Disclaimer: see part one.

A/N: Warning. More Olicity ahead. Apologizes, but it's necessary for the growth of the characters, but it is not endgame.

Part Three

Life continued to throw him change after change once he accepted his place was in Star City. The team had changed in his absence. Laurel, Dig, and Thea were one well-oiled fighting machine. Adding two new cogs included an adjustment period. Him more so than Felicity, since, after all, she did help the team behind his back.

They persevered and he truly believed the dust was settling on all the upheaval in his life, especially after Thea came to him to have a heart-to-heart. He didn't mind when she asked Laurel stay for the discussion. "She's here to call bull if she thinks either of us is holding back," his little sister explained. "And because she's family."

"So, this is a family discussion then, about what?" Oliver asked, taking a seat on Laurel's couch.

"I have some things I need to get off my chest, about you," Thea started. "I want to start by saying I love you. You're my big brother and nothing will ever change that, but I haven't liked the way you've treated me at times, since your return. And after a lot of talks with Laurel, I've begun to realize that maybe I've been letting that color my perception of your actions and my treatment of you since then."

"Okay, I'm listening," Oliver remained calm. He'd known there was a wall in their relationship since his return. He'd been the culprit at first, because he'd wanted to protect her from his secrets. Their mother's secret had nearly destroyed the trust between them. And since she ran off with Malcolm, there had been a distance on her side as well. He wasn't going to miss this opportunity to rebuild a relationship with his sister. Not when he'd thought he'd used up all his chances.

Laurel played mediator as Thea began to list her grievances. Namely, the lies he'd told because of his secrets and the abandonment she'd felt, both emotionally and physically, time and again. Listening to her, Oliver at last began to see from her point of view and it made him regret some of his own reactions to her choices. Laurel encouraged him to respond and Oliver took the opportunity to explain his side and apologize. Thea apologized too and they gained new insight into each other. The ordeal was emotionally exhausting, but they agreed to leave the past behind and focus on building a more honest and understanding relationship in the future.

As he made to leave, Laurel pressed a hand to his arm. "I wanted to apologize as well. I've judged you harshly over the years and haven't always treated you the best. Sometimes, I forget that you went through a crucible which affects how you respond to situations, and I'm sorry for the times I've hurt you because I didn't try to understand your perspective."

"Not all the blame's on you," he used her own words against her. She'd reminded him and Thea of that fact during their heart-to-heart.

Oliver would've liked the chance to discuss the past with Laurel, but she pointed out he was already wrung out and they had patrol later. She promised she could wait, so he left, feeling better than he had in a long time.

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He was in a good place with everyone important to him: Thea, Laurel, Felicity, and Dig. And once they restored Sara's soul, he even managed to clear the air with the younger Lance sister about their abruptly-ended relationship and the indirect role he played in her death. Then they had to save Ray from Darhk and Oliver was reminded again how much life had changed in his vacation from the hood.

First, Felicity tried to call the shots on how to rescue Ray, but Laurel shut her down for being too emotional. Laurel called for a team vote on how they should proceed; a reminder that while he led in the field, he wasn't the leader anymore but a member of the team. "We listen to Oliver because he's the most experienced and his plans are usually rational, yours isn't Felicity," Laurel explained gently. Felicity hadn't like it, but it wasn't like they gave up on Ray, they just thought things through more. Cisco whipped them up the tech they needed to rescue Ray, saving the team from becoming common crooks in the process – "It's one thing to break into a place we suspect of housing criminals, another to rob a legitimate business. Not quite 'beacon of hope' actions," Thea commented to Oliver on the side, after the team voted down Felicity's plan to steal from Kord Industries. Privately, Oliver could see his sister's point, but his main concern was for Felicity, and Ray. Eventually, after Donna's encouragement, Felicity talked to him about her guilt over Ray's presumed death and it all worked out in the end.

Well, it worked out for the most part. He and Felicity were still on shaky ground after Donna left. His girlfriend accepted that he was friends with her mom, but she didn't appreciate that they occasionally talked about her. Oliver tried to explain that he looking to understand her better, but Felicity appeared to hear that she was difficult to relate to.

The thieves they encountered didn't help matters.

Lyla brought them the case – a group of robbers that targeted military and government institutions for intel, weapons, and tech. ARGUS had just nabbed the hacker of the group and Felicity wanted to go undercover to catch them.

