Author's Note: Aw yeah guess who responded to every comment left on last chapter (on AO3)? That's right, this girl! (Sorry buddies, the formatting for replying is terrible and incredibly time consuming.)

Okay now that I'm done blowing my own horn, time for the next chapter!

As always you can find Felicity's outfit on my Polyvore account, which is under the same name 'theirhappystory'.

….

Chapter 13: The Truth Can Set You Free or It Can Drag You Down

The front door of the mansion closes behind him with a resounding thud that sounds almost as ominous as the clank of a prison cell sliding shut. Muffled voices come from the living room, some clearer than the others. As Oliver approaches the room, he's surprised to find Thea watching TV with their father. For a moment he contemplates walking out of the room and walking back in, just to make sure he's not hallucinating.

"Uh, hi Thea and… Dad. What are you guys doing?"

Thea shifts the popcorn bowl from her lap to Robert's so that she can twist around to fully face Oliver. She props both hands atop the back of the couch and rests her chin on them.

"Dad and I were just about to start a movie. I'd ask you to join us but then I would have to fill you in on every pop culture reference made and I've never seen this one before so that would be even more annoying than usual."

Oliver rolls his eyes in amusement.

"I'm pretty sure I've said this before and I'll say it again. I was in the Army for five years, not stranded on some deserted island."

"Yeah, yeah. Same difference."

He's about to respond that no, actually it's not 'same difference' when Robert speaks up.

"Evening, Son. How did the meeting with Mr. Bertinelli go? I assume he was pleased that the board passed his proposal."

"It's only provisional, as I made very sure to inform him."

Provisional as in the second Oliver has solid evidence against Bertinelli, the contract will be revoked and that man will have nothing to do with Applied Sciences or Queen Consolidated ever again. One step closer to getting him the hell out of Felicity's life.

"Yes well, if all goes well Queen Consolidated could gain a very affluent benefactor in Frank Bertinelli. Let's make sure he's aware of our interest, shall we?"

Oliver bites his tongue, having learned long ago that it's easier to just nod and agree with Robert on these things.

"Of course, Dad."

A beat passes in silence, Thea's eyes bouncing back and forth between Oliver and their father before she sighs, loudly.

"Oookay, well I would really like to start this movie now and I think Oliver has something he needs to do. Don't you, Ollie? Something about the office and IT?"

It shouldn't keep surprising Oliver that Thea is in the know when it comes to his relationship with Felicity, but it does.

However, he's grateful that Felicity has someone she can go to when they are at odds. Because although he would like to be the one she talks to about everything under the sun, Oliver knows there will be times when he's not the best one to go to. When they have strong disagreements for example.

"Oliver? What is she talking about? Is something wrong with the project?"

"No, father, everything's fine. They just ran through some of the basic programming today and want my feedback on the results. I should go ahead and do that. Actually, Thea, do you know where Felicity is? She could probably help explain some of the technical terms to me."

His sister raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him before rolling her eyes.

"You mean dumb it down for you? Yeah, she said something about needing air and going for a walk around the property."

"Thanks. I'll let you get to your movie then."

Oliver pivots on his feet and heads straight for the kitchen. He's almost out of sight when Thea calls out to him.

"Hey Ollie? Good luck. You're gonna need it."

"I know."

With that, Oliver makes his way down the hallway and through the kitchen to the back patio. The soles of his Italian leather shoes slap against the flat stones as he strides towards the stairs. Although Thea hadn't specified where exactly Felicity was walking to, he has a pretty good idea.

Sure enough, ten minutes later Oliver hears music flowing amongst the treetops in the patch of woods on their property. The melodious tune almost seems to ride on the soft breeze that rustles the leaves. It grows louder the closer he gets to the wooden house nestled in the branches above. Along with the melody comes the soft sound of humming with the occasional lyric sung aloud.

Oliver stands at the base of the tree, wondering if he should turn back or just face the music. Felicity had clearly implied that she needed space; time to process the information she had discovered while in his office. He understood that and respects her need to be alone but he also wants to be upfront with her, give her all the facts before she makes a decision on how to move forward with this.

