A/N: Needed something more with the crashing through the window scene.
When she'd gotten dressed that morning Felicity had spent a lot of time choosing the right outfit. Some sort of instinctive, female intuition had told her Isabel Rochev would be wearing red. It meant power, and control, and was a way for her to command attention the second she walked into a room. Felicity had a red dress too, well, it was more pink than red, but it was close. She considered wearing it knowing it would send a message, but she wasn't sure how Oliver was going to play this and she didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize his approach.
So she'd gone with the blue. It was new and she hadn't had a chance to wear it yet. Blue was calming and secure, and shouted her loyalty to Oliver louder than anything she could have said. Rochev would know that as soon as she saw her.
What Felicity hadn't expected was that five minutes after the meeting had begun the four hooded vigilante copycats would be bursting into the board room to go after Oliver.
As she lay pressed to the floor, Digg above her returning fire she didn't panic. She heard him yelling at Oliver to fall back and she whipped her head around. Her eyes met Oliver's and everything he didn't have time to say to her was communicated in that instant. He couldn't take the men out. He couldn't risk showing Isabel what he was capable of. He had to be Oliver Queen right then and no one else.
Digg kept shooting and she hunkered back down as more glass fell. There was movement behind her and she saw Oliver getting Isabel out of the way.
Felicity would never know what possessed her to do what she did next. Oliver's back was to the door and one of the gunmen had made his way around. Digg had moved to get a better shot, leaving her beneath the protection of the conference table. She saw the gun raise, aimed at Oliver and she just acted.
A broken bit of board was between her and him. She grabbed it and swung, not even realizing she'd put her back to three armed men.
Oliver turned just as the assailant went down, his eyes wide when he'd saw what she'd done. And then he was knocking her to the ground as machine gun fire rained above their heads. Her left side hit hard and a grunt of pain escaped her lips but there was no time to waste on it because Oliver's hands were on her arms pulling her to her feet.
They were moving before she was even fully upright. The office space adjacent to the boardroom had been mostly destroyed already. The exit to the left was blocked now but Oliver wasn't even looking that direction. His pace increased as he wrapped a hand around her, his palm covering the open cut out of her dress.
By the time she realized what he was planning on doing it was too late. All she could do was grab hold of him and hang on. She trusted him. Whatever split second decision he'd made she would trust because she had no other option, and because she knew he'd keep her safe.
Gunfire erupted just as they approached the window and she saw Oliver's hand grasp the chain to the blinds. He turned his body at the last moment as the window pane exploded behind them, his back going through first.
For a moment she was separated from him, weightless and falling until his arm banded about her waist and secured her to his chest. One arm was the only thing keeping her from plummeting to certain death, but there was no time to dwell on how far up they were because the chain had run out.
Momentum swung them back towards the building. Oliver canted his body so his legs struck the glass first. They were going too fast though and he lost his hold on her as they crashed through yet another window.
She didn't see much. Flashing images of another office as they skidded overtop a desk and then nothing as they came to sudden halt on the floor.
Felicity raised her head slowly, papers and bits of glass still settling around them. She could hear Oliver to her left and the knowledge that he was alive was enough for her.
Just as she was turning her head towards him his hand came out, pushing hair out the way so he could see her. There was a look of desperation on his face. A need to see if she was alright that would have taken her breath away had there been any in her lungs right then.
She watched as he pushed himself towards her, fingers just brushing over her cheek now and the heart that was threatening to thrum out of her chest skipped a beat.
The glass she was laying on bit into her. She went to get up but he stopped her, his hand falling to her arm and squeezing lightly.
"No, don't move." his voice was gruff and strained. He jumped to his feet and she couldn't help but see the grimace he gave. She wondered how hurt he was although she knew he'd never admit to it.
She wasn't expecting him to lean down and lift her straight to her feet. He set her down securely but didn't let go of her arms. One at a time he lifted them in front of him and carefully brushed loose glass from where it had dug into her skin. She tried not to wince over the slight cuts she had, in the grand scope of things if that's all that was wrong with her she got off lucky.
