Thanks for your reviews, guys! I've been super busy this week working, finishing up school, and fighting off the worst cold ever. It was nice to read your comments. Got a longer chapter for you this week. Happy reading!

Chapter 14

Fiddling with his tie and walking out of his bedroom, Oliver heard the sound of the TV on downstairs. It was early in the morning, and he assumed that it was Felicity watching the news. It's what they'd done every morning for the past week during breakfast and before Felicity headed off to QC. If a problem arose in the city, sometimes Diggle would don the green suit at night just to make an appearance and remind the city of The Arrow's presence. Once Felicity acknowledged that Oliver could handle walking down the stairs without worsening his injuries, she hadn't been as adamant about keeping him in bed. Slowly but surely he'd started moving around the loft more. The change of scenery, no matter how minor, was welcomed.

This morning was different. Instead of spotting Felicity in the kitchen, Oliver found her in the living room. Dressed in workout clothes with a yoga mat underneath her, she was doing sit-ups to some video playing on the TV. Oliver quietly stood at the top of the stairs and watched. Felicity was counting along with the woman on screen, except her timing was off. As the instructor counted past ten, Felicity grunted out a "five" and then flopped back onto the mat.

"Yes," she said, raising her hands in victory. Oliver couldn't keep quiet any longer as a chuckle escaped him. Felicity's head whipped up at the sound and she frowned. "How long have you been standing there?"

He descended the stairs. "Long enough to know that you missed half that set."

Felicity smiled coyly. "There isn't a rule that you have to do the entire thing." She turned the video off and stood to face him.

"Then what's the point?" he jokingly challenged.

"The point is," she said while brushing his hands aside to help with his tie, "staying healthy while also ensuring that I make it to work on time."

"How come I've never seen you do it before?"

"I didn't say I was consistent." The truth was that Felicity usually did her workout video when she knew Oliver wasn't around. He was so strong and maybe it was silly, but she felt a little self-conscious about her complete lack of athleticism.

"I wish I could do something," Oliver grumbled.

"You are not human. Most people love an excuse to slack off."

"I'm not most people. Being stationary for so long is making me lose muscle mass."

Felicity shook her head and patted his finished tie down. "You still look plenty fit to me." She bit her lip as Oliver stared at her in that penetrating way of his. Before things could get awkward, she stepped back and said, "So, are you ready for your first day back at work?"

"I'm ready to leave this apartment."

"Gee, really? I had no idea."

Oliver cracked a smile at her teasing. "What are you up to today?"

"I was going to head into QC with you, if you don't mind. I'm helping Ray with this big new project."

"Oh." This was the first he'd heard about it. "What is it?"

"I can't say yet. He wants to get it just right before presenting it to you. You know how meticulous he is."

The words left Oliver's mouth before he could think about them. "I didn't realize you and Ray had gotten so close."

Felicity shrugged. "He asked for my help, and that is why you hired me, right? To help QC continue to kick butt."

Nodding, Oliver acknowledged, "Right. With you on the project, I'm sure it will be great."

Felicity flushed at the compliment and took another step back. It was hard to think straight with him so close and saying things like that. "Well, I don't want to make you late. Let me go change and then we can leave."

Oliver watched her ascend the stairs before walking into the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast. He ran a hand over his face and sighed. Felicity must be wearing off on him, because lately he was having a hard time not saying what was on his mind. Oliver had just finished his protein bar when Felicity came back down. As usual, she was dressed impeccably. She wore a black dress with an off-white blazer, a pair of pearl earrings and black heels. He probably would've kept quietly staring at her if she didn't look so frazzled.

"Everything okay?" he inquired when he saw her rifling through her purse.

"I can't find my tablet," Felicity replied. "I must be losing my mind. I could've sworn I put it in my purse before going to bed." She searched the living room with the help of Oliver and let out a frustrated groan when it was nowhere in sight.

Felicity was about to go upstairs when a thought occurred to Oliver. Last night she'd been sorting through the documents in his briefcase, since she'd been acting as his go-between at the office. She wanted to make sure everything was signed and organized for when he got back. He checked his briefcase on the kitchen table and, sure enough, found her tablet inside. "Got it."

"How the heck did I do that?" Felicity muttered to herself.

"You must've slipped it in there by accident last night."

Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close. My life, not to mention my entire schedule, is on this thing."

"Are you sure you want to go to the office today?" Oliver questioned. He was a little concerned.

Felicity was constantly running around these last couple of weeks. Between QC and the Foundry, not to mention taking care of him, it seemed like she hadn't had a moment's peace.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"I want to make sure you're not taking on too much. With my injuries, it appears you've had to pick up most of the slack. You're a consultant, Felicity, not a full-time employee. If you want to take a day off from QC, do it."

