a/n: A little longer this time, working up to the finish. Quotes from the Odyssey belong to Homer, of course. Please review. If anyone has any ideas for how Felicity spends her time at the mansion let me know and maybe I'll write a few one-shots or some extra scenes for the story. Enjoy the fuzzies and I promise I won't let you wait too long for the final chapter.
The next day, Diggle picked her up at Starling General. "We'll swing by your apartment and grab whatever you need before going to the Queen's."
"I've always avoided going to their house. When I first told Oliver about the book, I asked him to meet me at a café because I was afraid of going to his house. Knowing that Mrs. Queen is tied up in all this still makes me afraid in some ways but I guess it will be easier to snoop and solve this mystery from there." Felicity explained her apprehension.
"Yes, it will. And that way Oliver and I can keep you safe." Diggle replied.
The town car pulled up to the large stone chateau. "This isn't even a mansion. It's more like a castle." Felicity commented as she exited the car.
"A castle fit for a Queen." Oliver joked from the entrance way. She smiled back at him. Diggle grabbed her two suitcases from the trunk of the black sedan. "How are you feeling today?" he politely inquired.
"I still have a headache but other than that I'm okay. No screen time for me for today at least. Doctor's orders." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do unplugged and unable to read for an entire day."
"I'm sure we can find you something relaxing to do around here." Oliver stopped in front of the salon. "Mother, this is Felicity Smoak."
"Ms. Smoak, welcome to our home. Oliver can show you to your room," Moira gave a general nod in their direction but seemed preoccupied.
Oliver grabbed a suitcase and led Felicity up the stairs. "This is my room. Thea's is here. My Mother's room is at the end of the hall and here is where you are staying." He stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, swinging it open.
"Oh wow!" Felicity exclaimed. "This is bigger than my apartment!" She looked around the room, taking it all in. There was a small sitting room with a computer desk, a bedroom, a walk in closet and a private bathroom. "Good, this means I can hide in here and not have to talk to anyone."
"Yeah well, you'll have to come out for food. Take-out is not delivered to your room!" he teased. "So what would you like to do today?"
Soaking in the claw foot tub, Felicity thought back over her day. Oliver and Diggle had kept her contained in the house most of the day. They were slowly driving her crazy. First, she couldn't use her computer or watch TV and the only place she could go without the boys was the bathroom. They almost made her take Thea but Felicity drew the line there. No way was that happening. She'd sat by the pool, chatting with Thea for a few hours, eaten lunch in her room courtesy of Oliver's house staff, listened to Diggle read her a story, but her favorite part of the day was when Oliver brought in the tub of ice cream, and two spoons. He lit the fire in the fireplace, pulled out a fur rug and sat down, inviting her to join him. He sat and told her a bit more about the island and even mentioned what Diggle had said about Felicity making him a better person. She'd quoted the Odyssey to him then, repeating Penelope's lines, "If a man is kind by nature, kind in action, his guests will carry his fame across the earth and people all will praise him from the heart." "That's how Starling City saw the Hood," she'd pointed out. They'd sat there in silence, staring into the flickering flames. Oliver had wrapped an arm around her. His lips had gently brushed against her forehead as he whispered goodnight. Felicity sighed at the memory, locking it away to enjoy in the future. The heat from the bath relaxed her.
Two hours later, Felicity tossed and turned in the oversized bed. Having such a quiet day meant she wasn't tired yet. Even her music wasn't lulling her to sleep. Deciding to get a glass of milk, she sat up and slipped her fuzzy slippers on her feet. She quietly padded to the doorway and peeked out. Good… her guards had gone to bed finally. She quietly descended the staircase. Now where was the kitchen again?
She could see light streaming out under the doors to the salon. As she approached the doors she could hear a woman's voice. "Yes, Miss Smoak is here for the next few days. I don't care if you think she knows something. She's a friend of Oliver's and I don't want anything to happen to her, understand me. He's been through enough because of this." There was a long pause. "Fine, you deal with it. I don't want it on my hands." the CEO of Queen Consolidated replied.
Rough hands grabbed her arms and pulled her into the dining room as light footsteps approached. "What do you think you're doing? Wandering around in the middle of the night?" a low voice demanded.
In the dark, she couldn't see his eyes, but could just imagine the dark clouds in them because she had disobeyed again. "I could ask you the same thing," her temper flared. She took a deep breath. "I was getting a glass of milk. I couldn't sleep." she continued in low tones. "I thought I would be safe enough inside the Queen Mansion. Now I'm not so sure."
"What do you mean?" he pushed, squeezing her arms tighter.
"I forgot that your Mom is tangled up in the whole Undertaking thing and then I overheard her on the phone. Or at least I think she was on the phone." she started to shiver at the idea of someone killing her.
He pulled her closer, leading her to the kitchen. The light above the stove cast a warm glow to the room, making her feel safer. As he grabbed a glass from the wall cupboards, she noticed for the first time that he was shirtless. "I thought you didn't like your family to see your scars." Felicity asked him as she studied the welts on his back.
He poured the glass of milk and handed it to her. "I had more important things to worry about than getting dressed. I was worried about you. Now what did you hear?"
Wrapping her hands around the glass tightly, Felicity took a drink of the cool milk. "I heard her talking to someone about me. She said I was staying here and she didn't want to see me get hurt just because I might know something." She reached up and nervously played with her hair. "How are we going to catch them?"
"We'll come up with a plan, Felicity. For now you need to get your rest." Oliver picked up her glass of milk, grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Back to bed you go. Diggle and I will come up with a plan. You need to recover," he insisted.
