Setting the newspaper down with a thump, Felicity glared hard at Slade. "Another body turns up in the Glades. Honestly, Slade, do you have to kill all of them?" Dismantling the army he'd amassed had proved more of an ordeal than she'd previously anticipated. Padding over to the stove to pour herself another cup of tea, her fingers instinctively skimmed the rounded bulge of her belly. Ever since she had begun to show, it seemed very real to her and especially to Slade. He had been insufferably protective lately and it had changed the dynamic between them dramatically.

The knowledge that he had a child coming into the world made him even more rabid in his endeavors to right wrongs and undo the damage he'd inflicted on Starling City. He was intent on cleaning up the world one thug at a time. His actions were not to be confused with those of Oliver Queen. Slade still painted himself the villain, of course. His actions were for his own personal gain…cleaning up the streets would give his unborn child a chance at a brighter future. It seemed more nefarious when they were fishing limbs out of sewers…

Grunting his response, he slid behind her. As he cradled her against him, he smiled coyly. "How do you know it was me, love?" His fingertips tracing gently over the swell he'd put in her belly. "It could have been someone else. I can't be the only man with a desire to see these people burn."

"This has the distinctive mark of Slade Wilson written all over it," She chuckled. He hadn't come to bed last night or, truly, any night in the last two weeks. "Honestly, I am not sure whether to be flattered or frightened that you've started taking on Starling's biggest and baddest criminals." Covering his hand with hers, she sighed, "I know you have good intentions but abducting and torturing people for information before wasting them seems a bit…murdery."

Slade snorted, "I don't think that's a word, love." He kissed her gently before reaching for his briefcase. He had meetings to attend. Politics in Starling City were heating up, thanks to the mayoral seat being open, and he had to throw his two cents in of course. "Don't concern yourself with this. I let the ones who are harmless go free…" Thus far, every last one of them posed an imminent threat to his life, liberty or pursuit of happiness; the rationales perhaps ran on the convoluted side at times but he would do anything to protect his family. "I'm doing this for you, our child, and our future."

Felicity nibbled at her lower lip, "I just think there are ways to secure our future without torture and mayhem." She peered at the clock and sighed, "We'll continue this later, I need to get to work." She swatted him gently as she tossed the breakfast dishes into the sink. "Don't kill anyone today?"

"I don't make promises I can't keep." Slade replied as he grabbed his coffee to-go and locked up behind them. Stealing one more kiss, he headed toward the parking garage. He trailed Felicity at a safe distance until she made it to Queen Consolidated. He would take no chances when it came to her security. Once she was safely through the front of the building, it was Oliver Queen's responsibility to keep her safe.

Slade thought that he was being stealthy but Felicity knew exactly what he was doing. She found it sweet that he insisted on making sure that her commute was free of danger. Heading to the top floor, she set her belongings at her desk before heading straight into Oliver's office. "Good morning, Mr. Queen, Ms. Rochev." Felicity pasted a smile on her face and ignored Isabel's rage as she stormed out. Isabel had come to make it clear that Oliver's position was strictly ceremonial. He'd handed the reins to her and, as she enjoyed reminding him, business was booming.

Oliver collapsed in his chair, "Thank God you showed up when you did. If I had to listen to her ramble on about another missed meeting…" He shook his head. "We have bigger fish to fry." He threw the paper onto the desk, "What are we going to do about this?" He frowned, "ARGUS is tracking Slade. They're calling him Deathstroke, Felicity. They want to enlist my help to take him down and, honestly, I'm inclined to help them."

Felicity squared her shoulders, folding her arms menacingly. Over the last several weeks, she had begun to show the signs of her pregnancy; her hips had widened, her breasts had increased, and her belly rounded with the child she carried. She knew very well that these changes terrified Oliver. "Slade is tying up loose ends and neutralizing people who are dangerous. It's going to take more than discussion to dismantle the violent underground ring that he's built."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Is there a way for him to do it more discreetly? Perhaps without torturing them first?" Sighing, he bunched the newspaper up and hurled it in the recycling bin. "Look, I get that he's turning over a new leaf but I can't just let him make chum out of every lowlife in the city. It's drawing too much attention." He folded his arms, "Look, Felicity, I get that you're thinking with your hormones right now—"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that." Felicity frowned markedly.

"—but this is much bigger than you and I. ARGUS is a serious player and they want to put Slade down for good." Grabbing a manila file folder, he handed it over to her, "You need to know that staying with him makes you a target. Sooner or later, they are going to find out where you are and they'll use you and that baby to get to him." Oliver may not have fond feelings for Slade but he cared deeply for Felicity, she was family to him.

Thumbing through the file, there were so many pictures snapped of Slade in his mask and black fatigues, swords and crossbow strapped to his back. Plopping down in the chair across from his desk, she licked her lips, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I want to protect you and your child," He replied, "I know that I've been…"

"A complete and total jackass? Jerk? Macho pig? Judgmental prick?"

