'Oliver?'

The empty nightclub was dark and quiet; the only noise was Felicity's footsteps. The thought of crazed assassins or killer ninjas lurking in the shadows began to get on Felicity's nerves and she hurried over to flick on the overhead lights. The chances of anyone being out here in this part of the Glades at this time of night to notice didn't bother her at all. If anyone saw and reported the lights to the police, well technically Oliver still owned the club and Felicity had seen her friend talk his way out of enough situations to feel confident this one wouldn't be any different.

'I know you're in here,' Felicity stopped when she realised that Oliver could just as easily have kept on walking right out the front door and be anywhere now. 'At least I assume you're still here.'

A slight noise from behind the bar made Felicity jump. 'That had better be you!'

A dark shape rose from behind the bar.

'Oliver?' Felicity fell back a few steps before sighing in relief when she recognised who it was. Noting the bottle in his hand she frowned.

'You shouldn't be here,' Oliver growled at her as he walked past Felicity to pull a stool off a nearby table.

'And where should I be?'

Oliver unscrewed the lid of the bottle and looked about for a glass. Realising he had forgotten to bring one with him Oliver slammed the bottle down hard on the table. 'Go home.'

'No, and you've just had stitches so I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be drinking.'

Felicity was referring to the reason why Oliver had been passed out on the table in the first place, after he had met some unexpected resistance with a drug gang and had received a knife slash to his side.

'I'm fine.' Oliver heard Felicity sigh.

'That's what I told Dig,' she said, 'and we both know we're lying.'

Her words caused Oliver to turn around and look at Felicity for the first time. His eyes were drawn instantly to her neck and a brief look of pain crossed his face as he noted the beginning of bruises, before he smoothed his features into his bland indifferent look he adopted for the public.

Felicity frowned at Oliver. 'Don't do that,' she said, referring to his public face, 'not to me.'

Oliver's lips thinned in anger, 'Maybe you'd prefer the Arrow instead.' He snapped out.

Felicity shook her head. 'Oh no, I'd much rather deal with the real Oliver.'

Fingers tightening around the vodka bottle Oliver closed his eyes. 'Maybe I don't know who that is anymore.'

Felicity's retreating footsteps caused Oliver to open his eyes just in time to see her disappear behind the bar.

'Felicity?' The thought that she might just turn and leave him hurt almost as much as the look of fear on her face after he had attacked her downstairs.

Felicity walked back towards Oliver, carrying two glasses in her hands. 'Here,' she handed them to him, 'good thing you're allergic to the idea of painkillers. I changed my mind maybe we could both do with a drink tonight.'

Oliver looked from Felicity to the two glasses in his hands.

'Come on,' Felicity tapped the table with one painted fingernail, 'pour.'

Placing the glasses in front of both of them, Oliver picked up the bottle and poured about a fingers worth of alcohol in Felicity's glass before filling his almost halfway. 'Now, have you ever drunk –' Oliver's eyes widened as Felicity picked up her glass and drank it in one gulp, '– vodka before?'

'Woah!' Felicity slammed the glass on the table, eyes wide in shock. 'I – wow – I can't feel my hands,' Felicity looked over at Oliver, 'why can't I feel my hands? Am I having a heart attack?'

Oliver reached out and grabbed one of Felicity's hands, and began stroking her fingers. 'Just breathe,' he advised.

Nodding Felicity took several deep breaths. 'Okay,' Felicity rasped before clearing her throat and trying again, 'I'm okay. How do you drink this stuff?'

Letting go of her hand a little reluctantly Oliver picked up his glass and swallowed the contents. 'I've had a lot of practice.' Gesturing towards the bottle he nodded towards Felicity's empty glass.

'Nooo,' Felicity placed her hand over her glass. 'I'm good, thanks.'

Smiling slightly Oliver poured a smaller shot of vodka and sipped from it.

'So,' Felicity tapped her fingernails on the tabletop, 'did you know I used to sleepwalk?'

Oliver tilted his head at Felicity.

