After a LOT of blood, sweat and tears here's the next chapter.

I'm really sorry about the huge delay in this, guys. My only excuses are that I was somewhat blocked and heavily distracted by other plot bunnies and stories that popped up in my head. I hope you're still with me, and I promise to try and be a lot more regular in updating this.

Thank you all for your continuous support to this story and especially to highlander348 for messaging me to ask about it.

I hope you guys are still with me.

Here we go.


Felicity took her time in the bathroom, trying her best to make herself presentable. Unfortunately, she mused as she looked at herself in the mirror, that wasn't happening anytime soon.

Her lips looked bee-stung, she had whisker-burns all over her cheeks and on the side of her neck. All that discounting the hickeys she could see forming on her collarbone. Thanking her lucky stars that the long-sleeved shirt she had worn this morning had a high neckline, she brought handfuls of cold water to her face, trying to take away some of the redness.

As if that would work.

She still couldn't wrap her mind around what had just happened.

She'd had sex with Oliver. Well, maybe not sex, at least not for her.

While things had been fast and heated – it had been over before she'd realized what they'd been doing- it was all etched in her mind. She'd never had sex like that before. Not just because she'd been blown away by the power of her orgasm, or because she'd fantasized about Oliver for the better part of the past two years. No. It'd been different because of what she felt for him.

The problem was that she had no idea if it'd been the same for him or not.

She hadn't remained around long enough to find out. Oliver's phone ringing had given her the excuse to get away from him and his addicting closeness to be alone and gather herself. She breathed deeply through her nose and took another look at herself in the mirror.

She felt different, so completely changed.

It shouldn't feel like this after one encounter. She'd had a whole year of change to show for. She'd made herself into a weapon, an equal part to their little team and at the first day back instead of showing them how capable she had become, she'd reverted to her old lovelorn self.

Looking at her reflection derisively, Felicity shook her head and braced her hands against the sink. She was in love with Oliver, she'd known that for a while. While she'd been away her feelings instead of abating had grown. But she'd been resolved that now that she was back she would stand by him and provide him with support without asking anything back. Without making a fool of herself.

That worked out great, she thought to herself sarcastically.

A few moments later she could hear Digg and Roy returning to the basement and Oliver's voice greeting them. He looked fine. Normal. Her pride stung at that. He looked as affected as she had been five minutes ago. Well, then so could she.

Steeling herself inwardly, standing up straight she closed her eyes and found her center as Kaiya had taught her. That little place of calm where she could go to stop the rushing thoughts in her busy mind.

When she opened her eyes once more, she felt ready.

Without another thought, she opened the bathroom door and walked out with her head held high, looking at each of the three men in turn. She saved Oliver for last and confirmed her suspicion of what he'd look like when he returned her gaze with a concerned one.

"Did you guys make up?" Digg asked, a little bit too innocently making Felicity turn to look at him once more.

"Yes," she replied, making sure to keep her tone even. "We're good."

"Are you sure about that?" Digg turned to Oliver with a penetrating stare.

"I haven't agreed to you going out in the field and I'm not going to." Oliver's steely tone rang out around her and she turned incredulous eyes to him.

"What?"

"You didn't go out in the field before," he softened his tone, no doubt trying to placate her. "I can see you can protect yourself and I'm happy about that, but I can't have you out with us every night. We need someone back here."

Felicity found herself unintentionally softening her tone as well. "And I will be back here. I don't know how you went a year without me." Oliver's expression turned into one of relief at her words, but she wasn't finished. "However, I will be your back up if you need any, and I will train Roy in comms in case I'm needed in the field."

"Felicity-"

"I'm sure you think-"

Both Diggle and Oliver quickly started protesting her pronouncement and she waited them out until their voice rose and overlapped claiming her attention. She paid none. Instead she looked on impassively.

"Are you done?" she asked, when there was a lull during all the yelling.

"Felicity, you aren't a fighter. No matter what you learned with Kaiya, you can't-"

Felicity interrupted Oliver with a hand in the air, surprising him. Turning to the youngest addition to their weird little team she friendly smiled at him. "Roy, I'm sorry to ask this again, but would you be so kind?"

"No. You don't do this with Roy." Oliver's sharp voice made her snap her stare back to his. "If you want to prove a point at least spar with someone who won't hurt you unintentionally," he said turning away towards the training mats.

Where they'd been naked not ten minutes ago, Felicity thought and swallowed drily, pausing. When he turned his head to throw her a twinkling, challenging look over his shoulder, she narrowed her eyes and straightening up walked to join him.

