Note: Hi. No excuses this time. No long notes explaining my absence. I'm going to bed now and I haven't had time to edit this, but I really, really hope it's not completely fucked up. Please, enjoy and be kind!

P.S. "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors was on repeat throughout this chapter, which was honestly intended to be a short filler, but turned into a monster. Thank you for your attention. xx


Hunted

Chapter 24: The Mysterious Case of Mr. Allen

Time was a curious thing. Strange, in most cases, especially when it came to the Dark World. There had never been any indication that it moved differently for hybrids, vampires or even werewolves for that matter. There was no reason to believe that it slowed down based on a certain creatures speed.

Felicity knew of bellua shapeshifters in Africa who turned into cheetahs and wolves in Canada who never experienced any difference in time, no matter if they ran at high speeds or trudged through the wildlands. Of course, there were times, when she turned into a wolf that the hours somehow seemed dragged out, especially during the first couple of transformations she had gone through. Now, she was used to turning and she did so within the blink of an eye. It was the same for Roy too, except for the fact that he couldn't turn at will like her. He was still confined to turning during the full moon, but his instincts and heightened senses were always present and active.

Things had been different, since that night though. It didn't have anything to do with time being slowed, or the days feeling dragged out. Instead, the weeks seemed to pass quickly. Since the night that she had remembered more about her captivity with the help of Nyssa's serum, Felicity had been on a personal mission to figure out if there was a way for her to return to her original state of being just a werewolf. She had discussed the matter with the rest of the team as well and Oliver wasn't the only one who continuously reminded her that she shouldn't get her hopes up because it had all just been speculation. Tommy and Diggle had also expressed their concern, questioning whether it smart to try and revert back to only being a wolf when being a hybrid gave her better healing abilities, for one. There were quite a few good things that came with being a hybrid, especially if one was in control of their abilities. Felicity understood that the pros could be considered to outweigh the cons once one had things under control, but she knew that the only thing she wanted was to have a choice. It was all that she had ever wanted to have and the one thing that she had been deprived of when she had been forcibly turned into a hybrid. The perks of it didn't matter to her then, because all she wanted was to be able to choose her own path.

Weeks passed since the serum had revealed the possibility of her turning back into a werewolf alone. She avoided consuming blood at all costs, trying to connect more with her wolf side. Her focus was on Roy and training him, making the pack that she had started more connected. Sure, at the moment, only she and Roy were wolves, but she needed the two of them to be completely in sync with one another whenever they went out on the streets at night. When it came to the rest of their team, Felicity could sense that they didn't particularly enjoy the fact that she was in a way experimenting on herself; testing her limits and trying to see how far she could push herself without having to revert to her hybrid abilities. She trained with Diggle every single day, taught Tommy how to work the computers more efficiently and then went out on hunts with Oliver and Roy during the nights. Of course, she didn't always go out with them, because she still preferred to keep an eye on things from the Foundry, although there was still that thing where she continously tested herself when she was hunting with Oliver.

Weeks turned into months and the search for the Master didn't go anywhere. It had been quiet for so long that she and the team almost wondered whether the Master had changed his or her location entirely. On one hand, they couldn't solve the mystery that they had been working on since Felicity had joined the team, but on the other, it gave them to focus on putting other Dark Ones behind bars. Not only that, but during the months that had passed, Oliver and Thea had gotten the opportunity to watch their mother's trial process. Things were looking up for Moira, according to Thea. Laurel was still working on her case and from what the woman could see, there was no reason for the judges to draw things out any further.

This turned out to be true, considering that Moira's case finally went to court, where she was freed of all charges. The entire team was there and Felicity sat beside Oliver throughout all of it to show her support. Things between them were different too, after that night. They weren't entirely back to how they had been, but they were definitely better. She would never be able to forget what had happened and she knew that he wouldn't either. The only thing she could hope for was that they would keep going forward. Their friendship had at least returned to some degree. It wasn't just about working as a team like it had been before the serum. Now, they spent more time together just talking about things feelings that she had had for him were still there, of course, but she was able to ignore them most of the time since she didn't want to act on them for now. If anything was going to happen between her and Oliver, it needed to feel right and Felicity was certain that before then, they needed to actually grow back into the way that they had been.

Roy had questioned her on it several times, asking her how she could be so stubborn as to not acknowledge the fact that there seemed to be a much deeper bond between her and Oliver than either of them would have first anticipated. She always told him that it was simple; that she and Oliver weren't ready for it and that there still was a part of her that doubted that the two of them actually were true mates. She wasn't even sure that mates existed, in that sense, even though it was evident that Roy and Thea shared a bond that could be interpreted as them being soulmates. It wasn't something that she liked to discuss though, and that was why she mostly just dismissed it when it was brought up. She and Oliver were on good terms and that was enough. There was no reason for them to complicate things with romantic feelings. Roy normally took the chance to address the matter when the two of them were alone though, such as when they were training in the woods outside of Starling City. They would drive out there once a week and play hide and seek with one another. It was a way for Roy to train his senses and gave Felicity the opportunity to explore the mind connection that the two of them shared.

Her relationship with Oliver wasn't the only thing that her beta brought up. Roy also had a tendency to ask her if reverting back to simple lycanthropy was was what she really wanted. Usually, Felicity had an answer for it, but sometimes, she doubted herself. She wanted the ability to choose for herself, but whenever she thought about it, she could never pinpoint exactly what her final choice would be if she was given the opportunity to make it.

-§-

Oliver sat next to Felicity during the board meeting but he was having trouble concentrating on what was being said. Felicity's knee was jumping up and down, as if she couldn't wait for the meeting to be over either, which was strange for her considering that she was always the one who told him that it was important for them to be there. He had a feeling that the reason for her uneasiness was that Walter was discussing what was going to happen now that Moira was free.

Back when his mother had first been arrested, Walter had left his position as CEO of the company and given it to Oliver. After Moira's release, a part of Oliver had simply assumed that both Walter and Moira would be returning to work in the company full-time. However, it appeared that his mother had no plans of going back to becoming anything other than a board member at Queen Consolidated. They had discussed it at home and Moira had made the decision that it was better for her to focus on their family instead of the family business. Oliver and Thea supported her in her choice and Walter would most likely keep doing the work that he had been doing in her absence. A part of Oliver had hoped that he would be able to focus more on hunting down the Master now that his mother wasn't imprisoned anymore, but it seemed like things would remain the same for now. Felicity was nervous though and he could feel it. Perhaps it was because this was the first time that she was going to be in his mother's presence since the trial and Oliver wondered why the blonde had been avoiding his mother.

Yes, sure, Moira knew about him being the Arrow and Felicity being a hybrid, but from what his mother had told him, she understood that Felicity was different. Oliver wasn't sure if Felicity was somehow afraid that his mother was going to judge her now that the two of them might cross paths more often. He did expect things to be awkward for a while, but a part of him hoped that they would at least be civil with one another. After all, when his mother had come clean about the Undertaking, it was Felicity that she had approached. That must have meant something.

Walter had been the one to call the official meeting to inform the other board members how they were going to proceed with the company. He was in the middle of explaining how they were going to handle Moira's transitioning to being only a shareholder. According to him, Moira would need to make a public announcement and tell the truth about her wanting to spend more time with her family. They were going to try and appeal to the public eye, showing her vulnerable side and making sure that they saw her as the mother that she was, who had only been fearing for the life of her children. It was the thing that had freed her in court and they wanted to use it again to show the citizens of Starling City that it had been the truth.

A cell phone rang suddenly, making Oliver frown. Usually, during board meetings everyone turned their phones off or at least put them on silence. Walter cleared his throat, taking out his phone from his pocket. He frowned, holding up a hand apologetically. "Excuse me for a moment," he said. "I'm afraid I need to take this call."

He stepped out of the room and instantly, hushed whispers began making their way through the room. Oliver looked down at Felicity and saw that she had her eyes closed, a concentrated look on her face.

"Something has been stolen," she told him, her voice low. "Something from our Applied Sciences Division."

"The ASD?" Oliver frowned, his voice equally quiet. Walter was still the head of that department, which was probably why he was the one they were calling and not Oliver."What?"

"I can't pick up on it," Felicity shook her head. "Everyone else is too loud."

Oliver knew that it was a side-effect of her not drinking blood anymore. He still remembered how she had managed to communicate with Lawton who had been in an entirely different building once. He hadn't understood it much then but Oliver knew now just how much difference her consuming blood could do. When she didn't feed the vampire part of her, her wolf side took over more. She was still strong and fast, but not as fast as she was when she drank blood. Her hearing was heightened too, although she certainly couldn't hear things that people said in the building across the street.

