A/N: As always thank you for the support, I thought I'd drop by early as I have family commitments this weekend which means I won't be around much. But yes, my plans are to have this thing up by the end of hiatus so let's hope I can stick to that! Thank you as always, and enjoy...

It was the day of the funeral, well the morning of it, Oliver had spent the last few days completely by Felicity's side. She had ventured out to finalise funeral arrangements with Anatoly, Diggle had hugged her tightly as soon as he saw her and not a single person had said anything. She had been almost cold in her demeanour anytime she was out of the room, but not to Oliver. She had reached for him several times, even in front of Diggle, Anatoly, Sara and Nyssa; he didn't hold back either. Their hands linked constantly, his hand on her back, on her shoulder, he was there for her. But today was the first day he had left her, he had agreed to go fetch all the funeral flowers whilst she got ready. It was what made most sense, no one would attack Oliver believing him to be in Darhks good graces, plus then he'd know that none of the flowers had been tampered with.

He pulled up outside the florist, taking a shaky breath as he remembered the hardened look of Felicity's face when he had woken that morning. He knew it was a mask to protect herself, but he still hated it none the less. They had continued to talk and share, opening up about their kills, he about Thea and although they were sharing a bed, they had yet to take it any further. He shook his head as he walked through the door, a small bell ringing above him.

"Hi I'm here to collect the flowers that Mr-" His words died on his lips as the clerk span around. Instantly Oliver's body tensed, the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

"Just in the back." He pointed leading the way and Oliver followed.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver whispered.

"Well seeing as you failed to communicate with us, I thought this was the easiest way to talk," the man said turning to look at him.

"Tommy..." he whispered.

"Oliver, you know the rules. You have to check in."

"I've been a little busy." He gestured towards the flowers lay before them. He watched as Tommy's eyes looked him up and down, before his arms crossed over his chest and a frown appeared on his face. "What?"

"You seem different." Tommy tilted his head. "You do remember this is only another job."

"My last job," he said through gritted teeth.

"Yes I know." He continued to frown at him. "But Waller has been worried."

"She doesn't worry..." Oliver said quirking an eyebrow as he made to lift some flowers, Tommy followed suit as they went to the car.

"You know what I mean," Tommy said fixing him with a smile.

"She just cares that the job is getting done and it is."

"With some added benefits to you." Tommy smirked with a wink and the suggestion made Oliver frown as they placed some of the flowers in the car.

"It's not like that." They went back inside whilst Tommy continued to stare at him.

"What?" Oliver snapped grabbing more flowers.

"I know you, we've worked together for years now... And I have seen you sleep with many a target but what's happening here?" he asked following behind as Oliver once again walked back to the car.

"Nothing."

"I'm having a hard time believing that," he responded.

"Tommy just drop it." He placed the flowers carefully into the car, taking the ones from Tommy too.

"I'm afraid I can't my friend, you know if anything affects this mission I have to report back to Waller."

"No!" Oliver snapped. Tommy stared at him hard.

"Get back inside we need to talk."

Oliver glared at him slightly, before huffing out, "fine." They stepped inside once more heading into the back for the rest of the flowers.

"Oliver, I know what's at stake here for you-"

"And for ARGUS you mean?" Oliver answered snarkily.

"Hey man." Tommy's hand clasped his shoulder. "No. We're agents yes, but you're like a brother to me." Oliver felt his shoulders deflate a little. "So it's you that matters to me, but Darhk is the goal. His daughter is just a way to get to him, to stop him, and end all this."

"I know and I don't care about myself, but her Tommy," he whispered his name, before he took a shaky breath, "she's the one suffering-"

"And so have you, remember?" Oliver let out a dry laugh.

"As if I could ever forget about my parents, but I promised I would end this, that no one else would have to suffer at that man's hands, but she is." He swallowed thickly glancing upwards before Tommy dropped his hand from him.

"Please tell me you aren't getting too close to her."

"He murdered her mother in front of her, she has no one else..."

"And what? You think she'll forgive you when she finds out that you're an ARGUS agent? That she trusted you, let you into her home and you're going to use that to bring down her father?"

"I don't know! Okay? I don't know how this is going to work out Tommy but I can't let her get hurt for me."

