A/N: This is the 'bank hostage' trope. Glad you're still liking these. Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think!

The tires squealed as Digg skidded to a halt, half on the curb. Oliver jumped from the car before it was fully stopped.

Starling National and Trust loomed overhead, casting dark shadows over the plaza in front of them. Already the space was filled with police cars, SWAT vans, and ambulances. The media wouldn't be far behind.

He'd been talking to Laurel on the phone, as Digg drove him to a nearby coffee shop. He'd barely spoken to her since he'd been back and he was trying to put his past to rights. She'd told him she needed to stop in at the bank and then she'd be on her way.

She was excited to tell him about her new job. There was an ease to their conversation that made him think things wouldn't be awkward. And then he'd heard her gasp, and what sounded like gunfire before there was shouting and her frantic voice calling his name. Then there had been nothing.

Oliver ignored a uniformed officer who was beginning to string yellow police tape, running past him and heading straight for a familiar figure.

"Lance!" Oliver shouted. Detective Lance stood talking to a man decked out in full combat gear carrying an automatic rifle.

"Queen, what the hell are you doing here, get back across the line." Lance ordered, already turning his attention away.

"Laurel's in there!" Oliver yelled as he came to a halt. Lance turned slowly, his face paling.

"What did you say?"

"Laurel's in there. I was talking to her right as she went in. She was supposed to meet me for coffee afterwards." Everything in him screamed to put the hood on, find a vantage point on a neighboring building, and find a way in.

He could see the stark terror on Lance's face before he quickly let a hardened mask drop. "Get across the line, Queen." he barked before motioning to two nearby officers to make sure Oliver did as requested.

Oliver angrily shook off their hands as he ducked under the police tape to find Digg waiting for him. His jaw was set and there was a look in his eyes Oliver had never seen before.

A phone was shoved in Oliver's face and he looked at it in confusion. Why would Digg be giving him his phone while Laurel was trapped inside the bank? When he looked down he was surprised to see it was a text from Felicity sent to both Digg and Oliver.

'inside sn&t. 5 shooters. hiding.'

Cold fear washed over him. Felicity was inside.

Restraint was no longer an option. He didn't say a word to Digg, and he didn't need to. They were both heading back to the car at a run, their new mission set in an unspoken agreement.

Digg found a mostly deserted street two blocks away. The sounds of sirens still cut through the air, and propelled Oliver to move faster as he grabbed his bag out of the trunk and ducked back into the car to change.

He slipped a comm link into his ear as he ran silently through alleyways, bow clutched securely in his hand. He knew Digg would already be pulling up blueprints of the bank and the surrounding buildings.

The structure behind the bank looked abandoned. With one long leap he was on the second floor of the fire escape. He took the steps three at a time heading for the security of the roof.

Digg suddenly spoke in his ear, "She's calling your phone."

"Patch her through!" he ordered, his feet continued to move as he listened for the sound of Digg answering the line.

"Felicity. Stay quiet. Don't draw any attention to yourself." he said as soon as the line was active, not wanting her in any more danger than she was already in. "I'm looking for a way in now."

He could hear how the breath caught in her throat, and her fear made him angry. "Oliver..." she said so quietly it was almost inaudible and he froze.

"Felicity! Stay quiet!" he hissed, not understanding why she'd be risking herself to talk to him.

But she ignored him, "Laurel's here too."

Ice ran through his veins. She was taking the chance of calling him, to tell him about Laurel, because she was Felicity and she put him first, every time.

"I know, now get off the line." he ground out, hating how frustrated he sounded, and hoping she didn't think he was upset with her. He just needed her to be safe.

He heard her start to say something and then a startled scream. It took every ounce of control he had not to yell her name.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A little mouse hiding out? Calling the police were you?" he heard a low voice say, away from the phone.

"N...no." Felicity stammered out, terror in her voice.

"Not the police? Then who could you have been calling?" the voice said again.

There was a pause before Felicity answered, "My...my boyfriend."

Oliver could tell she was lying, but hopefully the bank robbers wouldn't be able to. Calling your boyfriend when you were trapped in a bank as a hostage made sense, calling your employer didn't.

