Hello!

Thank you everyone again for your reviews and your alerts! This is so supporting... thank you. a lot!

And thank you so much to... Guest :) for having told me about ponctuation marks in dialogs. I have never paid attention but this is so obvious now you have mentionned it. I hope I'm doing it right in this one.

So...

This chapter is actually a half one. I wanted to post it with the final scene but... too long. So you will have the final scene next week... because it's not written yet. I hope you'll the reading today. To be honest I'm scared. But don't forget about the summary of this story: this is something I would love to watch on Arrow, not necessarily a scene I'm expecting to see.

So, tell me.

Chapter 3

The one with Felicity's freakout

Remember when Felicity said she needed some female support against all this testosterone?

Well, she withdraws that.

She's staring at them. Training. Him, with his hands on her hips.

What is she doing here, again?

She's smiling at him. With her 54 fucking teeth. He smiles back. And Felicity has to refrain from crying. This is fucking pathetic. And she says "fuck" a lot now. Because this whole situation is so fucked up.

She's like a dormant volcano and nobody seems to care about.

Except Diggle. He's her rock. He's her friend. He understands how hard this is for her.

Like with Sara… but worse. Much worse.

Nobody asked her for her opinion. Neither did he. So yeah… he understands.

And nobody asked Roy… but he has no opinion. He says "Hi" to her when she's here. And that's it. He wasn't even in the team when she was a touchy subject between Oliver and John.

It has been two weeks now. Two fucking weeks, fifteen fucking days she's here almost every day. To practice.

And for what exactly? If she wants to do some sports, she can take out a subscription in a fitness center like everybody else.

She has already gone three times in mission with Oliver. Nothing dangerous. But in Starling City you never know. Each time, he asked her to go home. Each time, she did not give a fuck.

The combination of these two factors is killing Felicity.

This is an intrusion. An intrusion into her private life. This is a fucking crime for a nerd.

Oh and if she hears one more time this "Ollie" thing, she's going to kill somebody.

Five days ago, Felicity tried to run a revolution. She settled herself right in front of Oliver and said: "Train me". It was not a request. She didn't want to leave it as an option. He had to. He trains her.

Her direct approach firstly destabilized him. Felicity never talks that way.

He breathed out tiredly: "We have already had this conversation".

Sure, but circumstances had just changed, and it was all his fault.

She shrugged.

"Let's have it one more time"

She felt his insistent look on her face but she didn't want to catch his eye. She was weak when he stared at her.

"I don't want to put you on the front line"

Oliver knew she was going to protest but he stopped her in her tracks.

"And don't tell me "my life, my choice"… please"

It kept her silent for a few seconds. She was exactly going to say this. Inefficient but fair.

So she finally opted for something more efficient.

"You're training Laurel"

Really more efficient. Really unfair too. Because she started to put the finger where it hurts. For both of them.

He closed his eyes and breathed out again, trying to stay calm. This whole conversation was going badly.

"Laurel is not in the team"

Oliver's words would have given her a reason to smile if she wasn't on the defensive.

No, Laurel wasn't. Thanks for remembering. Does she know it?

And he was training her.

Felicity was staring at him, arms crossed.

"Look, she's alone. Her father is slowly recovering from his surgery. She's been through hard times lately and she needs… I don't know what she needs but I'm here for her"

Felicity felt a lump in her throat. She had not been really in vacation either.

Oliver tried again.

"How many times did I have to rescue her because she was in trouble the past two years? This woman is stubborn and reckless and… and I think it's better if she knows how to fight. Especially if she keeps following me all the time… which I hate"

This one was better, but not even sufficient.

She had to bite her tongue to not sidetrack about this "following" thing. She had a lot to say actually. But she didn't want to hear Oliver saying he hated it because he thought more about her safety than his. She wasn't a masochist.

"And she already knows it. Her father taught her"

Felicity's tone was harsh.

Oliver cleared his throat.

"It's not enough in this town"

She laughed internally.

Oh my God, he was so… hypocritical.

She really wanted to cry right now.

"And I don't even know how to defend myself because you don't want to teach me"

He gave her a confused look.

"I thought Diggle did. Basis at least"

Her level of frustration and anger was one of the highest she had ever experienced in her life.

"Well, I'm asking you so…"

So he was such a dick.

She saw it in his eyes. Something broke. He came closer. "Felicity… your place is not into the field". His painful look, his whisper… He was begging her. "I don't want to put you in danger".

This was an endless conversation. He had come back to his first sentence. His only defense.

He did it.

"But you used me as a bait to save her… How ironic is that?"

Without even suspecting anything, he had just broken her heart again.

This was five days ago.

And Felicity has become a pittbull. She only answers with one-word responses.

John is leaving her more space. He's just hugging her longer than usual. His way to make her understand he's here to talk if she needs to.

