Hello! Thank you so much for all the great comments, I had so much fun reading the reviews and I have had a blast in general with this story. It's tying me over til our ship gets together in the show. Either way this chapter was a lot of fun to write, I hope you enjoy it!

11. Truths and lies

She was quiet as they drove back to Starlight City, holding in one of her hands the phone they had gotten from one of the kidnappers. It had started raining when they had arrived to the car and she was happy to be in the dry warm vehicle going home.

Diggle and Oliver had been talking the entire time and she occasionally felt eyes on her from the review mirror. She had managed to block away most of their conversation, not really in the mood to speak about how to proceed, her head not in the game. When she looked up she saw his blue eyes fixed on her, it was then that she noticed they were both quiet now.

"Felicity?" she blinked heavily, exhaustion catching up to her.

"Huh?"

"We were saying we don't think it will be safe for you to stay at your place, not until we find out who is doing this and how much they know about you" she woke up from her trance immediately.

"What? Well where else am I supposed to go?" she didn't want to sound whiney, but she had a home and she wanted to take a hot shower, put on her clean pajamas and crash on her couch with her roommate.

"You can stay at the Queen Manor, there is a lot of guest rooms-" Oliver said after a brief moment his brows started furrowing when she started shaking her head, crossing her arms in front of chest.

"Absolutely not Oliver, I have my own home and I will remind you that they took us three blocks away from your house—plus your mom freaks me out" she added quickly pursing her lips into a line. Oliver took a sharp breath, the way he did when he was short tempered.

"They got you because you were with me, they didn't know I could escape—now they might know what I am capable of, they also know that you are important enough for me to have you at my house on a Saturday morning" his voice sounded frustrated and her heart jumped inside her chest at his words.

"I'm not going to be locked away in that house until we find the maniac that is trying to kill you Oliver" she said back, his hand went to his temple massaging it momentarily.

"Felicity I think you should consider this, there is validity to what Oliver is saying—imagine where your will be at if Oliver hadn't been with you yesterday?" it was Diggle's voice, she turned towards him with a frown, not wanting to say that no killer will kidnap a dirt poor IT girl out of nowhere.

"Now that they know a little more they might try to get you to get to me, it will be easier if for the time being we keep each other at a close distance" Oliver said, he turned around to face her and she sighed loudly.

"I don't feel comfortable staying at your mom's house" she repeated.

"Okay, then we can find another place—" he said and his expression softened while he stared at her.

"Fine, but I still have to go home and get some clothes and tell Rachel I am going to be staying somewhere else for a few days or she will call the cops—she is going to want to know what is going on"

"Tell her you made up with the kid you were dating, and are going to spend a few days with him" Diggle offered and Felicity couldn't help but to laugh nervously.

"He was not a boy" she said her voice came out a little shaky, memories of Barry's last words to her flooded her mind 'I will be ready for you when you are 100% ready for me', then she remember Oliver's lips on her, the way he touched her and made love to her. She blushed intensely.

"You can tell her that you are staying with me" Oliver said after a moment of silence, his expression was serious. Diggle glanced quickly to Oliver and a flash of a grin appeared on his face.

"Well… there you go Felicity" Diggle said with a mocking smile, his coffee eyes fixed on her through the review mirror, she tried to suppress the idiot smile that threatened to appear on her face.

"If I give her that excuse—which might work since technically we will be together, I will have a hard time leaving tonight from my apartment, she will want to know exactly what happened"

"I am sure you will have fun making up a story that also covers the fact that you have an ugly bruise in your face" Diggle said and Felicity raised her hand to her wound.

"Right…"

"Good thing you are pretty good at making excuses" Diggle's words were full of sarcasm and Oliver grinned widely at them, turning slightly to meet her eyes. She guessed if she had survived two scary kidnappers, she could survive making up a decent excuse to Rachel, while Oliver and Diggle planned where they will stay for a few days.

"It's important that you don't stay there more than you need to, you have to be out of there tonight, we don't want to put Rachel in danger if we don't have to" Felicity knew he had said this to motivate her, and it worked.

They stopped in front of her house, a dark red brick building in the suburbs of the city, Felicity took a quick breath her hand holding the earpiece that Oliver had just handed to her.

"And why do I need this?"

"If someone is in your house already or you see anything strange, you can let us know and we will come" Diggle said, and she nodded putting it in her ear, starting to feel more nervous by the second.

"Hide it in your hair" Oliver suggested as she got out of the car, closing the door behind her, feeling a wave of nervousness ran through her. This had been a packed weekend; she got dumped by Barry, and then had a great morning with her friend and possible love of her life eating pancakes, to then be kidnapped and escape, to top it all with her sleeping with Oliver the night before.

