Note: I am so, so sorry for disappearing for so long guys! I'm afraid that this chapter is pretty similar to the last one in terms of it being yet another build-up for the grand finale. Originally, this chapter was supposed to have a few more scenes, but I decided to split the chapter in two. That's why I changed the chapter name to this one too... Either way, I won't be wasting your time with a bunch of explanations. I'll just say that this story now officially has two chapters and an epilogue left. The next chapter will be filled with action and give you guys the final plot twist that I'm sure no one has been expecting... For now though, enjoy this chapter and remember that I haven't had time to double-check the spelling and whatnot. Thank you for being patient. xx


Hunted

Chapter 32: The Pulling of The Thread

The street was silent as Oliver made his way across it. No cars were in sight, the people in the apartment building having gone to sleep hours ago. It was raining again tonight and Oliver was almost thankful for it. There hadn't been any incidents tonight. He and Roy had taken down two vampires who had tried to get their hands on an unsuspecting man in an alley, but other than that, not much had happened.

These past two weeks Oliver had been going out on the street together with Roy. Felicity had joined them the first couple of days in order to make sure that Roy would be fine after having taken the cure, although once they saw that he was doing well, she retreated back to the Foundry. Roy had also been monitored by Barry for twenty-four hours in order to determine that the cure had really worked. As soon as Barry confirmed that Roy was indeed fully cured of hybridism, he teleported back to Central City. He was going to create more shots of the cure and implement them in Oliver's arrows as well as the special-made bullets that Felicity had manufactured.

Oliver sighed to himself, his thoughts instantly returning to his mate. He had been thinking a lot about Felicity these past two weeks. Ever since Barry had successfully created a cure against hybridism, he had wondered to himself whether or not Felicity would want to take the cure. Just like Roy, she had been turned into a hybrid against her will. It had never been her choice and to Oliver, it only seemed logical that she would want to return to being a wolf. The thing was, he would have talked to her about it in order to hear her thoughts on the matter, but since the creation of the cure, Felicity had become quiet. Yes, she still spoke to them about missions and whatnot else, although Oliver could feel that she was shielding herself, even from him. He was certain that it wasn't anything personal against him. It was just that she wasn't ready to share what she felt. Oliver knew that she needed to clear her own mind and make a decision for herself before she spoke to him about it and he was going to give her that time.

The only problem he had with her not speaking to him about it was that Felicity hadn't been feeling well physically lately either. Oliver suspected that it had to do with her mentally trying to block him from picking up on her feelings. Tonight, she had stayed back and not come down to the Foundry at all, which only worried Oliver. If she wanted to stay back because she thought the Foundry was crowded, he wouldn't have blamed her. However, just the fact that she had woken up feeling feverish and looking as if she had caught the flu or something made Oliver concerned. He was going to talk to her tonight and try to see exactly what it was that was weighing down on her. Oliver made his way up the stairs to Felicity's floor. Thea and Roy had decided to stay in the mansion tonight. Oliver had protested at first, but Thea had persisted and told him that she didn't think Slade would attack the same place twice. Coming back to the mansion after weeks, making that his next appearance would without a doubt be highly anticlimactic.

Or at least that was the way that Thea had put it.

A breath fell from Oliver's lips once more as he unlocked the door to Felicity's apartment, using the key that she had supplied him with. He stepped inside, removed his jacket and hung it up by the door so that it could dry. He kicked off his shoes, not wanting to dirty the floor with their sogginess and then, he made his way to her bedroom.

Felicity was laying on her side, hugging the pillow that he normally slept on tightly to her chest. The comforter rested around her lower body and he recognized the shirt that she was wearing as his own. Oliver looked at her for just a moment, trying to figure out if she was sleeping or not. The sight of her blinking a few times made it clear that she was just resting.

"Felicity?" he murmured, but she didn't move. Oliver removed his shirt and chucked off his pants, letting them to the floor. He made his way onto the bed, sliding in under the covers. Moving closer to Felicity, he wrapped his arm around her and she adjusted herself accordingly, lifting her head so that he cut put his arm underneath it. She offered him the pillow and he took it, placing it under his head, but he didn't quite lay down yet. Instead, he leaned into her and pressed his lips against her temple. Felicity sighed against him, her hands tightening their grip on his hand that rested on her stomach.

"You okay?" he asked, lips ghosting over her heated cheek.

"Better now," Felicity told him. She lifted his hand to her lips, kissing the rough fingertips gently. They settled down for a moment, not speaking. He could feel the way that she was slowly letting him in again; the small cracks in the wall that she had put up around herself letting her light through.

"You've been distant lately," he said after a moment. "Is there anything else going on that I don't know about?"

Felicity breathed slowly, her chest moving up and down as she seemed to gather her thoughts. "Ever since Slade revealed himself as the Master, my memories have been coming back," she told him.

"You mean… From when you were turned?" Oliver frowned. Felicity moved so that she could turn into him and meet his eyes.

"Yes," she confirmed, her hand resting against his chest. "I think the compulsion he put me under was fixed so that once he finally did reveal himself, it would all start coming back. That was why I didn't get everything back when I used Nyssa's serum. It's like your mom and Walter. They didn't know they had met Slade until after he finally attacked in the mansion. It wasn't until then that their memories started coming back."

"What do you remember?" Oliver wondered. His thumb stroked over her skin. He tried to give her all the comfort he could.

"Just that my memories were corrupted...that he altered some of them in order for me to be more confused," she shared. "The first time we properly talked about how I was captured, I lied to you. Do you remember?"

