Oliver came to a stop in the enclosed car park outside the new lair, his eyes flicking instantly towards Diggle's car. It was empty, of course. Diggle and Felicity had left before him, the other man offering to take her in his car given her injured ankle. Oliver had wanted to object, but Felicity had instantly agreed. He frowned, remembering how she had left his apartment without meeting his eyes and without a backward glance. It was as if she couldn't get out of there fast enough.

He climbed off his bike hurriedly, grabbing his bag and striding towards the lair. He needed to see her, if only to find out how she was feeling. If she was angry, he hoped he could explain. If she was hurt or confused, he would at least try to explain. If she regretted what happened… Oliver didn't want to think about that. He tried to tell himself that wasn't the issue, but he found it all too easy to think of reasons why she would regret becoming involved with him. He still believed that it was probably better for her to keep her distance, but he was starting to accept that the choice was hers. Oliver told himself he would respect her decision, no matter how much it might hurt.

He opened the security door to find a scene not unlike the one from the previous day. It was as if nothing had changed, although for him it felt as if everything had. Felicity was at her computers, eyes focused on her task, but he couldn't help seeing her differently now, now that he had felt her naked body beneath him and had heard her screaming his name in ecstasy. When Diggle moved towards him he realised he was staring, and quickly looked away.

"Any news?" he asked quietly, suddenly unwilling to attract Felicity's attention.

"Felicity's been gathering as much information as she can on the owners of the night club and the guy the police have in custody. Nothing surprising there really."

Diggle began moving towards the computers and Oliver followed warily in his wake, eyes constantly flicking towards Felicity. He was suddenly afraid there would be a repeat of the previous day, and he would have to watch her walking away from him once more. He felt a sharp stab of relief when she finally spoke.

"All I've got is some names and some old police files."

She sounded… normal. As if nothing had happened. Oliver frowned, but quickly adopted a neutral expression when she glanced his way.

"If you ask me, these guys are fairly small time. If it wasn't for the fact they've got someone in the military making some cash on the side by selling them arms, they would barely be a blip on the radar."

Felicity looked back towards her monitors and wrinkled her nose.

"Oh, here's the file on the nightclub owner. Simon Raine."

She paused, eyeing the file, and Oliver moved closer, ostensibly to get a look at the screen.

"Huh, he's kinda hot," Felicity said in surprise. She glanced over her shoulder towards Oliver and shrugged. "Must be a nightclub owner thing."

She turned back to her screens and continued pulling up files, still talking, but Oliver had stopped listening. He stared at the back of her head, mouth hanging open. Had she meant to say that out loud? He could have sworn she smiled when she looked at him. Diggle cleared his throat pointedly and Oliver looked towards him, his brow wrinkled in confusion.

"So, earlier you were saying you had a plan?" Diggle asked. He looked like he was struggling to hide a smile. For a moment Oliver had no idea what he was talking about.

"Yes. That's right," he said finally. He stepped back from Felicity's chair, needing some space to get his thoughts together, and pursed his lips. "Where are the weapons right now?"

"That's the funny thing," Felicity answered, spinning in her seat, "they're actually back at the Q club."

"The Q club. Ok," Oliver said hurriedly, refusing to dwell on the images that hit him when he pictured the nightclub.

"They must have realised that the police wouldn't be able to get another warrant once the first search came up empty," Diggle added. He turned towards Oliver. "Will that be a problem?"

"No," Oliver answered confidently. "That should work perfectly."

His eyes strayed towards Felicity again, who was watching him with a neutral expression.

"We need to call Detective Lance and set up a meeting for later. And, Felicity…" He hesitated, suddenly nervous. "I'll need you to come with me."

Oliver weaved through the city traffic, making his way towards the meeting point he had arranged with Detective Lance. It was late evening and the roads were reasonably clear, but he still felt the need to drive carefully. Behind him Felicity clutched his green leather suit tightly, her head buried against his back to shelter from the wind. She was still wearing the pink dress Diggle had brought her and Oliver belatedly realised she must be cold. He wished he had thought to give her a jacket.

He still hadn't had a chance to talk to Felicity alone, but she had agreed to his plan and come with him without any objections. Apart from that she had said little, but Oliver wasn't sure what that meant, or if it even meant anything at all. Diggle had been with them until they had left the lair, and he had no intention of talking to her about this morning until they were alone and sure not to be disturbed.

