Chapter 11 – Return to the Lair

AN: Hey all, sorry about another delay with this - I kinda got caught up with one of my other fics 'The Island'. Will try not to leave it over a week again next time :) Thanks for continuing to support me with this & as ever the biggest thanks go to Rennie75 for keeping me going & being the best beta EVER!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Arrow, sigh. CW do.

Lance looked at his watch and knew their time was running out. "Okay, now that's sorted can we get out of here and get Oliver's burns sorted out, please? SCPD will be here any minute and you need to be gone before that happens." Now it was over and they had the intel they needed Lance wasn't prepared to let Oliver go any longer without the medical help he required, he knew that protecting his identity was one thing important enough to Oliver to make him leave.

Lance's POV

They had all left the warehouse after that, with Oliver and Lance following Diggle to the car. Initially Oliver had wanted to stay behind to keep watch until SCPD arrived to ensure that no-one escaped. He'd had no intention of letting Sarah and Lauren be at risk again. Whilst Lance truly appreciated that and respected Oliver's dedication, he had no intention of letting him wait any longer for medical treatment. Once Sara and Diggle had seen Oliver's back they had agreed with Lance too.

"I'm staying, there's no way I'm going to risk the brothers getting away again." Oliver insisted.

"You stay then you are going to be the one explaining to Felicity why we didn't come straight back man!" Diggle responded and Lance was amused to see that he wasn't jesting. It was still strange to him how all three were scared of the petite blond and refused to cross her. Sooner or later I'm going to find out why that is.

"Fine, we'll go, you stay behind though Sara. Somebody has to ensure they don't escape now." Oliver agreed, backing down at the threat of having to explain to Felicity.

Lance quirked a smile at that, but decided not to say anything. If that's what it took to make Oliver leave then using her as a threat was fine by him. Sara readily agreed to stay behind, she had come on her bike so shewouldn't have been in the car regardless. Lance embraced her again, wincing as she caught his ribs.

"Sorry Dad." Sara was quick to apologise. "John, make sure he gets them checked out okay." She ordered before dashing off to keep watch over the warehouse.

Oliver winced as he removed the quiver and Lance could see that the adrenaline Oliver had been running on was ebbing now. He just hoped they would be able to get him back before the younger man collapsed.

"Don't worry about me Detective, I'm fine." Oliver said with a poor attempt at a smile that quickly turned into a grimace as he leant back against the seat after getting into the car.

Lance wasn't convinced, Oliver's definition of 'fine' definitely did not match his own! He decided it was a good sign however that Oliver was still trying to reassure him and was with it enough to do so.

"Contrary to appearances Oliver really does know his limits Detective." Diggle said. "Even if his version of 'fine' seems to differ from everybody else's." He finished with a wry smile.

Lance wondered if that was yet another example of the Team's mind-reading skills, or if this was something that they'd disagreed on previously.

Mixed POV

Diggle waited until they were the distance away from the warehouse that Felicity had specified before switching the comms back on and letting Felicity know that both Oliver and Lance were safe. He passed an earpiece to Oliver, knowing that she would need to hear his voice before she would believe he was okay.

"Oh thank goodness are they okay is he okay is anyone hurt I knew you would be able to get them did you find the brothers or get their computer is Oliver okay...?" Felicity answered Diggle not knowing that Oliver could hear too.

Oliver found himself smiling as Felicity's relief turned into babbling as usual. "Felicity, I'm okay, Lance is okay. Diggle took out the brothers and has their computer and cellphones so you don't need to worry about anything." He knew that she wouldn't stop her babbling until she heard him and he need to reassure her.

"Felicity, you need to get the medical supplies out please, we have a few injuries here." Diggle said, hating to cause her distress but knowing she would only be madder if they didn't tell her until they made it back to the lair.

"Injuries, what?! You said you were okay Oliver!" Felicity said angrily, the fear clear in her voice.

"Relax Felicity, we just need a little patching up okay." Oliver said.

Lance noted that although the pain was clear in Oliver's face he still managed to keep it out of his voice. Yet again he was amazed at how selfless Oliver could be. Even now when everything was over he was still protecting others, his Team, protecting Felicity.

"Okay..." Felicity agreed, unsure but willing to be pacified slightly for now.

Even without having seen the damage on his back, Oliver could tell from the faces of Lance, Diggle, and Sara that it must be pretty bad. His pain levels were rising as the adrenaline left his body which made him more aware of how bad the injuries must be. Felicity is definitely going to be mad at me again and ball me out over my definition of 'fine'! Oliver grinned suddenly, remembering when he had told her that when it came to complicated he graded on a curve. Maybe I can convince her that this should apply to my definition of finetoo? But even as he thought it Oliver knew his chances of winning that argument were slim to say the least.

