Note: You guys, your response, it blew me, it really did. This is maybe my second fic ever and I couldn't imagine such a warm response from readers. Thank you! Here is the first part (out of two) of the 'reaction' part that's playing in my mind. I really hope it's not a let down.. more of Oliver's questions and responses in the next chapter.

Please leave your comments and feedback - they're great encouragement.

Enjoy!

Oliver stopped in his tracks at the bottom of the stairs. Digg bumped straight into him "What's up man? Oliver?" But Oliver didn't answer, his breath was gone. He was looking at a pair of broken high heels, and a bag thrown on the table. Felicity's bag, contents spilled and large smears of blood on it. The world seemed like he was experiencing it through a bubble, blood rushing in his ears. "Felicity!? FELICITY!" Oliver snapped into action and called as he started running into the lair, looking frantically around.

Felicity had hoped to change her clothes and fix herself, or at least her appearance, some more before the boys came. However, when she heard their footsteps coming down the stairs she realized she did not move from the mirror for quite a while, reflecting on what happened, reliving it again and again. But now, there was no going around it, she would have to face them, and, hopefully get them focused quickly on Ray and not on her. She took a deep breath and headed out, feeling more pain than she should have by now. She reached the bathroom door just in time to hear him scream her name with anxiety.

"I'm here! I'm fine! Guys… I need to tell you something but please… please promise, or, at least try, Oliver especially you, try to stay calm. Please." Felicity called out through the open door, still standing in the safety of the bathroom. Oliver stopped in the middle of the lair, relieved yet extremely anxious. He and Diggle exchanged concerned looks before he started walking resolutely towards her, bent on making sure she was really fine. "Felicity, what happened?" Oliver called out just as she emerged. He stopped dead in his tracks. His breath was gone from him and he felt an overwhelming wave of shock, worry and a rising rage wash over him. "Felicity…"

Felicity looked as if she'd been through a pack of wolves, beaten, bruised, clothes torn… he quickly recognized large hand-shaped bruises and the rage soared. He saw them on her neck first, his heart dropping in his chest with the realization someone strangled his beautiful, delicate Felicity. Whoever did that was going to suffer hell on earth, he would make sure of that. Then he noticed them on her arms and, as his gaze continued to scan her state, on her thighs, along with scrapes and wounds that carried all the way under the hem of her torn skirt.

He could hear his own pulse and the world seemed to move very strangely. "Felicity…" He came towards her, inspecting her eyes as he gently cupped the cheek that wasn't red and swollen from an obvious back hand strike. "Oliver, I'm fine, really. It looks worse than it really is", she lied as he searched her face. Oliver wasn't buying it. In one swift movement he took her into a tight hug which was as comforting as it was painful for her. He called out to Digg who had already gathered more medical equipment and swooped her in his arms, despite her protests, to take her to the medical bed. They kicked into an emergency state and Felicity didn't quite understand why. They were moving fast, checking Felicity's pupils, asking her about her head, pulling off badly placed bandages and disinfecting her wounds.

"Felicity, I'm sorry, but we have to do this. You gave it a good try but you're in shock and you couldn't really see what you were doing." Digg explained apologetically as he gently moved her onto her side and started pulling small shards of glass from the side of her body that hit the glass riddled floor, including her head. He apologized again as he started going lower shifting and removing parts of clothing to expose more cuts and glasses to be taken care of. Felicity swallowed her pride and modesty, she trusted them.

Oliver, with great effort, left the tender wounds to Diggle, knowing Felicity would be both embarrassed and in need of his support. He fixed his gaze on Felicity's eyes instead of her body. He knew he had to ward off the rage and the onslaught of questions just a little bit longer. With restraint he wasn't sure he had, he smiled at her. "Hang in there, we'll be done soon." He steadied his voice and summoned all the self control he had while looking at her tearful eyes. "Felicity, Who?"

She dreaded the moment she would have to talk about it. It hurt even more than the pain of the stitch she could feel Digg doing. Was she really injured that badly? Funny how the body manages pain when you're in… what was it Digg said… shock? Maybe she was shocked… after all it's not every day you come to a physical showdown with someone, a big, strong, violent someone. Well, at least for her it wasn't a daily thing… Felicity mused to herself until Oliver gently caressed her cheek to bring her attention back and asked again, "who?"

She sighed and looked in his eyes, "the one we've been tracking. I found him."

"What?!" Oliver's heartbeat quickened and he could feel electricity flowing in his body making him want to jump out of his own skin. "You went after him, alone?! Felicity, what… why..."

"I didn't go after him alone, Oliver." Felicity raised her voice to hush his outbreak, "I… stumbled onto him. Alone. Unfortunately." At that she took her eyes from Oliver, feeling tired and sad as what happened started catching up with her. They found the villain, and it's Ray, of all people. Ray, who Oliver detested already. When she'll tell him he's the one who did this to her – Ray would be dead as soon as he could get to him, she was sure of it, and it made her feel sad. Guilty. Oliver would surely kill him, and she will again be the cause for him passing his own red line.

"Who?" Oliver began feeling there was something wrong, even more than was apparent. His gut told him to prepare for another blow as he insisted she gave him the name. He tilted her chin gently and looked at her with softness and acceptance that surprised her, so speaking his name became suddenly easy.

"It's Ray." She saw in his eyes the moment he lost the ability to hold back his rage.

so... what did you think? Oliver is behaving himself for the meanwhile, but he has some more questions (and answers) to get through. More of this in the next chapter. Would love your feedback!