Oliver sighed heavily, "All of the above and probably a few more you didn't mention. It's only because I care about you, Felicity," Even though he was incredibly bad at showing it at times. "I don't want to see you get caught in the crossfire." He leaned back in his chair, "I've been talking to Sara. We want you to come back at live with us."

Felicity frowned, "I'm committed to making things work with Slade. I can't just leave him behind besides things are getting tough, Oliver."

"I meant the both of you…" Clearly this situation was distressing him enough to put aside everything else that had happened. "It's the only way that we can keep tabs on the situation and make sure that you're safe. When Slade isn't around, you're alone and vulnerable to attack from my enemies or his." He peered at her, "My mother has gotten a place of her own in the city, nearer to her campaign headquarters and the mayor's office. She won't be an issue anymore."

It occurred to Felicity that Moira Queen was the least of her worries. She was flabbergasted by the suggestions Oliver made, "This is probably the worst idea I've ever heard." She shook her head. ARGUS was badass and absolutely nothing to joke about. The baby could be in danger if she didn't do something soon. Slade, angry as he might be at living under the same roof as Oliver Queen and Sara Lance, would be in agreement with any sacrifice that had to be made to protect their child. "I need to talk this over with Slade."

Oliver nodded, "Of course." He could tell that she was uncomfortable. He tried to lighten the mood, smirking, "So, how about a cup of coffee?"

Smirking, she stood up, "I think you know where the coffee is by now, Mr. Queen." They shared a laugh before she went to screen calls…oh, and hack the ARGUS files to delete everything on Slade Wilson. It proved harder than she anticipated; she had made very little headway by the time lunch rolled around. Rubbing her temples, she decided to take a little break. She chuckled as she walked into Oliver's office, "Taking a nap, huh? I thought I was the pregnant one." She peered at him, "Oliver?" Panic began to rise in her throat, "OLIVER!" Rushing toward him, she was relieved to find him still breathing but he was cold, lips starting to turn blue, and blood running in rivulets down the front of his shirt. Calling Dig immediately, he brought some of the herbs from the Arrowcave in a salve that they shoved into Oliver's mouth, forcing him to swallow.

"What the hell happened?" John asked hotly as he checked Oliver's pulse again.

"I don't know!" Felicity cried. "One minute we were talking and then I went to get some work done. The next thing I know, he's half dead!" She gingerly mopped up the blood beneath Oliver's nose, trying to be at least a little useful.

He shook his head, "Did anyone come in or out of here? Anything unusual happen?"

Felicity was still feeling shaky, "Isabel Rochev was here this morning but Oliver was fine when she left. The only thing he did besides go to the bathroom was get a couple cups of coffee." She looked stricken. "The coffee…" She grabbed some supplies from her bag, "I'll grab a sample and analyze it along with Oliver's blood." She sure had enough to work with. "Did you call Sara?"

John looked up from monitoring Oliver. The hooded hero had begun to sweat and shake, but his temperature was normalizing and the herbs from the island seemed to be working their magic. "Didn't have time…besides, she's spending the day with her family. I didn't want to interrupt."

Grabbing her phone, Felicity rapidly fired off a text letting Sara. She knew how she'd feel if someone didn't tell her Slade was in trouble. "We should get him back to the Arrowcave."

"How do you suggest we do that without alerting the whole building?" Dig replied, peering at her. "Whoever poisoned Oliver obviously realized this could backfire. They could have any number of backup plans. We can't risk it."

"I'll call Slade," Felicity replied. "We can get Oliver into the elevator, take him down into the basement and go out through the door in the back. I'll just disengage the security system for a few minutes, Slade will carry him down and you meet us in the back with the car." John didn't seem too enthused about the plan but he didn't have anything better.

Within five minutes, Slade Wilson was standing at the ready. He had told Felicity if she needed anything that she should call him at any time, no hesitation. He simply hadn't realized that anything included helping Oliver Queen. It went against his every instinct he had…but when he found Felicity looking so distraught, he had no choice. "Come on, mate, up you go." He hoisted Oliver over his shoulder as if he weighed no more than a feather. While she kept a lookout, they took the executive elevator down. "You alright, love? You look a bit peaked."

"Just a little stressed…let me just disable the security system and we should be good to go." Thirty seconds later, all the alarms were rebooting themselves and they were in the car. Oliver was in and out of consciousness, moaning softly at the intrusion of the moving vehicle.

When they got to Verdant, Dig turned around. "Oliver wouldn't approve of Slade being a part of this," He put his hands up, "No offense, man, just looking out for the team."

