A departure from canon for this collection. Rather than S4 playing out as it did in the series, Oliver and Felicity marry shortly after his proposal, and Diggle has to adjust to a new dynamic in the bunker. Takes place either before (or without) the drama of her shooting and the reveal that Oliver has a son. For this story, Felicity is CEO of Palmer Tech and Oliver is running for mayor.

A/N: With Arrow airing its last episode, I wanted to cap off this collection with a poignant, final chapter.

This is NOT that chapter. This is a chapter I wrote some time ago and found when I was cleaning off an old laptop. At the time I didn't think there was enough action in it to publish...but it's short, so what the heck. This chapter represents something I wish had happened in the series. I wanted a season with OTA (and not everyone else) continuing to fight the bad guys, only with Oliver and Felicity as a married couple. (I also wasn't in a hurry for her to become pregnant. I wanted them to explore the challenges of being a couple and having secret identities, without that added complication.)

I loved Arrow when it interspersed a little humor between the dark moments. I think they could have had fun with Diggle reacting to Oliver and Felicity's domestic bliss.

John Diggle breathed a sigh of relief when Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak finally tied the knot. For two intelligent people who loved each other deeply, their history of miscommunication and denying their feelings cast doubt on the likelihood of them ever reaching the altar — at least in John's opinion. And if anyone had the right to have an opinion, John thought, it was him. After all, he'd had a front row seat to Felicity's distress when Oliver and Sara Lance had decided to have foreplay — in the guise of training — in front of her. And he'd picked up the wreckage of the foundry after Felicity had timed her kiss with her boss, Ray Palmer, to coincide perfectly with Oliver's entry into her office. John had witnessed a jealous Oliver yelling at Felicity to get her head in the game and a hurt Felicity yelling at Oliver to get his head out of ass. If things hadn't resolved themselves, John figured he was going to have to start online courses in couples counseling.

But, thankfully, Oliver and Felicity had both gotten their heads out of their asses and put gold bands on each other's fingers in time to save John's sanity. There was no longer a need for him to referee misunderstandings or smooth ruffled feathers. He said as much to Lyla, when the two of them slid into bed after returning home from Oliver and Felicity's wedding reception.

Lyla raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, right?"

Surprised, John shook his head. "No. Why would you think I was joking?"

She laughed. "Don't be so naive. Has marriage stopped all of our arguments and miscommunications?"

John thought about it. "No," he admitted, hoping that answer wasn't going to get him into trouble. "But our arguments don't carry over into our work. What happens at home stays at home."

"That's because I'm not part of the Arrow team, and I don't spend hours every night with you in the bunker. If I did, it would be an entirely different story."

"You think?"

"I know. And with Felicity and Oliver, it's going to be especially tough. You'll be layering the tension of the mission on top of the tension from any domestic disagreement they're having. Since neither one of them has ever been married or even lived with anyone for a reasonable length of time, there's bound to be a few disagreements until they figure out how to combine their lives."

John shrugged. "I don't know. Given how much time they've spent together over the last three years, I would think they've already ironed out a lot of the differences that couples have."

Lyla sank into the pillows. "You just keep telling yourself that, Johnnie."

"Don't be such a skeptic."

"Don't be such a pollyanna." Lyla shook her head. "It's going to be especially hard for you, John, because there are three of you on the team. You guys had a certain symmetry, with you and Oliver in the field and Felicity manning the computers. Now that Oliver and Felicity are married, that symmetry is going to change."

John frowned. "I don't see how. Oliver and I are still going to be in the field. Felicity's still manning the computers. What's different?"

"What's different is that at the end of the night, he's going home with her. Before, you were a trio of singles — three separate parts with equal weight. Now, Oliver and Felicity are a unit. They're two thirds and you're one third." She ran her hand through her hair and smiled at his puzzled expression. "On the surface, it may seem the same. But it's not. Like I said, the symmetry has changed."

"I think that's a very...womanly...way to look at it."

Her smile faded. "Is that your way of saying that I'm being an illogical female?"

"No. I know better than to even hint at you being illogical. I'm just saying that a man probably wouldn't look at it that way."

She nodded. "Fine. Then I won't say anything more about it. But...we'll see." She paused and a gleam came into her eye. "I'm not sure you noticed, but our daughter appears to have gone to sleep. I'm not hearing a thing over the monitor, which means we have a few moments to ourselves. I could be womanly in another way, if you're interested."

John gazed at his wife. Her dark hair was glossy in the warm glow of their bedside lamp, and her nightshirt was sliding attractively off one shoulder. He'd seen what was under that nightshirt many times and he never got tired of it.

