Sometimes we can find home in the most unlikely way:

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with me?"

"No, Walter. I think that moving out of Starling City will be good for me. Thanks for the offer though. It is much appreciated." And with that Thea placed a peck on the older man's cheeks. She would miss him.

"Just remember, my offer is always open."

"What offer?"

"Oliver. It's good to see you. Your sister is planning to move out of Starling City. Why don't you tell your opinion on this?"

"Walter, can I speak to my sister alone?"

"Sure. Thea, give me a call if you have any problems."

"I will, Walter."

"Thanks for not showing up at your own mother's funeral and reception, big brother."

"I am sorry, Thea."

Oliver looked into his sister's eyes to convey to her how sorry he was for everything.

"I know that I haven't been a great brother, a friend or whatever it is that you wanted me to be but I have always loved you, Speedy. And I will always love you. So when you find it in yourself to forgive me, come back to me but till then be safe, Speedy."

Oliver wrapped Thea in her arms and to his surprise his sister embraced him back. And that's how Oliver knew that his sister forgave him, maybe not completely but she was giving him a chance to redeem himself. It was just a little bit too late because Oliver Queen was beyond redemption. He had chosen his fate and that was to lie still in the hands of Death.

"Thea, are you sure you want this? Because God; is this depressing! Who would even paint such a dreadful painting? It's not enough that he/she showed death but to show it in such a harsh way. That's just so heart-breaking. This painting won't let you sleep so you are not taking this, no way. Oh, Oliver. You are here?"

"Felicity, what are you doing here?"

"Oliver, she came to help me in moving. I didn't know who else to call."

"I didn't know that you two were this close."

"Ah, Felicity just stumbled into my life I guess. I met her at mom's funeral and we sort of connected. Anyways, Felicity, don't worry I won't take that painting. I never liked it anyway."

Thea then looked up at her brother and gave him a reassuring smile. She knew that Oliver was having a hard time too and as some blonde had told her, being angry at her own brother was too exhausting so Thea would try. She would try to forgive her brother and make amends. Oliver was the only family she had left and she loved him making it reason enough for her to forgive him.

"Oliver, I would call you once I am settled somewhere. Don't worry about me. Just take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will Speedy." Oliver placed a peck on her forehead and turned to leave. He reached the entrance to the foyer when he turned to Felicity. He had already engraved her in his heart but this was goodbye but to his surprise the blonde kept on looking at Thea and after a few seconds a smile played on her face.

"Thea, I was wondering. Do you want to live with me? I mean, you want to get out of Starling City, which I totally understand, by the way. But if you don't hate this City to your bones, then you can try living with me. Sure, I don't have a mansion. I mean my apartment must be as large as your living room but I do have a big bed and extra wardrobe space. Don't ask how though because sometimes I feel I have a hell lot of clothes. They can take an entire exhausting day for me to arrange and still I end up searching my closet for clothes which is weird. Anyways, as I was saying if you can bear listening to me babble on a daily basis then come and stay with me."

Wow. Felicity Smoak had a knack for babbling idiotic things and I guess she just topped the chart. Why would Thea Queen want to stay with me? Talk about making a fool out of herself. But the scorns that she imagined in her head never came. Instead her hands were full of a teenager embracing her too tight making her wince.

"Thea, I can't breathe."

"Oh sorry Felicity, didn't realize I was hugging you too tight but yes; I would love to stay with you."

Oliver stared at his sister and Felicity like he had just choked on food and it was stuck in his throat. His sister said yes. That was new but he needed her to leave Starling City. That would be safer.

"Felicity, can I talk for a minute? Alone?"

"Okay." And he led her to the foyer.

"What were you thinking asking Thea to move in with you? You know she is in danger as long as she is here."

"And she is not in danger when she leaves this city? Please Oliver, Thea has gone through too much and right now, she needs people who love her. She needs to see that everything is not in despair and she needs hope. And since you have given up on everything even resembling hope, I won't let Thea be alone with her demons. I will protect her."