"No. It's too dangerous," Oliver shot her plan down immediately.

"We deal with dangerous on a daily basis, I can handle this," Felicity argued. "I've done undercover work before."

"A track record that makes my case," Oliver countered. He didn't stoop into specifics, because that wasn't how he argued. He didn't even want to be having this debate before the team, but Felicity had refused to take the discussion elsewhere. "These thieves are career criminals. You may be a brilliant hacker, but they're killers. You would be alone with them, no back up, and at the slightest inconsistency, they'll turn on you."

"I could talk my way out of it," Felicity said.

"You could try, but they're trained liars. They'll see right through you," Oliver only wanted to protect Felicity from herself.

"I agree with Felicity, an undercover hacker is the best way to bust these thieves, but I think we should use Ray," Laurel interrupted.

"Why, because he's a man?" Felicity snipped.

"No, because everyone thinks he's dead and he has a powerful suit that he can use to protect himself which fits in his pocket," Laurel replied, her tone dry.

"I suppose those are good points," Felicity admitted begrudgingly.

They went with Ray and he did have to use his suit to defend himself, but they caught the thieves in the end. "I don't like it when you try and make decisions for me, Oliver. I'm a grown, independent woman, fully capable of determining my own limits. I can open doors for myself and pull out my own chair. I'm not a damsel, and I certainly don't need a knight in shining armor."

"I wasn't trying to make a decision for you," Oliver replied. He was making sure she didn't get in over her head; "I know you don't need me to rescue you. That you're fully capable of anything you set your mind to, but there are somethings you haven't been trained to handle. If you want to do undercover work or go into the field more, that's fine. Just let me train you first, so that you can protect yourself in those situations."

Oliver spent two nights on the couch before Felicity finally accepted his apology.

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The biggest revelation came shortly before Sara left; "What do you mean Laurel called the shots?" Felicity gapped at Thea, and even Sara paused in her workout. Laurel exchanged an amused grin with John and Thea. "I discovered I'm a better XO than CO," Diggle shrugged. "And Nyssa started coaxing Laurel into the position before any of us realized what she was up to," Thea added with a smirk.

"Honestly, it's not like I did much. We trained so often, we were pretty in-sync in the field," Laurel ended the conversation with a change in topic.

The shock for the others wore off in seconds, but Oliver found he wasn't really surprised afterward. Ra's had seen Laurel's potential, it stood to reason Nyssa would too. Oliver found himself curious to see if the rest of Ra's observations were true and he began to ask Laurel for her inputs during patrol. She was startled at first, then delighted when he followed her suggestions – it was a painful reminder of her accusation; proof that he hadn't treated her as an equal in a long time. He resolved to treat her better.

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"What did you hurt?" Laurel asked him while they were out on patrol together.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver let his confusion show.

"That's the third large group you've had me fight alone this week. If you're injured, you shouldn't be out in the field."

"I'm fine. I promise. That's not why . . . I've been trying to show you that I think of you as an equal," he manned-up and admitted the truth. Too often his actions had convinced her that he didn't see her that way and so he'd wanted his deeds to at last match his words.

He was prepared for her to be cross or upset with his admission. He was pleasantly surprised when she laughed instead. "I don't need you to hold back to show me you see me as an equal. I need you to listen to me and show that you're taking my opinion and feelings into account – which you've being doing, Ollie. So, stop beating yourself up and fight with me."

"Alright then," he smiled at her from under the hood.

"What do you need?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I want to be a better friend to you, to make up for my mistakes. So, what do you need me to do differently?"

"Nothing. You're perfect just the way you are."

"Right," she scoffed. "How about I make a list and you tell me when I get close?"

He laughed at the offer, knowing she was entirely serious which only made things more humorous for him. She wanted to improve their friendship too, that was all he needed.

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Discovering Andy Diggle Sr. was alive hurt John, and Oliver want so badly to help his friend. He leaned on Laurel for help with John and she seemed to understand more motivated Oliver than reuniting John with his brother. He needed to know there was a chance to fully heal the rift between him and John. She encouraged him to talk to Diggle about his personal hope and she was with them every step, every fight, from the Ghost initiation to the capture of Andy.