"Yeah well I can't exactly carry him and neither can you, John." Felicity replied, "Besides, there's no way that Slade is letting me out of his sight. He has his worried daddy face on…"

"Damn right," Slade replied hotly, "Besides, I've known where your little hideout is for weeks." Slipping out of the car, he picked up Oliver's limp body again and headed for the door, "Come on then, we've not got all day. Pretty boy is going to be sick and I'd rather not replace another suit."

Despite his misgivings, John Diggle led the way downstairs and Oliver was laid out on the metal table. True to Slade's predictions, he vomited shortly thereafter. Felicity was focused on the samples she'd collected. Her fingers flew over the keys while Dig cleaned everything up and Slade stayed out of the way. "I'm analyzing everything now." Shifting some things around, she finally came up with a report, "There are high doses of pennyroyal, warfarin, and mugwort in both samples." She looked up, horrified, "These are all used for…"

"Inducing miscarriages," Sara finished the sentence from the top of the stairs, leaping the rest of the way back down as she hurried over to Oliver. "Which either means that Oliver has something to share with the class or that poison was meant for you." She folded her arms. She grabbed a rag and gingerly cooled Oliver's face as best she could. "Who knows you're pregnant?"

"Anyone with eyes?" Felicity replied, "It's not exactly a secret now that I'm showing." Slade was hovering again. Just the word miscarriage had lit a dangerous fire in him. But who would want to hurt my baby?" Looking between Slade and Oliver, she folded her arms. "You should compile a list of your enemies…"

Slade slammed his fist down against the desk, "That could take years, Felicity. Our best bet is to kill anyone with a criminal record."

Sara frowned, "Slaughtering everyone isn't going to fix anything. We need to pinpoint the threat and eliminate it. We start with vetting everyone at Queen Consolidated. Obviously this person got in and made it to the executive floor without anyone noticing. That narrows it down considerably."

"Or they were able to taint the coffee; we should look at the vendor. Pennyroyal and mugwort aren't exactly sold at your local grocery store either. I'll start looking at where you can get it around Starling." Felicity piped up.

Slade moved behind her, frowning markedly, "Perhaps we should get you home and you can rest, Felicity." He touched her shoulder, "This has been quite a difficult afternoon." Oliver was still unconscious; to think of Felicity lying on that table made his stomach turn over.

Felicity shook her head, "I'm not going anywhere. I will not be able to rest until I know that the person who tried to kill my unborn child is neutralized." Her hand splayed over her belly gently, "Oliver was telling me he was worried about someone retaliating. He wanted us to move in with him."

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Us? As in, you and I moving in with Queen and his gang of misfits?" Letting out a curt laugh, he shook his head, "You can't be serious."

"Hey," Sara replied hotly, "It took a lot for Ollie to offer up his home. It's not like he particularly cares for you, Slade. For the record, neither do I…" She shook her head, "But this changes the game. Someone is out for Felicity and it's up to us to protect her. You're either in or you're out."

Felicity and Slade shared a look. She folded her arms, challenging him to make his move. Slade was engaged in a battle of wills that he couldn't handle with his fists…or even his words, apparently. He was sorely outclassed and could do nothing but bend to her will. He let out a rumbling sigh, "Fine. We graciously accept your invitation." He frowned. "Now will you go home and rest?"

Kissing him gently, she chuckled, "In a little while, Slade. There are at least a dozen shops in Starling City that sell herbs but none of them specifically mention pennyroyal. There is one listed in the Russian district. It could be a front for the mafia." She bit her lip, "Oliver really pissed them off at their last meeting. I don't think we should discount retaliation."

Dig folded his arms. "It's possible they believe the baby is Oliver's. That could open up a whole new realm of potential suspects…" He could sense the tension in the room raise exponentially at the mere mention of it. "Felicity carrying the Queen heir would get a lot of people riled up."

Fist tightening in rage, Slade seethed. The child that Felicity carried was his and his alone. The fact that anyone would think otherwise burned deep in his chest. He could feel her move to his side. Instinctively he reached for her and tugged her to his chest. He frowned, "So then we need to set the record straight immediately."

"No…" Every head whipped to peer at Oliver who had clawed his way into consciousness in time to weigh in on the sticky situation at hand. "Carrying the Queen heir also affords her the protection of the Queen family." Sitting up on his elbows, he took a deep breath, "Let everyone think it's mine while we work this out."

"No goddamn way!" Slade roared. "You do not get to claim my child."

"Slade, calm down!" Felicity replied hotly, "Everyone here knows this is your baby! Let's just hear Oliver out…" She turned to Oliver, knowing that whatever explanation he had needed to placate Slade; he must still have been reeling from the effects of the rat poison thinning his blood. "This better be good."

