Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Please see my A/N below for further information.

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Chapter 9 – An Officer and An Arrow

Felicity spun round, actually knocking Diggle out of the way as she shot across the lair and into Oliver's open arms on his return to the Lair following his latest encounter with one of Laurel Lance's traps. "Oh thank god! Oliver!"

"I'm alright, it just didn't go the way we thought or rather hoped," He replied softly as he pressed a kiss into her hair. "I'm really beginning to think that you were right with what you said on the island, Felicity."

"I would say I told you so but I think that's kind of given." She replied, running her hand down his back as he put his bow away then turned to hold her back against his side with his arm around her waist.

"Laurel had half the force out looking for you with that silent alarm of hers." Diggle added as he rested his hand on the back of Felicity's desk chair to stop its continuing momentum.

"Because going after the real bad guys is just so last year," Felicity rested her head against his chest for a moment. "Let me guess, you're the bad guy because..."

"I didn't get to Tommy in time." He finished for her, placing a gloved finger over her lips as he caught the familiar rant appear in her eyes. "I know."

She pulled it away then pulled on his quiver strap. "How did you get out of there Oliver because it didn't sound that good over the comms?"

"A masked woman in black turned up and help me get out of there," He replied as he let her ease it over his head.

"Another vigilante like the hoods?" Diggle asked.

"No, she was trained, highly trained from what I could see and she used a..." He took the quiver from Felicity and put it down on one of the smaller tables, leaning on it for a moment, "...sonic thing."

Both Felicity and Diggle grew more alert at that – both moving to stand either side of him, even as they recognised the focused research look appearing in Felicity's eyes. "A sonic thing, can you be more specific?"

"All I know is that she turned it on and the glass shattered." Oliver felt Felicity tense and he caught her by the forearms as she reached for him. "I'm alright Felicity I promise."

"The question is though, who is she and why would she help you?" Diggle added. "And more importantly..." Felicity continued his train of thought, "How did she know help you."

At that and the tone in her voice, Oliver pulled her completely into his embrace, resting his chin on her head as she tried to bury herself inside his leather jacket – without undoing it. "All good questions and I really don't like the idea of another vigilante wandering the streets; we have enough problems as it is. I set Roy on the issue from the streets."

"And I'll see what I can find on-line." Felicity pulled away from him then reached up on tip-toes to kiss him before moving to her computers, saying over her shoulder as she did so. "Don't quiz him, Digg, we both agreed that he should at least try to speak to her."

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Even as Felicity worked her magic on the computers, the following day found Quentin Lance scowling at his own computer screen in the precinct. His ire however was not aimed at the poor inanimate screen but instead at his current Lieutenant who was keeping the news that one of the most fearsome men he had put away in his career had escaped Iron Heights during the earthquake.

Looking over to his lieutenant's office, he caught sight of Oliver Queen on the screen and in an instant he made a decision that would change everything at he ever thought he would do. He picked up his mobile and called Felicity Smoak.

In the foundry Felicity, while valiantly doing her best to ignore the two men wrestling behind her (especially as Oliver was shirtless as normal) suddenly came across a set of records on the police computer. Scanning them through, she made a small sound as she came across the only picture that seemed to have been taken of the mysterious woman.

Oliver had immediately moved to her side on hearing the sound. "Felicity?"

"Look." She said quietly indicating the picture on the screen. "These reports make it clear that she's been around for a couple of months. It seems that whoever she is, she's been attacking attackers, especially those targeting women and with the damage to ear-drums..." She looked up at Oliver as he rested his hand on her shoulder, silently agreeing (she did her best to ignore the way his thumb stroked her bare shoulder unconsciously), "But it's more than that, Oliver, because I don't think she just some other vigilante..."

"Which is good because we don't need another vigilante running around the city," Oliver replied "But she still needs to be stopped somehow?"

It was Diggle however who noted that Felicity had paused for a moment. "You've found something else in common with the attacks." He said wryly as she pulled up a screen that showed where all the female vigilante's actions had taken place but before she could continue with her train of thought, her phone rang.

As one all Team Arrow looked at it and noted the name flashing on the screen even as she picked it up, "Hi Detective?"

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Standing at the door leading out on to the roof of the precinct, Lance slapped the file he was holding to his file, fuming slightly from the warning he had just received from Lieutenant Pike to stay away from the case. In his mind it kind of solidified his reasons for taking the path he was about to tread.

With that in mind, he opened the door and stepped out onto the roof.

"I see you took me up on Ms Smoak acting as my contact, Detective?" The electronic voice was clear in the night sky and he looked up to see the man in green leather waiting for him. (He also noted sub-consciously that this was another person who continued to refer to him as Detective – but there was no way he was going to even make a half-attempt to correct this particular person!)

"She vouches for you and I've seen myself you're trying to save the city without leaving bodies, are you going to keep to that?" Lance responded as he moved up the steps to stand near the Arrow but deliberately without seeing into his hood.

"And disappoint her!" He replied with an actual note of amusement in his synthesised voice.

"That's what I thought." He walked past him to stare out over the city. "This city is hurting and the police..." He broke for a moment before continuing. "I always thought we didn't need to go outside the law to find justice but in light of recent events, I'm not so sure anymore..."

With that, he dropped the file on the small wall between them. "Barton Mathis, the media calls him the Doll-Maker."

Oliver picked up the file and turned away to open it, quickly noting the dates. "This is from six years ago."

"It's my own personal file." Lance turned from where he was staring out over the city again. "With everything that's going on, no-one knows that he's escaped. You said were trying another way, so because of her trust in you, I am too."

"I'll be sure to tell her that." Oliver replied as he tucked the file inside his jacket.

"Just keep her safe."

"As much as she will let me," With that he fired an arrow and disappeared.

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Yes, I know - there's a lot of the actual episode in this one - there's a lot of changes as well if you look closely. It just happened that way and Lance wanted to have a say in this. (And I did change quite a bit of that roof-top conversation but kept his most important statement!)

Sometimes the differences come in the unspoken words, just to say! (Plus the fact, I like Lance in S2 and really don't like LL at all!)

Coming tomorrow: Chapter 10 – Not A Doll Person

This will not be a regular thing but I can see just how much I can AAA this episode, of course I may drop a lot of a particular scene to do with LL but we'll see what happens. I may even amalgamate several episodes ahead but I'll see what the muse feels like when I get there.

Once again I look forward to your reviews, and request you leave one for Wizard's View as well ;op