They made it back to the lair to find Felicity standing waiting for them in front of her bank of computers. All of the medical supplies were out ready, Felicity had taken no chances it appeared and had simply prepared for any and all injuries. Oliver was amused to see that even the portable defibrillator unit was on view; admittedly it was to the side instead of in the middle of the treatment area, but it was still there. It seemed Felicity had yet to forgive Oliver for the amount of times he had crashed on her. Not that I can blame her I guess. Oliver thought wryly.

Lance's POV

"Who's hurt?" Felicity said instantly while they were still coming down the stairs. "Where's Sara?"

Lance was touched to hear the concern in her voice as she realized that Sara wasn't with them.

"She's fine Felicity. She stayed to wait for the SCPD to make sure that nobody got away." Lance answered knowing that she would believe him not to underplay things when it came to the condition of his own daughter - especially not after he'd spent six years thinking that he had lost her.

Felicity nodded acknowledging Lance before asking "So what's the damage?"

"A few bruised and cracked ribs – Lance needs an x-ray to check his aren't broken – a lot of bruising, some cuts, and some burns." Oliver reeled off.

Lance was not surprised to note that Oliver had classified all the damage to his back as simply 'some burns' even though he still couldn't see why it was that Oliver did that. It's not as if Oliver can hide it from Felicity after all, or is it that he really does see all that as just 'some burns'? Has he really been hurt so many times now that he no longer sees his injuries for what they are? Is he really that used to being hurt?

Lance was overwhelmed with sadness for Oliver and for everything the young man had been through – even if he didn't truly know what most of that had actually been still. Lance could clearly see the evidence it had all left behind now that Oliver wasn't hiding behind one of his many public persona. Now Lance could really see the man under the hood – and he was far more in every way than Lance had ever realized or given him credit for.

While Lance had been thinking, Felicity had pulled out a portable x-ray machine and was now beckoning for Lance to go over to her. He did as she requested knowing that it was always best to check damaged ribs for possible fractures, remembering as he went about the damage to Oliver's ribs too.

"Oliver will need his checking too, he took more blows to the ribs than I did." Lance stated bluntly, ignoring the look Oliver sent him. If Oliver wasn't going to look out for his own medical care then Lance would just have to do it for him - and if that means telling Felicity so she can force him into taking care of himself then so be it.

"Oliver?!" Felicity questioned, the threat clear in her voice.

"They're fine Felicity, mostly bruised, with two cracked but nothing broken." Oliver replied much to Lance's bemusement. How can he possibly know that?

"After five years of being your own medical care you get pretty good at telling when things are bruised, cracked, or actually broken." Oliver explained before Lance even had a chance to phrase the question.

I'm gonna stop bothering to even open my mouth around these guys pretty soon – it's not as if they actually need words! Lance decided, partly impressed, partly annoyed and frustrated.

"All sorted, SCPD got them all." Sara announced as she came down the stairs.

Oliver turned as she spoke, affording Felicity her first look at his back. She was horrified at what she saw, at the same time as being angry with him for not telling her the truth.

"Oh my gosh Oliver! I thought you said it was just some burns?!"

"They are just some burns Felicity. I'm fine, really." Oliver insisted.

"We are so going to have to work on your definition of 'fine' Oliver." Felicity replied clearly still angry with him.

"Hey I run around in a costume shooting arrows at bad guys, after surviving five years on an Island who's name means Purgatory, so when it comes to injuries I grade on a curve." Even though Oliver was sure she wouldn't be convinced he'd decided it would still be worth a try, just to see her response, he thought, deliberately ignoring Diggle who was rolling his eyes at him.

"Oliver, that argument might have worked when it comes to 'complicated', but it is so not going to work here." Felicity informed him bluntly.

Oliver backed up, hands raised in front of him in the universal sign for surrender – much to Lance's amusement.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry Felicity. But to me they are just some burns. I've had far worse Felicity." Oliver attempted to explain.

"Okay Oliver you have got to stop using whether you've had far worse before as a gauge of how bad an injury is." Felicity insisted irritably.

"She's right man." Diggle agreed and Lance found himself nodding in agreement too.

"Sara?" Oliver said looking to her in hopes of getting at least her support on this one.

"Hey leave me out of it!" Sara said with a small laugh which was immediately made worse by Oliver's glare. "Besides, if you think I'm going up against Felicity you are sorely mistaken." Sara finished with a grin to Lance after giving Felicity a nod of respect.

AN2: Please let me know what you think guys :) Thank you!