Oliver grimaced as he forced himself to sit all the way up. Sara was right there, helping him balance so he didn't end up flat on his face. "Obviously someone targeted you at Queen Consolidated knowing that you'd be at my side, that we'd share the same coffee. You're with me all the time. We've been running around together because of your work with me as the vigilante. Even my mother thinks that we're doing something on the side." He took a shaky breath, "It would give you a perfect excuse to move in. I lend you my personal protection and when I am not with you, Slade will be…you'll have round the clock security." Clearly Slade wasn't happy about any of this, but he forged ahead. "We make a public announcement about the pregnancy and intent to wed. Whoever made this threat is going to know that their plan failed and they'll undoubtedly try again. From there we see where threats are coming in and find out culprit."

Holding Felicity close to him, his hand splayed across her swollen abdomen, Slade shook his head incredulously. He wanted to balk but someone had made a threat against his woman and child. They had to find out whom and time was of the essence. "And you're fine with this, Sara? Your boyfriend casting you aside like this?"

"No one is casting me aside. This is for Felicity's protection and I'll always be on board with that." She frowned, "You can't be this selfish, Slade, not when it comes to the life of your kid." She sighed, "Unless you have a better idea, we need to set up a press conference for tomorrow morning."

"Do I get a say in this?" Felicity scoffed, "While I appreciate your willingness to help, we're not even sure I was attacked because they think Oliver is the father. Someone could have known that Slade was the father! I don't want to upset a whole city—" Or Slade, "Over nothing!"

Slade rubbed her back, "In that case, it would throw the person responsible off for a period of time so we could determine who it was, love." He muttered, "Unhappy as I am, they're right. This is the best option." She would be safer this way and that was his goal above all else. "We keep working all avenues…the sooner this is settled, the sooner we can put this to rest."

Sighing, Felicity knew how slighted Slade must feel right now. She kissed him gently, "Then I suppose it's settled then. We move back in with Oliver, the press conference tomorrow…in the meantime we'll run down these herb shops." Licking her lips, she suddenly felt exhausted from the vortex of emotion she'd been spinning in all day. "We should get home and settled in. I should go pack a few things…"

"Let me take care of that." Sara replied, "Slade, can you get Oliver and Felicity back to the house?" Slade may have been angry but he curtly nodded his acceptance. "Dig, you mind checking out a couple of these stores?" He was right on it, grabbing the list that Felicity had compiled, heading out straightaway. "Alright then, we're good to go."

Despite Oliver's protests that he did not need to be carried, Slade lifted him up over his shoulder without another word. Felicity trailed behind, looking apologetic. Within twenty minutes, they were pulling up in front of the house. Felicity made sure that Thea was nowhere around before they brought Oliver in and settled him in his room. Sara would be back soon to nurse him back to health. Meanwhile, Felicity led Slade to the bedroom that she'd stayed in before. Silence hung between them as he settled down on the bed, Felicity flopped down beside him.

Clearing her throat, she grasped his hand, "I'm sorry about all this."

"None of this is your fault, love. I'm the one who should be sorry…" Slade let out a heavy sigh, "None of this would've happened if I hadn't taken you." He shook his head, "Once we get through this, I will make it up to you, mark my words."

Smiling, she kissed him gently, "How about making it up to me right now?" Her fingers tugged at the buttons on his shirt, kissing where the fabric fell away. "We haven't been together since you found out I was pregnant. I'm starting to get a complex."

Groaning, he kissed her tenderly, "I don't want to hurt you, love." He wanted her even more now than he had…yet the child growing inside her was fragile and new. The last thing he wanted was to harm them if his strength proved too much for her. "You've had a tough day."

Felicity frowned slightly, "You didn't hurt me before I was pregnant, what makes you think you will now?" She licked her lips, "I'm not as fragile as you seem to think I am."

"You were covered in bruises after the first few times and I won't take any chances with you or our child." He smoothed her blonde hair from her cheek, "That doesn't mean I don't want to, love." Kissing her deeper, he kicked off his boots and laid back. "We can discuss this later, perhaps after we ask the doctor. For now, you need your rest."

There was no use arguing with Slade about it. He would do anything to protect their child up to and including letting his sworn enemy play daddy in public. She wasn't going to push him any further. "Alright, fine. Cuddling is safe, I hope?" She changed into a nightgown that she'd left behind during her previous stay; it was a bit snug but thankfully still afforded her comfort. Slipping into his arms, she cuddled against his warmth. "You know I love you, right?"

Slade wrapped his arm around her, gently pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I love you too, Felicity. And I won't let anything happen to you." She fell asleep in his arms, beautiful and content. He lay awake for a long time, just watching her until finally the exhaustion mounted and he finally slept. Tomorrow would be a difficult for all involved but for now there was only peace.


Another chapter for my lovely readers! I worked very hard on it and I hope you are enjoying! Please keep reading and reviewing! It is such a fuel for my muse. Happy Sunday, everyone!