Oliver started down the stairs late in the afternoon.

He still didn't know what to call this place. The Foundry had been easy and poetic actually. This new base was under an old slaughterhouse, if the records were correct. The Slaughterhouse. They really couldn't call it that. And Oliver refused to give in to Felicity and Roy's insistence on calling it the Arrow Cave. He couldn't take himself seriously operating out of an Arrow Cave. Should he take himself seriously? He wasn't only conducting Arrow business here. He was eating, sleeping, breathing day in and day out in his cave.

It wasn't the loss of luxury that bothered him but the fact that it all felt so familiar. It felt like the past.

At the bottom of the steps, Oliver turned into the long space expecting to be met by Roy's wisecracks and Felicity's warm smile. Only Diggle was there, taping up his hands, preparing to go a few rounds with the punching bag or the training dummy.

Oliver didn't bother with a greeting. "Seen Felicity? I haven't heard from her all day," he walked across the room toward her computers. Sleeping like babies.

He could almost hear Digg smiling through his reply, "She's in Coast City." He loved to know something Oliver didn't, it being so rare.

Coast City? Without a word? Oliver turned half a step, his face in profile to Diggle, one brow rising. "Why?"

Diggle was definitely smiling now. "Relax. Her guard dog went with her."

Coast City. With Roy. It wasn't an answer. "Why?" Oliver ground out, fully concerned now, turning to fix his gaze on Digg. His fingers clenched into fists involuntarily and he had to concentrate to flex them back out.

Looking at his friend, Digg's smile faded, the lines of his face softening to sincerity. "Roy's friend - Cindy? They went to pick her up."

The tension lessened in Oliver's arms but the concern remained. Roy's friend was Sara and Thea's friend as well. "She okay?"

Digg gave a nod. "Homesick and broke, but okay. She ended up on one of the evacuation busses the morning after the attack. A few schools and churches along the coast took people in but I guess the hospitality's dried up. They were already on their way when Felicity called this morning. I told her to take her time."

Oliver only gave Digg's story half a second of thought before replying with a sound, "Good." The half second spent on why Felicity had called Diggle but not him.

"Good?" That had John interested.

Oliver was already moving toward the table newly designated for his equipment, pondering to himself if he should take the hood or not. "Good. There are some – strange – reports coming out of Central City. I'm heading out there. I need to know what's going on, preferably before Felicity hears about it." If she thought for a second Barry Allen was involved, Oliver knew she'd be on the first train. Oliver knew he would feel a lot better if he could keep her out of it for once. Not that keeping her out of anything was something he had had any luck with since the day they'd met.

He tossed a few things in a duffle bag, glancing around the room for his motorcycle helmet about ready to go when he realized Digg hadn't said anything and he hadn't started his workout. In fact, he hadn't moved since Oliver came in save to tuck the last bits of white tape around his fingers. And Oliver saw now the hard look set across Digg's features, something between scrutiny and friendly concern. Determination.

"Can it wait five minutes?"

Oliver always appreciated the steady timbre of Diggle's voice, if not always the questions it begged. None the less, Oliver almost mockingly smiled, lifted his wrist to look at his watch, set his bag on the floor, and leaned back against his table crossing first his ankles, then his arms across his chest letting out a semi amused sigh.

"Are you gonna tell that girl the truth?" Digg's words came purposely like an accusation, while Oliver's guard was down, no question of which girl he was talking about, and Oliver's amusement dropped heavily.

He straightened up, ready to walk out. "I thought we were going to talk about you, John."

Then Digg did as Digg rarely did. "Dammit, Oliver!" He raised his voice.

He came toward Oliver, towering in front of him, certainly the more formidable looking man. And the look in his eye, the one he kept in reserve for special occasions, made Oliver take a step back. He put his hands up in front of him in surrender. Nothing about Diggle's reaction was wrong and it was no less than Felicity deserved. But Oliver wouldn't speak first. He didn't even know what words to say.

Now, Digg eased up. His shoulders lowered and so it seemed did his heels. Looking more like a friend Digg started again. "Neither one of you is telling me the whole story." Par for the course where Oliver was concerned, but not Felicity. John had grown used to being her confidant. "And you're both acting . . . differently." He spent more than two years now watching. They were his friends and his family. And it wasn't a boast when he regularly told Lyla that he knew Oliver and Felicity better than they knew themselves, that their mutual stubbornness and blindness would be their undoing. But something had changed.

Oliver looked at him expectantly and Digg knew he would have to lead him every begrudging step of the way down this path. "She's calm. She is in control. And you are-"

"I'm what?" Oliver spoke defensively, borderline angrily. He knew exactly what he was. He could feel it. It was like feeling every individual blood vessel as they swam and shimmied through his veins every second of the day.

