A/N: Drabble from 2x02-"Identity" needed to work out some feels. Also needed them to go back to the lair after the China White/Bronze Tiger fight.

Enjoy!

Fooling the Starling City PD had definitely been one of the highlights of her day. To be honest she hadn't expected Oliver to spring the whole 'executive assistant' thing on her. She hadn't even considered that aspect of what they did, how being more accessible to him during the day would help with what they did at night. After she'd cooled down some she realized it made sense. But that didn't mean it still didn't sting, or that she was happy about it.

She'd felt like all she'd done for the past few days was rail on him about one thing or another and when she'd gone home that first night she realized she was angry at him.

He'd left. He'd disappeared off the continent and left her a million dollars like that meant something. She didn't know what was worse, that he thought he could buy her off, or that he thought she'd take it.

She had taken it in the end, but she'd used it to redo the lair. She hadn't spent a penny on herself. She'd invested in better systems and data mining programs that rivaled those of the NSA, and she used them to track him down.

And five months after the Glades she was still angry, maybe because after she'd flown halfway around the world with Digg and jumped out of a damn plane to convince Oliver to return he'd walked back in like he truly had been on vacation in Europe the entire time.

There were changes, she couldn't say there weren't, but she'd never received any closure. She still woke up at least once a week with the foundry crashing around her. Digg had been a wreck after Carly and it took weeks of coaxing to get him to open up about it and talk to her. So when Oliver had started making dinner plans and asking about Carly it hurt her to see how much it affected Digg and how much Oliver didn't seem to notice.

It had been cathartic to go off on him, even if it was in defense of Digg. It wasn't until after Oliver had left that she realized he'd actually listened to her. That gave her pause. The old Oliver wouldn't have done that.

So when she had to call him just as he was about to enter the fundraiser and tell him another FEMA delivery was being hit she genuinely felt for his predicament. He was very much floundering, as CEO and as the hero he so desperately wanted to be.

As her fingers flew over the keyboard sending the fake video footage to the SCPD she realized with a pang that she needed to dial back how much she was letting him get to her. He was trying. And he was listening. And that meant something.

When she felt that she'd adequately distracted the police enough to give Oliver and Digg time to intercept the latest transport she flicked on her comm link. "How's it going?"

She wasn't expecting the silence and her heart leapt into her throat. The last time this had happened her entire world had fallen apart around her. Literally.

"Digg?" she asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

There was a long pause and then finally a reply, "On the way back." but she could hear the strain.

"What's wrong? Are you guys okay?"

There was another pause that had her mind whirling before he answered, "You might want to get the med bay ready."

"Oh god!" she exclaimed,

"Just need a little patching up. We'll be there in ten."

'A little patching up' usually meant sutures, and possibly a blood transfusion. Her chair rolled away from her as she stood up and ran to get the supplies.

Trying to block memories of the earthquake from her mind she forced her shaking hands to work. They came through the side entrance only a few minutes later.

Digg looked okay at first glance, but he was carrying the bow and had his other arm under Oliver's shoulder.

Felicity raced forward to his other side, "What happened?" she demanded as she wrapped her arm around his waist, her hand immediately encountering something warm and sticky along his left side. She pulled back in shock to see blood.

"Did you get stabbed?" she could hear the frantic tone in her voice but knew there would be no way to stop it. She pressed her hand over the spot as Oliver groaned and leaned more of his weight on her.

They eased him onto the table, his legs hanging over the edge and she quickly skirted around the front of him so she could keep pressure on the wound.

"That new Triad member has some nasty claws." Digg said as he rolled over the cart she'd prepared. Under the light she could see the bruising around his face and the blood along his arm.

"I've got him, clean yourself up." she told him and turned back to Oliver.

"We got one of them." he said, his eyes focused on the floor. She didn't like when he got quiet and introspective, it usually didn't end well.

With one hand she undid the buckle for his quiver and let it fall behind him. The zipper on the jacket was next. He helped shrug out of the one sleeve and as she slipped it off the other arm she fingered the inch long slit in the back where the blade had gone through.

"T-shirt too." she ordered as she turned to grab gauze pads. When she looked back he was struggling to get it over his head and she helped ease the fabric off before finally getting a good look at his wounds.

After she'd wiped away most of the blood she knew it was deep. "Digg...ugh...stitches." she said swallowing heavily.

"I'll be right there. Just keep it covered." he directed

Felicity gladly placed a fresh piece of gauze over the area and held it down with the palm of her hand, wincing when she saw Oliver's slight flinch of pain. "Sorry,"

She picked up the jacket again with her free hand and ran her fingers over the now damaged leather. "Apparently I need to be researching better materials to make your suit out of. Like maybe kevlar." her worry came across as anger, her knees a bit wobbly at the thought of how badly he could have been hurt.

"I still need to be able to move in it, Felicity." he said between clenched teeth, shifting away from her slightly on the table.

"Yes, because breathable fabric is definitely a bigger priority than protecting your vital organs from being skewered!" her voice had gone high again, with a slight crack that made her look away. Oliver took the jacket from her, giving her hand a tight squeeze.

"I'm okay." he said deliberately and all she could do was nod.

She let Digg take over and busied herself cleaning the claw marks on Oliver's shoulder, none of them speaking while they worked. When she was done she tossed the soiled supplies in the trash and wandered to the nearest screen, reading the close captioning as it scrolled by.

"I'm sure the Alderman doesn't have much good to say about me." he said from behind her, trying not to groan as he tugged on a pullover. She reached out automatically and pulled the hem down, trying to ignore the burst of warmth she felt when her knuckles accidentally dragged over his abdomen.

Felicity cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses before turning back to the screen. "No, not really."

His head fell back with a sigh and she could see the strain he was under. While her previous anger hadn't completely vanished, it had dimmed somewhat. Oliver was making sacrifices just like the rest of them.

"I'm sorry." he said suddenly and she turned completely on her heel to face him.

"For what?"

"For not talking to you about the job."

She set her mouth in a thin line and returned his look. "Yeah, that may have been a good place to start."

His eyes shut briefly before he spoke, "I just made the decision. Because I need you with me. I know you're better than just a secretary, that's why I chose you. None of this would happen without you." his arm swept around the space but she couldn't drop her gaze from his and she couldn't stop the rush in her stomach at his words. "I know this will bring up questions and possibly put you in positions you find insulting and if you really want me to find an alternative solution I will."

He was genuine. She could see the apology written in his eyes, and she knew if she wanted something else he'd make it happen. But she also knew he was right. As his executive assistant she could go everywhere with him and Digg and no one would question it. It was the perfect cover, the perfect secret identity.

"I'm not going anywhere, Mr. Queen." she said with a slight tilt of her chin. The way his eyes lit up at her words was all the evidence she needed to know she'd done the right thing.

"That's very good news, Ms. Smoak." he replied, the corner of his mouth ticking up. When he held out his hand she took it was a quirk of her eyebrow and a vague sense of deja vu.

His hand enveloped hers and then he leaned in so close his breath made her hair move, "I promise to never ask you to get me coffee."

Heart suddenly caught in her throat she felt his hand grip hers tighter, his thumb rubbing over the back of her hand.

"Deal."