Hey guys, what an episode of Arrow tonight! I'm so ready for Olicity as a power couple. I'm updating a little bit early this week because I've got a long workday tomorrow. Hope you enjoy this next chapter and please take the time to review. I love reading your comments!

Chapter 5

"Make a hard right...now straight...another right," Felicity directed as her eyes scanned the tracer program. Oliver was chasing down a drug dealer. A sting had gone down earlier, which resulted in a shootout. The dealer would've gotten away if Oliver hadn't arrived on the scene. He'd recognized the criminal and told Felicity the name so she could hack into the guy's cell phone and track him.

"Oliver, he's straight ahead of you."

"I see him."

"Diggle," Felicity said into the comms, "where are you?"

"Just rounded up the last guy that almost escaped. Oliver, you need backup?"

"No, I've got this."

Tapping into the traffic cams on the other monitors, Felicity watched as Oliver blew out one of the tires on the drug dealer's stolen vehicle. The guy swerved and crashed into a set of parked cars. Oliver was off his bike and heading toward the car. The man kicked his door open and fell to the ground, bloodied and shaken. There was a gun in his hand, which had Felicity nervously biting her lip.

Oliver raised his bow. "Barren Nite, you have failed this city." Seconds later, an arrow shot through the air and into the man's chest.

Felicity's eyes widened. "Oliver, did you just...is he dead?" She'd heard that the vigilante wasn't shy about killing, but she had yet to see Oliver take someone out permanently since she'd joined the team a week ago.

"It's a tranq arrow. He'll be out until the police come."

"Oliver, you shot him in the chest."

"It's not a fatal wound."

She breathed a sigh of relief. That had looked like a close one. "Are you guys coming back?"

"Did anything else come over the police scanner?"

"Nothing serious."

"Then yes, we're heading back."

Felicity turned off her comm and walked over to the large touch-screen monitor she'd set up. In addition to upgrading Oliver's system, Felicity had created a database so that they could keep track of all the criminals they had put away and who still needed to be apprehended. She found Barren Nite's profile and grinned as she crossed him off the list. Just last week, they'd managed to stop the Triad. It felt good to be using her skills to stop criminal activity rather than engage in it. She was glad that she'd agreed to join Oliver's team, even if it was only temporary.

The decision hadn't been so clear-cut a week ago. Being out of Brother Eye gave her the freedom to admit how she really felt. The determination it took to simply survive and make it through one more day had taken a toll. Although Felicity admired what Oliver was doing, she'd felt exhausted by the prospect of joining someone else's crusade yet again. But as much as Felicity wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, she couldn't fully let her guard down. Cooper was out there and probably gunning for her. If Felicity truly wanted to cross the finish line and put all of this behind her, then she needed to team up with Oliver. It was only fair that she return the favor and help him track down Malcolm Merlyn.

Ultimately, it was the sincerity in Oliver's voice as he vowed to protect her that had her convinced. All Brother Eye had ever done was take from her-her talent, her trust, her choice, her life. Oliver didn't just need her; he was offering her something in return. Felicity couldn't remember the last time she'd ever believed someone could keep her safe. With Oliver, her instincts were saying that she could trust him. Because of that, she was willing to take a chance.

Felicity heard the guys before she saw them. She was learning that the way they lumbered down the stairs was usually a good indicator of their moods. Tonight they were steady in their footsteps. There was no great rush, as their job was done.

"Police picked up Nite," Felicity informed them once they'd reached the bottom of the stairs.

"That's one down," Diggle commented as he shrugged off his jacket. He winced in pain.

"Diggle, are you okay?"

"A bullet grazed my arm. It's nothing serious."

Felicity went to get the first-aid kit. It had been her second night working with them that she'd realized the importance of knowing its location. Oliver and Diggle were tough, but they weren't invincible.

"How's the facial recognition software running?" Oliver asked. "Any hits?"

It was another feature Felicity added to the system. She'd programmed it to alert them if either Merlyn or Cooper popped up. "Nothing yet."

Oliver gave a curt nod before putting his bow away. Felicity could see that he was frustrated, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She'd been gathering as much information as she could about Merlyn in the meantime, hoping to find some clue as to how and where he could've disappeared.

"Why don't you turn in for the night? We can start fresh tomorrow."

Felicity looked up from cleaning Diggle's wound. "You're not going home?"

"Oliver Queen needs to make an appearance at the club for a bit. It keeps the suspicion at bay when The Arrow has been out all night patrolling."

"Right."

"You know," Diggle interjected. "I've been meaning to tell you how it weirds me out to no end the way you refer to yourself in the third person like that."