The ruse worked for half a minute, until whoever had found her must have looked at the phone, "Oliver Queen? That's your boyfriend?" he asked, incredulous.

Even from feet away, Felicity's gasp was clear through the receiver.

"Yo, boss! You'll never guess the present that just dropped into our laps. Blondie here is dating the richest dude in the city!"

Oliver's stomach rolled. Felicity had just become the most valuable hostage in the bank, and the robber's biggest bargaining chip.

He cursed under his breath and started moving again. The leap to the rooftop of the bank was wide, but he didn't think, he just did it, rolling over his shoulder and coming up in a crouch as he headed to the edge of the roof.

"Mr. Queen, are you still there? How nice of you to loan us your pretty little girlfriend for the time. I'd hate for something to happen to her." a different voice was on the phone now.

He knew he shouldn't respond, but keeping silent was impossible. "If you touch her I will kill you!" he ground out, not caring how much he sounded like the Hood then. In some distant part of his mind he recognized the reverberation when he spoke that indicated he'd been put on speaker phone.

The voice just laughed, "I'm sure we'll be talking in the future." the tone was a threat. "Now, why don't you tell your rich playboy you love him and we can get back to business." the man directed at Felicity.

Oliver's breath caught in his chest until her heard her. He could almost see her, eyes wide and frightened, face pale with fear as she tried to stay brave. "Oliver...I..." she swallowed heavily, "I love you." she whispered, and then the line was dead.

Oliver swore vehemently as he peered over the edge and looked down. He couldn't even think about what he'd just heard.

"She's going to be their focus now." Digg said unnecessarily,

"I know that!" Oliver bit back, but he had to push it aside. He had to focus. Emotions would do nothing but get her hurt...or worse.

He needed to get off the roof and inside. SWAT teams would be looking for any way in and if he was spotted it would only make his task that much more difficult.

There was a roof top access door but it was locked. Without pause he used one of the arrows with the exploding tips and had pushed through before the smoke had cleared.

He'd been in the bank before and knew there was a wide mezzanine level above the main floor. As silently as possible he ran down three flights of stairs before ducking into a nondescript hallway.

A woman poked her head out and gave a startled squeak when she saw him. "Stay inside and lock the door." he growled, not breaking stride.

Through a set of glass double doors he could see the open mezzanine. The lighting in the hallway was bright, but the main floor of the bank mostly depended on giant windows to provide light. Luck was on his side; the angle of the sun left the side he was on in shadow.

He opened the door slowly, staying low and was able to slip out without a sound. Every noise made on the bank floor echoed in the space. He could hear frightened people crying, and whimpering.

Movement caught his eye on the other side of the level he was on. A gunman patrolled the balcony, his attention looking down on everyone below him.

Oliver resisted the urge to peer over the side. He wanted to see her. He wanted to know she was okay, even if she was frightened. He wanted her to know he was there. But he knew he had to eliminate the threat first.

He was halfway across the balcony on the right when a barrage of noise sounded from the bank lobby. Oliver ducked behind an overly large potted palm and watched the man, only fifty feet from him grin evilly before aiming his gun at the people below.

There was no hesitation, the arrow caught him straight in the chest, propelling him backwards, his gun falling uselessly by his side. The shouting from below was still continuing and no one seemed to suspect anything had happened above.

With no worry of being spotted on the mezzanine Oliver made his way back to the side he'd come in on. Moving slowly and carefully found a vantage point that allowed him to see the lobby without being seen himself.

Most of the hostages seemed to have been put together in one location near the teller counter.

Laurel and Felicity and a bank employee were being kept separate, three men with automatic weapons stood in front of them.

His world tunneled down to only the two of them. Two women. One who had defined his past, the other who was shaping his future. And in a moment of pure and quiet clarity everything slipped into place. He wasn't going to let either of them die, but any doubts or confusion he had was now gone. He cared for Felicity, more than he had ever realized. She knew everything about him and still accepted him for who he was. She challenged him, and supported him, and he did not want to consider a world where she wasn't in it.

