Dear Readers,

A reminder, after this chapter, the story splits two ways.

Olicity fans can read up to Chapter 27.

Alicity fans can skip Chapters 25, 26 and 27 and read on from Chapter 28.

I want to add that fan fiction is a hobby I love and really enjoy. As the author of my stories, it's up to me to decide what I do with the characters and how I want their stories to end. That is the creative license that belongs solely to me. Respectfully, if you don't like what I write, how I write, or the direction my story takes, it is your right to quit reading it. I will certainly not be offended.

However, it is not your right to be rude, unprofessional or abusive. Constructive criticism is always welcome but when it wades into the territory of personal attacks, I draw the line.

Thank you very much to everyone for the continued support.

LadyG

Oliver stepped into the lifts at Queen Consolidated and made the upward journey to his office. It had been a busy week, particularly in relation to his responsibilities as CEO of the company. Exiting on his floor, he turned the corner and couldn't miss Felicity in a short, bright orange dress that was belted at the waist as she walked down the corridor ahead of him, her blonde ponytail swaying enticingly against the back of her neck. These days, the sight of her never failed to raise his level of awareness; if she was in his vicinity, he knew about it.

Following at a slower pace, he watched as she rounded her desk, collected a file and carried it into his office. She noticed his presence only after she'd turned, about to walk back out.

"Oh," she said, slightly startled. "I didn't see you there." She looked distracted, her smile brief and forced.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Shrugging, she replied, "It's okay."

She moved to walk past him when he hastily asked, "Is there a reason the news is on every TV screen on this floor?" The latest headlines were scrolling across all the wall-mounted monitors he'd passed en-route to his office.

Stopping, she nodded. "Yeah, the Perez hearing is today." At his raised eyebrow, she explained, "Adam is hoping a date will be set for the trial."

Donner. He couldn't escape the name, no matter how hard he tried. Clamping down on his annoyance, he replied smoothly, "You did good work. It should be an easy day in court."

He watched as her brow furrowed. "I hope so."

Concerned, he reached for her arm and touched it lightly. "Are you okay?" Pleased when she didn't pull away, he added, "You seem distracted."

"Just a little anxious. I spent the last couple of days going over all the details, wanting to make sure I didn't miss anything that could jeopardize his case," she remarked, running a hand absently across her collarbones.

He shoved his hands into his pockets so they wouldn't be tempted to do the same. "Did you find anything?"

"No, nothing new. My intel was solid."

He frowned. "Then why do you look so worried?"

She perched on the edge of a leather sofa. "Because I know how important this is to Adam and I also know that if something goes wrong because you were the one who captured Perez, then it would be my fault."

"Hey," he said, moving closer, "nothing is going to go wrong. This is just procedural."

Felicity sighed. "That's what Adam said."

Oliver couldn't believe he was standing there, comforting her on behalf of her boyfriend. "Then he's probably right." She looked at him then, her usually bright eyes clouded with concern. She's genuinely worried about this. Perching opposite her, he waited for her to speak.

"He isn't your biggest fan. Well, not you personally," she explained, flashing him an apologetic look, "but The Arrow. He grudgingly accepted the help you gave him by offering up Perez on a silver platter because the good putting that man behind bars would do outweighed his strong opposition to individuals taking the law into their own hands." She stood, walking to the expanse of windows opposite them. "He's driven by his innate sense that the justice system will prevail and that if laws are abided and procedures followed, there can be no place for corruption." Her back was to him, the morning sun cascading around her, enveloping her in a radiant cocoon. He forced himself to focus. "If Adam fails to bring Perez to justice because of some misstep I took, it would only reaffirm his belief that cutting corners leads to nothing but the dissolution of the very system he strives to uphold." She turned back. "I would be responsible for him thinking that."

He shook his head, moving to join her. "That's not true," he said firmly, his hands moving of their own accord, gently landing on her shoulders. "Whatever happens, you've done your part, Felicity. The rest is up to him."

She reached forward and smoothed the lapel of his jacket, his heart leaping at the contact. They hadn't been this close since that night in New York. "That's not how he'd see it if he knew the truth." Then hastily, she added, "He doesn't know and I swore I wouldn't tell him."

Oliver didn't bother to respond to that, he'd never questioned her loyalty. His mouth a little dry, he asked, "Are you afraid it might force you to break things off with him?" He wished he could stop the flood of hope that blossomed in his belly at the thought, but just as swiftly as the thought had arrived, he quelled it. He was better than that.

She stared at his shirt, her fingers faintly stroking the fabric of his jacket between her fingers. He doubted she was even aware of what she was doing, or the effect it was having on him. "I don't know…maybe."

