Thank you to those who reviewed the story, and for those who chose not to add a review, I hope you are enjoying the story and would love to hear from you. I have a very loose outline for this story in my head, so not sure yet how many chapters, but I will keep it going as long as the story has fuel. This next chapter focuses on select events of episode 7 with Count Vertigo, and I tried to stay as close to the actual episode script lines as possible.

Ollie, the jury!?

I have to go…

Oliver could feel himself kick into survival mode as he made his way to Verdant to suit up before heading to Queen Consolidated to get to Felicity. He was trying to stamp down the fear that had made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end at the sound of Count Vertigo's voice on his phone as he threatened Felicity's life.

You see, I find this not unattractive blonde getting all up in my business, and what does she have on her? A Queen Consolidated ID badge…

Oliver knew he had promised Felicity no more killing, but he now regretted not finishing the Count when he had the chance. There was just some evil that couldn't be reformed he was learning.

He figured Thea was probably pissed at him for ditching her at the court house while they awaited the jury to come back with a verdict, but even his mother's trial was no longer a priority to him. It was all Felicity right now, and there was nothing that could have kept Oliver from getting to her at that moment.

Arriving at Verdant, he took the stairs two at a time as he descended into his secret lair, giving John Diggle a glare as he started stripping down, getting ready to don his Hood outfit. He had called Digg on his ride in, laying in to him first for letting Felicity go off by herself, but then letting up a bit as he heard the anguish in his bodyguard's voice. Digg was the first to blame himself, and Oliver chewing him out didn't help anything, he knew, but it was all that was keeping the creeping terror in his heart from surfacing and rendering him paralyzed.

"Has security figured out what's going on yet?" Oliver asked, zipping up his jacket and making his way to his bow and arrows.

Diggle checked the monitor once more. "Nothing; they still have no clue someone is even in the building," he finished, shaking his head unbelievably. He strode over to Oliver, the sweat still beading on his forehead from the poison running through his body. "Let me go with you Oliver, I need to help get her out of there," he pleaded.

Oliver brushed past him, shaking his head as he started heading toward the stairs, bypassing the green paint he usually put around his eyes to shadow his features. There was no time, and it was pointless since the Count already knew who he was. If it wasn't for the utility of his outfit allowing him full motion to shoot his arrows he would have skipped putting the suit on altogether. "I need you to get to that mobile flu shot clinic to get your hands on whatever is in those syringes the Count has been infecting people with. Get it back here and wait for me to bring her back," he finished, turning one last time to look at Digg.

Diggle gave a nod, looking relieved to be doing something to help. As he went to grab his coat and keys Oliver ran up the steps, ready to do whatever it took to save Felicity.

At Queen Consolidated…

Oliver left the stairwell, silently making his way to his office suite, the terror starting to seize his heart again at the thought that the Count had been here alone with Felicity for the last thirty minutes since he had gotten that fateful phone call from Felicity's cell. He kept the hood off, wanting to make sure he was able to see all angles around him so he wouldn't be caught off guard. He heard a whimper from the conference room, feeling his entire body go rigid at that slight sound, willing himself to relax. It was crucial that he stay calm and not overreact to whatever scene he was going to find. It was Felicity's best chance of surviving at this point.

When he came within sight of the conference room his gut clenched at the scene. Felicity was tied to a chair, her cheeks tear stained and her shoulders rigid, the Count directly behind her, using her as a human shield. He was nonchalantly flipping her pony tail, making Felicity flinch at every touch. Oliver had never wanted to murder someone so badly at that moment. He clutched at his bow and arrow, ready to make a move if needed.

"Pretty swanky offices; you can see all the destruction that your mother caused from up here," the Count said menacingly behind Felicity.

Oliver clenched his teeth. "What do you want?"

The Count chuckled, replying, "world peace and personal satisfaction, though not necessarily in that order." He suddenly repositioned his hands, placing them on Felicity's shoulders and moving his fingers toward her neck. Oliver's heart sped up, his self-control teetering at the edge.

"You poisoned me and put me in a hole!" the Count exclaimed, the rage and his insanity more evident on his face than at any other time Oliver had encountered the monster. "You have no idea how much I hated you for that," he continued. Then, he added "turns out someone else hates you, too."

Oliver was caught off guard with that comment. Before he could think he asked, "who?"

"Who?" the Count mocked. "Oh, you're going to be surprised when you find out. He's a man of means. Set me up with my new operation so I could draw you out."

"To do what?" Oliver asked only to see the Count draw a pistol and point it at him.

"This!" the Count screamed, emptying the pistol in Oliver's direction as he dove toward cover.