Oliver thought back to the time she had talked about her captivity. It was almost two years ago since they had first met and since then, they had been through so much together. He remembered the first time she had mentioned how she had been captured. She had mentioned something about being taken after a club visit, but later, she had talked about being with a pack. Oliver found himself frowning, understanding what was going through her mind now. She had lied, or she had been compelled to do so. If Slade's compulsion went as far to manipulating her memories and making her question herself once they returned, Oliver knew that he couldn't be upset with her. Perhaps he would have questioned it all those months ago, when he had still been reluctant to trust her. If he was still the person he had been back then, then maybe he would have kicked her out. He would have looked for any reason to get her as far away from himself as possible.

The thing was, Oliver had known all along, even back then that there was something Felicity was hiding. When she had first mentioned the club she had supposedly been kidnapped from, Oliver hadn't trusted her at all. Later, when she had shared how her whole pack had been murdered, including an innocent little boy, Oliver had heard the truth in her voice. He hadn't even thought about her stories didn't match up; he had just felt it in his heart that he had to believe her.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Oliver told her. He reached up and cradled her cheek with his hand. The pad of his thumb brushed over the apple of her cheek. "What you lied about back then, doesn't matter anymore. We have gone through too much to dwell on what you said after Slade got into your head."

Felicity's eyes filled with tears, her lower lip trembling. "But, Oliver," she breathed out. "What else could he have corrupted inside of me?"

"Felicity," Oliver gently pressed his forehead against hers. "We all have a little darkness inside of us. You, though? You have one of the purest hearts and intentions that I have ever seen in a person. I have no doubt in my mind that you will fight and overcome whatever Slade has done or will try to do in the future."

"All the innocent people who died because of the Count. Everyone I've failed to protect… My old pack, my family…" Felicity trailed off.

"We will get them the justice they deserve once we stop Slade," Oliver promised. "He'll regret everything he has ever done to us."

Felicity looked at him, her fingers brushing against his cheek. "I really love you, Oliver," she told him, sounding a little breathless. "I love you so much that sometimes it scares me."

Oliver leaned down and smiled against her soft lips. He managed to roll them over without breaking the kiss. His tongue traced her lips and Felicity let out a happy sigh, opening her mouth up to him. Deepening the embrace further, Oliver shifted a little so that he could settle more comfortably between her legs. His hands moved over her bare legs, tracing her skin until he reached underneath the sleep shirt that she wore. He paused when he reached for her panties, only to come up empty. Opening his eyes, he blinked down at her and saw her smiling softly at him. He grinned, kissing her again, this time a bit more urgent to get things going. He hadn't had her in ages, it felt like, and he needed to have her clenching and dripping around his hard length.

Felicity tilted her head back when Oliver nipped at her neck, pulling the shirt down a bit to expose more of her soft skin. His name fell from her lips in a low sigh and instinctively, his hips pressed against hers. Nowadays, it never took him long to get going when it came to Felicity. It was ridiculous, really, how hot and hard he would with just a single look she sent his way. Oliver bit down on her shoulder, his tongue soothing the sting away as he mentally expressed what he wanted tonight. Felicity's response was immediate. Her hands reached down and started tugging at the material that was still covering his thick cock. Pushing his clothes down and away, she hooked her legs around his waist to pull him closer. Oliver reached over to the desk and grabbed for a condom on the nightstand, popping himself up quickly on his forearm. He tore the foil pack with his teeth and gazed down at Felicity when he heard her groan as she watched him roll the condom on. She wiggled beneath him, lifting the shirt she wore enough so that she would be bared to him. He could see her flushed and swollen pussy dripping with excitement.

"Fuck," he muttered, more to himself than anything else. He really needed to get a grip before he came all over her without even being inside of her yet.

"We will if you get a move on," Felicity breathed out, eyes glinting.

Oliver couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. Positioning himself at her entrance, he pressed forward enough so that the throbbing head of his cock would be enveloped in her heat. He stayed still for just a moment, enjoying the way that Felicity squirmed beneath him, trying to pull him in closer. A grin fell over his face again when her eyes flashed gold and her nails dug into his skin.

"Oliver," she said his name as a warning.

He took another second and then pulled back. A sound of protest escaped Felicity, but it wasn't long before he hooked her legs over his forearms. He lifted her a bit, finding the perfect angle to slide into her with one quick and hard stroke. Felicity gasped loudly and her eyes widened before they shut again. Oliver could feel her inner walls fluttering around him, a telltale sign of her impending orgasm. He was just as worked up as she was, days of not being with her making him reach his tipping point sooner than he would have liked. Oliver was adamant to hold off on his own release until he had gotten Felicity off, though. He loved watching her come, especially from this position. Her legs were still hooked around him, his hands on her waist, lifting her ass so that he could fuck into her faster. She was getting closer to the edge if her moans were any indication. He could feel her sopping wet all around him and he wished more than anything that they had just gone bare tonight. The need to feel her was intense, but he knew that with all the times they had been careless before, they couldn't afford not to use protection tonight. For a second, images of a life in the future with Felicity flashed before his eyes. Seeing her standing in his family home dressed up in a gown at a part, her stomach swollen with their child, rings glittering on her left ring finger as she rested it over the bump. There was a happy smile on her face as she ran her hands over her belly.

Oliver swallowed, his eyes blinking as his chest tightened with the feeling of want that only grew at the scenario that he had imagined. There was so much want.

In a quick move, Oliver changed their positions, his forearms coming to rest next to Felicity's head. She looked at him intently, her lips parted and mouth open in a small 'o' before her arms banded around him. Oliver kept moving inside of her, but now, it was much slower. He had to make her feel it; he had to let her know. Felicity's face buried in the crook of his neck and Oliver continued with the languid pace he had set until he felt her sharp fangs on his skin.

