"Everything checks out," Felicity told Oliver and Dig. It was the morning after meeting with her father and the three of them were grouped around her kitchen table. She wanted to confirm as much of her father's story that she possibly could. Roy had headed home about two hours earlier to catch some sleep. "James Manning attended school with the Cassavette siblings. Attended one year of college before disappearing for the next seven years. I also found Owen's birth certificate, Meghan Manning is listed as his mother but there's no father, which doesn't surprise me."

Oliver shuffled through some papers she'd printed off for him. "I have her death certificate here but other than a bank account that was cleaned out and shut down a decade ago, there is nothing else on her."

"If we assume they kept their promise and took care of her financially, she wouldn't need a job or anything. They probably put her in a house that wasn't under her name." Felicity shook her head, feeling frustrated. "Their parents or well, my grandparents, I guess, passed away in a car accident three years after my father left. Convenient that he didn't mention that yesterday."

"Maybe it slipped his mind," Dig offered but he didn't sound like he believed it.

"Slipped his mind to tell me my only living relatives other than him and my cousin are dead? I'm sure he was just looking out for me, thought I couldn't handle it," she chuckled, drawing funny looks from Dig and Oliver. "Your aunt's dead, my psychotic wife is trying to kill you, I'm horrible person, and your last name is from some dead guy whose identity I stole. You'd think dead grandparents wouldn't be that big of a deal in comparison."

"I know that this is a lot to take in, Felicity."

"A lot? That's an understatement," she snapped. "I'm sorry," she immediately apologized. She was doing too much of that for her liking lately.

"How much sleep did you get last night after we left?" Dig asked. He'd left with Oliver about an hour after her father had, leaving Roy on babysitting duty.

"Not much," she admitted. "I know it's stupid but the one thing about yesterday that has stuck in brain is that my last name comes from some random guy that had the unfortunate luck to be dead at the time my father needed a new identity. I laid there for hours last night thinking about how I should have gone through life with a different name." Every time the words Felicity Manning had popped into her mind, her stomach had rolled.

"That doesn't mean anything. It's only a name," Oliver pointed out.

She resisted the urge to point out that Thea had felt the same when she discovered Malcolm was her father. She didn't think that would earn her any brownie points. "I know it's just a name but my brain keeps making a bigger deal out of it. My mom has never changed her name back to her maiden name, even after twenty years. Hell, I don't even think they're divorced. She has no idea who he really is." For the second time that week, she considered calling her but decided against it. She had no idea what she would even tell her. A part of her was worried, though, and she briefly wished she lived closer to her. At least then she could keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe.

"She'll be okay, Felicity," Oliver said, showing once again that he had an uncanny ability to tell what she was thinking. "I have someone watching her." She stared at him over her laptop, lips parting slightly in shock. "I knew you'd be worried so I contacted a friend of mine out there, someone I trust to keep her safe. She's okay."

"That's what you guys did after you left last night, isn't it?"

Dig nodded in response.

"Thank you," she told them sincerely. One upside to the craziness around her was that there was no doubt in her mind that all these men in her life had her back, and it made her feel more loved than she had in years.

"And as far as we're concerned, you're Felicity Smoak. That's who you are and that's not changing," Oliver assured her.

She sighed. "I know you're right, it's just a name. It doesn't change who I am."

"Exactly," he told her. "And we like you the way you are."

Her heart stuttered. "We're getting dangerously close to giving me an inflated ego again."

Dig chuckled. "I have hard time imagining you getting too big of an ego."

"I'll remind you of this conversation when I become an egomaniac." Her computer pinged, a new email coming in. She clicked on it and groaned as she quickly scanned through it. "We have a problem. Well, not a problem, more like an inconvenience. Actually, it could be a problem and an—"

Felicity," Oliver cut off her rambling. "What is it?"

"You remember that little fundraiser we've been planning since, I don't know, pretty much the second you got the company back?"

