Note: My apologies for updating so late are getting quite ridiculous now, but I am very sorry. I think that since we're nearing the end of this story (We have like ten more chapters to go!) I'm kind of reluctant to write because I don't want it to be over... Either way, I also wanted to apologize for the previous chapter and where we left things with Oliver and Felicity. I can't promise that this chapter will be any better emotion-wise, but I do hope that you'll like it despite that.

Also, before you continue, Hunted and Crumbled Papers have been nominated as All-Time Favorite DC Fanfic in the Fanatic Fanfics Multifandom Awards! Voting is open until May 2, so if you have time, visit: awards. fanaticfanfics. com and vote because there are some AMAZING fics there! Thank you so much for your support and kindness! I love you all and please enjoy this angsty chapter! xx


Hunted

Chapter 21: The Canary

It was dark and cold. Her claws made her grip on the edge of the building more secure and she breathed in through her nose a couple of times to calm herself before hauling herself up. The dark hoodie that she was wearing was already clinging to her skin, the rain forcing the material to tighten against her body. She threw her arm out, blocking the punch of one of the other wolves before she crouched down, baring her fangs at them. There were three of them, all bigger than her, but she knew that she could take them. The anger that had been coursing through her veins for the past two weeks made it easier. It fueled her and she knew that it was dangerous, but she needed this outlet.

"You shouldn't be doing this, you know," Tommy stated over the comm-link, just before she began fighting against her opponents.

The biggest guy, the one who wanted to show off his strength, howled as she dug her claws into his shoulders, pushing herself off the ground before pulling her legs up to kick the monster away from herself. The other two wolves stood back for a moment as they watched their alpha struggle. They were waiting for it to end. She just needed to take him down and the other two would surrender.

"This needs to stop," Diggle filled in, but she couldn't listen to either of them.

She dug her claws into the back of the alpha's neck, forcing him down into a kneeling position.

"Stop!" She looked up at the wolf who had shouted, her eyes glowing golden. "Please, he's my brother! We'll leave Starling City and never return. I swear!"

She narrowed her eyes at the younger wolf, tilting her head sideways as she took him in. He was newly turned into a wolf, but his brother - his alpha - seemed to have been turned into a hybrid recently.

"Tell me who turned him," she growled. "Tell me and I'll let you go!" The rain fell against her cheeks and seeped through her clothes but she would not give in to the urge to just go back. She couldn't go back. Not now; not anymore.

"The Master did it!" the young one yelled.

"Who is the Master?" she demanded.

"We don't know," the other wolf replied. "I swear, we don't. We never saw his face. They took us in the middle of the night and injected my brother with some kind of vial. Then they threw us out during a full moon. They wanted him to kill someone but we stopped him, I swear!"

She looked down at the wolf she had dug her claws into, searching his eyes to confirm what the other wolf had said. Finally, she retracted her sharp nails from him and pushed him down and away.

"Leave Starling City," she said. "Never come back here. I've got your scent, so if I ever catch a wiff of you doing something you shouldn't, I'll come after you and finish the job."

She turned her back to them and ran toward the edge of the building, jumping across to the other one. She heard the static of the intercom again and she mentally reminded herself that she needed to check the frequence before she goes out next time.

"Felicity, please. Come home," Oliver whispered, voice sounding broken.

Felicity dug her nails into her palms, pulling the device out of her ear and crushing it under her boot. It was getting old anyway and she was going to build something new and better. She ran again, leaping to the other edge and jumping. This time when she landed, her eyes were golden once again and it was her paws that hit the pavement.

-§-

"This is getting dangerous, Felicity," Diggle said, his arms crossing as she pulled on a new shirt and wiped her hair down with a towel.

"This is getting results, Dig," Felicity countered. "We're getting information about the Master."

"By risking your life," Diggle shook his head.

"It's worth it," Felicity said.

"Not if it gets you killed," the older man stated. He sighed and shook his head again, looking down as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The information isn't worth it."

"It's more than we've gotten for months, Dig," Felicity said.

Diggle looked at her and frowned, "Yes, but you're still out there risking your life."

"It's not any different from what you and Oliver do," Felicity stated calmly.

"It is because the Master has it out for you, personally. You going out there, taking on his hybrids on your own puts you in more danger than necessary," Diggle said angrily before he took a deep breath to calm himself. "What happened, Felicity?"

"Nothing happened," she replied as she moved over to her computers to check on her searches.

"That's bullshit and you know it," he said from behind her. "Something changed after Russia. You've been distant and Oliver has been walking around with the look of a sulking puppy. Now, are you going to tell me or do I have to ask him about it?"

Felicity swirled around in her chair, looking at up at him. She clenched her jaw and shook her head, "Ask him. I'm done here for tonight." With those final words, she stood from her chair and pulled on her jacket and purse, walking out of the Foundry. Diggle looked after her, knowing that something was definitely off. He had basically had to force Oliver out of the lair with Tommy before Felicity returned from her hunt because he had wanted to talk to her alone. A week had passed since Russia and Diggle had felt the change between the two partners who had been growing closer over the past year. It was ridiculous to him, how two people who had learned to lean on one another could suddenly break apart like this and even though he wasn't one for gossiping, he needed to know what it was that had gone down because Felicity was beginning to get reckless.

Diggle had talked to Roy about it, but the young man had only shook his head and shared that he could feel some kind of anger emitting from Felicity every time she went out hunting. The two of them shared a special connection with her being Roy's alpha, but according to the kid, she was hiding something from them all. Oliver wasn't any better and he wasn't even trying to hide that something was off. They tried to act normal around one another, but Diggle could see hurt flash across Oliver's face whenever Felicity brushed him off. Something had happened and Diggle knew it had to have been bad for them to end up like this. Diggle wanted to confront them about it, but they didn't seem to be able to stay in the same room for more than an hour. How the two of them worked together at Queen Consolidated, he had no idea, though he assumed that Felicity was keeping her distance there as well. Diggle knew that whatever it was needed to be settled soon because Felicity had risked her life one too many times by now. The only problem was that Diggle didn't know how to force the two of them to talk about their issues, without causing a civil war in the team.

He shook his head at himself when he realized that there was already a cold one raging within their group and that he was tired of waiting for the first bombs to go off.

-§-

Oliver sat next to Thea, his feet bouncing in one place as he awaited his mother's arrival. Laurel had pulled some strings and finally managed to get a judge to give his mother some visitation hours. This was the first time in months that Oliver and thea were going to see their mother and he was both looking forward to it and dreading it. His mother knew his secret about being the Arrow, but now, so did Thea. While his mother had been accepting of it, Thea was still angry with him for keeping it from her for so long. They hadn't spoken a single word to one another as they had driven over to the prison that their mother was being held at while awaiting trial and Oliver couldn't help but think about how the treatment was exactly what he deserved. Thea had a right to be angry with him and he had told her that he would give her time to adjust. With everything that had been going on with him lately, and all the things that he had screwed up for himself, he actually wanted her to keep some distance from him so that he wouldn't somehow mess things up with her even more.

