A/N: Hey guys! I'm super late on this one. Like an entire week. I'm so sorry. This chapter is longer than I anticipated and I'm working three jobs (if not four). Finding time to write without feeling rushed was a challenge.

Fun fact: if you've noticed, all the chapters are different people. I just wanted to point out that if At the Edge of Nowhere was a chapter, it would be called Tommy.

Thank you for everyone who has reviewed and supported me in this! Hugs and Kisses to you all!

Heads up, there won't be a new chapter next Wednesday. However, you might get one the Saturday or Sunday after that.

Happy Reading!

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Felicity knew that something fishy was going on between Oliver and Dig's wife, Lyla. There was this strange aura coming off of both of them when they were in each other's presence. Not that Felicity dabbled in palm readings or anything psychic. It just seemed like they knew each other.

Which didn't seem likely since Dig had met Oliver on his third tour, after Dig and Lyla had gotten a divorce. Dig and Lyla had gotten married a year ago. Oliver was still gone since he had told Felicity that he had just gotten back. Unless that was a lie...

Felicity brushed the thought away. Oliver and Lyla had come up with that lame excuse of fixing the four-wheeler. If that was how well Oliver could lie then he had been telling the truth of just returning home. But it didn't explain the connection between the two strangers.

Felicity reasoned that nothing explained her and Oliver's connection either. After everything that Felicity's been through, trust come slowly to her. She remembers it taking several months to trust Dig. To trust his judgement and his character. To trust that he wouldn't hurt her during a flash.

So she didn't blame Diggle for questioning her motives. Oliver had the exact same problems as John did, probably worse. The shadows haunting the deep blue eyes hid a darkness she had never seen in Diggle's. Whatever happened out there to Oliver, choices had been made that he regretted, actions witnessed that ripped apart his faith.

The fact that such a man had trusted her with a story, a terribly sad one, of his best friend's death, made her trust him. Trust, like respect, was a two way street. Hers and Oliver's was just shorter than everyone else's.

Besides the fact of not believing Lyla's excuse, Felicity harkened to her advice anyways. She found Dig in the kitchen, scraping off dried food on the frying pan.

Felicity found her glass, filling it with cold water from the fridge before taking a seat at the table, waiting for him to finish. She hadn't had a long wait; thirty seconds later the seat across from her was filled.

"Felicity. I can't imagine what you have been through these last couple days,"

"Then don't" she interjected.

"But I need to know what you're doing. You ran away from home."

"Dig. You know that Vegas has always seemed like a prison to me. My mom got hurt several years ago and I was only supposed to be there temporarily. But those months turned into years and I could never seemed to leave. Something always happened that prevented me even making plans. Then it didn't matter where I was. I was resigned to living my life sheltered and smothered by a mother who loves me too much and not enough. Now that I'm out, I see what a disappointment my life has been. I want to do something with it, make the world a better place. Oliver has offered me that."

Dig sat silent through her explanation, a neutral expression in his eyes. Seconds passed as Dig contemplated what to say. "What makes you think it was his to give?"

"What—"

Dig held up his hand. "No, I want you to listen Felicity. I think that yes, you should do what you want with your life, and not always live to your mother's expectations. But I don't think that Oliver is the right path, at least not yet. He's suffering badly and the worst part of it, is he doesn't know it. He believes that he's fine. Four years ago, I might have believe him. But when I look in his eyes, I don't see my brother from the battlefield. I see a weapon, a cold, heartless, weapon filled with shadows and grief.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe, Felicity, because you're my friend and I care about you. I will try and help you with your life. But you shouldn't trust him. The right situation could set him off and the flood gate will open. The flashes, the nightmares, will worsen until he's walking in his past, never seeing the present."

"I helped you with that. I can help him." Felicity insisted. She knew she was the person that could help Oliver. He trusted her—something that still surprised Felicity. She was going to take advantage of that trust and repair what had been broken.

"He's not a computer, Felicity. You can't just replace the faulty parts and reboot him."

"Oh but that's it! Giving Oliver good memories will outweigh the bad."

"That's not how this works and you know it. He needs to open up…"

"And who better to do that than me? Oliver trusts me!"

"Felicity. Stop, please. Oliver trusts me too. Why do you think he came here, out of everywhere he could go? Because he knew that I've been through it. Maybe not to the same degree he has, but I've been there, I understand. You don't. Plus, I can handle him if something happens. Felicity. He could kill. You. So, for your best interests, I would stay away from him for a while. Just so he can settle down enough and get help. After that, it's your life, your choice. If you want to pursue a relationship with him, then that's your business. I just don't want to see you get hurt. I love you too much."

