Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Please see my A/N below for further information.
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Chapter 3 – Before the Storm
John Diggle stared at his two kissing partners in complete and utter astonishment. While he had always believed that there was something between the two of them, he was still sure that Oliver was too hung-up on the Lance girl to actually do anything about it.
'And third landmine,' He suddenly went over what Felicity herself had said. '"Felicity hadn't even been sure what she had stood on a moment ago, what the hell is going on?'
He did the only thing he could do – he coughed out loudly – only to be struck again by how they reacted.
Instead of springing apart, Felicity blushing deeply and Oliver not even looking at her, they separated slowly, still staring into each other's eyes. He brushed back a lock of hair that had gotten loose from her ponytail and then held it in his fingers, looking at it and then back at her – a silent question in his steel blue eyes.
"One of those things we need to talk about." She replied, even as she pulled on the short ends of his hair. "I prefer this haircut."
He actually laughed, something Diggle had never heard him do before and jumped to his feet, still holding her in his arms. "You shouldn't have come here," He murmured as he looked over to Diggle and then back at Felicity, his arm around her waist. "But I'm glad you did."
"We need to talk..." Diggle replied as he reached out for the bag that he had dropped on going to help Felicity and jumped to his feet. "And about more things that even I know, clearly."
"Then we need to get somewhere safer than here." Oliver immediately took Felicity's hand and started to lead the way, bending down to pick up his bow and quiver as they passed. "There's a storm coming in and we won't want to be in the open when it hits, this island's still not safe."
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Oliver ducked into the fuselage of the downed plane, followed closely by Felicity (who's hand he had not released as he pulled her after him across the island) and then Diggle – who found himself walking into her as she was standing stock-still in the middle of the room.
"Felicity?"
"It... it looks so different." She murmured absently as she cast her eyes around the room, rubbing her head as the memories came even faster. "We didn't have this many boxes when we were here the first time."
Diggle threw the rucksack down on one of the crates that were around the walls, and then helped Oliver gently guide the blonde girl over to sit down before saying, "One of you is going to have to explain this to me, guys because I'm operating in the dark here and that's not a good thing."
"As soon as we've done some storm-proofing, Digg," Oliver ran his hand over Felicity's head for a moment and then stepped away, picking up a t-shirt to pull on. "We don't have time to get to the cave before this hits and the electricity in the air tells me this is going to be a bad one. We'll have plenty of time to talk then."
For all the turmoil inside himself, the playboy billionaire was being remarkable calm about the sudden change in the relationship between himself and his blonde IT genius. It had taken only a quick glance at her to realise that she was still receiving the memories that had been lost to her – just as he was himself; his poker face however was under tighter restraint, thanks to unwanted experience.
Even as he worked to prepare the plane, he couldn't help casting looks towards her, she was paler than she had been when he last saw her in Starling City and it was clear that she had not been sleeping well. When it came to it, Diggle did not look as if he had been having an easy time of it either and he felt guilty at leaving them behind the way that he had without a word.
With all thoughts now internal for all three members of the team and apart from the occasional order from Oliver, the three worked in silence as they worked swiftly until Felicity picked up something that had been off to one side and cried out in pain. Spinning round, the two men found her looking at a silver bracelet, embedded with green gems.
As she began to fall, her other hand rising to clutch her head, Oliver (to Diggle that is) seemed to cover the gap between them with a single leap, catching her in his arms before she could fall. He brought her across to a tent she had set up, gently placing her on the camp-bed Diggle had covered with a sleeping bag he had just found. He knelt down beside her, holding her hand in his even as she clutched the bracelet to her.
"Princess, come on now, wake up, you can't leave again." He rested his forehead on their joined hands, "Not now we're really back together." Her voice was broken in response and she opened pain-filled eyes to look at him. "Why would she do that to us, steal us from each other?"
He didn't reply, in what way could he reply to an almost unanswerable question. Instead, he helped her sit up, moving in behind her so that she could lean against him. As he did so, she unthinkingly put the bracelet back where it belonged on her wrist, pulling her jacket back down over it.
And just as Diggle's curiosity meter reached its overflow, the storm Oliver had predicted hit the island with a furious rumble of thunder and an explosion of rain, unaware that the storm that was about to be released inside the plane was going to be even more life-changing.
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I know, I know, another chapter already and only a filler one at that - this one was going to explain things but Oliver decided that a real storm was coming in and well, Felicity decided that she needed to make a few more mysterious comments!
I would like to take this opportunity to say that I have four decades and growing up with my father's knowledge of late fourties/fifties DC comics plus a certain tv series to work with for this story plus a love of greek mythology so this is really going to take turns that make it AU - oh and OOC for everyone. Sorry in advance to purists!
I love all the favourites/alerts/follows this is getting but if you would kindly add reviews as well, it would be most appreciated :op