He didn't have time to think too much about it because Walter re-entered the room and made a quick motion for him to join him outside. Oliver looked at Felicity and she nodded, standing up at the same time as him as the two of them stepped out of the conference room.

"What happened?" Oliver asked Walter, who was looking concerned.

"It seems as if a centrifuge has been stolen from our Applied Sciences Division," Walter told him. "The break in apparently happened during the night and the police has already been notified."

"Why are you looking like that then?" Oliver wondered, indicating the worried look on Walter's face.

"The scientists who called the police looked at the security footage and apparently, there was something strange with the tapes," Walter explained. "The police will be there shortly, but I won't be able to be there until the meeting with the board finishes up. Would you mind meeting with the detective in charge of the investigation to see if they come up with anything?"

"I hardly think that they'll find the culprit that quickly, Mr. Steele," Felicity interjected. "Although I do agree that it could be a good idea for someone to be there to greet the cops when they get there."

Walter looked at her and nodded. "That's why I want Oliver to be there," he said, turning to Oliver once more. "To have someone who has a higher position in the company, such as the CEO there shows that we concern ourselves with what happens in our firm. You need to be there because a centrifuge is not cheap equipment, Oliver. I'll make sure to wrap up the meeting and inform the other board members that you are to continue to be the CEO."

"We'll leave right away," Oliver said, taking a hold of Felicity's hand. He was so used to it by now that it was an automatic reaction for him. Especially since that night with the serum.

Walter's eyes fell to their hands and Oliver could have sworn that he saw the older man's lips twitch. He only nodded though, telling them that he would finish up the meeting and that they should get going.

-§-

Felicity looked over the security footage on her phone, frowning to herself as she tried to make sense of it. She had taken the opportunity to hack into the system and download the recording so that she could get an idea about what they were dealing with, but what she was seeing was just as confusing to her as it probably had been to the scientists who had called the police. She had made sure that Detective Lance would be the one on the scene by sending him a message to tell him that it might have something to do with the Dark Ones. A stolen centrifuge could be used for a lot of things and it would be difficult to pinpoint exactly what the perpetrator might want with it.

Oliver seemed nervous about the whole ordeal and she could understand why. He was used to dealing with things inside the office, but with the way that their lives were being shaken up recently, he couldn't be very happy about having to go out in the public eye again and put on his CEO mask. It had been like that when he had gone to Moira's hearing as well. Felicity recalled how he hadn't been able to stop pacing, his nerves getting the better of him. He hadn't stopped fidgeting until she had grabbed his hand and told him that she would come with him, if he needed her. Things had been a bit easier between them since she had taken the serum, after all, but it hadn't changed the fact that he had been surprised by her offer. Still, she had been there by his side and held his hand throughout the hearing, right up until Moira was freed of her charges. Felicity had been nervous to meet Mrs. Queen again, but the woman had treated her respectfully and thanked her for whatever support that she had given to Oliver. It had made Felicity wonder just how much Oliver's mother knew about Felicity's relationship with him.

"Are you okay?" Felicity asked, trying not to think too much about it as she looked up at Oliver.

He shrugged, "I'm fine, I guess."

Felicity blinked a few times but nodded slowly. "If you weren't, you do know that it's okay to say so, right?"

Oliver's lips twitched slightly but he nodded back at her. Sighing to himself, he looked out the window, frowning. "I can't help but feel that something is coming," he finally said.

Felicity watched him for another moment, thinking about his confession. It wasn't as if they didn't know that something was approaching, because they had known for months. The Master was still out there somewhere, turning wolves into hybrids and building up his army. Things were brewing and they all knew it.

"Whatever is thrown at us, we'll deal with it," she said. "Together," she added thoughtfully. Oliver looked back at her and met her eyes. She could see that there was something bothering him still and she wanted to know, but at the same time, she didn't want to ruin the progress that they had been making with one another. Since the serum, she had found that it didn't hurt to be around him as much as it had before. It was almost as if they had both reached some kind of stage where they knew that they couldn't be without one another, even though they weren't together.

Not that they had ever been.

Finally, Oliver cleared his throat, "Thanks, Felicity. That means a lot."

Felicity offered him a smile and then returned to look at her phone.

-§-

Oliver and Felicity walked into the ASD side by side. They were instantly met by the sight of the police questioning some of the workers regarding the equipment that had been stolen. Oliver looked at Felicity, who was frowning. Oliver followed her gaze and instantly spotted Detective Lance who was standing next to a younger man, someone who Oliver had never seen before. His curiosity rose when Quentin looked up and motioned for Oliver and Felicity to come closer.

Felicity didn't hesitate as she walked up to them and Oliver followed her without question. He wondered whether she might have sensed something about the unknown man and if that was the reason for her frown.

"Oliver," the detective nodded at him, being curt as always. "Felicity. This is-"

"Barry Allen," the other man introduced himself with a bright smile. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Queen," he said, holding his hand out for Oliver to shake.

Oliver shook his hand firmly, "Mr. Allen. This is my executive assistant, Felicity Smoak."

Barry looked at Felicity and Oliver couldn't help but note the other man paused for a second before offering her his hand too. "Ms. Smoak," he nodded politely.

"Felicity is fine, Mr. Allen," Felicity smiled back.

"Barry then," the man replied. "I'm with the Central City Police Department. I work in the Criminal and Forensic Science Division."

"Central City?" Oliver questioned.

Barry turned back to Oliver and nodded, "I know, long way from home. Actually, not that long, but I missed the first train so it felt like ages. Central City really is just a train ride away, but I had to wake up earlier than I usually do and…" Barry trailed off and Oliver raised an eyebrow at him. He glanced at Felicity who seemed amused by Barry's blurted words and something inside of Oliver twitched for a moment. "Sorry," Barry sheepishly said. "Sometimes I tend to babble."

"You'll fit right in here then," Lance said, looking pointedly at Felicity.

"Yeah," Felicity grinned. "I think it will be nice not to be the only one to fall off topic for once."

This time, Oliver was the one who tensed. He knew how to recognize politeness in Felicity's tone and he knew what interest sounded like. Something was up because Felicity was being more than just polite.

Oliver narrowed his eyes momentarily, frowning as he looked at Barry who was still smiling brightly at Felicity. Oliver cleared his throat and turned to Detective Lance, "Could someone please tell me what happened?"

Lance's lips twitched, as if he was about to smirk, but finally he nodded. "A centrifuge was stolen here last night, as you probably know by now," he said. "We've taken the statements of the workers who found the device missing, but so far, no one in the forensics team has been able to find any clues as to who broke in."

"Is that why you are here?" Oliver asked. "Barry."

He didn't mean to sound like he was actually questioning the young man and he honestly didn't want to sound like an asshole. However, there was only so much that he could do to not roll his eyes when Barry smiled brightly at him too, looking as if he wasn't picking up on Oliver's annoyance at all.

"Actually, I'm here because some aspects of this case might help me in a case I'm working on back home," Barry explained.

"Some aspects? I thought the culprit didn't leave any clues," Felicity said.

"Well, look at this," Barry said, holding out his tablet toward Felicity. Oliver looked over her shoulder, noticing that the security footage was on display. Oliver watched as a man walked into the lab, heading straight for the centrifuge. The man wore a mask, making sure to conceal his identity, but that wasn't the strange thing with the footage. No, instead, Oliver's frown deepened when the man in the shot ripped the machine straight from the floor, lifting it effortlessly into the air before walking out. He had been too deep in his own thoughts when he had been in the car with Felicity, so he hadn't looked at it before now. Oliver's mind had been too caught up in everything that was going on over at Queen Consolidated and the conversation he had had with Walter the night before. He wasn't ready for Felicity to know anything about it yet, but he didn't like keeping secrets from her. Not now when they were finally on the right path again. He only hoped things would work out the way he wanted them to and that she would be able to understand when she found out.

Nonetheless, seeing the footage now only made Oliver more confused. He turned to Felicity at the same time that she looked up at him and he paused. She was so close and for just a moment, he forgot all about the things that had happened between them. He took a step back, giving himself some room to breathe. Felicity chewed on her lip and Oliver glanced down before looking back at Barry and Quentin. Neither of them seemed to have notice how difficult it was for Oliver to tear himself away from the blonde standing next to him.

