A/N: I want to thank you all for your continued support and enthusiasm for this story. If you guys follow me on Twitter or Tumblr, you probably know that I've become increasingly upset by some of the creative choices in season 5. I was so excited for this season, and I can't help but feel extremely disappointed and bummed out at the moment. Last night's episode and a certain showrunner's rude tweet affected me in the worst way possible, and not even the Olicity scenes really brought me joy. So I really appreciated those of you who reached out and let me know that my fics have helped you guys get through some of the rough patches of this season. No matter what happens on the show, I will continue to write for Olicity. But it's getting feedback from awesome readers like you that helps to keep the hope alive. So really and truly thank you!

I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. Big stuff is coming up. Translations can be found at the end. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 6: The Prisoner

The shock of the prisoner's identity left Felicity momentarily speechless and unmoving. Her hands turned white as she gripped the bars in front of her with such force that her muscles ached. This was most unexpected. She'd been anticipating maybe a disgraced League member or one of their enemies that seemed just as backwards as them. Not someone from her own world.

"Tommy Merlyn," Felicity repeated. "I know you. I mean, I don't know you know you. But I've heard of you. You were always in the tabloids in Starling City."

The media was constantly fixated on Tommy Merlyn, especially after he'd inherited his family's company Merlyn Global Group under mysterious circumstances. That, of course, had made national news. Malcolm Merlyn, his father, had gone missing over a year ago. His private plane had fallen off of the radar over the Pacific ocean. No distress call had ever been sent out, and no wreckage ever found. Investigators and the media were baffled.

Tommy had made pleas to the SCPD and various government agencies to keep searching. But it was difficult with so few leads. The media had painted him as a concerned and devastated son whose entire world had been shattered. That is until months after the investigation was halted indefinitely. Every week Tommy was seen driving a fast new car, dining lavishly with one and sometimes two women, throwing the wildest parties at his mansion, and hitting up the hottest clubs. He'd opened a club himself recently called Verdant. It was on Felicity's list of places to explore when she first moved to Starling. The media started calling him a reckless and irresponsible playboy again—only this time it was worse. Without Malcolm Merlyn, they claimed Tommy was in an even more dangerous tailspin than his infamous college years. Others went so far as to cruelly speculate that Tommy had a hand in Malcolm's disappearance, and it was an elaborate scheme to get his inheritance early.

The week before Felicity was abducted, Tommy's face had been splashed across every media outlet yet again when he, too, had gone missing. The public was fascinated as very few leads turned up in his case, as well. Having grown up in H.I.V.E., Felicity had a hunch that whatever was going on with the Merlyn family must be more nefarious than any normal citizen could imagine. Tommy's presence in Nanda Parbat proved that.

"Is this where you've been all this time?"

"I don't know. I guess," he croaked, sitting up further. His shackles rattled from the movement. "Depends on how much time has passed. I've lost count of the days."

"About a month or so," Felicity informed him.

Tommy was about to say something else when she saw him eyeing her guards. Felicity motioned for them to back up and keep a lookout. "It's just you and me now," she reassured Tommy.

Snorting, and wincing from the pain it caused, Tommy said, "You expect me to believe that?"

Felicity frowned. "What do you mean?"

"This nice act you're putting on now. I'm not fooled. You're just hoping I give you something you can use."

"Use for what?"

"Ah, see. There you go again. Acting like you have no clue what's going on. I'll admit it's better than the torture." He held up his hands, showing off dried blood on the tips of his fingers.

"What happened?"

"They put needles under my fingernails," Tommy replied. Her face scrunched in disgust and dismay. Just when she thought the League couldn't get any more barbaric…she was sick merely thinking about it. He watched her carefully. "A little squeamish for an assassin, aren't you?"

"I'm not an assassin," Felicity replied in a firm voice. "Who did that to you? Was it Al Sah-him?"

"I don't know. There are a lot of Al's around here. Can't really keep track when I'm writhing in pain," he tried to joke but the bitterness was prevalent in his voice. On that point Felicity agreed with him.