Oliver swallowed thickly as his mind drifted to Felicity. She had been going out on hunts all week long, ever since Russia, and he understood why she was doing it. He had hurt her in a way that was unforgivable and he hated himself for it, probably more than she did. What he had done had been stupid and messed up. How could he have thought that his misery would somehow get eased by sleeping with the company's She-Devil? How could he have done such a thing to Felicity, all because he had been afraid of the emotion he had felt toward her? The thing that was even worse, the thing he was beating himself up about the most, though, was what he had done afterward. He couldn't believe that a part of him had thought that going to Felicity and somehow trying to explain to her why he had done what he had done would fix things. He had wanted to tell her then and there that he loved her and that he had been stupid for doing what he had done, but he had refrained from doing so because he knew that he had already broken what they had had. Wasn't that what he had wanted all along? To do something which put some distance between them? No, he had realized when he had gone to her when they had returned to Starling City, but by then it had been too late. The damage had been done and now he needed to earn back her trust and his place in her life. He needed to prove to her that he knew his mistakes and that he would never make them again; that he would be committed to her and only her, whether she wanted him or not.

That was one of the reasons that he hadn't been protesting her hunting-spree too much since they had returned. It wasn't until the last couple of days that his worries had begun showing more and there was a reason for it too. There had been an increase in killings of Dark Ones. It seemed as if the Nightcrawlers were being targeted, no matter if they were evil throughout or good deep down. Oliver had tried talking to her about staying back in the Foundry for a while, but Felicity continuously argued that she had been stranded behind the screen for far too long. He knew that Diggle and the others were worried too, but there was no getting through to her. While she was out on the streets hunting for clues about the Master, Oliver had taken it upon himself to find out who it was that was killing the Dark Ones. Whoever it was was now an added problem to Oliver's growing list and sometimes he felt like he honestly couldn't catch a break.

Then again, he knew very well that it was exactly what he deserved.

-§-

It was already dark when Felicity headed out for the night. This time around, Roy had insisted to come along, telling her that he wasn't comfortable with leaving her alone anymore. She had a suspicion that it was either Diggle or Oliver who had put him up to it, but she didn't protest him coming with her, simply because she didn't have the time. There were trails to be followed before they turned cold and she didn't want to waste the few hours of darkness that they had at their disposal.

They had been out for about an hour or so when something changed in the air. It didn't feel like more than a shift in the wind at first, but then Felicity inhaled through her nose deeply, taking in a scent that she had never smelled before in the city. It was flowery, almost, but unlike any kind of flora which existed in the city or even in the surrounding areas. For a moment it was a nice scent, like a perfume, but soon her nose began to sting and Felicity coughed, covering her mouth. She turned to Roy who looked paler all of the sudden. His breaths came out in heavy pants and he seemed to be in pain.

"Roy, cover your mouth," Felicity ordered as she took a step toward him. "It seems to be some kind of wolfsbane."

Roy let out a cough, "I've never felt anything like this before. What's going on?"

Felicity opened her mouth to reply, but her ears picked up on quick steps coming toward them. She twisted around, just in time to see a woman dressed in black leather jump across the space between the building they were on and the one next to it. The woman ran at Felicity and collided with her, sending a strong kick right into Felicity's side.

Felicity gasped as her knees buckled and she winced when her knees hit the hard ground. She heard Roy growl behind her and even though she knew he was hurt by whatever toxin the woman must have released to weaken them both, Felicity knew that her Beta wouldn't give up without a fight after seeing his Alpha attacked. For a moment, Felicity could only watch as Roy jumped the woman, his eyes glowing despite the lack of a full moon which would have allowed him to turn fully. He fought against the mysterious woman, which was clearly a trained hunter from what Felicity could see. She had only seen Oliver fight in a similar way and he had had years to perfect his technique against the Dark Ones.

"Felicity, what is happening?" she heard Diggle say into the comm-link.

"There's a woman," she replied. "A huntress. She came out of nowhere."

"What? Should we call Oliver?" Diggle asked.

"No," Felicity growled in response. "We'll take care of it. He wouldn't make it here in time anyway."

It was the truth and they all knew it. Oliver had gone with Thea to visit his mother and they all knew that he wouldn't be returning until later tonight. There was no way that he would have been able to make it back in time to help them fight the huntress, although secretly, Felicity was a bit happy about it. This was her chance to prove to herself and him that she was good at what she did and that she didn't need him to take care of her.

Felicity turned her attention back to Roy who was still fighting the huntress. He wasn't strong enough yet, despite the training he had gotten. The young wolf was thrown to the ground and he struggled to keep the woman off of himself when she lunged at him with a dagger.

The change happened so quickly and so naturally, that Felicity herself almost didn't register it. One second she was seeing Roy in danger and the next, she had jumped in the air, her clothes being ripped off of her body as she transformed into a wolf, landing on her paws. She growled, earning the woman's attention and Roy used the momentum to push her away from herself. Felicity howled when she scented Roy's blood dripping from the back of his head where it must have connected with the hard concrete.

'Roy, get away from her,' Felicity growled through their pack-bond. It was something that could only be used when they were in wolf form, but recently they had discovered that if their emotions were heightened enough, their thoughts would reach one another without them both having to be wolves.

Roy scrambled back just as Felicity pounced on the other woman, her claws digging into the huntress' leather jacket. The woman let out a surprised sound, although it didn't take very long for her to recover and fight back. Felicity got a few good hits in with her claws, enough to draw blood without actually killing the other woman. The huntress kicked at her hard though, her boots hitting Felicity in the stomach. A small whimper escaped the white wolf as she fell to the ground and a moment later, she howled in pain when the huntress stuck the wooden dagger deep into her shoulder.

"No!" Roy screamed, jumping the woman from behind. Felicity was left on the ground with the dagger still embedded in her shoulder as Roy fought the woman again and a moment later, the woman pushed Roy away from herself again and ran off in the same direction that she had come. Felicity whimpered, covering her snout with her paws as she tried to calm herself, but the pain was agonizing. It felt as if someone had just poured acid on her skin and it kept burning.

"I'm going to get you back to the Foundry," Roy said, but his voice broke. Felicity looked up at him with her golden eyes, nuzzling his cheek. Roy wiped at the tears that had sprung from his eyes when Felicity turned her head back to nudge against the dagger. He needed to pull it out of her because she didn't know how much longer she would be able to stand the pain. Roy seemed to understand enough and he moved to the weapon that had been left behind the huntress and pulled it out of Felicity. She let out a pained sound again, eyes closing as the burning sensation finally stopped. It would heal, but she needed to get back to the lair. She was too tired to move, but she heard Roy call Diggle just a few moments before the world began to spin and everything turned black.

-§-

Oliver got the news when he was on his way back from the prison his mother was being held at. Tommy had called him and as soon as he had uttered the words 'Don't panic,' Oliver had felt his heart jump. His friend had proceeded to tell him about what had happened when Felicity and Roy had been out on the hunt together; how they had been attacked by a woman in black and how Felicity had turned into a wolf in order to save Roy and in turn gotten injured by a dagger that had apparently had a blade made out of white oak.

