Chapter 4 – Be good

AN – While my plan is for weekly updates, there may be times like now that I'm a day or two late! I hope you'll be patient and stick with me as Olicity is now with us (and just so much fun to write)! This one is a little short too but hopefully you'll enjoy it!

DISCLAIMER – No change to legal status, no change to my plan to play without profit!

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"So we have the bad guys from tonight, the woman in white, the new millionaire…who else is on our list?"

"Whoever is sending you messages." Oliver was somehow next to Felicity though no one had seen him move. His frown was in place and his words had been growled out through clenched teeth. His expression even more than his words worried Thea and Roy and they exchanged frowns. Felicity, however, smiled and met Oliver's eyes as the touch of his hand on her shoulder was firm but gentle and comforting.

"Messages? What messages?" Roy asked in surprise and annoyance.

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Felicity ignored Roy to focus on Oliver as she knew the subject always made him tense. "It had gotten boring anyway…not that you are boring, you're the exact opposite of boring and there are times I can't keep up with you really—" As Felicity rambled, her mind was also screaming for someone to shut her up and it seemed Oliver heard her mental ramblings too.

Thea's eyes widened first at the blonde's word and then again when Oliver pulled her up from her seat and kissed her. She had grown up seeing her big brother with a variety of girls and he hadn't exactly been an angel when he had returned from the island either but there was something different about his relationship with Felicity. She wasn't even really his type at least not the type he had been with - Thea found her thoughts interrupted as Roy started laughing.

"That's certainly one way to stop Felicity from rambling but I'm guessing you are the only one who can do it." Roy continued chuckling but soon found himself staring at an Oliver who had morphed into Arrow mode without him even noticing. He took a step back but Oliver continued to glare at him.

"Yes, Roy – only Oliver." Felicity agreed as she stepped between the two men.

Roy immediately stepped to ensure that he was completely behind Felicity and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. He was grateful when Felicity pushed Oliver back and even turned him back to the screen as she returned to their original topic. Only the bright pink on her cheeks revealed that she was still flustered and Roy ignored that just as he ignored Thea's smirk.

"Several weeks ago, there were some breaches of my security. Small things, almost inconsequential but then they started to form a message. There were articles from scientific journals and newspapers, even an ARGUS transmission. It was obvious someone thought we needed to understand something so we started researching. Next we got coordinates which pinpointed Starling City and then came a warning that my family was in danger. There's really only my mom and me and Oliver sent a friend to protect her even though she's not in Starling City. You guys are here though so we started making plans to come back." Felicity's words flew out and only Oliver's hand on the small of her back reminded her to breathe. She leaned back into him and took several breaths as she tried to ignore Thea and Roy staring at her.

Thea realized that she had only picked up some of the words as Felicity's spoke quickly and the words she'd caught didn't make that much sense. She turned first to Ollie but found him entirely focused on Felicity as he actually turned the woman into his chest and gave her a tight hug. Switching her gaze to Roy she found him frowning - he didn't look confused but angry though. Thea frowned herself as she definitely felt confused.

For his part, Roy hadn't forgotten how to follow Felicity's ramblings but he still had questions. The fact that both Oliver and Felicity were tense was an obvious sign that there was reason to be. "Was the message only that something big was going on and it was Starling City? Where are the articles?"

"Here." Felicity pulled back from Oliver to bring up the data on the big screen. "An explosion in Corto Maltese, a bankrupt company in Hong Kong, university experiments on a meteor from twenty years ago. We still don't know the connection but I have searches running and I'll update them with the new names and faces too."

Roy smiled at Felicity as he stepped closer and placed hand on her arm. "We'll figure it out. Your mom's safe and we're all back…well, almost all of us." Thoughts of Diggle made Roy frown again as he hadn't gotten good answers from the man on his whereabouts.

Thea saw the change in Roy's expression but before she could speak she saw Felicity cover Roy's hand with her own. She also noticed that Oliver moved closer to Felicity though she hadn't actually seen him far from the blonde the entire time they had been back. It was clear the trio was close and she couldn't help but feel slightly jealous and still a little confused.

"Diggle is still on assignment with ARGUS—"Felicity began but Oliver cut in.

"He keeps taking assignments." Oliver knew his friend was still angry with him but it had angered him that Diggle had left Thea on her own.

