I'm going to use dates from now on, at least often enough to not get lost. With what's going on with Felicity, keeping track on the calendar will be important.

And another thing: when people refer to what Helena did to Felicity, they say she tied her up. It's true, but I think she did way more than that. Felicity had mascara smudges under her eyes, and she sounded all whimpery and traumatized when Oliver found her.

Oh, and the scarf around Felicity's neck when Oliver rescued her… where did that even come from?

One last thing: I'll need to paraphrase some of the last Felicity scene.

Monday, March 18th

Diggle watched as Felicity tried to do her work. She had a dreamy look on her face and it had him wondering how things with Ed were going. He hoped he was treating her right; Felicity had enough guy problems because of Oliver.

Also, Diggle thought she might be pregnant, but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked, and she snapped out of her distracted state.

"Oh, um… My date with Ed went well yesterday." She gave him a small smile.

"Where'd he take you?"

"The zoo." Her smile grew. "I love the zoo."

Dig nodded, amused. "And what happened?"

"He kissed me in front of the penguin exhibit!" she blurted, clearly excited. "It was the cutest thing ever! The penguins were being adorable and waddling around in their tuxedos and then he just leaned over and kissed me! And he was great at it!"

"Good for you," he replied, trying not to laugh. It was reassuring to see her this way, all giddy over a deserving guy. He knew that Oliver had really hurt her, and he was glad there was a guy who made her feel worthy.

Also, he did the math and Felicity would be nearly five weeks pregnant—if she really was pregnant. So… Well, she could be. At least as far as Diggle knew. He wasn't really seeing an upside to that. Felicity pregnant with Oliver's baby? If people knew she was pregnant with an heir to the Queen fortune, they might try to ransom the baby; that is if Felicity even survives long enough to have it. She was pregnant when the Dodger put that bomb collar on her, and it probably wouldn't be the last time she got put in danger. And if anyone ever knew it was the Hood's baby… Wow. Think of all the enemies Oliver's made. If any of them found out he had a kid…

Felicity better not be pregnant.

Diggle was shaken from his reverie by the sound of the opening door.

"Have you guys seen the work they're doing up there?" Oliver descended the stairs, for once dressed as a billionaire playboy. "They've really made progress."

"Not really," answered Felicity. "I usually take the back door. And the last time I was up there I wasn't paying attention."

"You two going to come to the opening on Friday?" Oliver asked.

"Only as your bodyguard." said Diggle.

"I'm more of a stay-at-home-and-watch-Doctor Who kind of girl," Felicity quipped. "And what's the name of the club? I don't think you've told me."

"Verdant."

She blinked. "Seriously?"

Oliver crossed his arms and looked at her. "Yeah, why?"

"Oh, I don't know… I guess it has something to do with it meaning 'green.'"

He shrugged. "So?"

She raised an eyebrow at Oliver then looked at Diggle. "What color is the vigilante's getup?"

Diggle smirked. "Green,"

"And his bow?"

"Also green,"

"And his arrows?"

"Felicity," Oliver interjected.

"Nope, they're green. So don't you think naming the club above the Hood's lair 'Verdant' is a little on the nose?"

Oliver rolled his eyes and headed towards the stairs. "I'm going to go see what they're doing."

Diggle and Felicity shared a smile before she added, "Hey, maybe the sign with the club's name on it should be in the shape of an arrow."

Saturday, March 23rd

She just had to walk in while Helena was there. It was his fault, really; he should've texted her, telling her not to come to the foundry. But with everything else going on… Ugh, shouldn't she have been with her boyfriend, anyway?

There was no excuse, and Oliver knew it. Helena had threatened his family and nearly broken Tommy's arm, but Helena finding out about Felicity scared him the most. As much as he loved his family and friends, he knew Felicity was his greatest weakness; and Oliver had taught Helena to exploit weakness to get what she wants. He should've restrained himself, should've remained calm, but the fear had welled too quickly inside him and all he could think about was getting Felicity as far from Helena as possible. "Get out. Get out!" He wanted so much to protect her. Unfortunately, Helena noticed. "How many girlfriends do you have, exactly?" Oliver found the remark more upsetting than he should have. He hoped Helena didn't see that Felicity was more than his I.T. girl. She would be a lot easier to target than a cop. He knew Helena was a little… off, but would she attack someone he loved out of spite? Either way, it didn't bode well. Especially since Helena knew Felicity could hack the FBI database. What if she decided to use her? What if Helena… It was a frustrating, conflicting dilemma. He loved Felicity, he knew that, but he still loved Helena, too. He hoped that he if was just patient with her, he could show her the right way to do things. Maybe she would someday get over what her father had done to her, and they could work together again.

