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LadyG


Late the next morning, a steaming cappuccino in hand, Felicity walked into the foundry and found Sara and Roy sparring in the center of the room. Immediately she released the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Oliver wasn't there. After their last encounter, she felt that it would be better if she avoided him for a while. Just the thought of herself cradled in his lap, his hands on her body, his lips inches from her own, caused her throat to go dry. If she kept her distance, there would surely come a day when the memory of that encounter didn't fill her with the most unbearable longing.

She'd made a vow to move on and she was determined to keep that promise to herself. Whatever cruel reason fate had to shove what she could never have right under her nose, she would overlook it. Oliver was seeing someone else and she was embarking on what she hoped would be the start of a wonderful relationship. She wasn't going to jeopardise that.

His brows furrowed in concentration, Roy listened as Sara tutored him.

"The eyes, Roy," she explained. "They can tell you more than any other form of body language. Focus on them. Learn to read them. Once you master the ability, you will be able to preempt most strikes."

Removing her purple coat, Felicity draped it over a chair and placed her purse on top of the seat. She heard the sound of flesh connecting with flesh and winced slightly. While she often toyed with the idea of resuming her self-defense lessons, the idea of actually having to trade blows with someone wasn't really all that appealing.

"Yeah!" Roy exclaimed. Turning, Felicity saw that he'd knocked Sara to the ground, his arm at her throat. A sudden spring in his step, Roy stood and reached down to help his instructor up.

"I got you," he told her proudly.

Sara laughed and accepted the hand he extended towards her. "I confess, you're a fast learner."

Grabbing a towel, he wiped at the beads of perspiration on his forehead. "Hey Felicity," he said, wheeling the chair she'd dumped her coat and purse on and flopping into it with a sigh.

His breathing was labored, his skin flushed from the exertion. "Hey," she returned, moving her coffee cup aside as she hooked her tablet up to the network. "Congratulations on your throw down. Or whatever it's called."

He grinned. "Thanks. Throw down works."

Pleased for him, she smiled. "How are you feeling?" Since Ray had started training with Oliver and Sara, he was learning to control his emotions a lot better.

He sat back. "Good. There are still tough moments, but I've been learning to channel my energy in better ways." He stared down at his hands, self-conscious. "You know, I think I'd have lost my mind by now if it hadn't been for Oliver."

Felicity filled with compassion. Roy was a good kid who'd had to deal with a lot in a reasonably short space of time. She was really proud of him for not giving up when things had become particularly tough. Having heard what the Mirakuru had done to Slade Wilson, she knew that the road ahead was going to be the most challenging of his life. He'd need all their support if he was going to make it.

"I'm glad you're here," she said sincerely, placing a hand comfortingly over his.

"Thanks."

Sensing his unease, she changed the subject. "How was dinner the other night?"

He looked relieved. "Boring. Not my kinda place, not my kinda food, definitely not my kinda crowd." She almost laughed at the pained expression on his face.

"But you went anyway. For Thea," she said, watching as a blush stained his cheeks. "That's really sweet."

Embarrassed, he deflected. "The pre-dinner entertainment made it all worth it."

Felicity felt the heat creep up the back of her neck. "It was nothing. Just a mis-"

"Understanding," Roy finished. The tone of his voice suggested that he thought it was anything but that. "I heard."

Not sure how to respond, Felicity pretended to scroll through her email.

"So, are you and Donner an item now, or what?" She thought she detected a hint of protectiveness in his voice.

Flashing a discreet look over her shoulder, she saw Sara ferociously attacking a punching bag. "I'm not sure." She stopped typing and turned her chair to face his. "I like him."

He looked a little shy, running a hand over the front of his short, spiky brown hair before mumbling, "He treating you okay?"

Touched by his concern, Felicity smiled. "Way above reproach." She paused. "I-I know that Thea must hate Adam because of Moira." She swiveled her chair back to face her tablet. "Oliver hates him too."

"Thea doesn't hate him. She's just a little wary. Don't worry about her." He lowered his voice and moved a little closer. "As for Oliver, he's just being a guy."

Felicity frowned. "Meaning?"

"What are you two whispering about?" Sara asked, touching the back of Felicity's chair and effectively putting a stop to that line of questioning.

Roy reached for his maroon jacket and put it on, zipping it up the front. "Just grilling Felicity on her new squeeze."

Her eyes on her computer screen, Felicity couldn't see Sara's face. "He seems nice," she said, her tone neutral.

Roy snorted in disgust. "Nice. I hate that word. It's so passive."

"I never called him nice," Felicity corrected.