'I mean I didn't know I was sleepwalking, obviously.' Felicity pushed her glasses up her nose, 'my mom came home early from work one night and found me making a sandwich in the kitchen.' She frowned at the memory. 'I have no idea why, huh, must have been hungry I guess.'

'Felicity,' Oliver interrupted her, 'do you have a point.'

'Yes,' Felicity rested her forearms on the table and leaned towards Oliver. 'People do weird things in their sleep. They make meals, they drive to work, some people have even killed . . . okay maybe that last one was a bad example. What I'm trying to say is what happened tonight, it wasn't your fault.'

Oliver shook his head, 'I wasn't sleepwalking.'

'No, but you had just woken up from a dream. You had no idea what was real and what was not.'

'But I hurt you.'

Felicity smiled sadly. 'Oliver since I've known you I've been lied to, bleed all over, kidnapped and scared half out of my mind but you know what?' she waited until Oliver shook his head, 'I'm still here. I'm not some soft squishy girly, girl, okay,' she corrected herself, 'compared to you I am all those things but I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me that easily.'

'I don't want you to go, Felicity,' Oliver said, quietly, 'but when I promised to protect you I never thought it would be from myself.'

Felicity stood upright and placed her hands on the table. 'Do you trust me?'

Oliver matched Felicity's pose, 'With my life.' His words were rewarded with a big smile.

'And I trust you with mine.' Felicity grabbed the bottle and topped up Oliver's drink before pouring a tiny amount into her glass. 'I think we should have a toast, don't you?'

Nodding Oliver lifted his glass and stared into it. 'What should we drink to?'

Felicity shrugged, 'You choose.'

Holding out his glass Oliver said, 'To friends.'

Felicity clinked her glass to his, 'with benefits.' When the words that popped out of her mouth registered she was quick to add, 'and by that I mean crime fighting benefits. You know Super GeekGirl to your Arrow. Not the other kind, although that could be kind of fun too.' She hurriedly gulped down her drink, scrunching her face up as the alcohol slid down her throat.

Oliver tried and failed not to laugh. 'Super GeekGirl?'

Felicity tried to wave away Oliver's question. 'Something Dig came up with, just ignore me please.'

Oliver smiled, 'I can never ignore you, Felicity.'

Felicity reached out and tapped Oliver on the chest, 'Correct answer.' Realising she was standing there with her hand resting on the thin black singlet that Oliver wore under his Arrow jacket, Felicity hurriedly dropped her hand. 'Actually there is something you could do for me.'

Oliver graced Felicity with one of his small smiles, that he usually only reserved for her, 'Anything.'

'Okay,' Felicity moved to her right, away from the table and gestured for Oliver to follow.

Curious Oliver moved until he was standing in front of her. He watched as she clenched and unclenched her hands a few times and took several deep breaths. For the briefest of moments he thought she might be about to hit him and in a way was disappointed when she didn't.

Felicity breathed out a nervous, sighing laugh and reached towards Oliver. Taking his right wrist in both her hands she began to pull his arm towards her.

Oliver tensed the muscles in his arm, stopping any forward momentum the moment he realised that Felicity wanted to place his hand about her neck. 'Felicity don't ask me to –'

'Oliver!' Felicity raised her voice to drown out any protest he might have been about to make. 'Did it cross your mind that I'm not doing this for you?' she waited until he stopped trying to talk, before taking a deep breath. 'You really scared me down there. I'm still pretty scared and I don't want to feel that way about you.' Felicity tried to smile and failed. 'So you are going to do this, we need to do this for both of us, okay?'

Oliver gave Felicity the smallest of nods and relaxed his arm. He watched her eyes widen slightly as she realised he had given her complete control over what happened next.

Felicity blinked, eyes flicking up to Oliver's face. When he nodded again, she placed his hand around her throat. With one hand she pressed his fingers tighter before dropping both hands to her sides; only to suddenly reach up to grab at his wrist again. Oliver assumed that was so she could keep control, that she could break his hold whenever she wanted to.