Felicity nodded, staring down at the wood and writing letters into it. She heard Dig loud and clear, and against her better judgment, planned to listen to him.

The backdoor closing interrupted Felicity's train of thought. Oliver appeared in the doorway, his entire posture rigid. Whatever he and Lyla talked about wasn't good. Felicity again wondered if they knew each other.

"Felicity, I-" The backdoor closed again, this time more violently. It's scared Felicity so much that her hand jerked, hitting the glass of water causing it to shatter against the floor.

She also hit the floor a second later, having been pulled to the ground by Oliver, who was crouched protectively over her. Over Oliver's shoulder she could see Diggle stand up, apprehension written all over his face. Lyla rushed in from the same direction that Oliver had come from; it was her who had slammed the door, no doubt in anger.

Oliver's hands were squeezing her shoulder and upper arm painfully, probably leaving bruises. Observing Oliver, Felicity saw that he didn't see her. His eyes kept moving past her, looking and seeing the danger that wasn't there. Felicity had to admit, she may have dreamed of a similar position last night with Oliver but it was under different circumstances. Non-life-threatening circumstances.

Oliver was having exactly what Dig feared he would. It seemed that a door slamming and glass breaking were the perfect triggers.

He was having an episode.

Felicity reached up awkwardly with her hands to grasp Oliver's shoulders.

"Oliver." She spoke, accenting it with a shaking motion. No sign that he hear her. Oliver flinched then, from some invisible foe. Felicity shook harder.

"Oliver! Come on. Oliver!"

All of a sudden, Oliver's hands moved from her shoulders to her throat, his wild eyes gazing unseeing in her face. Then he started to squeeze.

Felicity couldn't breathe, black spots from lack of oxygen dancing gleefully at her impending death. Some part of Felicity wished they were stars instead. Then she could tell people they were all wrong about the black spots.

Desperate, she banged her hand against Oliver, shoving uselessly at his iron body. Abruptly, the grip was loosened and Felicity could breath. One inhale after the other, ragged breaths giving plentiful oxygen. When she could see, both Dig and Lyla were on either side of Oliver, shoving him roughly in the chair.

Diggle kept a hand on Oliver while his wife hurried to Felicity, slowly helping her up from the hardwood. Felicity couldn't stop coughing as she watched Oliver, his eyes losing the glazed over look.

Oliver finally came to full awareness, looking around at those gathered, at Dig holding Oliver to the chair, at Lyla, who was standing in front of Felicity, until Oliver alighted on her. His eyes widened in horror and a stream of strange words erupted from his mouth. Lyla flinched, apparently understanding the curse words.

He buried his head in his hands, denial coursing from his lips, rocking back and forth in his anguish, the pounding sound echoing loud in the kitchen.

Lyla approached him cautiously, hand outstretched in comfort. The second her fingers touched his skin he shied away, glancing up.

The venomous glare heated towards Lyla gave the impression to Felicity that no stranger would give to another. They knew each other. Oliver's words confirmed it.

"This is what you made me into. Are you happy now?" His voice was full of self-loathing and hatred.

Feeling like she had to do something, Felicity spoke up.

"Hey. Hey, hey, you're fine you didn't' hurt me," she tried to placate him, creeping towards him. Oliver's expression darkened when he looked at her.

"Say that to the mirror. Those bruises say otherwise."

"Oliver..." From what she knew of him, Oliver was scared, mostly at himself, for what had happened. Even though Diggle had been right, she wasn't frightened of him. The key to dealing with this was to face it. Not to run from it. John Diggle should know this, yet he keeps trying to wave her off.

Felicity knew without a doubt that she, and only she, could be the one to help Oliver.

But only if he accepted it.

"No!" He stumbled from the chair, backing away from her forward approach, hand held in front like he was trying to protect himself, when in reality he was protecting her from him. "Just no! Stay away from me, Felicity. I'm only going to get you hurt. You don't know me. You think you do but you don't. What this just proved is that I'm a monster. I'm tainted so much by blackness that there is nothing left. So get as far away from me as you can because I'm no good for you."

He stormed into the living room, grabbing his jacket draped over the couch. Felicity followed him, frantically wanting him to stay, to understand. He never turned to face her even though she knew he felt her presence.

"This was a mistake. Meeting you was a mistake. And for that I'm sorry. I promised you the world and it turns out I can't give it to you. Go find someone who can."