She pulled her hair out of the ponytail and messed her hair up a little, flipping it around so it looked half decent.

She took a short breath as her finger hit the buzzer on the apartment, her purse was gone, which meant she didn't have keys, money or id. She had called the bank on the way home using Digg's phone, there hadn't been any charges made with her cards yet, she doubted that they would try to steal her money, after all they weren't kidnapping them for ransom.

"Who is it?" she smiled when she heard Rachel, feeling home right away.

"It's me" she said and heard a yelp from the speaker by the door, and then silence. She put her hands in the pockets on Digg's jacket and waited, her eyes fixed in the glass doors in front of her. She saw Rachel running towards the door a few minutes later, she was wearing casual clothes and her face looked extremely concerned.

She felt the air escape her lungs as her friend hugged her too tightly to make it easy to breath.

"You… where have you been? And what happened to your face?" Rachel's hand went to Felicity's face, touching her wound with care.

"I am ok, lets talk inside ok?" Felicity put her arm around Rachel's shoulders as they both got in, Rachel took a last glace her eyes fixing in the black town car parked outside.

"Is that John's car parked outside?" she asked, they were both going up the elevator now.

"Yes" Felicity said nodding, they walked out the elevator, the familiar scent of curry and spices from their neighbors cooking dinner surrounded her.

"What the fuck Felicity, what happened to you?" Felicity took a quick glance in the hallway, expecting impatient for Rachel to open the door. Oliver and Diggle had made her paranoid, but the fact that they were both listening in gave her some weird comfort.

She came inside the apartment quickly, closing the door behind her after Rachel had come through, she quickly checked through the peep hole that no one was in the front door and turned around to see a slightly worried Rachel.

"You are concerning me-" she said finally.

"I am sorry, I am a little wigged out right now Rach, I have not had the easiest weekend"

"What happened? I was about to call the cops if you didn't come home tonight, I though it was strange you were out for two nights in a row but was hoping you had finally gotten busy with Oliver" Felicity blushed intensely and swore she heard a muffled noise through the earpiece. Rachel crooked her head, squinting her eyes at her.

"Right—well maybe something like that did happen" Felicity was talking partially with her hands; Rachel was pale all of the sudden, her eyes wide open and her lips parted.

"Oliver did that to you!?" she gasped in horror.

"What? No, of course not—Rachel. I had a little of a problem in the party on Friday, a creepy guy from work started making a pass on me, it bugged me out so I left the party and—went to work"

"You went back to Queen Consolidates?" Rachel sounded disbelieving.

"Yes, well I wanted to get back to the guy—he is a higher up at the company, and I didn't want Oliver to get pissed off with one of the mayor holders of his company, so I did a few hackery thingies and fell asleep there" the harder part was come up with a believable story, something that her extremely intuitive best friend wouldn't catch to be a lie.

"So did the guy did this to you?" she gasped again.

"No, let me finish"

"You are taking too long, and the bruise is distracting" Felicity squinted at her friend who murmured a low 'sorry'

"I woke up and it was 12 am so I decided to leave, there were no taxis around so I decided to walk to the metro station, you know the last train leaves at 2 am—and then a guy jumped me from nowhere and took my purse, I don't know why I didn't let my purse go but in the shock of the moment I didn't and so he hit me on my face and took off running"

Rachel opened her eyes wide, her hands going to her mouth.

"Issy!"

"I know, super stupid—well I managed to ask a random guy in the station to let me use his phone and called Oliver—the party was over so he came to get me, I was not feeling like coming back home, so we went to a bar and had a few drinks…"

"And you went to his house after" Rachel finished the story; her eyes wide with emotion and Felicity completely blushed nodded, feeling guilty for lying at her friend and completely mortified Oliver and Diggle were listening to it.

"Tell me everything!"

"I just did" Felicity said with a half laugh.

"No you didn't, how was it? Was he good? He has that look of being really good, you know? Are you guys dating or… friends with benefits?" her voice was rambly and excited, and with each word Felicity turned a brighter shade of red.

Her friend's words ran around her head, she actually didn't know the answer to these questions. But she most definitely didn't feel comfortable speaking about it while the boys were listening to her answer.

"I don't know, we actually haven't discuss it"" she mumbled shocked by all the questions, her heart beating fast when she heard something that sounded like Oliver holding his breath.

"Okay—" Rachel walked towards the window, peeking out of the white curtains "Well Diggle's car it's still parked outside, is he waiting for you? Is Oliver there too?"

Felicity's hand went to her head, believing enough in her story to finish it with a gold bow on top.

"We are leaving for a short business trip, we have to be in the Ney York branch tomorrow, we are leaving tonight" Felicity said and felt her heart ached; she didn't like to lie, much less to Rachel.

