A/N: Not really sure where this one came from. A little thing that popped into my head. Maybe more of a bridge into the themes for Arrow 3x08. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!

Thanks to Central City's liberal use of CCTV Felicity had a front row seat while Oliver had battled Barry. She could also hear every grunt and groan as Barry had flown about, landing punch after punch in a blur that she couldn't see.

With her heart in her throat, she'd waited as Oliver finally got the upper hand and the van with Dr. Wells and Detective West had arrived, the lights working as predicted to reset Barry's brain.

She'd sat back with a sigh of relief, air rushing from her lungs all at once because she was certain she hadn't taken a full breath since it had all started and with her eyes shut she could almost block out the too bright lights of STAR labs and pretend they were back in the foundry when Digg's hand dropped to her shoulder and squeezed once.

Cisco chattered excitedly in the background, unable to contain his enthusiasm. "Did you see that? I'm so making a copy so I can watch it on repeat. I mean Barry's just this blur and then the Arrow's bow is almost going as fast!" he made overly exaggerated whooshing noises and she knew without looking his arms were flailing in front of him, "And he actually got an arrow TO THE KNEE! Do you even know what that means!"

"Oliver almost died," Felicity snapped, as her hands came down to grasp the arms of the chair, the space around her going silent, her words ringing in the air. With a low exhale she spun around and leveled Cisco with a look. "Oliver almost died. Again. Barry threw him off of a roof, and if he wasn't Oliver he would have ended up just like-"

It got stuck in her throat and she had to look down and study the floor as images of Sara's blood stained hair flooded her memory.

"Felicity…" Digg said carefully and she slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. She swallowed hard once.

"They need to know."

Digg just nodded and crossed his arms over his chest as he slid a few feet closer, the divide in the room obvious.

"This isn't a joke...what we do...it's life and death every day."

"Felicity, we know that," Caitlin replied calmly but with a touch of defensiveness.

"No, you think you do, but you don't. You've only been doing this for a few months and with Barry...it's not the same. Not only does he have powers he also heals quickly. Barry could break every bone in his body and still survive. But if Oliver had fallen off that roof…" she trailed off as a cold shiver made its way down her spine.

"I spend every night doing everything I can to make sure I don't end up burying another friend. We sacrifice in order to keep our city safe. It's not always pretty. It's a lot of shadows, and long nights, and…" she was on her feet, and as she approached the desk that Caitlin and Cisco stood behind she saw them tense, "It's not just Oliver out there. I mean, we've all been hurt, we've all been shot. But we keep going because what we're doing is important."

Cisco's mouth hung open in shock, but it was Caitlin who finally found her voice, "You've been shot?" she asked incredulously.

"Holy crap! That's hardcore." but where there had previously been joy she now only heard surprise and a touch of awe in Cisco's tone.

"It was nothing, and that's not the point," Felicity said quickly, waving one hand in front of her because that's not what she wanted them to focus on.

"How did you get shot?" Cisco asked, obviously not ready to let it go.

She sent him a glare over the edge of her glasses and had just opened her mouth to reply when Digg beat her to it.

"She took a bullet for Canary. Saved her life." he said proudly, stepping up behind her and she felt her eyes prick hotly at the swell of emotion that rose in her chest.

"Whoa,"

"Look, Felicity's right," Digg continued, "Things are different when you're sitting under these bright lights away from the action. And I'm not saying that's not important and that I wouldn't mind if a certain someone didn't do that more often," he sent her a knowing look and she gave him a soft smile in response, "But when we break we stay broken. Which is why we have to be smarter, more prepared, and ready for whatever comes our way because we can't out run it."

"And as fast as Barry is he can't rely on it exclusively. That's how Oliver was able to stop him tonight. Experience. Patience. Planning. Even someone with Barry's abilities can benefit from that."

"Mr. Diggle makes a fine point. One I've been trying to drive home for several weeks now."

Harrison Wells spoke from behind them and Felicity whirled to see the foursome arrive, but she only had eyes for Oliver. She scanned him quickly, head to toe, not missing the swelling at his jaw or the way he stood with more weight on his right leg.

Then she was moving, striding forward with quick purposeful steps to grab Oliver by the cuff of his jacket, just avoiding the flechettes, as she tugged him towards where she knew Caitlin kept the medical supplies.

She heard him blow out a breath through his nose, but when her eyes flashed up to meet his he acquiesced with a dip of his chin and didn't say a word as she laid a hand on his shoulder after only the smallest of hesitations and directed him to at least sit on the side of the bed.

For a few moments there was silence between them and in the rest of the lab and she didn't dare look around because she could feel their eyes on her.

After she'd pulled out a cold pack to lay against his jaw she tilted her head to the side and motioned down, "Let me see your ribs."

"I'm fine," he returned as expected and she lowered her voice an octave when she replied.

"Oliver, he dragged you down the street like roadkill and then used you as a pummeling dummy. Let me see your ribs."

The battle of wills didn't last long and with one disgruntled noise he unzipped the leather jacket and shrugged out of it. Her hands came out to help as he began to lift the black t-shirt over his head and they both froze, the breath catching in her throat as her mouth went dry.

Everything was still so tentative with them. It had only been a week earlier when she'd heard him once again proclaim that he couldn't be with her, and after Ray had kissed her before leaving her standing confused in her office. She didn't quite know where she stood with anyone but she knew his touch still sent bolts of electricity racing through her and she could still drown in the blue of his eyes if she let herself get lost in them.

A loud cough from behind them made her startle and then Oliver was moving again, the shirt whipped over his head with only the smallest of winces and she let out a sigh when she saw the bruises already beginning to form.

"See. You look like you went a few rounds with a cheese grater," she admonished to cover up her worry, but she knew he could still hear it in her voice, "You might need stitches and you'll have trouble raising your bow all the way for a few days-" her fingers hovered over the worst of it but she couldn't bring herself to touch him.

Her throat grew thick as she gripped the edge of the table, keeping her head away from him because all she could see was Oliver lying prone on the asphalt, not moving, blood seeping through his hood.

"Stitches? I can do that," Caitlin said from only a few feet away, already pulling on a pair of gloves.

"Yeah, um...that's good. You know I don't like pointy things, Oliver, and Caitlin is a doctor. A real one. It might be nice to be patched up by someone who knows what they're doing for a change."

Her skin felt hot and she could feel her chest getting tighter as she tried to get away before he could see her face. But before she could his hand shot out to wrap around her wrist making her still as Caitlin discreetly turned her back and walked to a set of cabinets.

"Hey," he said softly and she immediately felt herself respond, the tense line of her shoulders dropping as she raised her eyes to his, "I didn't fall off the roof. I'm fine."

He'd heard it all she realized, but instead of feeling embarrassed she was glad.

Her other hand came up to lay over his, the feel of the leather glove cool beneath her fingers, and she let her thumb slip down to glide over the edge until she hit warm skin. His eyes darkened slightly and she knew he heard the hitch in her breath.

"I know," she returned, so quietly she didn't know if he heard her, "I know."

She walked away, not looking back as she made her way to the small desk she'd come to think of as hers as Caitlin began to inundate Oliver with questions.

Barry passed by, giving her a knowing smile as he went to join Oliver, attempting to provide some sort of barrier between the overzealous doctor and the brooding hero.

But when Digg was once again standing at her back she let herself sink into the chair and slid two fingers under her glasses to rub tiredly at her eyes.

"Didn't want to fix him up yourself?"

"No, I figured I'd let the professional handle it."

Digg let out a long sigh she'd come to recognize, "He came back, Felicity, that's all we can ask for."

"This time, John. He came back this time."