Felicity

I wring my hands together, pacing the length of the foundry floor, waiting for him to return. With one eye on Sarah in her playpen and the other on the entrance waiting for the worst, I try to hold back the sobs that threaten to wrack my body. Fear and anger flow through me at an unprecedented rate, surging my blood pressure to probably dangerous levels, but there's no stopping it. I bite my bottom lip as I replay his words over in my head, spoken as though they were his last. Damn him, he's not supposed to die, not yet; not before I've told him.

With a red streak the door flies open, I ache at the sight of Oliver now lying on the med table in front of me and I realise I'm alone. I inwardly thank Barry for finding him so quickly and bringing him to me, and I get to work whilst hoping Barry has gone to fetch the rest of the team because I need help. Before I have even managed to remove Oliver's green jacket, there is a gust of wind that swirls around me and Diggle is standing next to me, setting himself to work. I press vehemently against Oliver's chest to stem the bleeding while Diggle works on setting up a transfusion with the bags of Oliver's blood that I have already laid out next to us.

I'm not sure when she got here but suddenly Lyla's hand is on my arm and she's beckoning for me to step away so she can take over. It is only then that I realise it's because I'm shaking and barely able to keep myself upright. I resist anyway, he's my lover, my partner, my soul mate and I'm not leaving him, I can't. I watch with a lump in my throat as my tears drip onto his chest below and mix with the blood that is seeping from his wound, forcing something in me to let Lyla take over.

"Please don't let him die" I whisper before moving away and somehow falling into Thea's arms. I'm exhausted and nauseous and the comfort of her embrace is all I need to have my river of emotions flow out of me, sobbing into the red of her leather jacket.

Sometime later, when the furore has died down and Oliver has been stabilised, Thea pulls away from our embrace as we sit huddled on the floor, and takes my hand in hers.

"He's strong, he'll pull through" she offers. I nod in thanks for her words of comfort and look on with a sense of curiosity as she peruses my hands, that lay loosely in hers. I can't tell, but I'm sure my eyebrow raises in confusion when she asks;

"Where's your ring?" clearly my confusion translates to her and her face turns from one of concern to one of shock and possible mortification. "Oh, you know what, forget I said anything" she backtracks only serving to fuel my inquisitiveness.

"Thea?" I question and her hand pulls from mine as she forces herself to stand. I mirror her movement and when I try to question her again she speaks

"He called me last week, said he was going to propose. I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything"

"It's okay" I assure her, my heart aching for the man lying beside me. I watch as Diggle makes him more comfortable and I can't help the bittersweet smile that erupts on my face; I can't believe he was going to propose. That thought alone has me using all of my remaining energy to not release the sob that is bubbling through my chest. Thinking back to last week It dawns on me why he didn't.

"Something happened last week. I think he probably felt that the timing was wrong"

It's Theas turn to be confused "What do you mean? What happened?"

"Not now Thea" I tell her in a whisper as I gaze back at Oliver on the table. I lean over an press a kiss to his lips, pouring every ounce of love I have for him into it, his lips are dry and warm to the touch and the feel of his skin on mine is truly soothing. Diggle approaches me, and in response I turn more aggressively than I than I mean to and holding nothing back I speak the words I have been holding back since Sarah's rescue.

"No, Don't you dare. No. This is because of you. This is because he put your Daughter's life before his own. You do not get to comfort me until you realise what he has done for you."

"Felicity" Diggle argues but I shoot him down instantly.

"No, John. No. I do Not condone what he did in Nanda Parbat, you better than anyone should know that. But he did it from a place of love. He was trying to protect us all, protect our City. He needed Ra's to think he had left his old life behind"

"Yes" John yells as he moves closer "And to do that he took my Wife and left my daughter alone"

"Johnny" Lyla warns him

"Yes." I continue, my finger pointing into the firmness of his chest "He took Lyla because he knew that she could cope, she's trained. And he didn't leave your daughter alone! Maseo was with her hiding, the entire time. He would never have let her be harmed. Never. And because of his need to protect those he loves, especially Sarah, he's lying half dead on that table!"

A sudden silence falls down around us, the crescendo of my rant still echoing in our ears as Diggle I remain face to face. His gaze leaves mine and settles on the ceiling above him, a hand scrubbing the grime of the nights events from his face. He nods, in what I assume is disbelief as he peers over to who was once his best friend.

"Why didn't he tell me?"

I open my mouth to speak, but the words are forced back down my throat by a tightening across my stomach , and it's agony. All the breath leaves my lungs in one fell swoop and I double over, unable to hide my suffering from my friends.

"Felicity?" Thea shouts, as she races towards me, her eyes searching mine, asking if I'm okay. The pain subsides and I straighten up, Diggle's beside me now and he places his arm around my waist. I compose myself momentarily, trying to swallow the fear that is bubbling inside of me. My baby, there must be something wrong. I look around the room; a room full of people that love me, none of which know that I'm pregnant and I've never felt so alone. I need to get to a hospital, and I don't know to how to explain it away without telling them, but he deserves to be the first to know.

My throat constricts under the pressure of the emotions that are consuming me. As my fingers cling further into the flesh of Diggle's arm in fear, another cramp swarms through me, followed by a warmth pooling in my groin. I buckle and relent begging Diggle to get me to a hospital and he immediately tightens his arm around my waist leading me towards the door. When I hear the concern in Thea's voice shouting after me, unable to follow in her Red Arrow gear, I turn and utter the two words I've been trying to say to Oliver for weeks

"I'm pregnant"