Felicity was about to respond when her phone began to ring. "It's Ray." He probably had another idea to share with her. He wasn't the type to wait for normal business hours. It would probably bother most people, but Felicity was used to keeping odd hours. Her work with Oliver was proof of that. "We should go. I did promise Ray that I'd-"

"I don't care what you promised him." Oliver took the phone before she could answer and sent the call to voicemail. "I'm giving you the day off."

"Oliver, really, I'm okay," Felicity tried to tell him and reached for her phone.

Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder. "Felicity, I appreciate you taking care of me these past couple of weeks. The truth is, I don't know what I would've done without you," he said, meaning every word. "Now let me return the favor."

"All right. I won't go to QC. But I do have some things to work on in the Foundry."

Oliver was already shaking his head in objection. "No Foundry either."

"What?" Felicity's eyes widened in shock. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Whatever you want as long as it doesn't involve work."

"You really are the most peculiar boss," Felicity commented, flabbergasted. She was so used to focused and determined Oliver. Now here he was telling her to play hooky for the day. It was surreal and made Felicity wonder if he'd taken a little too much pain medication today.

"I'm not saying this as your boss," Oliver clarified. He squeezed her shoulder. "I'm saying this as your partner and your friend."

Felicity was touched by his concern for her. The fact that he'd called her a "friend" brought a beaming smile to her face. It was the cover story they'd been telling everyone, but this was the first time in weeks that their connection actually felt real. It might not have been the connection she'd been seeking when they kissed, but it was one that she valued. "I suppose I could finally meet Laurel for that coffee. Thank you, Oliver."

"No, thank you." His smile was genuine as he affectionately tugged the end of her ponytail. "I'll see you tonight." He then grabbed his briefcase and headed off to work, leaving a dazed and happy Felicity behind.

"Oliver," Carrie exclaimed as he walked through the doors to his office. She jumped up from her seat and practically launched at him. Oliver held in a groan at the pressure she'd placed on his stitches. "I'm so glad you're back."

Oliver looked over at Diggle, whose expression was unusually blank. Giving Carrie a couple of awkward pats on the back, Oliver pulled away. "I'm fine, Carrie." She wasn't the only one to wish him a happy return, but she was certainly the most enthusiastic.

"You were out for over two weeks. Are you fully healed? Do you need me to get you anything?"

"Not at the moment." He reached into his briefcase and pulled out the documents Felicity had put in there. "Can you see that these are processed?"

"Of course," the redhead replied. "I've been getting a lot of calls about these. I was beginning to wonder if Felicity had forgotten to give them to you."

Oliver detected a hint of annoyance in her tone. He was aware that Felicity and Carrie didn't get along. The way Felicity would drop the papers down in front of him sometimes with a little too much force led him to believe that they'd had a few unfriendly encounters over these last couple of weeks. "She did give them to me. I needed to read them over before signing."

"I will get these in right away. Then I can bring you up to speed on what you've missed, if you like."

"Give me ten minutes," he said and walked into his office. Oliver settled into his chair and turned on his computer.

"How does it feel to be back?" Diggle asked.

"Surreal. It feels like I haven't been here in forever." Oliver checked his email, which was already full of new messages after he'd caught up last night.

"Well, it has been almost a month since we left for Corto Maltese," he reasoned. "Will Felicity be in later?"

"No."

"Wow. To be honest, I'm surprised she didn't come with you this morning. She's barely let you out of her sight."

"I know. It's why I told her to take the day off. She's been running herself ragged." Oliver went to grab more paperwork out of his briefcase when he heard something crinkle. He checked a side pocket and found a brown paper bag. He grinned at the fact that Felicity had packed him a lunch. A note was included, warning him not to skip eating no matter how busy he got. Looking through his endless emails and the number of voicemails on his phone, it was no doubt going to be a hectic day.

Diggle was amused. "That girl doesn't miss a thing."

The corner of Oliver's mouth quirked up. "No, she doesn't. Which reminds me, Felicity is going with Laurel for coffee later today. I'd like you to take her." Felicity hated being followed by the security detail all the time but wouldn't so much mind having Diggle with her. Oliver would be safe at QC all day, so he didn't need Diggle at the moment.

"Sure."

There was a knock on the door. The two men looked over to find Ray standing in the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt, but your assistant wasn't at her desk."

Ray was the last person Oliver felt like seeing on his first day back, but he couldn't be rude. "Come in."

"Glad to see that you've recuperated."

"Thank you," Oliver responded. "What can I do for you, Ray?"

"I need to discuss something with you." He spared a cautious glance at Diggle. "It's important and highly sensitive."

Diggle, understanding that this was a conversation they needed to have alone, excused himself. Oliver motioned for Ray to take a seat. Despite Ray's sharp, clean appearance, Oliver noticed the small, dark circles under his eyes and weariness in the way he sat down.