'Yes,' his mind hissed as his mouth fell open. With his eyes shut tightly, Oliver tilted his head to the side just so that she could get a better angle. Felicity's canines pierced his skin and Oliver's hips stuttered for a second before picking up the pace again. As she drew blood from him, sucking and licking at his throat, Oliver kept pounding into her tightness. A guttural groan left him when she finally clamped down on him, her clenching sending him into his own release. He pushed into her, spilling into the condom, trying to prolong both their orgasms with small, jerky, twists. There was sweat dripping down his back and beading on his forehead. Felicity's skin was covered in a sheen of its own, but Oliver couldn't help but dart his tongue out and taste her. He could feel the pull of her fangs as she continued to feed on him for a few more seconds and as his breathing finally calmed down. Felicity pulled back, her tongue touching the wounds she had made on his neck. Oliver opened his eyes slowly, turning to look at her and nuzzle against her. He could feel her smile against his shoulder where she had buried her face. Reaching up, Oliver gently stroked over her hair. Felicity finally looked at him, eyes glowing for a second before returning to her brilliant blue hue. Oliver couldn't help but grin at her, even when he noticed the fullness of her lips and the way that they looked painted red due to her feeding.

Lifting a hand to her mouth, Felicity pricked her finger with her fangs. She raised it to him in an offering and Oliver's mouth covered the tip of it, licking up the drop of blood that she had given him. He sucked once, the metallic tang filling his mouth. Immediately, he felt the small amount of blood she had given him stitch up the bite mark on his neck. One day, when they didn't have to worry about an impending threat, he wanted her to mark him. He wanted to see the bite mark, watch it for days as it purpled up and healed on its own.

Oliver released her finger and leaned down, pouring every possessive emotion he was feeling into a kiss. Felicity responded with the same fervor, holding onto him tightly. He could feel her emotions radiating from her and he kept his lips on hers, loving the feeling of just kissing her lazily. In that moment, he didn't want to think about anything other than the two of them. Everything else could wait until morning.

-§-

Things had been picking up these last couple of nights. Oliver knew that everyone in the Foundry was feeling it. It was enough that Felicity would tense every time they left Queen Consolidated or the apartment together. Oliver could see it whenever her eyes darted around, taking in their surroundings. Usually, her eyes would shift to gold as she used her hybrid hearing to make sure that they weren't being followed. Oliver would hold her hand as they made their way to his car and then proceeded to leave for Verdant.

There, Tommy, Thea and Roy would usually already be waiting. The three of them used the club as their cover, working there to ensure that they would be close to the Foundry at all times during the night. Since Roy had been cured, Oliver had been reluctant to let him come along on missions because he wanted to make sure that the younger man was one hundred percent ready for whatever the night brought them. To be honest, Oliver would have expected more protesting from Roy, but it seemed as if he was more than happy to stay with Thea in order to keep her protected. Tommy was still struggling with keeping things from Laurel, but fortunately, she was busy planning their wedding with her mother so she didn't ask as many questions anymore about where he was at night. Besides, managing Verdant was more or less a night job and Laurel was sensible enough to know that Tommy would be kept busy there. Oliver knew that his friend spent most of his days with his fiancée anyways, and Laurel had taken up shorter hours at her office in order to spend more time with Tommy. Of course, that normally meant that Tommy had to give his input on the things that Laurel and her mother had picked out for the ceremony. Whenever that happened, spending time with Tommy was quite entertaining.

"One of these days, I'm just going to grab her and elope," Tommy had complained one night in the Foundry. "I can't wait until this is all over so that I can just go on and marry the woman. Wedding planning is exhausting!"

Oliver had looked over at Diggle, who snickered, and Felicity, who covered her mouth with her hand in order to hide her amusement. She had glanced at him then, meeting his eyes and briefly, he hoped that she had been able to pick up on the silent promise that he had tried to make. When her eyes had brightened significantly, he knew that she had sensed his thoughts.

"That's one thing I never thought I would hear coming out of Tommy Merlyn's mouth," Thea had quipped.

"Oh, Thea," Tommy had sighed. "We might not all get to have werewolf soulmates, but trust me when I tell you that some women are worth being tied down to."

Roy had snorted, but before he had been able to say anything, Oliver had sent him a pointed look. He didn't need to hear any innuendos coming from the guy who was dating his sister. Besides, Roy and Thea were probably as permanent as him and Felicity were. Either way, Roy had caught on to what he had been trying to say and quickly distracted himself with punching a dummy.

Oliver had thought about shutting the club down, but for now, it gave Tommy a good cover with Laurel, so he decided to keep opening it. Either way, he was busy most nights, going out on the street with Diggle as his backup and Felicity on the comms. It felt like the first couple of months when Felicity would monitor them and help them through their missions, but there was a better flow between them now. Before, Oliver had restricted himself due to his hate against the Dark Ones. Now that he knew and loved Felicity, he listened to every instruction she gave and made choices based on their mutual trust. They worked as a well-oiled machine and for that, Oliver was glad.

Tonight was different, though. Diggle had been forced to catch up with Lyla's division on A.R.G.U.S. regarding something. The older man had apparently been working on something with his ex-wife-slash-girlfriend that he couldn't share with the rest of the team until he had more information. Oliver had complete faith in Diggle and Lyla, so he didn't question it when Diggle had asked for a few days off so that he could visit A.R.G.U.S. With Diggle gone and Roy busy guarding Thea, Oliver found himself alone on patrol with Felicity in his ear. She was telling him where to go, which places to check up on and what areas to avoid. There was no need for unnecessary risks tonight.

