Cooper drove for what felt like hours, there were no street lights on this road but he knew there were fences along the road on both sides and at the end, was their safe house. Cooper had bought it while he was working with the NSA, he planned to bring Felicity here when it was safe to contact her again. Now, he was bringing her here under less-than-ideal circumstances but it was these circumstances that will help them be together; Cooper just had to eliminate certain people from her life and replace it with all 100% Cooper and Felicity.
As they pulled up to the little house, Felicity stirred and opened her eyes and smiled lazily at Cooper who smiled back and stroked her cheek "We're here, Babe" he said and unbuckled his seat belt and got out.
Felicity followed Cooper up to the house "Where is 'here' Coop?" she asked hesitantly, fear all over her face "and who was that guy after me? And what…what year is it if I don't have to study for my finals?"
"Babe, it'll be alright. I'm here to take care of you" he stroked her hair before they went inside, Felicity noticed a look of slight disgust when he took his hand away from her gold strands and vowed to go to the drugstore and dye her hair as soon as she could.
Inside the small house was warm and had an antique feel, with soft white wall paper with tiny flowers on it all the way up to the ceiling. Exposed beams of the roof made Felicity feel like she had to duck her head even though she was in no danger of hitting them. Felicity thought that if the circumstances were better, maybe her and Cooper could have had a place like this one day after college.
"I…I don't have anything to change into" Felicity said meekly as she looked down at her smart but simple dress shirt and grey skirt complete with what looked like panda flats – any other woman might have called them 'super cute' but they made her stomach roll. She missed her black boots.
Cooper seemed to notice this too and hugged her "We'll go shopping tomorrow" he kissed her soothingly "you'll be back to your old self again in no time" the kiss turned heated which Felicity was only too eager to give in to "but first…" his hands worked the buttons of her shirt, he kissed along her cheek and jawline "…we should get you out of those clothes and…" as Cooper was kissing her, he thought about her hair and how some of the loose strands were caught up in the shirt. Those loose strands might lead The Arrow to them and then where would they be? Cooper took off her shirt and threw it away disguising the act as one of passion "…let's burn them! Tonight! You'll be like a phoenix rising from the ashes! Together we can be whatever we want to be"
Felicity was so swept up in him that she didn't object to being undressed, Cooper kissing her and lead her over to the bed and then covering her body with kisses from head to toe. A small moan escaped her lips as Cooper began to nibble their way down her stomach, Felicity arched her back totally 100% inviting him in and to take her mind off of her headache.
Cooper was only too happy to drape her legs over his shoulders as he set to work pleasing her with his lips and tongue.
Felicity tried to enjoy what Cooper was doing but her head was pounding, a white hot pain erupted from the back of her mind until it seemed it was right behind her eyes, Felicity screwed her eyes shut as Cooper worked his tongue but the pain broke through causing her to cry out and images and words to flow:
She was happy she was finally getting off work. When she tried to back her car out of the lot she heard something in the back seat; there was a man in green leather in the back…"I'm not going to hurt you, Felicity"
"S-S-STOP!" Felicity jerked her eyes open and sat up and away from Cooper on the bed, bringing her knees up to her chin she began to shake "stop" she said again
"What's wrong? You okay?" Cooper asked with his voice full of concern, one look into her eyes told him that she was scared and he knew why. His new serum was only in its trial stages and had yet to be completed. Felicity's memories were fighting with each other, her past and present were at war to be at the front of her mind. Cooper knew he had to help her remember the 'right' memories and feelings in order for this to work. Getting the Arrow and the rest of her friends out of her mind would prove to be difficult but he would find a way.
"I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to pounce on you this soon, we have our whole lives together" Cooper kissed her softly as he held her "everything will be alright"
Felicity sunk into his touch as she asked over and over again what was happening to her and who the man in green leather was "who is he, Coop?"
"No one important" Cooper smiled and promised again that they would fix her hair and buy her all new clothes tomorrow.
Felicity couldn't help but think he was very important, as was the blonde woman in black leather and the young man in red hoodie. Something told her they were very important. Something told her not to forget them.