It didn't feel right, after capturing Andy, to leave Diggle alone with his thoughts. John's first attempt to get some answers out of his brother hadn't gone well and Oliver knew it was weighing on his friend. After dropping Felicity off at their apartment so that she could get a few hours of sleep before work, Oliver returned to the Bunker.

He found though that his presence wasn't truly needed. John had been found by the two people who best understood what he was going through – Laurel and Thea.

"I propose a toast to the first official Dead-Not Dead Siblings Club," Thea hefted a glass of water.

"I suggest that our first order of business be to pick a new name," Diggle played along, though half-heartedly.

"We don't need a club to be here for you, to talk or commiserate with you. Whatever you need," Thea added, serious.

"How did you handle your sister's betrayal?" Dig asked Laurel.

"Badly," she began her reply as Oliver slipped away.

Though their circumstances weren't exactly the same, Laurel and Thea could empathize better with John's discoveries. Oliver trusted them to look after Diggle. After all, the three of them had their own bond, one formed in the months when it was just them defending the streets of Star City. Between that bond and the one John shared with Oliver and Felicity, Oliver was confident they'd be able to help the Diggle brothers.

Of course, to make matters crazier, Team Flash brought them a case of reincarnating lovers and a murderous immortal named Vandal Savage. The case barely made a blip on Oliver's radar after his encounter with Samantha Clayton.

He had a son.

A son he couldn't tell his family about, not if he wanted a chance to get to know William. He didn't want to keep this secret, but he wanted this chance. He made his choice and though the guilt licked at him, he kept his silence. When Laurel noticed something bugging at him, he brushed off her concern – it was the wrong play to make, he could see the hurt in her eyes. It was one step forward, two steps back with her. Neither one of them was perfect but he knew she was trying to be there for him as a friend and he knew he appeared to be throwing that back in her face.

His relationship with Felicity, on the other hand, was heating up. Amidst Darhk's latest attack and the team's decision to out H.I.V.E to the public, Felicity found the engagement ring he'd meant for her. Darhk, of course, interrupted their first discussion about why Oliver hadn't proposed yet. In the gas chamber room, they really didn't have time to get into all the reasons but his desire to protect her was a prominent one, and her response so much like Laurel's it jolted him. He had the ring in his pocket at the tree lighting ceremony, but all he did was kiss her before the cameras. He couldn't bring himself to get down on one knee, not then. And then they were attacked, and Felicity lay bleeding out in his arms.

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"I'm not in the mood for another lecture," Oliver didn't even bother to turn around as Laurel approached. He wasn't good company right now. Had been avoiding everyone as much as possible since that night. That was why he was on the rooftop of his campaign building.

"Well, too bad, because you aren't going out into the field until you're reasonable again."

"And how do you plan to stop me?" Oliver scoffed, pivoting to face her. Laurel wore a frown to match his own.

"I'll have Cisco lock you out of the Bunker and the team will fight you if that's what it takes."

"You have no right."

"I have every right after the stunt you pulled with Machin. Torturing him for information wasn't enough, you attacked SCPD and let a manic loose in this city, just so you can get your revenge on Darhk. How many good people are going to end up hurt, or dead, because of Machin? Their suffering will be on your hands, because you chose to act without principles, without the team," Laurel was incensed, but she didn't yell at him. She kept a lid on her anger and that only made it worse. Oliver turned back to the skyline, so he didn't have to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"You handed Anarky over to the police without consulting me," Oliver accused, glancing at her as she joined him at the edge.

"John, Thea, and I all agreed it was the right move. We knew where you stood, but we were the majority vote," Laurel simmered. Oliver grunted in response. He waited for the lecture to continue, but she didn't say a word. She stood next to him in silence, offering her companionship – her trust and support. Even when she was pissed at him, she was more than he deserved. The words slipped out of him unexpectedly.

"You know, Dig talked to me before I came up here. He's afraid if I keep down this path, I'll lose the humanity I've regained. That I'll stop being the man Felicity fell in love with. And while I know he's right about parts of it . . . this anger in me, is a part of who am I. I've been afraid to show Felicity, because I want to be the better man she sees, not the darker one I am."

"Is that the reason you haven't proposed? – Yeah, Thea figured you out months ago and told me, don't look so surprised," Laurel rolled her eyes at his reaction; "If you truly believe that, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought. Real love is unconditional, no matter how messed up we are or how many mistakes we make, and Felicity loves you."