Felicity smiled as Oliver rolled his eyes. "The dual identities must get confusing."

Diggle snorted. "You have no idea."

Felicity had finished towel drying her hair when she heard a knock on the front door. After returning to the loft, she'd decided to take a hot bath and must've lost track of the time. According to the clock on the wall, it was almost midnight.

Who the heck could that be at this hour? Oliver hadn't mentioned that he was expecting company, especially so late. Either he would've told her or probably have come home with her. The knocking got louder, causing a sense of panic to overwhelm Felicity. What if it wasn't a friend of Oliver's? What if it was Cooper?

It couldn't be possible. Felicity had made sure that all of her accounts and personal information were locked down. If anyone breached her firewalls, she would instantly know about it. And it's not like she'd been traipsing all over town. The only places she frequented were the loft, Verdant and QC. Not to mention that the security in Oliver's building was top notch. Oliver had gone so far as to alert the front desk to be on the lookout for Cooper. Even if he used a fake name, they would be able to identify Cooper immediately by his picture. Still, that little tiny voice of warning nagged at her.

Sighing, Felicity grabbed her bathrobe and went downstairs. Whoever was at the door had no intention of going away. Felicity glanced around the room, looking for anything that could pass for a decent weapon. Being The Arrow, Oliver had to have something hidden. She made a mental note to ask him about that later-assuming there would be a later for her. Considering her present predicament, Felicity decided that she wouldn't make a peep of protest the next time Diggle and Oliver got on her case about learning self-defense.

Finally, Felicity settled on a butter knife. A steak knife probably would've been a better choice, but the thought of mortally wounding someone, even Cooper, and having their blood spill everywhere made her want to throw up. She just needed to hurt them enough to make an escape. With her hand behind her back, Felicity opened the door slowly. A tall, dark-haired man stood on the other side.

Instantly, Felicity exhaled in relief. The man was Tommy Merlyn. Felicity had never met him, but she knew that he was Oliver's best friend. Oliver also told her that Tommy hadn't been aware of his father's plans. Despite the family connection, Tommy was nothing like Malcolm. The tension in her body eased a fraction.

Tommy stared at her as if in shock, taking in her bathrobe and wet hair. "Oh, hi. I didn't realize Oliver had company. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"He doesn't. I mean, you're not interrupting anything because Oliver's not here. Not that if he was here you'd be interrupting anything anyway. Something would have to be going on between Oliver and I for that to happen, which it isn't." Felicity could feel her face becoming more flushed by the second. "We're just friends," she finished, snapping her jaw shut tight. She didn't need to dig the hole any deeper.

"I'm sorry, then. I didn't mean to imply anything. It's just that I've known Oliver a long time and...nevermind." Tommy waved the thought away and held out his hand. "I'm being rude. I'm Tommy Merlyn."

"I know who you are." She shook his hand. "Felicity Smoak."

"Nice to meet you, Felicity. Do you mind if I come in for a sec?"

"Uh, sure." Felicity stepped aside to let him enter. Discreetly, she placed the butter knife down on the side table where Oliver usually deposited the mail.

"I've been busy reforming my family's company, so I haven't seen him in a week."

"Oh. Do you usually drop by to see him so late?"

Tommy laughed. "Oliver and I have always kept odd hours. Sometimes I forget that most people are in bed by the time we're ready to go out. Not that we've had much time to party lately. Truth be told, it's been harder and harder to drag Oliver out these days." He eyed her curiously before continuing, "I would've called him before dropping by, but I thought he would try to make an excuse to get out of going to Verdant. I figured a sneak attack would be my best bet."

"Actually, he's a step ahead of you. He's at Verdant tonight."

"And he left a beautiful woman like you at home?" Tommy shook his head. "I'm going to have to have a chat with him."

Felicity smiled, a little flustered at the compliment and being put on the spot. "It's been a hectic week. I needed a night in."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Oliver?"

Felicity tried to keep a straight face. She hated lying. "We're old friends."

"Really? Because as long as I've known Oliver, I don't recall him mentioning you-no offense. Did you meet in college?"

"It's okay," she said. "I went to MIT. We met before that while he was on a business trip with his father. We kept in touch. I live in Boston."

Tommy nodded. "It must've been hard for you when the Queen's Gambit went missing, especially with you already living so far away." His voice was steady, yet Felicity detected an underlying sadness.

"Yes, I was devastated." She felt like the worst person in the world for lying about Oliver's disappearance. For his family and friends, the pain was real. "I'm glad he's back now, though. He deserves a second chance at life." That part she did mean.

