Last time: When he had finished, he looked down upon the woman in his arms. Conviction burned hot in his eyes, the sable pupils having taken on a glowing sheen, reflecting the blood-red color of sheets. In that moment, he truly looked like a demon.

xoxoxo

The dark-veined marble clicked in a rhythmic staccato beneath her heels, sounding remarkably like the steady beat of metallic drums, as she hurriedly and purposefully strode along the corridor framed by floor to ceiling glass-walls, bypassed his 'Executive Assistant', who stood up with a raised finger, a protest on her ruby-red lips and following her to his office door, which Felicity pushed open energetically - and then closed it right in the secretary's face. Yeah… no! Not happening! She smiled sweetly at the woman, giving her a tiny finger-wave for her effort, before turning around.

"Ray, I need a few days off." She threw the words at the man sitting behind his desk, bowed over some document or other.

The crown of yet-black her tilted back as Ray Palmer looked up from the contract he had been studying, revealing smooth, perfect features that could have been chiseled from stone, if not for the surprised consternation that was written across them at this moment. Laying down the pen he had been holding to sign the documents, he righted himself to fully look at his most important employee.

"Felicity?" The tone of his voice clearly asked her to explain this sudden demand.

"It's an emergency. Not me... of course. I'm fine. Since I am clearly standing here… I look fine, don't I? Maybe I looked stressed… but I wonder how 'not fine' would look …" She would have rambled on, if Ray hadn't interrupted her with a raised hand.

"What kind of emergency?" He asked curiously, not in the least bit affected by her ramblings, being used to them by now. He would never say so, but he found them one of her most endearing qualities. And to be honest, if he became excited about something, he was prone to rambling himself. So he couldn't fault her for that, really, he couldn't.

"It's a family emergency." She blurted out, her stress level rising.

"God, is your mother okay?" Ray had stood up from his desk and crossed the room in two long strides to stand in front of Felicity, his lank, tall frame literally all but dwarfing her, despite her wearing a pair of her tallest heels. His hands found themselves on her shoulder, squeezing gently. He knew Felicity and her mother had just recently connected again. It would be a tragedy, if something had happened to the lady.

Felicity looked up at her not so new boss, seeing his honest concern and feeling her heart warmed by it. It made this so much harder. "No… I mean yes. Mom is fine… better then fine, really. She is back to being her usual old self… well I didn't mean she is old as in old old, since I am not old either. I just turned 24 and she got me at a young age… AND I will stop rambling in 3... 2… 1. Sorry about that. It's my other family…" She trailed of, not really knowing what to explain and mentally kicked herself for not thinking this through.

"Other family? I didn't know you had other family." He really hadn't known, her personal employee file didn't mention any other relatives besides her mother. And her emergency contacts were Oliver Queen, his bodyguards John Diggle – he was curious how that had come about, but refrained from asking – and one Roy Harper, the latter he didn't know.

A nervous smile tickled her lips and she had to bite her inner cheek – ouch – to stop it. "Of course I do! - Have Family, I mean. Everybody does! You know, aunts and uncles, and cousins twice removed and such. - Don't you?"

"Ah… yeah… yes, I do!" He stuttered his hasty reply. "So, what is this emergency, if I may ask, Miss Smoak?" Her last name was added teasingly, just for effect.

"Uhm… I have this cousin in Canada. You see? We were really close while growing up, he would visit us all the time, me and mom. He has hurt himself badly while climbing in the Rockies. And since he has no close relatives either, they are all dead, I thought I should go and help him. He's about to be released from the hospital and the stupid klutz needs someone to take care of him. Just until he is back on his feet." Felicity congratulated herself for staying as close to the truth as possible and delivering it was a straight face. She was way better at making stuff up on the fly as her boys! Looking directly at Ray, she added: "And since I still have vacation time left…well… I know this is short notice. And I am sorry…" She stopped, exhaling a long held breath.

Ray nodded thoughtfully, not looking particularly happy at this moment though, more like a dog who had been stolen his most precious toy, all sad and droopy eyes, but minus the floppy ears. "Do you know how long you will be gone for?" He asked, resignation tinging his voice.

"Is this a yes? And, I… don't know?!" She hesitated, drawing out the last syllables of the sentence, while simultaneously shrugging her shoulders.

"Ah." He said looking at her.

"So?" She stared back at him, eyes squinted.

"So?" He questioned back, uncomprehendingly. Seconds ticked by. Until he finally seemed to realize she expected and answer. "Oh you mean? Yes! Sorry. Yes, you may go! Of course! But Felicity…"

"Yes, Ray?" Her large, green-ringed eyes looked up at him.

His face became earnest, resettling into the facade of Ray Palmer, CEO of Palmer Industries, setting aside friend to become boss again. "Please let me know when you'll be back as soon as you yourself know. Palmer Industries values his most precious employee. But I can only keep your position open for so long, if you overextend your vacation days to help a friend."

"Sure, I will. And thank you, Mr. Palmer." Felicity was aware of the status-change, subtle as it had been, and reacted accordingly, becoming Felicity Meghan Smoak, employee of Palmer Industries. She swallowed thickly, trying to get rid of the big, fat knot that had materialized in her throat, not sure if she had been found out… or not. But Ray's last words had sounded odd to her ears… as if he knew more than he was letting on.

xoxoxo

"Ugh…" An irritated groan escaped her pink painted lips, as Felicity threw herself in the front-seat of the dark-colored sedan parked in front of Queen Con… Palmer Industries, she was still getting used to the name change, and shook raindrops off her purse, which she had used to shield herself from the steady drizzle released from the storm-clouds above.

"Did it work?" Roy looked for the entire world like an eager puppy, hopeful, expectant eyes turned on her. Dig's look was a little bit more sedate, but still expectant.

"Yes, I got time off…" She sighed, still trying to wipe of raindrops off her dress and not really looking at the boys. "… possibly indefinitely."

"What?" Both male inhabitants of the car asked in chorus.

"Ray gave me time off, but he also told me, he could not keep my position open, and here I quote 'if you overextend your vacation days to help a friend.'" She stressed the words overextend and help a friend the same way he had done, which raised an eyebrow on Diggle's face.

"Do you think he knows or suspects something?" He asked worriedly.

"I really don't know, Dig." Her hands reached up to knead a spot on her forehead. It always ached, when she felt stressed, today, it seemed, was no exception. It hurt something fierce, a sharp, centered pain, like an axe shipping away pieces of bone in her skull directly behind her brow. "With me coming and leaving at the most unusual hours sometimes, it is a possibility we have to consider."

Dig laid a hand on Felicity's shoulder, squeezing gently. "It's okay. Don't worry, we'll deal with it later, in case something happens."

Her hands sunk back into her lap, smoothing away invisible creases in her blue dress, and she smiled tentatively at the boys. "Did you pack your bags?"

"Blondie! Who do you take us for? We are no slackers either. Of course we did!" Roy answered with a small, light grin. A full one he just couldn't manage these days. None of them could.

"Good, good." Felicity muttered, while collecting her tablet from the glove compartment, where she had stashed it before entering the high rise. After a few swipes and clicks, she looked up. "Then let's go to Canada. I booked us three business-class seats in the next American Airline flight leaving Starling City for Calgary. Courtesy of one Mr. Yatamoto and his two employees, whose flight tickets have just been cancelled… accidently… of course. Must have been a glitch in their servers."

Felicity glanced at Dig and Roy, shrugging her shoulders innocently. "Uhpps!"