Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging responses to this story so far. In this chapter, things heat up in a variety of ways. I hope that you enjoy it. It gets pretty steamy, so...

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"What passes for coffee in this place is not actually coffee. It's more like tea steeped in aggression," Felicity groaned as she sped into Merlyn's chamber and dropped a mug on a table in front of the Dark Archer. She never stopped moving, heading into the next room to check on Thea while gripping her own steaming beverage.

Her daily visits were becoming routine now and Malcolm actually looked forward to the disruption. His quarters got pretty quiet with Thea in her current state.

Felicity would disappear into the adjacent space where Thea continued to sleep away the effects of the Lazarus Pit and talk to the girl for 30 minutes. Merlyn heard her sometimes, babbling about an Arrow adventure she had supported, recounting a shopping excursion she had been on that involved "amazing" shoes or telling a fantasy story that initially impressed him with her creativity, until he realized they were disjointed highlights from "Firefly." It didn't matter. She just wanted Thea to know that she was loved and hoped that the young woman would return to them when her mind and body were healed.

After visiting with Oliver's sister, her almost sister-in-law (whoa), Felicity would return to Malcolm for a training session. She dressed in a tunic befitting her station while she trained – Malcolm had insisted that she wear her every day garb so that she would be comfortable fighting in it. She found the sartorial choice depressing, but she didn't question it. Survival came first.

Each day, she was expected to drill, showing him all of the moves she had learned so far using the sword Ra's had given her. After demonstrating her current level of "marginal adequacy," Malcolm would engage Felicity in mock combat, testing her abilities further and determining a weakness that could be exploited. Then he would show her a new technique that would address her vulnerability. She was expected to practice back in her own chamber until the next lesson.

When it came to combat, Felicity was no Thea. Where his daughter was a fearless tiger, genetically gifted with agility and survival instincts, Felicity was a thinker. She excelled at tactical analysis, but Malcolm constantly had to remind her that an opponent could kill you if you spent too much time in your own head. Al-Saheem's Consort was also tentative and seemed afraid of injuring her opponent. Once again, Merlyn considered that Thea had been a young and very angry student when she began her training. Felicity was a completely different woman, more mature and empathetic toward people. He counseled her that her thoughtfulness might get her killed. She nodded, as she always did, and then resumed her practice.

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After training with Malcolm, Felicity made her way to the Digital Command Center for the afternoon. Every time she passed a member of the League, they nodded to her, in deference to Al-Saheem. It was a little weird, but probably not so different than the attention Westerners gave Oliver Queen when he was a billionaire. There, Fedil apprised her on the status of system software upgrades she had recommended. Together, they discussed the mission she was to support the next day.

Al-Saheem and a small team would proceed to a remote location during the earliest hours of the morning. Felicity would be summoned to man the comms several hours later, while it was still dark. She would assist them in taking an oil platform. It was piracy, plain and simple – something the League dabbled in from time to time. Oil platforms were valuable targets for piracy. Their owners always paid handsomely and never reported the incursions, averse to international attention. So even the League had financial needs, she surmised. Felicity was grateful that she didn't have to support a straight forward assassination this time. She didn't want Oliver to have to kill anyone if he could help it. She only hoped the technology they had on hand would be enough. She was worried about all of the new variables she could not control from her chair in the Arrow Cave.

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The sun was setting low in the west when Felicity negotiated the rocky narrow pathway back to their chamber in the early evening. A salmon-colored sky peeked through the buildings above her. She looked up for a moment and allowed herself to think it was pretty, but she ended up stumbling out of her boot.

"Damn it," she muttered, bending down suddenly. This happened to be the same moment when a dark figure stepped out from a recessed doorway and swung a sword toward her neck. Felicity felt the breeze and heard the metal cut through the air above her head. She screamed loudly and quickly rolled on the ground, trying to stay down and elude her attacker. Snippets of the defensive training she had been practicing kicked in. The mysterious figure advanced toward her, but she managed to get her footing and pull her sword from beneath her robes.

"You are an outsider." A woman's voice surprised her at first, but she realized that the build of her attacker was a bit smaller than a typical League member. The woman's face was mostly covered, but her voice and eyes conveyed hatred. "You are not deserving of Al-Saheem. You are common and weak." The woman teased Felicity with the tip of her sword. Felicity kept her own weapon raised in defense.

"What? This is because you don't think I'm good enough for him?" she cried out, incredulousness overwhelming her. "Sweetheart, you have no idea what you are talking about." Felicity wanted to slow things down in hopes that someone would come to her rescue. She swayed from side to side, trying to stay loose. "Laurel. McKenna. Crazy Helena. Isabel fracking Rochev. That was just after the island. But he chose me. Me. I am Manar."