He rounded a corner and felt Felicity shift against him, her hands sliding along his waist. Oliver suddenly wondered if her fingers were cold. He thought of telling her to slip her hands beneath his jacket to warm them, and then frowned in annoyance as he realised how that would sound. He clenched his jaw, trying not to delude himself into reading anything into the fact that she was with him now, but there was a certain intimacy to the way that she was holding him, with her entire body pressed tightly against his, that made his thoughts stray in dangerous directions.

Oliver pulled into the empty warehouse where he had asked Detective Lance to meet them, his mouth twisting when he saw that the police officer was already there and waiting. He was starting to wonder if he would ever have a chance to speak to Felicity alone. He sighed deeply and felt Felicity's arms tighten in response. Instinct made him turn his head towards her, even though he could not see her expression and he knew that his own was hidden by his hood.

The detective was leaning against his car, his arms folded, eyeing them sourly as the bike rolled to a stop. Oliver dismounted and turned to help Felicity, offering her his hand. He saw her cheeks flush and her eyes flashed briefly to his as his gloved hand closed around her fingers.

"Miss Smoak," Detective Lance called from behind them, "it's good to see you again."

"Detective," Felicity answered, her voice warm. "Thanks for agreeing to this."

She smiled broadly but stayed close to Oliver, her hand still held in his. Oliver saw the detective's eyes narrow slightly as he noticed.

"The weapons are back at the Q club," Oliver said quickly, his voice warped and thickened by his modulator. "From what we can tell, they'll be in the storeroom beneath the club."

"You mean the same place you got me and my boys to search the last time?" Lance asked, his tone sharp.

"They moved them. They knew you were coming." Oliver was annoyed, but he was mostly distracted by the fact that Felicity still hadn't let go of his hand. She wound her fingers through his and squeezed gently, as if sensing his agitation.

"We're sure they're there now, detective," Felicity said brightly. "They think it's the last place you'll look. Besides, since you found nothing the last time, they know you won't get a warrant to look again. Which is why you have to go in on your own, obviously, without back-up." She gestured towards Oliver with her free hand. "Except for him, of course."

"Yeah. Lucky me."

"You and Felicity," Oliver said tightly. "She has to be there."

"I know," Lance responded, "I understood the first time you told me." He looked towards Felicity. "Well, you and I better get going then, Miss Smoak."

Oliver noticed that the detective's tone softened as he spoke to Felicity, and felt oddly grateful for it. He glanced at her as she took a step forward and tightened his grip on her hand, turning her towards him. When she looked up at him, the dim light of the warehouse darkened her eyes, making them look even larger than usual.

Oliver studied her for a moment, trying to read her, noting the question in her eyes as he scanned her face. "Be careful," he said quietly, the words directed at her alone. He saw her nod and begin to turn away but something made him tighten his grip further and pull her back towards him again. She was smaller than he was used to, in her flat shoes, and Oliver leaned down, holding her gaze with his.

"When this is done, you and I need to talk."

To his surprise she smiled, her eyes shining as she looked up at him.

"I know," she said softly.

Oliver held her gaze a moment longer, hoping his eyes could tell her everything he couldn't. Finally he released her hand, but instead of walking away Felicity suddenly stepped closer. Oliver saw the intent in her eyes before she moved, but still stood frozen when her hands slipped up inside his hood, her bare fingers stroking his neck. She leaned her body against his, raising herself up on her toes, and kissed him lightly on the lips. But then her mouth lingered and Oliver found himself wrapping his arms around her, pulling her closer against him as he felt her kiss deepen. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, her hands stroking the back of his neck while her body pressed tightly against his. Oliver responded hungrily, all thoughts and awareness banished by the sensation of Felicity in his arms. Finally she pulled back, gasping for breath, and dropped back down onto the soles of her feet. Her hands slipped down his chest as she looked up at him, and her mouth curved in a small smile.

"I've always wanted to do that," she whispered, biting her lip.

She stepped back and turned away from him, crossing towards Detective Lance's car, while Oliver stared after her, speechless. He swallowed, mentally shaking himself, trying to get his thoughts back in order. But his mouth cracked open in a large grin, one he was powerless to suppress. When he finally looked towards the detective, the other man was watching him from under his eyebrows.

"So you can smile," Lance observed dryly.

"Take care of her," Oliver growled, hoping that his modulator could make him appear sinister, even if his expression did not. "I'll be watching."

"Yeah," the detective said sardonically, "I bet you will."