With those heartbreaking words, he dashed out into the street, the roar of the motorcycle clearly heard. Lyla grabbed her arm from going after him, rooting her to the house.

Not really knowing Lyla, but not caring, Felicity buried her face against Lyla's blouse, tears leaking from her eyes. A second later, the soft cotton was replace with a scratchier material.

Dig wrapped his arms around her, soft soothing noises emitting from him. Felicity didn't' know why she was crying, she knew Oliver for less than twelve hours. But it felt like twelve years. He was her best friend in an instant, either from the lack of a social life in Vegas or just plain insanity. What she did know was that she felt like she could trust him, her gut, heart and head in accordance for once. No matter what Oliver believed himself to be, there was a good man under there. A bad man wouldn't have helped a strange girl in a gas station. He wouldn't have made sure she had a safe place to sleep—knowingly or unknowingly bringing her to Diggle. The last act that cinched that he was indeed a good man was that he wasn't under the delusion that he could keep her safe. A selfish man would have ignored all warnings and kept her with him.

Just the act of leaving sealed her opinion of him.

Oliver Queen was a good man.

XXXXX

XXXXXX

Two hours later, Felicity sat on the guest bed, staring blankly at the wall. Oliver had disappeared a little after seven, and Diggle had carried her in here, leaving her alone to her heartbreak. Her tears had dried up soon after and Felicity had drifted back to sleep.

Now she sat on the edge, wondering what she was going to do next. Oliver had made her promises and yet a few hours later, disappointed her by taking them back. It seemed that he had sold something he didn't have. Felicity was one thing, but a sucker wasn't one of them. She grew up in Vegas and had seen all the cons.

This one blind-sided her. The con was elaborate and devastating. And from what Felicity had witnessed, had destroyed them both, neither being left unscathed.

A soft knock drew her from her thoughts, the door opening slightly.

"Felicity?" It was John. "May I come in?"

She gave one short nod, not caring if Diggle saw it or not. Apparently he did, coming in and shutting the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, Felicity. I couldn't stop him." There was a tiredness in Diggle's voice that shouldn't be there at nine thirty in the morning. "He's my brother and I did nothing to help. Him or you. I thought that I knew best. I thought that perhaps keeping you apart…"

"John," she finally looked over at him, "it's okay. When the time is right, perhaps he'll return. Until then, well, his promises aren't going to be fulfilled."

"Maybe not, Felicity. Tell me where you stand with your job."

She let out a hollow laugh. "I'm pretty sure fired. When you don't show up for four days in a row that tends to happen to you."

Diggle made a sound of disagreement. "Perhaps not. You're at Queen Consolidated, right?"

Felicity confirmed yes.

"Well, QC headquarters are here. Why don't you go talk to them? Say you moved here without notice and are sorry you never contacted work to let them know what was going on. You can stay here with me until you figure out what you want to do, whether you want to stay in Starling or return to Vegas. Remember, it's your life. You get to make the decisions."

Felicity smiled a shaky smile. "This is why I like you. You always seem to be able to cheer me up."

"Oh, so that's why you keep me around. And I thought it was because of my good looks?" Dig teased. She shoved him playfully.

"You wish."

"Come on. Lyla's already left for her super-secret work, and I'm late to mine. I can give you a ride into Queen Consolidated."

"Okay." Felicity looked down at her clothes. They were dirty and dusty, marked with stains. "Do you think I could get a change of clothes?"

XXXX

XXXX

After a quick stop at a boutique to purchase some business appropriate clothes (jeans weren't going to cut it) and a short change in a public bathroom (she threw away her old clothes) Felicity was ready to face the towering high-rise of the multibillion company that had been her place of employment. Hair in a ponytail, high heels on, she felt more like herself and not the ragged runaway.

Diggle informed her that he would be off around seven; she would have to entertain herself until then. He worked in private security and managed somewhere between twenty and forty guards all at once. Normally, he worked until six, but one of his employees had died on the job and there was a funeral to attend that night. She gave him her condolences and traipsed off to find Queen Consolidated.

Nervous and not really sure where she was supposed to go, Felicity asked at the front desk. The girl was on the phone and ignored her question, just waving at the elevators as her answer. Shrugging, Felicity hit the call button for the elevator and step on. Only later did she realize that while the lobby was full of people waiting for the elevator, none of them got on with her. In fact, some of them gave her incredulous looks. In the moment, however, Felicity dismissed them, too focused on her anxiety.

The doors slid shut but didn't move. Felicity noticed a keypad in which she entered her old ID. Within seconds, the elevator started moving up, much faster than any of the lifts in Vegas.