"How is this possible?" Oliver questioned. He had his suspicions because he had seen the look on Felicity's face. This was the work of a Dark One, although Oliver wasn't sure that he seen a Nightcrawler as strong as the one in the video in several years. He had to talk to his team and they had to figure out how to move forward with all of it. The police was involved, but Oliver was certain that Felicity could speak to Lance and make sure that the Arrow got to do his own investigation on the side.

"Drugs?" Lance suggested, sounding sarcastic.

"Not so sure about that," Barry shook his head. "I've been cleared to work with the SCPD on this case, so I'll be looking into it and try to solve it as fast as possible."

"Things like these normally take a lot of time though, don't they?" Felicity asked.

"Yeah, but I'm good at what I do," Barry smiled.

"I don't doubt that," Felicity grinned back.

Oliver only stared.

"Well then," he said, "it seems as if this case is in capable hands. I trust that you'll come back to us as soon as something comes up, Detective." He gently took the tablet from Felicity's hands and handed it back to Barry. With a curt nod, he placed his hand on Felicity's back and began leading her out of the room.

"Oliver, what are you doing?" Felicity hissed under her breath.

"Just say 'bye' and let's head to the Foundry," Oliver murmured back. "We have work to do."

Felicity allowed Oliver to lead her away, but glanced over her shoulder, giving Barry and the Detective a small wave and a smile. Oliver pressed his lips together, hoping that whatever was going on would be resolved soon, so that they could all get back to focusing on the important things.

-§-

A couple of days later, Oliver was beyond annoyed with how slowly the case seemed to be moving. His team had already established that the man who had stolen the centrifuge was a Dark One. With the strength that he had shown, there was no way that the man wasn't a supernatural creature. Felicity had tried to make sense of what he was, but the mask he had worn covered his eyes which made it that more difficult to establish his species. Oliver had seen powerful Nightcrawlers, but physical strength like that was unusual, especially when there wasn't a full moon powering the creatures up more.

Oliver's annoyance might not only have to do with not getting anywhere with the case though. There was also the fact that Felicity had been getting almost a bit too involved with it. She was keeping in touch with Quentin and working closely with analyzing the little evidence the police had gathered. She gave her professional intel as a computer whizz and that also meant that she was working side by side with Barry Allen.

The scientist was absolutely smitten with Felicity, but that was no surprise to Oliver. There weren't many that didn't find her charming once they got to know her. On the other hand, Oliver couldn't really understand why Felicity kept smiling so much around Barry, whenever he came to their office and helped from there. Well, he did understand why, but he didn't understand why he was so bothered by it. Seeing Felicity smile though, was refreshing. It had been a while since he had heard her laugh and something inside of him twinged whenever Barry made her grin so widely that her eyes sparkled.

On top of it all, Thea had decided that they needed to officially celebrate their mother's return. That celebration meant a party where all board members from Queen Consolidated were invited, as well as some other family friends. Thea had made sure that everyone on their team was invited and Oliver knew it was partially because his mother had wanted to meet the other members of his group. Naturally, that meant that Felicity was invited as well. The thing was that as soon as Thea had invited her, she had also made sure to tell Felicity that she was allowed to bring a plus one. It was only logical since Tommy had volunteered to stay in the Foundry for the night and Roy was Thea's date for the evening. Diggle was going to keep up his facade of being Oliver's bodyguard, which meant that he had had to cancel his meeting with Lyla. Oliver was pretty sure that the 'meeting' was actually a date and that there was something going on between the two of them again, but he didn't want to pry. Nevertheless, in Thea's opinion, Felicity needed to bring someone too. Oliver had been close to pointing out that she could just go with him, but then, Felicity had looked at him and caught him off guard by asking whether it would be okay for her to ask Barry to join them.

"What?" Oliver asked, staring at her.

"Oh, boy," Tommy snickered from behind Felicity. He was training with Roy and Diggle over by the mats and Oliver glared at him.

"I was wondering if it's okay if I ask Barry to come," Felicity shrugged. "I mean, he's all alone here in the city and I figured it could be a good chance to see how far he's gotten with the case."

"But you discussed the case with him this morning?" Oliver continued to frown.

Felicity brushed her hair back behind her ear, "Yeah, okay, I get it. I won't mention the party to him."

"No, wait," Oliver stopped her from turning back to her computers. She sighed and looked up at him expectantly. Oliver looked toward the other three men in the Foundry who seemed to have stopped working out in favor of watching his and Felicity's conversation play out. "Of course you can invite Barry," Oliver said, but something inside of his chest clenched at the thought of having to see Felicity and Barry smiling all night. "If it'll make you happy, ask him out." Oliver forced a smile when Felicity's eyes brightened and she stood up from her seat, throwing her arms around Oliver in a hug. He didn't expect it, but slowly lifted his arms up to hold her back, sighing against the top of her head.

"Thank you, Oliver," Felicity smiled, her cheek resting against his chest. Oliver hoped that she couldn't hear how loudly his heart was beating, but at the same time, he wondered if it was possible for her to hear it crack. Felicity deserved to be happy though, and Oliver would be damned if he did anything to stop her from being so, even if it was with Barry. After everything that he had put her through, he didn't deserve to have an opinion on the matter, no matter how much it hurt to have her slip from his fingers.

-§-

Felicity waited nervously, biting her lip as she scanned over the people who were mingling in the Queen mansion. She didn't know what it was that had compelled her to invite Barry, but she found him charming in a nerdy kind of way and she wanted to get to know him a bit better. It was difficult to explain, but the moment she had met him, curiosity had risen inside of her. The feeling was similar to the one that she had gotten when she had first shaken Roy's hand, although she was certain that Barry wasn't a wolf. Still, explaining such a thing to Oliver and the other members in their team would be difficult enough, so she had just avoided doing so. Besides, from what she could tell, no warning-bells whatsoever went off when she was in Barry's proximity. It was all about instinct and senses and as she had gotten ready tonight, she had told Roy to keep his sharp too. Whatever Barry was, Felicity was certain that he wasn't aware of it himself. Perhaps Roy would be able to pick up on something she was missing. On the other hand, Roy hadn't been as exposed to Dark Ones as she had. He hadn't even known he was a wolf himself until she had introduced him to the Dark World.

"You look nice, Felicity," Roy said as he sidled up to her. He touched his tie for the hundredth time and Felicity smacked his hands away. Roy pouted, his eyebrows furrowing. "I'll never get used to all of this," he said.

Felicity looked out over the people who were all dressed in long gowns and suits. "Yeah, it's not my scene either," she said, hands moving over the fabric of the dress she wore. It was a pink chiffon dress with an open back. Her hair was curled at the ends and she had pinned it up in the front so that it wouldn't bother her during the night, but otherwise, it hung loosely. She wasn't wearing the fake glasses tonight.

"Your date hasn't arrived yet, I see."

Felicity turned sharply, meeting Oliver's baby blue eyes. She ignored the twinge in her chest at the sight of him, because he shouldn't be allowed to look that good in a suit. In his hands, he held two glasses of champagne.

"Oliver," Felicity said, smiling at him lightly. She couldn't help but notice the way his eyes moved over her body before he offered her the glass, which she gratefully accepted, taking a sip. "Charming as ever," she grinned.

Oliver smiled back, his eyes trailing downward again before meeting hers once more. "You look beautiful, Felicity," he said.

She faltered for a second, her smile dropping. This wasn't about him keeping up appearances in public. They were friends, but she had heard the hint of something else in his tone. He was sincere, as always, but there was a longing there, so open and evident that it took her aback. Automatically, she took a step toward him, opening her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat.

"You guys are ridiculous," Roy muttered from her side. "Why didn't you bring me a glass of champagne? I'm going to need all the alcohol available to get through this night."

"I really hope you aren't planning on getting drunk on me, Roy," Thea spoke up. She walked up to them and hugged Felicity before standing next to her boyfriend. Roy instantly looked more relaxed with her by his side. Felicity smiled again.

"Of course not," Roy said. "With our track record when it comes to being attacked during parties, I need to be alert at all times."

Thea smacked him in the side, "Don't jinx us!" Roy huffed, but didn't say anything else for a while. Thea grinned, turning back to Felicity and Oliver. "You're looking great tonight, Felicity."

"Thank you," Felicity said. "You look amazing, Thea."

"What?" Thea laughed. "This old rag?"

