wrapping the bandage around her knee as Felicity's nails dug into his shoulder, holding onto him for dear life. Without heavy painkillers, it was all she could do, and he let her, never once complaining about how much it hurt. No, what really hurt was seeing her in so much pain.
The guilt that came with knowing it was his fault for bringing her to this place burned heavily in his chest as he rolled the bandage round and round her knee until there was none left. Oliver fastened it with a pair of clips that came with the roll then pulled her pant leg back over the injury. "We should probably find somewhere to build camp for the night," he said, placing the empty carton into his pack. It was slung over his shoulder effortlessly before his arms slid beneath her neck and knees.
"Whoa!" Felicity nearly shouted prompting him to stop just short of lifting her. Their eyes met, hers full of confusion and his full of resolve. "What are you doing?"
"I'm carrying you until we find a good place to settle for the evening?" Oliver replied, sounding just as confused as she did.
"Hey, I can walk!" she protested, but when it came time to actually getting up off the ground, every attempt failed miserably. "Okay, maybe not," Felicity conceded as she slumped back in defeat. Her entire body seemed to crumble then, folding in on itself as her stubborn resolve dissipated right in front of him. Left was only the shell of her usual self, hollow and empty.
Oliver kneeled down beside her, his hand coming to rest against her bruised cheek. "Hey," he softly whispered, "we'll be okay. Five years on an island, remember?" She gazed up at him, blue eyes brimming with unshed tears, and nodded. Arms returning to her neck and knees, he carefully lifted her off the ground, mindful of her injuries.
"Promise me," Felicity murmured once her head was nestled beneath his chin.
With all the conviction he could muster, Oliver replied, "I promise I'll get us out of here."
Then they were off, down the ravine, twisting and winding with the river as it flowed from the mountaintops. The only trail was a thin line most likely made by animals. Oliver followed it through jutting rocks and underbrush, looking for any clearing that would allow them shelter for the night. High up above, the sky turned dark as clouds gathered on the horizon. A storm was coming, one he could feel with a deep aching in his bones.
For someone who was constantly babbling, even after being shot in the shoulder, Felicity was strangely quiet as they continued their trek. Oliver glanced down to find her head still resting against his shoulder and her eyes shut. Fear gripped his heart for a moment and he stopped, praying that she was just sleeping and not something worse.
When her head bobbed and she glanced up at him with weary eyes, he let out a relieved sigh. "Why did we stop? Are we staying here tonight?" Felicity asked, gazing at her surroundings. "Looks a little rough," she mumbled a moment later and Oliver couldn't help the chuckle that escaped from his lips. Yes, this area was definitely not suited for camping with all the sharp rocks jutting out of the ground.
"No, not here," he affirmed then resumed walking.
"I think it's gonna rain," Felicity said, glancing over his shoulder at the dark clouds gathered behind him.
"Most likely," Oliver answered. Just then, the sound of thunder rumbled down the mountain and his pace instantly quickened. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, throwing back a look to see what was coming.
The sky was black as night and the scent of rain permeated the air. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed nearly startling him into a run. His hold on Felicity tightened. The need to find shelter overpowered Oliver's senses, but there was nothing. Above him, the tree canopy began to rustle as the wind picked up. Droplets of moisture fell from the sky, landing in random spots around them.
Not even a moment later, the rain came down in a torrent. Oliver's pace turned into a full on run as he sought out whatever ledge or outcropping would provide them shelter. In his arms Felicity burrowed herself as close to his body as physically possible, but when she started to shiver, he knew he needed to find something that would shield them from the cold wind and water that was now soaking through their clothes.
"Over there!" Felicity yelled above the roar of the rain as it continued to pelt them from above. Her hand pointed to his left at a dark spot some fifty feet ahead. Oliver followed her finger and was relieved to see the cave she'd spotted. It was small and dark, but provided just enough protection from the elements until the storm passed.
Felicity continued to shiver once Oliver had finally brought them into the cool confines of the rocky crevice that could barely be described as a cave. It only went back about ten feet or so, but it was dry and much warmer than the rain outside. A few sticks and leaves lay scattered about; just enough kindling to make a fire.
He carefully set Felicity down on the smooth stone floor then reached into his pack to pull out the thick dark blue zip-up hoodie he'd brought just in case. There hadn't been a need for it the night before. The air had been warm and laden with moisture when they'd set up camp and stayed that way until the next morning. Oliver was glad he'd brought it even though it did add extra weight.
"Here," he said, holding it out to Felicity.