Tension he hadn't even realized he'd been carrying eased out of him not that he could see her, until the one in the middle said something to her. He couldn't make out what she said but he recognized the defiant set of her chin and the way her eyes narrowed. The sharp retort of her face being slapped almost propelled Oliver over the railing.

Pure, unadulterated rage rose within him. One of the gunmen wrapped his hand in her ponytail and used it to jerk her to her feet. He was no longer capable of staying hidden, and without thought or preparation he let loose the arrow notched in his bow.

The force with which he'd let it go went straight through the man's forearm, and pinned it to his chest. The second arrow ensured he'd never touch her again.

Felicity scuttled back from the man's body as it fell. Laurel clutched her arm and drew her close. The one in charge and another accomplice were on alert now, guns pointed to the second level.

Oliver aimed at the one standing over the large group of hostages, taking him down in one. There were more screams now, until the leader fired a round of shots into the air and yelled for silence.

"Green Arrow! I know you're there! Stop hiding!" he shouted into the air, his eyes constantly scanning the balcony area.

Oliver felt confident he could end the man now. He was down to only one partner now and had to know the odds were no longer in his favor, but he'd trained his weapon on Felicity and Laurel and it made Oliver nervous.

Knowing he had no time to lose Oliver moved to a service stairwell he'd spotted earlier and made his way down as quick as possible.

When he exited he could see everything but knew he hadn't been spotted. Laurel and Felicity had been moved, closer to the end of the teller counter. The leader stood near a small podium holding a flower arrangement, giving Oliver a target.

He fired the arrow slightly off center, knowing Felicity would recognize it as one of the ones with the delayed detonation. Her eyes widened and she wasted no time in grabbing Laurel by the elbow and hauling her around the corner of the teller desk, forcing both of them to the ground as the arrow exploded.

The resulting confusion did exactly what he wanted it to do. The smoke provided cover for the hostages who ran en masse towards the exits, and it allowed Oliver to slip into a better location although he could no longer see Felicity.

Two quick shots and the only one he hadn't eliminated was the one in charge. A sliver of fear went through him as he realized the man had used Oliver's own distraction to his own advantage and was hiding now as well.

Arrow notched and at the ready he scanned the space, trying to drown out the sounds of the frantic hostages as they ran for the doors.

A spatter of gunfire made him whirl to his right. The sight that greeted him sent a flare of rage through him so fast and with such ferocity he could hear his bow begin to creak in his hand from the force of his grip.

Felicity was in a headlock, her back pulled tight to the head shooter who had his gun pointed roughly in her back.

"I think it's time we called your boyfriend back. See if he can't help us get out of here." the man snarled, pulling Felicity so she almost entirely in front of him, minimizing Oliver's target.

"You've lost. Give up now and you might live." Oliver growled, knowing he had no intention of letting the man live.

"And go to prison? No thanks. I think I'll take my chances." he sneered. "You, come over here. Slowly. And don't try anything." he'd directed his command to Laurel.

Oliver didn't so much as breath. Laurel's eyes lifted to his. She'd trusted the vigilante last year, but now...he wasn't so sure.

Laurel advanced cautiously, the gunman's attention now forced to divide between Laurel and Oliver.

However, Oliver's attention didn't waver. When Laurel stumbled, whether accidentally or on purpose, the man's head turned slightly, which allowed Felicity to pull away.

It was all Oliver needed.

The arrow found it's home in the man's throat. But the bullet being fired a split second later took everyone by surprise.

As the body fell backwards, Laurel jerked Felicity out of the way, both of them falling to the ground in a heap.

Everything stopped as he saw her hiss in pain and cover her side with her palm. A spreading red stain told him everything he needed to know. The white buzz of panic that filled his ears was foreign, and drowned out everything else.

The strangled "No!" that tore from his throat was covered by the people still in the bank attempting to escape.

It was shock that left him standing there, bow hanging limply at his side. When she pulled her blouse up to get a better look he saw her shoulders slump in relief and then her eyes raised to his.

If anyone had been looking at them just then they'd have seen it all. She mouthed 'I'm okay', and shifted her eyes to the side, ordering him to leave.