Oliver is avoiding her. He screwed up and he doesn't know how to fix it. So he's doing nothing. Typical.

When Laurel is smiling at her, Felicity is smiling back but she's so tense that her mouth is forced into an uncomfortable rictus. This is wrong, because she's mad at Oliver. She has never argued with Laurel. But she argued with Oliver about Laurel. Which is worse. And she's too upset to take things into consideration.

And Roy… he should retreat. But he doesn't. Until yesterday he thought she was having her period.

After four days of: "Felicity can you pass / Come and get it yourself, I'm not your mom!" he has decided to pay more attention to his environment.

It didn't take him too long to understand that Felicity is dying of spontaneous combustion every time Oliver is around.

It's his fault.

He broke Felicity.

Roy is going to kill him.

Right after she leaves the Cave in the evening, he points an accusing finger at the archer.

"You"

He's pissed. Oliver can see that. Diggle can see that.

Then he points the exit.

"This girl… I love her. She's weird. And kind, and funny. And she smells good…"

Oliver is frowning.

"She's like a fucking marshmallow!"

John smiles. This is at once the most awkward and faithful definition of Felicity he has ever heard.

"She's like… I don't know, she's like a dog"

Now John is frowning too.

This kid has a wording issue.

Roy knows his example doesn't speak for itself. He tries to patch it up.

"Of course she's not a dog, "dog". But… you know…. I said "dog" because you know how they are. They are happy. All the fucking time! They lick your face… they wag their tail nonstop and they jump on you to say hello and… and they always ask for strokes! Even when you beat them for no reason, they just… they just keep loving you!"

Roy looks at Diggle again to find some support.

Never mind.

"You broke her man!"

Oliver tilts his head, not sure if he wants to know what Roy means with his animal metaphor.

"She used to be a happy dog, and she's not anymore. She's a fucking cat! You can't touch these damn things, they always scratch you first. It bleeds, it hurts, and it swells. Cats are evil. You must have done something. Something terrible"

He's still pointing his accusing finger.

"I don't care what it is but fix it!"

"Fix her" he adds.

Then he takes his red sweater and he leaves. Without a word.

Well, he's done enough with words.

Oliver looks at Diggle incredulously.

What was that?

John shrugs and he leaves too.

But he says "Good night".

…

The kid is right. He broke Felicity.

Damn.

The next day, she's here. Of course she is. Where else would she be?

Oliver has thought all night long about a way to initiate the dialogue. Inconclusive.

Well, never mind.

What's the point of calling himself a hero if he's afraid of a tiny woman?

"Felicity?"

She doesn't answer. She keeps turning her back on him, as he simply doesn't exist.

John is here too, but he's smart enough to pretend he doesn't listen.

Damn good manners.

Oliver's turning her chair by force. Now she's looking at him, with no expression at all.

He tries to hide the fact this is affecting him. Her attitude. Her coldness. This is not his Felicity. Roy was so right… for once.

He can easily look into her eyes because their faces are pretty close due to his position, leaning forward on the armrest of her seat. All he can see in here is a deep, deep grudge.

Okay, maybe he's afraid.

"Talk to me… Felicity"

He's whispering. Using a big voice would be irrelevant.

"We have already done that"

She's talking. Good.

"So let's talk again"

The role reversal since their previous conversation makes him smile. But he stops when he sees her crossing her arms. This is not a sign of openness to discussion. So he presumes it's his turn.

"Is it really that training thing that bothers you?"

She's confused. And he's so close he's doing his best to stay focused.

"What do you mean?"

He shrugs.

"I mean, this thing… is it the training… or Laurel?"

He's not sure about it. If he was training anybody else, would Felicity react the same way?

…

No she wouldn't.

He's not sure about anything, but he's sure about that.

Then he remembers the last time he saw Felicity reacting unfavorably to something… or someone.

Before she answers, he adds: "I remember you felt excluded when Sara joined the team"

When she thought she wasn't his girl anymore. She couldn't be more wrong.

But this is not Sara today. Felicity wasn't… embittered at that time. This is… different. He can feel it.

She takes her time to answer.

"You told me Laurel was not in the team"

Queen, you're an idiot. He mentally slaps himself.

"She's not. But it seems like you feel… threatened"

This is a risky wording choice. But he still thinks it's a good one. This is exactly what she looks like.

This time, she doesn't take her time at all.

"Threatened".

She just repeats his word while she's scratching her chin, like plunged in her thoughts.

Then she shrugs. "Yeah, sure"

Oliver first thinks she's serious. Why not? She looks like she is. Her voice is low. She doesn't grin. Perfect outfit of a serious girl.

"To be honest… Jealousy is killing me right now"

Or maybe she was not so serious after all.

Oh this discussion is going so badly… He's so screwed.

