The other Lance girl
AN: hey there guys, thank you once again for the awesome feedback. OK so I have another confesstion to make this was meant to be the last full chapter for episode one but it just go too long, when I hit twenty two pages on word I thought it was best to call it a day. The last two parts (Chapter four and the episode tag) will be going up next weekend. Sorry about the wait but I hope you enjoy this chapter, it is my favourite so far.
Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow, I'm not sure if I can even lay full claim to this story idea because there are an awful lot of Oliver and Felicity knew each other before the island stories out there, this is just my take on it.
Summary: Felicity Lance had not always been a Lance; her life began as a Smoak. She was adopted when she was nine and had lost everything. She went from being an only child to having two amazing Sisters. Laurel was always perfect while Sara was a free spirited wild child and Felicity; well Felicity was just the other Lance girl. When tragedy rocks not just the Lance's but Starling City as well Felicity has no choice but to step up and become the woman she never thought she could be.
Chapter 3
Coming home part 3
The next morning Felicity was up bright and early with every intention of making her way home but as with most things lately fate didn't agree with her plans. She kept getting way laid by different things.
The first was Moira stopping her to check if she had witnessed Oliver's episode (Moira word not hers) the night before. Of course Felicity had witnessed it, she had woken up to Oliver thrashing and bagging around in the room right next to hers. She had gone to check in on him just in time to see him almost choke the life out of Moira.
Felicity played down what she had seen to Moira but she still got a firm reminder that her discretion was expected in everything that involved Oliver. She had just barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes at Moira but she promised not to say anything to anyone.
The next thing to hold her up was Raisa insisting that she could not leave without eating anything. She made Felicity take a seat in the kitchen while she prepared one of her famous breakfast dishes.
Then Thea stopped into the kitchen to hug Felicity goodbye and remind her that just because Oliver was back didn't mean she was off the hook for their usual Friday night movie night. Internally Felicity admitted that if things didn't go well between her and Laurel today she might have to cancel on Thea for the first time in years but she didn't tell Thea that.
Just as Felicity thought she was finally going to get on the road her usually reliable Mini refused to start. That was how she found herself squashed into the so small it was almost pointless having it back seat of Tommy's sports car.
The boys had promised to drop her home before they started their day on the town but as she sat there listening to Tommy telling Oliver all about the gorgeous, sad, huggie women he had managed to bed at his best friends funeral, she got the distinct impression she had been forgotten.
"You two do remember I'm back here right?" she checked.
"Of course we do" Tommy shot back but his dismissive tone was not convincing. "FYI Ollie, Princess here is the worst wing person in the world" he told his friend.
"Really?" Oliver wasn't at all surprised. He knew Felicity was too honest to big Tommy up to some poor unsuspecting girl whose heart he would just end up breaking.
"Really Tommy said sounding exasperated "You can see for yourself at your welcome back bash".
"Welcome back bash?" Oliver questioned "Isn't that in kind of poor taste" he asked glancing at Felicity in the rear view mirror.
"Of course not man" Tommy insisted before Felicity could even open her mouth. "You came back from the dead a party is mandatory, just tell me when and where and I'll organize everything" he assured Oliver with one of his Hollywood smiles.
Tommy's smile faded the instant the car turned into the Glades. There were homeless people everywhere, fires burnt in barrels to provide some heat and the whole area seemed to stink of despair.
"This city's going to crap" Tommy sighed sadly looking around him. "Your Dad closed his factory just in time" he told Oliver noticing his Best friend was looking at the factory in question. "Why do you want to live here Felicity?" he asked his other best friend. He hated the thought of her living in a place like this and he couldn't help but worry about her.
"I don't exactly want to live here, it's all I can afford, we are not all billionaires you know" she told him "beside it's not really as bad as it is made out to be, people around here look out for one another" she assured him.
"I guess crime fighting doesn't pay that well" Oliver mused.
"What?" both Tommy and Felicity asked looking at him in confusion.
