A/N: I'm back! I missed you all, but you now have my undivided attention :) Thank you for all the reviews and favorites, please keep them coming!
Disclaimer: Arrow is property of DC comics and CW.
Diggle walked up to Felicity's door and knocked with his non-sling hand. It had been five days since the undertaking. After being admitted to hospital overnight for his injuries he had been released into Carly's care. It had taken more begging and pleading that he would ever admit to before she let him go back to the Queen household. Once there he had discovered a manic Thea and a confused Roy. Neither of the young people or Raisa could get Oliver to come out of his room or say anything other than answer yes or no questions. Diggle could only think of one person who might break the spell of grief. Felicity opened the door and looked at him. Her eyes were lacking their usual sparkle, not that he could blame her.
"Hey" She stepped aside and let him in. "How's the arm?" She walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge for her last two bottles of water.
"I've had worse. The sling's just until the stitches come out. The cut was in a weird spot. Hard to immobilize." He took a seat in the armchair next to the couch. "How about you?"
"I have no right to complain about anything. I didn't lose my home or my family, or get stabbed or crushed under concrete." She looked out the window. " Is he ok?"
"You mean you haven't talked to him?" Diggle couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. She shook her head.
"I've called and texted, He won't answer. I wanted to go over but I wasn't sure if I should." She trailed off again.
"Well the decision's been made for you. I'm here to pick you up. So you can either stay in your yoga pants or I can wait here while you get changed.
"Why didn't Oliver come get-" She cut herself off as realization dawned "He doesn't know I'm coming."
"Thea's calling you in for back up. "He hasn't left his room since he got home. She's at her wit's end and on her boyfriend's last nerve. She recommended packing an overnight bag." Felicity set to work packing her essentials. Tablet, clothes, toiletries, and a few books and dvds just in case.
"Ok, ready. Should I just follow you in the mini?" she grabbed her keys and turned off the last few lights.
"Actually, you don't have to drive. Thea sent me with the big car, and a driver." Dig explained stepping out into the hallway so she could lock up.
"I was wondering about that, but I don't need a ride Diggle. Despite my behavior this week I do remember where they live."
"Felicity just trust me on this one. You're going to want to take the big car."
Pulling up to the driveway of Queen manor made Felicity understand why he had been so insistent on her riding in the town car. There were reporters, photographers and camera crews swarming the gates. They weren't allowed on Queen property , and they couldn't block the car from entering but they were allowed to get as much footage and as many photos as they could before they got through. The mini wouldn't have stood a chance.
"They've been here since Mrs Queen was arrested. I'm pretty sure some of the reporters just never left." Diggle explained. They pulled up to the house and found Roy sitting on the front step.
"About time you got here." He said. "Thea's upstairs." They walked into the house and could hear the youngest Queen bellowing and pounding on bedroom door.
"Oliver Queen , You open this door right now! You can't hide in there forever!" Felicity passed her bag to Dig and walked up the stairs.
"Thea, I'm sleeping, ok?" Oliver's reply was muffled by the heavy wood door. The two women shared a look and Thea nodded.
"Fine Ollie, be that way." The heiress passed Felicity and went downstairs in search of Roy. Felicity stood in front of Oliver's door for a few minutes while she tried to form a plan of attack. She started by knocking quietly.
"Thea I'm serious, go away I'm fine."
"It's not Thea, and you still suck at lying." She heard some movement behind the door.
"Felicity?"
"Yep. Diggle's back too but he's not here right this second. Thea's downstairs, Roy's here too but I'm guessing you knew that." She waited, no answer. "If you don't want to come out here maybe I can come in?" She waited again and heard a lock slide but the door remained shut. She hesitantly put her hand on the doorknob and tried to turn it. It gave way and she pushed the door open just far enough for her to slide through before shutting and locking it again behind her.
She wasn't sure what she had expected to walk into, maybe some sort of Howard Hughes-esque disaster area, but Oliver's room was in good shape. He had pulled the blankets off his bed and set up camp under the large bay window, she guessed in an effort to replicate the feeling of sleeping on the island. He was staring out at the annoyingly beautiful weather. As she moved further into the room, he still didn't look at her. She sat on the floor across from him, foot to foot. At this small amount of contact he looked at her. He didn't look anger or upset, he looked empty.
