CHAPTER NOTE: I wasn't aware it was wonky when I first uploaded this chapter. Thanks to CamJ for pointing it out to me. Hopefully this latest upload of the same chapter doesn't end up wonky...

DISCLAIMER: – see previous chapter –

TIMELINE: AU version of Arrow S03E22

SUMMARY: – see previous chapter –

AUTHOR'S NOTE: After some deliberation I've decided to enter this story to this year's Watty's, hopefully you'll help me get the word out and like/vote for this story so others can read and enjoy it.

XIV. Surprise Union

TAKING DOWN THE PLANE CARRYING the virus to Starling City was a bust. The plane they were told to shut down was a decoy; Ra's wanted to weed out who was being disloyal to him hence the ruse.

Now with their wrists bound in shackles, Felicity and company followed a pensive looking Oliver down the corridor leading to Ra's main hall area. Each of them were still reeling from shock at finding out they'd been had, and all were shooting sharp glares at Malcolm's way all the while wondering why Oliver was personally escorting them in.

"Hey, Oliver, what the hell is going on? Oliver! Oliver!" Felicity couldn't contain her silence anymore. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

Oliver stopped abruptly and turned to face his captives. "If any of you speak, we're all dead," he paused and looked each and every one of them straight in the eyes. "Trust me."

His words shocked and stopped Felicity from voicing out anymore questions she might have for him. She was rendered speechless when she caught a glimpse of the old Oliver, albeit momentarily, when Al Sah-him addressed them. A tiny flicker of hope sparked and flickered inside Felicity; maybe Tatsu was right, her Oliver was still there lurking in the shadows of the evil that was his latest alter persona.

They followed Oliver into the lion's den, formed a straight line as if they were facing the firing squad and remained quiet while Ra's questioned them. Tatsu nominated herself as their voice and answered Ra's questions. He wanted to know how they found out about the virus and the plane. Tatsu informed Ra's it was Maseo who contacted her, and the irony of the confession didn't go unnoticed as far as Ra's was concerned, after all, dead men tell no tales.

Throughout Ra's interrogation Felicity couldn't help from not looking at Oliver. Aside from his recent wardrobe change, he also cut his hair short, turned it to a near buzz cut. He still sport facial hair, just a bit more untrimmed than he normally would have it. Somehow this new look of Oliver's suited him, and it seemed familiar to her now that she thought about it. She recalled that dream, a very vivid and almost life-like dream she had when she was staying with Barry in Central City. In that dream Oliver, dressed as Al Sah-him, came to visit her in Central City. He looked every bit the same as the man she left in Nanda Parbat only he wore League armour instead of his usual casual clothing. It was a night filled with much bliss and thorough lovemaking that made her cheeks blush, even now as she recollects everything that happened that night. A part of her wished it was real, but in the morning when she awoke she was alone in bed dressed in her jammies, inhaling a lingering scent that reminded her of Oliver, but it couldn't have been Oliver since she knew he was thousands of miles away from her that night living his League of Assassins life all the way back here in Nanda Parbat.

OLIVER TRIED NOT TO LET his gaze stray too much on Felicity, but he couldn't help himself from being drawn to look at her, especially when he could feel her eyes on him. He noticed a wistful gleam in her eyes shortly after he spoke to them briefly outside the main hall. He dropped his guard then and addressed his friends as Oliver instead of as Al Sah-him, and Felicity picked up on it, which was why she was looking at him the way she was now.

He tried to push back the night he stole into her room at the West's house in Central City, but seeing the blush forming on Felicity's cheeks told him she was remembering that night too, otherwise why would she be giving him that longing look? Briefly, when Ra's was busy walking behind the line-up of his friends before him, he met and held Felicity's gaze. Oliver knew the moment she realized her so-called dream back in Central City wasn't really a dream at all given his eyes mirrored the same longing she has.

Ra's ongoing interrogation broke their gaze apart, drawing both Oliver's and Felicity's attention back to what was happening when Ra's mentioned it was customary for the Ra's to contemplate mercy on his enemies on the eve of a wedding that caused a mocking remark from Ray, taunting Ra's al Ghul about having a kettle for every pot.

"The wedding is mine," Oliver announced, which was what was expected of him to do. He didn't dare look at Felicity when he added, "I am betrothed to Nyssa al Ghul." He lowered his gaze to the floor when he said it, bidding his time before he lifted his gaze and turned it to see Felicity's heart break right in front of him.

FELICITY COULDN'T believe what she just heard. Al Sah-him – Oliver – didn't just announce his engagement to Nyssa! A part of her was happy to hear that Nyssa survived her trip back to Nanda Parbat after their botched rescue mission, but the price of Nyssa's life she got herself engaged to Oliver – her Oliver?