Felicity laughed, looking up at Oliver. She hadn't noticed how close they were standing, but he didn't seem to mind much as he looked down at her. Had she subconsciously moved closer to him or were they back to just gravitating toward one another, as they had before? He raised his hand and rested it on the small of her back, the warmth of his palm spreading through her like wildfire. She couldn't force herself to stop smiling because for once, they all seemed to be relaxed and carefree.

"Wait, who is your plus one tonight?" Thea frowned, glancing around.

"He's running a bit late," Felicity said, a sinking feeling in her stomach. The heat that Oliver had radiated instantly disappeared as he shifted on his feet, away from her. She felt empty, suddenly.

"His name is Barry Allen," Oliver filled in, his voice carefully neutral, not giving much away. "He's working with the SCPD on the case of the stolen centrifuge."

"Oh," Thea raised her eyebrows. "I thought you guys were working that case," she lowered her voice, "on the side?"

"We are," Felicity confirmed. "There are some details that clearly have to do with things that are…a bit unnatural."

"Well, aren't you worried that you'll somehow expose yourself?" Thea frowned.

"No," Felicity shook her head. "I actually invited Barry because-"

"Hey, Felicity!" Barry said, interrupting her as he walked with hurried steps toward them. His cheeks were flushed and he looked embarrassed, but Felicity smiled at him nonetheless. "I'm so, so sorry I'm late. I know I told you I'd meet you here, but the guards outside didn't want to let me in for some reason."

Felicity looked at Oliver, who once again looked impassive, but the fact that Barry had been kept from entering the mansion didn't seem to be news to him. She narrowed her eyes and moved her heel to Oliver's toe, stepping on it. Satisfaction welled inside of her when he winced, although fortunately, it didn't seem like anyone else had noticed the small exchange.

"Hi, I'm Thea Queen, Oliver's sister," Thea introduced herself.

"Barry Allen," Barry smiled politely. Felicity looked over at Roy when Thea quickly introduced him, but he gave her a curt shake of the head, indicating that he didn't sense anything out of the ordinary when he shook the man's hand.

After a short conversation where Barry shared that it was Oliver's bodyguard who had finally told the other guys in security to let him through, Felicity asked Barry if he wanted to dance. There weren't many others dancing, since most opted for just conversing with one another, but she wanted to get a bit closer to him, in case she were to pick up on something. Barry pointed out that he was a bad dancer, although when Felicity insisted, handing the little champagne that was left in her glass to Roy, he allowed her to drag him out on the dancefloor.

Barry stepped on her toes three times and Felicity laughed it off. The others in the room didn't seem to mind them dancing; it was as if they didn't even notice them. Felicity could still feel Oliver's eyes burning into them. It was difficult to ignore it and she had to actually work hard not to seek out his eyes whenever Barry twirled her.

After dancing for a couple of songs, they went back to the others. For a while, they talked and Thea shared some funny stories from her younger years. Felicity's eyes flickered to Oliver every once in awhile, noting how he continued to look as if he didn't particularly care much for the conversation. When he got a text message, he excused himself with a smile that was practically plastered on his face and stepped away. Soon, Felicity decided that she wanted some time alone with Barry so that they could speak and maybe get to know one another. She told Roy and Thea that she would catch up with them later again before leading Barry out onto the balcony where they could talk in private.

As soon as she asked about his life in Central City, Barry started sharing stories from when he had been a kid. Felicity laughed along whenever he chuckled and she found herself genuinely enjoying his company.

"Why is this case so important to you?" she wondered after a while.

Barry paused and for the first time since she had met him, she saw something dark in his kind eyes. He seemed hesitant, looking down at his hands that were gripping the railing tightly.

"Hey," Felicity said, her voice soft. She placed her hand over his, instantly feeling him relax. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

"No, it's not that," Barry shook his head. "It's just- I'm so used to people judging me for it…" He drew in a shaky breath, shaking his head again. "When I was eleven years old, my mom was murdered in front of me," he started, looking at her as if gauging her reaction.

"I'm so sorry," Felicity gasped. For a moment, she thought about the little boy that she had failed to save. Barry had been a child, unable to protect himself, much less his mother.

"They never caught the killer, but… They wrongfully convicted my father because they found him with my mom's blood on his hands when they arrived at the scene," Barry said. At Felicity's confused look, he continued. "I woke up because I heard my mom talking to someone. It was late and the voices got louder and louder," Barry explained. "When I went downstairs, I saw her and dad standing in the living room. Dad had a knife in his hand, but there was something off about him," he said, seeming lost in his own story as a concentrated frown fell over his face. "Mom screamed at me to run and she threw her hand up and all of the sudden, I wasn't in the house anymore."

Felicity tensed, her mouth falling open.

"I know it sounds impossible," Barry said quickly. "All I know is that right before I was somehow transported down the street, I looked into my dad's eyes and they were glowing," he said. "I ran back to the house as fast as I could, but when I got there, my dad was pulling up in his car. My actual dad, not the thing that I knew had hurt my mom… Anyway, he had been at a conference at the hospital and it had run late. When he saw the open door, Dad ran inside and told me to stay outside. He called 911, but when the police arrived, they arrested dad because he'd been covered in mom's blood. He had been trying to save her."

"Barry," Felicity said and Barry drew in a painful breath.

"I'm sorry, I understand if you-"

"It's not your fault," she told him, shaking her head. She reached out to him and took both his hands in her own. "You were a kid and what happened to you was a tragedy. Why did they arrest your dad? Didn't you say that he was a doctor? Didn't the police realize that he was trying to save his wife?"

"There had been people walking their dog who had seen him enter the house," Barry said. "The neighbors had heard the argument and identified the man's voice as dad's. No one believed me when I said that it hadn't been my dad. No one believed me, because I was just a kid who had witnessed his father murdering his mother in cold blood."

Felicity remained quiet, feeling the pain that radiated off of Barry. He was telling the truth about all of it and from what she could tell, things about him were making more sense now. It was amazing though, that a man like him could remain as bright and positive, despite everything that had happened to him. His mother had been murdered, practically in front of his eyes and his father had been wrongfully convicted. It must have been difficult for him to grow up knowing that his dad was viewed as a murderer for something that he hadn't done.

"You mentioned something about living with one of your parents' family friends," Felicity said. "Didn't they believe you?"

"How could they?" Barry questioned. "I was just a child and everyone else was telling them that I was trying to process what had happened by filling in the blanks on my own. Joe, my adoptive dad, he was the officer who took my dad in. I know it was difficult for him too, that he didn't want to believe it at first… But after a while, when someone repeatedly tells you how something is, then you're just going to accept it."

Silence fell between them as Felicity processed it all. She felt sorry for Barry because no one deserved what had happened to him. "I'm sorry for bringing it up, Barry. I really am," she said softly.

Barry smiled lightly, shaking his head, "It's okay. I'm the one who decided to give you a summary of how sucky my childhood was at one point. But I guess that's why I got into this job."

"Because you wanted to solve your mother's murder," Felicity realized.

Barry nodded. "Yeah," he confirmed. "That's how I got started, but eventually, it became more about solving cases that seemed impossible. I want to be the one who believes in the impossible, the one who supports the next kid that people want to dismiss."

Felicity looked at him, searching his eyes for a moment. Being out on the balcony with him was about so much more now and the urge she felt inside of her wasn't based in pity. She felt sorry for Barry, yes, but what he had gone through had shaped him into the man that he was today. He might not know his full potential yet, but one day, he would figure it out. Until then, Felicity had this moment with him and she felt drawn to him; drawn to the happiness that he radiated, despite all the darkness in his past. She stepped toward him and Barry's eyes widened when she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips gently against his own.

It was strange and there was no other way to describe it. While she did find Barry cute and interesting, kissing him was another thing entirely. She had wanted to see if she would feel something else for him too, some kind of deeper attraction, but there was nothing there. His lips pressed back against hers, hesitantly, and Felicity hated herself because it all just felt wrong.

Her mind went to a more heated kiss; one that had her pressed against the wall and up on the desk with hands moving frantically over her skin, desperate to touch her in every way possible. Her memories took her back to the more painful one; the one that had broken her heart all over again, because it had been a goodbye and nothing more. She felt awful, because even when she pulled back from Barry, her thoughts were on Oliver and the way that he still managed to make her heart race, with nothing more than just a look. It was unfair to Barry, because she had truly wanted to kiss him, if anything, for herself. A part of her had wished that she would enjoy it more, that she would be able to prove to herself once and for all that the feelings that she'd had for Oliver were gone. Instead, it seemed that this innocent little kiss had done nothing other than prove to her that they had always remained, latent and waiting for her to heal. It pained her, but it was the truth. Despite that, she wasn't sure whether she was ready to accept that, because after everything that had happened since she had taken the serum, she and Oliver were finally back to being friends again. She wasn't sure if she was ready to risk getting hurt again; she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do.