"well I just remember you had it all planed out" Oliver said sounding a bit unsure of himself "Laurel was going to law school to be a DA and you were going to MIT to be an IT specialist for SCPD, you were both going to work with your Dad and be a family of crime fighters" he even recalled that Sara was going to be a Cop just like Quentin but now was not the time to mention that.
"You remember that? I was thirteen when we came up with that plan" Laurel had been fifteen and Sara was only twelve. Felicity was genuinely surprised Oliver had remembered something that she had mostly forgotten about "a lot of things have changed since then" she admitted but we followed through on some of it. I went to MIT and Laurel did go to law school, she is a lawyer now but she works for the CNRB not the DA's office" she explained.
From her spot in the back of the car Felicity couldn't see the look that crossed Oliver's face when she mentioned Laurels work place but Tommy saw it clearly and he knew exactly what his friend was thinking.
"Oh no" he breathed "no, no, no Ollie that is a bad idea".
"What?" Felicity asked leaning as far forward as her seat belt would allow "what's a bad idea?"
"I have to see her" Oliver stated simply.
"Her? As in Laurel" Felicity clarified in shock.
"Almost everyone's happy that your alive Ollie, do you really want to go see the one of the few people who's not" Tommy asked incredulously.
"I have too" Oliver insisted.
"Oliver, please don't do this to yourself or her" Felicity begged him softly "Laurel didn't take the news well, she needs time and if you don't give it to her things won't end well for you" she warned him, trying to be the voice of reason.
"I need to make amends" Oliver explained twisting uncomfortably in an attempt to see Felicity's face.
"But you can't" she said sadly "you said so yourself" she reminding him of their discussion from the night before.
"I have to try" Oliver sighed resigning himself to the fact that seeing Laurel again was no going to be a pleasant experience.
Tommy and Felicity shared a look both of them excepting that they couldn't change Oliver's mind, no matter how badly they wanted to.
"OK Buddy" Tommy finally agreed as he turned the car towards the CNRI building. "But don't say we didn't warn you".
"Will you at least let me go in first and prepare her?" Felicity asked as the car stopped near the CNRI.
"As much as I would appreciate you making this easier on me I don't think that's such a good idea" Oliver sighed as he got out.
"Oliver she's my Sister-"Felicity began to plead with him but he cut her off with a firm look she had never seen before.
"Yes she is you Sister" he agreed "and I have caused enough problems between the two of you already, I won't add to that by letting you put yourself in her line of fire for me" with that he slammed the car door and marched away.
"She's going to eat him alive isn't she?" Tommy muttered into the sudden silence that filled the tiny car.
"Oh yeah" Felicity agreed humourlessly.
"Want to go and watch?" he asked shooting her an impishly grin.
"Not particularly" she sighed.
"But you're going to come with me anyway" Tommy stated as he got out.
"Someone's got to keep you out of trouble" she admitted as she climbed out after him.
Talking to Laurel was just as hard as Oliver had feared it would be. He had seen how unhappy she was to see him the instant she had laid eyes on him. That was a running theme whit the Lance girls, whatever they felt was usually written all over their faces. Of the three of them Sara had always been the best a hiding her emotions but even she wasn't that good at it.
Oliver was genuinely surprised that Laurel didn't have him thrown out of the CNRI without a word but she had always been the bigger person in their relationship.
"Felicity told me you went to Law school" Oliver almost cringed at his own opening line, so much for keeping Felicity out of this. "You said you would" he added quickly hoping to distract her from his mention of her younger Sister.
"Everyone's proud" Laurel commented in her best get on with it tone.
"Adam Hunt's a heavy hitter are you sure you want to get in the ring with him" he enquired trying to put off the conversation and its inevitable conclusion for as long as possible.
"Five years" Laurel stated flatly "you have been gone for five years and you really want to talk about my case?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest.
"No I don't" Oliver admitted almost regretfully.
"Then why are you here?" Laurel asked shortly.
"To apologise" Oliver sighed "everything that happened was my fault, I know that you know that already but I need to tell you myself" he explained "I also wanted to ask you not to blame her" he added softly.