"He was just here. He's tall with blue eyes. Buzzed brown hair. Strong jaw and scruff. Broad shoulders," she described.

"I don't know, but he sounds like a hunk. You got a crush on him?" Tommy snarkily replied.

Felicity glared back at him. "I'm serious. Did the person who did that to you fit that description?"

"No," Tommy said after a moment. "The guy was masked, but he was short. He's a sadistic little bastard. Enjoys his job a little too much." His expression turned contemplative. "That Al Sah-whatever you mentioned—"

"Al Sah-him," Felicity corrected and leaned forward eagerly to hear what he was about to say.

"He was the one to stop him. Walked in and said I'd had enough." Before she could feel the tiniest bit of relief, he continued, "He's no saint, though. The majority of the bruises on my body are courtesy of him—if he's who I think he is. He's good-looking, right?"

She hesitated and answered, "Yes."

"Gotta love those chiseled features and stone-cold baby blues. I bet he gets away with a lot of things with a face like that." He was eyeing her critically again—like a puzzle he was trying to solve. "What's your interest in him? He your boyfriend?"

"Not exactly," Felicity muttered and resisted the urge to fidget uncomfortably. She bit her lip instead.

"But you're close," he observed.

"Why would you say that?" Was Felicity that transparent? She'd tried to keep a straight face and not sound too eager when bringing up Al Sah-him.

"I might have been beaten to a bloody pulp, but I'm not brain dead yet. You wouldn't bother coming to talk to me if there wasn't some type of connection. Assuming I believe your story that you're not an interrogator."

The blonde glanced behind her to make sure her guards weren't in earshot. She leaned forward and whispered. "The truth is I'm a prisoner like you."

Tommy scoffed. "Sure you are."

"I'm serious."

He scrutinized her from top to bottom. "You look well taken care of to me with your painted lips and own personal set of bodyguards. I doubt they've touched a single hair on your head."

Her eyes narrowing, Felicity shrugged off her jacket and pulled at her shirt underneath. The fabric slid down to reveal her right shoulder and the red brand that was still in the process of healing. "Got this within the first hour of my arrival here," Felicity explained. "That's after I was abducted from my apartment in Starling City and forced to come here. The hour after that I was nearly assassinated by another League member, and the threat has been hanging over my head ever since." Her voice was low but fierce. "And those guards you speak of, they're purpose is to keep me suppressed as much as it is to keep me safe. The only reason I was able to get them to take me down here was because I blackmailed them. My prison may look very different, but it's a cage nonetheless."

Tommy was utterly taken aback. He looked away for a moment and focused on his own chains. Felicity wasn't sure he fully believed her until he inquired, "So what are you in for?"

"Long story short, my father is the world's biggest ass. He used me to seal a deal with his enemy," Felicity explained and slipped her jacket back on. "Now I'm stuck in this hell hole."

"Then it looks like we have yet another thing in common. My father apparently was a member of this League of Assassins before he did something to royally piss them off. First I've heard of it but not entirely difficult to believe. He's always been an ass, too," Tommy replied with a repulsed shake of his head. "What's your name?"

"Felicity," she answered.

"Pretty name," he commented and slid his hand through the bars, palm open. "It's nice to meet you, Felicity."

Taking a chance, Felicity accepted his hand and shook it gently—not wanting to disturb his wounds. "It's nice to meet you, too, Tommy."

Felicity sat by the fire in her bedroom pretending to be completely engrossed in her book. She'd read the same sentence at least fifteen times already. There was no concentrating on the words as she surreptitiously watched Al Sah-him packing his bag. It was small, and he didn't appear to be taking much. It was filled with more weapons than clothes. Tonight he'd leave for his secret mission and wouldn't return for a few days.

