Waking up with a grin on his face, and Felicity in his arms, Oliver couldn't help but think that this was what he wanted. The doubts that plagued him were null and void now. They disappeared like a leaf blowing away in the gentle breeze. He knew now what he had to do. Never in his life had he been so absolutely sure of the way he felt.

Looking down at the mass of blonde curls that spread out over his arms and shoulders, he knew that he had never been happier in his life. There were going to be obstacles for them to face, but somehow he knew they would face them together and come out stronger for them. With this new resolved in mind, He gently crawled out from under Felicity's soft body. Placing a gentle kiss on her for head as he makes his way to her bathroom. He was very pleased when she stirred but did not wake, he knew that she needed her rest.

Oliver considered leaving a note for her, but then decided that that wasn't the best idea. He did not want her to wake and see him gone. When he emerged from the bathroom, he saw her gentle smile looking up at him from her bed.

"Good morning beautiful." He spoke to her and that soft voice that was reserved only for her. She blushed a crimson red at his compliment.

"Good morning" she replied.

"It is Saturday morning, stay here and relax for a couple of hours and I will be back soon, there are a few things that I need to take care of." He softly told her with a lazy smile on his face.

"Oliver, please don't do anything irrational, not for me. He is not worth you giving up your vow. You are a hero now, my hero, this city's hero, and I don't want to see you throw away everything you have worked so hard for." "don't worry Felicity, I have no intentions of killing him, that would be too easy for him. Besides I am going to come back and pick you up before we deal with him. Right now there are other things that I need to take care of, I will call you when I'm on my way back. Please call me or text me if you need anything." Oliver told her.

He walked over to the bed and gently brushed aside a stray curl sitting on her face. As she sighed, he couldn't help but think how beautiful she really was.

Oliver gently reached over and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead, then whispered "Relax, I will be back in a couple of hours."

He then walked out and quietly closed her bedroom door with a click. He didn't want to leave her and face what he was fixing to do, but he knew in order for them to move forward, this had to be done. Not exactly telling her what he had to do was a smart decision for the time being, because she would only blame herself, thinking somehow she was causing his heartache, when in reality, she was giving him closure. He would explain everything when he returned to her side.

He made his way back to his apartment and found a very upset Laurel Lance on his doorstep. He let out an audible sigh, thinking it was now or never.

"Did you spend the whole night with her?" Laurel quietly asked.

Oliver opened his apartment door, and ushered the beautiful brunette inside before he answered her implied question.

"Yes Laurel, I did, but not like that. Nothing happened, I was just comforting a friend."

He knew in his heart there was more to it, but she didn't need to know that, not right now. He and Felicity still had a lot to work out and through before they could be on a level of anything more than friends, but he was determined to put them on the right track, and this was the first step to doing just that. Guiding Laurel to take a seat on his neutral soft gray plush couch, he sat beside her and gently took her small hands in his as he turned to face her.

"Laurel we have to talk" he said softly.

He knew this was not going to be an easy conversation.

"Yeah, we do Ollie. I met up with Jason last night and he told me some things about Felicity. I know this will be hard to hear, but you need to know them. He told me that when he turned down her advances on him, she accused him of rape. That she couldn't stand the humiliation of being rejected, and when he tried to talk to her to let her know that there was nothing to be embarrassed about, he just wasn't attracted to her that way, she blew up and told everyone that he raped her. Ollie you need to be careful! With everything going strong at your company right now, the last thing you can deal with is a rape allegation!"

By the time she finished, all he could see was red. He was furious! How could Laurel believe this about Felicity? It wasn't that long ago that she put her own life in danger to save her!

"Laurel, you actually believe him?! You can't be serious!"

"Ollie there are even police reports she filed against him, but there was never any proof aside from some bruises, that she probably had a friend put on her!"

She then Handed the police file that she managed to acquire as the DA to him. He stood abruptly and threw the file at the wall.

