Author's Note:

THE FIRST PERSON TO RECOGNIZE A PATTERN IN THE PAST THREE CHAPTERS WILL HAVE THE FOURTH CHAPTER DEDICATED TO THEM! GOOD LUCK!

Ok, so I'm here again with another chapter, I love writing these (more addicted to this than my other stories ;D) and I hope that you love this new update! You might not be hearing from me for a little while because I need to update my other stories.

Once again, if you have any questions or comments, or anything really, please comment! Tell me how I'm doing!

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ARROW, IF I DID MY LIFE WOULD BE COMPLETE. IF I OWNED OLICITY, I CAN DIE HAPPY. :)

Barry Allen

"Oliver, you didn't seem to have a problem with Felicity's performance before Mr. Allen showed up." Diggle retorts to Oliver's nasty comment about Felicity. "I don't have a problem." Oliver doesn't hesitate to reply, he's been flaming for the past week. He doesn't know why his temper flares or his body heat rises, but he has a feeling it has something to do with Barry Allen.

"I really do think that you should go and have a talk with the two. Felicity isn't really content with your attitude. Besides, Allen doesn't seem to be a problem around here, if anything, he's only helped." In the corner of his eyes, Oliver can see Diggle shrug.

He doesn't want to admit it, he's green with jealousy and it's probably very obvious...

The billion dollar playboy (yes, he's worth a billion dollars) strides with much intent over to the Arrows uniform, he pulls it out of its case and strips down. He doesn't worry about his pride being hurt, it's actually the last thing on his mind.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this mission? It's not going to be easy without Felicity here." Oliver knows that Diggle is not going to try to stop him, not when Oliver's in rage mode. Especially when he's in rage mode.

After sliding into his green leathered uniform, the Hood picks up his fairly brand new custom cut and made bow. Every time he holds it, he thinks about a certain blonde haired IT girl with glasses. The corner of his lips twitch wanting to turn upwards at the thought, but of course he forces it back down.

He wraps his fingers tightly around the handle of the bow as he slings the quiver full of newly loaded arrows across his body. "I'll be back, hack the first firewall before I get there." Oliver can't help but hear the loud sigh from Diggle, he swears he can hear his eyes roll too.

•

Oliver jumps from roof to roof looking for his target for the night, he's not really paying any attention to where he is stepping, his mind is too busy wondering off about a girl. When had this certain woman invaded his mind twenty four seven? Well, it's all Barry Allen's fault.

'That son of a bitch...'

He feels a twinge of guilt as he says it, Diggle is right, all Allen's done is help, and here he is blaming the guy for Felicity running around in his highly guarded mind. So much for 'highly guarded'... He shakes the thought and continues his trek to find his first hit on the To Do List tonight.

•

"Diggle, I'm going to need a ri-" He sucks in a sharp breath, "ride home tonight... B-bring some mor-phine with you if we have..." Oliver's in bad shape, worst of all, he knows it. Usually he'd say he's completely fine, just a small scratch that needs a few stitches. No, not tonight, right now he'd compare this to something that he'd rather die than go through. Breathing is hard, so is talking, and practically everything else that includes moving some kind of muscle.

He's not sure if he's going to make it, his world is fading and spinning, his stomach hurls and he feels a warm thick vile smelling liquid under his hand.

The last thing he thinks: Felicity. And how he never told her the truth.

'Damn Allen.'

•

There's something in his hand, Oliver wants to squeeze it. His mind tells his hand to, and surprisingly it does. Then he feels the same warm touch on his face, this time when his lips twitch, he doesn't force it down. He can't hear, it scares him for a moment, but when his eyelids lift, he sees an angel.

Felicity? Is the first words that try to escape his mouth, the only thing that leaves his lips is air. Still, he finds it amazing that he's still alive.

He see the shine in her eyes, something's wet there, "Oliver, I thought-" she swallows, "We thought we lost you..." Oliver feels her tighten her grip on his hand, to him it feels like she's holding on and never wanting to let go. That ghost of a smile still lingers on his lips, he tastes it.

'I won't leave you.' He thinks, talking might make his sore throat worse.

He won't ever let her go, he won't ever leave her, it's not the morphine talking. Allen walks in, Oliver can see him in his peripheral vision. "It's the morphine, it's making him talk bubbles." He looks over to the special investigations officer and narrows his eyes. Oliver knows when it's the drug, and it's definitely not the drug talking.

He doesn't hear Felicity respond and a small wave of satisfaction washes over, her only reaction towards Barry's comment is tightening her grip on him. It almost makes him smirk, but Oliver feels the grin on Diggle's face.

"Fel, he's still not stable." Barry said walking up to Oliver. He watches as Allen slides his arm around his girl.