Felicity stared straight at Oliver's eyes refusing to provide any tells about what she would do. "Should we stretch first?"

"There won't be any stretching before someone comes at you in the field," Oliver tilted his head as if reconsidering whether sparring with her was a good idea.

Good.

The thought flashed through her head before she rushed at him. Oliver paused for a fraction of a second before he got his head in the game, but Felicity had expected his quick recovery. She knew how he fought. She'd always been impressed with how he fought, but before she'd been uninitiated. Now as she blocked and parried his fists she acknowledged his expertise on a different level.

At first Oliver had started slow, fearful that he would hurt her, Felicity saw. However as she stood her ground and gave as good as she got, Oliver picked up the pace introducing more complex moves and footwork making her work for it.

She blocked one of his fists and quickly ducked sweeping her feet, anticipating that he would jump to avoid her. As quickly as she could she rotated her whole torso again, throwing up her other leg landing a kick to his shin.

He was unfazed by it, as she knew he would be. They continued that way for a while, with Oliver blocking some of her hits, but she was satisfied to see that she could land some of them past his guard. The first time he hit her, she used his remorseful pause to land a punch. He didn't spare his punches after that.

He tried to stop her after another minute sweeping her to the mats and trying to immobilize her. Wrong move, Felicity thought with an inward smile. She shifted her torso, using her lower body strength.

That's how it started.

From that moment the whole exercise stopped being about testing her skills and suddenly became a challenge. A provocative dance of their bodies on who would gain the upper hand. They twisted and turned, switching from armbars to side mounts, all the while smirking at each other between moves, before they turned the tables again.

Felicity could see the acknowledgement of her newfound skills. The growing admiration each time she managed to overthrow him and secure another hold.

Before long they ended up with Oliver on his stomach and her mounting his back, her arms around his head lightly applying pressure. She didn't really want to choke him after all no matter how mad she was.

"Are we done with the foreplay?" Digg's voice came from somewhere to her right, and Felicity slightly released the pressure from around Oliver's neck.

She cursed her mistake a moment later, when she found herself being flipped, her back landing hard on the mats as Oliver hovered above her between her legs with either hand planted on the mats beside her head.

"Had enough?" she panted, looking up at him defiantly. She'd had him until she let herself be distracted by Digg's voice after all.

Oliver narrowed his eyes at her, but she could see that most of the anger had faded and reluctant admiration had appeared in its place. Slowly he lowered himself so that their bodies connected and his face hovered a hairsbreadth away from her own. "You're the one pinned on the ground," he said challengingly, before his eyes darkened as they flicked to her mouth. "Again," he added in a whisper so that the others wouldn't hear.

His cockiness was what made her do it. It was a secret insecurity of hers; that he knew and took pride in the effect he had on her. So she didn't think twice before twisting her lower body and bucking him off, only to land in a straddle on him the next instant. Mimicking what he had done a few seconds ago, she lowered her face to his and looked deep into his eyes. "Should've enjoyed it while you had the chance," she told him, watching as his brow furrowed in confusion at her tone.

She pushed on his chest to get up, but before she could, he trapped them in place with his hands. "Felicity, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine," she interrupted him, disentangling their hands and standing up.

"Well," Digg said, when she turned to face him, ignoring Oliver who was getting on his feet behind her. "You're good."

Her chest filled with warmth at John's words of approval and she smiled at him to show her thanks.

"Yeah, that was great. Besides, that's more than I got out of him when they started training me," Roy chimed in from beside Digg with a smile of admiration.

"Felicity," she heard the difference in Oliver's voice before she turned to face him. He still wasn't convinced. "We can train if you want, but I'm still not prepared to take you out in the field."

All of a sudden she felt tired. She didn't want to get to another fight with him and while she wasn't going to let this go, she preferred to divert her attention to something else, something less emotionally draining. And just think it wasn't even lunchtime yet!

Ignoring Oliver she turned to Digg. "You caught me up with the small stuff last night. How about you guys tell me about what's important now."

Nodding Digg followed her as she walked and took a seat in front of her computers. The men situated themselves in various places around her. Roy settling on a table across from her with his legs swinging, Digg leaning against another table to her side, while Oliver, his expression cloudy, perched on her desk immediately to her right.

Diggle took over the narration of all that had happened in the year she'd been away. How they had fought against the Triad when not dealing with emergency missions, how the two of them at first and then Roy too, had managed to eliminate the big names in the Triad that had called the hit on Felicity. But there were still others, Digg told her.

