Dear Readers,

Chapter 30 will be the conclusion to this story. Thank you to all of you for reading, favouriting, reviewing, following, etc. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

Regards,

LadyG

Walking into the foundry, Felicity found Oliver hanging from his salmon ladder. Usually, the sight of his sweat socked, muscular back would have stopped her dead in her tracks. However, at that moment, she was too distracted to pay him anything but a cursory glance. Adam. It hurt to think of him. She wished she could tell him the truth, make him understand, but that wasn't going to happen. It wasn't her place and she'd never be disloyal to Oliver, regardless of the consequences.

Oliver. She cared about him too. She wasn't in denial about it anymore. But now that she knew for certain how she felt about Adam, what had, a few hours ago, felt like the biggest choice she'd ever have to make – which man she cared about more – seemed less significant when one of them had already walked away, and in doing so, had made her realize just how deeply her feelings for him ran.

Looking up when she heard Oliver grunt, she watched as he propelled himself upward still, just hanging there for a moment, the muscles of his back tensed and coiled. He had a beautiful body. There were many times when she'd been unable to stop herself from watching him, not even caring that she wasn't being particularly discreet about it. Then later, she'd grown to resent his physicality and her weakness to it. Shutting off that side of her, she'd stopped paying attention to him, preferring to keep her mind concentrated on work. Staring at him now, she still thought him ridiculously attractive, but the edge of allure she'd always felt was somewhat diminished. It was as though she was looking at him through a filter. He was still there, perfectly flawed, but she had no desire to rip away the layers between them to get any closer. It was the strangest thing. Before, when Adam had been an option, she'd been so consumed by her feelings for Oliver, worried about when she'd have to choose. Now that he was no longer in her life, those same feelings seemed to have faded significantly leaving a gaping hole inside of her. Perhaps the old adage was true after all – you only realize the value of something, in her case someone, when they were no longer around.

"Hey," she called, walking past him.

He glanced down before making his descent. Within seconds his feet touched the ground. "How's Adam? I saw the reports on the news."

Turning, her heart in her throat, she forced herself to stay focused on his face. "Not too good, I'm afraid. He's taken the news really badly."

Clearly he'd noted her red-rimmed eyes. His face clouded with concern. "Felicity, what happened?"

Turning away from him she dumped her purse on her desk. "We, uh, broke up." At Oliver's silence, she continued, "He found out that I work for you. Well, not you, the Arrow. Naturally, he was upset that I lied to him."

She felt the heat of his hand on her shoulder and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop herself from giving in to the overwhelming desire to cry.

"I'm sorry."

Nodding, she sniffed loudly. "It was bound to happen, right? I mean, sooner or later I would have had to break things off with him. I guess this way it saves us both the emotional rollercoaster." Even to her own ears she didn't sound convincing.

"You don't have to pretend with me," he said gently.

She plastered a false smile on her face and turned towards him. "Hey, it's okay. I'm okay."

He just stared at her, not speaking. Fidgeting with her hands, Felicity couldn't think of anything to say that would fill the awkward silence. Slowly, Oliver moved forward and embraced her. The comfort he offered was too much for her to resist and the fragile hold she had on her emotions broke apart. Stepping into his arms, she placed her head on his shoulder and cried.

Oliver didn't know how long he stood there holding her. It felt like mere minutes, the moment when he needed to let her go coming too soon, but it could well have been a substantial amount of time. Eventually when her tears subsided she pulled back and he pushed the wet strands of hair that clung to her cheeks away from her face. Her skin was pink and blotchy, her eyes red and swollen. She'd never been more perfect to him. And she was crying over the loss of another man.

The truth hurt.

"Feeling better?"

She nodded. "A bit. Thanks."

He gave her a small smile. She didn't look any better and his heart twisted agonizingly. A couple of hours ago the news would have had him rejoicing, but after the day's events and his talk with Sara, it felt as though everything had changed.

"I'm sorry that your involvement with me is causing you so much pain."

Felicity gave him a watery smile. "It's not your fault, Oliver. It's not even really about you. Adam feels that I betrayed his trust."

His conscience prickled. "So technically it is about me."

"No-"

He sighed. Always so loyal. "Felicity, you wouldn't have had to lie to him if you weren't protecting me."

"Oliver, I don't regret being a part of this team and I'm not ashamed of it. I'm proud of the work we do. I just-I'm just sorry that Adam got hurt. He doesn't deserve it."

Watching the play of emotions across her face, it struck him that he'd never seen her this upset before. In all the time they'd known each other, this was the only time he'd seen her this vulnerable.