"Which her?" Laurel seethed "Sara for making a stupid mistake and betraying me while she was at it or Felicity who refused to just let me hate you like I wanted to because she insisted on reminding me of all the good I once saw in you"
Oliver found himself momentarily speechless, he had come here planning to apologise and to do all he could to protect Laurel's memories of Sara. It had never occurred to him he would need to defend Felicity from Laurel's anger as well.
"How can I blame them for falling under your spell just like I did" Laurel barrelled on before Oliver could find his tongue. "Sara was my Sister and because of you I couldn't mourn her" she told him coldly.
"I never meant-"Oliver tried to interject but Laurel was on a roll.
"I couldn't grieve because I was so angry at her and I couldn't be mad at her because she was dead, that's what happens when your Sister dies screwing your Boyfriend" she hissed "and the one person that I thought would understand, that would always have my back spent the last five years defending both of you at every turn and being there for your family" it was suddenly clear to Oliver that for some reason Laurel was just as angry with her living Sister as she was with her dead one.
"Laurel, that's not fair-"he wanted to defend Felicity she was as innocent in all of this as Laurel herself.
"You know what else isn't fair" she cut in "we buried an empty coffin because Sara's body was at the bottom of the ocean, where you left her, it should have been you" she told him spitefully.
"I know it's too late and it changes nothing but I am sorry" Oliver apologised; he didn't think it would make any difference but he had to say it.
"I sorry too, I hoped you would have rotted in hell for a whole lot longer than five years" Laurel spat at him venomously before she marched away leaving a slightly broken Oliver Queen in her wake.
"How did the two of you think that would go?" Laurel asked Tommy and Felicity as she stalked past them, she didn't wait for an answer but Tommy gave her one anyway.
"About like that" he called after her.
"I think I need to talk to her" Felicity said, she hated to see Laurel so hurt and she hated that she was part of the reason for her pain even more.
"I think you're asking for trouble" Tommy warned "but we'll see you back at the car" he added knowing she wouldn't change her mind. Felicity flashed him a grateful smile before chasing after her Sister.
"Hey Laurel, wait up" Felicity yelled as she spotted the older woman just about to go back into the CNRI.
"What Felicity?" Laurel sighed turning to face the blond "have you come to tell me off for being too hard on Ollie" she asked scornfully.
"No" Felicity was shocked by Laurel's assumption "I wanted to see if you were OK, or at least as OK as you can be given the situation" she clarified.
"No" Laurel admitted "I don't think I am and I don't think I will be for a while" she continued to use the same cold tone she had directed at Felicity last night.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" the younger woman enquired.
"Don't ask me not to hate him" Laurel told her bluntly.
"Is it OK to ask you not to hate me?" Felicity asked in an attempt at levity. It was an attempt that back fired.
"Right now that feels like a lot to ask" Laurel stated coldly.
"Oh OK" Felicity didn't know how else to respond to a comment like that. "Well I'm going to go now, see around Laurel" she muttered feeling totally deflated and scurrying away.
A wave of guilt washed over Laurel as she watched the younger woman retreat. She knew it was really Oliver and Sara she should be mad at but Sara wasn't there and Felicity was, on top of that she was still backing Oliver even after everything that had happened. Laurel was hurt that Felicity didn't hate the resurrected man as much as she did but she also loved how open and forgiving her Sister was.
The lawyer needed time to sort out exactly how she felt but as soon as she did Felicity would be the first to know, she had already lost one Sister she was not going to let another go without a fight.
As Felicity trudged her way back to the alley Tommy had parked in she was debating asking the guys to drop her off at the precinct instead of home because right now she really needed one of her Dad's bear hugs.
Felicity was torn out of her musings by the sound of gun shots, gun shots that were coming from the alley way where the boys were meant to be waiting for her. For once in her life Felicity's body reacted before her brain had time to process what was happening, she was running into the alley even as her mind was yelling at her that she was going the wrong way.
When she skidded to a stop Tommy was out cold on the ground while Oliver was on his knees in the process of passing out as well. Neither of them seemed to be bleeding so she couldn't understand what the gun shots had been about, all they had done was attract unwanted attention. Then she saw the other man on the alley floor he was covered in blood and lying near one of the restaurant doors, the poor man must have stumbled upon the kidnapping.