"I agree. So what brings you to Starling?"

Tommy was very friendly, but Felicity was well aware that he was pumping her for information. If his initial reaction when she answered the door was any indication, Tommy was utterly shocked by the fact that she was staying with Oliver. Felicity could understand his confusion. It would seem odd that Oliver wouldn't tell his childhood friend about her, especially if she and Oliver were supposed to be so close.

"I'm an IT consultant. Oliver asked me to come and help QC recover after the cyber attack."

"How long will you be staying?"

"I'm not quite sure yet. As long as he-uh, QC needs me."

"Well, the three of us should hang out while you're in town. The mayor is holding a charity event next week to promote the reconstruction of The Glades. Oliver and I will be attending. You should come."

"Oh, I-I don't know," Felicity stuttered, trying to formulate a valid excuse. "I don't want to intrude. Knowing Oliver, he probably already has a date lined up."

Tommy shook his head. "I doubt it. He hasn't mentioned anyone."

"I'm sure there are going to be a lot of important people there. I'm no one. Well, not no one. I am someone," Felicity began to ramble. She was grasping at straws. "Just not someone anyone would expect to attend, especially with Oliver." She was getting nowhere fast.

"I'll admit there will be some snobs there, but not everyone is bad. The food is supposed to be amazing, and the drinks are free. You can't beat that," Tommy joked. "Just stick by us, and you'll be fine. I know Oliver will make sure you have a good time." Before she could protest once more, he ardently declared, "Felicity, I am not taking no for an answer. Oliver isn't here, but he'd agree with me. Every woman deserves a night on the town. You're coming."

Felicity had lost control of the situation in record time. If she objected any harder, she would appear rude and slightly suspicious. Keeping a low profile was her main goal until Cooper and Tommy's father were brought to justice. That was now shot to hell. Felicity didn't want to know what Oliver was going to say about Tommy inviting her and practically thrusting her front and center into his life.

Tommy moved toward the door. "I should get to Verdant and make sure Oliver doesn't decide to cut out early. It was nice meeting you, Felicity. Looking forward to next week." And with a wink, he was gone.

Knocking back a shot, Oliver checked his watch. He would give himself one more hour before he headed home. He'd made the usual rounds in the club-talking to frequent patrons and shamelessly flirting with a few women-before settling at the main bar downstairs. It would ensure that as many people as possible would see him. No more than five feet away, Diggle stood scanning the crowd. He was probably just as eager to leave.

A couple more women approached him. They batted their lashes, stuck out their chests and laughed at everything Oliver said in hopes that he would fall madly in love with them. It was the image and money they wanted, not the man. Oliver had learned that long before he'd been stuck on the island. The difference now was that he didn't want to play the game.

As the buxom brunette in front of him babbled on, Oliver's thoughts drifted to Felicity. She was a talker-the complete opposite of Oliver-but her rambles weren't necessarily a sign of ignorance. They were the complete opposite. She'd only been working with Oliver for a week, but it was long enough for him to figure out that her brain was constantly going a mile a minute. She was either rambling because she was stressed or she was trying to work something out. Either way, the end result was something Oliver needed to hear. He respected that.

Oliver couldn't help wishing he'd returned to the loft with her. Once it was decided that Felicity would be staying with him, Oliver had the maid make up the guest room for her. He was curious to know what she did when he wasn't home, which was often. Any time they spent together was in the Foundry or her occasional visit to QC to check in with IT. He was out the door early in the morning and by the time they got home at night, they were both so tired they went straight to bed.

"Oliver," Tommy called, making his way through the crowd.

Oliver eagerly excused himself from the woman to greet him. "Hey, I didn't know you'd be here tonight."

"I could say the same for you. I thought for sure you'd be spending the night at home with Felicity."

His comment stopped Oliver in his tracks. He stared at his friend, confused. "What?"

"I stopped by the loft with the intention of dragging you to Verdant. Felicity answered and told me you were already here."

"Well, you found me," Oliver replied with a tight smile. He noticed Diggle, who was standing behind Tommy, raise his eyebrow. Apparently, he knew what was coming, too.

"Oh no, buddy, you're not getting off that easy," Tommy declared with a hand on his shoulder. "First, I see you flirting with her at the club a couple of weeks ago. Now, I find out she's this friend you've had for years. Oh, and she's staying with you. What have you done with Oliver Queen?"

"We weren't flirting, just talking. I am capable of having a female friend, you know," Oliver laughed, attempting to lighten the conversation.

Tommy wasn't buying it. "Like who?"