When he knelt slightly and began brushing over her hips and thighs she jumped, but he didn't stop. A hand across her knee and lower leg finally made her grab his arm and pull him back up. "It's okay. I'm fine." she told him in a wavery voice as the first tremor ran through her. His eyes locked with hers and she didn't know how to process what she saw.
His hand reached out and adjusted her glasses before he slid his palm around through her hair to cup the back of her head. She let out a ragged breath as he pulled her towards him, her hands clutching his lapels as she released some of the fear that had filled her.
"I hope you're not trying some sort of immersive therapy on me to cure my fear of heights." she mumbled into him. "I don't think it's working."
His chest moved under her cheek, but it wasn't quite a laugh. She could feel his hand on her head and her stomach flipped until she realized he was picking glass out of her hair. She gave herself one more moment and then pulled back to give him a tight smile. He didn't look so frantic anymore. The wild look that had been in his eyes had dissipated.
On shaky legs she made herself back away. "How did we do that?" she asked in awe as she cautiously approached the window and looked out.
"It was either jump out the window and have a chance of making it or get shot. I chose the window." he said as he came up behind her.
"Good choice." she said around a tight throat.
He grabbed her hand in his and gave her a tug, "Come on, we need to get back up there."
"Do you think they're gone?" she asked worriedly
"I don't know, but building security would have responded by now and the police should be on their way." he didn't look back as he towed her out into the hallway and through the door to the stairwell.
She saw the tension in him ratchet back up as they climbed the stairs. Her legs felt loose and wobbly and she kept tripping as she tried to keep up with him. "Sorry, my legs feel like they're made of rubber." she said after she'd caught herself on the railing again.
"It's just the adrenaline." he told her, but he did slow his pace some.
When they reached the door to the executive level he pulled her tight behind him, his hand like a vise around her wrist. She held her breath as he listened for sounds of gunfire. "Sounds like they're gone." he stated, opening the door slightly and peering down the hall.
"Stay here." he ordered pushing her flush against the wall next to the door, his hand heavy across her middle.
She didn't even have a chance to respond before he was gone, the door falling shut with a click.
It had only been a couple of minutes but it felt like hours before he came back. "It's clear." he said, and grabbed her hand again.
As they entered the board room she gasped. The damage was beyond description. One of the Stellmore representative sat off to the side holding a towel to his arm but everyone else seemed to be unharmed.
Digg approached quickly from where he'd been talking with the security guards who had responded. "You two alright?" he asked quickly his eyes cutting over them looking for injury.
"Fine." Oliver said sharply, "Did they get away?"
Digg sighed and nodded, "When you two went out the window they took off." there was a reprimand in his tone. Without even having to say the words he was able to convey his dissatisfaction with Oliver's escape route.
"Sure you're okay?" Digg asked again, this time directed specifically at Felicity.
She gave him a nod, "Yeah, swinging through the air is apparently our thing now."
Digg gave a snort of laughter, "I'd say try to not make a habit out of it but...I think it's too late for that."
Oliver began to reply but Digg's eyes cut over his head, "Shark at your six." he said under his breath and turned away.
They both pivoted to see Isabel heading their way, not looking at all like she'd almost been killed.
"Not exactly how I expected this meeting to go, ." she said evenly,
"Are you alright, Ms. Rochev?" Oliver asked politely,
"I'm fine." she replied shortly, "You and your...associate?" her eyes very deliberately cut down to where Felicity realized with dawning horror that Oliver still had hold of her hand.
She tried to slip it out but he held tight and she fought the urge to look at him in shock.
"We're unharmed." Oliver motioned to one of the security guards to come over.
"Please escort Ms. Rochev and her team to an office down the hall where they can wait comfortably until the police have arrived." he directed. Felicity didn't miss the small flare of fire in the other's woman's eyes at being removed so effectively.
They watched as she was led away and it wasn't until she was out of sight that Oliver finally let go of Felicity's hand.