The first thing she noticed as she rolled over groggily was that it was only 4 am. Felicity didn't have to be up for another two and a half hours. Then she remembered she hadn't gone to bed alone. She rolled back and saw Oliver sitting on the corner of her bed facing the window. "Can't sleep?" he shook his head.

"Five police cars and two fire trucks have gone by in the past hour, I'm guessing three separate calls." The trivia confused his still sleepy girlfriend.

"Did they wake you up? It makes sense, you wouldn't be used to sleeping with traffic noises. I can get you earplugs." She offered.

"No, I was already awake. Are there usually that many calls a night?"

"I don't know. I've lived here so long I don't hear them anymore." He stood up and walked over to the window. "Are you missing it? Being the Hood?"

"No" he said matter of factly. She almost felt guilty for asking. "I might if I felt like I accomplished anything."

"You did."

"Not enough. I didn't save the city. I didn't right the wrongs. Malcolm got his undertaking."

"We stopped one device, it could have been much worse." She pointed out. "And Malcolm's dead, he can't hurt anyone anymore."

"You stopped the device, I killed my best friend's dad."

"If Tommy can understand that it was self defense why can't you?" He silently stared out the window. She got out of bed and walked over to him as another police siren echoed in the distance. " I miss it." Felicity confessed. " I miss feeling like I was making a difference, because I know we were." She waited to see if he would respond. " Maybe you don't feel it yet because your work isn't done." She wrapped her arms around him. Oliver relaxed at her touch and turned to face her.

"You should get more sleep."

"It's kind of hard to do that when you are standing at my window radiating angst." She took his hand and started leading him back to bed. "Come on, you make a really good pillow."

"Well it's nice to know I'm good for something." He sat back down on the bed only to be smacked by a pillow as Felicity rearranged things.

"Seriously, shut up. Self pity doesn't look as good on you as brooding ."

"I don't brood." Oliver didn't even have to look at Felicity to know the look she was giving him. "Well not as much as I used to" He lay back and gave her a kiss as she curled up next to him.

"You're welcome, now sleep. Or brood silently while staying still so I can sleep."

Eventually they fell back asleep until the alarm woke them an hour and a half later. Oliver made such a good pillow that he stayed the next three nights as well. He would go home to check on Thea between meetings during the day or in time for supper but he eventually would find himself at Felicity's front door. There was something calming about staying at the small apartment. They would eat , watch movies that Oliver had missed in his time on the island or go to bed and fall asleep in each other's arms. Inside those four walls life was simple.

On Sunday when Felicity met the girls for brunch, Oliver dropped her off. He kissed her goodbye and waved through the open door at Robin, Janna, Melissa and Candi before driving off.

"Did you do that on purpose?" Candi asked in a half teasing tone.

"Do what?" Felicity asked confused.

"Get Oliver to drop you off. I know you have your own car so it's not like you needed a lift." Felicity steadied herself thinking 'good old Candi."

" No, Oliver stayed at my place last night and was on his way to go hang out with Tommy so he thought he would save me the gas ." Robin approached the hostess who could seat them now that the whole party had arrived.

" Tommy, as in Tommy Merlyn?" Mellissa asked as they found their table. "Wasn't he in an accident the night of the earthquake?"

" Yeah. He was getting Laurel, his girlfriend, out of the CNRI building when it started to collapse. The Vigilante saved him." Felicity had gotten used referring to The Vigilante as a different person than Oliver. She couldn't help but wonder if these days it was actually the case. Was her Oliver still the same? She brushed the thoughts aside noting that none of them were the same as they were before the undertaking. Except maybe Candi.

"Isn't Laurel Oliver's ex? The one he was cheating on with her sister?" She asked.

"Always a master of subtlety aren't you Candi?" Janna retorted.

"What? It's an honest question, no one tells me anything." She shot an almost sincere look at Felicity.

"Yes, they were dating before Oliver went missing. But they've worked through, or repressed it or something because now she's with Tommy, Oliver's with me and we actually get along pretty well."

" That's very healthy if a little strange." Robin commented. "But I suppose that's better for long term prospects." She smiled slyly

"Hey, we all swore no weddings or babies for a year." Janna chimed in. "My wallet can't take it."

"Woah, I said nothing about weddings or babies or anything. I mean, he's a bit busy at the moment trying to keep his company, which includes my job, from going down the tubes." She pointed at Robin. " So you just stop that Mrs Lady. You're on your own for a bit." The conversation drifted as the menus came and went and the food arrived. Candi excused herself from the table two or three times with work related calls and texts but the girls didn't mind as it gave them a break from the barrage of questions she had for Felicity. By the time brunch was over Felicity understood why so many of Oliver's lies were duds. When you don't feel like answering questions what comes out instead isn't always going to be A level material.

As they were leaving the restaurant Candi squeezed herself between Felicity and Janna. When they were outside three or four photographers started taking pictures of them. They ducked back inside while Janna went to pull her car around to drive herself, Felicity and Robin home.

"I don't get it, they weren't there when we came in." Felicity commented.

"Someone probably tipped them off." Melissa commented.

"What's the big deal? So they take a couple of photos, maybe we'll get a comped meal next time." Candi added not looking up from her phone.

"Candi," Robin started " How's that work issue coming?"

"What work issue?" It took Candi a second to realize she had outed herself. " Oh that-"

"Seriously?" Robin asked "What the hell!"

" Oh come on it's not that big of a deal." Candi rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, except for the fact that we're her friends. We're supposed to be protecting her from this not doing it to her ourselves." Janna honked her horn from outside. Felicity stepped forward and looked at Candi.

"If you thought your new job was going to be being my friend and telling everyone all about me and Oliver? Consider yourself fired." She walked out flanked by two real friends, leaving the fake one in the dust.