Settling behind a turned over desk Oliver called out to him, hoping to keep his attention and divert it from Felicity. "You're going to have to try harder!"

"Done!" the Count yelled, scrambling to cut Felicity's restraints, then dragging her up by her ponytail to pull her up as a full body shield between him and Oliver. "Come on," he yelled at Felicity, the blonde giving a cry of pain at the pull on her scalp. Oliver immediately popped up, bow armed and ready to launch an arrow at his target, rage filling him at seeing Felicity before him, her head back, neck exposed.

"So now we move on to Plan B," the count said, holding the double syringe to Felicity's throat.

Felicity, seeing the look in Oliver's eyes knew what was coming. "Oliver, don't! Not for me," she got out, dread replacing her terror at being held by this madman. Her brain was working frantically to think of how she could de-escalate the situation. Oliver had already killed to save her before, and she did not want to see him have to do it again.

"Quiet, please," the Count whispered harshly into her ear, "I'm threatening. Lower your bow," he commanded Oliver, rejoicing at the look of resignation on the archer's face. And was that fear he saw? He tightened his grip on the blonde, enjoying the fact that Oliver Queen was being brought down by threats to this wisp of a girl in front of him.

"Your problem is with me," Oliver pleaded, relieved that the calmness in his voice didn't portray the fear he was feeling. It was making him sick inside that his bow and arrow were held down, unable to be pointed at his intended target. "It's not with her."

Reveling in the feeling of power over Oliver, the Count decided to bring Queen to his knees. "Well then, consider this your penalty for making me go to Plan B in the first place!" He moved to plunge the double syringe into Felicity's neck, but felt a blow to his chest, like someone had punched him square into the heart. He felt two more blows, looking down and realizing belatedly that they were arrows buried deep into his chest. He felt pain shoot out from his heart, falling back helplessly into the glass window, the sky falling away as everything went black.

Felicity sat crumpled on the floor, trying to bring her breathing back to normal at the realization that she was no longer in danger. Suddenly Oliver's face was directly in front of her, the concern for her evident in his eyes.

"Hey,hey, hey," he said, looking her up and down, trying to reassure himself that she was okay. She jumped a bit at his sudden appearance. "Shhh, shhh, it's all right; you're safe," he finished, gently squeezing her upper arm, feeling his own body start to relax at knowing she was here in front of him, in one piece, breathing and looking unharmed.

"Oh," Felicity exclaimed, noticing the rip in his jacket sleeve and the trail of blood from it. "You were shot," she said, reaching out toward his injured arm.

Oliver gave his arm a sideway glance, registering the pain, but not caring since his only concern at that moment was Felicity. He reached up and cradled her cheek to bring her attention back to his face. "Hey, it's nothing," he stated, genuinely not caring about his own injury and totally focused on her. He was struck once again at how selfless this girl was, after everything she had been through, concerned about him before herself.

He stood up, the reality that he had taken another life washing over him. He knew he should feel guilty as he looked down at the lifeless body below him on the car where the Count had landed, but at that moment, knowing Felicity was safe, he knew he would have made the exact same call over and over in that situation. He had done what he had to do, and he would have no regrets as long as Felicity was safe.

He turned back to her, helping her stand as she struggled to her feet. "We've got to get you out of here, before the police and security get up here," he stated, starting to steer Felicity toward the door.

"Wait, I'll stay," she said, stepping back from Oliver's grasp. She felt a moment of panic at the physical removal of his touch, but knew she had to get him out of there as soon as possible before his secret identity was exposed. "Someone has got to explain what happened here, and you need to get back to the court house for your mother," she finished, starting to push him toward the stairwell door.

Knowing she made complete sense, he still hesitated, not wanting to leave her, but sure she was right about what they needed to do next. He stepped toward her one more time, his hand coming up to her cheek again so she would look at him directly.

"Felicity," he started, feeling a wave of protectiveness and something else grip his chest, wanting to tell her how he felt, but not exactly sure what he felt to put it into words.

Misunderstanding his hesitation, she responded, "I know what to say, Oliver, don't worry, they won't be able to trace any of this back to you as the vigilante."

He scowled at her for a moment, but then hearing voices coming from the stairwell, stepped over to the opened elevator door that had been locked on the top floor, presumably by the Count bringing Felicity up that way. He unlocked the elevator hold, jumping up to push the ceiling tile so he could climb up to the elevator shaft to make his escape. He gave Felicity one last smile before jumping up to pull himself out of sight as the doors closed, hearing the police slam out of the stairwell doors and Felicity's voice calling out to them, relief evident in her voice.

