A/N: Okay so honestly, I have no idea where this one came from. I think I was nostalgic for the original "Team Arrow". Not that I don't love Roy as part of the team but hey, nothing beats our original three. It's fairly short, and I suppose kind of Plot Without Point, but I kinda love it anyways.

Spoilers 03x04

The Weight of War

Felicity is sure Oliver is about to snap. The tension in his shoulders, in his jaw, gives it all away. The worst part was she had missed a very large problem and having to recap just what exactly went down while she was away in Central City. Passing Nyssa of all people on the stairs (who looked ready to murder) wasn't entirely unexpected, but still surprising none the least. Eventually she had figured the woman was bound to show up—Sara was dead after all.

"What did I miss?" The look on Oliver's face was—heartbreaking to say the least. Laurel was pacing the floor in an obvious nervous fashion and Roy didn't look much better for that matter. Dig huffed out a sigh and Felicity recognized the sign immediately (the perks of having been with her team for so long) that something bad had indeed gone down.

Oliver had basically made an enemy out of one of the worst by the simple fact that he was… well technically saving the life of one Malcolm Merlyn. Laurel had spent the past hour since the recap trying to talk Oliver down from his lofty goal of leaving Merlyn alive. "He deserves it Oliver. Even if it wasn't Sara… it was still Tommy and half the Glades!" Felicity was still a little shell shocked over the change in Laurel. She knew her sister's death (again) had deeply affected her, but she had never seen Laurel so—out for blood. Literally. In the end the woman gave up, muttering about how stubborn and pigheaded Oliver was being and opted to just leave before she really lost her temper.

While Felicity could certainly see Laurel's point—Merlyn was one of the last people on the planet that deserved saving—and now Oliver had incited war on not just him, but everyone involved with him. Over a man that had killed almost a thousand people (she's adding in sins she sure are there before the Glades went down). With Laurel's exit and Roy's insistence to check on Thea, Felicity could see the weight Oliver had been hiding from the others. Part of her was touched really, that while Oliver may have let others see his alter ego, apparently he only truly let he walls down around Dig and her. And they both knew to let Oliver come to voice his concerns first—they would work from there.

"Did I do the right thing?" Oliver's voice was tired—a heavy kind of tone that made it seem like he was bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. She couldn't blame him really, seeing as things just kept piling up on top of the group and it seemed like there was no way out anymore. Merlyn could be quite the enemy, they already knew that much. But the league… what little they did dealt with them over the last year, well Felicity didn't want to think about being boxed in by two different sets of enemies. But that didn't change the fact that in her opinion Oliver had indeed done the right thing.

"Yes." The answer was uniform—in perfect sync with Dig's voice. She couldn't have helped the small grin that spread across her face as she glanced at Dig. Oliver turned on his heel, eyes locking on the two of them in almost disbelief. They hadn't even hesitated to answer.

"We've always stood behind you Oliver. We've stood up when we thought you were wrong, or when you needed direction, but right now…" Dig shrugged slightly. "Merlyn has done terrible things, but no one should ask of you to kill him. It never solves anything… given the whole Slade debacle I think we three have at least learned that."

"Diggle I just made enemies with some of the most feared people across the world." Felicity could hear that line of tension in his voice. The sound that Oliver was about to crack, and the last time he had cracked he had nearly given up his life to Slade. She couldn't have stopped herself from stepping closer to him, didn't even bother trying. Oliver's eyes followed her as if she held the answer to everything he needed to hear, but Dig beat her to it first.

"Then we deal with it as it comes Oliver; like we always have—as a team." Dig stood, reaching out to grasp Oliver's shoulder in a firm grasp before releasing it and following the trail of the rest of the team upstairs. Silence fell in around the two of them instantly, save for the quiet hum of her computers on the other side of the room. Since the disastrous date normally one of them would withdraw from the other, but Felicity stood her ground. Not one foot between them, she kept her gaze firmly locked on his. Oliver looked like he had something to say—probably a lot of things actually—but nothing came out. So she spoke first.

"I'm proud of you."

Whatever Oliver expected her to say, that was certainly not it. His eyes widened a fraction and he couldn't seem to help but tilt his head to one side as confusion settled in behind surprise. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips and she huffed up softly at him.

"Don't look so surprised. I know… I know it probably would have been easier to kill Merlyn, especially given all that he's done. And yes it might have kept the League from coming after us but let's face it. Eventually we probably would have gotten in the way of a target—Merlyn or otherwise—and we would have to face them." Oliver grunts slightly at her logic, though she's not entirely sure if he's agreeing with her or denying the fact.

"You held to your vow Oliver. John's right, we already know killing people doesn't solve problems—either choice would have its own consequences. At least you can hold your head up high knowing you did the right thing… not what everyone else wants you to do." Reaching out she snags his hand in hers, giving it a soft squeeze before adding, "I think Tommy would be proud of you too."

She really does believe that.

Releasing his hand after a moment longer, she turns and starts her way to the stairs. Tomorrow is going to be a long day and Oliver is going to need her to be on her A game. And she's going to have it. For Sara, for Tommy, for the team… for Oliver, because he needs her right now to support him. And no matter what's gone down between them, she will always be there for him.

"Felicity?" His voice is soft, but echoes across the room with ease. She turns at the base of the stairs to look at him and while the tension hasn't left his body entirely—he looks a little more at ease.

"Thank you."