Talia's offer continued to weigh heavily on Felicity's mind. Her window of time to make a decision had shrunk, and she was no closer to knowing what the right course of action may be. Talia's truce was upheld. The rare times they were in the same room, the brunette was uncharacteristically cordial and had even ceased with her murderous glares. It was very unnerving.

There was also Tommy to think about. Felicity had only been able to visit him one other time since their first meeting a few days ago. He'd still been somewhat on his guard but had relaxed when Felicity started talking to him about mundane things. Not only were they in similar situations, but he was her only link to the outside world. Felicity missed such modern interactions, and they had a lot to talk about since they both lived in Starling City. It seemed wrong to take advantage of Talia's escape plan and leave Tommy behind—especially since he was still being tortured.

Felicity so badly wanted to ream out Al Sah-him and demand how he could consider such cruel methods to be a valuable form of information gathering. Tommy said he didn't know about his father's involvement in the League, and Felicity was inclined to believe him. Anyone would've cracked already under such strain.

The strain had also seeped into her relationship with Al Sah-him, making it difficult for her to look at him in the same way she had before. For all the kindness he'd shown her, the same courtesy had not been extended to Tommy. Felicity was by no means naïve about the League's brutality but for all of Al Sah-him's supposed honor, his involvement in torturing an innocent man befuddled and infuriated her. Al Sah-him, missing nothing, had sensed the change. Unlike last time when he'd known something was bothering her, he didn't try to rectify it. In fact, his icy demeanor had started to match hers.

"If you can tear yourself away from that book you've been pretending to read for the last ten minutes, you should come see me off," Al Sah-him declared, slicing through the tense silence.

"Who says I'm pretending?" Felicity challenged, refusing to look up.

"You're a fast reader, and I haven't heard the page turn once since I entered the room."

Busted, she thought. Felicity dropped the book onto her lap. "I can't concentrate. I was too distracted thinking about how much I'll miss you," she sarcastically replied.

A muscle in his jaw ticked. "Your concern certainly makes me eager to return."

Felicity eyed his still mostly full dresser. "Are you off to fight a war? You hardly took the necessities."

"The proper weapons are a necessity."

Her mouth went dry as she watched him remove his shirt. The light from the fire danced across his torso, illuminating every defined, muscular edge. She remembered exactly what his skin had felt like when she'd allowed herself one simple touch of his back on their wedding night. The tips of her fingers tingled with the urge to do it again.

"Will you not be needing clothes for this secret mission?" she countered.

Al Sah-him reached for another shirt. "I won't be needing my League uniform. Our safe houses have modern clothing we can wear. Have to blend in."

Her brow lifted at that. "Are you saying that you actually wear jeans on occasion?" The mere thought of the tight material hugging his backside sent her into a tailspin. They were probably a much better fit than the black pants he wore all of the time.

"I wear a suit and tie, too," Al Sah-him stated, smirking. "Also the occasional tuxedo."

Al Sah-him could probably wear a garbage bag and still look like the most attractive man she'd ever met. The heat generated by these mental images also brought on a wave of homesickness. Felicity was settling into the League as best she could, but she continued to long for the outside world. It was like losing a limb and still being able to feel the phantom of it. Discovering Tommy and making that connection helped to somewhat alleviate the loss.

A thought occurred to her. Perhaps she didn't need Talia at all to escape. "Can I come with you? I promise I won't get in the way." All Felicity really needed was a couple of minutes in front of a computer, and she'd be one step closer to freedom.

"No."

"Why not?"

Al Sah-him replied seriously, "I'm not entirely sure I can trust you."

He wanted to talk about trust? "I've been the 'dutiful' wife, Al Sah-him. Besides, I could say the same thing about you."

Reaching into his drawer, Al Sah-him pulled out a curved, metal object. He beckoned Felicity to stand. "I want you to keep this on you at all times while I'm gone."

Felicity begrudgingly stood up and examined it. It had intricate patterns engraved into the metal along with a few stones. Noting the hilt, she realized that it was actually a dagger. She went to pull it out of the sheath when Al Sah-him halted her.

"Careful," he warned.