Oliver could feel the rapid flutter of her pulse under his fingers, 'Breathe, Felicity' he instructed her, 'just breathe.'

Felicity closed her eyes and Oliver felt her pulse begin to slow. 'Will we get through this?' he whispered.

Felicity patted Oliver's hand, 'We can get through anything, together.'

Oliver's lips twitched into a small smile, which quickly dropped away at Felicity's next words.

'What was the dream about?'

'Felicity,' he warned her.

Felicity opened her eyes and looked at Oliver. 'I know you don't like talking about these things, actually you don't like talking about anything, but I've been told it helps. A trouble shared, trouble halved, sort of thing. Besides,' she tapped his hand holding her throat again, 'I kinda need the distraction.'

Oliver sighed. 'Interesting interrogation technique, Ms Smoak, have you used that before?' he watched as several expressions flitted across Felicity's face.

'What do you mean?'

'Using the fact that I hurt you to put me in a position where I have to answer your question.'

Felicity tried to look innocent, 'Do you feel like you have to answer the question?'

'Do I?'

'Well,' Felicity indicated Oliver's hand about her throat.

Oliver sighed through his nose.

'You might as well tell me, I'm a hocker.' Felicity said. Noting Oliver's quizzical expression she elaborated. 'Hocker, it's Yiddish,' she shrugged, 'basically it means I'm going to nag you until you give in, so . . .' she drew out the last word.

'We were on the island,' Oliver began.

'Wait, we?'

Oliver could feel Felicity's pulse jump.

'You dream about me? Was it a good dream, no wait if we were on the island that can't be good, right? Don't tell me I was on a landmine again? I wasn't naked was I? Because that's not fair, I don't always dream about you naked.' A look of horror crossed Felicity's face. 'Not that I dream about you naked, or at all. I just said I did both, didn't I?'

Oliver tried to keep a straight face as he nodded.

'You can't blame me,' Felicity continued, 'you're always working out half naked; it's not a stretch to think of the rest. You know, mister, I think I have a fair case for sexual harassment in the workplace. Oh,' Felicity closed her eyes. 'Why do I do this? Can we just blame the alcohol? Vodka is evil!'

Felicity's ramblings got the better of Oliver and he began to laugh, quietly. 'Do you do that deliberately?'

Felicity sighed, 'Oliver you know I have no control over what comes out of my mouth.'

'I'm not complaining.'

Felicity hummed and tilted her head to the left. 'Neither am I.'

Oliver realised that he had been gently rubbing the bruises on Felicity's throat with his thumb, as if through his actions he could erase them. Oliver had to clear his throat before he could speak. 'When I was little, my mom used to kiss my bruises better.'

'Now, that's something to dream about.' Felicity opened one eye, 'Please tell me I didn't say that out loud?'

Smoothing any expression off his face Oliver asked, 'What?'

Felicity opened her other eye and stared at Oliver for a moment. 'So we were on the island, clothed I assume?'

Oliver nodded, deciding to not mention the fact he was shirtless in his dream, 'Disappointed?'

Felicity pursed her lips, 'Maybe, then what happened? I mean you sounded pretty upset when you called out downstairs. There was another landmine again, wasn't there, did I make it?'

'Felicity, are you going to keep interrupting me?'

Felicity freed one hand from Oliver's wrist and mimed zipping her mouth shut and turning a key.

'You didn't die, I did.' Oliver watched as Felicity's eyes widened at his words. 'I died because you shot me.' Felicity looked like she was about to explode if she didn't say something soon. 'Okay,' Oliver nodded at her, 'out with it.'

'Are you kidding me, I shot you? Why would I do that?'

'Because, I wouldn't kill for you.' Oliver let his hand fall from Felicity's neck as she jerked her head back in surprise.

'Why would you want to do that?'

'I don't, but in my dream you put me on that island to turn me into a weapon. My father's notebook was a list of your enemies; enemies that you had me kill.'

