Hello, world! Sorry, I haven't been as active on here but I have been trying to keep up with college, family, mental health and friends. Of course, I haven't stopped writing quite the opposite actually, I've been working on different stories that I really want to upload. I also, write new chapters for my "Change In Lizzie" and "Keep On Fighting" stories!

I hope you enjoy this chapter and I can't wait to read your reviews!

I wanted to thank you for the 2 reviews, the 6 favorites, the 5 followers and 1 community that added my story!

Shoutouts for Chapter 1:

mjf2468: THANK YOU! Thank you for the kind, supportive and encouraging words! I'm so sorry to hear that you are going through a similar thing as Felicity in the story. Unfortunately, I'm also going through the exact same thing as Felicity that is how I drew inspiration for this story. Thank you for giving me an idea of how this story could go. I hope things have changed for the better with your problem since July 13 in 2018. Sorry for the one year waiting but I was busy. If you are still reading this story I hope you enjoy this chapter too and I'm looking forward to your review.

January Lily: Thank you very much for the kind words! I hope you are doing well and that you'll enjoy this chapter as much!

With this story, I would suggest listening to:

The Script - Flares

FURTHERMORE, TRIGGER WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC MENTION OF DOMESTIC ABUSE, CHILD ABUSE, MENTION OF PARENTS DEATH DURING 9/11, MENTION OF ILLEGAL TAPING OF SEXUAL INTERCOURSE AND POSTING IT ON PORNOGRAPHIC SITES! READ IT AT YOUR OWN ACCORD!

Enjoy!

Depressed

Chapter 2: Sending Out Flares

Dan and Felicity spend the night in the bar drinking hot chocolate (even though the waitress looked at them confused and little amused) and searching for nearby psychologists with good ratings and reviews in hopes of finding someone who would help Felicity and not make her wonder if she was the hypocrite or not.

Felicity avoided going into the Foundry for at least a week too embarrassed after Dan told her they were there and saw her singing. At work, she kept herself busy so she wouldn't have to talk to Oliver or Diggs.

Felicity found group support that had meetings during the afternoon hours and she signed herself up. She and Dan one afternoon attended her first group meeting…

"Hello, everyone, today we are having new members in our family! Come on Felicity, tell us a little bit about yourself." The head of the group said to Felicity with an encouraging tone and hand gestures.

Felicity sighed and cleared her throat as Dan held her hand in encouragement.

The group, of course, thought they were dating but said nothing.

"Hi! I'm Felicity! I was born and raised in Las Vegas and the districts around the area. My mum had me when she was fifteen and by the time she had me she was forced to marry my dad, the man who impregnated her. Noah was a year older than my mum yet he was in college because he was a genius…but I believe he was afraid of people outshining him. My mum was allowed to finish High School and by the time she was 18 years old, I was four years old and Noah's behavior changed towards my mum. He didn't allow her to go to college and he was too busy inventing stuff to actually bring money into the house so mum was forced to work in casinos waitressing tables. My first memory was of Noah yelling at my mum and calling her stupid while hitting her head with his hand. My mum had tears in her eyes while she begged him not to have this conversation in front of me. I felt this huge wave of hate and I wanted to stand up from my play corner and hit Noah. After that incident, I remember my mum hiding books in my stuff…one day when I was seven I found one…it was a book about European History. My mum then told me that she was secretly attending night classes and she was getting a degree in history. She wanted to become a teacher like her grandma."

"One day when I was eight I returned from school to find mum on the ground with ripped books and some even were on fire, she had a black eye and bloody lips and her hair looked as if she was yanked by them…spoiler alert…she was. I guess Noah had no idea I had returned from school so he marched out of my room with the same European history book that was about 600 pages and threw it in my mum's head the force he threw caused my mum to hit her head on the marble floor with a thud which just by hearing it I flinched and felt the pain! Then as she raised her head and saw me she had even more blood coming from her nose and lips her eyes were petrified as I suspect mine were too. He then kicked her in the back yelling that her place is in the kitchen not in school and that he allowed her to leave the house in fear of neighbors start talking about him not allowing his wife out. Then he saw me…oh, the anger I saw in his eyes made me freeze in my spot. He stood there watching me before he pointed to my mum and said "See, Megan? School isn't for girls! You are going to finish high school and get married and I want in a year from your marriage grandkids unlike your slut of a mother! Don't disappoint me otherwise I would have to ruin that pretty face of yours." By the end of his sentence, he was holding my chin in a grip that left a bruise later."