"I'm sorry to have to bring this up now. I realize it's your first day back and all, but this was just brought to my attention. It can't wait."

"What is it?" Oliver inquired, already not liking the heaviness of his tone.

"It involves Unidac."

Now he had Oliver's full attention. "It was disbanded. What about it?"

"The earthquake machine wasn't the only piece of technology our scientists were working on. Unidac had several contracts with the U.S. government for various technologies. Among them was a contract for militarized performance enhancers. A formula was created, and there was some testing."

"I'm not following," Oliver interjected.

"That formula and a few bottles of the actual serum are missing."

"When did this happen? I thought most of Unidac's research was destroyed by the Dark Archer, and anything we found was confiscated and placed in our secured archives."

"I'm afraid that the theft isn't recent," Ray answered. "I've been looking over our portfolio to see what projects we've had in the works and what we should explore. Thanks to Felicity's upgrade of our system, I was able to catch the discrepancy. I questioned the workers directly in charge of this and found that they were paid to keep this quiet."

"Paid by who?" Oliver demanded. He would have that person's head.

Ray hesitated for a moment before revealing, "Your mother. The theft was reported to her after the Unidac Massacre. I believe she didn't want the public to know that Queen Consolidated was responsible for another possible weapon falling into the wrong hands."

Oliver rubbed his hands over his face. He couldn't believe that he was dealing with this mess again. The fact that his mother had a hand in the cover-up also didn't help. "What exactly do these performance enhancers do?"

"They function much like anabolic steroids. Muscle mass and strength is increased but with fewer amounts of treatments and less negative physical side effects," Ray explained. "Unfortunately, it was also discovered during testing that the behavioral side effects could not be eliminated. In fact, they were much worse. Patients exhibited high levels of aggression and irritability. Mood swings and insomnia occurred in between treatments. The researchers had difficulty keeping them under control, especially with the added strength. Since the military is all about maintaining order, the project was considered a failure and scrapped."

"Do we have any idea who took the serum? Was it the Dark Archer?"

"We don't know, but I doubt it. Everyone involved in creating the earthquake machine was killed. If he took the serum, I don't think those employees would've been left alive." Ray continued, "I've got an internal team investigating what happened and am making sure we keep this quiet. The team, myself and now you are the only ones who know about this."

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," Oliver told him. "I'd like to be kept in the loop during this investigation."

"Of course."

"I'd also prefer it if you did not go through my assistant with this. Everything can be sent directly to me and, if I'm unavailable, Felicity." If the performance enhancers were as dangerous as Ray said they were, Oliver didn't want to take a chance and wait for Ray's team to find something. Felicity would probably be able to get the information they need in more "creative" ways, but it couldn't hurt to give her official access.

"Coincidentally, that was another thing I wanted to discuss with you. I'd like to bring Felicity in on this. We could really use her skills which, since you've okay-ed her clearance, shouldn't be a problem."

"I do trust Felicity and she is brilliant," Oliver acknowledged, "but I'm not going to put her on the investigation."

Ray frowned in confusion. "You're not?"

"No. She's already balancing multiple projects at QC, plus consulting for other companies on the side and helping me while I recover. She's a hard worker for sure, but she needs to slow down." Oliver also wanted to make sure that they stayed ahead of Ray's investigation. It was best that Felicity was privy to the information they received but didn't have to reciprocate.

"Shouldn't that be her decision?"

Irked by the slight challenge in Ray's voice, Oliver responded, "I spoke with her this morning, and she agrees. I've also given her the day off."

"Well, that explains why I haven't been able to reach her," Ray mumbled.

"Unless it's an emergency, I don't want her taking any calls when she's not in the office." Oliver was polite but firm in his declaration. Just because Ray often ran himself and sometimes his staff ragged, Oliver wasn't going to let him do the same to Felicity. To be fair, Ray didn't know the extent of Felicity's other commitments but still a line needed to be drawn.

Ray seemed to get the message. "Will she be in for the meeting we have scheduled tomorrow?"

"Yes."

There was a knock on the door before Carrie stuck her head inside. "I'm sorry, Oliver, but you have a meeting in twenty minutes. There are a couple of things I need to go over with you before then."

"I'll leave you to it. Thank you for your time, Oliver."

"Ray," Oliver said in dismissal before waving Carrie in. She started running down the list of things he'd missed. Oliver tried to pay attention but found his mind drifting to the missing performance enhancers. He shouldn't be surprised that his mother had tried to cover that up, as well. He missed his mother every day and knew she wasn't perfect, but it was situations like the one Ray had just told him about that made Oliver question if he ever really knew her at all.

Diggle held the door open for Felicity, so that she could slide into the backseat of the town car. She gave him an appreciative smile before he walked around the front and got into the driver's seat. A minute later, they were on the road and headed toward the cafe where Felicity was supposed to meet Laurel.

