"Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this"
~ "A thousand Years" by Christina Perri

"Hey," Caitlin said, trying to get her attention. In Felicity's mind, her friend's voice was distant and barely registered as her eyes and the entirety of her focus was on Tommy. Caitlin had looked him over first, per Felicity's insistence, and had said that he was just fine. They'd had a doctor from ARGUS, but she still worried. It wasn't like she had medical records or any hard copy of what shots, medications, or treatments they'd received while in ARGUS custody. "Hey. Stop worrying about him. He's fine. I checked him over. Medically he's perfect, plus he's with US. You know you're safe, right?"

Safe.

The word got her attention and she looked directly at Caitlin. "None of us is safe," Felicity whispered flatly.

Caitlin looked confused. "You're safe here with us."

Tears fell down her face. "I thought I was safe."

"Felicity—"

"I'll never be safe! Tommy will never be safe! ARGUS is going to come for us! Waller is going to have us on some list!" Felicity started to spiral out of control as her voice raised with each statement. It suddenly felt like everything she'd done over the last three years had been for nothing. They were away from ARGUS, but it didn't feel like they were safe. Could they ever be safe?

"I'll be right back, okay?" Caitlin said as she patted Felicity's shoulder and then headed towards the others.

Felicity ran her hands roughly over her face as tears fell. She was a wreck. Emotionally. Physically. Everything. She was just drained. There was too much to handle and she couldn't process any of this without just freaking out. Right now, freaking out seemed completely valid. As she watched Caitlin move to the others, all she could think was that she was likely telling them that she'd lost it (and she had) and that she was unstable (and she felt that way). It was weird to Felicity. Over the years, she'd spent so many times panicked, in fear for her life (and Tommy's)…all of those times…were not anywhere near as terrifying as that moment.

It made no sense.

Amanda Waller and her ARGUS agents had done a lot. They'd held her in dark, cold, and empty grey rooms with a freezing concrete floor. For a while, she'd been held somewhere that had a high up tiny window that let it just enough light to illuminate a cream colored wall that's paint was peeling. They'd made her hack things for them, to rework their system against cyber threats, and basically…do anything that they wanted that involved a computer or code. As hard as it had been to be alone during her pregnancy, the constant threat (and honest reality) that they could take Tommy away at any moment had been the real terrifying thing. All of her praying that they'd come and find her. Everything that she'd done to try to keep herself sane. Everything that she'd done so that when Oliver DID come, that Tommy was definitely his son: the name, how she'd describe Oliver in detail to Tommy every night and tell him that Oliver loved him, and even the Arrow stories…

It felt like, right now, it should FEEL like it had all been worth it.

It didn't feel like that.

"Hey."

Felicity blinked and looked over to see Oliver holding Tommy. She'd been surprised that Tommy had seemed so fine to be with people that he technically didn't know, people that were his family. "Hi," she whispered back.

He set Tommy down on the bed next to her and then sat so that their son was between them. This was the first time in three years that they'd been this close. Felicity didn't even think he'd been this close to her back at the ARGUS building when they'd found her. He'd been hesitant. She'd been scared. For a moment, she'd been certain that she had been hallucinating. This was the closest they'd been to a real family.

"Do you remember the last time we were together?" she found herself asking as she stared at him. Her fingers reached out to Tommy, wanting…needing some physical contact with her son. Their son.

"Yes," he whispered.

Felicity smiled at the thought of their lunch that day. That day had been the best day she'd had up until ARGUS had taken her away. She'd woken in her own bed, but with Oliver's arms wrapped around her and his naked body pressed against hers. Their relationship had grown, but they'd been attempting to keep things quiet between them. That wasn't easy with Diggle as a friend, it was like he had psychic or telepathic abilities.

"That morning…that lunch…I think of it every day," she admitted.

It didn't matter where she was, what ARGUS wanted, or how they were trying to go about getting her to do what they wanted (either by putting her in a dark, freezing room or by taking Tommy), she would always think of each detail. It wasn't just emotions or remembering his touches, but also how the sun had peeked in through the curtains or how they'd fought about what to have for breakfast or argued about whether or not Diggle knew.

Diggle knew.

He had to.

There was no keeping anything from him.

"I was just glad that the last thing hadn't been a fight."

She lit up suddenly. Arguments were sometimes a staple of theirs, usually when it came to Arrow business, but she was always right and she always reminded him of that. "It was sort of a flight…about John…" They both looked towards him for a moment and she let out a small giggle. "I'm certain he knows now…"

"He does."

Felicity looked back to Oliver and noticed him staring. "What?"

"Are you okay? Really?"

There was concern written all over his face. She really didn't know how to answer that question. "They didn't hurt me, if that's what you're asking…"

"Yes…and no."

Felicity sucked in a breath and looked down at Tommy. "I will be…you're just going to have to be patient…with me…" she told him as she looked back up to Oliver. "With us…"

"With all of us."

Time.

That was all they needed.

TBC…