After that, everything had been a blur, but somehow, he and Thea got to the Foundry. When they did, Oliver was shocked to find Felicity still in her wolf form on the medbay, laying on her stomach with her paws over her muzzle. Thea stared at the white wolf with wide eyes, looking at Roy who was gently running his hand through Felicity's fur. She took a few hesitant steps forward and when she saw that the wolf wasn't moving from it's spot, she walked up to Roy and embraced him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she said, looking down at Felicity again. She swallowed but didn't say another word, probably not knowing whether Felicity would understand her.

"Felicity," Oliver breathed out, starting toward her. He was startled when the wolf lifted her head, baring her teeth at him with a feral growl. It had been an instinct which made Oliver's stomach drop. He still remembered that first time he had seen her in wolf form and how she had accepted his touch. He had broken her trust; he had broken them.

Diggle and the others looked equally surprised by Felicity's reaction to him. Oliver took a step back and looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He looked at Roy next. "What happened?" he bit out, harsher than he intended. His anger at himself was getting the better of him and he was hating himself for it even more. Especially when he heard Felicity's low growl that was once again directed at him. It seemed like she too was having a difficult time to hide her disdain toward him when she was a wolf. He cleared his head, "Sorry. What happened?" His question was asked without any anger this time around and the wolf lowered her head again, as if she was satisfied with his apology to Roy.

"There was a woman in black," Roy explained. "She was a huntress, that was for sure. She attacked us out of nowhere and Felicity shifted in order to save me."

"A huntress?" Oliver frowned. He looked at Felicity but she seemed adamant not to look his way. "Why is Felicity still a wolf?"

"Yes, a huntress," Roy said. "Felicity thinks she's the one who has been killing Dark Ones." The wolf on the table made a sound and nudged Roy's thigh with her nose. "Oh, and Felicity says that the reason she's in wolf form is because she'll heal herself faster this way."

"Wait, what?" Diggle frowned. "What do you mean 'Felicity says'?"

Roy gave him an equally confused look before turning to Felicity again. Oliver noticed how Felicity's ears seemed to perk up a bit before lowering again. "Oh," Roy drawled. "Now I get it. You guys don't know about our pack-bond, do you?"

"Pack-bond?" Thea frowned. "I'm still too much in shock at seeing Felicity as an actual wolf to comprehend what you're saying."

"When we turn into wolves, we communicate through our minds," Roy explained. "It's kind of weird to be in human shape and hear her thinking. It's unusual, but it seems like her emotions are heightened enough for me to pick up on at the moment. That's why I can communicate with her right now."

Diggle tilted his head to the side, "So, what you're saying is that you are currently reading Felicity's mind?"

"Yeah," Roy nodded.

For a moment, Diggle just stared at him with wide eyes. Actually, it was something which kind of surprised all of them considering that neither Felicity nor Roy had ever mentioned anything about it. Did that mean that Roy knew about Russia? Had Felicity shared that with him or had she somehow blocked it out all together?

"Okay, I think this supernatural fest just became too much for me," Diggle said, running his hands over his face. "Mind-reading. What's next? Shooting laser through your eyes?"

"Considering that we're in the same room as two werewolves, how come you're actually surprised by this?" Thea wondered.

"I thought there might be a limit to how far things could actually go," Diggle said, shaking his head. "How foolish of me."

"So, you read Felicity's mind from time to time," Tommy stated. "I can get down with that. Is there anything interesting circulating around in there or are there just zeroes and ones?"

Roy chuckled and Felicity made a sound close to a huff, despite her wolf shape. "It doesn't really work like that," Roy said. "Basically, it started off with us being able to pick up on the other's emotions. Then, when I fully turned into a wolf, she talked to me through my mind and helped me through the turn. She can cut the mental link off whenever she wants to and block me out of her head, but the emotions are always there if I'm close enough and she's a wolf."

"A wolf-filter?" Tommy wondered. "She lacks brain to mouth filter, but she has a working wolf-mind-reading-filter. That sounds incredibly convenient."

Felicity growled his way, but nothing about it seemed threatening. Not like she had growled at Oliver earlier when he had tried to approach her.

"Funny thing you should mention that because she's been blocking me out of her head a lot lately," Roy said and Oliver was pretty sure that Felicity nudging away his hand from her was her way of saying that he was betraying her trust. "Okay, she's telling me that we shouldn't talk about this, but focus on the huntress instead," Roy added. "Apparently it's pack business only. Sorry."

"I thought all of you were a team?" Thea frowned, looking at Oliver who only looked at the white wolf on the table. Her eyes glimmered and for a moment, the golden color went back to Felicity's baby blues. It was as if Thea's words had softened her slightly, but then, as soon as her eyes flickered to him, they burned golden again.

A sharp intake of breath from Roy made Oliver pause and turn to the younger man. His hand was gone from Felicity's fur as he stared at his Alpha, then slowly turned to Oliver. His eyes glowed yellow for a moment before he bared his teeth at Oliver. There was a rage there that Oliver couldn't remember ever seeing. Felicity let out a growl when Roy started at Oliver, biting into the younger man's shirt and pulling him back.

"You son of a bitch!" Roy snarled at Oliver, his eyes still glowing.

"Roy!" Thea called out, horrified at how her boyfriend struggled against Felicity's grip, finally getting loose. Oliver only stood still as Roy reached him and punched him straight in the face. He stumbled back, Diggle and Tommy stepping forward as they struggled to keep Roy under control.

"How could you do that? And to her, of all people?" Roy screamed at him.

Oliver rubbed his jaw, remorse and shame instantly taking over. He knew what Roy must have heard Felicity think.

"What the fuck is going on?" Tommy asked, looking as confused as the others. "Roy, stop trying to attack Oliver!"

"The motherfucker deserves it!" Roy hissed. "I'm going to-"

"Roy!"

Oliver looked up, his eyes widening for the fraction of a second before he turned away from Felicity who had turned back into human form. She was naked, but reaching for a blanket to cover herself and Oliver felt his face heat up and his heartbeat pick up. He couldn't change what he had done and he wished that he could stop feeling the way he did for her, because she deserved better than him.

"Stop," Felicity said, walking up to the younger man, wrapped in only the blanket. She stood in front of Roy, placing one of her hands on his cheek. The young man breathed in and out through his nose, still glaring at Oliver. "I didn't want you to know because I knew that you would react this way. This isn't us."

"Felicity, what he's done…" Roy shook his head as he trailed off, closing his eyes. He leaned into Felicity's touch and Oliver realized that this was something about them being a part of the same pack. Felicity was Roy's Alpha, which meant that she could calm him down on an emotional level with just the simple touch of her hand. He didn't know fully how it worked, but it made sense when he remembered just how close-knit a pack could get in the animal world.

"What exactly has he done?" Thea questioned. She watched Felicity and Roy's interaction with curiosity, but she too seemed to understand.

Oliver didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure Felicity was going to say anything, but he knew deep down that he needed to express just how sorry he was. Still, what had happened what between him and Felicity and if she didn't want to say anything, then he wouldn't either. He had disrespected her enough as it was and he didn't want to make things even worse.