"Are you in love with him?" He had to know.

His question was clearly a surprise judging by her involuntary gasp and the way her eyes widened. But he saw it, the flash of guilt.

"Oliver-"

Turning his back to her, he reached for his towel. "So, you do."

"I didn't realize it until earlier," she replied ruefully. "Now I'm standing here and I don't know why I feel the need to apologise to you."

He did. Something had been happening between them and while neither of them wanted to delve into it, how she felt about Adam changed things. Heck, his own realization about his inability to maintain a relationship changed things. The truth was, if he selfishly pursued Felicity, this could well be how things between them would end up: her miserable and unfulfilled with always coming up second and him constantly feeling guilty and torn between love and duty.

Dammit. This life had been his choice and he couldn't walk away from it. He wasn't ready to. Ultimately, there was no decision to make because deep down he'd always known the answer. So maybe it was time he put them both at ease.

"Do you remember what I once told you about how I couldn't ever be with someone that I truly cared about?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "I remember."

This is hard. "I meant it. Today I nearly sabotaged what should have been an easy take-down because I was…distracted." The look in her eyes said she understood his meaning. "I can't risk that happening again."

She studied him for a minute. "I know."

And she did. He knew she did.

Moving toward him Felicity stood on her toes and planted a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. Oliver gathered her close again, his face burrowing into her hair. He closed his eyes as both of them poured everything they could never say into the embrace, determined that it would be sufficient. A lump formed in his throat when he looked at her one last time before taking a step back. Enough.

"We'll go after the Judge."

Taking her cue from him she turned towards her computer terminal. "I was thinking the same thing. Although Adam's chance at prosecuting Perez may be gone forever."

He threw his towel into a nearby basket before reaching for his shirt. "Not if I can help it. Are you up to a little digging?"

Her fingers were already flying across the keys. "On it."

"I want to know what Perez has on him."

Satisfied, Oliver turned to leave just as Felicity caught his hand. Staring down at her small fingers holding onto his, he looked up and met her eyes. "Thank you."

With a gentle squeeze, he replied, "It's what we do, Felicity."

He loved her, but there were things in his life that he knew he could never turn his back on and she deserved so much more than that. She wasn't meant to wait in the wings until the right time came along. He wasn't sure if it ever would.

With a heavy, yet resolute heart, he turned away from certain happiness and back towards the life he seemed destined to lead.

It had not been an easy decision, and if anyone had told Oliver a week prior that he'd be standing on Adam Donner's doorstep, he'd have laughed in their faces. And yet there he was, knocking on the door of the DA's home, not at all sure if he was doing the right thing. After he'd seen Felicity's brave attempts to mask her misery he'd realized how much she loved the other man and how much she was sacrificing in order to protect his secret. He'd never known anyone as loyal as her and he'd never forget her willingness to give up her own chance at happiness because she believed in him. Perhaps it was time that he returned the favour and did a little sacrificing of his own.

The door opened and it was obvious that the DA was as surprised to see him as he was to be there. If his looks were anything to go by, his eyes red and slightly swollen (from lack of sleep was Oliver's guess), his face lined and weary, the other man was in as bad a shape as Felicity was. Despite their differences, he couldn't stop the pang of sympathy he felt as he looked at his rival.

"You're the very last person I expected to find on my doorstep," Adam remarked.

Oliver shrugged. "Believe me, you almost didn't."

Stepping aside, he gestured for Oliver to enter. Adam walked ahead and he followed, not sure what else to do and feeling more than a little uncomfortable. When they reached the kitchen, Adam picked up the mug he must have set down when answering to the door.

"Coffee?"

They were both being so polite. "No, thanks."

"Then I suppose you should let me know why you're here." They stood facing one another.

Oliver took a deep breath. "It's about Felicity."

He didn't miss the look of pain that flashed across the other man's face before his mask descended. "Felicity and I are not up for discussion." He turned and threw his coffee down the drain.

"I beg to differ. She's-"

"Your employee," Adam interjected. "I don't think your being here is particularly appropriate."

Oliver ground his teeth and tried to remain calm. This is for her. "She loves you, Donner."

This time his face gave nothing away. Clearly the DA had an excellent poker face. "How is this any of your business?" he deflected.

Fair question. "Because other than being my employee, she's also my friend and I don't like to see my friends in pain."

Adam shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy trousers. Anyone else might not have noticed the slight softening of his features, but to Oliver's trained eye, it was unmistakable.

"How is she?"

"As bad as you are."

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't know me."