"After that, he left the house. Mum instantly jumped up and packed everything we would need. Once we got to a hotel she called the police. In a week Noah was arrested for domestic abuse and illegal hacking by the FBI and mum remodeled the entire house with the money Noah was hiding from us. She used half of that sum to buy new books and a year from then she got a Ph.D. in European history and a job at the local high school. The other half went to my college fund. Life was good for a long time until mum and I had to move districts because she got a new job. There I met my best friend Malina and we hit it off instantly. She was my everything…we lived next to each other and we spent every waking moment together. Until mum met my step-dad who I call dad, Joseph, was a PE teacher in the school near our district but there was the catch...Joseph had two more kids from a previous marriage, his wife died in Afghanistan, she was a combat nurse. Mark and Lesley, his kids, and I hit it off too when we got the chance to meet although there was something about Mark and Lesley's behavior…they were too good…like fake good. When mum and dad decided to move in together I had to leave Malina behind…that broke me! Lesley had a friend, Anna, she introduced me the next day after we met promising me that I wouldn't feel alone ever!"

"Malina started withdrawing from calling me when we would set up a date. While I tried to adjust to this new life with step-siblings! Mark and Lesley weren't as good as I thought…of course, their behavior towards me was as best as it could be since not a year prior to us moving their mother had just died. So I kept my distance while Mark made sure no boys talked to me…Lesley tried to introduce me to kids and places around the town yet I had freaked out from the sudden changes so I withdraw to myself by putting headphones on all the time and not speaking to anyone. Suddenly, kids in school started making fun of me for being antisocial and Lesley partly blamed me and partly comfort me, her behavior confused me…in school, she would make fun of me while at home she would rant about the kids who made fun of me. Mark, on the other hand, got expelled for getting into too many fights with boys who bullied me…Joseph had yelled at me one night at dinner for causing his son's expulsion. One day Lesley heard me talking to Malina just before a hang-up and she smiled to me and had suggested that instead of me sitting above the phone until 9 pm like a hawk we should go for a movie or a bike ride. We went for a movie to the mall while riding our bikes there as we paid for our tickets and popcorn. Malina had told me she had a tutoring session for Latin that is why she couldn't talk until 9 pm but here I was with Lesley and we saw Malina and her friend Katie sitting a row away from us and they were talking about how clingy I was…Lesley heard that and she texted me if that was my Malina I told her yes she grabbed my hand and we left the movies. On the road there she confessed me that Anna and some girls from her group were saying similar and nastier stuff about me and that she had told them that I was her sister and if they continued talking about me that way she would leave the group. She left the group because of me and she apologized for her behavior. A day from then Anna also dropped me from a friend and it hurt like hell…by now I was a senior and Lesley had already graduated a year before me while Mark kept his distance from me…which a whole different reason."

"For an entire school year, I was completely alone with no friend but the music to keep me mentally intact. On November of the same year, I sent a farewell text to Malina saying how much I hated her behavior and how much it had hurt me. During the school year I researched my feelings and find out I had depression and the only medicine I had was music. Malina contact me again during my time at MIT asking if I wanted to meet she visited Massachusetts twice and didn't ask me to get together. She dragged me along for six years with will we, won't we meet shit…sorry…During my third year in MIT, I had already reached rock bottom, my depression was an all-time low, and thoughts that I fought so hard to mute in my head were so loud that I tried to commit suicide but instead, I broke my leg and my ribs. Dan over here saw me and called the ambulance and from then on we became best friends. But once we graduated and got hired we kept talking and I made good on the promise that I would get counseling at least once a month…my then psychologist told me that there was nothing wrong with me which made me feel like a hypocrite. So I thought that I had nothing else in common with Dan so I withdrew from him and my progress declined. A day ago I went to a bar to drink my sadness and bad thoughts away and end up drunk singing my feelings in the form of a song I had written to the entire bar…Dan saw that too since he had tracked my phone..creepy I know. And now he insisted on finding a better and new psychologist and we stumbled upon your group so we came."

Felicity finished her story which had everyone tearing up while Dan was hugging her.

"What about your step-brother, Mark?" The head of the group asked interested.

"Well, during my graduation from MIT he showed up and apologized for not being there for me and that he had developed as he called a crush on but since our parents were married by the time he realized his feelings he decided to keep his distance from me. Now, Mark is happily engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Alisha and they are expecting a baby soon. As for Lesley…she is I believe in Mongolia with her research group and her wife researching…she is a geographer and studies the tectonic plates and volcanoes." Felicity answered smiling to the head of the group.

"Oh! So you are in good relationship with them?" Another member asked and Felicity sighed.

"Yes, we are civil when we are in each other's company but last time that happened was during Lesley's wedding a year or so ago." Felicity answered and the member nodded satisfied.

