A/N: Had a need to work this possible scene out after the dialogue tease was released. Spoilers for 2x06

The twelve hour flight where they were limited in what they could say and how they could interact had taken it's toll on all of them, but possibly Oliver the most. Ever since Digg had gotten the new intel on Deadshot Oliver had been right there, offering any resources and any help he could.

Felicity knew what it was about. He was trying to absolve his guilt from how it had gone down last time. Digg knew it too and he was going to let Oliver do what he needed to do. So when they were suddenly filing flight plans for an impromptu business trip to Moscow with no actual itinerary neither of them said a word. Digg called the private airstrip where the Queen's kept the Lears and Felicity did her best to clear Oliver's business calendar.

No one was expecting Isabel Rochev to be waiting on the tarmac when they arrived. Felicity only needed to take one look at the stubborn set of the woman's chin to know there was nothing Oliver would be able to say to convince her not to come along.

Felicity and Digg were expected to sit apart from Oliver and Isabel like the good little worker bees they were. She was sure to pin Oliver with a withering glare as she passed. He gave her an apologetic grimace that she chose to ignore.

Digg looked like a caged tiger. She'd never seen him so antsy. Being trapped in a small plane when they couldn't spend their time planning for when they got there had him on edge. She was really the only one who could do anything in the air so she did what she did best.

Hacking the A.R.G.U.S mainframe hadn't been easy but it had given her a wealth of information and she went ahead and did some unauthorized searches on the few Bratva contacts she'd heard Oliver mention in the past.

Felicity sat in the very back, facing the rest of the plane to ensure Isabel wouldn't catch her by surprise. She'd caught Oliver looking her direction a few times and the irritation she'd felt earlier slipped away as she watched that certain muscle in his jaw ticked as he was forced into conversation with Isabel.

Try as she might she couldn't help but overhear most of their talk. There was something different about Isabel this time and she couldn't quite figure it out until she heard the woman laugh. Felicity jerked upright, her tablet almost falling off her lap and causing Digg to look at her in concern when she realized what it was.

Isabel was trying to seduce Oliver.

It was plain as day now that she saw it. When she flicked her eyes to him there was a change in him, some sort of resigned acceptance almost and it caused her gut to twist.

For hours, across continents and oceans and more time zones than she could count she stewed over what she was witnessing. He'd been surprisingly focused since he'd been back. Between work at QC and being the Arrow there hadn't been much time for anything else; for anyone else. A sudden attention to Isabel of all people was enough to catch her attention.

The work on her tablet basically came to a halt as she spent her time listening and observing. She was trying to be covert but both he and Digg caught her more than once. She owned it though, merely adjusted her glasses and purposely looked back at her dark screen before starting it all over again.

When they finally landed she had to tramp down the surge of...something she couldn't quite identify that was working it's way out of her chest as she watched Oliver help Isabel into her coat. It wasn't jealousy. It was sadness she realized as he gave the other woman one of his easy, charming smiles that didn't reach his eyes.

Digg had already exited the plane and Oliver was right behind Isabel when Felicity decided she had to say something.

"Mr. Queen, can I see you for a moment." she used her best professional voice and gave Isabel a tight smile. The woman's eyes cut over her and she had a feeling she knew more than she was letting on.

Oliver waited as Isabel walked down the steps and then came back towards where Felicity was standing. He waited expectantly and she took a deep breath before she spoke.

"You deserve better than her." her eyes were locked on his and she couldn't help the hand that came out to lay along his sleeve.

She'd caught him by surprise. He'd clearly been expecting her to tell him something about Deadshot or the Bratva. Emotions flicked across his face starting with confusion and ending with a look of self-disgust that had her sucking in a breath with a hand halfway to his face before she stopped herself.

His brows drew together as he let out a long breath. She watched as he opened his mouth ready to protest what she'd said and then she saw as he gave in to what he felt was his penance.

"I don't think I do." it was the heavy weary voice he used that made tears prick her eyes.

Her fingers dug into the fine fabric of his overcoat and she wished she could make him see the person she saw when she looked at him.

His voice dropped and his eyes lowered to where her hand rested on his arm, "I can't...I can't be with anyone right now that matters to me. I think last year taught me that. But right now I need you to trust me."

The impact of his words and his choice of words had her stomach flipping and she wasn't sure why.

When he lifted clouded blue eyes to hers she knew there was more to his interaction with Isabel than she'd noticed at first glance.

"I do trust you. Just...be careful." her voice was throatier that she intended and a brief flash of something she couldn't recognize crossed his face.

He gave her a stiff nod and turned to exit the plane. Before he reached the steps she called out, "But I am right, Oliver. You deserve better. And one day you'll understand that."

He held her gaze until she began to feel warm and self-consciously moved her attention to the phone in her hand.

When she made her way to the stairs his hand was already stretched back to help her down, and when she slid her fingers into his he squeezed them tight once. And she knew he was saying thank you.