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LadyG

Oliver was sitting behind his desk at Queen Consolidated trying to focus on the report in front of him, but unable to fully concentrate. Felicity was at her desk right outside his office, her fingers flying across her keyboard as she worked. Every word she'd said the night before still reverberated in his head, the image of her standing before him, indignation mixed with vulnerability, flashed through his mind at regular intervals leaving an unmistakable trail of guilt in its wake.

She'd hardly spoken a word to him in the four hours since she'd arrived at work. Well, she'd spoken to him coolly and politely about QC issues and given him an update on some recon she was doing, but not one personal word. He wasn't used to her being so distant and as a result, he didn't know how to handle the situation. A part of him wanted to apologise while the other part, mainly comprised of his pride, was still too bruised to make the first move.

Throwing his expensive pen down, he watched it roll slowly toward the edge of the desk before colliding with the base of his computer screen and coming to an abrupt halt.

"Now that looks fascinating," came Diggle's droll voice as he approached Oliver.

Reclining in his seat, Oliver glanced at his driver-by-day, vigilante-team-member-by-night as he settled into a comfortable chair. "Not really."

Oliver's gaze strayed past Diggle and settled once more on Felicity. Whoever she was talking to on the phone had made her laugh. As a result she became more animated as she spoke, her hands gesturing wildly. Diggle followed his line of sight.

"You two not talking?"

Oliver rubbed a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Apparently not." Diggle looked at him, clearly expecting an explanation. "Dig…" he started hesitatingly, not sure how to phrase his question. He generally didn't ask for other people's opinions on personal matters. "Do you think that I'm selfish?"

"Hell yeah," was said without hesitation.

Oliver gave him a quelling look and Diggle laughed. "For real?"

Oliver nodded.

"Then yes, I do think you can be selfish at times." Oliver swore under his breath and Diggle continued, "But I don't think that you mean to be or that you're always aware of when you're doing it."

"Thanks. That makes it sound so much better," he replied sarcastically.

Diggle shrugged. "Man, you asked."

Oliver sighed. "Felicity told me that I've been selfish in relation to the two of you and that I've single handedly destroyed her credibility in her field."

Diggle issued a low whistle. "Finally she's standing up for herself." With a brotherly smile he glanced back through the glass wall to where the petite blonde was sitting and said, "Way to go, Felicity."

Oliver frowned. "So you agree." It was a statement.

For the first time since he arrived, Diggle faced him, all traces of amusement gone. "Yes, I do. Oliver, I think you're one of the best men I know, but I also think that when it comes to understanding the people around you, you're possibly the worst."

Restless and not liking the way Diggle's words made him sound, he stood and walked over to the window, staring out over the city. "I had no idea that she was taking so much flack from other employees." The idea that people were gossiping about Felicity and maligning her character didn't sit well with him.

"She's handled it remarkably well under the circumstances, but it's not easy for her. She knows why you moved her here. I just think that she'd have appreciated it if you'd made her a part of the decision." He paused, letting the words sink in. "It was her reputation to lose, Oliver. The least you could have done was ask her if she was okay with it."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Oliver turned to face the man sitting opposite him. "I don't like Adam Donner sniffing around her."

Diggle scoffed. "Please. Felicity can handle her own personal life. It's not your concern."

Oliver looked at him sharply. "How can you say that? You're telling me you'd be happy to have her hang out with that…poser?"

Raising an eyebrow, Diggle asked, "Poser? Seriously? Adam Donner is a nice guy. You have no rational reason for disliking him."

"He-"

"And don't give me that crap about your mother and the trial. Using that logic, you shouldn't be friends with Laurel Lance anymore. And yet you are."

Fisting his hands in his pockets, Oliver remembered that felicity had said the same thing. "I don't want her to get hurt. Guys like him - self-important, worldly, experienced - he'd take advantage of her."

"You do realize that you've just described yourself?"

Shocked, he didn't respond immediately. Diggle jumped to his feet, clearly annoyed. "You know man, that right there is your entire problem. Felicity's not some kid who can't handle herself. She's a grown woman and she certainly knows what she wants. It's one thing for you to look out for her, it's quite another to want to dictate the terms her personal life."

"I'm not-"

"Yes," Diggle interrupted vehemently. "You are."

A headache imminent, Oliver turned to look at the girl in question. Woman. She was sipping from her Wonder Woman mug as she scrolled through some information on screen. Clad in a short, royal blue fitted dress, her blonde locks smoothed back into her customary pony tail, he had to admit, she didn't look like a girl.

Startled by the unbidden thought, he blinked rapidly to dispel the inappropriate road his brain had ventured down.

That's Felicity. Put a lid on it.

It had been a trying morning. Felicity wasn't used to ignoring Oliver or feeling awkward in his presence. Since her verbal attack the night before, she didn't know if they could ever go back to the easy way things had always been. Maybe she didn't want it to. She regretted nothing. It had been a long time coming and ultimately she needed to start thinking about herself and less about how her actions affected Oliver.

Despite that, she couldn't help being conscious of his every move – whether he was on the phone, pacing around in his spacious sanctum or chatting to Diggle - it was as though her mind had attuned itself to his every impulse and she struggled to break free of it. But she was determined. All it would take was some practice and she was sure that in time, she'd be over it.

Glancing down, her eyes fell on the card propped against her keyboard. Chewing on her bottom lip indecisively, she decided that it was time to step out of her comfort zone. It was a new day, a clean slate and way past time she started taking a few chances.

Decision made, she grabbed her coat and headed outside.

The DA's office was a noisy place. It looked like most other governmental departments – linoleum floors, faded walls, cramped working space, furniture that was at least twenty years old – basically the complete antithesis of life at Queen Consolidated.