The sound of the SWAT team bursting in the front doors brought all his senses back, and sent him sprinting into the shadows. His heart pounded as he retraced his steps, heading for empty hallways.

"I got them all." he said into the comm link when he knew he was alone, unable to hide the tremor in his voice. "She's hurt...I don't know how bad."

"I'm two blocks up from where I dropped you, your bag is in the trash can as you exit the parking lot." Digg answered, his tone hard.

The daylight that greeted him seemed harsh, and he only just managed to hop a chain link fence before another group of officers swarmed the door he'd just exited.

He grabbed the bag as surreptitiously as possible and ducked behind a group of bushes. All he took time to stow was his quiver and bow and swap his hood out for a t-shirt, the rest he'd do in the car.

Digg was where he said he'd be. Oliver forced himself to approach the car at a normal pace instead of running for it like he wanted to. However, as soon as the door shut behind him he bellowed "Go!", although Digg didn't have to be told twice.

Somehow he found a spot close to the taped off area surrounding the bank, but far away from where the media had set up. This allowed Oliver to prowl the edge of the line without drawing the attention of the press.

It took time for the SWAT team to sweep the building and take the hostages out. They were treated by waiting EMTs and then shuffled over to officers who needed their statements while the experience was still fresh in their minds. He knew it would take Felicity longer, and hoped her injury didn't require her going to the hospital. He needed to see her.

He'd caught Lance's eye once and the detective had made his way over begrudgingly to inform him that he'd had word Laurel was fine. Apparently word hadn't gotten to him that Oliver's 'girlfriend' had been one of the main hostages and shot during the standoff. Oliver had thanked him automatically, but his entire focus was on seeing Felicity.

Family members of the hostages had been allowed inside a small tent to wait, but Oliver was forced to stay near his car, even though he knew there was no one to greet Felicity. He could have pushed his way in, but the unwanted media attention wouldn't have been fair to the other people.

When the hostages were released from the police a huge roar of applause went up from the crowd of onlookers. As they made their way into the tent he found himself craning his neck, hoping to catch a glance of her.

A flash of movement caught his attention and he watched as Laurel broke off from the line and ran towards her father. Lance caught her in his arms, as she buried her face in his neck. When she raised her head she saw Oliver and said something to her father before walking away from him.

She wrapped him in a hug, which he returned, and stepped back. "She's amazing Oliver, really. I'm happy for you. Have they told you anything?" she asked, when he mutely shook his head no she continued. "She was hurt, but it wasn't bad. I stayed with her while the medics took a look, no stitches." the sincerity in her voice surprised him, and there was no more doubt in his mind that Laurel was solidly in his past. He let out a breath at the news Felicity's injury wasn't serious.

"Thank you for staying with her. And I'm glad you're ok. I just..." his eyes kept roaming the crowd, hoping to catch sight of Felicity. "I just want to see her."

Laurel's hand stroked his arm and gave it a squeeze. "I'm sure it won't be much longer. She had to give a longer debriefing." She was about to say something else when her father's called her name. "We should still have that coffee, Ollie." she said, before she returned the way she'd come.

He watched her for a moment, and then turned his attention to the tent. Every second that ticked by he became more anxious. And then he saw her. She was in the back, separate from the rest. Her blonde hair shone bright and he could see her looking around, scanning the crowd behind the police barriers. Her eyes flit over Laurel and her father, still searching. Laurel must have caught her attention because he saw her give a small wave and then point in his direction.

When Felicity's gaze landed on him all he could do was stare. She gave him a half broken smile, the back of one hand coming up to press against her mouth. She stepped away from the group and crossed the near empty plaza, her stride steady as she headed straight for him.

Something welled up in his chest. Something he wasn't sure he'd ever felt before. He was propelled forward, slipping underneath the tape. The closer she got, the quicker she walked until she was jogging, and then running.

He wasn't breathing. All he could see was her tear stained face as she ran straight for him. She crashed into him, his chest absorbing her momentum as her arms wrapped around his neck.