"Laurel she was scared! And hurt, and she felt like no one would believe her! She waited 3 days in her apartment! 3 DAYS! When her roommate finally showed up and convinced her to file the report, the DNA evidence had all been scrubbed away! This is the woman that put her own life in a psycopath's arms, behind his sword, FOR YOU! You of all people fight for VICTIMS Laurel! Why is she any different?! If anyone other woman came to you with her story, you would look at the bruises she carried, she the red blisters on her skin from where she practically scrubbed it off just to get rid of his scent! Look at this objectively! Yes he WAS our friend, but we also know what a douchbag he was to women! What makes you possibly think that Felicity was ANY different?!" He shouted at her.

By this point he was trembling in his anger. He was going to do some serious damage to Jason! He knew he wouldn't kill, even though he wanted to, because Felicity would only blame herself, but he WILL make him pay! Looking at Laurel, she had a tear drip slowly down her cheek.

"You are right Ollie, how could I be so stupid as to let my own insecurities cloud my judgement so badly? I'm so sorry" she quietly said as she looked at her hands in her lap.

He crossed back over to the couch and instead opted to sit on his coffee table across from the couch, so he could face her and look at her straight in her soft eyes. He took both of her tiny hands in his and let out a deep sigh.

"It's ok Laurel, I don't blame you. I haven't exactly been boyfriend of the year material. Not all of those years ago, and not recently. I am sorry. Please forgive me for all of it. I love you Laurel, I always have and I always will. I need you to know that. You were always the most important person in my life. You always saw me for what I could be, and pushed me to be that man, and I will forever be in your debt for that."

He could see her face begin to fall and he knew at this point that she knew where this conversation was headed, it broke his heart to hurt her.

"Laurel, we both know that this,"he gestured between the two of them with his hand, then gently wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "It isn't working. And if we are being completely honest, it never really did. Not in the grande scheme of things. Sure we had some amazing times, and we were happy at certain points, but can you honestly tell me that we had more good times than rough? I'm not saying love is easy, I know that you have to work for it, but it shouldn't be like another job. It shouldn't be a chore just too keep each other happy Laurel. You deserve better. You deserve a man who is willing to dedicate his entire life to making you smile that beautiful smile of yours. You deserve a relationship with a clean slate. One you can build on, not have to live in a constant state of repair. We both deserve happiness, and we also both know that we are much happier as friends. You are the first woman I have ever loved and I will be forever grateful for the lessons that your unconditional love has taught me. I think it's time to let go, Laurel. It's time to close that chapter, and open a new one. One where we both get our happy endings."

As she looked up at him with sad eyes, he saw the resignation in them, and knew that she understood. He finally knew the definition of bittersweet.

"I know that you are right Ollie, I have known it for a while, I just couldn't admit it to myself. I felt like I would be admitting defeat if I did, but I see now that it isn't defeat, but a new chapter. A new beginning. I can see the way you look at her. I have for a while, but I selfishly thought that somehow I could make you look at me that way again. I realize now how wrong that was. I deserve to have someone who looks at me the way you look at her, without having to try to force it. Tell her that I'm sorry for everything. The statute of limitations has legally passed for her, but I am going to do everything I can to nail this bastard to the wall for what he did to her! Of course, I assume that will be after starling resident hero puts a few arrows in him." She chuckled and made him smile with that.

Then Laurel leaned forward and gently kissed his cheek, as she stood to leave.

"I love you Ollie, I always have and I always will. I wish you nothing but happiness. You both deserve it and frankly so do I." He gently squeezed her hands and whispered "yes you do. You deserve the world Laurel. I love you too." As she quietly slipped her hands from his, she walked out of the door and let him go. She couldn't help but think that as she closed that door, she closed their book, but she was also opening another one. For the first time since she can't remember when, she smiled to herself. A genuine smile.

"To new beginnings" she said to herself as she stepped onto the elevator.