Felicity felt numb all over as they were escorted out of the main hall and in to the dungeon. Her eyes didn't waver from looking at Oliver. Didn't they just share a moment right there before Ray goaded Ra's? She didn't just imagine what she saw mirrored in his eyes when he looked back at her and held her gaze. Although neither one of them was psychic, Felicity was sure she and Oliver were thinking of that night in Central City. She didn't know how or why she thought they were on the same brainwave, but deep in her gut she knew he was thinking of that night too even though she knew it was only just a dream.

Felicity was lost in thought she didn't realize Laurel has fallen into step beside her until she felt her hand reach out to hers and gave it a squeeze. Felicity returned back to the present time and met the other woman's gaze.

"I'm processing it too," she admitted.

Felicity was glad she wasn't the only one who felt like she was sucker punched by the news.

"I'm glad Nyssa's alive, don't get me wrong, but I'd rather she's dead," Felicity muttered.

"I'm sure Nyssa's thinking the same too," Laurel answered. "We both know she prefers women over men, and being married to a man would be a punishment worse than death for her," she added.

Their merry little group was ushered into a dungeon cell their shackles connected to chains all coming from one central point in the middle of the room. Malcolm and Diggle claimed a pillar each that was facing the door while Ray leaned on the same pillar Diggle claimed. Tatsu separated her from everyone else and sat in the back. Roy joined her there. Laurel ended up closest to Malcolm and Felicity sought solace beside Diggle.

"I can't believe he's going to marry her," Felicity said after a long pause since the guards left them.

"You should be worrying about us getting out of here alive," Malcolm told her.

"Is that even a remote possibility?" asked Ray who was standing behind a forlorn Felicity.

Malcolm met the billionaire scientist's gaze but said nothing.

"I didn't think so," Ray nodded.

"Oliver won't let that happen," argued Laurel, her faith and belief in Oliver now renewed compared to before they left Starling City. "We are not going to die here."

"He let this happen," Diggle scoffed, raising his shackled wrists.

"I'm sure he's got a plan brewing," Laurel refused to be deflated. She was still hurting from Oliver's betrayal, but like everyone else in the room, she needs to get over that feeling and start thinking positively or else their worst fear would come to pass.

"It better involve us getting out of here still breathing," mumbled Roy, which earned him a sharp glare from Laurel.

Felicity chose not to get involved in the ongoing conversation anymore. She was still processing what just happened since they were brought in front of Ra's al Ghul and his heir, plus the announcement of an impending wedding between Oliver and Nyssa.

Malcolm was quick on his feet when he heard the guards return and unlocked the gate. He spoke to the man in black in Arabic, probably demanding to see Ra's since that was the only word everyone else in the room who doesn't speak the language understood. But the guard ignored him, instead the guard stopped right in front of Diggle and Felicity.

"Waryth al Ghul commands your presence," he said before kneeling down in front of Felicity and unlocking her shackles.

Felicity was helped by the guard to her feet and escorted out of the room, leaving everyone with a tiny flicker of hope that whatever plan Oliver have he'd share it with Felicity and in return Felicity will tell them what it was.

OLIVER PACED HIS private chamber restlessly. He asked one of the guards to bring him Felicity; he needed to speak to her after the way he announced his betrothal to another woman. He didn't mean to hurt her, but Ra's forced his hand to hurt those he cared for the most just a tad bit more.

He stopped walking when the two guards he sent to bring him Felicity returned. They escorted her into the room, then at his command left the two of them alone. Oliver waited until the door was firmly shut before he dropped his Al Sah-him persona and reverted back to being Oliver Queen.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked.

"Define okay," Felicity snarled.

"Felicity—"

"No. None of us are okay. Digg is seething with anger after what you did to Lyla and Sara. Roy's clearly disappointed at the outcome of this mission. Laurel's having an inner battle with herself over whether to completely trust you or not. Malcolm and Tatsu are obviously on your side. Ray is thinking up ways to get us out of here alive and in one piece."

Oliver waited a heartbeat or two before he asked, "And what about you?"

"What the hell do you think?"

Oliver was caught off guard by the venom he heard lacing her tone.

"I meant what said to you that night, Felicity. All of it," he said reminding her of their night together in Central City.

"What night?"

"In Central City."

"We didn't—"

"Yes, we did," he cut her off and closed the space separating them. "You thought you were just dreaming and I let you believe it was just a dream, only it wasn't," he confessed.

"Oh my God," Felicity gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she stared at Oliver wide-eyed. "Y-you—" she was cut-off when the door to Oliver's chamber suddenly opened.

"What?" Oliver snapped, clearly he was pissed for being interrupted.

"Ra's demands that we return this woman to her friends," answered the guard.