He held her so close he was afraid he'd hurt her. Her ragged breath coasted over his neck and he let his eyes slip shut and finally exhaled. She was safe.

One hand cupped the back of her head, the other wrapped securely around her back, lifting her as he stood at his full height, her toes brushing the ground as she clung to him.

"Thank you," she whispered into him so quietly he almost couldn't hear her. It hadn't been the first time he'd saved her, but this had been different.

He couldn't answer her. Words stuck in his throat as the fear of what had almost happened washed over him. He held her closer, his breath coming out faster than he'd like, his ability to control it gone for the moment.

"Are you alright? The gun went off and..." he started, unable to voice the fear he'd lived through when he'd seen the red stain spreading across her blouse.

"I'm fine. It was just a graze. It stings like hell, but that's it." she assured him, her fingers pulling through his short hair. A ragged breath left her lips, "God...I was scared. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called, maybe I could have stayed hidden..."

He shushed her, murmuring in her ear that she wasn't at fault. He could feel her trembling, and knew the adrenaline that had been flooding her system was starting to wear off.

Then Digg was right there, a hand on each of their shoulders as he began to guide them towards the car. "There are cameras." he said gruffly and Oliver lifted his head to see they had caught the attention of the media.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, turning Felicity so her back was towards the cameras as he wrapped his arm around her waist and helped Digg block her from view.

Her hand fisted in the front of his shirt, head tucked into his shoulder as he directed her to the car. He could feel how her body shook and her feet stumbled but there was nothing he could do for her now with everyone watching.

Digg stepped away for half a second to open the door, and then Oliver half picked her up to place her on the seat before he slid in next to her. The solid slamming of the door drowned out the calls of the media, leaving them in relative silence.

Digg's eyes cut into the rearview mirror as he pulled away. "Where to?"

The lair would have been his first choice, but he didn't want to risk anyone following them back. "Go to the house." he directed and saw Digg's stiff nod.

She was silent for the first few minutes, sinking back into the seat her eyes glazed over and not really seeing. He didn't reach for her even though he wanted to. When she came out of where ever she had been she did so with a great gasp of air, her hands shooting out to brace against the plush leather as though she felt she had been in danger of falling.

"Felicity, it's ok, you're safe." he said as soothingly as he could, hands outstretched, but not touching her.

She took a deep breath and shut her eyes tight fighting for control. When she opened them she seemed better. Her eyes cut to the window and turned to look at him, confused. "Why are we heading towards the mansion?"

"It's secure." he said, more brisk than he had intended

She gave him half a smile and covered his hand with hers, "I'm okay," she assured him, "You saved me."

He squeezed her tight, his thumb ghosting over the pulse in her wrist that thrummed too quick for his liking. He heard her soft gasp and didn't understand when she pulled her hand out from his.

"You should..you should have checked on Laurel. She...I'm okay, you know. You could just take me to my place, or work...although I guess I wouldn't be much good today. So maybe just home." her hands twisted in her lap, when he cupped her cheek in his hand her eyes flew to his in surprise.

"I need you to go back to the house, okay." the finality in his voice made her nod, not understanding, but willing to trust him.

He never stopped touching her the rest of the car ride or as they walked into the house. Her hand in his, helping her out of the car, his fingers skimming over her lower back as they walked up the steps. He made sure he had some sort of contact. He knew she was confused, but he needed the reminder she was warm, and alive next to him.

He directed her towards the smaller sitting room and asked Raisa to bring some water and an ice pack. Felicity sunk into the sofa immediately, her eyes widening in surprise when he sat next to her instead of in the chair across from her.

The stained blouse caught his attention and he found he couldn't stop staring at it, his thoughts going to what could have happened if the bullet had been just centimeters off.

"Hey," she said softly, using a finger to tip his chin upwards, "It's okay."

His fingers caught hers, not letting go as he brought them down between them. "Oliver..." she began, but was interrupted by Raisa setting a tray down on the table in front of them. He smiled his thanks and picked up the ice pack.

There was a mark across her left cheek. It made him angry every time he looked at it. "I'm not sorry." he said tersely, and she knew exactly what he meant.