They had been discussing whether or not to go to Queen Consolidated in the morning when Oliver heard a low growl. Turning quickly, he raised his bow and aimed it at the creature that had approached. From the darkness, seven hybrids crawled toward him on all fours. They were big, crouching on their hind legs as if getting ready to pounce on him. Felicity was telling him to get out of there because there was no way that he would be able to take them all down without getting hurt. Oliver calculated the risks and realized the same thing. He had taken down several vampires and werewolves at the same time before, but these hybrids were different. Their eyes were bloodshot and their mouths were salivating and foaming. They were rabid. He had a couple of arrows with sedatives prepared, thanks to Felicity, but he knew that the second he fired a shot, the others would be jumping on him to try and tear him apart.

Unless…

Oliver watched the monsters as they slowly crept closer. Even though they seemed out of control, they weren't jumping him yet, which meant that they must have been compelled to follow orders: Slade's orders. There was no way in hell that Slade would give up the chance to kill Oliver on his own, and that meant that these hybrids had been sent to make a point of some sort. It must be Slade's way of ensuring that Oliver didn't forget about his impending threat.

"Oliver, get out or I'm coming in!" Felicity said, most likely through gritted teeth if the sound of her voice was any indication. Oliver breathed out slowly and took a small step backward, bow and arrow still nocked and ready. The moved seemed to trigger the hybrids, who growled at him and then pounced. He shot down one of them with the tranquilizer he had with him. They had thought about having him carry the cure around, but they couldn't risk Slade getting the upper hand again. The cure was the only thing they had going for them, the only advantage, and they just couldn't risk losing that.

The hybrid went down quickly, but the others were still on to him. Oliver shot out his grappling hook and swung over to the other building, but the hybrids followed, jumping the distance and surrounding him on all sides. Six against one, not entirely the fairest of odds. Oliver reached down to the holster strapped to his thigh, taking out the small throwing tranqs. One of the hybrids attacked suddenly and Oliver lowered himself down, sweeping his leg underneath the monster's feet, knocking it off balance. At the same time, he threw the darts at two other attackers. The moment he stood, he was forced to block another attack. The hybrid's claws slashed over his forearm and Oliver let out a grunt before kicking the creature straight in the chest, trying to give himself some fighting room.

"Felicity-"

His voice was cut off when the biggest hybrid grabbed him around the throat. Tears pricked Oliver's eyes at the lack of air to his lungs and he struggled against the monster who lifted him off the ground. The wound on his arm was bleeding, making it more difficult to get a grip on the creature; his fingers were slippery and there wasn't anything to hold on to other than the monster's hand. A slow, creepy smile appeared on the hybrid's face and Oliver wondered whether he had been wrong after all. Maybe Slade didn't mind one of his minions killing Oliver, as long as he died in the end.

He could hear Felicity shuffling inside the Foundry in his ear, the scraping of her chair against the hard floor a sign that she had gotten up. The sound was cut off soon enough and Oliver knew that Felicity must have left the Foundry. She was on her way to him, but even though she wasn't more than ten minutes away, he knew that she wouldn't make it in time. The future he had been imagining with her, the rings and the soft swell of her stomach… The house on the beach and the happiness radiating from her… He saw it all again. When he closed his eyes, it only got clearer. Ever so slowly, his eyelids started feeling heavier. The already weak grip he had on the monster's hand slackened and he felt himself going limb. There was no air; there was nothing.

Only Felicity and the thoughts of what they could have had.

And then he was breathing again.

Oliver gasped, eyes wide as he fell to the ground. His vision was still blurry as he blinked his eyes open, trying to focus on what was happening around him. The hybrid that had been squeezing the life out of him was on the ground, its head rolling away from the body that had crumbled. As if decapitating the monster hadn't been enough, the thing had a white stake sticking out of its chest; white oak.

"Ollie? Are you okay?" He felt gentle hands on him and looked up at the blonde who stared down at him, eyes hidden behind a black leather mask.

"Sara?" he croaked, looking past her to see Nyssa there as well, fighting two hybrids at once. There was a smirk on the huntress' face as she fought off the monsters and Oliver could do nothing else but stare. How had they known to come? Had they already been on their way?

"Oliver!" he heard another voice and his heart sped up as he took in Felicity, running fast as she leaped over from the other building. In mid-jump, her clothes tore from her body and she landed as the beautiful white wolf he knew she had inside of her. With golden eyes, she growled at another hybrid that had been approaching him and Sara. More hybrids must have been drawn to the fight while Oliver had been borderline unconscious. Felicity growled again, her jaws snapping at the monster who had dared to threaten them. Then, she jumped again, her paw coming down on the creature, clawing a long red gash over its torso. The monster howled in pain, but Felicity took a few steps back again, standing in front of Oliver and Sara, who had gotten up once she had made sure that Oliver was going to be fine.

The fight ended quickly after that. Sara and Nyssa didn't have any reservations about killing the monsters, but Oliver could see that Felicity had taken a defensive stance against them. She evaded and circled, kept them away from him without killing them. It didn't mean that she didn't do them any harm though. Oliver saw how in the end, the hybrids cowered away and the few who had been left standing ran off without looking back. Nyssa and Sara stood together, breathing heavily as they once again approached Oliver and Felicity. Oliver looked at his mate as she turned into him, nuzzling against his face as her tongue darted out to lick at his face. He knew what she was asking.

"I'm okay," he assured her, his fingers finding purchase in her white pelt. "I'm safe now."