"Oliver, I know you're there."

Felicity's voice startles him from his mental pondering. There's no turning back now.

"Can we talk?"

She doesn't answer right away, a beat of silence passing between them as Felicity makes her decision. Oliver waits with bated breath, knowing that this could go in very different directions depending upon her answer.

"Give me a second."

He sighs in relief at her response and listens to the rustling of pages and the opening and closing of the small cabinet doors as she puts whatever she was reading or writing in away. The music cuts off mid-verse and then Felicity's feet slide out over the edge of the tree house and onto the top rung of the ladder. Oliver takes a step back to give her space as she makes her way down, only looking at him once her feet hit the ground and she's leaning back against the trunk of the tree.

"Okay, talk."

Everything he had planned to say leaves his mind the second their eyes meet. He expected to find anger, indignation burning in her gaze. She would be in the right to feel that way. But instead he sees hurt, disappointment and that cuts deeper than any fiery storm of rage from her ever could. It scrambles his thoughts and tosses his premeditated reconciliation right out the window, leaving behind extreme remorse and the knowledge that he thoroughly screwed up this time.

"Where's Digg?"

"That's what you're going to ask? Where's Digg?"

All Oliver can do is shrug. This is his form of stalling until he can think of the right thing to say. Clearly he isn't doing a very good job of it.

"He tried to come with me but I asked him to give me some time alone. In my loud voice."

Neither of them speaks for a moment. This is unfamiliar territory for them. Sure they had some… disagreements and tension-filled phases since his return but nothing like this. This was a fight over broken trust. Felicity had been honest with Oliver from the beginning. She had clued him in to how she felt, had been there for him when the nightmares were too much. The fact that he hadn't given her the same honesty in return must feel like a blow to the gut. It sure leaves Oliver with a bitter taste in his mouth and a pit in his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Felicity."

"Sorry you kept things from me or sorry I found out?"

She's definitely not holding back or letting him off easy, that's for sure.

"The first one. Both. I don't know. I shouldn't have kept this from you."

"No. You shouldn't have. But you did, Oliver. Saying you're sorry isn't going to take that back. I've been honest with you this entire time and you kept something huge from me."

Her voice rises in volume, not quite yelling but not quite at a conversational level either. Anger seeps into her voice, but hurt and betrayal are still dominant in her eyes.

Oliver looks away, unable to hold Felicity's gaze.

"I know that, Felicity. I know it was a huge mistake keeping this from you and I'm sorry that you found out the way you did. You asked me earlier if I ever planned on telling you and truthfully, I hadn't thought about it. I was only thinking about your safety. You have to know everything I've done, everything I've kept from you was to protect you."

Felicity pushes off the base of the tree, getting into Oliver's personal space and refusing to back down. It's ridiculous, he's at least a foot taller than her and twice her size, but Oliver finds himself taking a step back in intimidation.

"And look what that's done. Secrets don't keep anyone safe, Oliver. All they do is cause problems and put people at risk. We need to be honest with each other. I know you have things in your past that you aren't ready to talk about and I understand that. Because I know that you'll tell me when you're able to and the time is right. But this isn't your past. It's my present and my future. You don't get to decide what's best for me and my safety. I do."

The fire is back in her eyes, something Oliver is incredibly relieved to see even if it's directed at him. In fact, he's glad it is. Despite the rough patch they're in, he can't help but admire the passion that drives Felicity and pours into everything she does.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Tell me what I need to do to make this up to you. Tell me what I need to do so that we're okay. Please, Felicity."

Her eyes soften at his pleading, not entirely losing their spark but no longer hard-set in anger. They close for a moment as she breathes deeply, letting out a long sigh before fluttering open once more to reveal deep blue pools of emotion.

"I just need the truth. Was my mother involved with Frank Bertinelli?"

"We think so. Diggle found information linking her to his right hand man on a project a few years ago. The project fell through and Bertinelli lost a lot of money but so did Kord Industries. That's all we've been able to find so far."

