A/N: Well, that ep wasn't the greatest but the muse still lifted her head and came up with this. Enjoy!
The echo of the door slamming rang throughout the foundry and Oliver slumped back to the floor in defeat. He shut his eyes tight, fingers coming up to press into his temples as he found himself unconsciously falling into the breathing pattern he'd been taught all those years ago.
In and out.
In and out.
"Open your eyes, Oliver."
The voice was soft but unexpected and in an instant his eyes sprang open, hands still hovering over his face as he looked across the flickering light from the still burning candle to see Felicity in the spot where Roy had been.
She sat with her legs curled to the side, fingers toying with the hem of her skirt as she waited expectantly for him to speak.
"He didn't do it."
"I know," she replied, "I mean...I wanted that to be the truth but…"
"The evidence said otherwise," he finished for her, hands falling to rest easily along his bent legs.
"He remembers about the cop though, doesn't he. Like you thought, he was mixing up his memories with what happened to Sara."
Oliver nodded, "He remembers."
Her head ducked and she took a deep breath before she continued, "You know he asked me that night...the night of the siege. He asked me if he'd done anything while on the mirakuru and...I lied to him. I told him no even though I knew he'd killed that police officer."
"It wasn't the wrong choice," he assured her but she just shrugged.
"I don't know...I wonder...but I knew you needed him to fight and...it was a selfish decision."
"It was a practical one."
"Still...he had a right to know. And I don't like lying. It makes me feel all squirmy inside," she gave a small shuddering shake, face contorting in an endearing squint that made the edges of his lips curl up unbidden.
"You did the right thing."
"Speaking of right things...what would you have done?"
She was looking at him again, flames dancing in the reflection of her glasses and he felt pinned by her gaze.
"I told him I wasn't going to abandon him and that was before I knew for certain he didn't kill Sara."
She just stared for a long moment before her head dipped in a single nod, "What about what Digg said?"
Oliver let out a sharp breath before rubbing one hand across his face, "Digg isn't always right," he said carefully, "And if...if I'm going to do this my way it means no one falls through the cracks."
He expected an immediate response but she sat so still he wondered for a minute if she'd even heard him. Then in a blink she was on her feet, hands brushing off her skirt and he could only stare up at her in confusion.
"Does that include you? Who's going to make sure you don't fall through the cracks too, Oliver?"
His lungs stilled as he forgot to breathe, recognizing the hidden depths to her words and their importance.
The only sound in the room was the hum of her computers and the slow, soft click of her heels as she began to walk by him, but instead of continuing she paused only inches from his side and he resolutely stared straight ahead, eyes locked on the red candle.
A tingle of electricity shot down his spine when he felt the barest of touches as her hand stroked once over his head and then she was gone, moving back into the shadows.
He let his mind go blank. Concentrating on the flame and his breath. Not daring to shut his eyes, because he knew exactly what he'd lost, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to find it again.