Oliver had seen many girls, had relationships with at least a dozen, fell in love with Laurel and then thought he fell in love with Sarah but none of them could make his heart flip the way his blonde did. And right now looking into her eyes all he felt was pride. Even he could not say with conviction that he could protect Thea, but he knew that she would protect his sister even if she died doing it. That's who his Felicity was. Oliver would have kissed her then and there being tempted by her brightly coloured lips but he restrained himself and took her hand in his.

"Felicity, don't do this. I need the people I care about to be safe. Who will protect you?"

"That's the thing, Oliver Queen. I may get hurt, I may bleed and I might die maybe at the hands of a psychopath or maybe by a freak accident but at least I won't have any regrets because I spent my life with the people I loved."

And with that she walked away leaving Oliver not so determined about his plan to turn himself in but he called Isabel anyways all the while knowing that his sister was turning out to be lucky because, no matter what it takes Felicity would protect her.

Felicity knew how to make plans and execute them but this plan of hers was a bad one. On a scale of one to ten, this was probably a minus. But she went ahead with it anyways. After leaving Thea at her apartment and fixing her a nice sandwich as lunch, she turned on the tracker that she had sneaked into Oliver's jacket in the Queen mansion and called Digg. She knew Oliver was going to switch off his phone leaving them with no way to track him so she sneaked in the tracker. Now he appeared as a bright red dot at the Starling City harbor. Felicity called Digg and knocked out Oliver with a tranquilizer, a strong one mind you, and now they were dragging a very passed out and heavy Oliver Queen down the stairs of the lair. They sat him down in the lair and Felicity sat in her chair in front of her computers panting when Digg approached her.

"So what's next?"

"Now we call in a Lance aka the great Laurel Lance."

"Felicity, are you crazy? When you told me you had a plan, did you think it through because this doesn't sound like a great plan to me!"

"Digg, Laurel knows Oliver is the Arrow so one day or another she will be in here."

"What? How? Wait, how do you know this?"

Felicity turned towards her computers and brought up a CCTV footage of Slade. "I was just making sure Laurel was on our radar for protection when I caught Slade a few buildings off her apartment. Since she was fine physically so I figured the only damage Slade could do is by telling Laurel that Oliver is the Arrow."

"Lets' say that happened but we still don't need her here, Felicity."

"Actually Digg, I think we do. I was constantly making sure that Laurel is not in any harm especially after Moira's death and something very interesting cropped up. Laurel looked into the personal files of Blood and she discovered something. Blood wrote a condolence letter to Moira's support group for Mayor but the date on the letter is one day before Moira died. So that can only mean one thing.."

"That Blood is working with Slade."

"And that Laurel was right all along. Blood is shady."

"But Felicity, I still don't get the whole point of bringing Laurel in on this."

"I know we don't. Believe me, I have played this scenario a hundred times in my head but I get only one answer. Maybe Laurel can snap Oliver out of his whole death wish crap and having her here will also mean that we as in Oliver will have one less person's safety to worry about."

"Felicity, in case you haven't noticed Oliver has already snapped out of his suicidal wish and you and me both know that he went to the harbour not to surrender. I could see that in his eyes and if you ask me who brought him back, I think I have a pretty clear answer. As for Laurel, we will bring her here but just so that she can tell Oliver that Blood is dirty. No more because if she suddenly wants to be a part of this team I can't let that happen. It started with us and it will end with us. And Felicity, no matter how bloody this fight gets promise me that you will survive and live. You will always be as beautiful as you are now. Promise me, kiddo."

"I promise, Digg." Felicity's eyes were wet and her throat was clogged when Digg placed a peck on her forehead and sauntered off to call Laurel.

Felicity did not register much after that. Laurel came, Oliver got up from his induced sleep, and they talked; Laurel hugged Oliver but Felicity didn't have time to dwell on these things. So she left the lair and came home for a quick change. Thea was sleeping so Felicity tried being as quiet as possible but Thea woke up.