-§-

Oliver tucked his phone away as he started to make his way back to the main room. Tommy had given him a call and told him that Felicity's search for the creature that had stolen the centrifuge had finally gotten a result. According to him, it was a man named Cyrus Gold who had disappeared a few months back. The man had a history of violence and had been apprehended by A.R.G.U.S. before escaping during his transfer to Iron Heights. Tommy had suggested that they wrap up the party for the night and get to the Foundry so they could look for the guy down by the harbor where security cameras had recently caught him on tape.

Just as he was about to get the others, his mother walked down the stairs, calling out for him gently. Oliver smiled at her and kissed her cheek before offering her his arm which she gratefully took. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Moira asked, eyebrows furrowing despite the smile on her lips. She looked better now that she wasn't in an orange jumpsuit anymore. She looked more like herself. It seemed as if the pressure that Malcolm had put on her had just melted away and she was a new woman.

"Something's come up," he told her, not seeing a point in hiding it from her. She knew about him being the Arrow and she knew about Felicity being a hybrid, so why should he keep things from her? It would only worry her more if he kept quiet on something that might not even pan out.

"Oh, do you have to leave?" Moira frowned.

"I probably should," he nodded. "I was just going to get Felicity and…" He trailed off at the look his mother gave him. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I heard that Felicity was bringing a date," Moira said, giving him a pointed look that he didn't fully understand. Where was his mother going with this? Moira sighed, shaking her head at him. "I just thought that after everything that the two of you have been through… Well, I guess it was wrong of me to think that maybe the two of you were seeing one another," she shrugged.

Oliver tensed. He looked around to make sure that no one had heard her. "Mom, Felicity is my friend," he said.

"But you don't want her to be, do you, son?" Moira questioned.

Oliver looked down, not being able to meet her eyes. Of course he wanted something more with Felicity. He cared about her more deeply than anyone else. The connection he felt with her wasn't just a physical attraction; it had never been just about that. Even when he had been denying it to himself, something inside of him had screamed at him to stop being a fool with her and just accept what was happening. All those months ago, when the earthquake caused by Malcolm's device had nearly killed her, Oliver had known that he loved her. Then Russia had happened and he had messed up everything and lost her trust. Still, as far as he could tell, they had worked through that, or at least gotten past it. It didn't change the fact that he wanted her to be happy, even if it wasn't with him.

Seeing her interactions with Barry, watching them dance together and realizing that since the moment they had met, they had never stopped smiling around one another… It had forced Oliver to accept that Felicity was better off without him. She deserved to be happy and if she could find happiness with someone other than him, he would just have to deal with that.

"I screwed up and now I have to deal with the consequences of my actions," Oliver finally said, looking at his mother.

"Oliver," his mother sighed. "I know that I'm not always the easiest person to talk to about things like these and I know that I've struggled with the truth about Felicity. I've had months to think about my view on this world and Oliver, let me just tell you, the way that you look at that woman speaks louder than anything else," she said. "I understand if you need time, if she needs it too… All I ask is that you're honest with yourself first and then with her. No matter how you screwed up, eventually, you have to sit down and talk to one another about it. When you do, be honest because from what I've learned about Ms. Smoak, she values the truth over everything else."

Oliver was at loss for words, so he just nodded. Of course his mother had noticed how he looked at Felicity. She was right though, he needed to be honest with both himself and Felicity, but he wasn't ready for that now. Not when Felicity was finally laughing and smiling fully again. He wasn't going to screw things up again by reminding her of what a fuck-up he was. He loved her too much to hurt her again like that.

It had probably been petty of him to give the guards some extra money to give Barry some trouble at the door. Now that he thought about it, Oliver couldn't quite believe that he had reverted to such childishness. On the other hand, it had been meant to only be a small prank, he supposed, but that was no excuse. He would have to apologize to both Barry and Felicity when he saw them again. His toe still hurt from where Felicity had stepped on it.

"We should probably get going," his mother said. "If you're going to get your team gathered, I mean." There was a proud smile on her face and Oliver gently kissed her temple before nodding in agreement.

When his mother started mingling with the guests, Oliver searched the crowd for Felicity and Barry, but he couldn't see them anywhere. Letting his gut lead him, he walked toward the balcony, seeing that the door was open, a light breeze getting fresh air into the ballroom. He started to step outside, but stopped abruptly at the sight of a couple embracing. For a moment, he thought that he had stumbled upon two people stealing kisses under the stars, then, his brain caught up with the scene and his heart stuttered in his chest.

The air left him and suddenly, he felt a thousand pounds heavier. It might have been dark outside, but even in the dim light, Oliver recognized the pink fabric of Felicity's dress. His throat closed up, feeling thick and Oliver could hardly breathe. He retreated back into the main room quickly, hoping that Felicity hadn't sensed him. Anger coursed through him momentarily when his brain bitterly reminded him that she had probably been too busy kissing Barry to notice him. It was quickly replaced by hurt though because Oliver couldn't blame her. Barry was everything that he was not. He was certain that if Barry had been put in the same situation as him, the younger man would have never done anything to hurt Felicity the way that Oliver had.

Walking through the room, heading toward the exit, he ignored Roy and Thea's questioning look. He needed to get out of there, away from everything.

"Hey, man, where are you going?" Diggle questioned, putting his hand on Oliver's chest to stop him from going out.

"Tommy called," he said. "We have a lead on the suspect and I need to get going."

"What about Roy and Felicity? You don't want them to come with us?" Diggle frowned.

Oliver shook his head. "They deserve the night off," he said. "I want you to stay here, though."

"What?" Diggle stared at him as if he had gone crazy. Maybe he had, but he couldn't stay and he wasn't about to let Diggle come with him when he needed space and time to think.

"I want you to stay and keep an eye on things," Oliver repeated. "Keep Thea and my mom safe."

"Don't you think Felicity and Roy have it covered?" Diggle asked.

"Dig, please," Oliver said, his voice finally breaking.

Diggle watched him, a look of realisation coming over him. "Oliver…"

Oliver just shook his head. "Just stay here, okay?"

"I will," Diggle nodded. "But Oliver, you're not in the right state of mind to go hunting on your own." Oliver finally pushed past him, ignoring the older man as he called out to him. He just had to get away.

No more than twenty minutes later, Oliver entered the Foundry. He got geared up quickly, ignoring Tommy's protests when he had said that he was going out alone. His best friend didn't seem to understand why Oliver just couldn't wait for Felicity and the others. At the sound of her name, Oliver had winced at the pain that tore through his chest. He needed air; he needed to get out.

"We think this guy is a blood hybrid, Oliver," Tommy pointed out. "Diggle has told me about what happened the last time you faced one of those. At the underground casino? You almost got killed!"

"I've learned from my mistakes," Oliver argued. "I know how to kill him now, if it gets to that."

"Oliver, don't do this," Tommy said, following him to the stairs. Oliver took two at the time. "Oliver!"

Finally, he was outside and he shut the door to drown out Tommy's protests. Somehow, he got on his bike and made it to the harbor. He wasn't sure what he was going to find, but soon enough, he came across the man he had seen in the security footage at Queen Consolidated. In the recording, Cyrus Gold had been wearing a mask, but there was no denying the physique of the man. He was half-hunched over, shifting crates from one place to another, as if searching for something. Oliver jumped off the roof the moment he was sure that Gold was alone, but when the creature turned toward him, Oliver stopped short at the sight of black eyes. Frowning, he watched as the Dark One's skin started bubbling momentarily, the face changing, the whole body reconstructing.

The first blow came as a shock to Oliver.

It wasn't a blood hybrid.

-§-

Felicity stayed outside on the balcony with Barry for a while longer. After pulling away from the light kiss, her cheeks were warm and she met Barry's eyes uncertainly. He smiled softly at her, chuckling and shaking his head as he let his hand drop from where it had settled on her waist.

"It's been a weird night," he said and Felicity raised an eyebrow at him.

"Wow, thanks. Not the reaction I was expecting, but whatever floats your boat," she remarked, grinning.

Barry just shook his head and laughed, "It's not that. That was great. Unexpected, yeah, but great." There was a look in his eyes and she recognized it as the same hesitation as before. He was sending out signals and she wasn't really sure what he was trying to tell her.