Oliver shrugged. "I don't need to, but Felicity keeps telling me what a great guy you are and since I trust her judgment, I guess I have to believe her."

Adam turned from him and walked over to the expanse of windows that showcased an impressive vista of the city. "Why are you here, Oliver?"

This was his moment to back out. To turn around and head out that door and never turn back. However, if he continued, he'd be fully committing to finishing what he started.

"To explain."

Frowning, Adam glanced at him over his shoulder. "Look, Felicity and I broke up because of reasons I can't explain nor want to-"

"I know why," Oliver interrupted.

For a moment Oliver relished the open mouthed shock that registered on the other man's face. "So you know who she works for?" Adam asked in disbelief.

Oliver nodded.

"Great!" he exclaimed sarcastically, throwing his hands up in the air. "Then I'm the only one she didn't tell."

"There were reasons," Oliver replied calmly, moving to stand beside the man Felicity loved.

Adam scoffed. "None of which I'm aware of."

"I'd be willing to shed some light, but first I need to know something." Folding his arms across his chest, he waited.

Expectantly, he countered, "What?"

"How do you feel about her?"

The other man's face hardened. "You don't expect me to answer that, do you?"

Oliver shifted slightly. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

"You're wasting my time." He gestured toward the door. "You know your way out."

"Just answer the question, Donner!"

Annoyed, Adam's voice rose. "Get out!"

"Tell me how you feel about her," Oliver persisted.

"I said-"

Some of his patience flew out the window. "Tell me!"

Again, no one else might have noticed the flare of pain that warred with Adam's obvious irritation. He loves her. It was all the confirmation Oliver needed.

Here goes. "Because of me," Oliver said quietly.

"What?" came the confused retort.

Oliver reiterated, "She didn't tell you why because of me."

"You?" Adam echoed in confusion. "But why would yo-" Oliver recognized the exact moment when the DA made the connection. "It's you. You're the Arrow."

Oliver couldn't believe he was doing this. It was a plan that could backfire in a bad way, but he trusted Felicity and she loved this man, so that meant she trusted him. He needed to remember that.

"Felicity and I have been working together for a while now. She didn't tell you because it would have betrayed her promise to me. It wasn't because she didn't want to, but rather because she couldn't."

Adam's mind was reeling. Suddenly everything made perfect sense: Oliver's arrival back from the dead, the Arrow's appearance in Starling City, Felicity's ability to work at Queen Consolidated and for the vigilante – naturally that would only work if they were one and the same thing. How had he missed that? Granted, Oliver Queen wouldn't have been his first pick, but it was actually rather obvious.

"I should have you arrested!" he threatened. All this time, the vigilante had been right under his nose and he hadn't known it.

He saw the other man's jaw tighten. "I would strongly advise you against it."

"You kill people," he asserted, watching as Oliver flinched. "You run around this city dispatching justice as you see fit. People could get hurt in your quest for heroics!"

"That is not what this is about!" Oliver exclaimed, his voice low and deceptively calm. "I didn't set out to become…what I am." Restless, he started pacing. "When I got back from that island, let's just say that there was a lot going on and this city….It had become infected by something festering and evil and that disease was bleeding into all quarters. I saw an opportunity to set things right, or at least to try-"

"By making yourself judge, jury and executioner?" Adam interrupted.

Despite his skepticism about the Arrow and his motives, he couldn't deny that he was curious to know what his motivations were.

A muscle twitched in Oliver's cheek, a sign that his barb had hit its mark.

"You're right. In the beginning, I didn't care about the rights of those I took down. But that changed."

Adam indulged him. "Why?"

Oliver shrugged, clearly ill at ease with having to explain himself. "Multiple factors actually. Tommy Merlyn's death being one of them. Also, Felicity."

Adam was momentarily on the back foot. "Felicity?"

"She made me realize that I didn't need to become like those men I took down in order to bring them to justice. I could catch them and leave them to men like you and Detective Lance, trusting that you would do the right thing."

Adam shook his head. This was madness. "You can't keep running around this city playing hero, Oliver. That's why we have law enforcement, a justice system."

"And where was that system last week when Perez walked away a free man because one of your own started batting for the other side?" Oliver fired back. "How's that just?" Adam hated that he had a point, that his words pierced through his moral defense. "I can help you, Adam. If we worked together, there isn't a criminal in this city that would escape the clutches of the law – a system you are so determined to uphold."

Adam ran a hand across his head, doubt and frustration causing a headache to throb at his temples. "This is crazy. You're crazy." He reached for his mobile on the kitchen counter.

