Chapter 7: Consequences

So I've been thinking about trying something new in writing this story so this chapter is written from Thea's and Diggle's perspectives (with some small snippets from other characters).

I think it was a chance to play around with how I believe different characters talk and think. Also thought it might add a different dimension to the story.

A bit of a lull before all hell breaks lose again!

I hope you like it!

Any feedback will only help me get better!

Happy reading!


What the hell had just happened?

Oliver was still standing routed to the spot, an unreadable expression on his face.

His hands were still slightly raised infront of him. As if he could still feel her wrists inside his palms. Her tiny figure pressed hard against the wall. Her scent filling his nostrils, driving him insane.

Holding her as close to him as he possibly could without letting her touch too much.

He had tried so hard to control all his feelings, all that he wanted, that he needed but it was becoming increasingly harder.

His hands clenched into fists and he felt like breaking something. Why did he want it all so much? It was becoming impossible to fight it.

No. He might have decided to stay, to fight, a part of him even felt like there was a chance he could live – that he wanted to live.

But he couldn't risk her life. Especially not for himself. He was already selfish enough introducing her – all of them really – to this life.


Diggle was angry. What the hell had he just walked in on?

When Felicity ran out of the room and Roy went after her he descended the stairs towards Oliver.

'Oliver!' He said, but the man just turned his back to him and went towards the computer station, stopping next to Felicity's now vacant chair.

'WHAT WAS THAT?' Diggle was getting angrier by the second.

He moved closer to the other man.

'What is wrong with you man?' His voice was so threateningly low, so hurt, he thought he saw Oliver wince.

'Let it go' He said eventually.

But Diggle had no such intention.

'I'm not letting this go! What do you think you are doing? She's OUR friend! You know how she feels about you, she might take all this crap and stay here but that doesn't mean you should torture her!' He was fuming. 'You said you are letting her go!'

But Oliver made no comment. He just moved away again.

'Do you know what it was like when you left? She couldn't forgive herself for not finding a way to stop you! For not managing to convince you that you deserve more man. She wouldn't talk, eat, sleep. She was gone.' Diggle shouted at him. He thought it was time Oliver really understood what his actions were doing to others.

'You want her to end up like that again? She loves you too much for her own sake.' He added finally.

'I KNOW OKAY? I KNOW!' Oliver was yelling too, his face unreadable.

'I was there! I saw her and would have run inside if Palmer hadn't shown up. I thought at least since I left she'd be okay with him!'

So he knew?

'What do you want me to say? That I made a mistake? I'm trying! It's just no matter what I do or say to myself I can't stop loving her. The way she talks, her smile, her laugh, she's just pulling me in! I'm in purgatory. Lian Yu was nothing compared to this! But I made my choice and I have to live with it. But so did she.'

And Diggle knew that Oliver was referring not only to Felicity dating Palmer, but also to her insisting to stay by his side even though he had made his wishes for her to be safe and as far away as possible abundantly clear.

'I'm trying' He repeated, his voice low and almost desperate.

'Okay. Just…don't ask me to clean the mess afterwards.' Diggle said after a while, his arms coming to cross over his chest.

'You think I'm that bad? That I'm gonna break her?' Oliver said, hurt ill-concealed in his voice.

'No Oliver. I think you'll keep trying till you prove to yourself you are the monster you think you are.' He said and sighed as silence fell around them, each pretending to be doing different things for a few moments.

'This is the last thing I'm going to say about this and I'm going to go home' Diggle added finally 'I just hope you see what's right infront of you and you take it before Ra's decides to come looking for you and all hell breaks lose again.' Diggle finished and he was sure he saw a glimpse of hope hidden beneath indifference on Oliver's face.

As Diggle walked out of the lair a few moments later, he shook his head to himself.

Oliver didn't get it yet. He thought he couldn't risk Felicity's life for something as insignificant as his happiness. He hadn't yet realised that for her, life without him had no meaning.


When Felicity's feet touched the floor and Oliver took a step back; she ran. She ran as fast as she could. Faster than she'd ran ever before.

She ran past Diggle on the staircase who glared angrily at Oliver. Past Roy who put his hand out tentatively saying her name, but barely touched her arm as she sped out of the room.

She ran through Verdant, towards the direction of the exit, towards her car, trying to get back home.

But she couldn't breathe.

She had barely made it outside the building and into the dark cool night air before she collapsed on her knees.

She raised a shaking hand to touch her swollen lips and images of her pressed against the wall kissing Oliver, kissing him like there was no tomorrow, flashed before her eyes.

She never should have let that happen.

But who was she kidding? She'd never regret kissing him even if it killed her.

She took long ragged breaths trying to steady herself, but her vision was getting blurrier. Her heart was racing and Felicity felt as if it was going to jump out of her chest. She dug her nails into her palms as she hugged herself, but to no avail.

Suddenly she felt hands around her waist pulling her up. She started to panic more, but the hands touching her weren't Oliver's.

'Come on' said Roy. 'Let's get you out of here'.

Having no strength to protest, Felicity leaned into his side as he pulled her up.


It was late, but Thea was still in her office at the club, working. If her mum were still alive she'd be shocked if she could see her now.

'I've come a long way, huh mum?' She whispered to herself.