She stared at it for several moments. "No, I can't take it. You'll be cold," she argued, wrapping her good arm around her waist as another tremor rocked her body.
"Felicity, I'll be fine," Oliver replied with a reassuring smile he somehow managed to muster even though all he felt was guilt.
Hesitantly, she reached out with her good arm and took it from him. For a moment it sat in her lap as she stared down at it. Then her eyes darted up to his and she whispered, "Thank you." But her struggle was only half over. Putting it on was proving to be a challenge.
Oliver didn't hesitate. He threw it over her shoulders and had it zipped around her in no time. The hood was then pulled over her rain-drenched hair, cocooning her in warmth. "Sit tight," he said as he reached into his pack to pull out a flashlight. "I'll try to gather whatever wood I can and make a fire." She simply nodded and let him go about grabbing sticks and leaves, bringing them back to near her feet until there was a decent pile laying on the floor in front of her.
Exchanging his flashlight for a lighter, Oliver lit a couple of dry leaves and placed them on top of the wood. It wasn't long before they had a roaring fire in the tiny cave, keeping them warm from the cool air that rushed in from outside. He took a seat beside Felicity, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into the warmth of his body. She didn't resist and allowed him to gather her into his lap so her head fell to his shoulder.
"How are you feeling?" Oliver asked once she was settled and comfortable.
"Like I've been run over by a bus," Felicity muttered without lifting her head. She pulled herself closer to him, her good arm wrapping around his waist as tremors continued to shake through her body.
"Hows your arm?"
"It only hurts when I move it, or when I touch it, or when someone else touches it. Nothing I can't handle."
Oliver could tell she was trying to hide her pain from him. The injuries she'd sustained in her fall were comparable to some of the injuries he'd had to endure on the island. An arrow to the chest, being sliced into by a sword, a gunshot wound to the abdomen; they all had their unique kind of hurt, but nothing was as jarring as a broken bone. He'd cracked ribs on several occasions which made it hard to breathe or walk, but a broken arm and a severely bruised knee were much worse.
It probably didn't make Felicity feel any better needing to be carried around either. Running to find shelter had most likely put her through hell, and that made Oliver's heart break. He hated hurting her, intentionally or unintentionally, and gazing down to find her eyes shut tight as she held onto his shirt for dear life nearly killed him.
"You're still cold," he noted when her nose brushed against his neck. It was freezing against his skin and he found himself rubbing his hands up and down her back to try and warm her.
"So are you," she replied just as a cold rush of air blew into the cave and caused him to shiver. But the fire was doing its job. Warmth radiated towards them making Felicity relax slightly as her head drooped lower. It now rested against his chest, her forehead pressed lightly into his neck.
Oliver felt every droplet of water that dripped from the tendrils of her wet hair. They tickled his skin, sending a whole new class of shivers running down his spine. He'd felt this way for so long, well before Slade's attack to be precise. And although he hadn't meant to utter those three pivotal words the night it had all gone down, he knew, deep down, he'd meant them.
This love he felt for Felicity, it wasn't new. Somewhere between "Hi, I'm Oliver Queen" to this moment, he'd fallen head over heels. Helena, McKenna, Laurel, Isabel, Sara; they'd all just been pit stops on the impossible journey that led him here, with his arms wrapped around the woman who owned his heart without ever realizing it. Every little thing that happened to her made him see, without a doubt, that he needed her.
But Oliver also saw all the hurt and the pain he caused as well. The Tockman mission should have been a wake up call, but for some reason, it was this afternoon's events that finally opened his eyes. Watching Felicity tumble down that hill and lay there, still and unmoving, was an image he'd never get out of his mind. So he held onto her a little tighter, burying his face in the dark blue hood of his sweatshirt, his nose filling with the scent of her.
He didn't want to, couldn't think of a life without her. Felicity was the first person to ever see the human being behind the masks and walls he'd put up to shelter himself from the world. She had been the first to call him a hero, the first to believe in him, the first to tell him to keep going even when he wanted to give up. She was the proverbial light in his dark, dim world. If that light were ever to be extinguished, Oliver didn't know what he'd do with himself.
So he burrowed deeper into her warmth, one hand wrapped around her waist resting against the small of her back with the other cradling the back of her head. Mindful of her injuries, he slumped a little lower down the wall until they were both resting comfortably in each other's arms. Then Oliver let his eyes droop shut, adopting the cautiously optimistic outlook Felicity always had and thinking that everything would be okay come morning.
That was far from the case.