"What happened between Oliver and me is between the two of us," Felicity said calmly. "If he chooses to speak to you about it, it's his decision, but as far as I'm concerned, I just want to forget."

"Yeah, but you trying to forget led to you being stabbed tonight," Diggle pointed out, crossing his arms. Oliver's eyes flickered to Felicity's right shoulder, seeing a wound there. It hadn't healed yet and despite everything that was going on, he reached out, catching the drop of blood that trickled down her shoulder blade.

A shiver ran through Felicity's body and she let go of Roy, turning around to look at him. For a split second, her eyes remained gentle as she took him in. Every cell in his body was screaming for him to just step forward and take her in his arms, nuzzle his nose into the side of her neck and just breathe her in. He needed her unlike anything else. Never before had he experienced such a feeling and the knowledge that he was the one who had broken them once again made him feel sick to his stomach.

"You're still bleeding," he stated dumbly.

"The wound isn't healing," Roy said, looking concerned once again.

Felicity turned her head so that she could look at it. "The bitch stabbed me with white oak," she realized. "It was deep too, so it's probably going to leave a mark… Great."

"How's that possible? Aren't you guys supposed to heal super fast and all that?" Thea wondered.

"White oak is dangerous to both werewolves and vampires. That's basically the only type of wood that can fatally injure us," Felicity replied. "Okay, I'm going to need to get myself some clothes and then, Roy, if you'd be so kind to stitch me up, that would be great."

Roy nodded before pressing a light kiss to Thea's forehead. He then turned toward Oliver and shot him another murderous glare. Oliver did his best not to flinch away from it.

"Wait, what about that woman in black?" Tommy asked. "Weren't we going to figure out who she is?"

"I think she's the huntress they call the Canary on the streets," Roy said slowly. "It's a name that's been circulating in the Glades these last couple of weeks, but I didn't think it was a real thing until tonight. Figured it was just some ghost story."

"Canary?" Diggle asked. "The vigilante names in this city just keep getting better."

"How are we going to find someone who keeps disappearing?" Thea wondered.

"We?" Oliver interjected. "I'm sorry, Thea, but I won't have you involved in all of this."

"Oliver, look around," Thea rolled her eyes. "I'm already involved. My boyfriend is a part of your team and you're my brother. Your friends are in on it too and mom knows. I want to do my part, even if that part is just being here when I'm needed as support. Besides, I'm old enough to decide for myself."

Oliver didn't like it; he didn't like it at all. On one hand he knew that she was right, but on the other, he still wanted to stubbornly keep her away from it all. Then again, considering that all he had been doing so far in regards to her and everyone else had ended up being the bad move, he wondered silently to himself whether he should just let her do what she wanted. Maybe it was time for him to let the others take the lead because clearly, he was no longer in his right mind after what had happened in Russia. That had been one mistake of many but he wanted to change and be different. He didn't want to revert to the old him anymore and he wanted to prove to Felicity and to everyone else that he could be loyal.

"Thea is right," Tommy said. "Besides, she'll have all of us there to protect her if it's needed."

His sister looked at him and he found himself offering her a curt nod and nothing more. She smiled at him for the first time in what felt like ages.

"Now that that's settled," Thea said, "how are we going to find the Canary?"

"Oh, that's a bit easier now that I've gotten a whiff of her scent," Felicity spoke up. They all looked at her and she shrugged. "My wolf side has been becoming more prominent lately. I caught her scent when she was fighting me and to be honest, there was something vaguely familiar with it. It caught me off guard for a while, but I bet that if i focus and smell it again, I should be able to recognize it and maybe even track her." She only watched them for a moment, taking in their expressions. Her eyes met Oliver's but no one spoke as she turned back to Roy. "How about those stitches?"

-§-

Oliver waited anxiously as Roy finished patching up Felicity's wound. Diggle oversaw the whole thing and made sure that the young man was doing his job properly. Thea and Tommy seemed to just patiently wait for someone to say something, all while staring at him, looking for answers on what had happened between him and Felicity.

It wasn't until Felicity and Roy left the Foundry to go home to their apartment that Oliver slumped down into a chair and buried his face in his hands.

"Are you going to tell us what happened or are you going to pull the 'it's-our-business'-card too?" Thea wondered, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked down at him.

"How are we supposed to help you guys work through your issues if you don't tell us what's wrong, man?" Tommy asked, looking concerned. "I've never seen you and Felicity this way before. You've had your fair share of arguments but nothing's ever been this bad."

"I've been with you the longest and I have to agree with that statement," Diggle said. "Tell us what's going on."

Oliver wasn't sure if it was their probing questions or if he just wanted to get it all off his chest that finally made him crack. "When we were in Russia, I fucked up," he said slowly.

"We've gathered as much," Diggle said. "What did you do?"

"I kissed her," Oliver blurted, running his hand through his hair. "I was a jealous bastard when I saw her with some of Anatoly's men and I took her back to my room and kissed her."

"Wait, shouldn't that be a good thing?" Thea frowned. "Oh no, don't tell me you bolted?"

"Worse," Oliver said bitterly. "I threw her out of the room, drank myself stupid the next night and slept with Isabel."

"What?" Diggle's voice was hard as he looked at Oliver with narrowed eyes.

"Felicity came to see me and she saw me and Isabel," Oliver covered his eyes with the palm of his hand. "I wasn't even fully dressed yet."

"How could you-? What the fuck were you even thinking?" Tommy asked, voice raised. "You two were basically- And then you just- Fuck!" Tommy slammed his hand down on the table, hard, making the objects on it rattle. Oliver had expected anger from his friends, but Tommy's reaction to what he had done just proved how badly he had messed up.

"I know," Oliver said, still not able to look any of them in the eyes. "I went to her again though, when we got back to Starling. I kissed her again and I tried to explain that I-"

"You kissed her again?" Diggle growled. "After she found you with your pants down in the company of Isabel Rochev?" Oliver looked at his friend. Diggle pointed at his face, "Roy was right to punch you in the face. I would too if I didn't know you well enough to know that you would let me beat you to a bloody pulp after what you've done to Felicity." Diggle inhaled deeply, pressing his fingers to his temples as an attempt to calm himself. "What did you say to her when you went to her again?"

"I told her that I didn't want her to become another problem on my list," Oliver confessed. "I didn't mean it like that but she never let me finish what I was going to say. She must have assumed that I didn't want to be with her."

"Do you want to be with her?" Thea questioned.

"Yes," Oliver hissed. "Of course I want to be with her but now it's too late. She wasn't supposed to be some quick tumble in the sheets and we weren't supposed to end up like this. I broke what we had and now she'll never want to even look me in the eyes again without wanting to rip my throat out."

"I can't say that I blame her," Thea told him. "You messed up and you messed up bad, Ollie. Why would you even think about sleeping with Isabel?"