"I know." she whispered in reply.

As he held the ice pack to her cheek he couldn't help how his thumb coasted over her jaw, feeling how her pulse increased at his touch. Desire and need shot through him, threatening to take over.

It must have shown his face. She paled, and moved backwards, his hand falling. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she said hoarsely,

"Almost losing you made me see things differently." he admitted, stiltedly.

Her eyes narrowed, not believing him. "Why now though? I've been here the entire time. Same me, same Felicity. And I've been in danger before." he could see the confusion in her eyes, the hope mixed with the certainty that this couldn't possibly be happening. She rose to her feet and took several steps from the couch."You can't play with me like this, Oliver. You can't mess up what we have, because even though it may not be what I want, it's enough. I can live with it." her arms were wrapped around her middle, one hand covering her wound unconsciously.

He started towards her but she held a hand up to stop him. "I'm going to have Digg give me a ride home. I'll see you...just...I have to go." she said sadly, and turned to leave.

His hand caught her upper arm, pulling her back towards him. They came together, two fluid movements, his head dipping at exactly the right moment to capture her lips unexpectedly.

She stiffened when they made contact, until one of his hands delved into her hair and his tongue swept across her bottom lip.

When she gave in it was total. Her body molded to his, hands wrapping around his back, never stopping, making him growl low in his throat at the sensations. She kissed him back with equal fervor, not backing down. Her teeth scraped across his lip and any control he thought he had disappeared.

Her gasps filled the room as he hauled her in closer, hitching her up his body until her legs wrapped around his waist.

He was three steps up the staircase before she drug her mouth from his and realized what he was doing. He didn't stop, just used the opening to introduce himself to her neck, licking and sucking the soft skin, learning what made her mewl.

"Oliver!" she said desperately, pushing back some so she could see him.

"I'm not playing." his voice was lower than he'd ever heard it. Not the rough growl of Green Arrow, but something else entirely, and by the way her eyes darkened it had been appreciated.

"You'd better not be." she replied, her voice lower than usual as well.

He took that as an invitation to resume what he had been doing and caught her mouth again. "Don't plan on losing you, Smoak, get used to it." he mumbled against her lips.

By the time they reached his room she had his shirt half way up his back, her nails trailing lines of fire across his skin. He put one knee on the bed and let her slide down, taking a moment to look at her, hair spread out around her, pupils wide, looking up at him with nothing but desire in her eyes.

Her hands tugged his shirt over his head. She bit down on her lip as she eyed him appreciatively, not hesitating to touch him where ever she wanted.

He found her collarbone, giving a dark chuckle as she let out a noise between a squeal and a moan when he hit a certain spot. The buttons on her shirt were undone quickly. When he trailed a hand down between her breasts and across her abdomen she arched up, moaning.

There was a square gauze patch taped across her side and he went still, as his hands hovered over the area.

When she realized he wasn't moving her eyes flew open. The room was silent except their breathing. She pushed herself up on one elbow, her other hand coming up to trace over his face.

He couldn't seem to stop looking at it though. As much as he wanted to look away he couldn't.

Her hand entered his field of vision and gently pulled the tape back until he could see it.

It was only a few inches long and looked more like a burn than anything else, but he knew how close it had been.

The hands that had become frozen now moved. His fingers traced around the path the bullet had taken, barely noticing how her skin developed gooseflesh, or how she twitched beneath his touch.

"Too close." he said quietly, feeling her hand stroking over his head.

He carefully replaced the tape and lowered himself onto the bed, before he pulled her to him. "I can't lose you." he whispered into her hair. "You're the only one. The only one I don't have to hide from."

She clung to him, her hands never still. "I've always seen the real you, Oliver. Always."

Her hands found his face, forcing him to look at her. "I'm not going anywhere." she vowed.

As he pulled her tight against his chest he breathed out deeply, letting go of years of fear, and uncertainty. Something resembling peace or contentment settled within him for the first time in so long he almost didn't recognize it. Felicity hummed happily beneath his chin, her fingers stroking patterns over his heart, not bothering to avoid the scars.