I'm slowly making my way through the ending. I'm sorry it's so slow coming. Somewhere along the line the character of Felicity in the Arrow series changed to someone I wasn't as thrilled with and I lost my excitement for writing this. I watch some older Arrows and am trying to finish this. All the comments, reviews and messages I've gotten have really made me want to finish. I think I have a path so here's another chapter. Thank you again for the support!

Side note: If you're like me and like different Steve pairings – Aeolist has written a really good Buffy/Steve story with both characters really well done and interesting. Its Far-Fetched. Go give it a shot if you do that sort of thing.

Chapter 33

Steve followed Felicity upstairs. Walking away from Bucky was hard. He had to keep telling himself he wasn't walking away, he was giving Bruce time to work. He still had to help Oliver and his family stay safe. ''Get your head in the game,' Steve admonished himself silently.

Slade wasn't going to stop his plans just because Bucky was finally back. He was back in body, but not in mind. Steve had to hope that the rest would come. His best friend was with him, alive and no longer in the hands of Hydra. That was all that mattered. They'd fix everything else. He had to hold on to that thought.

Steve held the exit door open for Felicity. As he stepped outside and let the door shut behind him, the sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. The pavement had cracks and fissures where Bucky and he had impacted it. The cinderblock dividing wall was crumbling in places. It would have to be repaired. His truck had a dent that showed where a metal fist had hit it on the back quarter panel. The driver's door had a very clear body impression in the metal. That belonged to Steve. He could still feel the tightness in his ribs and shoulders from that impact. The damage had begun to heal, only leaving the tightness behind but he'd definitely felt the impact. The parking area looked like a small bomb had gone off.

"Wow," Felicity exclaimed. "Talk about bodily damage limits. We'll have to figure out something to tell the insurance company." That surprised a snort out of Steve. Her easy acceptance and focus on practicality made the corner of his mouth tick up. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to date someone that worked for a vigilante. She took everything in stride.

Felicity stepped over the shoulder impact crater in the pavement and stopped beside his truck. She ran her fingers over the body shaped dent in his truck. He saw the worry and disbelief cross her features. Maybe her easy going, take everything in stride only went so far. He braced himself for her reaction. He couldn't blame her if she broke down or if she got mad and lectured him on being more careful of himself. He just hoped she wouldn't decide his life wasn't for her.

Steve tried to school his features as she turned to him. She had a right to say to him whatever she wanted. He'd escalated the violence that already surrounded her life. Even if he didn't feel like listening to it right now, he needed to accept whatever she had to say. It wasn't her fault he was not in the mood for what was coming. He'd just have to suck it up and be careful not to take his stress level out on her.

"That's you," she told him, pointing at the imprint. He kept his face carefully neutral as she took a step toward him. "I'd recognize that butt print anywhere. Not that your friend doesn't have a nice butt, I mean I wasn't looking per say…." Felicity blushed at her words were cut off by Steve pulling her to him and tucking her against his chest. Relief flooded him.

He couldn't help it, Steve laughed. It felt good. The last still frozen piece of his heart thawed at that moment. "Doll, I am so in love with you," he blurted. They both froze. Steve hadn't meant the words to come out like that. It was how he felt, he realized, but he hadn't meant to just blurt them like that. He was still as bad as ever with the dames.

Steve carefully pulled back a little so he could see her reaction. Felicity met his eyes but he couldn't read her usually expressive face. Should he apologize, tell her it was alright if she didn't feel that way too? Scenarios flew through his unusually un-strategic mind. "You look like you're going to throw up," Felicity commented.

"I didn't mean that to come out like that. I don't want to ruin this between us." He could feel the fear climbing up his spine.

"Do you really feel that way about me?" He could see the doubt in her eyes. Steve suddenly wanted to punch whoever made this amazing, beautiful woman doubt that any man would fall for her.

"Wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," he pointed out reasonably. "Even if I tried I've been told I'm no good at lies." He took a settling breath and lifted a hand to scratch at the back of his neck. "But I don't want to put pressure on you. You don't have to feel that way just because I do."

Felicity laid a soft hand against his cheek. Steve leaned into her touch. "I've been falling in love with you from the moment we met," she told him. Steve's heart skipped a beat or two at her words. He didn't resist the urge to slide his hand into her hair and pull her to him. As their lips met, he absorbed the moan she released against his. Slanting his head and holding her steady against, Steve relished the way she opened to him as their mouths melded together. He wanted to lose himself in her, never let her go. She was a safe haven he'd long since given up on having.

The way Felicity's hands fisted in his shirt, her nails scraping the fabric against his skin as he swept his tongue against hers made butterflies take up residence in his belly. Steve broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "I don't know how a classy, beautiful da...woman like you could fall for a mook like me, but you're my one bright spot in all of this." He put her gently back on her feet not having realized he'd lifted her off them. "Please be careful and try to stay out of the line of fire."