"But I'm not done speaking to him yet!" Felicity argued when the guard walked up to her ready to escort her back to the dungeon.

"Ra's orders," was the guard's reply before clasping her upper arm and removing her from Oliver's room.

Oliver let out a string of colourful cusses once the guard left and closed to the door. He needed more time to speak to her, to explain why he did what he did in order to gain Ra's trust, and also to remind her how special she was to him and why he needed to hurt her along with the others in the processes of becoming Ra's' heir.

FELICITY WAS RETURNED back to the dungeons to join the others after her brief meeting with Oliver. She noticed Malcolm's disappearance right away and asked what happened.

"He demanded to speak to Ra's after you left. He didn't stop haranguing the guards until they took him," Roy answered.

"Did he say why he wanted to speak to Ra's?" Felicity asked.

"Probably to plea for his life and leave us to hang," snarled Diggle.

"He wouldn't dare," Laurel said.

Diggle and Roy both cocked an eyebrow and gave Laurel a disbelieving look. Even Felicity gave her that look when the other woman took Malcolm's side.

"This is Malcolm Merlyn we're talking about here," Felicity reminded her.

"I know," Laurel nodded.

"Then why are you suddenly pro-Merlyn?" Felicity questioned.

"I am not, but so far he hasn't led us astray as far as the virus and the plane was concerned."

"Don't be naive, Laurel," it was Diggle who addressed her this time. "Merlyn is still after what's good for Merlyn. We're just collateral damage to him," he added.

"And as far as the virus and plane information goes, those came from Oliver, Malcolm was just the messenger," Roy pointed out.

They continued to argue amongst themselves for the next little while. Ray, Felicity and Tatsu chose not to get involved, but they sat back and listened to what the other three was talking about. A few minutes later the guards returned with Malcolm being led back inside the dungeon, behind him was Ra's and Oliver.

"I told you about Oliver. You're supposed to—" Malcolm was cut-off when Ra's spoke after he was deposited back by the pillar he claimed earlier.

"I'm supposed to do what, Mr. Merlyn? Grant you mercy? I am," Ra's paused for effect, his gaze still holding Malcolm's, "because this death is a lot shorter than what I had planned for you."

Malcolm appeared dejected and enraged. He stood up and was about to mouth-off Ra's when the guard knocked him out cold.

"As for the rest of you," Ra's turned to everyone else who was conscious inside the room, he held up a small vial containing the Alpha Omega virus, causing everyone to get on their feet in alarm. "Al Sah-him said the swords woman has been inoculated, so you can take her to another chamber," he told the guard who quickly went and began unlocking the chains binding Tatsu to the others.

"No," Laurel was shaking her head as she watched Tatsu be led out of the dungeon. She turned and looked at Oliver. "We believed in you!"

Oliver kept his gaze downcast while Ra's threw the vial to the floor.

"Seal the room," he ordered before exiting the room, leaving Oliver to follow after him.

"You can't do this to us, Oliver," Laurel pleaded.

"Get us out of here!" Ray demanded.

"Oliver, you can't leave us here!" Roy shouted.

"Oliver, listen to me...for the love of God, Oliver!" Diggle demanded.

"We trusted you!" Felicity screamed as Oliver backed out of the room, closing the gate and stepping aside when another gate with thick glass came down, sealing them inside. "You asked us to trust you and we trusted you!"

"Oliver!" they all called out his name as fumes from the Alpha Omega began to rise up from the broken vial.

Oliver stood outside the closed and heavily fortified gates, his face devoid of any emotion before turning his back on his friends and walked away.

"He left us," Laurel stared at Oliver's departing back, dumfounded at this unexpected turn of events.

"He was never really on our side," Roy muttered, disappointed that the man he idolized ever since the Arrow saved his life turned out to be a cold blooded killer after all.

"So much for trusting him," Ray muttered and began coughing as he inhaled the fumes.

One by the one they began to feel weak, coughing a lot trying to expel the intoxicating fume from their system. But with the room sealed shut, there was no supply of fresh oxygen to replace the already tainted one they were inhaling. Soon they all felt too weak to remain upright. Roy was the first to pass out, followed by Ray. Laurel and Digg, along with Felicity fought hard to remain awake, but they soon lost the battle. Laurel was the first to pass out right next to a still unconscious Malcolm. Felicity snuggled closer to Diggle, resting her head against his shoulder before passing out herself. Diggle passed out the same time she did.

A/N 2: I had a different idea initially for this chapter, but I decided to end it the same way the episode originally ended sans the wedding scene since this story's primarily told from Felicity's POV. Suffice to say the end of this fanfic is almost here. I'm still debating on whether to end this on a happy note or a bittersweet note; I guess it will depend on my muse and what it feels...