"This is a pleasant surprise. I thought Brad would be following me around today."

"Nope. You've got me," Diggle replied, sparing her a quick glance in the rearview mirror. "I hope you're not disappointed."

"Are you kidding? I'm thrilled. Brad has the personality of a dead cat." The other bodyguard, though good at his job, was stiff and straight-faced. For someone as talkative and bubbly as Felicity, it was awkward to be around a person who couldn't at least feign a smile at one of her jokes.

The corner of Diggle's mouth quirked up. "I can't argue with that."

"How is Oliver? Is everything going okay at the office?" If Diggle was with her today, it must mean that Oliver was buried under a pile of work.

"He's fine. He was doing pushups when I left."

"What?" Felicity exclaimed. "Is he crazy? He'll pull his stitches! I can't believe-" she cut herself off mid rant when she noticed the mischievous smirk on Diggle's face. "That is so not funny."

Diggle chuckled at that. "No need to panic, Felicity. Oliver is fine. He was talking with Palmer when I left."

After the conversation Felicity had with Oliver this morning about Ray, her curiosity was piqued. "About what?"

"It was a company matter. Top secret."

Now she was really intrigued, but Felicity didn't push the issue further. She sat back and looked out the window. With the sun shining, it was a good day to be out of the office. The nagging feeling that she had work to do didn't totally leave her, but she would enjoy this free time Oliver had given her.

Diggle must've been thinking the same thing because he said, "How are you enjoying your day off?"

"It's been good so far. I got to catch up on some reading this morning and do a little online shopping."

"Buy anything interesting?"

Felicity shrugged. "A few gadgets and items for the loft."

"The loft?"

"Yes, like a rug. A couple of pictures. Ooh, and this really nice vase for the kitchen table." The loft was beautiful but could use a little more life and color.

"Sure." There was a beat of silence before Diggle spoke up, "It seems you've settled in nicely. I don't know what Oliver would've done if he didn't have you these last few weeks."

"He said the same thing this morning." The thought brought a smile to Felicity's face. "You helped him, too. It's what friends do."

"Right. Friends," Diggle repeated in that voice that suggested he knew something she didn't.

A couple of minutes later, they arrived at the cafe. Diggle trailed discretely behind Felicity as they entered. If it had been Brad with her, Felicity would've felt self-conscious the entire time. With Diggle, she felt completely at ease. Scanning the room, Felicity saw Laurel sitting at a corner table near a window. She walked over to greet her.

"I'm glad you called," Laurel said when Felicity took the seat across from her. Diggle sat a couple of tables over to give them some privacy.

"I had the day off. I thought you might be in court but figured I'd give it a shot anyway."

"Your timing is perfect," Laurel assured her.

"Good." A moment of silence passed between them. It was a little weird not to have either Oliver or Tommy there as buffers. Thankfully, the waiter approached them, breaking the tension, and took their orders.

Laurel spared a glance at Diggle. "Oliver's still got his security team watching you, huh." It was more of an observation than a question.

"Uh, yes. Can't be too careful."

"I agree. We haven't been able to locate Cooper Seldon yet." Laurel, picking up on her unease, was swift to clarify, "Not that we need to talk about this again. I just want to assure you that my father's working on it."

"Thank you. The sooner he's caught, the better."

"And I'm sorry," Laurel added, "for the way I acted when we first met. I shouldn't have drilled you like that. Sometimes my lawyer side takes over, and I get carried away."

Felicity nodded, accepting her apology. "It's okay. You found out one of your oldest friends has another friend that could possibly have criminal ties. It's only natural," she joked.

Laurel laughed softly. "Yeah."

The waiter returned with their drinks, and Felicity placed her hands around the warm coffee mug. The scent of her steaming vanilla latte was soothing. "So, um, what exactly do you do as the ADA?" she questioned in an attempt to move forward. Felicity listened intently as Laurel explained the different aspects of her job. It was impressive learning about how she got to put away the criminals terrorizing the streets of Starling. Quite a few of them, Felicity knew, were apprehended by The Arrow.

Laurel asked about Felicity's background, as well. Felicity tried to tell as much of the truth as she could. It was difficult, since she hadn't actually been living in Boston all these years like she'd told the police. The majority of her experiences and memories were scattered across the country.

"Oliver went to Boston University for awhile. Did you guys see each other there often?" Laurel asked.

Doing the math, Felicity figured out that Oliver would've been at BU when she was starting her first year of MIT. It was kind of strange to think that they'd been in the same city at the same time, only to cross paths later in life. Talk about fate.

"It was on and off. I was in my freshman year of MIT, trying to adjust to being away from home. And Oliver was...well, you know how he was back then." Felicity felt terrible for lying to Laurel, but it couldn't be avoided. "Even though we didn't see each other every day, he still looked out for me," Felicity felt compelled to add. It seemed like something Oliver would do.

