Chapter 8 – Three

AN – I believe this brings this one to a close! Again, many thanks for playing with me – I love any and all reviews, faves & follows!

Disclaimer: No change here as I have no legal claim to CW's Arrow!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"They've made their choice to fight each day. They've made their choice to stay together each day."

The women stared at one another for a long moment. Both slightly outside of Team Arrow and yet intimately connected to them too.

"You will have to make your own choice Thea." Lyla paused for just a moment before choosing to enter the room and take her place beside John.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

More days passed with little change as Oliver continued to remain unresponsive even though the last of the herbs had been used and his body was clear of the healing paste. Team Arrow continued to split their time between locations as they still helped protect Starling City and yet they stayed as close as possible to their partner. Thea had also split her time as she wanted to be near her brother but she was having difficulty making the same choice that those surrounding him had made. She did continue to allow blood tests though as she found that she needed answers for herself.

As Barry and his team had requested assistance and Thea hadn't yet returned only Felicity remained in Oliver's room. She had listened to the comms and kept her tablet up and running during the mission even as she had kept a watchful eye on the machines that monitored Oliver. The room was now quiet as she stared out the window into the night.

"Three."

Oliver's voice was guttural, rusty but Felicity heard him and almost broke down at the welcome sound. She instinctively moved to his side and hugged him joyously but, at his sharp inhale of pain, she quickly leaned back so that she wouldn't hurt him. Tears did well in her eyes then as she met his eyes and saw that they were clear of pain and confusion. It was the first time Oliver had truly seemed aware since they had found him…since he had left her and sacrificed himself to protect Thea and to save Starling City by battling Ra's al Ghul alone. Felicity's wide smile trembled slightly and her breath caught as she stared happily at her partner.

She had first thought that Oliver had killed so she had rejoiced when they had found him alive. That joy had quickly become painful torture though as it seemed like she was going to be forced to watch him die before her very eyes. Looking at him now with his eyes open and aware was nothing short of a miracle.

"Three." Oliver repeated as he returned Felicity's gaze. He had awoken by degrees and was surprised that there were neither sharp icy pinpricks nor any overwhelmingly hot flames of pain to torture him. As his eyes had opened and he had finally seen the real Felicity instead of his dream version he had forced the single word from his mouth with difficulty. He tried to speak once more but the woman he loved cut him off again by lightly pressing her lips to his.

"Three." Oliver repeated for the third time once Felicity had pulled back. He wanted to kiss her again but his body didn't seem to be under his command. Frowning, he noted that the lingering pain was barely discernible but that his arms didn't reach for her as he wanted them to do. Felicity speaking brought his focus to her.

"What?" Felicity didn't understand why he kept saying the word but then she realized that she didn't care. He was alive and that was all that mattered. "Let me get Caitlyn and Dr. Wells in here to check you."

"Felicity." Oliver couldn't let her go so he said her name and watched as she turned back to him. Just like in his dreams, there were tears in her eyes. Movement caught his eye and he focused on the door. Just like in his dreams, he saw Diggle smile as he placed an arm around Lyla and held baby Sara. Just like in his dreams, he saw Roy's grin even as he noticed in surprise that the younger man was positioned next to Thea. Just behind them he also spotted Barry, Cisco, Caitlyn and Dr. Wells. All were smiling in various degrees of relief and concern. Despite the presence of so many, including his own sister, Oliver ignored them to look at Felicity when he spoke again.

"I know three things." Oliver saw the light of understanding in his partner's eyes as she moved even closer and took his hand.

"I know that I would do anything to protect my family and our Team." Oliver changed that promise to extend past Thea. He felt Felicity's hand gently squeeze his in response.

"I know that I love you." Felicity's other hand lightly touched his face. He waited and she smiled before she spoke.

"What's the third thing?" Felicity was struggling to focus on what the third thing could be. She hadn't allowed herself to dream that she would ever hear him say that he loved her again and she wanted to just savor his words.

"I know that I want a future with you and I am willing to fight for us to have it." Oliver watched as sheer happiness radiated from Felicity just before she leaned forward to brush her lips against his mouth in a barely there kiss. When he opened his eyes he saw that tears again swam in Felicity's eyes but she was still smiling as she spoke.

"I know three things too." Felicity refused to wait another second to share her feelings. She had nearly missed her opportunity when he had left and she had promised herself that she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

"I know that you are the type of man to do what's right and to protect those you love no matter what it costs you personally."