What a fool he was. All this time, he'd had Felicity to himself and he'd failed to see how much he needed her. Now it was practically too late. If he told her how he felt, it would surely come across as him trying to sabotage her current romance so that he could have her all to himself; a knee jerk reaction to not being the center of attention.

Felicity cared about him. He'd always known she cared. But he'd done nothing to nurture those feelings and inadvertently, he'd driven her further away by being callous, inconsiderate and worst of all, taken her for granted. But at the same time, he knew there was still something there. She hadn't closed the door on him completely, even if she thought she had. The fact that they'd almost shared a kiss not too long ago was indicative of the fact that she wasn't as indifferent as she pretended to be. Would she ever admit to it? Dammit. Would any attempt from him to win her be seen as genuine or only the result of his own selfish desires?

"There isn't anything more you can do right now, so stop worrying," he heard himself say. "You've done the absolute best you could and it will be enough."

She smiled at him and his heart turned over. "Thank you."

They stared at each other, his eyes probing, wanting desperately to understand how she really felt, but equally afraid that he wouldn't like what he found. He knew they needed to talk, that there was an undercurrent simmering away between them that wouldn't simply go away. However, any prior attempt he'd made to raise the issue had been brushed off. Buoyed by her smile, he hesitated, "Felicity, about what happened in New York-"

Automatically, she tensed, her hand tightening around his lapel. "Nothing happened."

"Yes, something did and we need to talk about it," he contradicted. She refused to look at him but he forged ahead regardless. "Kim is an old friend and there's nothing going on between us."

"Oliver, you don't have to explain this to me." Her hand dropped away from him, her body starting to turn away, but he held her still, his hands on her shoulders gentle, but firm.

"I do." He hated that he couldn't read her expression. "The way you stormed out of there, tells me that I do."

"I shouldn't have done that."

"Why did you?" he probed, unable to stop himself. Without thinking, his thumbs brushed against the sides of her neck and she trembled. Surprised, yet encouraged by her reaction, he tentatively moved a step closer. "Why, Felicity?"

"Oliver," she said, her voice low, her eyes refusing to meet his. "It was nothing."

He shook his head doggedly. "I don't believe that. Tell me why." She remained silent. He almost smiled. She could be quite stubborn when she wanted to be. "Felicity," he persisted.

"I-," she began, forced to look at him. Her eyes widened when his hands moved to cup her cheeks. Her face flushed and he watched, fascinated as the rosy colour swept upward, laying siege to her neck before moving further still to stain her cheeks. She's beautiful.

Instinctively he glanced down and noticed her pulse beating rapidly at the base of her throat. His own leapt in response. This wasn't a good idea. He knew he should back away and let her be. Instead, he stepped even closer and her head tilted backward automatically. His heated gaze collided with hers with an intensity that made her gasp. In their depths, he saw an answering flame. Desire unfurled in his belly and spread through him like wildfire. She wanted him. "Tell me."

She licked her lips and his breath hitched in his throat. "I-I've told you before, you've been like a different person over the last few weeks. A better person," she added softly. "When I saw you with Kim I thought that maybe the change had merely been a figment of my imagination; not at all real." Her hands reached up to touch his elbows, weakly attempting to shake off his touch, but he held fast.

"Did my relationship with Sara affect you?"

"W-What?" She looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

One hand lifted, the backs of his fingers faintly tracing a path along the line of her jaw. Her eyes darkened to the deepest shade of blue he'd ever seen. "Did my relationship with Sara affect you?" he reiterated dutifully.

"No," she denied shakily, and entirely too quickly.

"I don't believe you," he replied softly, his eyes magnetically drawn to her plump lower lip, currently caught between her teeth. The sight was nearly his undoing. He felt his head descend.

"Oliver," she whispered, swaying towards him as though hypnotised.

Her breathing was shallow, her chest rising and falling at irregular intervals. She wanted the kiss as much as he did, he'd bet his life on it. The warmth of her sweet smelling breath wafted up through her parted lips toward him, inviting him to sample their worth. Her hands, curled around his forearms, drew him even closer. He didn't need any more encouragement.

Then, he hesitated.

He'd never know what caused his lips to hover above hers without reaching down to claim them, except for the piercing thought that the consequences of giving in to his strongest desire could be the one thing that ruined any chance he'd ever have with her. Felicity thought him a changed man. Would ravishing her in his office not prove that he wasn't? That was the very thing the old Oliver would do and hard as it was, he didn't want to be that man anymore. He'd promised her respect and autonomy and there he was, a hairsbreadth away from taking those very things away from her once again. He was determined; if she came to him, if she chose him, it would be willingly, with clarity of mind and soul and not as a consequence of a skilled seduction. The truth was, she might succumb, but afterward, she'd hate herself and he'd be responsible for that.

