Two weeks and a day. Not one call. Felicity hadn't shown up for work or gone to HQ at all. "Well maybe it's because two strikes in a row was enough for her," Diggle said.
"All I did was ask her what she did during her break." Oliver was still confused as to why Felicity had gotten so upset after such an innocent question.
"She told you not to pry into her relationship with Barry. That is the first place you went after you apologized. Dick move."
"I don't know. It's just hard to talk to her when Barry is probably waiting for her in the car."
"I told you what to say. I find it sort of funny that you face up to criminals basically every day and you can't face up to your feelings for a girl."
"Ha ha. Very funny, Digg." No matter how much he wanted to deny it, Oliver's heart ached because of all of the thoughts that flooded his mind. What if she hates me? She will probably never want to see me again. I'm losing her. I'm losing her to Barry. She's going to stay with Barry. I want her to come back. I need her. He just shook his head to try to get those ideas out of his head. "You like her, she definitely likes you. You're the one that is pushing her away. You are screwing this thing up because you think you're "doing the right thing". Do you feel like this is the right thing? Felicity not showing up to work or coming to HQ ever? I don't think it's right and I'm not even the one who's in love with her."
"Diggle, I don't need this again. I told you why—" Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. It was Oliver's phone. It was Felicity. He picked it up but before he could say anything a man's voice came from the other end. "So, Oliver Queen. You're the vigilante. I can't believe that no one has guessed that. I have your little blond bitch here, she has actually put up quite a fight."
"What do you want?!" Oliver yelled into the phone.
"Well, Mr. Queen. I want a lot of things. My life was destroyed because of your family and what I really, truly want is you to feel the same way I did when my wife was crushed in our apartment."
"Oliver!" He could faintly hear Felicity's voice on the other end. "Shut up, bitch," the man's hoarse voice came back onto the speaker, "I want you to come here. You'll come without your super-suit. And I want you to watch her like I watched my wife die."
"If you touch her," Oliver's teeth were clenched, "I swear to god I'll—" but the other line had gone dead. Oliver gave Diggle a look so sharp it could've pierced a diamond. "You tracked it right?"
"Yes, I did."
"Good, because I'm going now," he started running up the stairs, two at a time. "Wait," Diggle called after him, "aren't you gonna suit up?"
"He said no suit. So, no suit. I'm not taking any chances with this one." He turned around and ran out.
He must have sped through at least five lights because less than ten minutes had gone by when Oliver arrived at the secluded park where the man had Felicity in a chokehold. She kept trying to wrestle away but he would just grip tighter. Oliver ran towards them. "Stop where you are," the man commanded. There was blood on Felicity's shirt. "You don't have to do this. She didn't do anything. Please don't do this," it was a strange thing, Oliver begging. "Yes but your family did something. Your family killed my wife. And you deserve to suffer the way I did," the man's free hand was clenched around a knife at his side. "I'm sorry your wife died beca—"
"Murdered. She was murdered."
"So you are going to murder someone? Someone innocent?"
"I would rather call it revenge."
"Either way. It isn't the best way to go about things." Oliver did not think that reasoning with this man would be as hard as it was. "I don't know about you, but I am done talking." The man raised the knife up to Felicity's neck. "It's time for you to pay a well-deserved price." Just as he was about to slit her throat, Oliver reached into his boot and whipped a pocketknife into the attacker's neck. The man fell back and Felicity collapsed onto the ground. Oliver sprinted to her and found that she was passed out in the dirt. He held her head on his lap. He looked at the scratches on her face. The knife had just nicked her jaw. Diggle was right. He already did care a lot. He actually almost lost her and it was ripping him up inside. At least she will be okay, he thought. His epiphany was interrupted by Felicity's voice. "Oliver?" She was looking straight up at him. He smiled for the first time he had all day. "I'm here. I'm here Felicity. I'm so sorry."
"You saved me. Again," she tried to sit up, "Ow. Ow." Felicity lifted her shirt up just enough to reveal a long cut that went from the left side of her ribcage down close to her hip. "That'll leave a scar." She looked up, meeting Oliver's gaze. It had been a while since she'd given him that look. Oliver stood and helped Felicity back up into a standing position. "I need to get you back to HQ so we can patch you up." He walked her to the car and they drove back to the club.
Felicity spent close to an hour washing herself off in the restroom before letting Oliver bandage what wounds she had. "Better?" Oliver still looked quite concerned. "Better," she replied. Diggle finally spoke up. "I'm glad you are okay Felicity. I was worried for a while."
"Thanks, Diggle. I'll be okay though." She smiled.
"Well if you guys don't mind, I'm going to go back home. It has been a long day, as I'm sure you both know."
Oliver looked at him, "Bye Digg."