Suddenly Felicity's insides froze as she realized she was now in the exact same position as that man had been just before he had been shot and chances were she was about to suffer the same fate as he had.
She wasn't the only one to notice the peril she was in, Oliver's hazy eyes landed on her and fear flashed across his face. An instant later one of the kidnappers spotted her as well, the man mountain raised his gun towards her and still Felicity couldn't make her feet move.
"Felicity run" Oliver managed to choke out just as he lost consciousness. As if she had been waiting for Oliver's order Felicity turned to make a run for it. She kept waiting for a bullet in the back but it never came.
She chanced a glance over her shoulder and saw one of the other goons was forcing muscles to lower his weapon. "Don't" he hissed "she's the cop's kid, you moron". The sight of the huge man being put in his place by his much smaller counterpart would have been funny in any other situation.
"Bring her back here" the small guy ordered and Felicity pushed herself to run faster in hopes of escaping but all she achieved was tripping over her own feet.
The huge guy had her before she could even get to her feet. Her Dad had insisted that all his girls take self defence classes, Felicity knew she should be able to get away from the guy with a few well placed kicks but he was both too strong and too fast for her. She never saw the blow that knocked her out coming, she was only aware of a brief but intense pain in her jaw before the world went black.
Light flooded Oliver senses as a cloth bag was pulled off of his head. He made sure to act more disorientated than he really was to make his captors believe he had gotten a full dose of their knock out drug of choice.
Catching the dart before it had hit his neck, then covertly jabbing it into his own wrist so that he could control his dosage wasn't really a plan, it was more like a reflex after all these years. It allow him to react to the drugs as the kidnappers expected him to but it also enabled him to come to sooner that he should and that gave him a advantage over his captors. He only wished Felicity had entered the alley before he had rendered himself useless to her.
Taking in his surroundings Oliver quickly spotted Tommy lying on the cold, hard ground of the warehouse they were being held in but there was no sign of Felicity. At first he believed she must have gotten away but that hope was shattered when he refused to answered the kidnapper's questions one time too many.
They had tazed him twice trying to get him to tell them if his Father had lived long enough to reach the island. Infuriated by Oliver's silence they decided by step up their interrogation by opening up a rickety storage shed to reveal a brushed and scared looking Felicity and as far as Oliver was concerned they had just signed their own death warrants.
Felicity was conscious but gagged to keep her quiet; she was also sporting a huge burse on her jaw line. Oliver's eyes flashed from kidnapper to kidnapper until he identified that the biggest of the three was the only one with hands large enough to have inflicted the damage. He held a special kind of hatred for the man that had dared to lay a hand on Felicity; there was no question in Oliver's mind that he was going to make him pay dearly.
"Here's how this is going to work Mr Queen" the scrawny little leader told him "I ask the questions, you answer the questions and we don't shoot your lovely little friend here, you don't answer and we fill her full of holes" he grinned sickeningly while the big guy holding Felicity mimed shooting her with his finger before pushing her back into the shed he had pulled he out of and slammed to door behind her.
"Got to make it fun" the huge guy said pointing his gun at the closed door. Oliver couldn't wait to show him what real fun was.
Snapping the zip ties that bound him to his chair and taking out the kidnappers was almost too easy for Oliver, they got off a few shots but none of them even came close to touching him. He chased the last of them down, he just so happened to be the man that had hurt Felicity.
Oliver wanted to hurt him so badly but he could hear Felicity's voice in his head, begging him not to, she would never want anyone to suffer on her account not even the scum that had kidnapped and hurt her.
He ended the man's life as quickly and painlessly as he could but he did make sure he told him what he was paying for. "You killed that man and you hurt my friend" he hissed, it wasn't until the man was gone that Oliver admitted his other motivation "no one can know my secret" he whispered into the silent air.
Racing back to the warehouse where his friends were being held Oliver was shocked to find Tommy was not only awake but cradling a bleeding Felicity in his arms. Felicity did not look very with it but she was still conscious.