A low whimper fell from Felicity again and she sniffed the air before lowering her head to nose at the wound on his arm.

"It's nothing," Oliver insisted, running his fingers through her fur. "I'll be fine once we patch me up. I promise, Felicity."

A low snicker brought him out of his quiet reassuring and he looked over at Sara and Nyssa. Sara had raised a questioning eyebrow at him, but Nyssa's smirk was without a doubt a knowing one. He knew that the display of affection between him and Felicity would be something discussed later, but for now, it could wait. There were more pressing things at hand.

"What are you guys doing here?" Oliver wondered, looking between the two huntresses.

Sara's lips turned up into a small smile. "We figured you guys might need some help," she said with a shrug, as if that explained it all.

-§-

Felicity was pacing, and she knew it. In fact, she had almost laughed at one point because she had realized how much her actions at the moment were like Oliver's. Normally, he was the one pacing in the Foundry. Now though, he was busy being patched up by Sara who had offered to help as soon as Felicity had realized that her hands were trembling too much to bandage her mate up. It was the adrenaline and the shock wearing off, Felicity figured. She had gotten too close to losing Oliver tonight and it wasn't going to happen again.

Sara and Nyssa arriving when they did had been nothing more than a happy coincidence. While Sara cleaned and wrapped Oliver's wound, Felicity went on a tangent explaining how she had contacted Sara after locating them.

"Honestly, there wasn't much locating done," Felicity admitted. "I've kind of been keeping an eye on Nanda Parbat and you," she said, looking pointedly at Sara, "since you left us last time."

She could feel Oliver's eyes on her as she shared that she had sent a message to Sara regarding the upcoming threat. They had discussed it together once, whether they should look for help in every place that they could. While Oliver had been reluctant to involve the League, Felicity trusted both Sara and Nyssa.

"It's kind of like A.R.G.U.S., Oliver," she said. "We might not trust Amanda Waller, but Lyla's division is clean."

Oliver only nodded absentmindedly. He hummed and Felicity could tell that her decision to move forward with contacting Sara wasn't bothering him.

"I have thirty League members serving directly under me," Nyssa informed them. "They are hiding here in the city, awaiting my signal to mobilize and strike against the hybrids."

"Can they be trusted?" Oliver wondered, glancing toward Sara.

The other blonde nodded in confirmation before Nyssa continued, "They are all volunteers. My father refused to get involved and quite frankly, I am glad that he has decided to keep himself away from this battle. I believe something in Gotham caught his attention."

Felicity let out a small sound, remembering some articles she had skimmed over during breakfast a couple of weeks ago. She had been distracted by Oliver and his talented hands shortly after, so she had completely forgotten about it. Although, she supposed that once everything with Slade was over and done with, she wouldn't mind looking up what that rumored big bat in Gotham was all about.

"So the ones that came to help us serve under you," Oliver said to Nyssa, giving Felicity a questioning glance. She was certain that he had felt her momentary spike of arousal at the memory of what his breakfast had been that morning when he had interrupted her reading. Felicity lowered her eyes, knowing that her feelings weren't exactly being hidden.

"Indeed, they do," Nyssa said, carefully eyeing Oliver. "My men are willing to die for this cause if I order it." Felicity moved toward her mate slowly, reaching out for him when Sara finished wrapping his wound. Oliver's warm hand wrapped gently around hers and he squeezed it, trying to show her that he was fine. A part of Felicity still wanted to heal him though. She turned to look at Nyssa, still holding on to Oliver's hand.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," she told the assassin. "A friend of ours has been able to create a cure against the mirakuru that Slade has been using to turn the hybrids."

"And Felicity created arrows that could contain the cure," Oliver continued. "Not all of the hybrids are evil. Some of them were wolves turned against their will. They are forced to follow Slade's orders due to the sire bond that was created when they were turned."

"How do we work around that then?" Sara questioned. Felicity was sure that she understood that they didn't want to actually kill all the hybrids.

"Since some of them might be dangerous, like blood wolves or lethalis shifters, I suggested to Barry that he add a sedative in the cure. That means that one shot should incapacitate the creature long enough for us to be able to tie them up at least," Felicity told them. "They would be useless to Slade and we wouldn't have to kill them."

"You are too kind, little wolf," Nyssa mused. "Although, since you were the one to invite us to this fight, I presume we have no choice but to follow your orders."

Felicity watched as the assassin offered her a small smirk. It seemed as if she had earned Nyssa's respect. With a curt nod to Nyssa, the smirk on the dark haired beauty widened. Felicity understood that Nyssa and Sara had no problems with killing the Dark Ones if necessary, but with the upcoming battle, she still wanted to keep the number of casualties as low as possible. There was no need for unnecessary killing on their part. She had no doubt in her mind that Slade's hybrids wouldn't be holding back either. There was no point to have two sides out looking for blood.

Still, that was something they could discuss more in the morning. Currently, she was still running high on adrenaline as she thought about how close Oliver had come to death tonight. She had felt the clenching in her heart, heard the pain in his voice when he had called out her name...

Oliver must have sensed her thoughts because his hand wound around hers and he squeezed gently. Felicity turned toward him, head lowered as she leaned in close, the same way that she had done when she had been a wolf. She felt a bit calmer now than she had before and now that she could focus, she smelled the blood that must slowly be seeping through Oliver's bandages. Without thinking, she extracted her claws and dug them into her palm. She opened her hand up in front of Oliver in a silent offering, hoping that he would understand that it would make her feel a lot better if he healed quicker. Oliver's eyes darkened momentarily before he pulled her hand up to his face. Pressing a kiss to the flat of her palm, he drew in the small amount of blood that she had offered him and then kissed her hand again. Instantly, she relaxed against him, knowing that her blood would work inside his body to help heal him.