"That was good Felicity" it was Oliver's voice in her ear, making her heart jump in place.

"I don't remember you telling me about this trip"

"It's kind of a last minute trip, it will only be a few days" Felicity walked towards her room, opening her closet starting to take out a few change of clothing and her carry on bag that was stuffed in the top higher shelf of her closet. She also got her passport and a little cash she had in her nightstand.

"You didn't answer me the most important question though" Rachel said after a moment.

"Huh?"

"How was he, you know—in bed?" she was curious and Felicity flushed intensely, a broad smile appearing on her face involuntarily.

"I knew it! He irradiates that… you know… sexy, knowing how to please look, did you guys do it like in a kinky place at the mansion?"

"I don't feel comfortable talking about this right now Rachel!" Felicity cried, her hand clumsily going quickly to her ear, turning the device off. She knew it wouldn't be long until one of them showed up in her apartment if she didn't turn it on again, but she was more mortified about dying of embarrassment.

"Oh come on Issy, you haven't stop talking about the guy for years now, at least tell me something!" she said in a begging voice, Felicity was folding her clothes quickly in her suit case, feeling warm inside and outside, her blue eyes flying towards her friend.

"The truth is that it was kind of unexpected, we started talking about Barry and then we were talking about us… then we were kissing, one thing led to another—"

"Who kissed who?" she was glad that they couldn't hear anymore.

"I did" Rachel seemed truly surprised by this.

"Wow, I didn't think you had that in you but I am glad you proved me wrong"

"It wouldn't be the last time" Felicity said jokingly and Rachel push her by the shoulder playfully.

"I am sad you are leaving, this deserves a full celebration in pajamas, with wine, chocolate and Mr. Darcy"

"We will do that, if there is something to celebrate after this trip, ok? I don't want to get my hopes up and then have them crushed when Oliver decides that he doesn't want to have something serious with me—and you know I won't be able to do the whole friends with benefits thing you are about to suggest"

Rachel smiled at her friend and nodded "well he will be an idiot to pass you up—what happened to his evil girlfriend?" Felicity finished putting a pair of pajamas and her traveling makeup bag inside and closed the luggage zipper, raising her face to Rachel.

"You know what, Oliver said that they were friends that occasionally dated" Felicity said, voicing out for the first time all that they had spoken in the car.

"Well, does she know that? And how often does Oliver Queen have friends with benefits?"

"I don't know and I don't know" Felicity shook her head, dreading having to leave, she came to hug her friend tightly. Her hand went up to her ear, turning on the device once again.

"Rachel please be careful, the man who stole my purse has my ID, which has this address. Who knows what kind of horrible person he is, the police is aware and I will call them to make sure they have someone is patrolling but… try to be careful, for at least a few days, ok?"

"Ok… you also take care, and as soon as you have your phone back call me" Rachel gave her a sweet smile.

"I will" and Felicity quickly put on a pair of light wash jeans, a light pink shirt and her white wrap jacket. She also took her other purse and stuffed her passport, money and tablet in it. She took her rolling luggage and jumped on her spot when she heard Oliver voice in her ear.

"Are you coming?" she felt a wave of annoyance running through her, he will get an earful when she got back to the car.

"I better go, they have been waiting for me in the car and I don't want us to lose our flight" she took a deep breath and gave Rachel a tight hug, hoping that she didn't remember that Queen Consolidates had their own private jet.

"Keep me posted" she said when they were by the door and Felicity nodded leaving with a lump on her chest.

"I am on my way, and I am alone" she said softly in the elevator. When the doors opened she peeked through and saw that Oliver was in the front door of the building, his piercing blue eyes fixed on her, a hand on his ear where his earpiece was. The sun was already mostly gone.

She opened the door quickly and a wall of freezing cold air hit her face as she walked out; she fixed the collar of her jacket with her free hand.

"Did you see or find anything out of the ordinary?" he asked, he was all business like. She couldn't help but blushed and feel mortified about what he had just listened to.

"Nothing strange, but I didn't really have a chance to check… with you breathing on my ear and all" he gave her a side look as they both walked to the car in silence.

He took her luggage from her hand and went to put it on the back of the car, she got in the car once again. Diggle turned around to see her with a smile growing on his face.

"So—he was that good huh?" he said with a mocking tone, she gave him a murderous look from the back seat.

"Shut it John" she said sharply as the front door of the passenger side opened and Oliver got in, they were all in silence for a moment.

"I guess we should head to the mansion first, I will get my stuff and then you can drop us at the Foundry, we can try to check into the phone there" Oliver said, his voice serious and business like.

"I can also check on the trackers I added to the small deposits we have been seeing from QC, I am confident something will show now" Felicity said, Diggle nodded though she could still see from the review mirror his side smile.