"What happened?" Oliver demanded at the same moment Tommy turned to yell at him.
"Where were you?" his dark haired friend spat.
Oliver fell to his knees beside his friends before he explained himself. "Some guy in a hood took out two of the kidnappers" he said pointing towards the kidnapper's bodies. "The third one took me with him; I guess he thought he could use me to save himself"
"What happened?" Tommy asked.
"It didn't work" Oliver snapped he couldn't believe Tommy was asking pointless questions while Felicity was whimpering and bleeding in his arms. He could only put it down to shock.
"Are you OK, Oliver?" Felicity managed to ask though teeth that were clenched in pain.
"I'm fine" Oliver reassured her softly "and you are going to be to, Tommy's going to get help while I take care of you" he told her.
"Help, right, I'm getting help" Tommy agreed glad that someone was taking charge. He was desperately wishing that the kidnappers hadn't taken their phones because having them now would make things so much easier. He handed Felicity off to Oliver and grabbed a nearby wooded pallet so she didn't need to lie on the floor like he had for the last few hours, then he took off as quickly as his feet could carry him.
Without Tommy hovering around Oliver was able to focus on Felicity and her wound. He lay her down on the pallet that Tommy had pulled over and turned his attention to her arm which was where the blood was coming from.
"Talk to me Felicity" he ordered "tell me what happened".
"I don't know" Felicity groaned closing her eyes in pain "ow, ow, ow, did I get shot?" she asked sounding shocked.
"Yeah, I think you did" Oliver told her as he cut her blouse sleeve with a small knife he had pulled from his boot, Felicity briefly wondered when he had started carrying a knife but that thought was chased away by a rush of relief that she had changed her top that morning she would never have forgiven Oliver for cutting up her comfort jumper, even if he had a very good reason.
Felicity's head was getting all swimmy and she suddenly just wanted to sleep she wondered if Oliver would notice if she dozed off.
"Felicity" he called in a warning tone apparently he would notice. "Felicity I need you to open your eyes" he told her firmly and with a great effort Felicity was able to comply.
"That's my girl" Oliver prised hoping his encouragement would keep her with him. The wound on her arm was thankfully nothing more than a bullet graze but she had lost enough blood that it was important to keep her awake.
"This is nothing" he assured her "your are going to need stitches but not many" he promised knowing how much she hated sharp pointy things. "I'm going to wrap it to keep it clean" he said holding up the sleeve he had chopped off to show her what he was going to use "then all we have to do is wait for Tommy and the cavalry" he told her trying to keep things light.
"Where did you learn all this Oliver?" Felicity asked groggily.
"I watch a lot of action movies" Oliver answered in an off handed manner as he bandaged his friends arm with her own sleeve. He knew that if Felicity wasn't in so much pain she would have been the first person to point out that hadn't seen an action film in the last five years, but as it was she just sat there biting her lip and making a concerted effort to stay awake. It was then that Oliver noticed the beginnings of a burse on her temple that had not been there earlier.
"Felicity, did you hit your head?" he asked her firmly.
"Not badly" she said trying to keep her answers short. The world was beginning to spin and Oliver was starting to look kind of blurry, that could have been down to the loss of her glasses but she didn't think it was.
"Felicity, stay with me" Oliver called but Felicity didn't understand why, she hadn't gone anywhere. She was vaguely aware of sirens in the distance but they were getting harder and harder to focus on.
"Do you hear that Felicity?" Oliver asked her, she tried to nod her head but it wouldn't move. "That's help coming, Tommy's bringing you help, you have to stay awake long enough to thank him" he insisted but Felicity just couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.
"Felicity open your eyes!" Oliver yelling at her was the last thing she heard before her world went dark for the second time that day.
Funnily enough the first thing Felicity became aware of when to was yet more yelling but this time it wasn't Oliver's voice it was her Father's
"Are you trying to get all of my daughters killed" he shouted at someone, she assumed it was Oliver. "Wasn't one of them enough for you" her Dad raged and Felicity's heart hurt for him.