"That was nice of him. I used to think..." Laurel trailed off and shook her head. "Nevermind."

"What?" Felicity prodded.

Laurel hesitated before saying, "I always knew Oliver was a good guy deep down, despite the partying and playboy image. We were in love, and for the longest time I thought that he'd actually changed for me. Looking back on it now, I can see how naive I was."

"You weren't wrong, Laurel. Oliver is a great guy."

"Yes, now he is. I can see how much he's grown. But back then...he wasn't the man I thought he was. Sara was proof of that. It's kind of why I was so mean to you that first night we met," Laurel admitted, looking contrite. "Oliver isn't known for having many female friends. When I found out you'd known each other for years and he'd kept it from me, my mind automatically jumped to the worst possible conclusion."

"I kind of figured that," Felicity admitted. "For the record, though, Oliver and I have never been involved like that." She was dying for an answer to her next question but was also dreading it. Ultimately, she needed to know. "Do you still have feelings for him?"

"I'll always love Oliver," Laurel explained, "but I'm not in love with him anymore. Tommy, oddly enough, changed all that."

"How did that start? If you don't mind me asking," Felicity was quick to say, not wanting to be rude.

"It took a while for me to mourn Oliver and my sister. It's hard to be completely furious at the two most important people in your life for betraying you when they're dead. Especially with my sister. I couldn't properly grieve for her for the longest time, because I was so angry. Then the guilt would follow, because how could I be angry with her for falling under his spell? It's exactly what I did.

"A few years later, I found myself running into Tommy. He was always charming. It's like second nature to him. We'd flirt, but I was hesitant for it to go beyond that. He was Oliver's best friend, and I refused to let myself get hurt again. I kept refusing him until he stopped by CNRI, which is where I worked at the time. He had this totally lame excuse about being in the neighborhood." She laughed, shaking her head. "The Glades was the last place Tommy Merlyn would be visiting. But he went out of his way to see me so when he asked me to dinner, I said yes. We started hanging out regularly after that. Then, one night, everything changed. We were kind of together, but we weren't. That was mostly me. I was still afraid. When Oliver came back, everything got even more confusing.

"Oliver said he was sorry for everything he'd done and even though I knew he meant it, I just couldn't stand to hear it. I didn't owe Oliver a damn thing, but I was afraid to tell him about Tommy and me. After all, he and Tommy were still close. Thea was actually the one to tell Oliver about us, and he handled it surprisingly well. Despite Oliver being back, Tommy didn't stop pursuing me. In fact, he went out of his way to show me that I was different from all the other women he'd 'dated.'"

"So you and Oliver never rekindled things?"

"There was a time, after I realized that he'd truly changed, that I thought I might still be in love with Oliver. He did a lot to prove to me that he was different, and I could see it. But it wasn't meant to be. I felt like I was betraying Tommy, and that was reason enough to let the past go. Even when I considered giving Oliver another chance, I got this weird feeling like I still didn't know who he was. I know he was on the island for five years and obviously he changed, but it was something more. It was like he was distracted or purposely distant. We may be friends again, but I feel it even now. Tommy has always been honest with me. It's why I fell in love with him."

Felicity replied, "I can tell that he cares for you, too, but..."

"But why aren't we together?" Laurel finished, swiping a piece of wavy hair out of her face. "I've been asking myself the same question. Unfortunately, Tommy can be just as stubborn as Oliver sometimes. After the Undertaking and the public learning about his father's hand in the destruction, he's been pushing me away. He says he doesn't want to compromise my reputation as ADA, but I know it's more than that.

"Full disclosure, I wasn't antagonistic toward you that first night we met simply because you might've been with Oliver while we were dating. I was more upset by the fact that history might be repeating itself. It's not that I think Tommy is seeing anyone else. It's just that he's shutting me out like Oliver used to, and it's so frustrating. I don't know how to get through to him anymore. It's making me wonder if something is wrong with me," she admitted.

"I'm so sorry, Laurel," Felicity sympathized. She hadn't expected Laurel to be so open with her, but Felicity appreciated it. It helped her to understand the brunette a lot better. "I realize we're still getting to know each other, but I don't think that something is wrong with you. If Tommy is anything like Oliver, he just needs time to sort through his issues. He'll open up when he's ready."

"I hope so," Laurel sighed. She took a sip of her coffee and looked at Felicity with a newfound determination. "So, what's going on with you and Oliver?"

Felicity almost choked on her latte. That caught the blonde off guard, seeing as though she'd just told Laurel a few minutes ago that she and Oliver were friends and nothing more. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not blind. In fact, as a lawyer, my powers of perception are quite astute. Something is brewing between you two."

"W-why would you say that?" Felicity questioned. She wanted to cringe at the nervous stutter in her voice.