The woman lunged at her and Felicity deflected the blade awkwardly.

"Al Saheem is my friend. My partner. My beloved. Our bond transcends time," she panted.

The IT girl couldn't move fast enough when her aggressor swung at her arm and managed to strike her right arm.

Felicity screamed in pain and retreated backwards, resisting the urge to drop her sword and baby her bleeding arm. She could do that later, after she survived. It was then she realized she wasn't scared. She was angry. Fracking place. Fracking assassins. Fracking rituals. Fracking Ra's Al Ghul. She really had enough. She had plans. Important plans. And this event was not going to ruin them.

"Our bond defies pain, bitch. Our bond vanquishes death," Felicity bit her lip, holding herself together. She thought of Oliver and the many blows and scars he had endured since becoming the Arrow. She could do this. It was then that she heard footsteps and shouting heading toward their position. Felicity hoped they would arrive soon because her injured arm was hurting and her sword was feeling heavy all of a sudden.

"Death will come sooner than you think," the other woman spat, lunging toward the blonde. Felicity moved away as quickly as she could, using a move Malcolm had taught her on her third day of training.

A moment later, several members of the League rushed onto the scene and took down Felicity's attacker, divesting the woman of her sword and throwing her to the ground. Felicity crumpled, partly due to pain, but mostly out of relief.

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Malcolm Merlyn met Felicity as she arrived back at the chamber door. Her tunic was torn and smeared with the same blood that dotted her face. The Dark Archer masked his concern with a stoic look until she sent her rescuers away with awkward handshakes of thank you. With the door closed, Malcolm urged her to sit.

"Oliver was training off site, but he's been informed and he's headed back," he stated clearly, heading quickly to a makeshift minibar in the corner and pouring a goblet of red wine. "Soon." He nodded and she mirrored him. "Let me see your arm," he stated, handing her the drink. She took a swig and grasped it tightly with her good hand.

Merlyn crouched down to her level. Felicity turned toward him and forced herself to look at the wound as well. She saw the bloody fabric, a two-inch cut in the forearm of her tunic and a one-inch cut in the chain mail undershirt Malcolm had given her beneath it. She had worn the garment every day since he had presented it to her and today it had likely saved her arm.

"Just a scratch," he stated, drolly, waiting for her to protest. Felicity did not disappoint as he produced a packet from his pocket containing bandages, tape and disinfectant.

"Do you think it will leave a scar?" she pleaded. "All my dresses are sleeveless," she continued, sucking down the wine at a brisk rate. Merlyn smirked and shook his head.

"I think you will survive."

"What about that crazy lady? What was she thinking, attacking me like that?"

"A fanatic. Don't worry," his tone became somber. "She won't be bothering anyone again."

Felicity met Merlyn's eyes and understood.

"She's dead."

"Yes," he responded coolly.

"Because she attacked me," Felicity winced from the thought, as well as her current discomfort.

"In part. No one can attack the Consort. The punishment would be swift. But Ra's executed her himself because he considers you an important asset now and compromising your safety would compromise Al-Saheem's success."

"Ra's k-killed her himself?"

"Those were the whispers as I made my way here. You know the gossip mill that fuels this place."

"I kind of preferred it when all they had to gossip about was my sex life."

Malcolm snorted as the door flew open. Al-Saheem stalked in and slammed the door closed, but it was Oliver who focused his gaze on Felicity, strode over, and dropped to his knees next to her. He gently held her face in his palms and focused his blue eyes on hers.

"Are you okay?" Oliver studied her and then his eyes darted up to get confirmation from Merlyn.

"Just a cut. You can handle it." Malcolm's statement compelled Oliver to begin scanning her. It only took a moment to notice her wound. He moved closer to study it and nodded.

"Right. It's not so bad," Oliver agreed.

"Hey," it's not like I scraped my knee or something," she cried out. "A crazed bitch with a sword tried to lop my head off so you could become a lonely widower. What is it with you and loony chicks?"

"She might be onto something there, Oliver." Malcolm smirked. Oliver gave him a harsh glance before rolling his eyes.

"I heard you held your own," Oliver spoke quietly to his girl.

"I tried."

"Felicity was right. She didn't have to be a warrior. She just needed to be better than expected." Merlyn started moving towards the door.

Oliver took a cleansing breath and swallowed, his lips pursed tight. "I will ask Ra's to delay tomorrow's mission." Felicity perked up and shook her head.

"Bad idea," Malcolm remarked curtly, lingering by the door. "That would be perceived as weakness."