Oliver studies Felicity, gauging her reaction. She lets out another deep, shuttering breath before nodding her head in acceptance.

"Okay… okay. So you think that because of something that happened during the project Bertinelli is, what? Using me to get back at my mother somehow?"

"Yes. We think the attempts on your life might be a warning or a threat of sorts."

"Oh my God… It makes sense now."

Felicity's hands come up to cover her face before sliding back over the sides of her ponytail, fingers interlocking at the top of her head. Her eyes screw shut as she worries at her bottom lip with her teeth.

"What makes sense? What are you talking about?"

"When we were at Bertinelli's for dinner, you found Thea and I outside of an office. Well, we were on our way back from the restroom when I thought I heard my name from inside. So we stopped to listen. It didn't make much sense at the time. They kept talking about money and it honestly sounded like some sort of business transaction. But… but right before you showed up they mentioned my mother. I didn't hear anything else though because, like I said, you were there."

So that's why Felicity had seemed so off for the remainder of the dinner party.

Oliver wants to wrap his arms tightly around her, wants whisper into her hair that everything is going to be okay. He needs her to know that he won't let anything happen to her but he's not sure how the contact will be received.

"I just don't understand what my mother has to do with the project falling through. It's not like she owned the company. Sure she had a lot of pull at Kord, but nothing that would make her the one to blame. And anyway, she's being tried in a few weeks. If Bertinelli blamed her wouldn't this be the justice he wanted? Why go after me? It just doesn't make any sense, Oliver."

"I know it doesn't but it's all Diggle and I have right now, aside from what you just told me, and the police don't have any other leads either. This is why I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to worry you about something that we aren't even sure of ourselves. Although from the sound of it, we're not far off the mark."

Felicity turns away from him, arms crossing tightly in front of her as she takes a few steps away. Oliver can tell she's trying to think this through by the set of her shoulders and the way she nods to herself. He lets her contemplate the information he's just shared until she pivots back around to face him, eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"I don't understand, Oliver. How are we or anyone else supposed to stop this if there's not even a logical explanation for it?"

He takes a hesitant step in Felicity's direction, slowly raising a hand towards her to see if she'll move away from him or allow the contact. When she doesn't take a step back, Oliver gently cups her cheek in his hand before mimicking his actions on the other side.

"Felicity, there's an explanation for this and we're going to find it. I won't ever let anything happen to you. I lo – I really, really care about you. And when this is all over, I'm still going to be here for you, in whatever capacity you want me. Okay?"

Felicity's eyes search his, looking for what he isn't sure. But whatever she finds must be at least close to what she needs because he can feel her body slightly relax in his hold.

"Can I trust you?"

"Yes, you can trust me."

The response is almost immediate, not a single second of hesitation on his end. Hers, however, is a different story. Felicity continues to search Oliver's face, calculating the truth behind his words in comparison to his actions. Her hands slide up his muscled forearms to tenderly wrap around his wrists.

"I want to believe you. I want to trust you not to keep things like this from me again. I do trust you. But this is a lot to take in and I just… I think I need some time to comprehend everything."

Oliver's heart sinks in his chest, mind flashing back to all the times he said something similar to whatever girl had occupied his bed that week. Although in this case, he knows Felicity means it. This isn't a cop out. She isn't ending things. He has to remind himself of that.

Swallowing hard, Oliver nods his head in understanding. He's about to pull away but the pressure of Felicity's grip keeps him in place.

"Hey, we're going to be fine. This is an obstacle we're going to push through together and come out stronger for it. One in a line of many, I'm sure. It's just a lot to get a handle on and I need to make some decisions on the matter that can't be influenced by your pretty face, okay?"

He can't help the upward tick of his lips at her attempt to lighten the mood and the small bit of relief that trickles through him at her words.

"Okay. Take all the time you need. I'll be right here waiting."

Oliver bends towards Felicity and presses a lingering kiss to her forehead, inhaling the light scent of her shampoo and perfume.

"But not too much time."