"But," she prompted, nudging him lightly.

"Felicity, I think you're kind of amazing," he confessed. "I haven't known you for more than a few days and normally, I don't spill my life's story on the first date, but you're… Amazing." She eyed him, sensing that there was still more to it. The guilt of her earlier thoughts still nagged away at her, but she didn't want him to feel that something was off with her, which was why she continued as if nothing had changed.

As if she hadn't just realized the magnitude of what she felt toward Oliver.

"There's a girl," Barry continued and now Felicity understood his hesitancy.

"Ah," she drawled, still smiling at him. Barry looked guilty, but she shook her head. "Barry, do you like her?"

"She's my best friend," he said.

"Is that where the complication is?" Felicity wondered. Barry nodded in reply. "Well," Felicity clicked her tongue, "I think you should be honest with how you feel. If you truly like her, you should see if she likes you back. Maybe there's something there that you're just too afraid to face, but maybe, if she feels the same, you don't have to do it alone."

"You're not mad, are you?" Barry asked after a moment.

"I would have been if you were in a committed relationship and used me to cheat on your significant other," Felicity stated bluntly. "But no, I'm not mad. You're cute and I wanted to kiss you."

"I wanted to kiss you too," Barry said shyly. "I'm sorry that it won't go anywhere. I'm just really confused about what to do with Iris and I've been thinking about asking her out, but you know…" He shrugged as he trailed off. Yeah, Felicity knew. She understood perfectly well how hard it could be to make the first move, especially when you didn't know where you stood with someone. Somewhere along the way, lines just get blurred and that makes dealing with everything so much more difficult.

"I get it, Barry," Felicity smiled. "No hard feelings, right?"

"No hard feelings," Barry agreed with a nod. "Friends?" He opened his arms, welcoming her to hug him.

"Definitely," Felicity grinned, stepping into him and embracing him tightly. "We should probably head inside though, before they all think we've run off somewhere."

Barry laughed again, offering her his arm. She gladly accepted it and together, they walked back into the room. Instantly, Felicity spotted Thea and Moira standing together with some guests, but Oliver was nowhere near his mother and sister. The older woman looked toward her then, as if sensing Felicity's confusion. She offered her a smile, said something to Thea who nodded and then the two of them started toward Felicity and Barry.

"Felicity," Moira said, nodding her head politely. She looked at Barry then, "And you must be Mr. Allen."

"Mrs. Queen," Barry nodded. "Congratulations on being exonerated, I-" He cut himself off, eyes widening as if he couldn't quite believe what he had said. Moira's lips twitched and Felicity suppressed the urge to smirk.

"No harm done, Mr. Allen," Moira said. "I'm glad to be free."

"Of course," Barry said. "I'm sorry, though. It wasn't very tactful of me."

Moira merely nodded at him again before turning toward Felicity. "I trust it you're enjoying yourselves this evening?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," Felicity smiled back. The woman might have accepted the fact that Felicity was a hybrid, but it didn't change the fact that Felicity still felt uncomfortable around her. There was always something in Moira's eyes. It was something that told Felicity that the older woman might know more than she was letting on.

"The champagne is great," Felicity said, looking down at her empty hands. She frowned, "Uh, I gave my glass to Roy… Where is Roy?" She looked around again, but her beta was nowhere to be seen.

"I believe he's conversing with Mr. Diggle," Moira stated.

"Really?" Felicity raised an eyebrow. Inside of her, dread slowly built. Something was off.

"I'm sure he'll be here in a minute," Thea said. "He still hasn't danced with me, you know."

Felicity laughed, looking at Moira again, but that feeling in her gut didn't subside. "Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Queen," she said.

"Please, dear," Moira said. "I know we might not always have been on the best of terms, but I'd be a fool to not recognize the woman who has helped my son in so many ways. You've always been there for him, when he needed you the most."

Felicity's face heated up instantly, her heart warming. She bit her lip nervously, feeling Barry shift beside her, but she didn't feel any discomfort from him.

"Oliver has always been there for me too when things have gotten a bit too overwhelming," she said solemnly. "Ever since we became friends."

There was a glint in Moira's eyes, although Felicity wasn't ready to think about what it might mean.

"I'm sure things will slow down a bit now that one of our problems has been taken care of," Moira said.

Felicity raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

Moira looked at her then, genuine surprise falling over her face. "Oliver hasn't told you?" she asked. Felicity continued to look at her confusedly. "But for God's sake, you're his assistant and closest confident," Moira stated, shaking her head as if she was silently berating her son. Felicity didn't let the woman's statement shake her. Moira sighed before continuing, "Oliver managed to convince the board at Queen Consolidated to buy out Isabel Rochev."

Felicity tensed at the mention of the woman's name. She remembered how the brunette beauty had treated her and anger welled inside of her for just a moment before confusion took over again. Oliver had bought out Isabel from the company? Was that why Felicity hadn't seen her around for so long? It had been such a welcome thing that she hadn't even thought about it. Besides, her mind had been filled with other problems that she hadn't exactly wanted to be thinking about Isabel.

"He did what?" Felicity finally breathed out, her voice low.

"Oliver made a case to Walter about how he didn't see why a person who wanted to drive our business into the ground should be allowed to lead our company," Moira explained. "Walter listened and promised to bring it up at the board meeting today. The deal was finalized this morning and Isabel signed the papers. From what I've heard, she was doing some shady business in Russia whenever she traveled there with out company's plane."

Felicity was rendered speechless, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe it and it confused her. She had to speak to Oliver and ask him what all of this was about. Had he gotten rid of Isabel so that she wouldn't be a reminder of what had happened between them? Had he done it so that he could make amends? What was she even supposed to feel about it?

Looking past Moira's shoulder, she saw Roy approaching with hurried steps. She picked up on his anxiousness instantly.

"Excuse me for a moment," she said to her company. She walked quickly and met Roy in the middle. He motioned for her to follow and she did. In the hallway, Diggle met them, sweating and looking worried.

"What's wrong?" Felicity asked.

"It's Oliver," Diggle said. "Your search for the blood wolf finally got a result and Oliver went to hunt it on his own. Tommy just called. He went after him to the harbor and found Oliver passed out between a bunch of crates, a syringe sticking out of his throat."

Pain shot through Felicity instantly, her heart clenching and she gasped, doubling over.

"Felicity!" Roy exclaimed, his hand on her back. "You need to breathe."

"Oh my God," Felicity panted. "Oh my God. We need to get to him! We need to save him!" She could feel her claws extracting, her fangs elongating. The reflection of her glowing eyes stared back at her in the mirror. "I need to go to him," she snarled, but it quickly turned into a moan of pain.

"Holy fuck, you're shifting!" Roy exclaimed, removing his hand from her instantly.

"Felicity, calm down!" Diggle said, grabbing her face between his big hands. "Breathe through it and focus. You need to focus if we're going to save Oliver. Breathe."

Felicity closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe in through her nose. She let Diggle's calm voice wash over her and the claws and canine teeth slowly retracted. She breathed, but the urge to run was still there. She had to get to the Foundry, but she wasn't going to be of any use if whatever poison he had been injected with had already taken hold. If she was this unstable already, there was no way of telling how she would be when she saw Oliver.

Whatever they were going to do, they needed to do it fast. Tommy might have been able to get Oliver back to the Foundry, but they had to get there.

"Roy," Felicity finally spoke, her voice calm and collected. "You're staying with Thea and Moira. Don't tell them anything until we've saved Oliver."

"But, Felicity-"

"I said don't," Felicity said, her eyes glowing. Roy nodded because that, if anything, had been an order. "Before Dig and I leave, I need you to do something for me. We'll be waiting out in the parking lot. You need to hurry."

A couple of minutes later, Felicity was standing outside, hands balled into fists at her sides. Diggle was in the car, on the line with Tommy who Felicity knew was freaking out. She tapped her foot on the ground, eyes zeroing in on Roy who was walking toward them with Barry in a tow.

"Felicity? What's going on?" Barry asked, clearly confused to be dragged out of the party so suddenly.

"I need your help," Felicity said. "You know chemistry, right? Poisons and stuff like that?"

"Yeah?" Barry answered, frowning.

"Do you still want to believe in the impossible, Barry?" Felicity asked urgently, stepping toward him. "Do you want proof that the impossible can exist?"

Barry gaped at her. "I mean, yeah… Sure?"