He smiled. "I'm interested."

John didn't give Lyla's words a great deal of consideration until the first night Oliver turned down a drink. On the surface, it was a little thing - a glass of whiskey refused. But John couldn't help wondering whether it might mean something more.

Their mission had been a tricky one. They'd gone after a cache of weapons guarded by a large number of Damien Darhk's H.I.V.E. agents. Through teamwork and careful coordination they managed to destroy the cache and escape unharmed, but there had been several moments when the outcome of the mission, and their safety, had been in doubt. By the time they got back to the bunker, John and Oliver were grinning, as much from relief as from a sense of accomplishment.

They took the elevator down to the lower level. John clapped Oliver across the back as they stepped out of it.

"Nice shooting, man. I still can't believe you hit the detonator from that distance."

"Didn't have much choice. If we'd gotten closer, there was a chance we would have been blown up along with the weapons."

John's grin grew broader. "This will slow Darhk down."

"For a little while," Oliver agreed. "But we're going to have to think of something else soon. He's going to recover."

"Maybe. But for now, let's enjoy the victory. I'll get the whiskey."

"Right."

Then Oliver's gaze cut over to Felicity. "What are you doing?" he asked.

It seemed obvious to John what she was doing. She was getting up from the keyboard and preparing to leave - just as she had many times before over the last three years.

She picked up her purse. "I'm heading home. I've got an early meeting at Palmer Tech and I need to get a few hours of sleep."

Oliver frowned. "It's not that late."

"No," she concurred with a smile. "You guys were awesome and got the job done quickly. I thought I might take advantage of the early night to relax in a hot bath before I went to bed. These opportunities don't come along all that often."

John watched as a faraway look came into Oliver's eyes. It was clear the man was picturing his new wife, flushed and naked in a tub full of soap bubbles.

After a moment Oliver turned to John. "Raincheck on the whiskey?"

And John began to think Lyla might have a point.

After that night, John paid more attention to the dynamic between the three of them. It dawned on him that he'd never realized what an important number three was. There was a rhythm to three; things just naturally occurred as a trio.

There was blood, sweat and tears; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and faith, hope and charity. There were three strikes to an out in baseball, and three outs in an inning. There were stories about three blind mice, three little pigs, and Goldilocks and the three bears. Not to mention rock, paper, scissors.

And there was Oliver, Diggle and Felicity.

Except now that Oliver and Felicity were married, the sequence was different. It was Oliver and Felicity...and Diggle. As Lyla had said, it was similar, but not the same. The symmetry had changed.

Contrary to Lyla's prediction, however, Oliver and Felicity didn't bring a lot of domestic drama to Team Arrow, at least not in the beginning. They often walked into the bunker in a state of marital accord, with Felicity's hand affectionately tucked into Oliver's arm. To John's embarrassment, he found he could almost always tell when the pair had recently had sex. Oliver would emerge from the elevator with a bounce in his step and far less tension in his shoulders. Felicity would have a glowing face, and if the sex had been very recent, beard burn on her neck and bed head. In the beginning, John thought less tension was a good thing for Oliver. The man used to be wound up so tightly it was amazing his jaw didn't crack. A little relaxation would put him a more productive frame of mind.

But then John began wonder. He and Oliver were executing dangerous, life-threatening missions. They needed to be sharp. Was there a chance that all this connubial bliss could make Oliver lose his edge? After all, athletes generally avoided sex before a big competition. Maybe Oliver should consider abstaining once in awhile — especially right before an operation. Maybe a little tension was helpful.

John thought about discussing it with Lyla, but realized it would give her the chance to say, I told you so - something no man likes hearing from his wife. And it could raise the embarrassing subject of how frequently Oliver and Felicity had sex in comparison to him and Lyla. John considered his sex life very satisfactory, but he had to admit that he wasn't keeping pace with Oliver the Newlywed. There was no way in hell he was telling his wife about that. So he kept his mouth shut and continued to observe.

He stepped out of the elevator one evening to find Oliver and Felicity already in the bunker. The two of them were huddled in front of a computer screen, which John interpreted as a good sign until he noted that Oliver's tee shirt was inside-out and Felicity's dress was only zipped halfway up her back. He also saw that there was a slight sheen on one of the training mats. John hoped it was from sweat and not any other bodily fluid.

He did his best to ignore the image that sprang to mind. "Is there something going on?" he asked.

"What?" Felicity spun around a little too quickly, her cheeks flushed. "What makes you think something is going on?"