"What about you Dan?" The head of the group asked and Felicity squeezed Dan's hand in encouragement.

"Well, I lost my parents when I was twelve during the 9/11 and from then on I bounced from foster home to foster home for over ten years until I got adopted at seventeen by a great family the Dardens, my foster mum Zoe and her wife Holly were so kind to me that I felt as if they were my parents in their next life…I know stupid…but my mentality during my time in various foster homes wasn't great….i was abused and bullied countless times and once I managed to feel safe and let my walls down I felt this huge weight on my chest and I broke…Holly was a psychologist and diagnosed me with depression and PTSD and they did the best they could and I love them for that! They gave me tools to handle things or so I thought…during my time at MIT I had an awakening…I realized that I liked both women and men the same and I had my first boy crush you could say…on a classmate who sent me mixed signals and played with my head and heart. Then he ridiculed me. It was during a party and I was drunk when he found me…he encouraged me by kissing me. Then he asked if we should go upstairs to talk but I was already way too drunk to register what was going on. Next thing I know I'm lying naked in a stranger's bed and I'm pretty sure I had sex…my first time and I was drunk…later that day as I was battling hangover a guy looked at me in disgust as he watched something on his phone! The guy I liked had taped us having sex and uploaded online! I was so embarrassed and humiliated! I went to the Board of the school and told them what had happened they took down the video but the bullying and reposting had already ruined my life! I got death threats and bullied almost all the time to the point I couldn't take it anymore! I saw no future for me so I went to the same spot Felicity went and got ready to end it all only to see her…Felicity was the only girl who didn't saw the video or knew what was going on…and we saved each other. Once she agreed to meet me we became fast friends and soon best friends by now the video was taken down by the FBI or something and the bullying was toned down….but I was immune since I had a support system behind me. Although my future wasn't destroyed since I work for Microsoft I was taught a valuable lesson and that is why I don't post on social media about my life that much." Dan said with a heavy sigh since he kept his eyes to the ground the entire time.

"Thank you for sharing with us Dan and Felicity! Who else wants to share today?" The head of the group asked and another person took a turn.

Unknowingly to Felicity, Quentin Lance had heard her story. He had just finished his AA meeting and he was walking to the water cooler for a cold bottle of water when he heard Felicity's name being spoken. He was surprised, to say the least…he knew that whatever he had found on her was just a snip of her life…but he didn't expect that!

As he was walking home he bumped into Sara and Laurel as both girls had pizza and frizzy orange juice in hand.

"Girls! What a surprise!" Quentin exclaimed in true awe as he saw his daughters on civil terms. It was a weeks after the disastrous dinner in Laurel's apartment.

"We decided to have a new start." Laurel stated as she watched her dad unlock his apartment door.

They spent the night talking and eating pizza when Laurel left saying goodnight to her dad Sara stayed since she was staying with him for the time being.

"So, you know Miss Smoak?" Quentin asked his younger daughter and Sara nodded as she drank the last sip of orange juice in her glass.

"Well, I saw her today attending a meeting for people who suffer depression. My gosh her story was a heartbreaking one!" Quentin gushed in a sad tone and Sara's eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean, dad?" Sara asked worried as she straightens her back and her attention was full on her dad that both father and daughter didn't realize that Laurel had forgotten her phone and returned to her father's apartment to get it only to hear their conversations while her hand was on the backup keys she had of her dad's apartment in the locker and she had just opened the door.

"You don't know?"

"No, I don't." Sara said in a tense tone.

"Well, her dad abused her mum and forbid her mum and her to have any further education after high school but Felicity's mum took her away and called the cops on her dad and he went to jail for domestic abuse and illegal hacking…then she was bullied at school and even attempted suicide during MIT and she was hospitalized with a broken leg and ribs! And her boyfriend, Dan…I think his name was, wow! The poor boy! Have you noticed anything in Felicity's behavior lately? She seems such a cheery young woman! It's truly sad!" Quentin said in a sad tone and Sara held a gasp from escaping her mouth.

She had to tell Oliver and Diggs! Felicity needs them to be there for her. Scratch Oliver's idea to give her space! She doesn't need space! She needs support!

Laurel's eyes teared up as she imagined the scene. She had met Felicity in one of the many QC parties but never talked to her other than the occasional "hi" and polite chit chats. She had seen how Oliver looked at her…Oliver looked at her like she was the only woman in the room yet she could see the hurt in his eyes like he wanted to touch but couldn't for some reason. He pitied and felt happy that Oliver was uncomfortable and didn't get what he wanted for once.

She even was a little bit jealous of Felicity just by seeing how close Oliver and she were. But now…now Laurel saw her in a different light.