"It's not just for you, remember he's a terrible man and if you fail... We won't have another chance." Oliver swallowed thickly. "She's just another mission." Tommy turned his back to him reaching for more flowers.

"What if she isn't?" Tommy froze instantly turning back towards him, his face unreadable.

"What?"

"What if she's more than that? What if... What if she could help us more? ARGUS more?"

"She's Bratva she would never join us, plus you're leaving remember, for Thea."

"Maybe if we gave her a choice," he mumbled ignoring the rest of Tommy's statement.

"Oliver man, you're playing with fire. Waller would never allow it."

"I was Bratva, I am Bratva-"

"Yes, and it was thanks to your parents deaths that you were recruited, every mission you have ever done has been a way to get to Darhk and finally you're here," Tommy said frowning. "And you want to throw that away for her?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, I need to end this-"

"Exactly," Tommy replied.

"But I care," he whispered. "She's not what we all thought, not what that information said she was..." He sighed. "What do I do?"

"I don't know Oliver, but this could compromise the mission."

"It won't, I swear to you it won't." Tommy stared at him for a minute searching his face.

"It best not Oliver or so help me, Waller will kill us both!"

"It won't I promise."

"Good. Now come on you've got a funeral to get to."

Felicity sat staring at herself in the mirror, she was applying the last of her fuschia lipstick, some much needed colour to her entirely black outfit. Her mother would have hated all this black without some colour, that's why the coffin would be white, and why there would be so many bright flowers. She swallowed thickly as she pulled her glasses on, she had left her hair down in loose curls around her face. It would act as another shield for her today.

All the Bratva members would be here and she could not have the luxury of falling apart, no that was for privacy, that was for her moments alone with Oliver. Oliver who had somehow made his way into her heart. She wasn't foolish, she knew she had felt something from the first time they met, but seeing him care for her, seeing him fight for it all, well it made her realise that maybe her mother had been right all along, and she was in fact thinking of Oliver and her as more.

The small creak of her door caused her to turn around to see him walking towards her. He was in a black suit and tie, with a blue shirt to add colour. He was holding a single pink rose. "For you," he whispered holding the flower between his fingertips. She gave him a sad smile, as she plucked it from his fingers. She snapped the stem so it was smaller, careful of the thorns. She stepped closer to him her hand landing on his lapel just beside his heart.

She gently slipped the rose into the buttonhole there. "It'll be safer here," she whispered; her hand falling to his chest where she could feel his heart thundering against his ribcage. His hands fell to her hips as she gently rubbed her fingers over his heart, hoping that he could understand the words she couldn't quite say. His fingers flexed against her hips as his blue eyes looked like they were looking into her soul, searching for something.

He gave her a soft smile. "It will." He nodded. She just stood there staring at him, the way he was looking at her made her own heart beat quicker. She had never been looked at quite like how he did, and she wanted to be looked at that way for the rest of her life.

"Oliver?"

"Yes."

"When today is over can we talk." She watched the frown appear on his face, his jaw looking even more prominent. "I mean about us."

"Oh..." He looked almost lost then and she felt him try to pull away but she held on tighter, his brow knitting together in confusion.

"I want an us," she blurted out. "I mean if you do, not like you have to stay with me. I mean I totally understand that you're wanting to leave the Bratva which I just thought about, and oh wow this was such a stupid thing to-" Lips crashing onto hers had her stopping mid-sentence. She felt one of him arms band around her, pulling her closer as the other tangled in her hair. She moaned against him when he nipped at her bottom lip and then his tongue was caressing against hers. She could feel his chest rumbling and then he pulled back panting; his eyes closed but his hands remained on her. She looked at him, his lips red with a hint of fuchsia that made her smile. His cheeks look flushed, but then his eyes snapped open and he smiled. His whole face lighting up, like he was seeing the world for the first time and her breath hitched.

His hands found their way to her cheeks. "Wow." He huffed out staring at her. "We can talk later. First we need to get through today, they're waiting for you." She nodded then stepping out his hands and turning back to the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed like his, her lipstick a little smudged. She reapplied it before turning to Oliver and wiping away at the pink on his lips. He continued to smile at her, before she quickly turned away. She placed her tablet and phone in her bag tossing it over her shoulder.

Oliver stood there staring at her his fingers brushing over his lips, a wistful look on his face as she turned to him. He held his arm out and she took it.