Another thing Felicity didn't notice was the fact that there was only the key pad—no numbers for individual floors.

The doors opened and Felicity walked out, faking confidence and hoping that they wouldn't notice. Resisting the urge to fidget, she boldly strode to the secretary.

The older brunette scarcely looked up, simply stating "You can go right in. He's expecting you."

That drew her up short. "He's expecting me?" She parroted.

The assistant leveled her a look and then went back to typing. Sheepishly, Felicity ducked into the office. Where she stood shell-shocked.

Felicity was standing in Walter Steele's office.

The CEO's office.

If she had been the swooning type, she would have fainted right there. As it was, she forgot all the reasons to halt her fidgeting.

"Hello." Felicity felt it only right for her to speak first.

"Just one second, Hasting, I have to finish—Oh. Hello. Who are you?" He asked, not unkindly. Felicity stared at him for a single beat before her mouth decided to make itself useful.

"I'm Felicity Smoak. I worked at QC in Las Vegas" Vaguely, Felicity remember the story she and Diggle had cooked up. "I moved to Starling City without notice and would love my job back. Not that I'm begging or anything, well, in some ways I am, but with no disrespect sir, I did a very good job in Vegas and I believe that I should still be able to maintain my place of employment. Sir."

Felicity was able to stop her ramble, mentally going over it to make sure nothing was particularly insulting. She may have come off brash…

Walter cocked his head in recognition. "So you're Felicity Smoak. I've heard many things about you, Miss Smoak and I say, I'm quite impressed with your work. Under this company as well as your time at MIT. Yes, Miss Smoak, I know who you are. If I remember correctly, your employment was originally here in Starling? Well, now that you're here, I want to extend a promotion to you."

Felicity's brain short-circuited. He wanted to promote her? He knew her name? All she wanted was her job back.

"We have a position open that would benefit from your expertise. Vice President to the Director of the Applied Sciences Division. What do you say about that?"

Felicity could only gape at him.

"Very well, if you don't want it…"

"Oh I want it very much sir. Thank-you sir. But why me? Sir."

"Why not you, Miss Smoak? You graduated summa cum laude from MIT with a Masters in Cyber Security and Computer Sciences. Your paid internship at Kord Industries qualifies you for a high job than what you started at. Of course I know who you are. You are one of the best acquisitions this company has acquired. "

Walter straightened papers on his desk. Felicity was speechless, something that had only happened a few times in her life.

"Now, when can you start?"

After an entire conversation with Walter about her employment status and promising that she would start in six days, Felicity all but skipped out of the office. As horrible as the day started, it was looking up, rays of sunshine through the dark clouds.

Choosing to take a regular elevator down to the main floor (she had realized that she had ridden up in the private executive elevator) she promptly hit the Lobby button. Just as the doors were about the close, a hand shot out, effectively stopping them. They reluctantly drew open again.

In stepped an icon just as big as her brother. Thea Queen was poised and polished as she joined Felicity in the empty elevator. Her half-sister barely gave her a glance, Thea's attention wrapped up in whatever was on her smartphone.

Without consent, Felicity spoke up.

"Thea Queen?"

Thea finally put her phone away and leaned against the elevator wall, examining Felicity. "Yeah, that's me. Can't say I know who you are."

"I'm—" Felicity stopped herself. She didn't even know if Thea was told about her parentage. She would have to bring it up in a roundabout manner.

"I was just visiting your step-dad, Walter Steele."

"Ex-step-dad. They got a divorce five years ago."

"I'm sorry." It seemed that Felicity had opened a floodgate though.

"All because of my mother's great plan to take over the world. As though she hadn't already. Doesn't this company like own the entire world? Why would she want to destroy it? But Walter was a great dad, even though he wasn't really my father. Still looks after me. My father won't be winning any Dad of the Year awards. Not with him being in—" Thea snapped her mouth closed, looking at Felicity in dread before glaring a hole through the elevator doors. What she didn't know was that she had given Felicity the perfect opportunity. It seemed that Thea knew the family secret.

"In prison." Felicity finished Thea's sentence. "Yeah, our father won't be getting the #1 Dad sticker for a long time. Destroying half of Starling City tends to do that to you."

Thea whipped her head around to stare at Felicity. "What did you just say?" She asked incredulously.

"I said that our father won't be getting—"

"I heard you the first time. You said 'Our Father'."