The man in green leather appeared to her again in her dreams "you will always be my girl, Felicity"
They had been shopping for hours and still only had three colours in her new wardrobe – black, dark grey and a little tiny bit of purple – and Cooper loved it all the more. With every outfit she tried on and bought, he felt closer and closer to getting his old Felicity back; she was slowly returning to him. When they walked out of the last store, exhausted yet happy, Felicity yet again found herself looking at her reflection in a shop window. Her makeup was dark but her hair was brighter than the sun "Still have to fix my hair" she grumbled
"Then let's find a drugstore and fix it together" Cooper gave her a reassuring smile
Together they picked out a shade of black she liked, paid for it and found a Big Belly Burger to eat lunch. Felicity felt anxious all day, found herself looking over her shoulder for the man in green, yet with every new shirt or skirt she bought, he became a faint glimmer in her mind. Maybe he wasn't that important after all.
If these feelings and thoughts went away when she put on her old – new – style of clothes then there was one last thing she had to do before she could get on with her life.
"I have to do it now!" Felicity cried a little too loudly "I have to change it now!"
"Your hair? Can't you wait until we get home?"
Felicity rushed to the bathroom with the box of hair dye and read the instructions again and again, she didn't know why since she had done this before, but something was telling her to stop and to not go through with this.
Felicity opened the box and took everything out right there in the sink; she didn't care if anyone saw her she HAD to get this done!
"If you ever need to tell someone about your day…you can tell me"
That man's voice sounded so caring and soft and nothing like Cooper at all. He seemed like someone she could be safe with. Felicity felt the pain again and more images of the man in green – The Arrow – appeared in her mind, Cooper had said that she worked with him once before when he tried to save her again with her own virus. The Arrow had used her to try and forget about Cooper, manipulated her until he got what he wanted then threw her aside. Cooper had promised not to do that or leave her again.
"I'll never leave you either" Felicity promised Cooper as she began to dye her hair. With each new strand of black hair Felicity felt her old self returning and The Arrow getting further and further away from her mind "I'm here Cooper, I'll never leave you again" she said to her reflection and left the bathroom uncaring of the mess she had made in there at all.
Felicity's hair was now jet black and wet from washing it in the sink, her lipstick was a dark purple and her eyeliner was dark and smudged around her eyes making them appear smaller, the rest of her makeup was plain and simple to accentuate the darkness.
Felicity confidently walked over to Cooper and sat beside him "Did you miss me?" she asked coyly
"You have no idea how much" Cooper pressed his lips to hers in what he hoped would turn out to be a kiss that would lead to more later but they were interrupted by a red hoodie
"Felicity?" a voice asked uncertainly, Felicity turned to the voice and now faced a young man, he was handsome with a short brown hair cut, a sharp jawline, he wore jeans and a dark shirt and to cover it all up he wore a worn out red hoodie "is that really you?"
Felicity just stared at him wide-eyed, she had no idea where she had seen him before but she knew she knew him from somewhere "Can I help you?" she asked puzzled as to why this young man would be speaking to her with such familiarity "do I know you?"
"Yes, don't you remember me? I work with Thea" Red Hoodie tried to jog her memory "remember?"
"Who's Thea?" Felicity was really confused now and her head began to hurt again, Cooper saw her confusion and quickly guided her from her seat and made their way toward the door when the guy took hold of Felicity's wrist
"Felicity, are you okay?"
"Let go of me!" Felicity smacked his hand away and shrunk her body into Coopers
"Bro, I think you've got the wrong girl and don't ever touch mine again" Cooper pushed the young man away who fell to the ground not anticipating the attack "if you come near us again, I'll kill you!"
Felicity was led away out of Big Belly Burger, she was confused but knew that Cooper would be there to protect her.
Inside, the young man was helped to his feet by his girlfriend "Roy! Are you okay?" she asked frantically
"Yeah, babe. I'm fine" but Felicity is in serious danger he knew he had to get in touch with Oliver right away.
A/N: Dark Felicity is back! This is getting good now! I didn't want Oliver to be the first to see Felicity like this, I thoght Roy and Thea might be better. I like Roy. As always read and review! HOW will Oliver get Felicity to remember him? Is the solution in the stories title or will he find other measures?