"Yeah," she mumbled and continued the movement. Light danced off of the shiny, sharp blade. It wasn't much bigger than her hand, which allowed her to have a firm grasp of it. "Why are you giving me this?"

"You need to be able to protect yourself if necessary."

"Whatever happened to good old-fashioned pepper spray?" she griped. "I told you I don't like sharp objects." The cool steel was impressive but holding something that could slice through her skin like butter with one wrong move made her nervous. "Besides, if you're so worried about my safety, why are you leaving me behind?"

"I'm not worried. I'm cautious," Al Sah-him informed her. "You've got a few extra guards, who I've already spoken with. Nyssa will also be filling in while Sara is away with me—"

"Wait, Sara is going with you?" Felicity interrupted, upset by this news. Sara was one of the few people Felicity trusted here. Having her gone along with Al Sah-him made Felicity feel especially vulnerable. However, Talia did propose the truce so maybe Felicity wasn't in as much danger as before. Maybe not having Sara around, who had gotten to know her pretty well, would make it easier for Felicity to make the necessary moves and take Talia up on her offer.

"Ra's al Ghul gave us both the order. You'll be safe with Nyssa and your guards," he assured her and took hold of her hand with the knife. "But just in case, this is how you would use this."

Al Sah-him gave Felicity a quick, brief lesson on the best places to slash at an attacker. He used his own body to demonstrate and brought the knife to the spots she needed to learn. Felicity tried her best to follow his words and not get distracted by how close they were standing or the fact that he was actually allowing her blade to hover over his skin. Without warning, he drew her against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. Felicity was completely caught off guard and gasped at the feeling of being pressed directly against his bare chest. Her breasts heaved with her disjointed breaths.

"If you're struggling and in a hold like this, you should aim for the attacker's back," Al Sah-him explained. His expression remained thoughtful but his voice had taken on a deeper quality. "Move your hand up."

How had Felicity gone from fantasizing about touching him minutes prior to actually being in a position to do so now? Either he was a mind reader or the universe was having fun screwing with her. Al Sah-him's skin was hot and smooth against her hands with the occasional bump from his various scars. The sensations radiated up her arms and throughout the rest of her body. Every single nerve-ending was sparking like a livewire.

"Felicity, move your hand up," Al Sah-him repeated, breaking her out of the spell.

She did as instructed, resisting the urge to shiver as his muscles rippled under her touch. Felicity's hand landed on his brand when he told her to stop.

"You would strike there." Her fingers caressed the ridged spot, committing it to memory—or that's what she told herself. He murmured gruffly, "Now go lower."

Her fingers skimmed down to the center of his back. A slight, subtle tremor had formed in her hand. The other gripped the dagger tightly but refused to move. Her breath quickened ever so slightly. Felicity might've been embarrassed if Al Sah-him wasn't having a similar reaction. His eyes had darkened and his own grip on her tightened as she ventured down further. She reached the burn scars along his lower back, and Felicity could've sworn that his eyes had closed for second when she stroked them. He made her switch hands with the dagger and trace the vulnerable areas on his other side. This time Felicity let her nails graze his skin ever so gently and inwardly beamed at the way his muscles instinctively flexed in response to her touch.

The lesson ended, and they remained locked together. The pair was so close that their noses were almost brushing. The dark blue flecks in his otherwise bright eyes matched is dilated pupils. They took her in hungrily as his fingers started stroking and tugging on the ends of her hair that fell in long strands down her back. Feeling emboldened, Felicity let her hand once again explore the intricate ridges of his expansive back. She traced the long lines of his wide, solid shoulders before reaching the back of his neck. Their foreheads touched, exhales intermingling only to inhale the mixture back into their own bodies.

His large, coarse hand skimmed the delicate curve of her neck down to her collarbone. Unable to control her heated, wanton thoughts, Felicity found herself wishing that he'd venture lower. If she'd changed into her usual shorts and tank top, she would've felt everything. The thick material of her dress prevented her from getting the full effect.