"And Helena is still out there. She-"

"Digg!" Oliver's "She doesn't need to concern herself with that. The main threat is gone. "

Oliver's interruption had Felicity turning to look at him in puzzlement. Why did the mention of Helena have him so uncomfortable? She searched his face for anything that might explain his behavior before the thought entered her mind that he still might be having issues with dealing with his ex. That was too bad….she didn't.

"Oh, I think dealing with your crazy ex-girlfrind is exactly what should concern me," she said tightly, her anger possibly fueled with something more than revenge. "That woman is the reason I left my whole life behind for a year. She's the reason the Triad put a hit on me, so like hell she doesn't concern me!" her voice rose as she spoke, but she kept her eyes fixed on Oliver trying to gauge his reaction to what she'd say next. "Helena is mine to deal with."

"No," Oliver said simply. Nothing else. Just the absolute refusal to grant her the chance to avenge herself.

The stony fury in his expression fueled Felicity's anger. "No? If anyone has a bone to pick with this woman it's me. I don't care if you still want to reform her. Do you realize what she took away from me?" she asked, knowing in a back-corner of her mind that her tone didn't fit the powerful fighter she wanted them to see her as, but not really caring. "I learnt what I had to so I can come back and you wouldn't have to save me from people like her. And now you want me to let it go?"

"Helena has disappeared. She's not an immediate threat anymore," Oliver tried to appease her, ignoring the snort Digg let out at the statement. "I'm not trying to protect her. She's dangerous, Felicity but she's long gone. Once they gave her the intel about her father's safe house she went out and…"

"Killed him. She did, didn't she?" Felicity demanded and continued before she could get a reply. "She killed her own father and you think that's it. That's where she'll stop."

"That was her goal all along. No one's seen her since then. There's nothing else left for her to do," Oliver said, and it seemed like he really believed it.

Felicity thought otherwise, and from how Digg's lips curled derisively he agreed with her. "Right. And your superior knowledge of Helena had you predicting her moves so accurately in the past," she couldn't help the sarcasm in her tone. The idea that Oliver still cared about Helena had her feeling so…bitter.

"Helena wasn't the main problem in the first place," Oliver bit out, anger getting the better of him. She felt oddly satisfied that he wasn't unmoved but also even angrier at what she thought was Oliver's continued defense of that woman. "It was the Triad that had you targeted because of your involvement with me and that damned list. That was the problem. Not Helena. She was just a means to an end for them."

"A means to get to me! And if she comes after me again I'll be ready. You might care for her but I'm not going down without a fight."

"I don't give a damn about her!" Oliver lashed out angrily. "But you're not fighting anyone!"

Felicity looked at him stunned. "You still don't trust me in a fight, do you? Even after that," she motioned to the training mats. "You don't want to trust me," she added quietly, furrowing her eyebrows.

Oliver looked back at her unwavering in his stupid resolve. "You're good but you don't know what it's like out there. I won't risk you getting hurt."

"It's not your choice to make," she told him, not understanding how he didn't get it.

In two strides Oliver was in front of her chair. He leaned over her, placing his hands on the armrests caging her. "You would choose to leave me again?" he bit out, the intense look in his eyes making her shiver in something other than fear.

"I'd choose to fight to stay with you," she returned with equal force, trying to make him see her point.

"This conversation is moot, anyway," John offered in a placating tone, straightening from where he was leaning against a table and effectively breaking off their little stare match. Oliver gave her one last look that said that the conversation wasn't over, before turning away and walking to one of the glass cases that housed his arrows. "Helena is laying low, at least for the time being. If and when she decides to show her face we'll discuss who gets to take her out," Digg added, giving Felicity the impression that he at some point thought of taking the woman out himself.

With a frustrated but resigned sigh Felicity dropped the subject, turning around and switching her computers on. Digg was right, really. Helena wasn't a pressing issue at the moment, though she had no intention of letting it go. There were other issues that had precedence at the moment. Being gone for a year she had to find the way she'd fit into her old life. If there was anything left of it.

After discussing how the threats on her had been dealt with now she had every day subjects to focus on. She turned her chair around so she could face the three men once more.

"Do I still have a job?"

"And the hits just keep on comin'," Roy muttered from his perch on a table.

"About that…"

At Oliver's hesitant tone, Felicity narrowed her eyes. She was sure she wouldn't like what he was about to say.

As he explained his idea about her 'promotion' she thought that she really hated being right.


I know this chapter isn't heavy on Olicity but I promise next chapter will be much better. Fluffy and hopefully smutty times ahead.