"I'm friends with Laurel."

"Doesn't count because you used to date."

"There was..." Oliver trailed off, wracking his brain for a name and coming up empty.

"My point exactly. I'm not saying it's not possible. I'm just saying it's not probable. Not when said friend is a smoakin' hot blonde with a great butt and killer legs. And I literally mean smoakin' hot because Felicity Smoak...get it. Smoakin' hot..." Furthering his point, Tommy added, "You always were an ass-man."

All trace of humor was gone from Oliver. Absently, his fists clenched at his sides. "Tommy, cool it. Felicity is just a friend and if you ever mention her...assets again, I'm going to lay you out."

Tommy's eyes searched his. Whatever he saw there made him back off and put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, sorry. I wasn't trying to disrespect her. I'm merely pointing out the obvious and examining the facts."

"The only fact worth noting is that Felicity is a good friend who's helping me take care of QC. I didn't think it was that big a deal."

"Got it. Loud and clear," Tommy acknowledged with a grin Oliver couldn't quite comprehend. "Though, I suppose now wouldn't be the best time to tell you that I invited her to the mayor's charity event with us next week, would it?"

"You what?" Oliver exclaimed. Tommy was just full of damn surprises tonight.

"She might be here on business, but you could at least show the girl a good time when she's off the clock."

"I have been."

"Yes, that's why she's at home and you're here by yourself," Tommy countered.

Oliver chose his words carefully. "Big events like that aren't really Felicity's scene."

"She looked pretty eager to me. I can't go back on my word. I promised Felicity she could come, Oliver. Don't disappoint her."

Oliver narrowed his eyes at his best friend. The reaction he was describing didn't sound like Felicity at all. He wondered, yet again, what Tommy was up to. Oliver looked to Diggle, who didn't seem at all concerned. The slight upward tip to the corner of his mouth was the only clue that he was hiding a smirk.

"I'll tell you what. If you take Felicity, then I'll take Laurel." He patted Oliver's chest. "It'll simply be a pair of friends enjoying a nice night of wining and dining that will most likely end with the two of us writing big, fat checks. No pressure. What do you say?" Oliver sighed in response, causing Tommy's grin to widen. "Good man."

With a loud grunt, Felicity hit the mat hard. "Ow." She'd told Diggle that she wanted to learn some of the self-defense moves he'd been talking about. The only problem was that there wasn't much defending of the self in her technique. Diggle was blatantly holding back, and he was still kicking her ass. Felicity had a newfound respect for what he and Oliver did every night.

Diggle held out a hand to pull her up. "The trick is to keep your weight evenly distributed."

Rubbing her back, Felicity countered, "I thought the point was to avoid getting into fights."

"Like I said, Starling City isn't the kind of place where you can talk yourself out of trouble."

"Unfortunately," the blonde muttered, grabbing her water bottle and taking a swig. Diggle handed her a towel. "Thanks."

"Want to try again?"

"Do I want to or do I have to?" Felicity quipped, already putting the towel and water bottle back down. She walked to the center of the mat to face Diggle. He demonstrated the move once more before coming at her like an attacker.

"Good," Diggle instructed when she successfully executed the move. Then, catching her off guard, he came at her again.

She hit the mat for what felt like the hundredth time. Her butt was definitely going to bruise after today. "Damn it," Felicity huffed.

"Remember what I told you about staying in the moment. Just because you make contact, doesn't mean you stop."

"Oops?" She shrugged innocently from her spot on the floor.

Diggle grinned good-naturedly. "It will be a very big oops."

"What the...?" Oliver trailed off as he entered the Foundry. He was in full Arrow gear.

Felicity tipped her head back to look at him. His upside-down form loomed over her. "Hey."

"I'm trying to teach Felicity to defend herself."

"As you can see, I was just about to make my move," Felicity declared, humorously pointing to her sprawled out form. "I have him right where I want him."

"She's lethal," Diggle played along.

Oliver shook his head at them, amused. "I'll bet." He watched as Diggle helped her up. Felicity was wearing tight black yoga pants and a bright pink workout top. Oliver was unwittingly reminded of Tommy's comments last night. Oliver did his best not to stare at the way the material clung to her curves.

"How'd it go out there?" Felicity asked.

"Strung up a few lowlifes. The usual. Any developments down here?"

"I hacked into Merlyn's bank records. The program is scanning for any suspicious transactions. If I can flag something, it'll give me a decent starting point."

"Good. Diggle, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." He looked to Felicity and pointed at the sparring dummy. "Keep practicing those punches I taught you."