Felicity laughs a little at that, pulling back to look up at him and bringing one of his hands down over her beating heart.

"Just so you know, I really, really care about you, too."

Their gazes hold for another moment, lingering in this space in the woods, finality ringing in the air around them.

"Walk with me back to the house?"

Oliver nods in response to her request and lets his hand fall from her cheek as they both turn to make their way out of the tree line.

The hand that was resting against Felicity's chest remains connected with hers as they walk, fingers intertwined and palms pressed tightly against one another all the way to the backdoor of the mansion.

….

The next few days are different to say the least.

Oliver and Felicity don't go out of their way to avoid each other but there's a silent understanding that they don't go out of their way to be with each other either. They see one another at training sessions and usually ride to and from the office together. There's even a night when Thea insists they all sit down and watch a movie together. Felicity sits between the two siblings on the couch, her hand slipping into Oliver's within the first five minutes of the film. She's asleep against his shoulder within thirty minutes but he doesn't have the heart to move her just then. He catches Thea's eyes over the blonde's head at one point and finds a genuine smile on his sister's face before she diverts her attention back to the movie without comment.

All in all, they still see each other and interact fairly often. It's just that they don't spend very much time alone together. Oliver understands why Felicity needs this space. A lot of life changing information was thrown at her in a small amount of time. If anyone should understand the need to process this kind of thing, it's him. But that doesn't mean he doesn't miss her.

Luckily, a break in the clouds comes at the end of the week when Felicity drops by his office around lunchtime on Friday.

"Knock, knock!"

Oliver's head lifts from the paperwork he's reading over, a grin spreading across his face as Felicity peaks in through the half-open door.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

She steps into the room, looking beautiful as ever in a navy and pink printed dress, hair free from its usual ponytail. She reaches up to tuck an errant strand behind her ear as she walks to stand in front of his desk.

"I was hoping maybe we could get lunch. If you're not busy that is. Now that I think about it, I probably should have checked with Barry first before barging in like this. You could have been doing something important. Are you doing something important?"

Oliver chuckles to himself as he quickly puts away the files he was reading through and slips the highlighter he was using back into the canister on his desktop that holds other various writing utensils. Grabbing his phone and wallet and stuffing them in his pockets, Oliver makes his way around the desk towards Felicity.

"Nothing that can't wait until after lunch. Did you have any place in mind?"

"No. Let's just take a walk and go with whatever jumps out at us."

The wide smile on his face is unavoidable. This is the first time in almost a week that she's sought him out. She's extending an olive branch and he's grabbing on like it's a lifeline.

As they make their way out of Oliver's office, Diggle steps in line with the pair.

"Afternoon, Mr. Queen."

"Mr. Diggle."

The trio makes their way down the elevator and to the lobby. None of them say a word, traveling in a sort of stalemate, unsure of who should say what. More than once Oliver and Felicity's eyes meet, keeping his grin firmly in place. At one point his eyes meet Digg's over her head. The older man just rolls his eyes, falling back a step.

Felicity finally breaks the silence once they're a block or so away from QC.

"So this whole distance thing kind of sucks."

A huff of relieved laughter escapes Oliver as he looks down at her, view slightly skewed by the loose strands of her golden hair.

"This was your idea, Felicity."

"I know. But as far as ideas that I've had go, this is not one of my finer ones no matter how necessary it was."

They near simultaneously halt in their steps, angling to face each other.

"So, does this mean that you've had time to think this through and figure some things out?"

"It means that I'm getting there. But what I have figured out is that I trust you and I understand your reasoning behind keeping things hidden, no matter how stupid said reasoning may be."

Oliver opens his mouth to protest but Felicity raises a hand to silence him.

"Not finished yet. I also figured something else out and that something is that I want to help you and Digg."

"No, Felicity, absolutely not. It's too dangerous and – "

Felicity cuts him off midsentence.

"More dangerous than having someone out there trying to kill me?"

She's got him there.

Oliver tries his best to think of a valid reason as to why she shouldn't be involved in their investigation but comes up empty handed. Felicity knows this too, raising her eyebrows at him in challenge.