"Well, there you have it. Felicity's feelings for the DA is clearly anything but passive," Sara chipped in, amused.

Not sure she liked to be the topic of discussion, Felicity was about to say something when Roy glanced at the time. Standing, he swung his towel around the back of his neck. "Entertaining as this has been, Thea will be looking for me soon. I'll catch you guys later."

Felicity and Sara both watched him leave.

Feeling more than a little awkward now that Roy had left, Felicity pretended to get back to work. She didn't know which she preferred less: Being alone with Oliver, being alone with Sara or being alone with Oliver and Sara. Right now, she was leaning toward the middle one.

It wasn't that she disliked Sara; she genuinely didn't. In fact, she admired her a great deal. She was a strong, resourceful and capable woman. There was a lot about her that Felicity respected, even envied at times, despite the fact that she didn't actually want to be her. To have survived all those years away from home, the things she would have had to do to stay alive and the scars those choices must surely have left behind - Felicity didn't envy that.

But sometimes it was hard to be in the other woman's presence. Sara and Oliver shared something that neither she nor anyone else could ever fully understand. It's like they had their own language, operated on a unique level that must have been forged through years of mutual hardship and strife. That type of bond didn't just go away. The mere fact that they were now a couple was testament to its strength and just another one of the multiple reasons why Oliver never had and never would, see her as his equal.

"Why have you and Oliver never gotten together?"

"W-What?" So shocked by the bluntness of the question, Felicity unintentionally knocked her coffee off the table, sending a stream of toffee coloured liquid through the air and onto the floor. Flustered, she pushed her chair back and grabbed a clump of tissues, before bending down and dabbing frantically in an attempt to soak up the liquid.

Sara knelt down and used her towel to absorb the bulk of it. "Well?"

Felicity met her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. Sara followed, waiting. "Because…I'm not his type, obviously."

"But he's yours?" she probed. There was no censure in her tone, merely curiosity.

"No!" At Sara's direct gaze, she squirmed. "I-I mean of course he's attractive. We just wouldn't suit." She fidgeted with the now empty cup in her hands, leaning forward to throw it into the bin before rubbing her hands together awkwardly.

Sara threw the towel in the direction of a laundry basket. Her aim was perfect. Of course it would be. "He likes and admires you a lot."

"Which isn't the only factor to consider when looking to build a long term relationship." There was attraction and love and a whole host of other things that Oliver definitely didn't feel for her.

Sara's smile was swift and fleeting. "I've seen many relationships built on a heck of a lot less."

Felicity rubbed her hands down the front of her red dress, her palms perspiring. "Why are you asking me this?"

Leaning back against the table they generally used to test weapons, Sara reached up and tied her blonde hair into a loose knot. "I was curious. You've spent so much time together and yet nothing's ever happened?"

Not for Oliver at least. "No, nothing. We're friends. That's all." Sara was looking at her so intently that Felicity had the disconcerting feeling that the other woman could see things that she'd prefer to keep hidden. "Besides, he's got you now."

"Why do you think Oliver dislikes seeing you with the DA so much?"

Felicity shrugged. What is this? "Because of his mother, I guess."

Sara remained silent for so long that Felicity thought the conversation was over. Prayed that it was over.

"It's not love, you know," she said softly.

Confused, Felicity asked, "Excuse me?"

"Oliver and I. It's not love. I care about him more than I've ever cared about anyone else. But I don't know if he loves me," she said quietly, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't know if either of us is truly capable of it."

Felicity tried to ignore the stabbing pains in the region of her heart. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was some kind of warning. "Sara, I don't understand why you're telling me any of this." The information seemed too personal and Felicity didn't want to know the inner workings of their relationship. While they were friendly, they definitely weren't friends. At least not the kind that confided in one another. Especially about Oliver.

Footsteps came down the stairs. "Ladies, I brought lunch." Diggle walked in carrying a pizza box that smelled like pepperoni and cheese. For the second time that day a conversation she was having was cut short by the interruption of another person. Perhaps it's for the best.

Her phone beeped. Retrieving it, she saw a message from Adam. "SEE YOU IN 15. A"

Felicity gave Diggle an apologetic smile. "Sorry Dig, I have to go."

At his questioning glance, she explained, "Lunch plans."

He nodded at Sara. "More for us." He opened the box and grabbed a slice, offering some to Sara, all the while chatting about baseball scores.

Replying to Adam's message, Felicity was aware of Sara watching her. Pondering the strangeness of it all and deciding not to let it unnerve her, she continued to gather her things, wondering the entire time what the other woman was hoping to find.