"I don't know, okay? I don't know why I did what I did," Oliver said. "I didn't want to admit to myself that I had feelings for Felicity and I don't know why I did it, but I couldn't stop thinking about her at all and I hated myself for it the moment it was over! Nothing you guys say is going to make me feel like more of a piece of shit that I already do!"

He breathed heavily, staring at the three of them, awaiting more of their judgment. They didn't say anything at first until Diggle took a step toward him.

"She might never forgive you," he said. "No one could blame her for that. But the way that you two have been acting out on the streets is dangerous. Even though I'm pissed off at you, I don't want to see you or her dead. She had a close call tonight and I don't want there to be any more. You broke it so you need to fix it," Diggle told him sternly.

"Dig, I don't know how," Oliver sighed, rubbing away the wetness that had gathered in the corners of his eyes.

"Earn her trust back," Diggle said. "Show her that it's team first and that you'll always have her back, no matter what. Don't mess up again and prove to her that you're worth a second chance."

"I don't know how to do that," Oliver said.

Diggle only shook his head at him as he grabbed his jacket, starting to head out of the Foundry, "You better figure it out, Oliver."

-§-

Three days later, Oliver was walking back into Queen Consolidated. Thea walked with him and he was grateful for his sister being there, despite the fact that she too was angry with him for what he had done to Felicity. He had been thinking about what Diggle had said down in the Foundry three days ago and he knew that he needed to do something to at least try and repair some of the damage that he had caused.

When he walked toward his office though, he saw Laurel sitting in the chair in front of Felicity through the glass wall. The two of them were walking about something and Laurel offered Felicity her hand. Oliver watched as a bright smile crossed Felicity's smile and she said something else which made Laurel laugh. It occurred to him then that Laurel was showing Felicity her engagement ring. The glimmering piece of jewelry stood out on Laurel's left hand and Felicity's eyes seemed to shine when they set on the sparkling item. For a mere second, a silly thought crossed his mind and he wondered if Felicity would have lit up like that if it had been her own ring she was looking at. He shook his head, focusing his eyes on the blonde as he walked with Thea toward the two women.

Like always, Felicity was beautiful. She wore a navy skirt and a white blouse which was tucked into the skirt and some classy high-heels. Her hair was down, waves spilling over her shoulders and she was wearing the fake glasses which somehow managed to make her even more beautiful. Oliver swallowed thickly, not knowing how the conversation between the two of them was going to go.

As Oliver and Thea approached them, Felicity lifted her head to look at them. She must have heard them with her enhanced senses and when her eyes settled on him, she took a deep breath through her nose, almost as if she was trying to brace herself. He watched her curiously as her soft expression changed. She looked back at Laurel, frown on her face as she let go of her hand. Oliver saw her take another deep breath through her nose just as he entered the room.

"Hey," Thea said, breaking the silence. "Laurel, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just came here to discuss your mother's case with Oliver," Laurel explained, standing up from the chair.

"Has there been any development?" Oliver asked.

"Well, the judge moved up the court date, which means that they're probably all ready to move forward with everything," Laurel said. "Based on what we have so far, we've made a really good case on Moira acting under duress."

"When do you think that the final court date will-?"

"Felicity, are you okay?" Thea asked, interrupting Oliver's question. He turned his attention to Felicity, who was looking a bit pale all of the sudden.

"Felicity?" he frowned, taking a step past Laurel in the blonde's direction.

"I'm fine, I just think I need a moment to breathe," she said, offering Thea a weak smile as she stood from her desk. She clutched the side of the table, swaying slightly as she moved to step around it.

"Whoa," Oliver said, catching her as she began losing balance. His concern for her outweighed the fear of something being wrong with her as he looked down at her. "Maybe you should lay down a bit?"

"I'm fine," Felicity countered. "I just need some air."

"I'll come with you," Thea offered. "Oliver, you can stay and discuss things with Laurel. We'll be back in a few."

His sister walked up to him and Felicity and wrapped her arm around Felicity's waist, offering her some support as she led her out of the room. Oliver followed them with his concerned gaze.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Laurel wondered. "I can come back later, if you want to be with her?"

"No, Thea has it handled," he shook his head. He knew that Felicity wouldn't want him with her now anyway and no matter how much he wished he could just go to her, he knew that that would only cause more problems than fixing any. That was why he forced himself to step into his part of the office and sit down in his chair while Laurel gave him the information she had about his mother's case.

-§-

"Felicity what happened in there?" Thea asked as Felicity stood in front of the mirror in the women's restroom.

"It's Laurel," Felicity said. "When I breathed in, my wolf senses picked up on her scent that was hidden underneath the perfume she uses."

"What?" Thea frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Laurel's scent was similar to the one that I caught off of the Canary," Felicity explained.

"What? Does that mean that Laurel is the huntress in black?" Thea's eyes widened.

Felicity shook her head, "No, I don't think so. Laurel's scent wasn't as strong as the Canary's. I think they might share the same DNA though."

"How would you even know that?" Thea wondered.

"My powers as a wolf," Felicity replied. "I told you guys that my wolf side is coming back stronger for some reason. I don't know why, but I'm finally able to pick up on those kinds of shifts that were blocked due to the piece of vampire DNA in my blood. Wolves are more sensitive to smells while vampires use their other senses," Felicity said. "It's been like I've had a cold this past year because I've been drinking some blood and strengthening my vampire side more and more. Now that I've stopped drinking blood, my wolf side is returning, especially with me forming my own pack with Roy."

"Okay, that all makes sense, but what doesn't make sense is Laurel sharing similar DNA with the Canary," Thea said. "Does that mean that it can be, like, Laurel's cousin or something?"

"Or a parent, a sibling," Felicity nodded.

"Laurel's mom is in Central City and her father doesn't exactly scream bustier-lover," Thea remarked. Felicity looked at her curiously, raising an eyebrow at her. "Roy gave me a description of the Canary when I asked him to tell me what she looked like," Thea said.

"I think we should keep this between the two of us for now," Felicity said after a moment. "Tonight I'll see if I can get out on the streets again and pick up on the scent."

"You're going to have to tell Oliver sooner or later, Felicity," Thea countered. "He isn't going to just go along with you leaving again. Not after what happened last time. He knows that he screwed up."

Felicity frowned at Thea. How much did she know about what had happened? Had Oliver told her? Felicity had been noticing how Diggle and Tommy were giving Oliver the cold shoulder in the Foundry these past couple of days, but she hadn't been sure until now that he had actually told them what had happened.

"You know," Felicity stated, not bothering to explain just what it was that Thea knew.

"Yeah," Thea nodded. "I'm not going to defend his actions because you have every right to be pissed and never want to speak to him ever again. I just think you should know that he hasn't been himself since you guys fell out."

"It's not that I'm just angry with him, Thea," Felicity shook her head. "I'm hurt. The worst thing is that before all of this, he was my best friend and if this would have happened with anyone else, I would have gone to him to talk about it all."

"Roy mentioned that too," Thea said softly. She looked hesitant for a moment before speaking again, "Don't you think you should tell him though?"

"I don't owe him any explanations and he doesn't owe me either," Felicity said. "We weren't together and there's no reason that I should be feeling this strongly about all of this as I am. I can't change what happened."