"You're both staring at the computer screen. I assumed there was some kind of criminal activity in the city."

"Oh." Relief flooded Felicity's voice and the flush faded. "Oh...yeah...criminal activity. Yeah. I, um, monitor the major sporting goods stores, particularly the ones that sell guns and ammunition, to look for signs of a break-in. An alert went off and we think there might be a robbery going on at Davidson's on the west side of the city."

John saw Oliver's hand move to Felicity's zipper and quickly jerk it the rest of the way up. Rather than acknowledge the action, he said, "I see. You think someone might be stealing firearms from Davidson's."

Felicity nodded.

"So, shouldn't you be suiting up?" John said to Oliver.

Oliver paused, then pursed his lips. "It's a sporting goods store," he replied. "It's not exactly Green Arrow territory. There's probably a dozen robberies going on somewhere in the city tonight."

"It's guns," John stated flatly, "ending up in the hands of people who shouldn't have them. Sounds pretty Green Arrow to me."

Oliver looked at Felicity. She raised her eyebrows and gave him a tiny smile. "Right," he said. "Suiting up. I'll do that now."

"Okay then," John said, "I'll do the same."

"Right."

John and Oliver were silent during the ride to Davidson's. They were both on Oliver's bike, and it seemed to John that Oliver wasn't driving with his usual intensity. There were no skidded turns and the engine's roar seemed subdued. Mindful that Felicity was listening on the communication links, though, John said nothing.

They slid to a stop in the alley next to the sporting goods store and peered at the building. From the outside, Davidson's looked quiet. Oliver strolled to the door and studied the broken lock.

When he didn't bark out a command or rush into the store, John spoke into the comms, "Are they still in there, Felicity?"

"Yes. I'm patched into the security cameras. There are three of them on the second floor. The floor plan shows that's where the guns are located."

"Okay, we're going in."

"Roger that."

They found the thieves - not much older than kids, really - exactly where Felicity had said they would be. They were easy to contain. Two tried to flee the instant they saw the Green Arrow but Oliver tripped them up with bola arrows. John disabled the third thief with one good punch. They tied the the young men up, placed them in the alley, and reported them the police. The entire mission lasted less than fifteen minutes and no one got hurt - well no one other than the one thief and he only had a split lip.

Still, John felt dissatisfied. He watched Oliver walk back toward the bike.

"Hang on a moment," John said.

Oliver turned, his eyebrows raised above his mask. "Something wrong?"

John removed the comm link from his ear, switched it off, and gestured for Oliver to do the same. There was no way in hell they were having this conversation with Felicity listening. Oliver gave John a puzzled stare, but he complied. Then he waited.

Not sure where to begin, John said, "I was surprised that you seemed willing to let this one go, Oliver. It wasn't that long ago that you would have been racing out of the bunker to stop criminals from getting their hands on guns."

Oliver shrugged. "I thought Darhk and H.I.V.E. were our priorities now. You have to admit, he could be the toughest opponent we've faced yet. We need to stay focused on him."

"It doesn't mean we can let the rest of the city fall apart."

Oliver frowned. "I don't think those three," he pointed down the alley at the trussed up thieves, "were going to bring the city down."

"They were stealing guns, Oliver. I doubt they were going to use them for a benign purpose. What we did tonight was good. We nipped something in the bud before it became a big problem. We need to stay focused on this stuff, too."

"Maybe." Oliver didn't sound entirely convinced.

"We need to maintain our intensity," John persisted.

"I didn't realize my intensity was flagging."

John narrowed his eyes. Evidently, he was going to have to spell it out more clearly - tact be damned. He exhaled. "There's something I've been meaning to say to you, Oliver."

Oliver stiffened. "Something you don't want Felicity to hear, apparently." He held up his comm link.

"No. I'd rather this conversation be between the two of us."

"Well, you've got your wish. So what is it?"

John exhaled again. "You've been kind of," he fumbled for a word, "preoccupied lately, Oliver."

"Preoccupied?"

"Yeah, you know, preoccupied...with Felicity. The two of you have been preoccupied with each other. A lot."

Oliver frowned. "We're married and we're happy. We're getting along. Is that a problem?"

He still wasn't getting it. John gritted his teeth. "No, it's not a problem that you're getting along. I'm happy the two of you finally found each other. It's the way you're getting along that worries me. I'm afraid you're leaving your intensity in the bedroom."

There, he'd said it.

And Oliver heard it. He straightened up and clenched a fist. "Excuse me? Are you talking about my sex life...our sex life? Is that what this is about?"