"Dad" she croaked hoping he would hear her.
"Felicity" Quentin Lance was at her side in an instant. "Felicity" he whispered "your OK sweetheart" he tried to reassure his daughter as he helped her to sit up. Felicity could finally see who else was in the hospital room with them.
Her Dad's partner Detective Lucas Hamilton stood near the door, Tommy was sat at the window and Oliver was hovering at the end of her bed. All of the men were looking very worried and slightly uncomfortable.
"Yeah" Felicity agreed with her Father's statement "I'm OK, thanks to Oliver and Tommy" she told him.
"Yeah, I heard all about how they saved you, after putting you in danger in the first place" Quentin said dismissively.
"Dad, stop it" Felicity reprimanded him and Hamilton had to cover his laugh with a cough. Laughing at your partner when he was put in his place by his bed bound daughter was not something a good partner did; sometimes Lucas wished he wasn't such a good partner.
"Do you feel up to answering some questions Miss Lance?" Hamilton asked once he had recovered from his cough, he and Quentin had decided it was best if he conducted the interview while his partner took on the role of the concerned parent of the victim.
Felicity talked them though everything that happed after she left Laurel at the CNRI, detective Hamilton dutifully noted down everything she said. No one had any input while she talked save for the odd growl that her Father let slip over what had happened to her.
It wasn't until she reached the point in her story where she was been returned to the shed after being threatened at gun point that Hamilton interrupted to ask her a question.
"Did you see this man at any point during your abduction?" he asked handing her an artists sketch. Felicity had to squint to see it properly without her glasses; the picture was of a man with a strong jaw line wearing what looked like a cape.
"No" she said after a moment "Is he the one who saved us?" she asked.
Her Father cut in before Hamilton could answer her "according to Mr Queen he is, all Mr Merlyn saw was a blur" Felicity could hear the disbelief in her Dad's voice loud and clear.
"Well I saw even less that that" she told him " I bumped my head when the big guy threw me back in that little shed thing and once I heard the gun's going off I hit the ground" she explained quickly.
"Not that it did me any good" she commented looking at her bandage arm sadly.
"Hey, hey it's OK" her Dad said taking the hand of her good arm in his. "Let's slow down" he instructed smoothly. "What happed after the gun's started going off?" he asked.
"Not not much" Felicity admitted "It got quiet and I came out. Tommy was out cold on the floor and Oliver wasn't there, I managed to wake Tommy up but then my head started to really hurt and then things get kind of hazy" she told them feeling like she was kind of failing at the whole being a witness thing.
Quentin could see how defeated his Daughter felt and he couldn't have that. "You did good kid" assured her "and as for your arm the Doc say it's only a graze and you got yourself a grand total of four stitched, not bad for the kid that would never get her flew shot" he told her with a grin.
A moment later the hospital room door swung open to reveal Moira Queen and Walter Steel. "Detectives" Moira greeted coolly "I would rather you not question my son without me present" she informed them.
"Your son is a grown ass man" Quentin shot back at her. He was usually able to be at least civil to the Queen's for Felicity's sake if nothing else but usually she wasn't hospitalised because Oliver Queen had gotten her kidnapped.
The Busyness woman and the Detective glared fiercely at one another from across the room. Detective Hamilton thought it was best that he intercede seen as he knew nether of them were going to back down anytime soon.
"Mrs Queen, your son is here as a witness not a suspect, he has already voluntarily given his statement. The only reason he is still here now is because he refused to leave until miss Lance came around" he explained formally.
At the mention of Felicity Moira's eyes flicked to the girl in the bed "Felicity dear, how are you feeling?" she enquired her tone was a strange mix of disinterest and concern.
"I'm alright thank you Moira" Felicity reassured the older woman.
"Well I'm glad to hear that" Moira Commented.
"All thanks to Oliver and Tommy, they were real heroes" Felicity once again praised her friends.
Moira gave her a tight smile and Tommy looked a slightly embarrass but Oliver didn't react to her comment at all, he just remained motionless at the end of her bed as if he were standing guard of her.