"I'm behind a computer and paperwork" she assured him. "Papercut is the worst I'm going to get. I'll let all of you superheroes do the bullet taking. Not that you should take any bullets. You have to be careful too. Now that I've found you, I don't want to lose you."

Before Steve could answer, movement behind Felicity caught his attention. "Felicity, get back inside," Steve placed his body in front of her as a figure separated itself from the shadows and walked down the alley toward them.

"Easy now, I'm not here to fight," Slade Wilson was dressed in a suit, with his hair styled back. He looked like he was ready for a business meeting. "Word is that you want a parlay with me, Captain Rogers." So Slade had figured out who he was. "Was I incorrectly informed? I received assurances that you guarantee my safety to this little powwow of yours."

Felicity moved back to his side. Steve sighed internally. He and his girl were going to have a talk about her not listening when it came to her own safety.

"I believe you were also given directions on how to make these arrangements." He wasn't surprised that Slade had gotten the message. They'd used the bugs in the Queen mansion to send it, but he was surprised how quickly Slade had arrived and the timing. He had to be watching the building. Well that wasn't much of a surprise either. The man kept proving himself clever and well prepared.

"I like to be spontaneous, learned that from the kid during our time on the island." Yeah, Steve could see the advantage Slade was going for. Just show up and your opponent didn't have time to prepare a trap. Not that Steve had intended to do that, but Wilson was obviously being cautious. Slade came to a stop a dozen feet from Steve.

"I've read your jacket," Steve began. "You're a good man, decorated veteran, someone to be counted on in a crisis. What has happened here hasn't crossed any lines you can't come back from. Come in, let us help you." He didn't have any delusions that Wilson would take his offer, but he could hope. Seeing a man like Slade Wilson destroyed under the influence of yet another attempt at a super soldier serum was tragic. By all accounts it hadn't even been Wilson's decision to take the serum. Steve was tired of the senselessness.

Slade looked surprised. He actually took a few steps toward them. Felicity finally showed some sense and moved back behind Steve. Slade spread his hands and came to a stop a few feet from them. "We're here to talk," Slade reminded Felicity. "If I wanted you both dead, I'd have ambushed you when you walked out of the door and I wouldn't be dressed in a suit."

Steve could see the conflict going on in Slade's eyes as the man turned his attention back on him. "Did Oliver tell you what happened on the island? Did he tell you how he killed a good, innocent woman when he chose to save Sara? Sara Lance is not worth the ground Shado walked on, but he chose Lance anyway then lied to me about it." Slade's stance slipped for a second. Real grief made his voice gruff through the anger.

"He told me what happened.' Steve took a step forward, angling his body so that Felicity was almost completely blocked from Slade's view. "With your background, you've gotta see the same thing I do," Steve started. "If Ivo had pointed the gun at Shado first, Sara would be the one dead. Oliver didn't choose anything; he reacted."

"He didn't save her," Slade shouted, getting in Steve's face, but not touching him. "He was there, she loved him, and he should have saved her."

"What would that have looked like?" Steve asked back, raising his voice slightly to get himself heard and cut off the tirade he felt coming. "Because the way it was described to me, I'm not sure what I'd have done in that situation. I can't see a barely trained civilian having much of a chance of changing that scenario. One of those women was going to die. It was Ivo that chose which one to point the gun at first, not Oliver Queen."

"You're defending him! Is that all you wanted to talk about? You're wasting my time and yours." Slade straitened, visibly trying to pull himself back from being so emotional. Steve recognized it in him. Wilson wasn't going to let himself be goaded into impulsiveness.

"I'm not defending anybody. No one needs defending." He paused to let that sink in. "We're soldiers. Oliver Queen was a civilian. A kid is what you keep calling him and you're not wrong, even now."

"Of course, why didn't I see it that way? Just Shado's bad luck. Go get Oliver and we'll shake hands and grab a pint."

"I'm not saying Oliver did nothing wrong," Steve tried again. "He lied to you. He should have trusted you and told you what happened. I'm not excusing him, but your response is not proportional. It's the Mirakuru in your system twisting your thoughts."

"You think you know me because Oliver has unburdened his soul to you about our time on the island?" Slade spit out.

"I've known a lot of good men like you, Agent Wilson," Steve wasn't surprised when Slade's eyebrows rose at his use of the man's ASIS designation. "You've gone down a bad road through no fault of your own. We can fix this. Are you ready to drop this vendetta Agent Wilson? Are you ready to let us help you recover your life?" Slade took a breath and suddenly looked old.

