"Adapt or die. As many times as we've heard it, the lesson doesn't get easier. The problem is we're human. We want more than just to survive. We want love. We want success. We want to be the best that we can be. So, we fight like hell to get those things. Anything else feels like death." ~ Meredith Grey

Even though it felt like it took forever, it all happened in a blink of an eye for Oliver. The entire team suited up and headed out. They wanted to make sure that Felicity was actually at the ARGUS location that Lyla had given them and made sure that they cleared the building before calling local law enforcement and emergency services. He'd brought up calling Barry, so he could just take Felicity home instead of having her 'rescued' by unfamiliar police and taken to an unfamiliar hospital. Diggle had pointed out that there would be still time when they got there to choose that plan.

Oliver just wanted to hold her.

He wanted to know that she was okay.

For her to know that she was safe.

"It looks like a house," Roy commented as they came upon the location that Lyla had given them. "Are we sure this is the right place?"

Oliver looked over at Diggle, who was dressed all in black and was the one with the GPS to ensure that they had the right coordinates. They'd parked nearly two miles away and had tucked their vehicle off the side of the road and deep enough into the trees. No one going down the dirt road that led to the house would see it.

"They've had her for THREE years," Diggle reminded. "ARGUS has been using her like a consulting agent, it would make sense for Waller to keep her hidden away. "People are more likely to do what you want them to do, if they don't feel like you've got them captive."

"I think I'd feel like a prisoner anywhere I was kept," Roy commented.

"You're talking about Stockholm Syndrome, aren't you?" Oliver questioned as he came to a halt. He hadn't considered that. This was Felicity they were talking about and Oliver didn't think that she'd just give up and give in.

Three years.

"It's a possibility…or something of that sort," Diggle said. "I just think we should be prepared." He sighed. "We could find a completely different version of Felicity…one we're not prepared for…"

Diggle was right. All Oliver could think of was his sweet, beautiful, intelligent Felicity…the one who knew who he was even when he didn't, who stood up to him when he needed it, and who felt with her whole being. He was certain that that woman, the one that he loved so dearly, wasn't lost. She was so close now, in that house, and tonight…she was going to be free. Oliver was going to take her home.

They moved in closer, taking out the guards at the perimeter first. Systematically, they worked their way towards the front door. The building or house didn't have many windows, likely it had been purposely built for ARGUS (which wouldn't surprise Oliver). As much as Oliver wanted to just rush in there, he knew that they had to go slow. The only thing that was keeping him calm in all of this was the thought that Felicity was at the end of it all.

"You doing okay?"

Oliver turned to look at Diggle. He hadn't realized that he'd froze. It wasn't because he was scared. It hit him, after all this time…was he ready for what was inside of that house? Was he ready for answers? If they were any? Was he ready to face her?

"I'll be okay once we have her home," Oliver finally responded.

He sucked in a deep breath before entering the house. The door wasn't locked, but that didn't seem odd to him with the number of guards that were on duty. Arrows and bullets flew, taking down guards. They split up. Diggle took the left, Roy took the right, and Oliver moved straight ahead.

"Clear!" he heard Diggle say.

"Clear!" Roy echoed a moment later.

More guards hit the floor before Oliver made it to the next set of rooms, he knew from the outside that the room to the left wasn't one that had a window while the one to the right had one. He already knew that Felicity wasn't in the one with the window, so he went left. He tried to enter, only to find that the door wouldn't budge. His eyes moved up to find a rather large deadbolt.

Felicity.

He unbolted it and opened the door as he heard Diggle call his name. The sight of her sitting right inside the door, her back pressed against the wall, her face red from crying as she looked up at him. The only woman that he'd ever truly loved, the one that he'd have given his life for at a moment's notice, she looked so vulnerable right then as her big blue eyes stared up at him.

Oliver couldn't breathe.

"Oliver! You need to see this!" Diggle called again.

He knew that he should answer, but he couldn't. Maybe it was because it had been three years and seeing her again was all that he had ever wanted. Maybe it was because all he could think was that everything was over. He realized suddenly that even though she'd seen him countless times as the Arrow with the hood and the mask that she'd been held captive…that it might be too much. He pulled the mask down and pushed his hood back before crouching down in front of her.

"Are you hurt?"

"They took—" Felicity tried to get out, but a sob escaped her lips instead.

"It's okay, you're safe now," Oliver said calmly, trying not to get emotional. "We're going to take you home."

"I can't—"

"Waller's not going to hurt you, Felicity. I won't let her."

"They TOOK him," she finally got out.

"They took WHO?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver?! Did you find her?!"

He looked over his shoulder to find not only Roy and Diggle standing there, but a small child in Diggle's arms. A little blonde haired boy with big bright eyes. He was crying and immediately held out an arm. "Mama!"

Oliver could hear a shudder in Felicity's breathing before she let out another cry and moved past him. Straightening he turned to watch her take the boy from Diggle. She was holding the child, swaying with him ever so slightly as she ran her fingers through his hair, as if she never thought to see him again. He just stared at them, trying to process. The child wasn't that old, Oliver wasn't sure the correct term for the age range. He was older than a baby…but he didn't look old enough to go to school.

"Mama," the boy cried as he clung to Felicity. "I scared!"

"I know, Sweetie…" Felicity cooed. "Mama's here… They're not going to take you away from me ever again."

"Felicity?" Oliver finally spoke up again. Her eyes looked to him immediately and no words had to be exchanged between them. She already knew his question and he already knew the answer. He was a father. Amanda Waller hadn't only taken the woman that he'd loved and held her captive, forcing her to help ARGUS when Waller wished, but she'd also kept his son from him.

"His name is Tommy," Felicity whispered. "I don't know why they took him. I do everything they want, so I can keep him safe…safe until…until all of you could come—"

"We know we're late," Diggle said.

"So incredibly late," Felicity responded. "Please tell me that we can go home."

"I'm supposed to call the police, so they can come get you."

Panic filled her and Oliver swore that she held the child tighter. If it had just been Felicity and she was unharmed, they'd have her walk back…but he felt like they needed to be checked over. It wasn't just a drive back to Starling City. "We could call Barry, but I think that would be a lot for…for Tommy…"

"I—I'll do anything, just—" Felicity's voice broke and she shook her head. "Please don't make us go somewhere where they'll take him away from me."

"Call Barry," Oliver told Diggle. "And then we'll have Detective West call Captain Lance once Felicity and—and Tommy looked over."

God, he had a son.

Tommy.

Even though he hadn't been there with Felicity, she had named him the most perfect name. Though, Oliver was fairly sure that any name that Felicity chose would have been perfect in his mind. He wanted to embrace her. He wanted to look at his son. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss his son. He wanted to hold both of them. But he held back. It had been three years and she had had to bear so much on her own. He didn't want to scare her.

So, he gave her space.

With every cry, sniffle, shudder, and every other bit of sound or sight that showed him that either Felicity or Tommy were in pain, suffering, or just plain scared…it killed him a little inside. All he wanted to do was to comfort them. To be there for them.

But he couldn't.

TBC…