Looking down into her perfect face, flushed with wanting, eyes closed in anticipation, leaned forward and touched his lips gently to her forehead. He heard her surprised gasp as his lips lingered before pulling back. He saw the confusion in her eyes, the protracted hint of longing. With a sigh of regret, he stepped back.

"I should probably make some calls."

Blinking rapidly at the complete turnabout, Felicity rubbed her hands over her bare arms as though warding off a chill. "O-Of course. I'll give you some privacy." Without looking at him she marched out of the door and past her desk.

Running a frustrated hand across his face, he watched as she disappeared from sight. Clearly he wasn't the only one who needed a few moments to regain his composure.

Felicity was an emotional mess. The incident in Oliver's office had her standing at the basin in the ladies bathroom on shaky legs, her conscience wracked with guilt. She'd wanted him to kiss her, wanted so badly to know what that felt like. She'd certainly wondered about it enough times. Leaning against the sanitary bowl for support, she stared at her blushing reflection in the mirror, more than a little ashamed about being in a relationship with one man and craving the touch of another.

Clearly she still cared about Oliver, deeply. There. She'd admitted it. She'd never moved on, despite her valiant efforts. Perhaps if he'd remained the same as he'd always been, she might have successfully buried those feelings and never looked back. But lately, he'd crept back into her heart, little by little until she wasn't sure if he'd ever left. She squeezed her eyes shut, her mind recalling in vivid detail the feel of his hands on her face, his breath mingling with hers. Dammit. She'd wanted him. She still did.

She'd wondered, countless times about how Oliver felt about her. Today, finally, she was sure she knew the answer. He cared. And not just as a friend. She'd seen the way he'd looked at her, recognized that it was probably the same way she'd been looking at him. Unsteadily, she opened the tap and let the cool water run over her hands before lifting them to dampen her heated cheeks. The idea that he might actually return her feelings scared her. It was one thing to dream about someone when you'd convinced yourself that it was only a silly fantasy and quite another to be confronted with the idea of it actually becoming a reality.

Whatever the cause, he'd turned himself around and he'd consistently proven that he was capable of maintaining it. Could she close the door on someone who affected her the way Oliver did? The way he always had? Could she ever be happy knowing that there'd been a chance for them and she'd walked away, too afraid to try? More importantly, because of how she felt about Oliver, would Adam be a compromise? Just thinking it made her feel like a horrible person, her insides twisting agonisingly. What woman in her right mind would turn away from what Adam had to offer? She'd be crazy. But then again, love wasn't a rational emotion and sometimes it meant going against the grain, doing things that others couldn't or wouldn't understand.

After all these months, Fate was driving her steadily towards a fork in the road. At the end of each one was a man she knew in her heart she could love, but choosing either one of them didn't come without its own set of sacrifices. Coupled with that was the knowledge that she'd be hurting someone she deeply cared for. That, more than anything else, filled her with the most heart wrenching agony.

Grabbing some paper towel from the dispenser, she dried her hands, smoothed her ponytail back into place and took a deep breath before heading out. Rounding the corner to her desk, a scrolling headline on one of the large TV monitors caught her eye.

PEREZ CASE TAKES A SHOCKING TURN.

Her stomach dropped to the floor. Something terrible must have happened. Filled with trepidation, she hastened to her workstation and grabbed her handbag. All her troubles momentarily faded to the background as the headline kept flashing through her mind. There would be time to sort out her feelings for Oliver, but right now, she needed to see Adam.

Adam. The right thing to do would be to tell him the truth about how she was feeling, but what would she say? How could she possibly explain something she didn't understand herself? Exhaling sharply she headed towards the lifts.

The courtroom downtown was quiet when she arrived. Perez must have left already and taken the media circus with him. Rushing through the entryway, she dodged a few people as her eyes darted around, looking for some sign of Adam. Recognising one of his colleagues at the end of a corridor, she accelerated towards him.

"Is the DA still here?" she asked without preamble.

Looking glum, he nodded and gestured to a door on his left. With a grateful smile, she walked through and into a large court room. It was completely empty except for a lone man sitting in a chair right at the front. Even with his back to her, Felicity could tell that Adam was upset. His shoulders were hunched forward, defeat palpable in every line of his body.

"Adam?" she called tentatively.

He turned to look at her and she rushed forward, taking a seat beside him. He looked shocked, as though he'd witnessed something unbelievable. "I saw the headlines at the office and came right over. What happened?" she asked, half afraid to know.

He raked a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every movement. "He got off."