She allowed him to guide her up the stairs. Entering her room, they found Diggle waiting for them. "Where did you go?" Oliver held up the glass of milk and then set it down on the night table. Felicity climbed on the bed. "Now go to sleep Felicity." He set her phone on the bed next to her with earphones. "Maybe some music will help." He walked over to Diggle and they sat together on the small couch, whispering to one another. So that's how it was going to be is it? She thought. Hell, no.
Pretending to drift to sleep to the music, Felicity laid there, her chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. She discreetly stopped the music but left the headphones on, so they would think that she couldn't hear them.
"Oliver, you know the best way to find this guy is to let him have Felicity." Diggle suggested. "I know you don't want to put her in harm's way but it's the fastest way."
"We are not taking any risks with her life, Digg," Oliver insisted. "I've just realized how much she means to me. I'm finally letting someone in, developing a real relationship with someone." She could feel the butterflies starting. No way, I'm just a friend she thought to herself. She could sense his eyes closing as he thought. "We can do this a different way. Bug my Mom's phone, track the caller, and go from there." Oliver kept searching for ideas.
Diggle watched the emotions play across his partner's face. "Felicity has already tried all of that and if she can't do it, no one can," he gently reminded Oliver. "Our best option is to let her get taken and follow her to Mr. Steele and the ringleader behind the whole Undertaking."
Oliver stood up, and walked over to the window. Looking out into the dark night sky, he pondered the plan. "Dig, I'm just not prepared to lose her. On the island I was willing to risk it all because I had nothing to lose. The first time the Dark Archer bested me, you reminded me that sometimes we fight just as well when we have a reason to live. Now I definitely do, and I'm not willing to lose my reason for living yet. We're not doing it," he forced it out with finality.
Felicity lay there thinking about the conversation her partners had. Her crush on Oliver may not be one-sided, she thought gleefully, feeling all warm and cozy under the down duvet. Her mind went back to the problem at hand. The best way to catch the Dark Archer and find Mr. Steele was for her to be attacked again. The vigilante had shown her that to risk her life for a greater good could be done. She lay awake for another hour after the brave men had gone, planning.
As the first rays of light streamed through his window, Oliver awoke, feeling very uneasy. Throwing on a shirt, he quickly walked down the hall and knocked on Felicity's door. No answer. He quietly opened the door, expecting her to be lying asleep on the bed. No Felicity. His heart raced. "Diggle!" he called out. Footsteps thudded up the stairs. "She's gone."
Diggle looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean gone? Maybe she's just downstairs getting breakfast."
Oliver glared at him, passing him the note. It read, "Be bold, nothing to fear. In every venture the bold man comes off best – Athena, The Odyssey" in Felicity's scrawl. "The note was attached to her tablet which has been activated to track a GPS bug. She left a note open saying she was making herself the bait. In fact it had read, "Don't hate me Oliver. You've given me the courage to be the bait." But Oliver wasn't telling Diggle that. "We're going to need some help with this one. I won't let her get hurt," Oliver insisted.
Cold water splashed on her face, forcing her to gain consciousness. Her whole body ached. Her arms were tied behind her back, the ziptie cutting into her wrists. The room was blurry. She could make out two dark shadows. One appeared to be seated and the other standing. "Well Ms. Smoak, now you can tell me where the list is." came a menacing voice she vaguely remembered.
"Just tell him where the book is Miss Smoak," came the voice of a feeble Mr. Steele.
She tried to speak but her throat was parched. She coughed and hoarsely questioned, "Mr. Steele?"
"Yes, it is. And both of you are going to die unless you tell me where that list is," threatened the dark shadow looming over her.
"Water," she croaked out, trying to delay. She knew her friends would be looking for her. She just needed to keep herself and Mr. Steele alive until they did.
"After you tell me where the list is." The shadow grabbed her throat and squeezed. He was so close that she could see the black hood, the black mask with those eyes starring out at her. She'd never forget those eyes.
Crash! Thud! "We're being attacked," squawked over the radio. "Perfect," the Dark Archer commented, "I can finally take down that vigilante once and for all." He roughly grabbed Felicity's arm and hauled her along with him. Slam! Through the door came three figures. A flash of red moved to Mr. Steele's side, slashing his bonds. She could hear Diggle telling Walter to follow him. "Who's the one in red?" she thought to herself. The deep voice of the vigilante distracted her, challenging the Archer, "Freeze!" Suddenly she was pushed into a dark hole in the wall. She heard the electromagnetic locks click into place behind them. "Great," she muttered to herself. So maybe this wouldn't end so well after all. At least they saved Mr. Steele.
She felt the cool draft as her captor pushed open the door. She shivered from the dampness. He dragged her out the door, into the night air. The wet mist was falling around them. He shoved her into the corner.
"Fight me!" the deep voice of the vigilante reached her ears. She still couldn't make out details. That figure in red was still following the Hood. The two began to attack the Dark Archer. Clashing of bow on bow! It was all a blur. Her damp hair was being whipped around by the wind. She could vaguely make out the red-figure backing away for a few seconds, trying to take aim maybe. Thwack! The sound of a bow string releasing. She saw both the Dark Archer and the red-figure fall. The rooftop scraped her knees as she awkwardly crawled towards them. The closer she got the better she could see. The Hood was leaning over the red-hooded figure, applying pressure to the wound. She could faintly hear him tell Diggle to come and help him get "Speedy" back to the cave. Thea? A movement distracted her from the thought. "No," she screamed as she propelled herself forward.
Darkness fell.