'No!' Felicity clapped a hand over her mouth in shock before quickly dropping it again to speak. 'I was the bad guy?' she watched as Oliver nodded. 'So you're telling me that when you dream about me its as some sort of Evil Felicity?'

'No,' Oliver stopped when he realised he might have implied that he dreamt about Felicity more than once. 'I mean –'

Does this Darth Felicity have a lightsabre, minions,' Felicity asked, gesturing wildly with her hands, 'tell me she at least wore some sort of sexy black leather catsuit.'

'Don't put ideas in my – minions?'

Felicity sighed. 'Little yellow guys in blue overalls from Despicable Me, Oliver, you told me you watched it with Thea a few months ago.'

'I might have slept through it.' Oliver placed his hands on Felicity's shoulders. 'I don't think of you as evil, it was just a dream.'

Felicity nodded, 'Just a dream. A dream that I interrupted and you overreacted to, so stop beating yourself up over what happened after.'

Realisation suddenly hit Oliver, 'All that talk about lightsabres and minions, that was just you trying to tell me how ridiculous my dream was, wasn't it?'

Felicity rolled her eyes. 'Foiled, you saw through my evil plan.'

'I'm sorry,' Oliver whispered as he gently brushed the back of his fingers over Felicity's cheek.

Felicity leant into Oliver's caress. 'Apology accepted.'

They both stood like that for a minute before Felicity leaned back and looked up at Oliver. 'You know I learned two things about you today.'

Oliver looked a little worried at what Felicity might say next. 'Oh?'

'One, you have a lousy imagination.'

'And two?'

Felicity placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder and stood up on her toes to whisper in his ear. 'You dream about me.'

Like a flower turning to the sun, Oliver closed his eyes and leant towards Felicity; his stubbled cheek brushing her chin. 'I don't deserve you,' he murmured.

It wasn't until he felt the warm breath of Felicity's laughter against his ear that Oliver realised he had spoken out loud.

Dropping back onto her heels Felicity took a step back. 'Finally,' she threw her head back and addressed the ceiling, 'he gets it.'

'I mean,' Oliver hurried to clarify, 'what's the Arrow without his Super GeekGirl?'

'True,' Felicity pushed her glasses up her nose, 'and his Kickass Bodyguard. Speaking of which you owe Diggle an apology too.'

Oliver opened his mouth then shut it again when Felicity pointed a finger at him.

'A proper apology,' she said, 'that doesn't involve hitting each other with sticks.'

Oliver sighed and shook his head, 'Fine.'

'Good,' Felicity turned on her heels and began heading towards the basement door. 'I'll tell Dig and you can bring the drinks,' she said.

'Drinks?'

Stopping Felicity looked over her shoulder, 'One bottle of red wine. I'm not drinking any more of that –' Felicity waved her hand towards the bottle of vodka. 'And it better be the good stuff, mister.'

Oliver smiled at Felicity. 'Good stuff, it is.' He was rewarded with a big smile.

As Oliver picked up the vodka and headed behind the bar he faintly heard Felicity yelling downstairs.

'Oliver's okay, Dig, and I didn't even have to hit him.'

Snorting at Felicity's words Oliver picked up two bottles of wine, trying to decide between the two. Making his decision he tucked one bottle and the vodka under one arm, scooping up three glasses with the other. Remembering at the last moment to flick off the overhead lights Oliver hesitated in the doorway his back to the darkened night club.

Behind him was a dark and lonely place, full of lost dreams and ghosts of friends past. Before him was the light; echoing up was the faint rumble of Dig's voice, quickly followed by high pitched laughter from Felicity. Oliver might have started his crusade all alone. If it hadn't been for Diggle and Felicity he was certain he would be dead long ago and not just because of their medical assistance. No, it was their friendship, their belief in him that sustained Oliver through every injury, every trial and every setback.

Nightmares were fleeting, quickly banished by light and laughter. Friendship, on the other hand, the right kind; overcame any obstacle no matter how dark. Oliver walked down into the light.