"Hey, Thea. Go back to sleep. I was just grabbing myself a change of clothes."

"Felicity, where are you going? It's already 7."

"Oh, I am sure you would have noticed I don't have a job at the moment so I am just pitching in as a part time worker in a coffee shop unit I find something more stable. Have you had dinner yet?"

"No. I thought I will eat with Sin. She is leaving for Central City today to meet her friend so I thought I will leave her to the station."

"Oh; what time does her train leave?"

"Around 9."

"Okay, make sure you are back home by 10. I will be a bit late so give me a call when you are home okay. A spare key to the apartment is next to the refrigerator."

"Okay, I will and Felicity?"

"Yes, Thea."

"Come back soon."

"As soon as I am done, I will be here. Don't worry. "And with that Felicity left all the while not accepting that the knot forming in her chest was becoming painful.

Oliver was more than shocked to see Laurel in the lair and when Laurel gave him the whole speech about how she knew him to his bones, Oliver felt numb. This was the woman who had launched a man hunt for him believing that he was the one who killed Tommy and suddenly she knew him. Oliver seriously needed to have a word with Felicity about this. He had gone to the harbor not to surrender but to tell Slade that he will be ready for a fight because he could not get what Felicity had said out of his mind. His sister needed him so did his partners. He will protect them till his last breath without being a coward. He will fight and win. He had to and he will. But what snapped Oliver's attention was Blood. And that's how Oliver found himself facing the new Mayor of his city in a restaurant.

"Oliver Queen. We missed you at your mother's funeral. My deep condolences over your mother's death. She was an amazing woman."

"She was up until the day Slade Wilson killed her so that you can be the Mayor."

"Oliver, I don't know what you are.."

"Cut the crap, Blood. I know you work for Slade."

"How?"

"Because I am the Arrow."

Oliver didn't see shock on Blood's face knowing he was the Arrow. He just saw confirmation.

"You knew I was the Arrow, didn't you?"

"I have had my suspicions especially seeing the way Slade is so hell bent on destroying you."

"Why are you doing this, Blood?"

"Oliver, when you want a city which you have always dreamed of there is a need to ravage it and tear it down before bringing in new order to it. I am sure you know that."

"Slade is just using you, Blood. He is going to leave you to die when all this ends."

"He promised me I will be the Mayor of Starling and he delivered no matter the means. What are you going to do Oliver? Stab in in a restaurant full of people?"

"I will kill you, I promise."

"You can try Oliver. You and your bodyguard and that little blonde but you won't succeed. Slade is too strong and too determined to fulfill his promises. So no matter how much you and your team tries all that will be heard will be your screams and screams of the people you love. So you had better keep your team mates at arm's length especially that blonde. And tell her that sunshine suits her better than earth."

And with that Blood left leaving Oliver reeling with his thoughts. Oliver didn't know what Blood's last line meant but he had an idea and all the while riding back to the lair he wished that he was wrong.

Oliver entered the lair and walked over to Felicity ignoring Laurel's questioning eyes and led her aside.

"Oliver, what's wrong? What did Blood say?"

"Felicity, didn't you mention that you dye your hair? What is the natural color of your hair?"

"Oliver, what's happening? How is the color of my hair important right now?"

"Felicity, please. Just humor me, okay? What's your natural color?"

"Mouldy brown you know like the earth."

And Oliver was sure that he stopped breathing. "There is one more person who has to die before all this can end."

Slade's words rang in his ear and when he looked at Felicity all he saw was her fragile form lying on the ground bleeding due to a sword being driven through her heart.

That's the next chapter. Now things are really heating up. I haven't really got much reviews so I don't know whether I should be worried that maybe the story is not that good but I couldn't stop myself from continuing the story! Thanks to all of those who are reading this and Thanks to the ones who gave a review. Let's hope Oliver figures out a way to save 'his girl'.