Sorry for taking so long in updating, but I never forgot you all.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH! ;)

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Five Years Earlier

Three weeks had gone by since Oliver and Felicity's connection and for those who saw them day to day, found their connection stronger and deeper.

Shado observed their movements and noticed how they moved as one. Even without being near, their actions were the same. They were in tune with each other. She had to smile when Felicity struggled down the trail with the bucket of water and Oliver, who had been inside the plane and did not see her, ran outside and assisted her.

Felicity never uttered a word.

Shado turned her gaze to the man of her heart and smiled when he caught the action of the two lovers. Approaching her, Slade wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I've never seen that happen before."

She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "Love, my heart." She whispered, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Next thing you'll be saying is how we are just like that."

His gruff tone made her laugh and lift her head. "Are we not?" She whispered, searching his eyes. "You always seem to be near when I need you. For the past three weeks, after we buried my father, you've been here when I needed someone."

He smiled, sadly. "No one should grieve alone, Shado."

"Is that the only reason?" She asked, gently.

He started to shake his head but stopped and sighed. "No,"

"Then I was right." She returned, carefully.

"Of what?"

"Of you and I." She admitted, lifting her face to brush her lips over his cheek.

He breathed out and closed his eyes. "You and I,"

~XXX~

Oliver hugged her close to his side with his free arm as he carried the water bucket with his other.

"I could have carried it."

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "You were struggling."

"I still would have carried it." She argued, lightly.

"Alright, you could have carried it, warrior queen." He stated with a laugh in his tone.

"Warrior Queen?" Felicity joked, pursing her lips. "Oooh, I like that."

He laughed and shook his head. "Don't get a big head."

"A big head, huh?" She joked, nudging him lightly with her body. "I'm not the one bragging about my expertise with a fishing line and staff."

He smiled and dipped his head. "I only made a passing comment."

She laughed while shaking her head. "One time is passing. Five times is bragging."

He stopped, set the bucket down beside the trail, and turned to face her. His eyes sparkling with joy. "Would it also be bragging if I told you how much I love you?"

"That's not bragging. That's a fact."

He inhaled deeply, bringing her close. "Okay, then how about this," He began, his voice dropping down to a semi-whisper. "The woman who owns my heart is a brilliant, beautiful, warm, loving, sensational woman and she is mine."

She held her breath as he described her and she let out with his last word. "I'll take that." She remarked, breathlessly.

He chuckled and bent his head while she raised her to capture each other lips. Fire burned between them as the kiss deepened. What had started as tender, burned them with a passion that was familiar yet still new. It was as if they had been one all along.

Oliver lifted his head, panting as the passion between him and his love stripped his air for only a moment. "I have never felt anything this strong before in my life."

Felicity shook her head and smiled. "Neither have I."

"Felicity,"

She loved hearing him say her name. During the year, she had come to recognize all versions of her name from his tone. When he was angry. Sad. Broken. Tired. Loving. Passionate. It didn't matter how he said her name just as long as he said it.

His voice was sensual and dark at times but always held her name like a treasure.

Her eyes opened, not realizing she had closed them and lifted to his.

"What is it?" He asked, searching her eyes and finding her light dimming.

She opened her mouth and just as quickly closed it, licking her lips. "What happens when we get off the island?"

He read between the lines and frowned. "I'm not losing you, Felicity, and you are not losing me."

"What about Laurel?" She asked, needing to know.

He shook his head, his hand brushing over her cheek. "Laurel is in the past. Besides, she probably won't have anything to do with me since her sister…" He trailed off and lowered his eyes.

"Since her sister…" Felicity lightly pushed.

She needed to know. He knew that. If they were to be together then no more secrets between them. None.

He sighed and pulled her through the brush, finding an area not too far from the plane. Sitting her down on a fallen log, he knelt in front of her. The truth was always the hardest.

Oliver grasped her hands in his and frowned. Knowing this was going to determine whether they truly loved each other. "Her sister, Sara, was on board the ship when it sank." He began, lifting his eyes to hers.

Felicity gasped and saw the pain and sorrow written on his face. "What was she doing on the ship?" She asked, already surmising the answer.

He lifted his shoulders, bracing himself. "She was with me." He answered, solemnly. "I was unfaithful to Laurel because I was scared of commitment, so I snuck Sara onboard to prove that I was not serious about us as she was, but it backfired."

Felicity's heart stung in her chest. She figured there was more to the story of the shipwreck than Oliver was willing to tell, and now she knew.

"Felicity," He began, softly. "I would never do that to you. You have to believe me."

His words filtered through her skin. She knew, somehow, that he spoke the truth. He would never cheat on her; not like he did to Laurel. "Did you care for her?" She asked in a choking tone.

He held her eyes and moved his head back and forth. "I didn't love her; not like you're asking."

Her head moved up and down, still processing the details. "Okay,"

"Okay?"