She put the pen she was holding down and pushed her hair back. She loved running the club, but she felt tired. She had come back to Verdant after dinner with the others to finalise some details for the orders that needed to be made in the morning.

When had she become so responsible anyway?

It's all Roy's doing, she joked to herself. In her attempt to save him she had also changed.

She was about to put the paperwork for all the orders where Roy would find it in the morning, distracted by thoughts of whether she should just go home to her bed instead of Roy's, when she heard people in the club below.

It seemed they were coming up the stairs. Thea was worried. It couldn't be her brother or the rest of the team. They all went home after Big Belly Burger and even though her brother was the one most likely to come and train at night he usually yelled her name as he walked towards the office. Else she had no hope of hearing him before he was right inside.

She reached for the paper cutter and started to move quietly towards the door of her office, when it swung open letting the light shine on Roy who was standing there in the shadows.

He seemed hunched.

'Roy what happ…?' Thea started, when she noticed he wasn't alone. He was hugging Felicity who was tugged so far up his side she was barely visible.

Thea was worried.

What had happened? Had there been an attack? Was Felicity hurt?

'Close the door Thea' He said moving inside the room, pulling Felicity along with him.

She rushed towards them; the paper cutter still clutched tightly in her palm and shut the door behind them.

Turning around she saw Felicity let go of Roy's hand and sink to the floor, pale as a ghost.

Felicity pulled her knees close to her chest and hugged them tightly. Roy crouched beside her and put his palm on her back as if to steady her.

She seemed to have difficulty breathing and tears were streaming down her eyes.

'Felicity? Are you okay?' Thea asked also crouching next to their blonde friend and dropping the paper cutter on the floor next to her.

'What's wrong?' She continued, her gaze –full of concern- now turned to Roy.

'I think she's having a panic attack.' Roy replied, his eyes never leaving Felicity.

'Hey, it's okay now. It's only us here. Don't worry.' He added, his hand now moving to stroke her hair.

Thea smiled at the woman next to her who she had lately come to think of as a friend. She put her hand on her knee and squeezed.

'Hey, try to control your breathing. In through your nose and try to hold your breath. Then out through your mouth. And hold it again..' Thea told Felicity. She remembered her mum telling her to do that when she kept having panic attacks after her family's boat sank.

Both Roy and Thea stayed beside Felicity as her breathing calmed down, neither of them talking.

As Thea sat next to Felicity, she wondered why was Felicity having a panic attack. Had something happened?

'Is everyone okay? Did something happen?' The sudden urgency in her voice showed her worry.

'Everyone's fine Thea, don't worry.' Roy said now looking at his girlfriend and giving her a half smile.

'Then what happened to her?' Thea insisted. If everyone was fine why was Felicity like this?

'Nothing happened. She's just having a hard time' Roy said looking away from her.

Why is Roy going all bright red?

'Roy what are you not telling me!' Thea was getting angry. She moved her hand from Felicity's knee to point at him threateningly and stood up. Why was Roy lying to her this time?

'I think it's best if she tells you herself.' Roy also stood up.

'Roy! Tell me what happened!' Thea's voice was becoming louder.

'He saw me and Oliver kissing.' Came a tiny voice from the floor. And she continued without pause 'You know sometimes – well when you are angry- you sound just like him.' It was Felicity's attempt at humour.

'What?' Thea was speechless. She knew there was something going on between them, she did have eyes and Roy wasn't as secretive about things as he thought he was. But she also knew Felicity had a boyfriend and she knew her brother was trying to 'protect' Felicity by keeping her away. Guess your control isn't that great is it big brother?

'Are you okay?' Roy asked Felicity as Thea tried to gather her thoughts.

'I'm fine. It was nothing! I swear I'm okay now. It's just things have been difficult lately with me and Oliver. And with what happened…erm before… I just…' Felicity answered standing up as well. Colour seemed to be returning to her cheeks.

'Had a panic attack' Thea finished the sentence for her 'Again'.

'What do you mean again?' asked Roy.

'She had another panic attack after Oliver left for Nanda Parbat' Thea added.

Both of them were looking intently at Felicity.

'How many times have there been?'

'Just those two!' Felicity replied quickly. 'Okay there was also that time after Oliver showed up outside my window when he decided not to leave for Nanda Parbat. So three. But that's it.'

'Okay, I'm going to kill my idiot brother!' Thea said her eyes narrowing. She moved towards the door as she continued 'I guess he's still down at the l…'

'No' Felicity interjected.

Thea stopped walking and turned to see Felicity staring up at her standing at the exact same spot.

She might have thought it wasn't her who spoke if it wasn't for the fact that her usually kind big blue eyes had a resolute in them so profound.

'No' She repeated, her voice steady and calm, but Thea could sense the threatening undertone. 'Oliver WILL NOT find out about this. Ever.' She added looking first into Thea's eyes and then Roy's.

'You know what it will do to him if he finds out. So promise me.' She finished, staring them down until they both nodded.

'I'm going to go home, but in any case' Felicity continued, her usual tone returning. 'It's probably nothing. It's just the stress of everything and I just panicked. Well had a panic attack, but it's kind of the same thing. Minus the extreme physical symptoms. But you get my point.'

'See? Back to my no-brain-to-mouth-filter self already.' Felicity continued as she moved towards the door and Thea shook her head in disbelief.

That woman really did love her stupid brother.