"Exactly. You and Digg need me because, and I say this is the most loving way possible, you are an old man when it comes to technology. I know my way around a computer. I can hack encrypted files, break through firewalls, do whatever needs to be done to dig up information on this. Let me help you."

She reaches out a hand to lay it gently on the inside of his elbow, taking a step closer to Oliver in the process.

"Let me in, Oliver."

Their gazes stay locked, blue on blue in a silent exchange of words and emotions. A breeze picks up, gently playing with Felicity's hair. When a strand falls into her face, Oliver automatically reaches up to move it away and tuck it behind her ear. Instead of dropping his hand like he probably should in such a public place, he moves it to cup Felicity's cheek. Her eyes close briefly at the contact, head tilting into his palm. Both of them release a sigh at the contact.

"Okay."

He wants to kiss. God, he wants to kiss her. But now is neither the time nor the place. So instead Oliver reluctantly lets his hand fall and takes a step back while clearing his throat. Felicity looks up at him in confusion, questioning his actions.

"We should keep walking before I do something really stupid."

Her eyes alight with mirth when the meaning behind his words sinks in. She smirks at him, slightly taunting as her tongue peaks out to wet her bottom lip. He almost lets out an audible groan at the sight. The reactions Felicity draws from him make Oliver feel like a teenager again sometimes.

"Mr. Queen, Ms. Smoak, I'm sorry to interrupt but I think we have a tail."

Diggle breaks up the moment, his words sending Oliver into high alert mode as his eyes scan the surrounding area. His eyes catch on a man in a blue baseball cap and sunglasses, olive skin, dark hair, probably mid-twenties. He has a camera in hand and it's pointed at them. Discretion appears to not be a part of this man's vocabulary.

"I see him. What should we do? Keep walking?"

"Yeah. You and I can flank either side of her until we get to a restaurant."

Both men immediately fall into position beside Felicity, trying not to draw more attention. The sensation of fingers sliding over the top of his hand pulls Oliver's notice downwards. Felicity's hand covers his, squeezing it in reassurance before letting go. The group continues on, both men surreptitiously glancing back at the photographer who doesn't seem to be getting any closer but continues to snap photos of them.

"There's an alley up ahead that connects to the street over. I'm going to split off there and double back, get a jump on the guy. You okay with that, Felicity?"

The blonde gives Digg a small smile before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm okay with it. I think Oliver can handle the body watching for a couple minutes. Guarding! Body guarding!"

"I'm sure he can."

Diggle drops back a step, soundlessly disappearing down the aforementioned alleyway as Oliver and Felicity continue their even pace. They make their way along the sidewalk, nearing a row of restaurants up ahead. A newsstand nearby seems to be garnering an unusual amount of attention and as the pair approaches it, Oliver catches on to a reporter's voice.

"Linda Park here, reporting to you from the streets of Starling. An interesting development in the case involving businesswoman Karen Smoak and Kord Industries has come to light after this morning's pretrial conference. It seems that another off shore account, this one holding $6.5 million, has been linked to Ms. Smoak under a false name."

Felicity stops short beside him. Oliver reaches out to gently place a hand on her lower back, bending down slightly in front of her.

"Felicity, we can turn around. I'll text Digg right now and tell him we're heading back if you want me to."

"Oh, well would you look at that. It must be my lucky day, folks. Mr. Queen! Miss Smoak!"

Both of their heads snap up at the sound of the reporter's voice. The young Korean woman begins to make her way over followed by her camera crew and a small crowd of paparazzi. Oliver reflexively pulls Felicity closer to him, arm protectively sliding around her waist.

"Oliver, come on. Let's go."

The pair turns, attempting to move away from the flashing cameras and growing crowd.

"For all of you at home who don't know, this is Felicity Smoak, only child of Karen Smoak and her deceased husband. Wait, Ms. Smoak, a moment please!"

Oliver steps in front of Felicity, shielding her from the press with his body.