"If what Roy told me is true, then I think you should talk to Oliver," Thea countered. "If he knew, he would understand and he would give you whatever space you need."

"He's been giving me space since after Russia, Thea. I don't think space is the issue here," Felicity shook her head. "I wish there was a way for me to just shut off my emotions and ignore what happened. It would make things a hell of alot easier for me."

"Do what you want, but I still believe that you two should talk," Thea said. "You both deserve to be happy and you won't be able to be that without first dealing with this thing that's between you."

Felicity turned on the faucet and washed her hands before drying them and placing them against her forehead. She didn't know if Roy's suspicions were true and there was no way for her to know for certain either. If she were to tell Oliver anything, it would all be wild guessing and nothing more. What had happened between the two of them in Russia and after still hurt her and it felt like someone had put a fire-poker inside her stomach and started twisting it around every time she thought of it. The pain was too much for her when she was human and it was almost easier to deal with it all in wolf form, because then she could allow her animal instincts to take over some instead. Hunting was a good way of distracting herself, but she would never really be able to forget what had happened, even though she tried to block it out as a wolf.

That night in the Foundry, she hadn't wanted Roy to find out. She knew that he was loyal to her as her Beta, but seeing him rage and scream at Oliver the way that he had hadn't been something she had wanted to see. Oliver had hurt her and things were as they were for now, but she too knew that Thea was right on some level. Things couldn't keep going like this because if they did, one of them would end up dead and she didn't want that. Her wound still stung from the night that the Canary had stabbed her and it was taking time to heal properly. Roy checked it over every morning but it remained as a reminder of her own recklessness on the streets. She had been taking too many risks and she had to stop.

She didn't have to forgive Oliver for what he had done, but she had to do her best to be able to work with him again. They were supposed to be a team and they had put their personal drama first instead of thinking about what was best for the citizens of Starling City. Even if they wouldn't be able to repair their friendship after all of this, they still had to keep fighting to protect the innocents of the city. Felicity knew it as sure as she knew that she would eventually be forced to face her fears regarding Roy's suspicions on her and Oliver's closeness before Russia.

-§-

They were preparing to go out and hunt down the Canary when Oliver approached her. He was already wearing his Arrow-suit and he was pulling on his gloves when he came to stand by her side. Somehow, everyone else in the Foundry seemed to take that as their cue to leave the place and Felicity turned to look at him. It was the first time in a long while that they actually looked at one another. She wanted to keep the anger on her face, but instead, all she could be was guarded.

Oliver cleared his throat, "Are you sure that this is the only way?"

"This is the best way," Felicity nodded. "I'll track the Canary's scent as a wolf and you'll come with me because Roy can't turn when there isn't a full moon. I'll communicate with him through my thoughts and he'll translate them to you through the comm-link. There's nothing complicated about it."

"Okay," Oliver said, still not sounding fully convinced.

She looked at him and then shook her head, "Is there anything else or are you going to back away and let me turn in peace?"

Oliver sighed, clenching his jaw as he stood up straighter. "Look, Felicity," he started. "I know that I fucked up bad and nothing I can say will ever be able to convey just how sorry I am for everything that I've done."

Felicity forced herself to keep staring at him, ignoring the way that her heart was beating hard in her chest at his words.

"I've destroyed our friendship, first of all, and besides the obvious things, that's what I regret the most," Oliver confessed. "I know that it's going to take time and I don't know if even that will help in the long haul, but you have to know, I'm so sorry. What I did is unforgivable, but I hope that somewhere deep down in your heart, you can find it in yourself to forgive me for what I've done. It doesn't have to be today or in a week or even months from now. Hell, take all the years you need," he said, shaking his head at himself. Felicity could see his eyes glaze over and he looked down, blinking a couple of times as he did. She could smell the saltiness of his tears and it made her stomach twist to know that Oliver was actually standing in front of her, trying to hide the fact that he was on the verge of crying.

"I just want you to know that I'll always be here, as your partner first and foremost, but hopefully, in time, as a friend too again," he said, meeting her eyes once more.

She wanted to scream and cry and tell him everything but she knew that she couldn't. A part of her wished that she would just suck it up and force him to feel everything that she had felt when she had found him with Isabel, but it would be no use to just linger in the past. They needed to keep moving because there were both new and old threats present in Starling City and they had to put the people first. Oliver's speech wouldn't fix anything, but it could be a start for their recovery if she allowed it to be.

"Oliver…" she started, but trailed off the moment he looked at her again. She swallowed thickly and shook her head. "Let's just get through the night alive," she said, turning away from him once more.

-§-

They tracked the Canary's scent to the abandoned old clock tower in town. It was clear that the huntress had been living there for quite some time because there was a mattress on the floor and an arsenal of weapons placed on top of some old shelves. Oliver and Felicity took their time examining the room, Oliver picking up the weapons and lowering them to Felicity so that she could sniff on them.

"Felicity says that the scent is definitely the same. That's without a doubt the Canary's hiding place," Roy said through the comm-link.

They kept looking through the various items and Oliver walked over to the small cot, picking up the pillow to check if there was anything underneath. He found a picture underneath the mattress and looked at it curiously. His stomach dropped when he recognized the woman in the photograph and he turned it to Felicity so that she could look at it.

"Laurel? Why would the Canary have a picture of Laurel?" Roy wondered through the communications device.

His question was unanswered when a loud noise erupted from behind them. Felicity howled, covering her sensitive wolf ears at the same time that Oliver did too. He turned around, lifting his bow before releasing the arrow on the woman who stood in the doorway, dressed in black leather. He charged at her when she dodged his first attack and instantly, they were on one another. Oliver grunted as he took a kick to the stomach and he spared a glance in Felicity's direction, but she still seemed to be writhing on the floor. He looked down and noticed that the woman was holding down the button on some kind of device and he butted his head against hers before reaching down to grab it from her. He pressed down on the button and the wolf stopped twitching and whimpering. In relief he watched Felicity go from a mess on the floor to a feral animal as she stood on all fours and growled at the huntress before launching herself at her back. Oliver managed to struggle free from the woman's grasp when she let out a sharp cry as Felicity dug her claws into her back. The huntress stumbled and Felicity somehow got her paw tangled in the woman's hair. When the two of them fell to the floor, Oliver stared at the Canary, whose wig Felicity had somehow managed to pull off from her head. It was a familiar shade of blonde and all of the sudden, the picture started making sense.

But nothing was making sense.

It couldn't be her because she was dead, right?

Oliver forced himself out of his thoughts when the Canary wrestled Felicity to the floor. Just as he was about to jump the woman, Felicity managed to flip them over. The wolf towered over the Canary and Oliver felt something akin to pride well inside of him. The feeling quickly faded when he saw that Felicity must have torn open her stitches because she was bleeding from her shoulder. Oliver shot her a worried look which was concealed by his hood, but finally went back to business as he lowered himself down and removed the Canary's mask.