Felicity offered him a mock salute. "Yes, Sir."

Diggle, putting his shirt back on, followed Oliver off to the side. "What's up?"

"I tracked down Maddox tonight." The slimy, oversized scumbag was known in The Glades for selling stolen merchandise. One of his specialties was high-end technology, which would most certainly attract someone like Cooper. "I questioned him"-though interrogated was what was implied-"about any new clients. He mentioned someone matching Cooper's description."

"He's still in Starling, then."

"Everything he bought was untraceable. Plus, he's armed," Oliver said more quietly. "Maddox said he was looking to get even with someone."

"Shouldn't you be telling this to Felicity?"

"She knows she's in danger. There's no need to scare her even more. I just want you to be aware." They glanced over at Felicity as she practiced her punches. So far, the sparring dummy was winning.

"I've got her back," Diggle promised before leaving to set up some more precautions with Oliver's security team.

Oliver approached Felicity. "Plant your feet." He came up behind her, placing his hands on her waist, and used his foot to move her legs farther apart. "Strong foundation equals stronger punch."

Felicity felt her breath catch, acutely aware of Oliver's touch in a way she hadn't been of Diggle's. She was even more self-conscious training in front of him. Oliver frequently worked out in the Foundry-which was both a blessing and a curse as she tried to focus on her work-demonstrating his incredible physicality. Felicity embarrassingly paled in comparison.

"Try again," Oliver directed.

Casting her jitters aside, Felicity focused on his advice. She drew strength from her core, where Oliver's hands remained planted, and landed a solid punch to the dummy. "Oh," she muttered in surprise.

"Much better," Oliver said in approval. "You're small. Your best bet will be finding ways to use your opponent's strength against him."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks."

It was then that Oliver realized he was still touching her. He promptly let go and took a step back. "So, uh, I've been meaning to talk to you about Tommy," he said, all business again. "He told me he stopped by the loft last night."

"Yes, he did. Did he tell you about the charity event?" Felicity cautiously asked, attempting to sense his mood.

"Yes."

"Before you say anything, I didn't ask him to invite me. It was his idea, and I tried to get out of it. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

"I figured," Oliver replied.

"I don't want you to feel like I'm invading your personal life. I understand that we're partners, and that's it."

"Felicity, you're not invading anything. It was my decision to bring you into the fold," Oliver assured her. "Honestly, it was bound to happen sooner or later." Though Oliver hadn't expected it to come up so soon.

"So what are we going to do?"

"Do you want to go?"

"I am supposed to be keeping a low profile," Felicity reasoned. "Showing up at a major event with you is probably the equivalent of sending up a flare. On the other hand, it might be good to be seen in public together to keep the authorities at bay." She bit her lip before asking, "Do you want me to go?"

It was a loaded question for Oliver. He and Felicity had agreed to be partners and at least appear friendly when they were out in public. As Felicity pointed out, going to the charity event together would take things to a whole new level. They could tell everyone they were just friends, but Felicity showing up on his arm almost guaranteed a write-up in the gossip columns the next day.

Her safety was also an issue with Cooper running around Starling plotting his revenge. He had to know she'd set him up by now, so would it really make a difference if Felicity started showing her face around town? Maybe her connection to Oliver and being in the public eye would give her more leverage, as she'd said, when they did eventually take him down.

Weighing the options, Oliver decided, "We can go."

Felicity's eyes widened. "Really?"

Despite her initial concern, Oliver detected a hint of excitement in her voice. Felicity wasn't able to get out much and, after everything she'd told him about Cooper, it probably wasn't much different than the time she spent with Brother Eye. Oliver was beginning to think Tommy was right. Felicity deserved a break.

"Yes," Oliver confirmed. "It'll be...well, I can't say these things are usually fun, but they're interesting. Either way, we'll make a night of it."

"Thank you," Felicity beamed, more accepting of the situation now that Oliver had given it the okay. "What the heck am I going to wear?" she murmured to herself. All she had was work dresses and a few cocktail ones. Definitely not any gowns, as there hadn't ever been a need for her to get so dressed up.

"Pick out whatever you want. I'll take care of it," he informed her.

Felicity was already shaking her head in protest. "No, Oliver, I can't."

"Felicity, you have to wear something couture and it's not like I'll go bankrupt," he explained, giving her a reassuring grin. "Besides, we're going as partners. Totally platonic. Just think of it as a business expense." He patted her shoulder and went to change out of his Arrow suit before she could fight him on it further.

Felicity's eyes followed his retreating form. She sighed longingly. "There's nothing platonic about couture."