Disclaimer - I do not own Arrow.

Oliver was never one to snoop in his friend's things.

Sure being the vigilante came with the territory of stealth and 'ninja moves' as Felicity would put it but he had tried to avoid using it with the people closet to him. Especially Felicity. Other than the brief background check into her that he had done before letting her in on his secret, into his world, he had never pushed her to tell him more about her family. About her personal life.

He trusted her implicitly with his life, his soul and his heart.

And he wasn't blind, he knew she had a, for lack of a better word difficult, history that had shaped her into the remarkable woman that had come to be his best friend and partner. A history she never spoke about even amongst her never ending rambles and babbles that he had grown so fond of.

He was no stranger to secrets, having so many of his own he knew the weight that they placed on ones shoulders. And he knew how painful it was to carry that weight on his shoulders. So he didn't push her, just like she never pushed him to reveal all of the things that plagued him every single night and day of his life.

Of course he was curious, or rather enthralled, by the blonde that had seamlessly melded herself into every aspect of his life. But he respected her enough to not pry into her past and loved her enough to not be in a relationship with her that would paint a target on her back for people that were against him as either Oliver Queen or The Arrow.

Because he did love her, with every single fiber of his being.

He didn't know when it had started but by this point she was in his very blood, flowing through his veins and banishing the cold that threatened to seep inside and consume him. Felicity was his protection even if she would never know that she was the reason he came back alive after every single fight.

So when he had opened her drawer in her desk at Queen Consolidated, on his hunt for a missing file, the last thing he had expected to find was a photo sticking out of what appeared to be a very worn notebook. Which was strange in itself as the Felicity he had known for the past two years was rarely seen with any sort of writing implement that wasn't digital.

He couldn't stop his hand from reaching out to pull out the photograph, curiosity getting the best of him before his mind had a chance to catch up to his actions.

He never expected the contents of the photo to be Felicity and a man that looked to be about his age, sitting on the same side of a restaurant booth with both of her arms wrapped tightly around one of his well built ones as she looked up at him with a look that could only be described as love.

The man looked at the camera with a beaming smile and Oliver couldn't suppress the jealous surge of electricity that shot through him at the image they created.

Who was this man? What was Felicity doing with him?

The photo was obviously not that old, it looked freshly printed upon further inspection and the Felicity in the photo looked no different to the one he had seen this morning.

In his preoccupation he failed to hear the sounds of footsteps coming near and he later cursed the fact that today was the one day she had chosen to forego her usual heels and opt for her almost silent flat shoes.

"Oliver what…"

His eyes flashed instantly from the photo to the woman now standing in front of him with a look of both confusion and hurt on her face and he immediately felt the need to justify himself.

"I was looking for the Mason file and…"

He watched in confusion as a wave of pain washed over her face and in a flash he dropped the photo on her desk and moved towards her, his arms reaching out to her on their own accord and his hands landing on her biceps in an attempt to offer some comfort.

"Felicity", his voice was soft as he said her name with a hint of pleading. Hell, he would be on his knees begging in front of her if he thought that it would help whatever she was going through. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oliver". The way she whispered his name wasn't a start of a sentence, it was as if with that one word she wanted him to understand that she couldn't say all the things that she so desperately clung to.

Without a moments hesitation he moved his arms to wrap around her until her body was flush against his and her nose was pressed against the column of his neck.

"Whatever it is we'll deal with it Felicity".

He doesn't know how long they stood there, his arms supporting her as her body shook from the soft sobs that she could not suppress and the moisture of her tears seeping into the collar of his shirt.

He was beyond a doubt confused. Was this the reaction to him prying into her life? Or did it have something to do with the man in the photo? What could possibly have happened to warrant this kind of reaction from one of the strongest women he had ever met?

Without warning she moved away from him towards her desk, and he watched as she gathered her things, carefully placing the hastily dropped photograph inside the notebook again. Only when she was done did she look up at him with a new look of determination in her eyes.

"Where are you going?" his voice was hoarse and he knew it but in that moment he didn't care.

"We. We are going somewhere Oliver. It's been long overdue". Her voice was gentle, sad, and he saw that she was trying to use all her remaining energy into pulling herself together.

So he didn't ask questions. Didn't ask where they were headed as he blindly followed behind his genius IT girl, his girl Wednesday. He didn't need reason or logic in her actions, he trusted her to never lead him astray and she was yet to fail him, even when the odds where against them both.

The journey from their offices to her car was silent and he didn't protest when she sat in the drivers seat, he knew it allowed her the control that she was so desperately clinging to.

The further they drove the more worried he became as his mind conjured up all sorts of realities and scenarios of where she was taking them.

Until they reached the parking lot of Starling City Cemetery.

She wordlessly jumped out of the car, not even sparing a glance his way to see whether he was following her or not. At this stage he didn't even know whether he was even capable of not following her. His feet move on their own accord as his eyes sought her out amongst the trees that were scattered around the neatly aligned tombstones.

The splash of color that his eyes found pointed him in the right direction as he saw her standing in front of a headstone, her posture stiff and he saw the tension practically radiating off her. He came up beside her slowly, as if he was sacred that any sudden movements would spook her. The only point of contact he allowed was their shoulders touching in the hopes of her understanding that he didn't want to crowd her but he was there if she needed him.

Only then did he allow his focus to leave Felicity's face to follow her line of sight to the well-kept grave at their feet.

Charles Smoak

22.06.86 – 28.04.12

Beloved Brother

And the final piece of a horrible puzzle clicked into place before his eyes. Brother. The man on the photo had been her brother. The man in front of them, dead, was her brother.

His heart broke all over again for the woman standing next to him, her usually clear and bright eyes were now dimmed and cloudy by the tears that were threatening to fall. He had always been abysmal at math, or any subject really when it came to high school, but he still managed to calculate her brothers death to exactly six months prior to him coming into her office with a bullet ridden laptop asking for her assistance.

He could never have guessed that six months before she had buried her brother, a brother she seemed to adore if the photo was any indication.

The sob that reached his ears once again forced him into action, his arms wrapping around her small frame as he held her, trying to comfort and warm her by his touch alone.

As impossible as it was, he would do anything to take away the pain that she was feeling. He would carry it himself if he could, remove the burden of death and pain from her shoulders and carry it for her. But he couldn't.

He found himself thinking that every single time he learnt something about the woman in his arms a whole new set of questions begged to be answered. And he wondered whether it was the same for her every single time something was revealed about him.

For now he forced himself to banish the thoughts. They both had secrets; they both had histories that were better left in the past.

At least for now.

1. Prompts - Thank you to all who have sent me prompts - I LOVE LOVE LOVE most of them and will definitely be working some of them into these one shots. The more prompt the merrier guys - and the crazier they are the better :)

2. Updates - I have been EXTREMELY slack with my updates on all me stories (Bleeding heart of mine, Time will tell, Enrapture). My sincerest apologies but I just can't make myself write. Every single time I do it just feels fake and forced. I am on to it I promise but I dont want to publish anything that I'm not happy with so please bear with me. I will eventually come through - I will never not finish a story.

2. Your reviews have been amazing - they are just the highlight of my day every day. Words can't explain how much they mean to me and I can't get the stupid smile off my face every time i read a particularly funny/heartwarming one. So thank you (although a thank you isn't nearly enough for all the kind words I've received from you).

Love to all - stay safe - Stace XOX