"Ms. Smoak is very busy and so am I. We both need to get back to our place of work. Now if you'll excuse us."

"Mr. Queen!"

The familiar voice floods Oliver relief. Diggle quickly jogs up to them, taking post at Felicity's other side and raising an arm to warn back the advancing paparazzi.

"Did you get him?"

"Yeah, just some guy trying to make a quick buck by selling pictures to a news outlet. I took the memory drive from him. What the hell is going on here?"

"Reporter on the trial. We need to get out of here."

A particularly enthusiastic individual gets too close to them, running into Oliver who in turn bumps into Felicity. Oliver turns to glare at the man, causing him to visibly shrink away from them.

"Ms. Smoak, do you have anything to say about the accusations against your mother?"

Digg clears a way, ushering Oliver and Felicity in front of him while attempting to hold off the determined reporter. Oliver scans the surrounding area, eyes locking in on a crosswalk a few feet away. He steers them towards it, hoping to cross the busy street and deter the restless crowd from following.

"Ms. Smoak has no comment to make on the subject at this time and would appreciate it if she were left alone."

Other paparazzi members join in on the inquiry, hurling questions at the blonde from left and right.

"Will you be testifying for or against your mother?"

"Do you think she's guilty?"

"Have you benefitted from any of the money that your mother stole?"

"Do you think this has anything to do with the attempts on your life?"

"Are there any leads on who the two shooters might be?"

They're almost to the crosswalk now but unable to cross the street as town cars and taxicabs whiz by in a swirl of yellow and black. Glancing down, Oliver finds Felicity with her eyes locked ahead of her, stance strong as she attempts to block out the commotion around her. Diggle's shouting draws Oliver's attention away from her.

"Hey, man, back off! Give them some space!"

A very persistent paparazzi member steps too close, earning himself a light shove backwards from Diggle. Oliver is about to step in when a yell pulls his notice back over to Felicity.

"Hey! Keep your hands off of me!"

If it weren't for the ensuing course of actions, Oliver would have happily stepped up and punched the handsy scumbag so hard the baseball cap on his head would fly off. However, he doesn't get the chance to.

Instead, Oliver watches as Felicity yanks her arm back and out of the man's grasp. The motion sends her off balance and quickly tumbling backwards. She loses her footing, slipping off of the curb and into the busy street. The sounds of horrified screams, blaring horns, and screeching tires fill his ears and mix with his own voice shouting her name.

Oliver lunges for Felicity, reaching out to grab onto one of her flailing arms at the last second, right as a bright yellow taxicab flies by. The force with which he yanks her back to him is fueled by adrenaline and hard enough that for a second Oliver's worried he might have dislocated her shoulder. But then she's in his arms and he can vaguely hear Diggle shouting in the distance for everyone to step back before all the noise around them converges into a low humming sound.

He doesn't care that they're in public. He doesn't care that they are currently surrounded by paparazzi. What he does care about is Felicity and her safety.

Oliver wraps one arm around Felicity's waist and slides the other up her back, burying his hand in the golden locks at the base of her neck and securing her against him. The world surrounding them is blurred and buzzing, a sharp contrast to Felicity's harsh intakes of breath and the heavy pounding of her heart that Oliver swears he can feel as she stays pressed against his chest.

"Felicity. Felicity. Felicity."

Oliver whispers the word against her hair like a litany; fear, relief, worry, tenderness all coming together in a kaleidoscope of emotion. She's shaking infinitesimally in his embrace, hands fisted in the front of his shirt. It only makes him hold on that much tighter.

"Everybody needs to back up, RIGHT NOW!"

Their surroundings rush back in at Diggle's loud command, like water pouring out of an aquarium after the glass has been smashed. Oliver pulls back to frame Felicity's face with his hands, searching her shocked blue eyes before checking her body for any signs of injury. When he finds none, he quickly returns his gaze to hers.

"Are you okay? Did you get hit? Does anything hurt?"

"Yes, no, and no. I'm fine. I'm okay."