But Helena may also refuse to let go of the past. She may push him too far, or ignore his advice. He hoped she would do the right thing, for both their sakes.

Felicity couldn't take it anymore. She had to know what the deal was. Oliver may have had an unfriendly streak for a while after he broke it off with her, but he'd never really yelled at her. Not like he had this morning. But it didn't sound like he was angry with her; It was… was he being protective? Why would he think protecting her meant getting her out of the Arrow Cave? What was so threatening about that T-Mobile girl, anyway? If she was so dangerous, why would Oliver allow her in the lair?

Felicity had to find out.

"Hey, Dig?" she said, pressing her phone to her ear with her shoulder as she opened a package of Oreos. She was freaking in love with Oreos today. "Can I ask why Oliver kicked me out so forcefully? He said it was a private thing, but what does that even mean? And why wouldn't he want my help—"

"Slow down, Felicity," Diggle said gently. "It's a long story."

There was silence as Felicity waited for him to elaborate. Annoyed by his secrecy, she crammed an Oreo in her mouth.

"Well?" she said through a mouth full of double-stuffed.

"She's Oliver's psycho ex-girlfriend. Her name's Helena Bertinelli." he said resignedly. "Her father is a mobster, and he killed her fiancé. So now she's hell-bent on killing him. When she and Oliver first met, she was just a gun-toting vigilante with no experience. Then… their mutual hatred and desire for justice brought them together." Felicity suspected that Diggle was scowling when he said that last sentence. "Oliver trained her and helped her become the crossbow-wielding Huntress. But he couldn't control her; she wanted to kill her father instead of sending him to jail. When Oliver stopped her, she ran away to Europe or somewhere. But now that her father has been given a plea bargain and is scheduled to enter witness protection, she came back to finish the job. And she'll do anything to get Oliver to help her. That's it in a nutshell."

Felicity had snarfed six Oreos in the time it took Diggle to recount the tale of the patricidal vigilante. She swallowed the latest mouthful as she processed what she had just heard.

"He sure can pick 'em." Felicity finally commented.

"Tell me about it." Diggle said with a chuckle. "And are you eating something? I hear crunching."

"I'm on my seventh Oreo."

"…It's not even noon."

"I need them."

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you?"

"I'm in love with the vigilante, and I'm also falling in love with the reporter who writes about the vigilante. There's plenty wrong with me."

A thick, awkward silence fell between them, and Felicity squeezed her eyes shut in mortification.

"I didn't mean to say that out loud."

"No kidding."

"Tell Oliver, and I'll end you."

"I don't tell him anything about you. I just stare at him reproachfully."

"Good. Thanks, Diggy."
"Don't call me that."

"How about Diggly-Wiggly?"
Diggle suppressed a laugh before speaking again. "Goodbye, Felicity."

"Bye, Diggle Bear."

After dinner, Felicity went to Queen Consolidated to do some work. She thought she might as well get a head start on the week, and keep an eye on the news as well. It was a much healthier alternative to eating the rest of those Oreos; what she had already consumed was making her feel fat.

Oh, look. Someone stole a high-powered crossbow. Wonder who that could be? Felicity called Oliver, and when she got his voicemail, she left him a message explaining the possible danger.

"I'll let you know if I learn anything more. In the meantime, just watch your back…" she trailed off as she turned to see the Huntress standing by the entrance to the I.T. department.

"Hi. I don't think we had the chance to be properly introduced this morning."

Felicity slowly hung up the phone, watching Helena like she was a rearing cobra. She had a crossbow, and Felicity wondered how eager she was to use it.

"Um, hey," Felicity said weakly.

"Felicity, right?" the Huntress said, taking a few steps forward. "I'm Helena. Oliver and I used to date." She pointed the crossbow at her. "But I guess Diggle already told you that."

The defenseless I.T. girl stared at the weapon as she carefully sat down, knowing what the Huntress must be here for. "I suppose you want me to hack the FBI database?"
Helena smiled. "If you don't mind." She drew closer and walked around the desk. "We could've saved so much time if Oliver had asked you to help." Helena prodded Felicity with the side of the crossbow, making her flinch. "I wonder why he refused to include you."

Felicity stared at the screen and typed, trying not to let this psycho get under her skin. But she could already feel tears pricking her eyes. Helena really seemed to be enjoying her discomfort, and there was an acidic undertone when she spoke. But why would Helena have anything against her?