That was when Moira decided it was time to leave, she silently usher Tommy towards the door and tugged on Oliver's arm to encourage him to come along too. Just as Oliver was turning to follow his Mother Tommy decided to speak up for the first time since Felicity had come to.
"You know what?" he announced throwing his hands up in the air "I am not going anywhere without saying a proper goodbye to Felicity". Oliver didn't say anything but stood firm at Tommy's side also reusing to leave.
Moira didn't look too happy but she didn't say anything negative instead she smiled that tight smile again. "Don't keep Felicity too long boys, she needs her rest" she reminded them as she disappeared out of the door followed by her husband.
"Come on Quentin, I will buy you some bad Hospital coffee" Hamilton offered in hopes of giving the youngsters some privacy. Felicity shot him a grateful smile but her Dad looked even less happy than Moira had.
"I'll be fine Dad" Felicity promised him "I'm not going to go anywhere" she swore.
"You better not" Quentin sighed "or I'm locking you in a jail cell just so I know where you are" He told her. Tommy gave a slight laugh but Felicity wasn't sure her Dad was joking he gave her a hard look and a kiss on the forehead before following his partner out of the room.
Tommy gave the detectives about three seconds to get clear before he rushed to Felicity's bed side and hugged her as tightly as he dared with her bad arm.
"Don't you ever do that to us again" he ordered "do you know how scared we were?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Felicity said "and if it any comfort, I think I have had enough adventure for a while" she smiled.
"A while" Tommy shot back "try ever, from now on you run away from gun shots not towards them, got it" he clarified.
"Got it" she agreed as Tommy finally let go of her.
"Oh" he gasped "be sure to wear a dress that shows of you wound at tomorrow night's party, I intend to tell every girl I see that I helped to save your life" he told her smiling widely.
"Tommy I've been shot" Felicity complained, she thought if anything would get her out of Oliver's party it would be a bullet wound.
"It's just a graze, even your Dad says you're going to be fine" he said as he made his way to the door of her hospital room "I told you one day I would make a decent wing person of you, seems I finally have, nine o'clock, don't be late" Tommy shot her one last charming grin before leaving her and Oliver alone.
Felicity was still giggling at Tommy's antics when she turned her attention to Oliver but all laughter fled as soon as she laid eyes on him. She had never seen Oliver so look so dark and brooding before it was genuinely quite unnerving.
"Oliver what's wrong?" she asked in concern.
"What's wrong is you could have died today Felicity and there was nothing I could do about it" he told her sadly
Oliver was beating himself up for what had happened to her, well that was going to stop right now. "OK 1) I was nowhere near death Oliver and 2) you did do something, you and Tommy both did, I meant what I said about you being heroes. You really did save the day"
"I think the guy in green did that" Oliver stated just sadly as before.
"No" Felicity insisted "what he did was kill three guys that should be in a jail cell right now, you are the one who saved me" she told him with a gentle smile. "Don't get me wrong Olive I am glad he swooped in to save us but I also believe there had to be another way he could have saved us, those were not good men but they didn't deserve to die" she sighed.
Oliver sighed too and for moment she thought she saw a flash of shame race across his face but it was gone so quickly she couldn't be sure. "I guess your right" he admitted
"Oliver I'm always right" she grinned at him "now you better go your Mom is waiting and I am not fit enough to deal with a put out Moira Queen" she warned.
"OK" Oliver agreed leaning over to hug her just like Tommy had "but do me a favour and stay out of trouble, I just got back and I can't lose you again" he told her solemnly.
"I'll do my best" she promised, she wanted to give him something more solid but she wouldn't make him a promise she couldn't keep.
Oliver didn't comment on the flimsiness of her promise he just kissed her cheek and left with mixed emotions. Part of him was over the moon that Felicity wasn't enamoured with the enigma that had saved them, keeping her safe would be much easier that way but another part of him felt uneasy. The thought of Felicity disliking any part of him didn't sit well with him but he was going to have to get use to it, because The Hood had just arrived in Starling City and he had a lot of work to do.
Thanks for reading, any and all feedback is gratefully received.
Thanks again Millie xXx