Oliver kept watching and his heart nearly stopped beating while he waited to hear the words he hadn't allowed himself to even dream that he would ever hear from her. "What's the second thing?"

"I know that I love you." Felicity couldn't help repeating Oliver's gesture when he had told her the same thing so she pressed her lips to his forehead for several long moments. She then leaned back as he spoke in a deep, soft voice.

"What's the third thing?" Oliver had difficulty forcing question out past the lump in his throat. Felicity's words were sweeter than any dream and the radiating light of her essence seemed to fill every dark corner of his damaged soul. He couldn't stop his own blinding smile of happiness as he looked at her.

"I know that I am someone who will fight for you, for us, for our family and our city so that we can a future together." Felicity made the words into a solemn vow.

"Felicity." Oliver struggled but he did lift his hands to frame the blonde's face and bring her toward him for another soft kiss. Her own hands kept his in place as she dropped her forehead to rest against his.

The pair was only lightly touching; however, just that simple contact was more comforting, more loving than anything either had ever felt. Both simply breathed together with their eyes closed and enjoyed a quiet moment of rare peace - a moment that promised of even more moments together.

Those surrounding them remained silent as the couple's love was obvious and heartwarming. Each breathed a sigh of relieved happiness as they exchanged smiles. It was Diggle who spoke to the pair.

"Glad to have you back man." Diggle moved across the room to stand next to Felicity. His movement prompted the others to move and Oliver was soon surrounded by family and friends.

Three weeks later…

"Are you sure you should be out there?" Felicity's attention was split between various monitors as she watched traffic cams, security camera footage and the Team's tracking program.

Oliver met both Diggle's and Roy's eyes and he caught their amused smirks before he gestured for them to take their positions as planned. Despite their amusement, he wasn't surprised that they remained silent and let him deal with their partner. "Felicity, you had Dr. Wells perform every conceivable test on me, twice—"

"I know but really, what do we know about him? I know he helped Barry but—" Felicity interrupted Oliver even though she knew that her response was more emotional than logical. She couldn't seem to stop the feelings or the words though. She had almost lost Oliver before she even got to share her love with him and the lingering fear was very real.

"Twice Felicity and you also had Lyla and ARGUS double check everything. Everyone has cleared me to do this – even you." Oliver returned the favor and interrupted Felicity as well. He understood her fear as it was the same one he had faced since she had joined him. His test results had continued to reflect some anomalies but no one could pinpoint any dangers or causes for concern though. Pausing, he let Felicity search for another argument before he spoke quietly.

"Felicity, I am fine." Oliver wasn't lying to the woman he loved. He actually did feel better than he could ever remember feeling before in his life. He felt strong, free, happy and he felt loved. "This is my choice, just as it's your choice. Let's get the bad guys, okay?"

Closing her eyes, Felicity nodded even though Oliver couldn't see her. It was the choice all of them had made and continued to make. She could easily picture Oliver in her mind and he did seem larger than life once again. Smiling to herself, she lingered on a mental image of him on the salmon ladder before she responded to the man she loved. "Okay, let's get the bad guys."

Despite the weeks off, Team Arrow moved as they always had. Updates were quickly shared with few words. Movements were synchronized without discussion or effort. Timing was perfect as arrows flew in the midst of a hand-to-hand battle. In mere moments, only the Team was standing and Felicity was already updating Lance as the men secured the gang members.

As the guys returned to headquarters, they paused when Thea slid from the dark alley and came into view. Diggle and Roy gave Oliver some space but Thea intentionally spoke loudly enough for them to hear her. As the comms were still on, Felicity heard her as well.

"We need to talk."

Oliver felt tension invade his body even as Felicity softly spoke his name in encouragement. He hadn't blamed Felicity for making the choice to bring Thea in but he had appreciated that they hadn't told her everything. Shortly after he had woken up though, Thea had walked away and returned to her normal life. Despite wanting to explain himself, Oliver had allowed her space and remained with his Team.

Thea watched a quick flash of emotion on her brother's face at her words and she braced herself for his rejection. She wanted answers but she also knew that he deserved them too. The last weeks had been difficult but she wanted to make a different choice than she had the last time she had faced adversity. She wanted to face the pain, guilt and doubt. She even wanted to face herself and feel again. However, she didn't want to do it alone. Thea had finally accepted that she wanted the future that Oliver and Felicity had promised one another just after he had woken up. If her plan was to work though they had to be honest – they had to build the type of relationship that he already had with his Team.

"I've made my choice." Thea spoke into the continued silence with more authority and courage than she felt. "I want to join Team Arrow."