"He's right, Oliver," she swallowed, "it's important that you go on the mission as planned."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. He wasn't fully aware of Felicity's machinations, but he knew better than to question any of her plans.

"Come on, Baby," he tugged at her tunic, grateful for the first time that the fabric was thick. "Let's get you out of this so I can fix your cut."

Felicity audibly sighed and started to move to pull her top off.

"Malcolm, I think you can leave now," Oliver's voice approached Arrow-depth.

The Dark Archer took his cue and grabbed the door handle.

"Malcolm," Felicity piped up, causing him to pause. Felicity looked at him, a mixture of exhaustion and relief on her face. "Thank you. I probably wouldn't have survived today…" she trailed off. The older man nodded, looking from Felicity to Oliver's face.

"I'll expect to see you back for training the day after tomorrow." With that, Malcolm disappeared out the door.

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After Oliver bandaged Felicity's arm, he wrapped her in a soft robe. The anxiety of her day began to recede and the two spoke at length about the oil rig mission. It was vital that they understand each other's goals so that they would be in synch the next day. A modest supper was served in their chambers and they enjoyed it along with loving glances across their small dining table.

Oliver watched his girl intensely peel an orange for dessert, carefully removing every piece of rind as she was finally able to tell him the details of the attack. The sky that reminded her of a summer lipstick color. Her surprising anger. Her thoughts of him. The vows she recited to her attacker. Oliver looked on her with pride. Felicity had been tested and exceeded even her own expectations.

He surprised her by moving quickly around the table and scooping her into his arms. She held onto the fruit as Oliver nuzzled her neck and walked her across the room to the bed. She giggled as Oliver placed her so that her head was nestled in the pillows. He crawled up to kneel between Felicity's legs and stripped off his tunic. Her eyes took him in and she wondered aloud if he had possibly become more handsome today than he had been yesterday. He grinned her compliment and carefully removed her glasses and placed them out of harm's way.

Oliver then snatched the orange she was still clutching. He waved it at her before splitting it open and pulling off a single wedge. When he seductively placed the fruit between his lips, the IT girl's brainwaves flattened. She watched him position himself between her legs before placing his palms on either side of her head. Then, his biceps flexed as he slowly lowered himself toward her face. Achingly slow. Felicity held her breath as Oliver's eyes twinkled and the orange slice approached her open mouth. She received her seducer's offering with a grateful moan. The cool pulpy citrus exploded as they feasted on each other's lips, teeth and heated tongues.

As Felicity's robe was tugged open, the silky fabric teased across her nipples and the night air did the rest. Oliver peeled off another wedge and hand-fed it to her as he slipped his mouth onto a delightfully raised nipple. Her hips strained forward to rub against him as he murmured "I love you" against her puckered skin. Felicity caressed the back of his head with one hand and grasped his feeding hand with the other. After swallowing the fruit she licked and suckled Oliver's fingers. She felt his straining crotch make contact with her desperate center and she bucked against him involuntarily.

Oliver's free hand wasn't exactly free. He slipped his hand across her soft abdomen and stopped when he reached her panties. His explored between her thighs, pressing and rubbing until he couldn't hold back any longer and tore the fabric away.

"Oliver!" she cried out.

"I'm sorry," he panted, moving his attention to her other breast, rubbing his cheek against her sensitive skin.

"No, it was hot. Fuck."

"I almost lost you." He slid two desperate fingers into her and heard her gasp. "I can't lose you. Not now. Not ever." The sensation was almost so intense that she didn't feel the wetness dropping onto her collarbone as moved his face up to meet hers again.

Felicity bucked into Oliver's prospecting hand. "Oh," she whined. "Please." She felt his fingers respond aggressively to her plea just as his lips met hers for a kiss that conveyed breathless need.

"More. Oliver." With closed eyes she reached down to free him from his pants. OIiver Queen groaned loudly as she freed his cock, so sensitive now that even her soft touch felt like too much stimulation. He quickly folded her legs up, enjoying the sensation of her small feet pressed against his chest. He watched her intently as he pushed into her entrance. He watched her take in a sharp breath and surround him. When she smiled up at him he knew that it was time to move. He moved in short, deliberate strokes. Or tried to, at least. She responded with quiet cries and occasional shouts that compromised his dwindling self-control. Neither one of them lasted long after that.

A few hours later, still the middle of the night, Oliver redressed for battle. He left a lingering kiss on her shoulder and then her mouth before pulling the covers up over her exposed skin.

"I love you, Oliver," he heard her whisper as he moved away from the bed, Soon after, Al-Saheem exited the chamber.

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I hope that you enjoyed chapter 7! Please do share your thoughts if you have a moment. Love to know if things are working. Thanks so much for taking the time to read.