"I'm going to need you not to scream or freak out," Felicity nodded. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Barry looked as if he was about to ask something else, but Felicity took a step back, her fangs slipping out again, eyes glowing as a growl fell from her lips. Barry yelped and took a few steps back, staring at her in horror, shock, but mostly, fascination.

"Oh my God, this can't be happening," he mumbled. "I've had too much champagne, right? I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

"You're not dreaming, Barry," Felicity said, changing back. "I need you to help me, please."

"I- I'm so confused," Barry stuttered.

"Can you be confused later?" Diggle asked from the car. "We really need your help."

Barry slowly nodded, "Okay, okay. I- What do you need?"

Felicity took his hands again. "I need you to save Oliver," she said, her chest still aching painfully. It took a second, but finally, Barry squeezed her hand.

-§-

She couldn't have prepared for the sight of him on that med-table. There was no way that she could have prepared herself for it. On some level, she had known what to expect, but seeing Oliver so vulnerable and unconscious, pale and sweating profusely as the poison worked inside of him… Felicity couldn't breathe.

"Oliver," she gasped, a sob wracking her body as she stepped toward him. She placed her hands on his cheeks, tears falling from her cheeks. She didn't even understand the explosion of emotion inside of her, all she knew for certain was that it hurt.

Her mind went to when she had been injected with the serum by Nyssa. She remembered how desperate Oliver had been when he had found her. Somewhere, in her subconscious mind, Felicity had been able to hear every plea that fell from his lips. She hadn't wanted to face what it meant; that he might care for her so deeply. Now, she understood where he had come from because she was useless in this situation, a sobbing mess because the man that she cared for so much was dying right in front of her.

"Of course Oliver is the Arrow," Barry muttered to himself, working hurriedly with Diggle and Tommy to hook Oliver up to the machines they had in the lair. Felicity could barely hear them through the ringing in her ears.

"Can't you give him some of your blood?" Tommy asked desperately, but Felicity shook her head.

"No," Felicity said. "I swore that I wouldn't. He doesn't want to turn if he doesn't survive."

"Felicity, he is dying," Diggle said.

She knew that he was. She was fully aware of it, because it felt as if something was slowly being sucked out of her. If it came down to it, Felicity knew that she would go against Oliver's wishes. She would give him all of her blood, drain herself completely, only so that he would live. He might hate her forever for it, but at least he would be alive.

"Okay, so it seems like the poison is making his blood clot," Barry stated. "I… It's some kind of coagulant, or whatever it is, it's working that way inside of him. We need to wash it out with blood thinners!" he said, looking around.

Diggle's face fell, "We don't have any."

"You have all these supplies, and you don't have blood thinners?" Barry stared, sounding desperate now too.

Oliver's body started convulsing, foam gathering at the corner of his mouth.

"Oliver!" Felicity didn't even recognize her own scream as she threw herself over him. The machines beeped loudly, his heart rate dropping. "Oliver, no! No, no, no!" Felicity cried, her vision blurred as she held him down with all of her strength. "You don't get to leave me," she said. "You don't get to fucking do that to me!" She could hear his heart slowing, "You don't get to make me care and then opt out, Oliver! You can't leave me! Please, don't leave me…" Her tears fell on his skin as she lifted her head and stared at his face for just a moment. Felicity's fangs glistened in the light as she lifted her wrist to her mouth, ready to tear the skin there. She was not going to lose him, no matter what. She couldn't lose him.

"Wait!" Barry suddenly exclaimed. "Rat poison! Rat poison works as a blood thinner too! The same components and- Oh crap, just find me some rat poison!"

Immediately, Diggle and Tommy hurried to get the poison that they kept in one of the cabinets. They gave it to Barry, who prepared a syringe and turned toward Oliver's still convulsing body. "Felicity, I need you to move," he said and Felicity hadn't even realized that she had been laying over Oliver's bare chest again. Diggle moved toward her and grabbed her gently, pulling her back and away. Barry hesitated, if only for a split second before pushing the needle straight into Oliver's body, pressing down so that the liquid inside entered his body. Looking over at the numbers on the screen, they waited for any improvement.

A long signal sounded and Felicity's world seemed to stop spinning.

"No!"

The painful moan tore through her as her knees buckled. Barry pulled back from Oliver's body that had gone completely still, his hands in his hair as tears fell from his eyes when he realized that he had failed. Diggle's grip on Felicity tightened when she started to stand again. She had to feel his skin; she needed to touch him. She pushed Diggle away forcefully, but all the fight inside the older man seemed to have disappeared as well. Felicity stumbled toward Oliver, nearly tripping over her own feet. She felt drained, but the tears kept falling. Leaning over him again, she pressed her cheek against his chest, right where his heart should be beating loudly.

"Please, Oliver," she whimpered. "I said that we would save you," she cried. "How am I supposed to-? How-?" Her grip on him tightened and she continued to cry, ear still pressed against his heart. "Oliver, please… I… Oliver, I-"

Thump.

The words died in her mouth as her eyes snapped open. It was faint, but…

Thump, thump.

Lifting her head, she looked up at the monitor, watching with joy as it began picking up a heartbeat again. Another sob fell from her lips, this time from joy.

"Oh, thank God," Tommy breathed out, sounding choked.

Felicity continued to stare at the numbers and the lines as they showed a regular rhythm. She pressed her cheek back against Oliver's chest, closing her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat instead. She breathed out, hearing the comforting thumping that proved that he was still there; that he was still with her. Calm washed over her finally and she took Oliver's hand in hers, bringing his knuckles to her lips. There was blood on them, which meant that he had put up a fight. She didn't want to think about it now though, because he still had to wake up. He would be fine, she told herself.

He had to be.

-§-

It took a few hours, but finally, Oliver did open his eyes. He was tired and felt as if he had been hit by a truck. Though, he couldn't complain. At least he was alive. There was a weight on his chest and Oliver recognized the smell of Felicity's shampoo instantly, his grip on the hand that was clutching his tightening automatically.

"Oliver," Felicity whispered against his skin and finally, he looked down at her.

Her hair was a mess, there was mascara all over her face and her eyes were red and puffy. He frowned when he realized that she had been crying. Then, slowly, everything began coming back to him.

"I'm sorry for leaving," he mumbled. He had made the mistake of going out on a hunt when his mind wasn't clear. It had nearly cost him his life.

"You stayed," Felicity said and he was confused, because he had no idea what she was talking about. He was clearly missing something because Felicity began sitting up, her hand still clutching his. She didn't seem to be ready to let go yet, but Oliver was fine with that. Her being there meant everything to him.

"Oliver, I need to tell you something and I don't want you to be mad," Felicity said. "It's about Barry."

"Felicity," Oliver rasped, shaking his head lightly. "It's okay. I saw you guys and I… I just want you to be happy."

Felicity frowned then, clearly confused.

"The balcony," Oliver clarified, pain shooting through him as he slowly started to sit up.

"Oh… Oh!" Felicity's eyes widened and Oliver would have laughed at her expression if it didn't hurt so goddamn much. "No, that's not- Oliver, we can talk about that later, but what you need to know is that Barry was the one who saved your life."

This made Oliver frown for just a moment. He turned, looking around the Foundry, but found that he and Felicity were on their own. "Barry was here," Oliver said. "You told him about-?"

"I didn't have a choice," she was quick to defend. "Oliver, you were dying and I knew that you would hate me if you died and turned into a vampire or a wolf or whatever else. There was no choice to make."

Oliver stared at her, thinking about everything that must have gone down while he was unconscious. He searched Felicity's face and found that he couldn't be angry with her for revealing his secret to Barry. If it came down to her life, Oliver was certain there was nothing he wouldn't do to save her.

"I'm not mad," he said carefully. "Where is Barry now?"

"Upstairs, with Diggle," Felicity said. "Tommy left to tell the others that you're fine but that you'll be out for tonight. We figured it would be better if he told Thea and your mom."

"Why are they upstairs?" Oliver frowned again.

"After the night that we've all had, they both needed a drink, I think," Felicity said. "Also, neither of us knew how you'd react to the news that another person knows about your secret identity, which quite frankly, isn't much of a secret anymore."

Oliver chuckled, despite himself. Felicity smiled and then, it was a bit easier to breathe again. It was brief though, because a moment later, Felicity stepped toward him. "I thought I was going to lose you," she said, pressing her face into the crook of his shoulder.

"You didn't," Oliver said, gently stroking her back, realizing that she still hadn't changed out of her dress. "You won't ever, I swear."