"Yes. I think it's cutting into your job performance."

"Seriously?"

"You have to admit, you two have been very...busy."

Oliver shook his head. "I cannot believe we're having this conversation."

John felt a flush of embarrassment but held his ground. "It's a scientific fact, Oliver. Too much sex can take away your edge...your aggression. And you need those qualities for what we do."

Oliver crossed his arms. "It's not a scientific fact. It's a complete wives' tale. Tommy and I looked it up when we first started becoming...active. It's bullshit."

"Mohammed Ali used to abstain for six weeks before a big boxing match. I think it worked for him. Look at his record."

"Marv Levy made the Bills give up sex before all four of their Super Bowls...and their results weren't nearly so great. It's crap." Oliver glanced down at his boots and then back up at John. "And I still can't believe we're having this conversation."

John held out a hand. "Could you at least give some consideration to...slowing down? I'm not suggesting you abstain for weeks. I'm just saying that sex right before you come to the bunker," or in the bunker, "might not be such a good idea."

Oliver's jaw jutted out in a way John knew all too well. "Just because your sex life is in the toilet, John, doesn't mean mine has to go there too."

Now that was just uncalled for. John pulled back his hand and placed it on his hip. "My sex life isn't in the toilet," he replied. "Just because Lyla and I don't go at it like rabbits doesn't mean we don't have a very satisfactory sex life."

Oliver shook his head. "There must be some issue or you wouldn't be so worried about my activity."

"I'm worried because it's my life on the line when we're on a mission...as well as yours. When we go out...I have a right to expect you to be on your toes."

"And I am."

"Well, you could have fooled me tonight."

They stared at each other.

"You know," Oliver said slowly, "if we get back to the bunker angry, Felicity is going to want to know what happened. Do you want to be the one to explain it to her?"

John shivered. "Hell, no."

"Me either."

"So, let's not get back to the bunker angry."

"No." Oliver paused and the corners of his mouth lifted. "Although, if I follow your advice to slow down, I'm going to have to give Felicity a reason. I may have to tell her about this talk anyway."

John stiffened. He had visions of his bank accounts being frozen and the utilities cut off to his apartment. "Now, that's just a cheap shot, Oliver."

To John's relief, normalcy in the bunker was eventually restored, as much as it ever would be. Things didn't go back to the pre-marriage days, but over time Oliver and Felicity adopted a more...human...pace. John was reminded that no matter how in the love the couple, no honeymoon lasts forever.

He was sitting in front of the computers one evening when Oliver strode in, followed closely by Felicity. Her hand wasn't on his arm and her cheeks were flushed in a hue that didn't look post-coital.

She shook her head. "I can't believe you told my mother we were trying to get pregnant. What on earth made you say something like that?"

Oliver's mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he replied, "I did not tell your mother we were trying to get pregnant."

"No? Then why is Mom emailing me lists of baby names? Something must have given her the idea."

Oliver sighed. "She texted me a couple of days ago and told me she couldn't wait to be a grandmother. I said that we hoped to make her wish come true someday." He paused and sighed again. "Emphasis on the someday."

"Well, what she heard was now. Because she's been on my case about it for the last day. She keeps texting to ask if I've taken a pregnancy test."

Oliver shrugged. "I'm sorry. But you really can't hold me accountable for what your mother thinks."

"I can when you respond to her texts. Surely, you know it's best to ignore her when she's like this. And you and I haven't even talked about kids. So what power possessed you to think you should talk with her about them?"

Oliver's shoulders tensed. He held Felicity's gaze for a moment, then looked over at John. "Anything happening in the city?"

Felicity lifted her chin. "Oliver-"

John shook his head. "Not much, really."

"Nothing?"

John thought he heard a little desperation in Oliver's voice.

"There's a robbery in progress in a drug store over on Spencer Street," he offered. "That's about it."

"A drug store." Oliver nodded. "That could be bad. Drugs getting out on the streets." He glanced at Felicity and lifted his hands. "I think we have to take this."

She narrowed her eyes. "We haven't finished our talk."

"I know," Oliver agreed. "We will, when John and I get back." And without waiting, he raced to the mannequins and grabbed his suit.

"Oliver-"

"When I get back," he repeated.

Three minutes later the Green Arrow was suited up and headed for his bike. John glanced at Felicity's red cheeks and decided it was a good idea to go with Oliver. He climbed behind him on the bike and they sped out of garage, onto the streets.

The engine whined and the tires screeched as they took their first turn.

John smiled. Symmetry might not have been entirely restored, but it was close enough.