It wasn't until she sagged against him that she realized how silent it had gotten in the Foundry. She looked up and found Nyssa and Sara observing them curiously. There was a knowing look on Nyssa's face and Felicity could only imagine what the assassin was thinking. Unfortunately for them, Nyssa had never been one to shy away from voicing her thoughts and her opinions.

"I always knew that she was your little wolf, Mr. Queen," she said as her well-known smirk once again made an appearance.

-§-

A couple of days later, Felicity was down in the Foundry again, watching Sara work the salmon ladder. Oliver and Roy were out on patrol and they had taken Nyssa with them to get her accustomed to the city again. Diggle was still working something with Lyla to help them with Slade and from what he had told Felicity the last time, they were getting close to figuring out whatever it was that had them occupied. Nevertheless, as Felicity watched Sara working out, she couldn't help but wonder how the other blonde felt about being back in her home city again.

"Have you ever thought about telling your family that you're alive?" Felicity asked out loud.

Clang!

Felicity winced as Sara lost her focus and fell off the ladder with a loud thud. The metal bar slammed against the floor and Sara let out a yelp. She rubbed her backside and Felicity's mouth dropped open. Damn, she hadn't expected that reaction. It took Sara a moment before she stood up and looked at Felicity.

"Why would I do that?" she wondered, frowning.

"Don't you miss them?" Felicity questioned.

"Of course I do," Sara frowned.

"Then why wouldn't you tell them that you're alive?" Felicity watched as several emotions played out on Sara's face.

"It's not that easy," Sara said. "I'm a part of the League. We can't have those kinds of attachments. If my family knew I was alive, they would never let me go back to Nanda Parbat and I can't just leave the League."

"I understand all of that, but Sara, this is your family we're talking about," Felicity said. "For seven years now, they've thought you dead. I don't see what harm it would do to make up a story about waking up with memory loss or something and slowly have everything come back to you. Nyssa can be your cover for where you've been or something. It would also explain why you wouldn't want to leave Nyssa and come back to live in Starling City."

Sara eyed her silently before nodding. "Maybe after we defeat Slade… I want to see my family again, of course, and not just from spying on my father from across the street. Who knows? Perhaps I'll even be able to attend Laurel and Tommy's wedding."

"I know it's not my place, but I just feel like life's too short not to make the most of it," Felicity shrugged. "I think it would mean the world to your family to have you back in whatever way they can."

"I'll think about it," Sara nodded again. "Speaking about making the most of things… What's up with you and Oliver?" Sara raised an eyebrow.

Felicity's face warmed and her heart jumped in her chest at the mere thought of the man. "We're mates," she confirmed, knowing that she didn't need to say anything else.

"I'm glad that Oliver finally got his head out of his ass," Sara smiled softly, "and that you're both happy."

Felicity grinned back at her friend, loving the easiness between the two of them. "It took us both some time, but we finally ended up on the same page when it comes to our relationship," Felicity agreed. "With everything that has been happening lately, I feel like I can hardly wait for it all to be over."

"I feel the same way," Sara said. "Once we deal with Slade, we'll all finally be able to move forward with our lives. I'll see if I can reveal myself to my family, Tommy and Laurel will be able to get married in peace…"

"And Diggle might finally admit to us that he is back together with his ex-wife," Felicity laughed.

"Perhaps you and Oliver will be able to start a family together too," Sara said, making Felicity choke on her laughter.

She coughed a couple of times, "Don't you think that's jumping a bit too many steps ahead?"

"I'm certain you and Oliver have already discussed the possibility of having kids eventually," Sara shrugged. "Besides, something tells me that being soul-bonded helps when it comes to skipping steps. The rules of a normal relationship don't exactly apply to the two of you."

Felicity knew that she was right, but she didn't know how to respond. Fortunately, before she had a chance to, Felicity's computer started beeping, indicating that she had an incoming call from a secure A.R.G.U.S. line. Frowning, she turned to the device and answered the call. Sara came to stand beside her just as the call connected and Diggle appeared on the screen.

"Dig! Hi," Felicity smiled brightly at the screen. "Is Lyla there with you?"

Diggle looked to the side, somewhere off screen before he turned back to the camera, nodding. A moment later, Lyla came to stand by his side.

"Hi, Felicity," the woman said, smiling politely.

"What's up?" Felicity wondered. "Did you guys figure out whatever it was that you were going to figure out?"

"Yes, in a way," Diggle sighed. "Lyla contacted me about helping us with Slade," he started explaining. "She asked Amanda Waller for permission to have her division of agents help us with the upcoming conflict. Waller gave it to her, so long as the agents know what they're getting themselves into."

"That's great!" Felicity said.

"There's more," Lyla spoke, before Felicity had a chance to say anything else. "Waller offered to help too, but only by sending in a special task force that she formed. They're called Task Force X."

"Sounds ominous," Sara pointed out.

"It is," Diggle said, looking more tired than ever. "It's made up from Dark Ones, people with a criminal past. After being apprehended by A.R.G.U.S., Waller gave them a choice: go to prison or help her organization in any capacity that she sees fit."

"I am guessing they chose the latter," Felicity muttered.

"They work for A.R.G.U.S., but not willingly. They have an explosive nano-device planted in the base of their neck which ensures that they do what they're told. If they don't…"

"Kaboom," Felicity realized, her eyes widening. "Okay, I don't exactly enjoy criminals much, but even that sounds a bit too heavy for an organization that technically works for the government."