"Oliver." Felicity's tone was sharp but her touch was gentle as she covered his mouth with a finger. Her hand then caressed his jaw and slid down to rest on his chest as she continued. "We all needed a break and he chose to stay close to Lyla. You can't blame him for that."

Roy gave them a moment before he spoke again. "So what's our plan then?"

"We need more intel." Oliver nodded to Felicity who brought up a new picture on the screen.

"Hey! That's the new millionaire." Thea spoke up as she was excited to be part of the conversation again.

"Yes, Damian Darkh." Oliver confirmed with a nod to Thea before he continued. "He owns the warehouse you searched tonight."

"He's into drugs and running for Mayor?" Surprise was obvious in Thea's tone as her searches hadn't brought up that information. "Do you think the guys tonight were his?"

"I don't think it's drugs but yes, I think the men were his. He was a student of Ra's al Ghul but runs his own organization now." Oliver frowned at the screen as he remembered narrowly missing the man earlier.

"Another League?" Roy asked in concern as past associations with Ra's hadn't been favorable despite Nyssa's assistance with Slade.

Thea actually took a step back as her mind swirled with half memories. She still hadn't gotten all of her memories back from when Malcolm had drugged her but there were times she had flashes. The conversation continued around her and a distant part of her brain noted the half sentences and easy touches shared between the group. The biggest part of her brain was focused on whether or not her father would seek them out and offer help. They hadn't maintained contact but she knew that he kept an eye on her whether she wanted him to or not. It was Roy's words and a slightly familiar name that pulled her back from the darkness of her memories and fears.

"Barbara Gordon." Roy had remained suspicious of the doctor at Laurel's bedside but it wasn't until he saw the full scope of plot that he felt the need to include her.

"Who's that?" Oliver asked as Felicity typed the name into her computer.

"She was the doctor in Laurel's hospital room and there was just something off about her. Just a gut feeling." Roy really couldn't offer more than that but at Oliver's nod he knew that it was enough.

"She was just a doctor and someone who believes Laurel will be fine." Thea heard the sharpness of her tone and intentionally relaxed and took a breath before she continued. "I don't think every new face in Starling City is really against us. Do you?"

Roy, Oliver and Felicity exchanged serious looks as they remembered just how many new people had been against him, how many times they had fought to protect the city and each other. Thea caught the looks and felt her own tension rise once more. Since they had all left, she had taken on mostly gangs and petty thugs, she hadn't had to deal with an earthquake machine nor had she actually fought Slade. Fear crept along her nerves and she opened her mouth to question them but Oliver spoke.

"Roy, check in with your sources tonight. Thea, we'll do a patrol and then we'll meet Roy to check out that warehouse again." Oliver's tone was similar to a commander directing his troops even as he turned to Felicity. "You continue to research—"

"I've got this. I'm also going to check in with Diggle and Barry." Felicity spoke over him but she then grinned. Much as she rambled, Oliver had a tendency to be very dark, distant and brooding.

Thea's eyes widened as the blonde pulled Oliver to her for a hard kiss before she pushed him away and turned back to her computers. The easy grin on her brother's face was another surprise to Thea but so she was even more shocked when Felicity spoke to all of them as the woman's tone was just commanding as Oliver's had been.

"Keep your comms open and check-in regularly. Now get out of here as I have work to do." Felicity heard them moving behind her but she didn't look back until she felt Oliver close to her. She turned to him and stepped close.

Oliver noticed both Thea and Roy pausing at the steps but his focus was on Felicity. Gently, he ghosted a hand from her temple to cup her cheek. He still couldn't promise to return to her but he would move heaven and earth to try and he needed her to know that.

"Felicity—"

Felicity again placed a finger over Oliver's lips as she smiled at him – hearing her name on his lips would never grow old. They had said good bye many times when she hadn't been sure if she would see him again. Her heart broke a little each time but she accepted that as the price she had to pay for being with the man she loved. Moving her hand down to rest on his heart, she leaned close to nearly whisper her words against his lips.

"I know. Go be good hero."

Their lips met in a tender kiss – their hands remained still and their bodies only lightly touching. It wasn't a kiss of passion but one of tenderness, faith and hope that they would have more time together in the future.

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Lesson #8 - Even Oliver's super human control has its limits – there's no shame in standing behind Felicity during those times.