Felicity shrugged under Thea's inquisitive gaze. "Well, yeah. Malcolm Merlyn is my father, your father, so that makes us sisters? Well, technically half-sisters because we don't share the same mom. I mean unless Moira Queen is actually my birth mom which knowing me would just turn out to be true and I do not need that kind of complication in my life."

Thea was still staring at her completely overwhelmed.

"I have a sister? You're my sister?"

Felicity nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Oh the stars above this can't be happening to me." She ran her fingers through her hair in distress, turning a slow circle. Just then, the lift arrived at the lobby and Felicity stepped out. Thea had no choice but to follow her.

Having said her piece, Felicity turned to leave, exiting the building through the revolving door. She heard Thea call after her.

"Wait! Wait. You're my sister?" Thea grabbed Felicity by the arm. Looking around, Felicity drug Thea over to the wall of the building.

"Do you want everyone to know? Yes, Thea, unfortunately my biological father is Malcolm Merlyn. That makes us half-sisters. Just like we're half-sisters to Tommy."

"You know about Tommy?"

"Of course. As soon as I found out about my parentage, four days ago, thank-you mother, I did research as is my special ability. Tommy was Malcolm's public son, why wouldn't I know?"

Thea breathed in a large gulp of air let then it out abruptly. "I'm sorry, this is kind of a surprise for me. Finding out that you have a sister."

"It was a surprise to me last night when I found out."

That's when Thea started calculating. "How did you find out? No one knows this except for maybe four people."

"Never mind that. It's not important."

"Yes it is. Now, how did you know?"

"Thea, I can't tell you!" Felicity cried, frustrated. "The important thing is that I know."

"Okay. Wait." Felicity had started walking away from her. "If you're my sister, do you want to go do something, I don't know, have lunch or something? You're basically the only family I have left. Both my parents are in jail, Walter is no longer my step-dad and Ollie and Robert Queen are dead. What I'm saying is I would really like to spend some time to get to know you. That okay?"

Felicity couldn't help but grin. "Sure. Lead the way, Miss Queen. To be honest with you, I'm craving a burger right now."

"You've come to the right place, Miss… oh my god I don't know your name!"

Felicity laughed at that. "Felicity. Felicity Smoak."

"Well, Felicity Smoak, I know the best burgers in town. Come with me."

XXX

XXX

Two hours later, plus a Big Belly Buster with fries and a shake, Felicity felt like she knew her sister, better than any tabloid. Thea was currently interning at Queen Consolidate as well as managing her brother's old nightclub, Verdant. She had a talent for business and a passion for fashion.

Not to mention her boyfriend, Roy.

In almost every topic her and Thea talked about, Roy was brought up somewhere in the conversation. From what Felicity could tell, Roy worked at Verdant as a manager, was a rough kid who ran with a rough crowd and loved Thea adoringly. Only one who was smitten as such as he could sit through a here hour conversation about designer shoes.

Felicity stared out the window of the taxi. Thea chattering constantly to her. It seemed that Thea had gotten over her initial shock and whole-heartedly embraced the sister thing. If she was honest, Felicity didn't mind hanging out with Thea. As far as impromptu sisters went, Thea was the best of them, if not a bit shallow. Thea had a good heart. Just like her brother's

Felicity sighed at herself. For a solid three hours she had been able to not think of Oliver and the gaping hole he had left in her heart. She had opened it up to him and he had snuck in. Only now that he was gone did she notice the gap. Felicity didn't know if she would ever see him again.

The taxi pulled to a halt and they climbed out. Thea wanted Roy to meet Felicity (Roy being one of the four people who knows Thea's secret) and introduce them. They had taken a taxi to Verdant where Roy was receiving a shipment.

"Come on, Felicity. He should be in here." Thea pushed open the steel door with the green logo painted across it. "Roy?!" Thea called into the empty room, her voice echoing against the walls.

Felicity followed Thea through the club as she searched for her boyfriend. In the back, besides some bottles of Cristal Felicity spied a keypad, with a door shaped panel. Before she could get a closer look, Thea dragged her outside into the alley.

Two people were there, one roughly shoving the other into the wall before threatening him. Felicity recognized them both.

One was about medium height with dark brown hair, longer than the last time she had seen it. His familiar red hoodie was worn, he never went anywhere without it.

"Roy William Harper Jr! What are you doing here?!" Felicity called. At the sound, both heads swung towards her. At the motion, Thea gasped as she got a better look at the man threatening her boyfriend.

"Ollie?"

A/N: Yes, I'm evil. I know this. Who do you think Roy is? And why is Oliver threatening him? You'll find out in the next chapter!