Shock and confusion filled him as he stared at the familiar face. He didn't understand how it could be true, but the evidence was staring right back at him, hissing and growling, ready to scream bloody murder at him. He took a step back and Felicity seemed to have sensed his hesitation because she turned to look at him. It gave the Canary enough momentum to push the wolf off of her and stand to attack again, so Oliver did the only thing that made sense for him to do in that moment. He dropped his bow and lifted his hands into the air as he quickly came to stand in front of Felicity. He tore off his hood and stared wide-eyed at the blonde woman who paused in the middle of her attack.

"It's me, Sara," he panted. "It's Oliver!"

Sara looked at him curiously as a frown set on her face. She took a step back and stared, "Ollie?"

There was a moment when he wasn't sure whether she would keep attacking or if she would stand down. He wasn't entirely certain what he would do if she did either thing though. When she took a couple of quick steps toward him, he prepared for the worst. As soon as her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, he let out a deep breath and lifted his hands to return the embrace.

-§-

The silence in the Foundry was deafening.

Diggle, Tommy and Roy all stood with their arms crossed as they watched Sara who was calmly looking around the place, examining every little corner of the room. Felicity had changed back to human form and Oliver wasn't going to push his luck by starting to question why she had come to stand next to him. A part of him hoped that what he had said to her earlier had gotten through to her somehow, but he couldn't be sure until she actually told him so. She hadn't said much after he had finished speaking to her and they had survived the night, which meant that there would come a time when they would speak.

Now though, the fact that Sara Lance was alive and well and back in Starling City was the biggest shock of the night and the only thing that they could focus on. Oliver was almost glad that his team's attention wasn't directed at him at the moment, but Sara seemed to be unfazed about the looks that they were all giving her.

"Let me get this straight," Tommy said after a moment. "Sara Lance - Laurel's baby sister who has been presumed to be dead for the past seven years - is the Canary?"

"Let me get this straight," Sara countered, tilting her head to look at them all curiously. "My sister's ex-boyfriend, who cheated on her with me, is the Hunter of Starling City who has changed sides and started working together with Nightcrawlers after he was presumed dead for several years. Oh, and did I miss the fact that his best friend is now engaged to my sister?" She looked at Tommy, "Congrats, by the way."

"When I said that things couldn't get more strange than Felicity and Roy being able to read one another's mind, I was clearly not telling the Universe to send all of this down on us," Diggle muttered.

"Okay, so we've stated that Laurel's sister is apparently live and kicking, hard," Felicity said, sending Sara a look. Sara only looked at her strangely. "Oliver hasn't 'changed sides' as you put it. He's just realized that not all Dark Ones are, well, dark."

"Is that why he's been working with you two wolves?" Sara wondered, sounding genuinely curious now.

"Well, yes," Roy said, shooting a glare at Sara. "Not all wolves are bad."

"Perhaps not," Sara shrugged. "I've been taught differently, though."

"Why have you come back here, Sara?" Oliver asked, finally stepping up to her. "Why come back to Starling City after seven years of letting everyone think you're dead?"

"I waited two years longer than you and now I'm somehow the bad guy here?" Sara asked.

"You're the bad guy because you stabbed Felicity," Roy growled, taking a step forward.

Oliver watched as Felicity put her hand up, instantly calming the young man who kept glaring at the other blonde.

"I'm sorry about that," Sara said. "If I had known that you and Oliver were friends, I would have waited a bit before trying to kill you and your Beta."

"I suppose if that's the best apology I'm going to get, I might as well take it," Felicity stated. "Now, why have you returned?"

"I heard about the Undertaking," Sara said. "I wanted to come back and check on my family to make sure they were okay. Once I checked on Laurel and my dad, I stayed because I figured I could take care of some Crawlers. Do you know that you have quite a few hybrids roaming the streets at night?"

"We're aware of it," Oliver nodded through gritted teeth. He didn't like being reminded of the Undertaking. He especially didn't like to think about the blood exchange that he and Felicity had had that night and how it had made him feel. "We're taking care of it," Oliver said.

"I don't have anything better to do right now, so would you like some help with that?" Sara asked.

"Okay, calm down little Ms. Stabby," Roy protested. "You can't just waltz in here after trying to kill two members of this team and think we're going to just accept you being here. The decision isn't all Oliver's to make. The rest of us have a say too."

"Of course," Sara nodded. "That makes sense."

"Besides, we don't even know who you've been working for," Roy continued. "For all we know, you might decide to betray us and out us to the rest of Starling City."

"Do you really think I would do such a thing?" Sara questioned.

"Considering that you stabbed my Alpha in the back, literally, I wouldn't put it past you," Roy said.

Oliver understood Roy's concerns and he looked at the rest of his team who also looked fairly reluctant to let Sara in on their mission. He turned to Felicity, who was just watching Sara with a hint of curiosity.

"I think she might be able to help us," Felicity finally said. "If Oliver is willing to vouch for her, I'm willing to accept her working with us. Temporarily."

Roy didn't seem to like it very much, but finally he nodded. "Okay," he said, "but if I ever see you with another wooden dagger anywhere close to Felicity, I'll make sure you poke your own eye out with it."

Tommy and Diggle nodded in agreement to Felicity's words and they all looked to Oliver, who sighed. He turned back to Sara, "Don't make me regret this, okay?"

Sara smiled, "I promise that you won't."

-§-

They agreed to let Sara go back to the clock tower after treating her. She told them that she wasn't going to run anywhere because she wanted to help make Starling City safe again for her family. It was all too surreal and he didn't know what to do with anything. What he had done to Felicity was something that kept nagging at him and he didn't think he would ever be able to forgive himself for that. Then there was this thing with Sara and how she had apparently been away somewhere for seven years, being trained not only as a huntress, but also as a full-blown assassin as well. Before she had left for the night she had promised to stop killing Dark Ones until she was out with Oliver on a hunt, but Oliver knew how easy it could be to fall back into old patterns.

Another issue that they had was Laurel. Tommy didn't feel comfortable with lying to his fiancée about her sister being alive, but he knew that it was necessary. A city could only deal with one miraculous return from the dead in two years without the media setting their eyes on them too much. If Sara was to be revealed alive, it would without a doubt send the press spiraling their way and they had enough to deal with as it was.

Felicity had left the Foundry together with Roy again. They hadn't wanted to stick around after they had all agreed on letting Sara help them. Oliver wasn't really sure why he had agreed to let her help considering that years had passed since he had last seen her. He couldn't know whether or not she was the same person as before and to be quite honest, he doubted that she was. The Sara that he had known hadn't been a trained assassin, for one. When she had spoken about Laurel though, he could hear the genuine care in her voice and that was the only thing that had bought him over. He didn't know how long she was going to stay in Starling City but if she was still around whenever they found the Master, she could be an useful ally.

Oliver was alone down in the Foundry when he heard the doors open. He looked up, breath caught in his throat as he waited for whoever it was to descend. Disappointment filled him when he saw that it was only Roy, but at the same time he was surprised to see the young man there again since he had retired for the night.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver asked, trying his best not to sound rude.

"I could ask you the same," Roy remarked sarcastically.