Following the instructions of a guy who'd passed her in the hall, Felicity approached a secretarial station that housed a formidable looking woman. Half afraid, she stopped in front of the desk. "Uh, hi. I'm Felicity Smoak. Could I talk to Ad-, I mean the DA?" She flashed her sweetest smile.

The woman didn't even acknowledge her. "Do you have an appointment?"

I should have called first. "Err, no. But I'm sure that if you tell him-."

"If you don't have an appointment, you don't get in," came the surly reply.

Trying again, Felicity cajoled, "If he knows it's me-."

Finally the woman looked up and gave Felicity a cursory once-over. "They all say that, honey." The last word was definitely not an endearment.

So much for spontaneity. Defeated, she turned to leave just as the door to her left shot open.

"If you could scan those documents to me by 4pm, I'd appreciate it." Adam was walking toward her, but his attention was focused on the page he held on one hand, the other holding his mobile to his ear. Felicity smiled as she noticed that he still had the one with the cracked screen.

Dressed in a grey suit, crisp white shirt and a pale blue tie, he looked incredibly handsome. Suddenly, her palms felt a little clammy. What am I doing? At the exact moment that she decided to make a hasty exit, he looked up and their eyes met.

His lips curved into an immediate smile. "Steve, I'll call you back." Without even waiting for the caller's reply, he disconnected.

"Felicity," he said, extending a hand toward her. She couldn't stop the blush that stained her cheeks at his obvious pleasure at seeing her. "I'm glad you came."

Glancing at his secretary who was paying them no attention, she returned his smile and found her hand enveloped in his. "I-If you're busy, I can always come back another time."

He shook his head. "Not at all. Come this way." He gestured toward his open office door. "Alice," he said, addressing the curt woman who worked for him. "Hold my calls, please."

Happy that he was making time for her, Felicity walked into his office and turned to face him as the door closed behind them.

"Can I take your coat?" he asked politely, already helping her out of it.

Both of them seated, his blue eyes were warm and welcoming as they focused completely on her. "I was starting to think that you'd decided that the Starling City DA's office was a lost cause."

Felicity laughed. "The thought crossed my mind, but in the end curiosity won. I couldn't wait to see what IT relics from the past you have hidden in the bowels of this building."

He grinned and Felicity found herself relaxing into her chair. "Relics? I guarantee you'll probably find some of them. A few in human form as well. We don't unfortunately have Queen Consolidated's resources available to us."

"But you have me," she said before she'd given proper thought to how that would sound.

Embarrassed, she was about to backtrack when Adam replied, his voice unusually deep, "I think I can speak for the entire department when I say that we're incredibly grateful."

Not sure what to say, Felicity pointed to his computer screen. "Your server still down?"

At the look of disgust Adam sent the machine, Felicity took that as an affirmative.

"You still interested in trying me?" Her eyes widening, she flushed. What is wrong with my brain? "That's the…uh…second time I say that in your presence. I-I swear, it sounded completely different in my head."

He grinned, his eyes alight with mirth. "In answer to your question, yes, I am most definitely still interested in trying you." The way he emphasized the last two words, made her blush even more. Is he flirting with me?

Swallowing nervously, she smoothed her hands over the skirt of her dress. "Well, shall we travel back in time?"

Adam escorted Felicity down to the basement, their lighthearted chatter making the distance seem that much shorter. Once there, he introduced her to the three tech guys who'd thus far failed to figure out what kept tripping their servers. Standing aside while she quizzed them, Adam felt sure that Felicity Smoak was not to be underestimated. She was clearly smart and if he was honest he was hoping that she'd give the three stooges a kick up their asses.

Watching her, she moved to the computer terminal that one of the guys had been working on. She looked really pretty, the blue of her dress a perfect compliment to her creamy complexion. Without asking their permission, she started pressing a series of keys, her eyes never leaving the screen. All three guys started protesting but Adam held up a hand. "What's the worst thing that could happen? You haven't managed to figure it out. Let the lady have a go."

He felt inexplicably pleased when she flashed him an impish smile. Intrigued, he moved closer to watch her work, the unmistakable hint of vanilla in her shampoo assailing his senses. The screen had gone blue with black text flashing across it as Felicity continued typing. She seemed completely absorbed, her eyes darting from one end of the screen to the next.

"Ah huh!" she exclaimed. Peering over her shoulder he couldn't see any difference, but the IT guys obviously could.

"Well, I'll be damned!" one muttered.

"I told you we should have tried that," said another.

"No, you didn't!" came the thirds heated response.

"Now, now boys. No need to get your knickers…wait, you guys don't wear knickers…briefs? Boxers?" She waved a distracted hand in front of her face. "Anyway, no need to get any unmentionables into a twist."

Pressing a final series of keys, a pleasant hum started up in the room. "All done," she said proudly, her face filled with delight. "Easy peasy."

Impressed, Adam stared at her, a little in awe. "You don't want a job here, do you?"

Felicity laughed. "You couldn't afford me."

Grinning, he escorted her out of the room. "There may be some other perks to be had."

"Oh?" she asked, her interest piqued.

He stopped in the hallway leading to his office. "Yeah. Dinner and drinks with the DA. Whenever. Wherever."

She placed a finger to her lips, pretending to contemplate. "Tempting." He thought she sounded flirtatious, but he could have been wrong. She didn't strike him as a natural flirt and that fact seemed to make him like her more.

Enjoying her sunny disposition and realizing that he'd genuinely like to get to know her better, he decided to be direct. "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

She seemed momentarily taken aback but she recovered quickly, a touch of crimson seeping into her cheeks. "Y-Yes, I'd like that."

Satisfied, he placed his hand at the small of her back and gently ushered her toward his office. "Then it's a date."