"Thank you," she said softly as they walked towards the door.

"Did you bring your tablet?" he asked.

"Yes, I still have a few searches running plus... Damien and his ghosts activity, I don't want any surprises today."

"You don't need to explain, I understand." She could feel his eyes on her as they reached the staircase, and then she stood straighter, a calmness falling over her as she walked down towards her men. Anatoly was stood at the bottom but he made no move to take her from Oliver's arm. She watched as the men gave sharp nods at each other, she could see the broken look on Anatoly's face hidden in his eyes as he smiled at her.

"She was very proud of you," he whispered to her.

"She was, and she loved you," she responded. He gave her a soft smile as the men parted instantly for the 3 of them. All were silent, all their heads bowed as they walked out the main door. Diggle, Sara and Nyssa stood there waiting, again all their heads bowed too. The only sound that could be heard was the horses hooves on the gravel. She glanced up to see a beautiful horse drawn carriage with a white coffin inside, surrounded by beautiful and bright flowers.

She felt Oliver's hand land on hers over his arm. She glanced up then seeing him staring at her and she nodded. She stepped forward, towards the black SUVs and then everyone else seemed to come to life around her. Diggle rushed holding the door open for her to step in, she slid over the seat, Oliver following close behind.

"Where's Anatoly?"

"He's with Nyssa and Sara in the other car ma'am." Diggle answered. She nodded then as slowly but surely the carriage in front moved and they followed. Oliver placed his hand over hers on her knee, but she was starting to feel her emotions strangling her and she wasn't even at the actual funeral yet, so she pulled away. She placed her hands in her lap, turning to look out the window beside her. She needed Oliver to stay close, but if he carried on comforting her in the way she truly wanted, then she probably wouldn't even make it to the graveside. She didn't dare look at him, not now, she knew she'd see the hurt on his face but she wasn't pulling away, not properly, she just needed to make it through the next half an hour.

The Rabbi was going through the prayers, the service was slowly coming to an end. She stood there repeating the words she had learnt long ago, but that had lost all meaning in her world now. She felt Anatoly beside her as Oliver had drifted further back. She missed his presence, missed clutching onto him as the service came to a close, but she knew he was trying to be respectful. The Rabbi said his final words, and the crowd started to slowly shift away.

Felicity stood there for awhile staring into the grave, to her mother's coffin. She walked over to the pile of earth grabbing a hand full as she threw it onto the coffin. "I'll miss you mom," she whispered.

Slowly she turned back around, the only people remaining were Anatoly, Diggle, Sara, Nyssa and of course Oliver. "It's a Jewish custom." She shrugged stepping closer wiping her hands. She didn't stop until she was beside Oliver, and then she slipped her fingers into his hand. She saw that split second of shock dance across his face and then she squeezed. He beamed down at her before he leant forward kissing her forehead. A cough caused them both to turn to see the group all smirking up at them.

"You owe me $50 Sara," Diggle replied flatly holding out his hand.

"Damn it," she mumbled handing him the money as Anatoly stood there smiling.

"Your mother would be truly proud of how you handled today, and of course of you two." He gave a tearful smile, as he nodded at Oliver. She saw him nod back, and she knew that was his approval, that was his blessing of whatever this was.

"Back to the house?" Nyssa asked with a soft smile.

"Yes," Anatoly replied, "now we go back and celebrate your mother my way." Felicity rolled her eyes as she smiled. She leant further into Oliver's side as they walked towards the car. He held the door open for her as she slid inside. This time she grabbed for his hands, leaning into him.

"I didn't know you were Jewish," he whispered.

"Ah, technically I am but... well truthfully this world it changed it, all that happened, it just changed it for me. My mother not so much hence the Rabbi."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she whispered.

"No I mean that you had to lose so much for this." She opened her mouth to speak when a loud beeping pierced through the car. Felicity fumbled for her purse, yanking her tablet out, her heart thumping so hard. She stared at the screen blinking. "Felicity?" Oliver asked.

"Ma'am?" Diggle said at the same time.

"The house... it's gone," she whispered spinning the tablet so they could see. The house was completely consumed by flames, firefighters were tackling the blaze as the whole building, her whole life, her whole existence burnt before her very eyes.