"Someone has to get their hands dirty and Waller enjoys it a bit too much, I think," Lyla said. "Nevertheless, Task Force X will be able to help take in Slade's hybrids after they have been subdued by Mr. Allen's antidote."

"Okay, there's something you're not telling us here," Sara pointed out. "There's more to all of this."

"There is," Diggle agreed, meeting Felicity's eyes. She could see the conflict in them and as she searched her brain for what she was missing, she quickly realized what it was.

"A.R.G.U.S. has Floyd Lawton," she said.

"He's a part of the task force," Diggle nodded. "I've spoken to him and I think he would be willing to help."

"How do you feel about that?" Felicity wondered, knowing that it couldn't be easy for Diggle to work with his brother's killer.

"I feel like there might be more to Lawton than he lets on," Diggle said. "Besides, we need all the help we can get. I think I can put aside how I feel about Lawton long enough for us to defeat Slade. After that, I'm going to need to have a long conversation with him regarding who hired him to kill my brother."

A moment of silence passed between them until Lyla spoke again. "Wait," she said. "Felicity, how did you know that A.R.G.U.S. has Lawton?" The woman was frowning and Felicity offered her a sheepish smile.

"I might have been keeping tabs on everything that you guys do since I learned that your organization exists," she said. "And you don't have to bother looking for a bug because you won't find it. I'm good at what I do."

Lyla let out a sound that was a cross between disbelief and amusement, "You are quite remarkable, Felicity Smoak."

Felicity's mind wandered to another moment in time, when someone else had said something similar and she smiled to herself before responding, "So I've been told."

-§-

Oliver laid on his side, his fingertips trailing over Felicity's skin slowly as he committed every mark on her body to memory. It was probably the hundredth time he had done so, but something about the silence surrounding them tonight made him feel antsy. Their allies had all gathered in the city and he knew that they were on the cusp of a war that would lead to casualties. He wanted every moment he could get with his soulmate to be burned into his mind. Oliver wasn't a fool, nor was he ignorant. Ever since Sara and Nyssa had saved his life, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about just how close he had come to dying that night. The mere thought of what that would have meant troubled him. Felicity had been keeping a cool face in front of the others, but Oliver could feel her desperation to touch him every time they came back to their home and tore each other's clothes off. There hadn't been a night since then that they hadn't shared their bodies with one another. They didn't want to waste their time anymore and with everyone preparing to fight Slade, Oliver knew that things were quickly coming to an end.

"Tommy got Thea and Laurel out of town," Felicity mumbled lowly. Her hand covered his, her fingers twining with his. "I told him to stay away too until we call him and tell him it's safe to come back. Sara and Nyssa are hiding out in the clock tower. The rest of Nyssa's team are… Somewhere. Lyla is just waiting for Dig's call and then she'll send in Task Force X. We're ready."

"Are we?" he asked, not being able to hide his doubt from her. "What if it's not enough."

She turned in his arms so that she could face him, covering her naked chest with the comforter. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek gently. Her thumb moved over his skin as she looked down at him while he laid back. "We will be enough," she told him, her voice filled with conviction. "I love you, and I believe in you. I believe in us and our team. We will be enough."

Oliver lifted himself up slightly, his hand reaching to cup the back of Felicity's neck. He pulled her closer, pressing his forehead against hers as he breathed her in. "I love you," he said, his voice shaking. "I don't know what I'll do if something happens to you."

"You won't have to worry about that," Felicity said. "You won't lose me, so you better not have me worry about losing you." She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. Oliver responded instantly, opening his mouth to her advances. Her tongue tangled with his and he tightened his grip on her hair, making her moan. The sound vibrated all the way into his chest, making his blood pump faster, traveling south.

"You won't lose me," he promised against her lips as he gently pushed her back down onto the bed. Covering her with his body, settling between her legs, Oliver swore to her over and over again, that she would never lose him.

-§-

Felicity had a gut feeling and after everything she had been through, she had learned to listen to that feeling. That was why she had meddled and talked to Sara again about her family. After a long and heartfelt conversation, Sara had finally agreed to meet with Detective Lance. Felicity had talked to Oliver and he had called the man on the secure line as the Arrow. That was how the three of them found themselves standing on a rooftop in the middle of the night, waiting for Sara's father to show up.

Felicity looked over at the other blonde, who was clutching her staff tightly. She could only imagine how white Sara's knuckles must be underneath the black leather gloves.

"Are you nervous?" The question slipped from Felicity's mouth before she could stop it. "I mean, of course you're nervous. You're about to reveal the fact that you've been alive for the past seven plus something years to your father, who is a cop," she rambled. Blinking a couple of times, she looked over at Oliver, whose lips twitched up into a small smile. She was glad that someone still found her lack of brain-to-mouth filter amusing.

"Am I making a mistake?" Sara wondered.

"We're facing a great evil, Sara," Oliver sighed. "There's no knowing if we'll all be alive and… Well, Felicity convinced you once, didn't she? I'm sure if you tried to chicken out, she'll come after you and convince you yet again."

"Okay now, Mr. Arrow," Felicity shot him a glare. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here." She paused for a moment and then looked back at Sara. "But what he's saying is true. I'll most definitely come after you."

"Considering the computer expert that you are, Ms. Smoak, I'd be worried if you made such a threat against me," Quentin spoke as he climbed the side-ladder up to the top of the building. Felicity felt Sara tense next to her. The other blonde was in her Canary suit, still wearing her mask which ensured that the detective wouldn't recognize her. If she wanted to leave without revealing herself, she could. Felicity wouldn't actually force her to do anything.