Oliver opens his mouth to tell Felicity that she doesn't have to be here, but when he tries to say something, nothing comes out. His mouth moves, but no sound emanates. "Oliver?" Her perfect and beautiful face has a horror struck look on it. "Diggle! What's wrong with him?" She asks the man, Oliver reminds himself to stay calm. "He's mute, got shot on the back of the neck, the impact ruptured his vocal cords." Diggle's eyebrows furrows.

Oliver can't believe this is happening, he's alive, he's finally got his shit together, he's finally able to tell the only girl he's ever loved that he has fallen head over heels with. Now he's fucking mute. He'll never be able to tell her, he's alive, living, but can't tell her for his life.

He gets up, fury is written across his face, he stumbles around, he can feel the wounds ripping at their seams. Before he knows it, Oliver stumbles over his feet, that when Felicity tries to catch him. He knows that he's too heavy for her to pull back up, if she attempts to grab him, she'll be crushed under him. Oliver will openly admit that he weighs a ton.

He pushes her away and he falls to the ground barely managing to catch himself before his head came into contact with the concrete floor. "Oliver!"

•

Oliver Queen has been absent from home for five days, and he doesn't care. Thea is panicking without her brother, his mother is too busy working to give a damn. So why should he care? Because he lost the ability to speak, the ability to tell Felicity how beautiful she is.

Not being able to speak gives Oliver the opportunity to think a whole lot more, between his rapid healing – thanks to STAR Labs – and forging new arrows, he has more than enough time.

He thinks about how he's going to communicate in battle, how he's going to run QC, how he's going tell his mother and sister that he can't talk to them, how he's going to tell Felicity that he loves her. Its his breaking point, he would yell at the top of his lungs, but when he does open his mouth, all that he can hear is silence. It frustrates him even more. Oliver flips the entire crafting table over, the supplies clatter against the ground, he continues to kick the equipment letting out all his frustration, anger, and grief.

"Oliver!" He feels someone grab his shoulder but continues to ignore it. "Oliver!" The higher pitched male voice echoes off the walls, this time it reaches his ears. "Stop." He says into his ear. Oliver falls down onto his knees, he feels broken. "Its ok." It says again, the person comes around in front of him, he recognizes him, its Allen. Reflexively, Oliver would say his name, but he only lip talked.

"Its ok."

•

Half an hour had pass before Allen breaks the silence, "So…" he starts sounding slightly hesitant, "What's going on between you and Fel?" Oliver couldn't help but give Barry a look much similar to the one that he first gave him when Oliver had seen the sparkle in Felicity's eyes when she first saw Allen. It wasn't a very friendly look.

"Ok, ok, ok… I get it, you don't want to talk about it." Oliver sees him shake his head.

Half an hour of laying down on the medical table and he still can feel the anger bubbling up his throat. He closes his eyes and tries to let go of all the infuriating thoughts.

"She loves you, you know?" Oliver hears him say, he turns his head towards Allen. He looks at the guy with a blank expression, wanting to show nothing. "Felicity, ya know." He looks down with nonhumorus smirk.

He leaves her name and the statement hanging. "Ok, well, I've got to go pick up Fel now, be back." Oliver watches his back, "Oh, and don't break anything, she'll have my head." He adds with a raise of his eyebrow.

Oliver doesn't know what to think, why would Allen tell him that she actually does love him? He sincerely thinks that he would never have a chance with her ever since the pretty boy showed. He finally put two and two together, he's been denying it, suppressing it for too long, he's finally able to admit to himself that he loves her.

•

"Oliver, its me, Felicity." He looks over at the tech beauty and can't help but smile. He watches as she quickly rushes over to his side, she moves so gracefully. 'Stay.' He mouths, grabbing her hand in her lap right after she just sits down. Felicity bites her lower lip and her brows furrow, she nods her head, "Ok."

•

"Oliver, are you feeling ok?" She reaches forward towards him and cups his cheek. Her hand against his face leaves a burning trail when she takes her hand away. 'Yes.'

Oliver watches as she reaches for his right hand, she wraps her two hands around his. The gesture touches a very sensitive part of his heart. He looks into her eyes and sees something there that he's never seen before, something that he's only seen when she looks at that family picture of hers on the desk of her office. Its loss.

"Fel, I'm heading out for dinner, comin'?" Oliver doesn't dare take his eyes off her face, he's studying her with every fiber in his being.

She looks up at Barry, "N-no, I'm going to stay here with Oliver, he needs me right now." In the corner of his eyes, he can see the slightly sympathetic look she throws at Allen. Its not as sincere as it should be.

Maybe, he did get the girl.

Of course all it took was a traumatic life and death experience, but, in his eyes, its worth going through Hell and back for her.