"Oh, a bunch of reasons." She began ticking off, "First, Oliver is letting you stay with him. If there's one thing I learned from dating him, it's that he likes his space. Second, he practically bit my head off to defend you from my questioning. Third, I saw you guys dancing. Oliver never dances. Fourth, you guys argue like an old married couple. Five, I've seen the way he looks at you-"

"Wait," Felicity interjected, unable to stop herself, "how does he look at me?"

"I'm not sure I can describe it accurately. It's kind of like this mixture of pride and protectiveness. I can tell that he thinks very highly of you." She pressed on, "And based on the looks you give him in return, I can see that you admire him, as well."

"Just because we admire each other doesn't mean that anything is going on," Felicity protested.

"Lastly and most importantly"-Laurel was grinning triumphantly, looking every bit like a lawyer about to make her closing argument-"you guys went away on a trip to Mexico together. Totally alone. According to Tommy, and I have to agree, that means you're either having a hot and heavy tryst or you're a full-fledged couple."

"That's not true," Felicity tried to object. "We weren't alone. Mr. Diggle came with us."

"Bodyguards do not count."

"We had separate rooms."

"Were you in a suite?"

"Why does that matter?"

"That's a yes. It's practically like staying in the same room."

"It was merely a friendly trip to get away and relax," Felicity declared, refusing to give in.

"So you're saying that absolutely nothing romantic happened while you were on that trip?" Laurel folded her arms and leaned forward. She must've learned her interrogation skills from her father, because Laurel was damn good.

"Yes. I mean no," Felicity tried to correct. She could feel a crack in her exterior. It didn't help that her mouth was known for saying things before her mind had a chance to catch up. "What I mean to say is that nothing has changed."

"So something did happen."

"That's not what I said."

"You said that nothing has changed, not that nothing happened," the brunette challenged. "Which implies that something did happen, but you and Oliver are attempting to act like it didn't."

Felicity rubbed at her temples. "Okay, I officially have a headache."

Laurel laughed in amusement. "Sorry. Again, my lawyer side is taking over. We don't have to talk about it. But if you did want to, I'd be willing to listen."

"Isn't it kind of weird with Oliver being your ex-boyfriend and all?"

"No weirder than being completely in love with his best friend now."

Felicity hesitated, debating whether or not to tell Laurel about the kiss. The reality was that she didn't really have anyone to talk to about it. Getting another woman's perspective, especially someone who was familiar with Oliver, might help clear up some of the confusion she'd been experiencing lately. Plus, Laurel had taken a chance to open up to her already.

"Let's say, hypothetically, that something did happen-briefly," Felicity said tentatively.

"Okay. Hypothetically speaking," Laurel repeated, playing along, "who initiated this 'something?'"

"Let's say we both did."

"Who ended it?"

"He did." It still made knots form in her stomach.

"Did he say anything afterward?"

"Just that he thought it would be better not to be with someone he could really care about."

"Then there's your answer right there. Don't give up."

"Laurel, he indirectly said he couldn't be with me."

"True. But he also indirectly admitted that he has feelings for you. That those feelings, if he let himself have them, could lead to something more. Oliver can be a lot of things, but he isn't cruel. If there was no chance of anything happening, he would've told you so." Laurel stared at her for a moment before asking, "Do you have feelings for him?"

"I..." Felicity paused. It was the Pandora's box of questions. Once it was open and answered, there was no going back.

Felicity thought about the first time they'd met at Verdant and how mesmerized she'd been by Oliver. About the first time she'd met him as The Arrow and how they'd both taken a chance on the other. How Oliver had generously invited her into his home, hired her at QC and gave her the opportunity to be a part of a team that actually did good. Felicity thought about all the times he trusted her skills to help him complete the mission and get him and Dig safely home. She pictured their dance, his kind words and how he'd protected her from danger minutes later.

Even when they disagreed, Oliver still took her opinion into consideration. He'd gone so far as to share a piece of his past with her in an effort to regain her trust. Corto Maltese was not much different than Starling, in that Oliver continued to trust in her while protecting her from harm. The kiss, which even now caused her face to burn at the memory, was the first time Felicity truly felt alive in the last several years. The fear of losing Oliver afterward to Merlyn had also been very real and continued to shake Felicity to her core. It was why she did everything she could to help him heal faster.

Saying she had feelings for Oliver wasn't enough. It was so much more, and it had taken root long before Felicity ever realized it. "Yes," Felicity finally admitted. "But I don't think he's ready. I'm not even sure I am."

"Maybe you should take your own advice and give it time."

"It's complicated. Time isn't a luxury we have. I don't live in Starling. My life is in Boston." Eventually, they would bring down Merlyn and capture Cooper. Their time would be up, and they would part ways. Perhaps Oliver was right in the sense that giving in to these feelings would only leave them both in disappointing heartache.