"I almost asked you if you've ever slept with him, but that'd be a stupid question."

Felicity gulped, wondering what Helena would do if she heard the truth.

"You're not exactly in his league, am I right? So when he demanded you stay out of this, he just didn't want to risk his nerdy sidekick. I mean someone who can hack the FBI database is pretty valuable."

"I guess," Felicity squeaked.

Helena leaned closer, and Felicity shivered when she felt her breath on the side of her face.

"The look on his face when you walked in… It's like his heart stopped. He clearly didn't want you anywhere near me. That says something, doesn't it? Because he taught me that to get what I want, I have to exploit weakness." She nudged Felicity's head with the crossbow again. "And you seem awfully weak to me. And what would the Hood do without his trusty little techie?"

Felicity kept working, trying to focus and remain calm. Helena smirked when she noticed her victim's hands were shaking, and she continued with her monologue.

"If I didn't still think that Oliver might change his mind and come back to me, I'd probably kill you. Think of how that'd cripple his operation. Or I guess I could just maim you so you can't work a computer; then you'd be able to see how useless you are without your little talent. What do you think Oliver would do with you? What else are you good for? You know, I'd probably be doing you a favor. I'll tell you what I told his cop girlfriend: Oliver uses people. He's using you. You might think that he has a soft spot for you, and that maybe he might even fall for you some day, but it won't happen. You have a crush on him, he knows it, and he's using it to manipulate you."

Tears were flowing freely down Felicity's cheeks as she finally made it into the FBI database. Helena watched as she found the location of her father's safe house.

Felicity closed her eyes, bracing herself for whatever this crazy bitch planned on doing. She could be dead in a few seconds, or forever unable to do what she was most passionate about.

Helena grabbed her chin, and Felicity gasped as she was forced to look at her unstable abductor.

"Good girl," the Huntress said. "I think I'll leave you intact." Felicity sighed in relief. "You know, now I think I understand why you piss me off. It's not your fault; you can't help who you are. But the problem is you're everything I'm not. I mean, look at us; I have a crossbow pointed at your chest, and you're terrified and crying. I'm completely in control, and you've been waiting this whole time for your brave green knight to come rescue you. You're virtually untouched by tragedy, and I'm defined by it. You think I'm scary and I think you're pathetic. But luckily for you, I also think you're completely harmless." She pulled out a silky gray scarf. "Now, tie this tight so I don't have to worry about you screaming. Let's see how Oliver reacts to finding her nerd girl bound and gagged."

Oliver periodically smacked the steering wheel as he sped towards Queen Consolidated. What an idiot he was! He told Helena to skip town, and he had expected her to do it. He was right there with Helena when Felicity walked in and said she could hack the FBI database. Of course Helena would want to use her. He should've been keeping an eye on Felicity, but no, he had to go whine to McKenna and then have sex with her. It was an hour before Oliver even looked at his phone. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Felicity might be dead! Helena might've killed her because Oliver hadn't helped as much as he could have! That crazy psycho bitch… If Felicity had so much as a frown on her face, Helena was getting an arrow in her. Nobody fucks with Felicity.

Helena had insisted that Felicity lie face down on the floor after tying the gag. The I.T. girl hadn't tied it very tight, but the Huntress didn't seem to care. It was all about the look of it, anyway.

"Try anything, and I'll break your arms and legs." she warned as she bound her hands. "Cute shoes," she added as she bound her feet.

After the Huntress left, Felicity continued to lie there, face pressed into the hard gray industrial carpet. She had maneuvered the gag out of her mouth minutes ago (and lost her glasses in the process), but there wasn't much she could do to free her hands and feet. So she spent the rest of the time wondering where in the hell Oliver was. She assumed he was vigilante-ing: putting down a wicked one percenter, fighting bad guys with guns, saving blind orphans from a fire… You know, the kind of stuff that keeps you from answering a phone call about a patricidal purple bitch with a crossbow.

Tears were still flowing from her eyes and soaking the carpet. She couldn't forget what Helena had said about Oliver. Was he really using her? Was she no more than a valuable tool? Was he manipulating her? And how angry would he be when he found her here? Would he berate her for giving in to Helena's demands? She wasn't sure, and the fear slowly rose inside her.

She froze when she heard someone running down the hallway. Was it Oliver? Diggle? Or was it Helena, back to maim her for good measure? She remained silent.

"Felicity?"