"I'd ask how you are but that would be a stupid question, even for me." Felicity began "So I'll tell you how I've been. I've been not great. My mother wants me to move home, she thinks the big scary city is too much for her little girl. Robyn and the girls are texting me constantly to ask what is up with my boyfriend's mom going to jail for helping try to destroy the city. Normally I would work through all of this but they've closed QC until the state of emergency is lifted, so I'm on indefinite vacation, without pay." She scooted closer and leaned forward. "But you know what the worst part is? Going to sleep with you next to me, waking up to find you gone and then not hearing from you for almost a week."
"I didn't want to wake you." He said weakly. He knew he had taken the cowards way out when he left as soon as she had fallen asleep, but he didn't deserve her comfort. He didn't deserve any comfort if he couldn't save his city.
"Oh I know, that's what the note said. Along with a promise to call me later, I'm still waiting by the way." Oliver went back to looking out the window. Felicity had always sworn she would never push him to reveal more than he was ready to. So instead, she made him an offer. "Here's how you can make it up to me. We can either talk all this out or you get up, get dressed and we go see Tommy at the hospital." Oliver's head snapped around. "I went yesterday, he's asking for you." He looked down and touched her hand.
" I'll meet you downstairs."
Thea insisted that they take the town car again. She didn't trust Oliver to be in a fit state to operate heavy machinery. Felicity directed them to Tommy's room. He was flipping through channels on hospital tv while Laurel sat in the chair next to his bed typing on a laptop. Felicity knocked on the door.
"Oh hey! Didn't think I'd see you again today." Tommy smiled. She stepped aside as Oliver slowly moved into the room. "Well look what the cat dragged in. Get over here" He walked over to the bed and gave his best friend a hug.
"How are you feeling?" Oliver asked.
"Not bad, they're still waiting for some of the swelling to go down to figure out what surgeries I need and I'm on some antibiotics to make sure the rebar didn't leave me any little presents."
" The vigilante got him out just in time." Laurel added. " two minutes later and the whole building would have collapsed with Tommy inside of it."
" Lucky break" Oliver replied.
"Hey Smoaky, can you take Laurel downstairs and actually make sure she eats something? She swears she does when I nap but I'd like some proof. Oliver can keep me company." Felicity agreed and with some gentle prodding and negotiating Laurel finally left the room. Once the men were sure the ladies were gone Tommy turned. "We have to fix this you know."
"We have to fix you." Oliver countered.
"Oliver you and I both know the odds of that happening are not that great. Best case I might be able to pull myself in and out of a wheelchair in a few years after a crap ton of surgery, Before you say a word this is in no way your fault. The ones responsible aren't here anymore, so it's our job to make it all right. If we don't, then we are no better than our fathers." Tommy looked away at the mention of the recently deceased Malcolm Merlyn. Oliver put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Tommy. I didn't want-"
"It doesn't matter." He cut him off. "Just, don't go running away again ok? I kind of need you around." They heard female voices echoing up the hallway. " I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one."
"I bought giant cookies!" Felicity walked in with four plate sized chocolate chip cookies while Laurel followed with a tray of coffees. " I swear the only good thing about this place are the cookies."
"it's pretty much the only thing I've been eating, not going to lie." Laurel added. She handed out the coffees and gave Tommy a kiss to go with his.
"Ok Queen." Tommy started "Your punishment for taking almost a week to visit your best friend in the hospital is bad coffee and bad reality shows." He picked up the remote. "So do you want the one about the hoarders, the one about the pawn shop or the ZZtop wannabes that make duck calls."
"Oh! Or there's the one with the toddler beauty pageants." Felicity added
"Don't forget dumb criminals!" Laurel chimed in.
"I'm pretty sure the rebar would be less painful." Oliver sighed. "Let's go with the pawn shop."
The rest of the afternoon was spent indulging in those simple guilty pleasures with the unspoken agreement that the real work of healing the city began tomorrow.