"Where do I keep this without hurting myself?" she murmured thickly.

"Somewhere no one else gets to touch," he replied huskily and with a hint of possessiveness, if she wasn't mistaken.

His hand glided down, a ghost of a caress along her curves. His thumb lightly swiped the underside of her breast, and she felt her core spasm from the jolt of pleasure. Al Sah-him's hand slipped between them into the folds of her dress and into the hidden pocket. He spread his fingers wide and was right up against her lower abdomen, with nothing but a thin scrap of material now between them.

"Keep the sheath on. No need to further mar that delicate skin of yours."

"I'm not that delicate," she half-heartedly objected.

Al Sah-him's fingers teased her stomach before gripping her. "Care to prove it?" he said with a hint of a smirk.

A tremor ran through Felicity as her core clenched yet again beneath his hold. Only a few inches lower, and he'd discover just how much her body was aching and willing to take him up on the challenge. Instead, Felicity brought the dagger around the front and up to his neck. Al Sah-him swallowed against the cool metal, neither flinching nor faltering. "You must trust me if you're letting me near you with a knife," Felicity whispered.

She didn't know how it was possible, but he tugged her even closer. Her entire being was ablaze. "You must trust me if you haven't taken a swipe yet."

"Take me with you," Felicity pleaded, clinging to him like a lifeline. "Please." She was so sick of being cooped up in the compound. Walks outside were even forbidden to her. It was suffocating how many rules she had to follow. It was suffocating having to take guards with her everywhere. The reprieves she did have were becoming mundane, and she craved freedom—however limited even that may be.

Al Sah-him was quiet for a moment, watching her. With a minute shake of his head, he finally released her. The aftereffect of the loss was instant—the heat that had been building was promptly snuffed out. She felt emptier somehow. Hollow. And worst of all, alone.

"I can't. Where I'm going, it's no place for you, shamsi." Felicity retreated into herself and looked away. He cupped her chin and brought her back. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

That was a strange question to ask, as well as the probing look that followed. "Like what?"

"This"—he gestured between them—"has become rare. You've been more distant than usual lately."

"So have you."

"Because of you," he emphasized with a stern frown. "Is there something I should know?"

Panic blossomed in Felicity's chest as she kept a straight face. Did he know about Talia's offer? Did he know about Tommy? She was going to deny that anything was wrong, but her mouth had a mind of its own. "Where have you been disappearing to at night?"

It was like a switch had been flipped. The openness he'd been expressing was gone. He was instantly on his guard, which put Felicity on edge in return. "That's my business."

"Mine too, seeing as though I'm your wife."

"That's debatable," he snapped back and released her abruptly. "If you're going to start throwing that around, then you should start acting like it."

The burning embers of desire ignited into fury. "I've played my part. You're the one skulking around."

"And you're not?" he accused.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Felicity demanded with her hands on her hips.

"It means that I'm aware of everything you do, Felicity. So don't think for one second I don't know about the new friend you've made," he growled back. "There isn't much you can hide from me."

Tommy, she thought. He knew. Felicity didn't know how unless her guards ratted her out. But she had the goods on them, so that was unlikely. They would also get punished for their negligent behavior that allowed her to manipulate them so thoroughly. Tommy had sworn to her that he wouldn't mention her visits to anyone, especially Al Sah-him. He didn't want to get her in trouble, but what if he'd cracked under duress? However Al Sah-him found out, there was no use lying now.

"What form of torture did you use this time?" she heatedly retorted. "Or do you just have more spies keeping an eye on me that I don't know about?"

"I don't have to answer to you."

"Neither do I, because I did nothing wrong."

"I don't want you going down there, Felicity. It's dangerous."

"He's locked up, and I had my guards."

Voice rising, he said, "It's inappropriate for a woman of your stature."

"And it's cruel and barbaric that you're punishing Tommy for a crime that his father committed," she exclaimed. "Maybe the reason you're not getting anything out of him is because he truly doesn't know anything. So basically you're hurting him for nothing."