It was her brave green knight.

"Oliver… Oliver." she called, still shaken but relieved.

"I'm here," he said, hurrying around the desk to untie her. "You okay?"

She didn't reply; she was feeling choked up and didn't want to sob out a response.

"Hey, hey," he said gently as he cut at the tie binding her feet. "You okay?"

Felicity flipped over and sat up. Oliver was staring at her, worried. He placed a hand on the side of her face and repeated his question.

She nodded, grateful he came, however late he was. Her hand moved to grip his wrist consolingly, but then someone else entered the room. Oliver sprang from the floor, ready to throw his pocketknife at the intruder.

Diggle held out his hand in front of him, willing Oliver to stand down. "I came as soon as you called," he said, panting.

Oliver lowered his knife as Felicity got on her knees to peer over the desk.

"What happened?" asked the bodyguard.

"Helena," Oliver replied, his voice dangerously calm.

Diggle glanced worriedly at Felicity. Missing glasses and mascara smudges… what had Helena done?

Felicity stood up and looked at Oliver. "She wanted the address to the safe house where her father's being kept. She made me hack the FBI database." Her look was contrite. "I'm sorry, Oliver."

"Hey, it's not your fault." Oliver countered, racked with guilt.

Felicity tentatively grabbed his arm, both wanting to comfort and be comforted. Oliver pulled away and headed towards the door.

"Oliver, what are you going to do?" said Diggle.

"What I should've done in the first place." he replied with steely resolve.

Diggle stood there, stunned. He looked at Felicity again. Ever since Helena showed up Thursday night, he'd been trying to get Oliver to handle the situation properly. She threatened his family, and Oliver only had Diggle put more security on them. She sprained Tommy's wrist, and he gave in to her demands. But when she used Felicity and tied her up… Maybe Felicity was right; maybe Oliver had pushed her away because he truly cared about her.

All the more reason why she really shouldn't be pregnant.

"Diggle, I need a hug." she said, her voice breaking.

He walked over and complied, knowing she wished she was hugging Oliver instead.

"I see you've finally met Oliver's ex," he quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Felicity laughed, and it sounded a bit like a sob. "She's like an evil, crossbow-wielding T-Mobile girl!"

Diggle laughed. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it." He patted her back. "What did she do to you?"

Felicity shrugged. "Shoved a crossbow in my face, made me feel weak and pathetic, tied me up, talked about maybe killing me…"

"Bitch," Diggle said under his breath.

"Yep."

They were quiet for a moment, and then Felicity spoke again. "What took Oliver so long?"

Diggle's eyes widened. "He was with McKenna."

"But why did it take him so long to answer his… Oh." Felicity let go of Diggle and looked him dead in the eye. "I was lying on the floor for like, an hour… because Oliver was too busy having sex with the cop he shouldn't even be dating?"

"And he's very sorry."

Felicity sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm just gonna let that one go."

"That's probably for the best." Diggle started nudging her towards the door. "Let's get you home, okay?"

"Sure." Felicity pulled off Helena's special gagging scarf as they entered the hallway. "Hey, when Oliver said, 'What I should've done in the first place," what did he mean?"

"He's going to kill her."

Felicity stopped in her tracks. "Oh, that's unsettling."

"She needs to be stopped—"

"No, the fact that that makes me happy," she admitted. "I find that unsettling."

Sunday, March 24th

It was true, what he told Tommy: he couldn't have it both ways. It really had been proven. Poor McKenna; after Oliver had gotten over Felicity being with Ed, he was able to start falling for her. It was risky, yes, but she was good for him; he didn't worry about her as much because she was a cop. She put herself in danger all the time and she could handle it. And she was a good person, and very understanding. But then his ex went and shattered her femur. McKenna broke it off with him, and only a small part of him felt it was better this way.

And then there was Felicity. He felt like he had prevented some real damage when he told her they shouldn't see each other. McKenna was one thing—being a cop, she was an intimidating target for Helena—but what if Oliver had been dating Felicity? Would Helena have left her merely bound and gagged? Would it have been Felicity getting her arm twisted painfully as Helena demanded help?

And then, of course, this makes the second time Felicity was put in danger. Was he really protecting her, like he told Diggle they could? Maybe it was best not to dwell on it; she was far too valuable to the team.

And Oliver really hated the idea of never seeing her.

Okay, so another song for Oliver: "Tragedy" by Christina Perri to illustrate his relationship with Helena. I'm sorry it's another girly one (and also by Christina Perri), but it works.