"If time isn't on your side, then make it count while you can. One thing I've learned from all the loss in my life is that every moment is precious. I would give anything to see my sister one more time, and I wouldn't waste a second of it. You shouldn't either."

"Thank you, Laurel," Felicity said sincerely. "I have to admit, I haven't had many female friends over the years."

Laurel smiled. "Well, now you do. I'm glad we did this."

Felicity returned the sentiment. "Me, too."

It had been a very long day, and Oliver couldn't wait to get home and crash. His brain felt like it was on overload after all of the emails he'd had to write and meetings he had to attend. He hated being behind in his work and having to play catch-up. Not to mention that he'd been thinking about those stolen performance enhancers all day. He'd filled Dig in on the situation on the way home, but there was nothing they could do about it right now. Oliver's stomach growled as he exited the elevator and made his way to the loft. He would have a quick dinner and then go straight to bed.

As Oliver placed his key in the lock, he swore he could hear the muffled sound of music thumping. He wasn't wrong. There was an onslaught of sound when he opened the front door and entered the loft to find the stereo blasting and Felicity dancing in the kitchen. Oliver rubbed his hand across his mouth in an attempt to hide his smile, but it was futile. Felicity had yet to notice him, and he was enjoying the view way too much to interrupt her.

"'Because you know I'm all about that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble. I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble,'" Felicity sang while shaking her hips side to side. She still wore her black dress from earlier but had shed her blazer, shoes, and let her hair down. She held a glass of wine in one hand and was tossing a salad with a pair of tongs with the other.

She brought the salad over to the kitchen table, which was already set for dinner. A vase he'd never seen before filled with flowers was in the center. That wasn't the only change. There were a couple of new pictures hanging on the walls, and the patterned rug he was currently standing on definitely hadn't been there this morning. He wasn't the only one who'd been busy today.

"'I'm bringing booty baaack,'" Felicity crooned and did a little spin. Finally noticing him, she exclaimed, "Oliver! I didn't hear you come in."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, don't stop on my account."

"Sorry," she rushed out and made a dash for the stereo control. She turned it off and smiled bashfully. "I was just listening to some music while making dinner."

"Apparently," he teased.

She shook her head at him and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Starved actually." He placed his briefcase on the side table and shrugged out of his suit jacket. The tie was next to go.

"Wine?" She held up an empty glass and a bottle.

"Yes," Oliver stressed while rolling up his shirt sleeves.

"Rough day?" Felicity surmised.

"More like long." He accepted the glass she handed to him and took a large sip. "What about you? You seem to be enjoying your day off."

"I am."

"You've been busy." Oliver stared pointedly at the potted green bush sitting on the kitchen counter. "What is this?"

"It's a fern. I was going to bring it to the Foundry, since it thrives in low light. I thought the place could use a little sprucing. The loft, too." Felicity further explained, "I might've done some online shopping-and got a pretty good deal on same-day shipping, if I do say so myself. I hope it's okay." She motioned to the vase and pictures. "This place is gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but it feels kind of cold. Of course, if you hate it I totally understand. Everything is returnable."

"No, it looks nice," Oliver assured her. He wasn't big on decorating, and Felicity's additions did brighten up the space. "So what's for dinner?"

"Steak, potatoes, and rice," she said while handing him a plate.

Oliver took a healthy helping of each before taking a seat at the table. Felicity followed suit and proceeded to fill their bowls with salad. "This looks good. I'm glad I didn't decide to grab something on the way home."

"I figured you could use a decent meal after your first day back. I was going to text you about dinner, but then it would've ruined the surprise. I wasn't sure when you'd get home but figured it would be late. Diggle texted me before you left."

"Diggle was in on this?"

Felicity beamed proudly. "He wouldn't have stopped at Big Belly Burger even if you begged him."

Oliver stared at the elaborate setup and delicious plate of food in front of him. It really was a nice surprise to come home to all of this. Felicity's thoughtfulness never ceased to amaze him. "Well played, Ms. Smoak."

"Thank you, Mr. Queen," Felicity replied before triumphantly popping a bite of steak into her mouth. "Anything interesting happen at QC today?"

Oliver considered telling her about the stolen performance enhancers but decided it could wait. He didn't want to ruin their meal with such heavy conversation. "Not particularly."

"Probably explains why I haven't heard from Ray all day. Unless he blew himself up with one of his crazy experiments. That didn't happen, did it?"

"Ray's fine. I saw him this morning."

"Oh, right. Dig mentioned it was some top secret company matter. Is everything okay?"

"I'll tell you about it tomorrow."

"Huh. Color me intrigued."

"Nonetheless, don't expect to hear from Ray."