"The League has its reasons. Reasons you know absolutely nothing about."

"Yeah, well, your precious League sucks!" Felicity shouted. "And I'm sick to death of being trapped here with little freedom and always having to watch my back. You said you wouldn't try to put out my fire but having to conform to this place and kiss Ra's ass like the rest of you is doing just that. This place is not my home, and it never will be. So if I want to 'break rank' and descend into the dungeon to have a normal conversation with another decent human being—who happens to be from my real home, by the way—then I will do as I damn well please!"

Al Sah-him towered over her. "You will not see him again, Felicity," he warned. His tone was low and intimidating. "I forbid it."

She was livid. Anyone else would've cowered under such a threatening force but not Felicity. She'd known him long enough now to understand that his bark was worse than his bite—at least when it came to her. "You are not the boss of me, Al Sah-him. I will see Tommy whenever I want. And if you do anything to try to control me or hurt him because of this, you might just find that I won't be here when you get back."

His eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. Felicity glowered right back, daring him to test her. Al Sah-him was the first to break away, and she couldn't help the sense of pride she felt at having stood up to him. He grabbed his shirt and roughly put it on over his head. "You're seeing me off," he ordered in a clipped voice.

Felicity sheathed the dagger and threw it on the couch, which only angered him further. A fierce tension radiated from his rigid body. Al Sah-him put on his jacket and belt, his movements stony and harsh, before leading the way out of their room with heavy steps. Felicity stayed behind him. The back of her neck prickled as she sensed her guards' eyes on her. How much had they heard? She didn't care at this point.

They reached the compound's front entrance where a small crowd had gathered. Ra's, one of his mistresses, Sarab, and Nyssa and Talia were among them. Sara was with another group of masked assassins getting their gear together. Al Sah-him joined them and barked out a few orders in Arabic. The others scrambled, no doubt sensing his caustic mood.

Felicity stayed out of the way and off to the side. She watched Sara hug Nyssa good-bye, holding on a few seconds longer than was probably appropriate. Ra's caught the moment before turning his head, seemingly in disgust. Felicity got the same feeling looking at him.

Sara approached Felicity afterward. "So, you gonna miss me?" she teased. "Don't worry, Nyssa will have your back."

"Should I tell you to have fun or be safe?"

"Both will do." Sara also gave her a hug. "E-la Leqa."

"Araki qareeban," Felicity bid farewell with a subdued smile.

Al Sah-him walked over to Ra's. They conversed briefly and quietly before Al Sah-him kneeled and made his way toward Felicity. The tension hadn't dissipated between them, but they were acutely aware of their audience. Felicity let him embrace her and returned the gesture. Her entire body was stiff, as was his. It was a stark contrast to the intimate moment they'd shared earlier.

Felicity, unable to tamp down her snark, sarcastically whispered, "No kiss good-bye, husband?"

He drew back enough to look down at her. "Are you asking?"

Her smile was sweet but her gaze was defiant as she remained silent.

Al Sah-him kissed her lightly on the cheek, and she ignored the way his scruff tickled her flesh. Instead of pulling away, his lips hovered by her ear. "When I get back, and you've finally come to your senses, I'll kiss you anywhere you want me to, shamsi."

It was equal parts promise and challenge. Without another word or glance in her direction, Al Sah-him joined the others and left out the wide double doors. Felicity stood rooted in her spot. Her body blazed along with her temper but for an entirely different reason. Yet again, the desire she fought so hard against raged against her walls and left her dissatisfied. Feeling like she was being watched, Felicity turned her head and caught Talia's eye. Her expression wasn't hostile nor was it friendly. It was expectant. Yesterday, Felicity had been almost sure that trusting Talia and taking her offer might not be the right course of action. After today, Felicity had to reconsider.

Translations:

shamsi = my sun

E-la Leqa = Till we meet again

Araki qareeban = See you soon