Oliver didn't say anything at first. He only shook his head.

"I came here to work out because I couldn't sleep," Roy explained.

Oliver watched him warily, not sure how to react to him sharing that information with him. Roy approached him slowly and sat down on the training mat, resting his arms on his knees.

"Is Felicity all right?" Oliver wondered.

Roy shook his head, "She hasn't been for a while, but I know that she probably wouldn't want me to tell you anything."

"Why are you telling me then?" Oliver wanted to know.

"Because even though you've fucked up so bad that I want to strangle you, I know that you deep down care for her and are as worried as I am," Roy said. "She doesn't sleep much. I think that might be why the Canary was able to get that stab in. She isn't healing properly either and her ripping the stitches didn't help much."

"I can ask Sara if there was something added to the dagger," Oliver said.

"I think Sara's done enough as it is," Roy sneered. He turned away for a moment, resting his head on his arms. "I came here tonight because I knew you'd be here."

"Why?" Oliver frowned.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, but Felicity can't know about it," Roy said. "I've tried talking her into telling you, but she doesn't exactly want to have that kind of conversation with you and I can't blame her for that."

"Can you please get to the point?" Oliver asked, his gut twisting painfully when he was reminded of the pain that he had caused the blonde.

"I just need to make sure that you won't go babbling off to anyone else," Roy stated.

"Do I look like the type that babbles?"

"How would I know?" Roy shrugged again. "You don't seem like the kind of guy who makes very good calls either." Oliver clenched his jaw, but nodded at Roy to continue. Roy took a deep breath, "There is this thing among werewolves, which is kind of just a myth. I've been researching it a lot since I gained control of my turning because I've been feeling very drawn and connected to Thea."

"Oh, God, I don't want to hear about you 'connecting' with my sister," Oliver cringed.

"Not like that," Roy said, shaking his head at him. "Okay, maybe a little like that too, but that isn't the main point," he cleared his throat. "The thing is that I came across some old legends about wolves forming a mate-bond with their respective other. You know, like a soulmate, or something similar."

"What does that have to do with Felicity?" Oliver wondered, his interest piqued.

"Well, I didn't know why you two had fallen out before, but I figured that her healing factor acting up and her wolf-side coming out more often was some kind of sign that something was changing inside of her," Roy said. "After you guys returned from Russia, she was devastated in a way that I've never seen before. I thought you two had just had a simple argument and that that was the reason, but when you didn't get any better, I started wondering."

Oliver could only stare at Roy as the young man stood and faced him. "Felicity is a werewolf first and foremost," he said. "She was turned into a hybrid by the Master, but there's no way for us to know for sure just how they managed to turn her. Originally though, she is a wolf and wolves are loyal creatures to their pack, which makes this hard for me to share with you, but I think you kind of deserve to know," Roy explained. "A mate-bond is shared between a wolf and the person that they fall in love with. When a wolf finds their mate they connect with them on a spiritual level, basically. I know for a fact that I would never be able to betray Thea or hurt her in any way because it would destroy me to see her in pain."

"You mean like I hurt Felicity," Oliver said. "Are you saying that Felicity and I…?"

"I don't know," Roy said. "I thought so, before, but now I don't know. We don't even know if there's anything to the legends or if it's just myth, but from the way that you two were before Russia - that connection you shared - it's basically what the mate-bond is all about."

"But I'm not a wolf," Oliver stated.

"Neither is Thea, but it works for us," Roy shared.

"Does Thea know?"

"I told her about it as soon as I found out and suspected it," Roy told him. "Sometimes it takes nothing more than a shared look, but other times it takes more physical measures to connect fully."

"Like exchanging blood?" Oliver stared at him, his mind going at high-speed as he remembered that night and the way that he had felt when he had had Felicity in his arms.

"Yeah, could work, I guess," Roy narrowed his eyes at him. Oliver knew that Roy suspected something now, but he wasn't going to confirm it to him.

"Why didn't Felicity tell me all of this?" Oliver asked. "Or better yet, why did you?"

"She wasn't sure if it was real," Roy said. "I don't think she believes in it or maybe she just wants to live in denial. I already told you why I'm telling you and it's because I think that you deserved to know before you go and do something stupid again that will only cause her more pain."

"The bond, what else would it mean, if it truly existed?" Oliver wondered.

"Your pain is her pain," Roy told him. "You pick up on one another's emotions in a different way. It would be like sharing a soul, knowing and understanding each other on a level unlike any other." Roy watched him carefully for a moment. "If it's all true and you and Felicity have already bonded, or were close to doing so, she would feel the loss more prominently than you. It's her instinct as a wolf to feel hurt and betrayed considering how close you two were before Russia," he said.

Oliver's heart beat wildly in his chest and the remorse that he had felt before grew tenfold. He wanted nothing more than to fall on his knees in front of Felicity and beg for her forgiveness. He knew that he would need to prove himself in her eyes and maybe it would take years, but he would be there, just like he had told her today.

"Anyway, I wanted you to know that, so that you understand that maybe it wasn't as simple as a betrayal of trust," Roy said. "We can't know if it's true for sure until you connect fully, but considering everything that has happened, maybe it's better that you haven't." He shifted awkwardly on his feet and then shrugged. "Okay, I've said what I wanted, now I have to head home. Felicity's probably going to be waking up soon and I don't want her to worry about me."

Oliver looked at the clock, "It's 2 AM?"

Roy looked at him again, that dark look coming over him that made Oliver's gut twist with guilt. "Felicity has been having nightmares," he said. "She doesn't sleep like she used to."

Oliver swallowed thickly, his eyes lowering to the training mat. He heard Roy walk away and out of the Foundry, without saying either goodnight or goodbye. Oliver couldn't blame him, especially after what he had learned tonight.

Soulmates.

Could they be that?

Roy had told him that there was no way of knowing and according to him, Felicity didn't believe in such things. However, there were many people in the world who didn't believe in monsters lurking in the shadows, and yet he was out there almost every night hunting them. He had known all along that he needed to fix things between him and Felicity somehow, but now he felt the need to do so even more. Maybe the bond between them had been bent because of what he had done, but hope wasn't lost until it was all broken. If Felicity had agreed to work with him tonight, he was going to view it as a step forward on the road to recovery. He would bide his time and he wouldn't push her for more than she was ready to give. If the bond really existed between them, then he owed it to the both of them to do his very best to change and make them whole again.

Roy might not be sure and Felicity might not believe in it, but Oliver knew. He remembered the way that he had felt when he had first laid eyes on Felicity and he remembered how he had fought the connection between the two of them with every fiber of his being. The self-loathing he had felt when he had had all those impure dreams and thoughts about her and the way that they had gone from being enemies, to friends and then more. He wanted to go back and change things, but since he couldn't, he would simply have to change and keep moving forward. He would do his best to now make things worse and he would earn back Felicity's trust.

When he did, he might finally be able to admit to her that he was a coward and a fool for denying what he had known deep inside, even since before the Undertaking.

He was in love with her and because he believed that she deserved better than the man he was, he would do his best to be better and work to earn her love too.


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