Felicity, confused by his words, questioned, "Why?" Watching Oliver carefully, she knew the answer as soon as he did that small, shifty thing with his eyes. Felicity had come to learn that it was one of his signs that he was holding back. "You said something to him today, didn't you? Oliver-" she started to protest.

"Felicity," he interjected, "I can't have him bombarding you at all hours of the day."

"He wasn't bombarding me, per say..."

"Felicity, he was calling you before the day even began. And I'm willing to bet that wasn't the first time, since I'm always hearing your phone go off. He would probably be calling you now, too."

"You call me at all hours."

"That's different, and you know it."

"Ray does that with everyone on his team," Felicity explained, spearing a piece of steak with a little too much force. "I don't want to look like I'm getting special treatment because of you."

"That's the thing. You are special, Felicity," Oliver stressed, catching her eye. "You may be working with Palmer but, make no mistake, you're part of my team. What we-you, Diggle and I-do together, it's more than some business venture. We save lives. For that to work, we all need to keep our heads in the game. You won't be able to do that if you're being pulled every which way, and you shouldn't have to. So yes, I said something to Ray and I would do it again if I had to."

The butterflies in Felicity's stomach were doing somersaults at being called "special." She wasn't used to having someone else looking out for her. It was always up to Felicity to take care of herself. It was a welcomed change. Felicity nodded silently in acknowledgement, no longer feeling the need to argue with him.

They continued to eat their dinner. After a couple of minutes of silence, Oliver asked about her coffee date with Laurel.

"It went well," Felicity told him, trying not to blush thinking about what she'd discussed with Laurel. The brunette was right that she should take her own advice. Whatever was going on between her and Oliver, it wasn't something that could be solved in a single afternoon. It wasn't something Felicity could ignore either. It's why she'd decided to surprise him with dinner tonight. She got the feeling that Oliver wasn't used to random acts of kindness, and she needed to spend this time with him to truly sort through her emotions.

Their conversation was light as they finished the rest of their meal. Afterward, they worked together to clean up. Oliver rinsed the dishes while Felicity put the food away. The radio was turned on once more, and Oliver found himself sneaking peeks at Felicity as she happily hummed along to the music. It was hard for him sometimes to see other people acting so normal. After everything he'd been through, Oliver wasn't sure he even knew what normal was anymore. Coming home from work, having dinner together, talking and cleaning up, that was as normal as it could get. Oliver didn't know what it was about Felicity, but she actually made him feel connected to life. It was unfamiliar but also oddly comforting.

"Oh, yes!" Felicity cheered when "Crazy in Love" started to play. It was one of her all-time favorites. Her hips, taking on a mind of their own, began to shake once more.

Her excitement amused him even though he couldn't quite remember the song. "Who's this again?"

"It's Beyonce. Oh my God, Oliver, I know you were away but one does not forget Beyonce. In fact, this song came out before your island days."

"Pop culture isn't really my thing," he said with a shrug. "Doesn't come in handy much when fighting crime."

"Then you are not living, my friend," she teased.

"I think I'll survive." Smirking, he said, "Am I getting an encore now of your killer dance moves?"

Coming to stand beside him at the sink, she poked him in the arm. "Watch it, mister, or I'll make you dance."

"I'd like to see you try," Oliver challenged and flicked his wet hands in her direction.

Felicity's jaw dropped open in shock. "Did you just flick water at me?"

"Maybe."

Fighting back a smile at his childish antics, she declared, "Oh, you are going to be so sorry."

"And why is that?"

"Besides the fact that I can totally infiltrate any electronic device you own and make funny cat videos play on a continuous loop, I bought the most awesome chocolate chip cookies today for dessert. But now I'm thinking I should hold on to those."

"And you know that if there's one thing I'm good at, it's finding cookies."

"You won't find these," Felicity said confidently.

Oliver turned to face her. "The Arrow thinks otherwise."

The blonde took a bold step forward, ignoring the way his tall, strong frame towered over her. "What's he going to do, interrogate me?" There was less than an inch of space between them.

"He would get it out of you, one way or another," Oliver promised, his voice taking on a deeper tone.

"Sounds like fun," Felicity quipped with a flirty smile.

Oliver's breath caught in his throat and his heart hammered at her words. They were so close that he could smell the floral scent of her perfume. See the small, dark blue flecks in her bright eyes. The last time he'd been this aware of her was on that beach in Corto Maltese. It already felt so long ago. His eyes drifted down to her pink lips. Oliver wasn't sure what he was about to do and didn't get the chance to find out when Felicity's phone went off, breaking the spell.

Felicity begrudgingly dragged her gaze away from Oliver's to check her phone. When she read the text message, however, her frustration quickly shifted to concern. "Oh my God, it's Tommy."

"Is everything all right?" Oliver found it odd that Tommy would be contacting Felicity instead of him if something was wrong. A second later, it made sense.

"No. Merlyn Global just suffered a cyber attack."