Below Verdant two hours later…

Felicity and Diggle sat watching the monitor as the news station covered the verdict of the Moira Queen trial. They both turned as they heard Oliver come down to join them, relief on their faces at seeing him. The three exchanged congratulations on Moira's verdict, although all were surprised by it, none more so than Oliver. He was relieved to hear, and NOT surprised, that his dynamic duo already had a vaccine being distributed thanks to QC's Applied Sciences Division. Diggle had just made his exit, and Felicity and Oliver were about to do the same when Felicity stopped him.

"Oliver," she called to him. He immediately came over to her. "I, uh, just wanted to say thank you."

"Yeah," he replied, happy to have been there for her when she needed him. He had originally planned on taking her home, but thought she might appreciate the distance since he was ultimately the reason she had been kidnapped in the first place. If he had been there when she and Diggle had made their discovery concerning the mobile flu shot clinic none of this would have happened, and the guilt was building in his head at the thought that she could have been seriously harmed, or worse. He tried to shrug off the feeling, focusing on the fact that the Count was gone permanently and his family was set to celebrate his mother's release.

"And I'm sorry," Felicity added, catching him off guard.

"For what?" he genuinely wondered aloud.

"I got myself into trouble again, and you killed him." Oliver took a step closer to her, noting the anguish in her eyes. Felicity continued, "You killed again, and I am sorry that I was the one to put you in a position where you had to make that kind of choice."

Oliver stepped even closer, wanting to pull Felicity into his embrace, but settling for holding the hand that was peeking out of the blanket that she had wrapped around her. "Felicity, he had you, and he was going to hurt you; there was no choice to make," he finished, staring into her eyes to make sure she could see how truthful he was being.

She nodded, overcome with emotion and not wanting to break down in front of him, knowing his family was waiting for him. She let go of his hand first, watching as he turned and walked away, still feeling the guilt of having put him into that position of killing someone for her safety.

It took everything in Oliver to separate himself from her, but the emotions that were rising in him at the memory of the Count holding that double syringe at Felicity's neck were too strong. He found himself yearning to reach up and caress her face again, remembering the feel of her skin from the last time he had touched her like that after Helena had tied Felicity up in her office. It was those stolen touches that he tried to avoid for fear that emotions he wasn't ready to face would come pouring out. Felicity deserved so much more than he could give her, and to start something with her, no matter how much he wanted it, scared him. He didn't know what he feared more; him eventually sabotaging his relationship with her, like he'd done with every other woman in his life, or her figuring out just how damaged he was, and deciding she couldn't love something so broken. Either way it wouldn't end well, so it was something he knew he shouldn't start.

Later that night…

Felicity pulled her covers more snuggly around her as she lay in bed, trying to block out the images every time she closed her eyes as she tried to fall asleep. She had made her way home directly from Verdant, but had taken her time getting ready for bed, soaking in a long hot bath, trying to wash away the feeling of the Count's hands on her neck and shoulders. She had donned her most comfortable flannel pajamas, trying to watch some recordings from her DVR, but finding difficulty focusing on what was happening on the screen in front of her. She immediately wondered if this was how Oliver felt after everything that had happened to him. Her heart sank at the thought, feeling a greater appreciation for her boss.

She finally rose from her bed, heading out to the living room. She got comfortable on the couch, turning on the TV and pulling up her standby movie that always made her feel safe and warm inside. Although Oliver was not technically a true Robin Hood, the movie version with Kevin Costner was enough to remind her of his good intentions and desire to keep those around him safe. The acting was horrible, but the parallels with Oliver were endearing, from Robin's years away from his family fighting the crusades, losing his father, and turning from the spoiled young man into the hero. It warmed her heart and always put her at ease. She drifted off, a small smile on her face.

Oliver sat on the fire escape, watching over her, so tempted to knock on the window, knowing Felicity would invite him in willingly. He also knew that if he acted on his feelings and took her into his arms, giving into his desires, he was confident she would accept him, regardless of the repercussions of their actions. Seeing her so vulnerable and unable to do anything about it at Queen Consolidated had brought all of those feelings to the front of his mind. He was torn whether he should drag her to the mansion and keep her barricaded in his room for the next 50 years, away from any harm, or transfer her to London or Japan at one of QC's world headquarter offices, as far away from him as possible. He had failed everyone around him, and it scared him to death to think he was doing the same thing to Felicity. His mother had been dragged into the Undertaking in his absence, his sister had her share of issues with him being away, and what had happened to Tommy weighed so heavily on his heart he couldn't even think about it. Even Laurel and Sarah had been destroyed because of his actions. No one was safe from his destructive nature, and no matter how much he wanted to show Felicity how he felt, he was reminded again of how badly it would all end. He realized then he couldn't go on in this limbo much longer. He needed to make a choice, and soon….