They drove off from her apartment and she looked back imagining what Rachel was doing at that specific moment, thinking for a moment how her life will be if she had never gotten herself into this mess. Her eyes traveled to Oliver, she could see him from the back seat, his eyes fixed in the front road, his soft voice was talking about some especial arrow heads they had received, and she felt her heart contoured in her chest, thinking immediately that she wouldn't have it any other way.

oooo

She walked down the stairs of Verdant towards the Foundry quickly; placing her purse in her desk and sat on the chair heavily. The screen was on and still on screen she could see the GPS spot where she guessed the cabin had been. She pressed her lips feeling her heart jump, remembering the cold rain, the smell of west glass and pine needles, the sound of the screeching wooden floor under her bare skin.

Oliver was now coming down the stairs, holding her luggage and a backpack behind his back. He walked quickly to the back where his bedroom was, getting lost momentarily in the shadows of the foundry.

She typed on her keyboard, checking all the trackers she had put on the accounts, her eyes studying the screen but her mind and heart set in a spot inside his bedroom, the gray walls and dark grey sheets on the soft bed. She was confused about what was going on in between them.

Where they together? Where was she going to be sleeping, and where was he going to be sleeping?

He was now walking out of his room appearing more relaxed now; he approached her and his hand rested in the back of her seat. She closed her eyes momentarily, hushing her thoughts and the fast beating of her heart inside of her chest.

She opened her eyes feeling victorious that she had partially calmed her sudden nerves.

"Any news?" he asked finally, his eyes studying the screen.

"Not quite there yet- aha, someone did a $20,000 transfer from the QC account to a random account in Latin America Friday night!" Felicity raised one of her hands in a celebratory movement, turning slightly towards Oliver with a wide grin "We have him… or her, because we don't know if it's a her… you have hurt a lot of women in the past" she analyzed in her rambly voice, her heart palpitating fast as she read. He gave her a side look and pressed his lips into a tight line.

"Felicity!" he snapped her out of her sidetrack.

"Right, sorry about that…"

"Only $20,000?" he asked confused.

"Oh you are offended it's only 20k to kill Oliver Queen?" she said in a mocking tone but seeing his straight face she got serious again.

"Seems wrong…"

"This is the same person who has been doing smaller deposits from QC for months now, if we add all the transfers together the sum will be much larger" she said reasonably.

"Can you find who it is and is there a way to find if this account in Latin America belong to the people that kidnapped us?"

"Well yes, but it might take days to find who the people that kidnapped us where… I can give you the name of the person here in QC because this time around they didn't cover their tracks so well" Felicity typed a few scripts, the ID of the person who that account belong to was not American. She went to the FBI database, she saw pictures starting to flicker around the screen as her program flipped through possible matches to the foreign ID and then her heart froze.

"Oliver…" she murmured as the photo had stopped in front of them, in the screen there was a much younger looking Isabel Rochev.

"This—she is can't be the one that paid to kidnap my father, Diggle's brother, Sara and I in Colombia… she wasn't even working in Queen Consolidates at the time" he looked at Felicity confused.

"Maybe we just uncovered a whole different conspiracy in here Oliver" Felicity said in almost a whisper "or maybe it's not only one person doing this"

"Well I guess we are taking a trip to the branch in New York City after all" Oliver's voice was dry and cold; she could feel his grip in the back of the chair tighten. She quickly typed to check QC shares and held her breath.

"Oliver, Isabel has been buying quietly shares of Queen Consolidates for months now… I can't believe we haven't caught this before"

"What!?"

"She has acquired a lot… Oh no, Oliver she has been buying them with international accounts"

"Is she using my money to buy parts of my company?" Oliver sounded enraged, his jaw tightening as each word escape his mouth. Felicity turned to look at him and his eyes were squinted at the screen of the computer.

"It's highly possible" Felicity breathed out.

"Felicity, we need to gather all this information now, I will get in contact with my lawyer and we will fly there tomorrow morning and get this woman out of my company" his hand went to his pocket taking out a new cellphone he had picked up at his house a few hours before.

Felicity knew this was going be a long night, gathering all the info that she could find to incriminate Isabel. She pressed the call button on her computer and heard Diggle's voice pick up at the other end.

"This is Diggle"

"Hey John quick heads up, we uncovered that the money that has been leaving Queen Consolidates to the International accounts might not be related to the kidnap situation— or it might, we don't know yet"

"Okay-?"

"We have a long night ahead, do you mind picking up Chinese on your way here?"

"Is that bad?" Diggle's voice sounded serious.

"When you get here you will be surprised"

oooo

This was one of those chapters I has so much fun writing. Well things are revealing themselves now.

I hope you liked this chapter, please leave reviews if you can, it really makes my day!

xo