Laurel silently closed the door once she managed to reach her phone that was near the coffee table that was near the door and walked to the elevator like a woman on a mission.

Laurel arrived at her apartment and instantly searched Felicity's facebook account and friend her then spent a few minutes drafting a message that explained how she was there if she needed help.

Felicity's answer popped up instantly!

Laurel's and Felicity's Facebook chat: (Felicity's is at the right and bold, Laurel's is at the left and calligraphic)

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I know how weird that might sound to you. Let me take it from the top."

"Um…okay…"

"I was at an AA meeting where it's housed in the same facility as the ADSG(Anonymous Depression Support Group) meeting when I heard your name and voice so I stay and listened in against my better judgment. I'm sorry."

"Um…you did?! Why?"

"I don't know to be honest. I was curious. Please don't be angry or offended!"

"You shouldn't have listened in. You had no right!"

Felicity Smoak has blocked you.

End of Laurel's and Felicity's chat:

Laurel stared at her computer screen and she mentally cursed herself. She had approached it the wrong way. And she wished she had a time machine to take everything back…not just Felicity's and her conversation but everything in her life that went wrong.

Then she walked to her door grabbed her keys, bag and run to her car. She drove to Verdant where she knew Felicity might be. With Oliver and his bodyguard.

After twenty minutes of her driving, she arrived at Verdant and she went inside only to see Sara working and talking with Oliver. She looked around to spot Felicity but didn't so she decided to do the next best thing. She searched in her bag and pulled out a glasses' case and walked towards Oliver.

"Hey, Ollie, sorry to interrupt but I bumped into Felicity this morning while she exited the bank and she dropped this, do you know where I could find her so I can give it to her?" She lied to Oliver and he studied her reaction.

"Um…give it to me and I'll get it to her." Oliver said serious but Laurel shook her head negatively and put the case back in her bag.

"I found it and I will return it, Ollie, it's the right thing to do." Laurel said serious and she tapped her shoe to the ground as she folded her arms to her chest and raised expectantly her eyebrows.

"It's Barkley Street 24th its entrance is near an ice cream shop on the right." Oliver said sighing and Laurel smiled in victory and thanked him as she walked out.

Got in her car and to Felicity's house.

As Oliver watched Laurel rushed to Felicity's house he raised his eyebrows as Sara and asked if something was going on that he hadn't noticed.

"Well I don't know what she's been doing but a few hours ago she said she had to leave from the makeshift dinner we had with dad because she had an early day tomorrow…" Sara said with a shrug and confused tone as she wiped the counter.

She was trying to find some way to tell to Oliver what her dad had listened Felicity say and that she didn't need space but support.

"Hey, Thea! Can I take my break now?" Sara asked Thea as she rushed by the counter and Thea quickly nodded as Sara walked over to Oliver and motioned him to come down to Founder. As she climbed down the stairs she texted Diggs asking if she could call him.

"I'm right here, Sara, you don't have to text. I was putting some updates Felicity texted me that they needed to be done. Did you guys did something to her and she hasn't set foot in here since last week?" Diggs said as he welcomed his friends.

"Okay, Diggs here are the facts; Felicity has been going through some mental health issues in silence while she has been with us but apparently something happened and it triggered a downward spiral when it comes to mental health and Oliver and I saw it happen last week as she drunkenly caught us having sex here and threw a condom package on Oliver's head, side note you should have seen his face hilarious, then she left with a notepad and then as we saw how distressed she was we tried to find what was going on only to find her singing a song that raised a lot of alarms. Soon a friend of hers emerged from the crowd and comforted her as she ran crying from the stage into a bathroom. Oliver and I waited for them to come out but we heard them talking about a friend of Felicity's but we didn't understand much. We had agreed to give her space but guys, she doesn't need space she needs us!" Sara rambled quickly in one breath and Oliver with Diggs stare at her.

Sara sharply inhaled and continued.

"Wow! I do sound like Felicity now! Ha! Anyways, back to the point! My dad had just returned from AA meeting where they are housed in the same facility as ADSG which stands for Anonymous Depression Support Group meetings take place. My dad listened to her story by accident." Sara said quickly and anxiously and she looked at the two men before her waiting for their reactions.

"What?" Diggs asked shocked and he sat down and Oliver looked at the ground.

"What did your dad said he heard Felicity say?" Oliver asked after a small pause.

Sara took a deep breath and said what her dad had told her word for word;

"Well, her dad abused her mum and forbid her mum and her to have any further education after high school but Felicity's mum took her away and called the cops on her dad and he went to jail for domestic abuse and illegal hacking…then she was bullied at school and even attempted suicide during MIT and she was hospitalized with a broken leg and ribs!" Sara said with a sad tone and everyone seemed to stay stunned for a while.