"I see you've made new friends," Lance continued, nodding toward Sara. "What is it with you people and leather?"

A laugh escaped Sara and Felicity stood still. The detective tensed, blinking a couple of times as his attention fell solely on the blonde wearing black leather. Felicity could see his jaw clench as his breathing came out a bit heavier. There was a hint of something in the air; Felicity could sense the signs of recognition and confusion from the man.

"Before we discuss our choice of clothing, I would like to share some other things with you, detective," Felicity said. She stepped toward the man, taking a deep breath. "I don't want there to be any more secrets between us. If we're going to be facing this upcoming threat together, you need to know everything." Her eyes flashed golden and she was surprised to see that Quentin didn't so much as flinch. Frowning, Felicity paused. "You know about me," she said and it wasn't a question. The detective had known about Dark Ones ever since the Undertaking, but Felicity hadn't shared the fact that she was a wolf with him.

"Ms. Smoak, I'm a detective and a damn good one, if I say so myself… I've known about your true nature for a while now," Lance said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now that we have that out of the way, how about you tell me who your friend here is? Is she the one who was terrorizing the streets a couple of months ago?"

"The Canary is a friend," Felicity told the man. She could tell by his tone that he didn't mean anything bad with his words, but she didn't want Sara to be upset by the way he had summarized what she had been doing before she joined their team. "Actually, I was the one to push for this meeting. With everything that's been going on, I want you to know that…"

Sara took a small step toward Quentin when Felicity trailed off. The detective looked at the other blonde for a moment, his lips pressed tightly together as he awaited her next move. With shaky fingers, Sara secured her staff to her back and then proceeded to lift her hands to her mask. Felicity watched with bated breath as the other blonde slowly removed her mask from her face, keeping her head downcast. Next, she pulled off the wig she wore to make her hair look a brighter shade of blonde than it was naturally. Sara lifted her head and Felicity could see it on the detective's face the moment he looked into his daughter's eyes.

"Hi, daddy," Sara whispered, sounding unsure and vulnerable in a way that Felicity had never heard before.

Quentin let out a harsh breath. Squinting his eyes, and taking a small step back, he reached for the gun in his holster. Felicity, Oliver and Sara stood still as he raised the gun on his daughter. "You're not her," he said, voice shaky. "You're not my little girl. You're one of those shapeshifters who has come to mess with my head." He looked at Felicity, tears in his eyes as he shook his head. "Why would you do this to me? Why?" he demanded, yelling the words out into the night.

"We wouldn't, detective," Oliver replied. His voice was still hidden by the voice-modulator. "We haven't."

"Dad, it's really me," Sara said, her own voice choked. She took a step toward Lance and when he didn't move away from him, she took another.

"Prove it!" Lance said, keeping his gun aimed.

"Do you remember, when I was ten?" Sara started slowly. "You bought me that canary that I loved so, so much. It drove mom and Laurel crazy though, and even you hated it after a while…" She sniffled and wiped away the few tears that had fallen down her cheeks. "I knew you did, but you never said anything about it. You were always on my side when mom wanted to get rid of it." Sara took another breath before continuing, "When I was in high school, I was being bullied and I ended up doing a bunch of things I now regret. I got into trouble and your solution was to have me and Laurel learn self-defense. You wanted us to be able to fight off people who wanted to hurt us… I don't think I ever thanked you for that, but I do think it saved my life numerous times while I was away."

Felicity watched as the detective's face crumbled. "Away?" the man repeated. "You were… You were dead."

"I wasn't, dad," Sara said.

"Then where were you for all of these years?" Quentin questioned. "Why didn't you come home?"

"I wasn't ready," Sara told him. "I didn't want you to see what I've become, but… Dad, please. Please forgive me for not coming home sooner."

The detective looked at her and finally, tears fell from his eyes as he lowered his gun. "My little girl," he said. "My baby girl." Felicity watched as Sara closed the distance between herself and her father, embracing the man tightly. They sobbed into one another, holding on for dear life. Felicity looked over at Oliver, only to see that he was facing her. She could tell that he was more relaxed now that Quentin seemed to have accepted the fact that Sara was really who she said she was. She moved toward him and reached for his hand, but she quickly stopped herself. Despite Lance being occupied, she didn't want to risk revealing that the Arrow was in fact Oliver. It wasn't her secret to tell, after all.

Oliver seemed to sense her hesitation though, because he reached for her and pulled her in close. Felicity sighed against him, not realizing until now how much she needed to have him close. Beneath the hood, Oliver met her gaze and she saw the curt nod he gave her. Pulling back, Oliver lifted his hands to his hood.

"Stop," Quentin interrupted him. Felicity watched as Oliver paused, looking at her again.

"We said no more secrets," Felicity said to Lance.

"Yes, but I don't need confirmation that the man under the hood is Oliver Queen," Lance argued. Felicity blinked, as the man shook his head before a smirk appeared on his face. "Detective, remember? I had him figured out a while ago… Especially with how Queen looked at you whenever you were in danger, Ms. Smoak."

"What difference does it make if I remove this hood or not then?" Oliver asked.

"Plausible deniability, if something were to go wrong," Lance replied. "It's a thing," he added with a shrug.

Felicity looked over at Oliver. She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. Oliver reached for her hand and this time, she didn't hesitate to take it on her own.


Note: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter despite the shortness. Sorry for almost killing Oliver... Don't really know how that happened, but it did. Either way, thank you so much for reading and supporting this story. Remember, not many chapters left now and I need all the motivation I can get so leave a word or two and share your thoughts! :) Until next time (which will most definitely be sooner than last time!). xx