Oliver tries to put out the fire he has started by himself.

«I didn't say that »

He knows he has made a mistake when he has brought Sara's topic in the conversation. Then he has definitely lost the battle when he has talked about threat. But still, he means it.

He steps back and she stands up.

"No… no, you're right"

She nods.

« Because… you are such an awesome guy, well… I should say the best… that I just can't bear anyone from your female entourage"

She takes one step closer.

Oliver was going to say something but she raises her voice to dissuade him from adding anything.

« AND… you are such a perfect gentleman that you can't help yourself from sleeping with them. A true gift of self. So thoughtful»

She has finished her sentence by pushing him several times to make Oliver move back. Her bitterness is like a sharp knife. The way she's pushing him… From his 6 feet high, he's not moving a lot. But that doesn't mean he can't feel all the strength she puts in it. This is even more contrasting with the apparent calm of her voice.

She's calling him a womanizer. She wouldn't be the first. But this time, it's painful. And violent. And… devastating. Not because he doesn't deserve it. But because it's Felicity.

He can't stand the disillusion he's reading in those damn blue eyes anymore. Those same blue eyes which used to look at him with so much admiration not a long time ago.

How do I look? Like a hero…

He just can't. And he won't.

"Excuse me?"

Say hello, big voice.

He's a head taller than her, but Felicity doesn't care. "I'm not threatened. I'm tired. I don't want to be a damn foil in your courtship ritual with Laurel Lance"

She's saying it like it is the most natural thing in the world. She shrugs in a "yeah, no big deal" style. In her point of view, she just states a fact.

Oliver can't believe what he's hearing.

Courtship ritual? This is so fucking absurd.

This is so fucking absurd that he's laughing.

"By the way, I'm a big fan of this whole… epic relationship… thing, or whatever".

She shakes her hands as she's searching her words, like she's talking about a disgusting thing.

Felicity's not going to stop her verbal diarrhea. A tiny part inside her (she could name dignity) is actually praying for a fucking earthquake before she goes any further. Her dignity is not praying enough apparently because it's not working. She's still talking.

"You should write a book, you know"

"All this drama, all these… threatened nerdy blond girls you imagine… it would make such a perfect story. Or maybe a tv show? Kids, that's how I met your mother. Then I cheated her a thousand times, even with her little sister… who is your aunt Sara by the way. One day I took her on a boat trip, it sank, and I thought she died, but she didn't, instead she became a member of the league of Assassins, which as its name indicates it, is a private club for killers. And she turned gay but this is not the point. Then I went back home after 5 years on a fucking evil island and became the Arrow, and your mom hated me because of your aunt's fake death and she was in couple with my best friend but he died too. For real this time. So she hated me, again, and became an alcoholic then your fake dead aunt came back to life, and I slept with her, again, because she turned not so gay after all, but she dumped me, so I finally realized that your mom was the love of my life. How romantic is that!"

Dignity, are you still there?

Nope.

So she rubs it in.

"No need to find a title because I have the perfect one for you: Worst. Love story. EVER ! »

She has raised her hands while she was screaming her last words, as she was showing the top line of a fucking movie poster.

Oh my God…

Nobody speaks anymore.

This is so quiet. So humiliating.

What has she done?

What the fuck was she thinking? And could she stop saying "fuck" all the time?

Oh my God…

She can't look at him. Not after what she's just said.

She needs to get out of here.

And die.

When she grabs her bag, she doesn't expect Oliver to hold her back. She has been horrible. The fact that she meant what she said doesn't make her feel better. The opposite, actually.

So when she hears a gloomy and hesitant "Felicity", she rushes through the lair. She really needs to get out of here.

Oliver doesn't try more. He just stares at her while she's leaving.

Win by a knockout. She has totally rooted him to the spot.

They already fought, once.

Sure, right after you get yours out of your ass.

Her most violent sentence. Today is breaking all the records.

He can't help himself from thinking about her words again.

Worst love story ever.

Wow.

Definitely… this is not the training thing. He was right about that at least.

Diggle moves again and Oliver remembers his presence. Oh yeah, he's here. Perfect.

"Don't say anything. Please".

It's not really a "please". More like a "shut up".

John offers him an indulgent smile and he says back: "This is what I call reaping what you have sowed. You wanted to keep it inside. Now it just blows up in your face"

« What ? »

« That thing you can't deny but you refuse to express out loud because you would have no idea how to deal with it… Anyway you have just brilliantly demonstrated you have no idea how to deal with the current situation either".

It takes Oliver an eternity to answer. "You will always be Team Felicity, right ?"

This is not really a question. He already knows the answer. But Diggle doesn't want to spare him.

"Sure… Well, as long as you act like an idiot…So… yeah. Always"

Thank you for reading and title of next chapter: The one with an explanation