"That is why I said she needs our help and not space." Sara said serious and the men nodded deep in thoughts.

"How do we show her that, though?" Oliver asked deep in thoughts.

With Laurel:

Laurel walked towards Felicity's apartment door only to have it swung open and she looked at a young man's eyes.

"Um…you are not the pizza guy? No offense I would totally understand if you are a pizza girl! But you have no pizza." The young man said confused.

"HA! You owe me twenty-five dollars! You lost…Laurel?" Felicity's victorious voice was heard as she victory danced her way to the door and then her eyes settled to Laurel's frame and her voice was damned down when she arrived at the door and saw Laurel.

"What are you doing here?" Felicity asked angrily and she was held back by Dan.

"I'm sorry I can't leave you, you need to have a support system." Laurel said serious and Dan nodded in agreement.

"Why? Why would you help me? You think that if you help me you will be again in Oliver's good grace, don't you?" Felicity said bitterly and walked away but Laurel walked into the apartment and chased after her.

"Fuck Oliver, Felicity! I want to help you, for you, nothing else! No hidden interests!" Laurel said desperately as she looked at them.

"So I'm a pity project to you?" Felicity asked in anger and Laurel sighed.

"No, please wait till the pizza gets here and I will tell you." Laurel said serious and looked like she understood where the anger came from.

A few minutes went by when the pizza guy arrived and the two women and man sat and ate their first slice in silence.

"When I was dating Ollie…Oliver, I was many times subject of gossip and harsh bullying behind my back but many times I had them say that to my face. I never had a trustworthy support system and I felt twice as bad, so I made a promise to myself not to allow anyone to feel unsupported if the chance appears and I know I can help the situation. You see when Oliver and Sara were presumed dead I had no one to turn to and that pained me so much. I felt all alone that is how I came into the conclusion that if I ever get over my grief I wouldn't allow another girl to be like that ever and I'm making sure that I'll make good on my promise." Laurel said seriously as Felicity's hard exterior seemed to soften.

"So, will you let me be your support system or at least a part of it." Laurel asked and her eyes showed such vulnerability that made Felicity break down and cry as Dan and Laurel hugged her.

This was the start of a long process of trusting for our hero!

At The Foundry: Same Time:

Oliver, Sara, and Diggs were looking at the room around them wrecking their brains for a way to help her.

"How about we leave supportive messages on her desk?" Diggs asked with a confused tone.

"And then everybody thinks she is screwing the boss?" Sara asked sarcastically and Oliver flinched at the mention.

"Why the face, bro?" Diggs asked Oliver as he folded his hands but Oliver didn't answer he just shrugged and left the Foundry leaving behind the ex-military and the reformed assassin.

Oliver then walked to the top of the club and from then he started to parkour to Felicity's house only to see Felicity, Laurel and Felicity's friend sitting Indian style on the couch munching on pizza and laughing.

He sighed in relief at the sound of her laugh.

At that moment he finally allowed himself to realize he was in love with her but his lifestyle didn't allow him to be happy or care with someone who is equipped to handle herself.

Felicity might be strong but she just suffered an emotional breakdown right under their nose and that made him think…was it wise to bring her in the team in the first place?

Was it safe for her health?

No.

The answer was no but he couldn't bring himself to imagine how the entire team would be without her.

So, he needs to up his game and keep her safe no matter what.

Then he heard;

"Okay, has she told you the story of how she broke a poor Estonian guy's hand because he woke her up from a nightmare?" Felicity's friend asked Laurel as Felicity groaned in shame as she rolled off the couch.

"YOU DID WHAT? DAMN, GIRL!" Laurel exclaimed in shock as she laughed and Oliver raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, and I'm still apologizing to Sven a decade after it happened! I was having a nightmare that my dad showed up in Lecce and was dragging me back to Las Vegas." Felicity said as she climbed back on the couch.

"Did he? Is he free?" Laurel asked worried and her friend also got very serious.

Oliver tensed at the sound of her dad. The asshole.

"He is still rotting in a prison cell, thank God!" Felicity said with a sigh of relief.

Oliver relaxed at the sound.

"No matter if he is in prison or not now you have a support system in me and Dan, alright?" Laurel said as she held Felicity's knee and Felicity just smiled shyly.

Oliver then nodded as he felt a little calmer knowing that Laurel was there for her. And like that he disappeared in the dark of the night.

So? What do you think? Did you like this chapter? Do you think Felicity's journey will be a positive one? Tell me in your reviews! Also, don't forget to check out my other stories and my social media!

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