She breathed a laugh and turned her head. "There is nothing else to say, Oliver." She returned, moving her eyes around. "You cheated on Laurel with her sister. Her sister drowned. Now…"

"We are not cheating, Felicity. Laurel probably thinks I'm dead, and besides, what we have…" He began, moving to sit beside her, turning her to face him. "We have something stronger than whatever I felt for Laurel. Laurel…" He paused, hating the tears in her eyes, but knew that he had to clear the air. "Laurel was more of a crush. I know that now. What I feel for you…" He touched her face, tenderly. "It's stronger. Complete. I feel whole with you, Felicity."

She leaned into his hand, hearing the truth of his words. Knowing that no matter what, he was telling the truth. She felt it. She felt his honesty all the way down to her soul.

"I can live without Laurel, but I can't live without you, Felicity."

"Oh, Oliver," She whispered, her voice weak and low.

"When we get off this island, I promise, I will not leave you. I will never leave you."

Her eyes opened and fresh tears fell down her cheeks. The promise of a thousand and more nights filled the air around them and she knew without a shadow of a doubt he was telling the truth. "And I won't leave you."

His shoulders sagged with the vow from her, and he smiled, leaning forward to brush his lips over her forehead. "That is my last secret." He whispered, against her skin.

She smiled and lifted her face to his, feeling his lips move over her cheek with a tenderness which brought new tears. Happy tears this time. "We should be getting back with the water. Shado and Slade may be looing for it." She whispered, feeling a strong sense of peace with him.

He groaned and pulled back. "Yeah," He agreed, gazing into her eyes. "Are you alright?" He asked after a moment passed between them.

She glanced downward for a brief moment, composing herself. "I will be." She answered, truthfully. "I know you love me, Oliver, as I love you, but knowing about Sara…not the death…but the fact that you cheated on Laurel with her…"

"I would never…."

"I know because you are a different man now." She responded, touching his face. "I didn't know the Oliver before the shipwreck. I only know the Oliver now. The strong, confident, gentle, and loving man before me is the one I know and love. Your past is your past and I accept that, but…"

"You need time to process." He concluded for her, reading her unspoken words.

"Yeah," She confirmed with a small smile.

He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek and smiled. "You take all the time you need. We apparently aren't going anywhere anytime soon."

She laughed, lightly, and bowed her head. "True,"

He smiled and helped her stand, wrapping his arm around her body as hers wrapped around his. They turned and headed back to the plane, stopping to pick up the water bucket on the way, both realizing and feeling the new peace between them.

The peace which comes from complete and honest truth.

~XXX~

Despite the new peace between the couple, Oliver could not shake the feeling that something was coming. Something dangerous for the four, not just him and Felicity.

His training with Slade intensified and soon he was able to hold his own and even defeat Slade in combat a few times.

The love between Oliver and Felicity strengthened after the confession and a new understanding passed between them. They knew the past would always be there, but they were stronger than the past and that's what they held on to.

Shado and Slade grew stronger and Oliver could not help but notice how they relied on each other in more ways than one. Similar to his and Felicity's relationship.

Shado became a mentor and sister to Felicity. When Felicity was not with Oliver, she was with Shado. There was an understanding between the two. Both were the daughters of powerful men, who, as it turned out, would sacrifice their lives for their daughters.

"Is there something wrong between you and Oliver?" Shado inquired after an hour of training.

Felicity shook her head. "No, he's just worried." She answered, honestly. "He keeps saying there is something coming. Something bad. He won't say more than that."

Shado frowned. She noticed Oliver's sixth sense before a few weeks ago when Felicity was late coming back from gathering some berries. His sense had been right as they found Felicity on the ground with a bruised ankle. Of course, she had chalked it up as the connection between the couple, but now…

Shado wasn't sure.

Two days later, Oliver awoke to find Felicity not beside him and not in the plane. Thinking, at first, that she had gone down to the water to freshen up, he lowered his head on his pillow. Then, he felt it.

Jumping to his feet, he rushed outside and combed the area, looking for any sign of her. That's when he noticed it. Nearly a mile from the plane was proof his sense was right.

"Slade!"

Moments later, Slade was standing next to him and swallowed. "What the hell?"

Oliver approached the man on the ground and touched his throat, checking for a pulse. He lifted his eyes and shook his head. "Where's Shado?"

Slade jerked his head. "I thought she was taking a break." He uttered, hating that he didn't realize what happened.

Oliver frowned and slowly stood. "He's been stabbed, most likely by Shado."

Slade's eye searched the area around them and he frowned. "Where are the women?"

Oliver's eyes darkened and he slowly stood up. "Gone."

At that moment, Slade saw the transformation.

Oliver Queen was no longer the weak man he was when they first met.

That Oliver Queen was now dead.

The man who stood before Slade now was a different Oliver Queen.

An Oliver Queen who would and may have to brave the fires of hell to get back his Felicity.

In that brief moment, Slade feared for the men or whoever had taken the women for even though Shado was one of them. The loss of Felicity was worse.

He just prayed they found the women unharmed. For his sake and for Oliver's.

For who knew what would happen if Oliver lost Felicity. And if Slade lost Shado.

Please be kind!

The past few months have been hectic, to say the least. First off, I completed my Masters so YAY! Second, I had to deal with the loss of my grandfather last month so that took a toll in my life.

Despite the sorrow, I have been trying to catch up on my writing.

Next Chapter: Duplicate

Until Next Time...