Thankfully, Oliver can see the paparazzi backing off in his peripheral. The commotion must have caught the attention of the two cops who are now helping Diggle hold back the crowd.

"We need to get you out of here."

"Couldn't agree more."

Oliver lets his hands fall from Felicity's face before quickly reaching down to take one of hers in his own. He pulls her close before turning to find Diggle looking on with concern.

"Is she okay? Felicity, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Digg. Just please, get us out of here."

Felicity tucks herself further into Oliver's side as he wraps a protective arm around her shoulders. Diggle yells at the crowd and steps in front of the pair, clearing a path as he goes. The police help to keep the curious bystanders back and begin to turn people away, commanding for the crowd to disperse.

"Once we get to QC we head straight for the parking garage, alright? Felicity, you're not gonna like this but I think it's in your best interest that I drive you back to the mansion. They're only going to crowd outside of the building and wait for you there and security is not equipped to handle that."

"No, Digg, I still have work to do. I'm not about to let these guys keep me from going on with my life."

Oliver is the one to answer her objection, his eyes pleading with her to see the danger in this situation.

"Felicity, you're safety comes first. If they crowd Queen Consolidated it can be used as a distraction by whoever is targeting you. Please, just for today. We'll alert security so they can better be prepared in the future."

She contemplates what the two men are saying, obviously weighing the pros and cons of the situation. Oliver knows they've successfully convinced Felicity when she sighs in defeat.

"Fine. Take me home."

….

Suffice to say Oliver's level of productivity is at an all time low for the remainder of the workday. If it were up to him, he would have gone home with Felicity and spent the rest of the day by her side. Sadly there's work to be done that has to come first. However, that doesn't stop him from sending Felicity a text to make sure that she and Diggle arrived at the mansion without incident. It also doesn't stop him from texting Diggle every other hour or so to check up on her.

When he's finally home for the evening, Oliver doesn't think twice as he takes the steps two at a time and heads towards Felicity's room. Diggle is standing guard outside, vigilant and alert. The older man takes one look at Oliver and a small smirk makes its way onto his face.

"Hey, how is she?"

"Man, you are so damn transparent. It's a wonder no one else has caught on to you."

Oliver throws a glare in Digg's direction to which his friend just raises his hands in surrender before quickly continuing on.

"Okay, okay. She's fine. Got a phone call a couple minutes ago and she's still on the line."

Just then, Felicity's voice raises behind the closed door of her bedroom. Oliver steps forward, knocking twice and pausing until he hears her somewhat annoyed 'come in' to enter. Pushing the door open, Oliver finds Felicity with her phone pressed to her ear, pacing back and forth across her bedroom floor.

"Yes, I understand that. But I don't think you're understanding me."

Oliver's eyes narrow in confusion, brow furrowed as he comes to a stop in front of the seemingly frustrated blonde. She holds up a finger, asking him to give her a second, before gesturing towards the bed in what Oliver assumes is a command for him to take a seat.

"I get that. Yes. Okay but I don't know why she thinks that would be a good idea. She was rarely around so I don't really have anything to say."

Felicity is becoming increasingly more agitated the longer she listens to the person on the other end. Oliver can tell because her pacing becomes louder and more frequent. To prevent her from wearing a hole in the carpet, he reaches out and takes her hand in his. Felicity turns to look at him and Oliver questioningly tilts his head to the side. She covers the bottom of the phone so that whomever she's talking to can't hear her quick explanation.

"My mother's lawyer."

His eyes widen in shock, eyebrows raised. From what he's witnessed, Karen Smoak is a sensitive subject for Felicity. And that is saying something considering some of the things that come out of her mouth on a daily basis.

"She actually said that? … Really?"

Her voice softens as she says the last part and Oliver can visibly see the anger fading from her being. He gently tugs her closer and begins to massage small, soothing circles over the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Okay. I do want to help her. I do. It's just… we've never been extremely close. I don't know what I could say to aid her case… I'll think about. Oh and can you, can you tell her I'm sorry I missed her phone call on my birthday? …Thank you. Bye."