"I'm afraid of messing things up," Oliver confessed, finding he couldn't keep his doubts in any longer. He hadn't realized he had so many until Felicity asked was what holding him back; "I keep making the same mistakes with her. When we were in Ivy Town, I tried to become someone I'm not, to make her happy, and I thought it was worth it, to be happy with her. But wearing the hood is a part of who I am, and I'm not sure that's who she wants me to be. When I try to protect her, even when she needs it, she fights me, and I don't know how to get her to see she's not as invincible as she believes. It took Donna's prodding to get her to open up to me about her guilt over Ray, because I don't know how to be there for her the way she needs."

"She needs you, Ollie, just as you need her. You have to work on being better partners to each other, treating each other as equals in all things. I'm not saying it's easy, goodness knows I haven't succeeded, but I know people. I know couples with strong relationships that have survived decades and the key to their success lies in communication. They don't keep secrets and they face their problems together. You have your doubts and I'm sure Felicity has hers, you need to talk with each other, not to your friends."

"I haven't told her about Nanda Parbat," Oliver admitted quietly.

"What's there to tell?" Laurel replied too casually. Oliver could feel her stiffening beside him, though she tried to mask it.

"We got married."

"No, we were forced to participate in a ceremony that's legally invalid."

"It felt real to me when we made love," Oliver tugged Laurel's arm until she turned to face him. Her lips were pressed thin, a new ire burning. "We had sex, Oliver, while facing a life-or-death situation. A mistake born of mutual attraction and the pressure of the charade we were playing."

"It wasn't an act for me," he denied; at last admitting the truth. He'd meant every word he confessed to Ra's. He loved and wanted Felicity, but he would always need the woman standing before him. Even if he didn't know how to tell her.

SMACK!

"What was that for?" Oliver covered the cheek that stung from Laurel's slap.

"Call it a wake-up tap," she backed away from him; her chest heaved. Pain and anger laced every word, but still she didn't yell; "You're scared. Marriage is a big commitment and the old you wants to run, but you can't. You're stronger than that now, and I won't help you repeat the past. I won't let you sabotage your chance at happiness with Felicity."

"I want to be happy with her too, but part of my heart will always belong to you."

"Stop. Don't do this now, Oliver. You've come too far to lapse into old habits. We had our second chance. You blew it. I stopped waiting for you the night Tommy died. I moved on, and so have you," Laurel's tone was bitter, yet there was only pain in her eyes. An old wound he kept reopening.

"Laurel, I'm sorry," he reached for her, but she danced out of range.

"Fight for her, Ollie, before you lose her. Fight the way you do for the city, the way you never did for us."

He wanted to deny her words. He'd fought every day for five years to get back to her, to make amends – to love her the way he should've before. Only she walked away before he could explain, leaving him alone on the roof. He'd lost her. Well and truly lost her. He could see that now. Despite what had been said at Nanda Parbat, she'd lost her faith in him and there would be no reconciliation.

Oliver knew he should be relieved. His final doubt dashed to pieces – she didn't love him that way anymore. Now he had no reasons to hold back with Felicity. Yet all he felt was the loss of an old dream, an important dream that had been with him for nearly a decade. He stayed on the roof a while longer, boxing away the pain and regret.

Then he found his way to Felicity. Her optimism and love buoyed him out of his darkness. He could see the brave face she wore, afraid he was going to walk away because she'd lost her legs. He promised that was never going to happen and pulled out the engagement ring to prove it. He would fight for her, fight for them, and never let her doubt his commitment to her.

She said yes.

A/N2: With the Oliver/Thea scene. If you try to see things from Thea's perspective, Oliver did a lot of things backwards/contradictory when he was trying to keep his vigilante life a secret from her. That had to have built up some resentment. Also, considering all the people she's lost, permanently or for larger periods of a time, and the fact that Oliver has run off twice (after the Undertaking and the Siege), I figure she has some abandonment issues that needed to be aired. The main reason I mention this is often times the team rags on Oliver for his past mistakes without considering why he made them at the time. After that heart-to-heart in my AU, Thea and Laurel don't, except for on rare occasions when they let things get too personal.

Please let me know if I'm communicating these changes in the story well. If not, constructive and specific ways I could do it better are appreciated.