Felicity awoke to the sound of Oliver making his way up the salmon ladder. If her head weren't aching, she might have enjoyed the sound and the image connected to it. But the clanging of the bar against each set of rungs echoed in her head, sending surges of pain through her temples and to her eyes. She reached up and touched her eyelids with the back of her hand to find them feverish and sensitive. She resisted the reflex to sit up and rush over to her computers. Instead, she relaxed into Oliver's makeshift bed.

She groaned, unable to stomach the pain any longer. With that, the clanging ceased and suddenly Oliver was standing over her, his brow furrowed in concern and his jaw clenched. He looks so worried... she thought, taking in every aspect of his expression. But why? What happened?

"You're awake," he whispered.

The quietness of his voice made her smile. "Thank you for speaking softly," she mumbled, the dryness of her throat barely allowing her to say the words.

"Of course," he replied. His hand rested on her shoulder in that comforting way he seemed to always utilize. "How are you feeling?"

She sighed. Her vision was beginning to clear, reminding her that she still had contact lenses in. My face feels naked without my glasses... she thought, blushing slightly. "Okay..."

"You sure? Do you need anything?" Oliver's fingers twitched with the question and suddenly his hand was stroking her hair.

She closed her eyes at the sensation. Even more sure now... she thought. "I'm sure," she said, opening her eyes to look into his. He kept her gaze as if searching for confirmation of her words. "I'd love some water..."

For a few moments they simply looked at one another. She ignored the pain, finding herself lost in his eyes and she slowly recalled the night before. Or was it a few nights ago? How long have I been asleep? She thought back to the night they had almost kissed; she recalled the touch of his nose against hers and his breath mixing with hers. Suddenly her pain ceased and all she could feel was his hand brushing through her tangled hair. Nothing will come of these thoughts. Pull it together, Smoak.

Oliver finally left her side and made his way to their mini-fridge. He extracted an ice-cold bottle of water and brought it over to her. "Can you sit up?" he asked. "I don't have any straws."

She winced as she slowly propped herself up onto her elbows. Her head swam with the slight change in position. "Please... water," she begged, frowning at the pathetic sound of her plea. "My mouth is so dry..."

Oliver opened the bottle, then brought it to her lips and tilted it. The cold liquid rushed into her mouth, soothing and healing the dryness. She closed her eyes and smiled as the water went down her throat.

"Better?" Oliver asked.

She nodded. "Much better."

After a few more gulps, Oliver set the bottle aside and let her rest her head on his pillow once more. He went back to running his fingers through her hair. With each stroke, she felt a masculine protectiveness exuding from Oliver, and she knew she'd complain if she weren't so completely drained.

After what seemed like forever, Oliver broke the silence. "What do you remember, Felicity?"

She frowned, not wanting to relive the mission. "I remember getting the girls out, and then everything is black. What happened after?"

"I got you out," Oliver said simply.

His words came out much to quickly. "What aren't you telling me, Oliver?" she asked. "You aren't good at lying."

His hand left her hair and fell into his lap. He stared off, distancing himself from the present. She watched him. How bad could it be?

"Felicity," he began, his voice quiet with something she couldn't describe. "I'd rather not worry you more than I have to."

"Oliver, I can handle whatever you're keeping from me. I'm a big girl. A bitch with wifi. I'm-" She stopped herself before she could finish the words, but that didn't prevent her from hearing them loud and clear in her head. I'm your girl... "I'm tougher than you're giving me credit for. I know you wanna be all macho-protector, but I can handle it."

He looked at her, a grin of amusement spreading on his lips. "I want to keep you safe."

She winced back the pain in her head and then spoke. "Tell me!"

"Please, Felicity..."

"Tell me!"

"The Master drugged your wine." He stood up and began to pace. "He was at the auction and somehow drugged your wine. He sent a message to your tablet to tell me."

Her puffy eyes followed him as he walked back and forth. His brow was furrowed and she could tell she had angered him. His fists were clenched and every muscle in his back were tense. If it weren't for the pain, she would have stopped him in his tracks. She would have gripped his fists in an attempt to calm him. But she was weak and aching, stuck on his bed and still shrouded in the dress from their mission. "Oliver, did everything work out with the mission?"

He nodded.

"Are the girls safe?"

Once again, he nodded.

"Did we both get out alive?"

He glanced at her. "Yes."

"Then what's your problem?"

He sighed. "The Master keeps threatening you. I can't let anything happen to you."

"Oliver," she said, then paused. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She could no longer remain on the bed, feeling helpless and pathetic. She stood and staggered, feeling the pain in her head swim and spread, then slowly fall back to normal. She stepped in front of him, interrupting his pacing. He avoided her gaze. "I knew how dangerous it would be when I joined Team Arrow."

He tried to speak but she reached up and pressed a finger to his lips, silencing his protest.

"I accepted the risks. Perhaps it's time for you to do the same."

Before Oliver could say anything else, Roy and Digg rushed down the stairs carrying bags of Big Belly Burger and a plastic sack of take-out.

"So glad you're awake," Digg said, smiling. "I hope you're hungry."

"I don't think I can stomach a burger, guys."

"We knew that'd be the case," Roy said, piling the bags onto the table. "That's why we got you soup from that Chinese place you like so much. The one with the dragon."

She clapped her hands excitedly. "The egg drop soup?" They nodded, digging the soup out of the bag. "Thank you!"

Author's Note: I know this was a short chapter. But I have really big things planned and I just wanted this interaction to stand on its own. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review. If you have any theories as to where I am going with this story, I'd love to see them. I'm wondering if any of you can guess. Thanks for reading and supporting this story.