"You're all over the place man." Digg said it for him. He could see it from the minute he boarded the plane to Lian Yu with him. As the Arrow he was sure and he was justified. He had earned his place protecting his city. His Oliver Queen, however, was starting to look like an ordinary man. His carefully honed control, the mask he always wore was slipping. What used to be guarded glances of longing, lust, amusement toward their girl Friday were now frequent stares that quickly turned conflicted. The walls Oliver put up to protect them all were more like curtains now. And Diggle had been observing for weeks trying to decide how strong a wind he wanted to be. He could cause damage too. Damage that might be better left for another day. "Oliver-"

"She's not some girl, John." Oliver sank back against the metal table his hands gripping the edge even as he tried to let go. "And I have been a foolish, selfish man. I thought I was being so careful, keeping her at arm's length. I never . . . " Oliver shook his head at his own crimes. Diggle hadn't always seen Oliver's restraint for what it was, not the bulk of that first year when he was consumed with Deadshot and just keeping Oliver alive. It was all different after Tommy.

"I've never offered to take her home. I never stick around to comfort her. I walk away. She gets kidnapped. And shot. And held at the mercy of madmen," Oliver quietly railed, his voice thick, his eyes swimming in unspillable tears. Diggle knew he was reliving every tortuous second, frustrations he'd never shown before now mounting. "And all I want to do is – Do you know I can count on one hand the times I've put more than five fingers on her and it wasn't to save her life? Situations I put her in. What kind of man am I, John? Cause, God help me, it's getting harder and harder to focus on keeping her at a safe distance."

He was looking up at Digg finally, all anguish and fear begging for an easy answer. Digg didn't have any of those. "Felicity isn't going anywhere. She's been pretty clear about that." Just in case you were thinking about pushing her away. Digg assumed it was his first thought.

"I think I can wrap my head around the physical danger, now. Because she isn't going anywhere. She's already standing next to me. All the time. In the line of fire. But putting these feelings out there too? It's putting another weapon out there. It's like throwing a loaded gun on the ground. Anyone could pick it up." Letting go of the table finally, Oliver stood to pace a small space next to Digg. He'd given in to the shock of revelation long enough.

And he'd finally given Digg something he could work with. "So your solution is what, man? Never say anything. Stand by while she moves on? Be alone for the rest of your life. Never be happy?"

Oliver's laugh vibrated off the walls momentarily stupefying Diggle. "I've had this conversation before. With Tommy," he explained. "I told him, me being happy wasn't important."

"Did he buy that?"

"He felt sorry for me, Digg." Oliver could remember the look on Tommy's face clearly. "I didn't think it was in the cards for me. I wasn't – I'm still not."

Digg made sure to catch Oliver's eye. "Oliver, you don't have to be perfect. You don't have to save everyone, fix everything to deserve this." Digg needed to believe that as much for his friend as he did for himself.

Oliver turned and picked up his bow from the table, holding the grip, turning his wrist so the strings just rested against his forearm, feeling the perfect balance. "I can't think of a single thing I've done to deserve her." He turned his wrist again setting the bow down.

"You don't get to decide that, Oliver." Digg didn't exactly argue with him.

"She sees the hero. The Arrow. One bad night and that guy goes away. What's left? I'm barely Oliver Queen now. That's not a man Felicity should love." It was the first thing Oliver had said that Digg thought he might truly believe.

So Digg got in his face again puffing out his chest and jamming his pointed index finger just below Oliver's clavicle. He saw Oliver stiffen up, fighting his instincts. "She sees you. The good. And the bad. And she comes back here every day more convinced you are the man she believes in. Trust that."

Oliver stumbled backward over his own feet, one hand scrapping over his skull as the other grasped onto the first thing within reach. Felicity's desk chair. His breathing was fast and shallow. He was left more unbalanced by this conversation than some of his alter ego's duels.

Digg needed him to admit that. "You can't keep going like this."

"I know, John!"

"What are you gonna do about it, Oliver?"

Oliver tilted his head in a still fuming stare before righting himself. He closed his eyes, making the decision and opened them nodding.

Diggle read his mind. "It's always a risk, Oliver."

His partner nodded again, his jaw setting into a firm line.

"But she's not some girl. She's the woman you love." Digg added just a little more advice. "Nobody's saying you have to tell the whole world."

The last of Oliver's tension came out in a huff. Digg came toward him with an extended hand and Oliver took the peace offering only to feel Digg's grip tighten around his hand with bone crushing pressure and pull him closer. Cheek to cheek with Oliver, a dark glint in his eye, Digg had only one thing left to say. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

Oliver was glad to hear it. "Good." Digg's grip turned friendly and then released him. There was nothing left for Oliver to do but pick up his bag, again.

Digg's smile had returned. "Central City?"

"Central City." Oliver confirmed as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to examine the text. "Or maybe not. Central City's coming to us."

Digg was already by the punching bag, fists at the ready. "You want backup?"

Oliver smiled now too. "I think I can handle Barry Allen."

He reached for the hood.