A/N I have to warn everyone, this might be painful.

I DON'T WANT TO DIE DOWN HERE

Felicity sighed in relief as she pulled into her driveway. It had been a longer day than usual at Smoak Industries and the sun had long since gone down by the time she left the office. She supposed that it came with the territory of being CEO of one of America's up and coming tech companies. Despite the long hours and occasional mind-numbing problems, she had to admit that she was as happy as she had been in a long time. It was certainly a much more fulfilling job than being an executive assistant at Queen Consolidated especially with the direction Ray Palmer was taking the company.

It was a rough start but thankfully she had made enough connections to secure funding to start her own company. Within a few years, she had every major business trying to buy her out including Queen Consolidated. She kicked Ray Palmer out of her office even before he could deliver his offer. The last thing she wanted was to be around him again.

As soon as she stepped out of her car, the cold hit her. Winter had arrived early that year and already temperatures were beginning to rapidly drop. She gripped her coat closer together to ward off the cold but this was the kind of chill that seemed to fight its way past any kind of clothing. A shiver ran through her as she grabbed her purse to quickly make her way to her front entrance.

She had a much nicer home now, one of the benefits of owning a very profitable company. It wasn't Queen Manor but it was large that her children had enough room to run around and play. Although a good scolding would be in order if they were not yet in bed at this hour. Knowing her kids, they were still up and about taking advantage of the fact that she was at work late and that her husband was out of town. She made a mental note to remind herself that to tell the nanny that she was allowed to ground them if they did not follow the rules while Felicity was not present.

She picked up her pace as she crossed the distance from the driveway to the house, eager to change into something warmer. She had her key in hand and was ready to unlock her front door when she stopped suddenly.

Felicity turned around quickly, her eyes searching the surroundings. Before she heard him or even saw, she knew he was there. She hadn't seen or spoken to him in years but her uncanny ability sense his presence had not faded.

"Oliver," She whispered. Only then did she see him, dressed in the green leather she knew so well. He materialized out of the shadows like he was one. If she did not know him so well she would have been terrified.

"Felicity," He said, all the while keeping his distance from her. He kept himself half-hidden against the outline of her home.

The sound of her purse dropping onto the pavement barely registered in her mind. She paid no attention to the contents that spilled from the opening. Nor did she care that her precious tablet was on the ground just waiting to be stepped on.

None of that mattered to her now. Her name had barely escaped Oliver's lips when she knew that something was terribly wrong.

Of all the people that come and gone from Oliver's life, no one knew her the way she did. There were times that Felicity could tell what he was thinking just by the look on his face. When she was working with him, there had been more than a few times when their friends had marveled at how much the two of them could say to one another without ever speaking.

The way he spoke her name now, however, spoke volumes as well. His breath was hitched and it lacked the strength she had grown accustomed to. The distance between them closed quickly. Her coat billowed open but she barely felt the cold that bit at her exposed skin.

Her fears were confirmed when she reached him. As soon as he felt her hands against his body, Oliver slumped forward. It took all the strength Felicity had to catch him and lay him on the ground gently.

Oliver's hood fell from its place and what Felicity saw frightened her. His face was ashen all over as he struggled to take in breaths. She could see the small amount of mist form above his mouth as he exhaled and the less frequently than they should have.

"Oliver," She whispered again. "What happened?"

She had about a hundred more questions to ask but the screeching tires of a car interrupted her. She recognized Diggle's car immediately. She offered up a silent prayer in thanks. She remembered some of what she learned from her time at the Foundry about treating injuries but she was long out of practice. John would know more than her what to do.

Her concern magnified, however, when Roy emerged from the car right along with John. He was still dressed in his Arsenal outfit and that did not bode well.

"Dammit!" John cursed as he crouched down beside Oliver and Felicity. Roy took a position right next to him. Felicity studied their faces and the fear she saw there caused her heart to beat even more rapidly than before.

"What happened?" She asked both of them. Her eyes though went back to Oliver. She gently pulled his head up and rested it on her lap. She wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.

John shook his head as if he was afraid to speak. It was Roy who answered.

"There was a fight. We were attacked in the Foundry. Don't know who," Roy could barely contain the tremor in his voice. "He was stabbed…"

"No," Felicity's voice was breaking right along with her heart.

"You should be at a hospital." She moved her hand to his chest and that's when she felt it….

The green leather and the low light had hidden the blood well but now her hand was red with it.

Oliver shook his head vehemently.

"Poison." He said weakly. Oliver had felt it almost as soon as the blade pierced his skin. It had to be potent indeed for him to have felt as soon as it entered his system. As soon as the attackers were dispatched Oliver used up what remained of Yao Fei's herbs.

When even that couldn't stop the toxin that was flowing through his body, Oliver knew that his fate was sealed. It was then he made a decision.

He took off right after that, leaving Diggle and Roy calling his name. He needed to stop they said, to be treated but Oliver knew his body better than any physician ever could. He knew his strength was fading fast and he needed to make this journey before his friends could stop him.

"It's too late," he knew what they were about to say so he beat them to it. "It's done."

"Your herbs…"

"Already tried it."

"The hospital,"

"Won't have anything that can help me."

He looked up at his friends. No, friends were the wrong word. They were so much more than that, they were his family. It pained him to see them hurting because of him.

He looked at John, the man who started as his body guard but became one of his closest friends. He was Oliver's conscience. "John, thank you for everything. Say goodbye to Sara for me."