"You make a strong point, Captain Rogers. I think I'd have liked you if we met under different circumstances." Damn, Steve hadn't held out much hope that Slade would change his mind but he had to try. It looked like he was right; Slade was going to do this the hard way.

"Then give me a chance to help you," he tried again lowering his voice, sincerely wishing he could see a way to reach this man.

"I've done too many things to be helped." Slade actually sounded tired at that moment. His single minded determination to get revenge had to be taking a toll on him as well. The man took a step back and rolled his shoulders like he was trying to shift some weight off of them.

"You've done less than I did in my first years out of the Red Room yet they took me in and made me a member of the team." Natasha separated herself from the shadows of the alley. Slade spun in a half circle, taking in the new presence but not letting Steve out of his sight. It was obvious he hadn't known she'd followed him. Steve didn't let his pride in his partner show on his face.

"We're still just here to talk, Agent Wilson," Steve assured the man. "Natasha Romanov," he introduced. Slade hesitated before nodding in greeting.

"The Black Widow," Slade greeted. "I've been an admirer of your work."

"Then you know I've done worse than you," she told him. "Yet here I am. Steve's word is good. If he says he will help you he will. The agent sent to kill me made the same offer. I have never regretted accepting it."

"Shado sounds like a good person. Would she have wanted you to kill in her name or would you honor her more by saving people?" Steve watched Slade carefully. The man was considering it. He could see it in his face for a few moments before the mask of indifference Slade wore on a daily basis slammed back into place. For a moment it almost seemed as if he was listening to someone else none of them could see.

"I'll think about your offer." Slade surprised them all by saying before he saluted Steve and nodded to Natasha. "Ms. Smoak, Captain, Widow," he dipped his head to each of them in turn as he turned his back on them and walked away. Steve shook his head when Natasha silently asked if he wanted the other man followed. If she thought she could get anything more from following him she'd never have revealed herself to him.

"Do you really think he'll take your offer?" Felicity asked, coming back to his side as Natasha joined them.

"No, I don't," Steve told her, letting some of his annoyance leak into his voice. "But then again I thought you'd go back inside to safety when I asked you to. Seems like I'm not all that great at reading people." Felicity had the good graces to look a little abashed. Natasha looked amused at them before spinning toward the other side of the back lot.

Steve had heard it too. "Felicity, inside now." Steve ordered, putting every bit of command into his voice. He was relieved when she went wide-eyed, but turned to pull the door open without question.

He scanned the buildings around him. Seems Slade hadn't been the one to keep his word. Steve glanced at his partner. Nat had already turned toward the other side of the alley. The door behind Steve opened, Oliver sprinting through it.

"Oliver," Steve questioned, reading the obvious tension coming off the younger man's in waves.

"Slade's men are coming in from three sides," he ground out, pointing to each side of the lot. "I saw him coming in as I left. I came around to warn you. There's 14 of them at least."

"20. You never could count, kid," Slade's voice carried down to them from on top of the building toward their left. Men started appearing all around them, coming from each side of the alleyway.

"I'll take that as a 'no' on the offer?" Steve's face didn't betray his anticipation. This was going to be a good fight. He wasn't sorry. Right about now he needed the outlet. Not bothering with the damaged door to his truck, Steve slammed his hand through the window and retrieved his shield from the back seat.

"Numbers don't seem very sporting," Nat commented. Steve glanced around him. He counted 15 including Slade, maybe Wilson was the one that couldn't count.

"I'm not willing to sit out and even it up, are you," he asked her.

"Nope, Can't see Oliver stepping out either." Oliver looked between the two of them as Slade dropped to the ground twenty or so feet away.

"You sure you want to do this, Slade? We've got you at a disadvantage. I'd be willing to hear your terms of surrender." Steve didn't expect Slade to take him up on it, but he could see Oliver falling back into his subconscious roll of subordinate to Wilson. Fighting the man that taught you to survive wasn't easy. Steve wanted to give Oliver a minute to realize that he had help. This wasn't all on him.

"I like your style, Captain," Slade smiled, swirling his swords. "I can't say I'm willing to offer you terms. I think I just want to see you both die before I take the kid out." Yeah that sounded about what Steve expected.

"He tends to have that effect on some people," Nat pointed out as she sank down into a fighting stance. It might be accurate, but doesn't mean he wasn't going to rib her for it.

"Hey!" Steve complained right before she launched at the man trying to come up from their right. In almost the same moment Steve took out several to the left with his shield and cleared a spot for Oliver before turning to a fast approaching Slade. Steve's first blow to Slade caught the other man in the ribs. Slade was fast, he countered with a slash of his blades that sent sparks flying off the shield. Steve's blood sang. He needed this. This is what he was built for. Nothing like a good old fashioned alley brawl to take the edge off.