There are things

that we don't want to happen

but have to accept,

things we don't want to know

but we have to learn,

and people we can't live without

but have to let go.

. . .

"It's been YEARS now, Oliver," Diggle told him. "I want to believe this…meta-human as much as you do, but sometimes you DO have to give up. I know it's hard. I love her, too. We've looked everywhere we could think and we've come up with nothing." Diggle sighed. "Hoping is just hurting us…all of us…"

"She's out there—"

"Don't you think I thought about her on Sara's birthday? All I could think about was how Felicity would have never missed any of her birthdays…and now she's missed all three of them. She's the only person we consider family who was there the day she was born who has missed everything else," Diggle explained. "I can image exactly how Felicity would be with Sara now and what gifts she'd buy…but that's not going to bring her home."

"Maybe Lyla—"

"IF ARGUS DID have something, Oliver, don't you think that Lyla would have found it?" Diggle questioned. "Lyla was her friend, too."

"Felicity IS out there."

For three years, they'd been looking for Felicity Smoak. For three years, they'd have nothing to go on. It was like she'd just disappeared. They'd filed police reports and even Ray Palmer had put out different awards for information or for her return. Palmer had offered millions… No one had ever come forward with any information that gave them anything that ever panned out. It really was like one day she'd just vanished. Her disappearance was Oliver's obsession and it had kept him from moving forward in life, sometimes it was too hard for Diggle, but then his hope would end up being renewed.

After three years, though, people gave up. Captain Lance

"I told you, you should let ARGUS see this meta-human," Diggle told him. "Maybe they could discover something…something new."

"You know that's not MY choice," Oliver countered.

Diggle knew that.

He did.

Doctor Harrison Wells had the meta-human in Central City in his meta-human prison that was once the particle accelerator which actually was what had created all of the meta-humans like The Flash. It seemed like Wells was locking up most of the meta-humans, it was just Barry Allen so far who seemed pardoned from it. Maybe it was just Allen's personality or maybe it was his superpower. They knew Barry and Diggle knew he was a good guy, it just seemed odd to him that only Allen could possess the right skill set to actually help the people of Central City.

"So, let me talk to Lyla. We could take Burns by force," Diggle said.

It wasn't often that Diggle liked to use that often. It had been three years, though. Three years without anything more than the brief bits that Oliver saw of the future, or so Burns told him. They really didn't know enough about Grant Burns as far as Diggle was concerned. For all they knew, Burns just made up the future stuff that Oliver had seen and was holding onto. This was one of those times where he was more than okay with Lyla ordering ARGUS soldiers into Wells' labs and taking Burns by force.

For a moment, Diggle swore that Oliver was pondering letting ARGUS go in and make it happen. It was only a moment, though. Oliver shook his head. "Let me go to Central City…at least one more time… Maybe if I push myself… Maybe I can get some kind of useful information from him now. Something more than what I've seen. A building. Something about the location she's in…"

"Hell, even a street sign would be more than we've had in the past," Diggle told him. He knew that he couldn't push. If this didn't work, if Oliver got nothing, then they'd go to his plan whether Oliver wanted to or not. Felicity was his friend, too. Plus, Diggle had witness what her loss did to Oliver enough. One way or another, Oliver needed some closure.

. . .

"Johnny, he's cracking."

"We're all a little broken—"

"You are NOT broken," Lyla argued as she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Diggle shook his head. He WANTED to believe that. The truth was that Felicity was more than a friend, she was family. Felicity was someone who had brought light to everyone's lives, without her…darkness crept in. He had thought that Lyla and Felicity were friends, that she thought of Felicity in the same way. "I get why Oliver is the way he is, Lyla… If I didn't have you and Sara, I'd probably be in the same state."

"You know that's not true."

"But it IS."

Lyla squeezed him. "She's been gone for three years. It's time you and Oliver came to terms with it. You know the statistics."

"Felicity ISN'T a statistic, Lyla—"

"But she likely IS dead." Lyla moved away from him with a sigh. "I know you're hoping to just find her alive somewhere, but we both know that it would have to be a miracle."

"Miracles DO happen."

"Not in reality."

Felicity was out there.

Alive.

She had to be.

John told him that this was the last night that he was allowed to hope. After that, it was back to reality. He really wasn't sure if he could handle reality. He wasn't one to normally ask for such things, like miracles, but this time…he wanted it so badly.

Felicity Smoak.

That was his wish.

His prayer.

His desperate plea.

. . .

TBC…