The finality of Oliver's tone shocked Diggle out of his stupor. "You can't go, Oliver. You're her godfather and you promised to take her for ice cream next week."

An image of his godchild flashed into Oliver's mind. She was so beautiful, innocent, and just like her father she had smile that could light up a room. He wished he could have seen her grow up.

He turned to Roy, his protégé if you will. "Thea."

Roy's eyes furrowed. Thea hated him now.

"She loves you. Help her remember." Oliver reached up and grabbed Roy by his hood and pulled him closer. "Don't make my mistakes. Don't choose this life over her."

Felicity stifled a sob. She heard what Oliver had said and she knew it was directed at her as much as it was to Roy. He was trying to tell her that he was sorry and that he had been wrong. He regretted not choosing a life with her over a life of being the Arrow.

"Felicity?"

"I'm here," Felicity said as she trailed her hand around the side of his face lovingly.

"S—sorry, I came here." His voice was faltering now and his eyes were fluttering open and close.

Felicity opened her mouth nut no words came out.

"Don't want to die down there." Oliver began to cough up blood.

Felicity's heart shattered. She never forgot that conversation they had so many years ago after Sara Lance died. How could she forget? It changed their lives. They began to drift away after that, neither willing to follow the other into the path they had chosen.

Oliver had told Felicity then that the life he chose could only end up one way. For the longest time Felicity had hoped that maybe he had out ran that outcome. Even after she ceased to work with him, Felicity all knew he was there watching out for her.

Sometimes she never saw him. Other times she only saw glimpses but Felicity knew that he was there. It was not just her that Oliver looked out for. He stood watch over her family as well.

Felicity had taken her kids to the city market's one time. She took her eyes off of them for barely a second and they were gone. She was frantic with worry but she found them a minute later, playing with other children.

She pulled them aside and warned them to never leave her side again.

"The world is full of dangerous people," she warned them.

"It's okay mommy, Robin Hood is always keeping us safe," The older one replied.

"Robin Hood?" Felicity asked, confused.

Both her kids nodded enthusiastically. "He's our friend." They then began shooting imaginary arrows at each other. Felicity couldn't help but smile. Who else can say that their kids had their own personal guardian angel.

But now here he was, his life teetering at the edge. "I wish—"

Felicity's tears dropped from behind her glasses and fell onto the pale skin of his face.

She placed a finger on his lips to quiet him. "Me too." She knew full well what he wished for she wished for the same.

Suddenly Oliver's eyes became wide with fear. He began to grasp at her so Felicity tightly wrapped her hand around his. "I don't want to die. I don't—"

Just like that he was gone. The sound of his final breath was sickening and then his grip slackened.

"No," She said. It was too sudden, too final. This was Oliver, the strongest and bravest man she had ever known. He couldn't be gone. He was a hero and heroes don't die like this.

Exactly! She said to herself. Something had to happen, he would be saved just in the nick of time. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't.

Then her eyes moved to his and what was left of her heart was torn asunder. They stared dully at the night sky. She had stared into his eyes so many times in the past. They were of the things she loved the most about him. Now, they were just empty.

Felicity screamed at the top of her lungs.

She did not know how long she sat there at with Oliver's body but Felicity could not get herself to move. She was barely aware when the front door opened in a panic. She saw Diggle rush and calm the panicked nanny beyond the threshold.

She fought them when they tried to move her away from Oliver's body. They grasped at her arms as she flailed wildly in her attempts to stay where she was. They pulled her into the house and sat her in one of the luxurious sofas that lined the living room.

Even then she fought them as hard as she could. She fought them until her muscles ached and she could no longer lift her arms. She sagged against John's shoulder and sobbed once, twice, and then the tears began to flow freely.

Diggle could do nothing but hug her and share in her grief.

"No one's ever going to know." She said after a while.

John nodded his head in understanding. Oliver had many names, the Hood, vigilante, the Arrow, Green Arrow but none of those could some up who he was. He gave up so much for the city and no one would ever know who he really he was. Except them, his friends, the people who loved him.

"Do you think he knew?" Felicity asked as the numbness began to overtake the grief and horror.

John looked at her questioningly.

"Do you think he knew I loved him?"

John offered her the warmest smile he could manage. "He knew, trust me, he knew."

Eventually John and Roy did leave, taking Oliver's body with them.

The silence afterwards was deafening. She wiped away a tear only to notice that she still had blood on her hands. His blood.

She rushed off into the bathroom. She turned on the scalding hot water and rubbed furiously. She kept on rubbing even when no traces of his blood were left. Felicity would have rubbed her hands raw if a small knock on the bathroom door hadn't interrupted her.

"Mommy?"

Felicity opened the door to see her two children staring at her. They looked worried and frightened.

She scooped them up in a tight embrace.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not but don't you worry I will be." She whispered into their hair as she hugged them.

She took their hands and led them back to their bedrooms. She ushered them back into bed and they obeyed, reluctantly.

She sat on the edge of the bed and decided to tell them a bed time story.

"Once upon a time there was horrible accident at sea and our brave hero was stranded on a deserted island."

"What was his name?"

"His name?" Felicity asked.

"Yeah, the hero."

"His name was Oliver Jonas Queen."

"That's just like my name! Jonas!"

"Yes, yes it is." Felicity whispered.

In her head Felicity began again.

His name was Oliver Jonas Queen and I loved him very much.

A/N Too sad? I know it is a little out there but I really wanted to write this one out. My next several ones will be happy and light-hearted. Please review.