Felicity just held him tighter and Oliver continued to breathe, holding her just as tightly.

-§-

The creature that had attacked Oliver, Cyrus Gold had disappeared without a trace. Not that they had been actively searching for him for the past two days. Oliver had needed some time to recover, despite his protests that he was fine. The circumstances of the Nightcrawler that had almost killed Oliver were strange though. Oliver had told the team what he had seen that night, describing the monster as something of a cross between blood wolf and lethalis shifter. Diggle had pointed out that it was an impossible form of a hybrid, but Oliver insisted that it was what he had seen. Felicity believed him, despite the fact that it was unheard of. A cross between blood wolf and a shapeshifter, a lethalis one at that? It was a scary thought. Barry had kindfully pointed out that everything about them should be impossible, but they were still there and that had pretty much closed the case on that one. The team decided to focus on their main mission again, knowing that if the creature ever came back and they crossed paths with it, they would figure out how to beat it, together.

Felicity had been thinking a lot about everything that had happened, everything that had changed. She hadn't talked to Oliver about the kiss he had witnessed between her and Barry, although she knew that she would have to eventually. So far, she had been at Oliver's side constantly, not quite wanting to be separated from him until she could make sure that the rat poison hadn't done something to him as well. Oliver seemed fine, however, and he was happy to ignore his mother and sister's irritation at finding out that he had been poisoned. Nevertheless, Barry had postponed his trip back to Central City for long enough and both Felicity and Oliver had insisted on coming to wave him off. Actually, Felicity had wanted to, but she had given Oliver a look that said that he didn't have another choice but to come with her.

Now, they stood waiting on the train. Oliver had gracefully shaken Barry's hand and the scientist had given his word that he wouldn't tell anyone about Oliver's secret identity.

"I'm sorry for having been such an ass toward you," Oliver said, shocking both Felicity and Barry.

"It's okay," Barry said, shaking his hand. "I understand why you were like that," he added and Felicity could have sworn that she saw Barry look at her from the corner of his eyes. Oliver pressed his lips together and nodded curtly.

"Good luck, Barry," he said. "If you ever need anything-"

"He'll contact me and I'll ease you into a partnership," Felicity grinned, bumping Oliver's side. Oliver shook his head, but smiled nonetheless.

"I'll give the two of you a moment," he said, clearing her throat. He glanced at Felicity before walking away. He stopped at a safe distance, where he wouldn't be able to overhear their conversation, but where Felicity could still see him and he could see her.

"So," Barry started, clapping his hands together. "I knew you were amazing, Ms. Smoak, but I had no idea just how much you would change my life."

Felicity smiled sheepishly, "Oh, Barry. You have such a way with words."

"I don't actually, but I guess you bring out the best in me," he chuckled. He looked past her, toward Oliver before finally meeting Felicity's eyes again. "Look, I know it's not any of my business, but I think you should tell him," he said. Felicity paused and bit her lip. She knew that he was talking about Oliver. Barry had been there when she had thought that she had lost him and she was certain that her feelings for the man who was standing further away from them had been evident.

"And you should tell Iris," Felicity countered teasingly.

"Touché," Barry smiled and they both laughed.

After a moment of hesitation, Felicity sighed. "I have something to tell you before you leave," she said. "Take it however you will, but please, don't jump to conclusions right away, okay?"

"Felicity, I hardly think that you can say anything that will be more of a shock to me than everything that I've seen these past few days," Barry pointed out.

Felicity chewed on her lower lip. "I think you're a witch," she blurted.

Barry stared at her again. "Okay, I take back what I just said," he told her, shaking his head. "Could you repeat that, please?"

"I think you're a witch," Felicity said again. "Well, a wizard. You're a wizard, Barry." She laughed at her own joke but Barry seemed to be in too much shock to do so. Felicity finally sighed. "Okay, as a hybrid, I pick up on supernatural creatures. Some hide their nature better than others, but most of the time, I can tell when someone isn't human. I got a feeling inside my gut when I met you, and after everything you told me about your mom… I think she was a witch and that the thing that killed her, was a shifter," she explained quickly. "I understand that this is a lot to take in and I can't be a hundred percent sure, but I thought you deserved to know."

Barry just continued to gape at her before swallowing thickly, nodding slowly. "You think my mom was a witch and that she was killed by a shifter," he repeated back to her.

Felicity nodded, "It would explain how she managed to transport you all the way down the street. She must have been powerful, Barry. That might have made her a target because witches are rare nowadays."

"And the shifter?" Barry asked.

"A lethalis one," Felicity said. "They have the ability to shift into other humans, unlike the bellua who only change into animals. It must have taken the shape of your father."

"This is so messed up," Barry said, running a hand through his hair. "I've been looking for answers for so long and now, things are finally making sense… But how am I going to get my father out of prison if I can't even reveal the truth without being put in an institution?"

"One thing at a time," Felicity said. "This is all speculation based on what you've told me and what I've sensed. You have witches blood inside of you, but your powers are latent. You need to figure yourself out before you can do anything else, Barry, but digging into things like these… It can be dangerous."

"Because it got my mom killed," Barry said, nodding again. "Okay… I'll try to figure out myself first and then, I'll look for answers about my mom. I promise to be careful."

"Good," Felicity said. "I'm sorry to spring all of this on you, but I couldn't let you leave without knowing."

"It's okay," he said. "I appreciate you telling me. Thank you, for everything. I mean it. If you ever need me, I'll be here in a heartbeat. I swear."

Felicity smiled again and stepped into him, hugging him tightly. "What else are friends for?"

-§-

Felicity joined Oliver again after Barry finally got on the train. She had promised him that she would send him all of her own research on Dark Ones so that he could study all the facts and try to make sense of this new world that he had officially been thrown into. A part of Felicity was glad that she had been able to set Barry on the right path, but another part was worried about what he might uncover.

She and Oliver walked to the limo together, settling in as Oliver gave the driver instructions to take them to Queen Consolidated. There were a lot of things to figure out still, but Felicity knew they were moving in the right direction. She thought about Barry's words to her as she looked at Oliver who was sitting in front of her. He seemed deep in thought as he stared out the window.

"Why didn't you tell me about Isabel?" Felicity asked suddenly. Now that things were settling down again, she could finally talk to him about that.

Oliver cringed at the name before looking at Felicity. "My mother told you," he realized.

Felicity nodded, "Why didn't you?"

Oliver watched her silently for a beat. "I didn't know how to bring it up without making it sound like I was doing it for us," he admitted.

"Were you?" Felicity wondered. "Doing it for us, I mean."

"No," Oliver answered. "Maybe. I don't know." He seemed frustrated because he couldn't find the right words to explain it. "I didn't want the woman anywhere near my family's company anymore," he finally said. "I saw the damage that she was doing, I heard the rumors she was spreading… She was destructive and I wanted her gone, so I bought her out now that mom's funds aren't frozen anymore." He hesitated before speaking again, "Getting her away from you was just another plus."

Felicity couldn't deny that. Going to work certainly wouldn't suck anymore knowing that Isabel wouldn't be waiting to sneak up on her whenever she was alone.

"Taking Isabel out of the picture won't erase what happened, Oliver," Felicity said softly.

"I know that," Oliver replied, seriously. He sounded like he meant it and she knew that he wasn't just saying it. What had happened between them in Russia might have damaged them, but they were better now. Months had passed and Felicity had worked through some of things that she had felt. It still bothered her that it had even happened, but she couldn't deny that she and Oliver weren't friends. They cared about one another and had made it clear that no matter what happened, they would put each other above all. Maybe they weren't ready to define what they were slowly becoming, but Felicity wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize what they had finally built back up again.

"I'm glad that we're friends again," she told him, deciding that one small label wouldn't hurt them. Oliver smiled at her so brightly that her chest expanded at the sight. She couldn't help but smile back at him before she moved so that she could sit down beside him, letting her head fall on his shoulder. "And it's not just because you got that despicable woman kicked out of our company," she added, almost teasingly. Oliver's laugh was worth the comment though and Felicity couldn't help but laugh along before burrowing into him and tightening her grip around his arm when Oliver pressed his lips against her forehead.


Note: Thank you so much for reading and continuously supporting this fic, despite my absence! I love all of you so much for sticking with me through everything and I truly appreciate everything you have to say. Thank you a hundred times. I love you and goodnight (because it's like 1 AM and I'm exhausted. All mistakes are mine!). xx