"If the law wasn't as fractured and corrupt as it clearly is, there wouldn't be a need for someone like me," Oliver continued, unrelenting. His words made Adam pause. "Despite what you may think of my methods – which has improved over time - I get the job done. Something those guys pushing paper in your precincts aren't capable of because they're too busy counting the cash they get from bribes. Open your eyes, Donner! You know Felicity. Would she align herself with something she fundamentally believed to be morally corrupt?"

And there it was, the one question he'd been asking himself over and over since he'd found out about Felicity's involvement with the Arrow. She was the smartest, funniest, most open-hearted person he'd ever met. From the second he'd seen her at Big Belly, he'd been smitten. The realization that she'd been keeping a secret that was so important from him, had been a blow he hadn't seen coming. The truth was, he missed her, every day. He missed her laughter, the sweet smell of her skin when he held her close, the way she sighed when he kissed her lips. He missed everything about her and it was driving him nuts. Despite what had happened between them, he didn't believe her to be a bad person, or one that could be easily fooled or swayed. If she worked for the Arrow, it was because it was a decision her conscience could live with.

"No," he admitted. "I don't."

Oliver visibly relaxed. "Look, I know you're not a fan of my way of operating, but you can't deny that it's working. We don't have to be on opposing sides of the fence, Donner. If you let me help you, we can get Perez behind bars."

The offer was tempting. Especially after the fruitless week he'd spent trying to clean up Judge Thompson's mess. Working the case by the book meant that his hands were officially tied. But it stung. He hated the thought of both Thompson and Perez getting off scot-free.

"Hypothetically speaking, if I agreed to this, how would you do it?"

"We'd find out what Perez had on Thompson. Felicity didn't factor a corrupt judge into the intel she initially fed you-"

His mind reeled. "Wait. That was her work?" The case files and information related to Perez and his illegal activities had been thorough, impressive work.

"All of it. She spent nights making sure she wouldn't let you down."

Guilt seeped into his conscience. "So you and your…team…would bring him in?"

"We would," Oliver vowed. "The rest would be up to you."

This was all too much. He needed to think. "I don't know what to say. This is not what I was expecting when you walked through my front door." At best, he'd assumed that something had happened involving Moira Queen.

Oliver nodded. "I know it's a lot to process so I'll go. For now." He turned and then hesitated. "Can I trust you?" His eyes were narrowed, probing.

Adam's nod was short and clipped. He wasn't planning on turning him in. At least not yet. He had some homework to do. Acknowledging his assurance, Oliver walked to the door and opened it.

A thought struck. "You took a massive risk coming here. Why?"

Oliver was halfway out, his hand suddenly gripping the doorknob with undue force. "I've already told you."

Adam shook his head. He didn't buy that. "That's not all."

"It's enough." He made another move to exit.

"Does Felicity know you're here?" he asked curiously.

Again, the unmistakable tension. "She doesn't."

"Are you telling me that you risked-" Realisation dawned. "You're in love with her," he said, astonished.

"Don't look for things that aren't there, Donner," he denied.

Adam ignored him. "If you love her, why aren't you pursuing her?"

"I just told-"

Irritated, he shook his head. "Cut the BS, will you?"

Oliver sighed audibly. He took his time, but eventually he confessed, "Because she loves you."

It was at that moment that Adam realized how much Oliver loved Felicity. The risk he was taking in exposing himself was testament to that fact. He couldn't suppress the grudging respect that pushed to the fore.

"Thanks, by the way," he called. Oliver cast him another questioning glance. "For saving my life."

His shoulders relaxing, the other man smiled faintly. "Talk to Felicity. That's all the thanks I need."

A long time later, Adam was still staring out at the city, his mind replaying the scene that had unfolded a few hours before. Oliver Queen was the Starling City vigilante, leaving corrupt men all over the city for the police to apprehend. Most times he was the man prosecuting them. How was Oliver's offer so different from what had been happening all along? The only difference now was that he finally knew the man behind the mask.

Felicity. He shouldn't have walked out on her. He should have known she wouldn't lie to him unless she felt she didn't have a choice. His heart beat faster when he recalled Oliver's words: She loves you, Donner. Could it be true? Heaven help him, he loved her and if the past week had been any indication, his feelings weren't diminishing. If anything, each passing day brought with it more misery, more loneliness and a greater desire to see her again.

He rubbed a hand across his throbbing temples. Was it possible that he'd been wrong about the Arrow and his motives? Maybe there was more to Oliver Queen's breed of justice than he'd ever considered?

Could he accept that maybe, just maybe, they were all fighting for the same side?

Adam had a lot to think about.