Felicity lets out a long exhale as she taps on the screen and hangs up the phone. Neither of them says anything for a moment, Felicity staring at her phone and Oliver staring at Felicity. Then in an unnaturally calm maneuver, she slowly reaches to place the phone on her bed.

"They want me to witness on my mother's behalf."

His immediate reaction is to protest. Putting Felicity up on that stand would be calling even more attention to her. They can't risk it. However, Oliver reminds himself of what happened the last time he made a decision in regards to Felicity's safety without consulting her. In fact, he's still feeling the affects of it, not sure whether she would be open to him physically comforting her or not. So instead, he simply asks her about it.

"And you said you would consider it?"

Felicity slowly nods, moving to sit beside Oliver on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah. If you think about it, me being a witness might actually be a good thing. If we can prove that Bertinelli was involved and that he's the reason my life is in danger… Maybe it can finally stop. I'll be safe."

"Felicity, we don't have enough information yet and putting you up on that stand would expose you, paint a target on your back."

"You mean a target bigger than the one that's already there?"

Oliver is reluctant to admit that maybe, just maybe this idea has some merit.

"Say we go through with this. You, me, and Digg, we find enough evidence and you bare witness to it in court. Then what? Felicity, you'll have to go back and testify in the trial against Bertinelli too."

Felicity squares off to face Oliver, making sure to look him in the eye.

"So I'll testify. What else were you going to do, Oliver? Just hand the evidence over in a manila folder and hope the police do the rest? You know it doesn't work that way."

Oliver looks away, wanting to put up more of a fight but knowing she's right. However, she isn't having any of that. Felicity's hand slips into Oliver's, drawing his attention back to her, conveying with her gaze the seriousness of her decision.

"She's my mother. Maybe not the best one out there, but she's still my mother. And yeah I'm not really sure how much good what I have to say will do for her, but she needs my support. We don't have any other family. My dad's side stopped reaching out when she pushed them away after he died and her parents are in a nursing home in Southern California. I just… She's going to jail, Oliver. If I can do something to help her, I want to. If it were Moira or Thea up on that stand, you would do the same."

She's right. Of course she is. There are very few things that Felicity Smoak is wrong about in life and this is not one of them. Because if it were Thea or Moira, hell even Robert, being prosecuted, he would be there for them.

"You're right, as usual. I know there's nothing I can say or do to change your mind so I'm not going to try. I do, however, have a request."

"Okay. I'm listening."

"Take Digg and I with you when you go."

Felicity smiles up at Oliver, light and warmth flooding into her eyes as she realizes that this isn't something she'll have to fight him on. She has his full support in the matter despite his initial reluctance.

"Deal. Now can you come here? I missed you."

With that, Felicity places a hand on Oliver's chest and lightly pushes him onto his back, swinging one of her legs over his waist to straddle him before leaning down to press a hungry kiss against his mouth.

That's the moment Oliver knows that they'll be okay. After everything that has happened this past week, they've come back together. Felicity was right, they pushed through and they're stronger for it. He can feel it in the way they kiss, the way she fits against him so perfectly, in the way her lips whisper against his own that reply with just as much vigor and enthusiasm.

He can also feel it within himself. Without realizing it, Felicity has broken through another one of Oliver's walls. Not telling her about Bertinelli kept her away, kept her from burrowing deeper into his being. But now she's that much closer and he really doesn't mind. In fact, Oliver finds it relieving, liberating even. There's no doubt in his mind that if she sticks with him long enough, Felicity will burst through each and every wall he's built and maybe even replace the darkness behind them with light.

It's also the moment Oliver Queen realizes he's falling in love with Felicity Smoak, if he hasn't already.

….

Author's Note: Was I subtle at all with the casual mentions of love this chapter? Or the title dropping (sort of) there at the end? Haha I try.

As always, please leave me some feedback in the pretty box below. Reviews keep the muse going. Also, I definitely spend the next 48 hours after posting constantly checking my email for reviews. You think I'm joking.

Thanks for reading!

- Bri :)