Oliver nodded, frowning. "Yeah, the Starling City Relief Fund—" he trailed off, understanding dawning on his face. "That's this weekend?"

Felicity made a face. "It sure is. Saturday night."

"We'll skip it. Unless we take care of this in the next couple days."

"The Starling City Relief Fund is important, Oliver. You're the face of Queen Consolidated, you have to be there."

"Then I'll stop in, make an appearance."

She sighed. "That might have worked back when Isabel was here but not now."

His nostrils flared. "Fine, then I'll go but you're not coming anywhere near it so don't even think about asking."

"I wasn't going to ask because I'm going, with or without your permission, which I'll remind you that I do not need."

"Staying here or going to the lair or even leaving the house in general is in an entirely different realm than going to a charity fundraiser. It's completely unnecessary and you know it."

She had a sudden urge to toss her pen at his head. "I've helped plan the entire thing for the past four months, I should be there." That wasn't necessarily true. She'd hired a party planner but she'd approved things, that had to count for something. She hated these things and she would have loved a reason to get out of it but that was before people starting telling her what she could and couldn't do.

"That was before mobsters were looking for you."

She gestured around the house. "Then where are they? Other than those first two guys, nobody has come looking for me here."

"That you can see."

"I'm with Oliver on this one, Felicity," Dig interrupted, earning a glare from her.

She was about to concede when an idea came over her. She jumped out of her seat. "Actually, we could use this fundraiser to help us out with our current problem."

"How so?" Dig asked.

Oliver huffed, crossing his arms against his chest. Felicity ignored him, her body humming with excitement. "You know how I had the crazy idea to use myself as bait?"

"Not this again," Oliver started.

"Let me finish." She frowned. "Well, actually, yeah, that's pretty much the whole plan. We use me and the fundraiser to draw them out."

"And what? Hope Sophia shows up instead of sending Shepard? Or that Tockman shows? Or that some two-bit criminal doesn't get a hold of you? It's not happening, Felicity. There's too many ways that could go wrong." Oliver metaphorically dug his heels in.

"It's not that crazy of an idea, Oliver. I'm sure the Lieutenant can spare some bodies to help and there's the four of us. Even if she doesn't show, I'm sure some other ambitious criminals will and we can take a few out. Or they won't and I can enjoy the fundraiser that I planned."

Silence washed over the room as the men considered their options. "That could work," Oliver said, hesitantly. "No guarantees and I want to talk to Lance first but it could be our best option."

"See," she said. "I'm full of good ideas over here."

"I wouldn't go that far yet," Oliver said but he was smiling and she knew he was seriously considering her plan.

They spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon digging up any detail they could find on the Cassavette siblings and the paternal side of her family. Roy joined them again around noon and Dig took off to go check on Lyla, Oliver leaving not long after that.

"I'm sorry about your dad," Roy said out of the blue, breaking the silence.

Caught off guard, she shrugged it off. "So he didn't meet my expectations, no big deal."

She wasn't fooling Roy. "I know a thing or two about shitty parents. Even though you don't want to get your hopes up, you can't help it. I know how disappointing it is when they're not the people you wanted them to be. He missed out on your life and that's on him and the day will come when he realizes what he's missed."

"Thanks, Roy." She pushed her glasses up, sighing. "To be honest, I don't think I want anything to do with him. I don't think his presence in my life will do me any good and I've done just fine without him up to this point."

The room slipped into silence again, both stuck deep in their thoughts. Her father was nothing like she expected but she didn't want to dwell on it. So her father wasn't a good man, he was the one who was going to have to deal with his life choices, not her. Well, with the exception of what was going on now.

"Felicity?" She looked up at Roy who looked slightly uncomfortable. "I just want you to know, if you ever need to talk to someone, I'd be more than happy to listen."

The kiss she shared with Oliver flashed through her mind but she shoved the thought away. She did not have time to think about that. "Thanks, Roy, I appreciate that." She was going to tell him that she would do the same for him when his phone rang.

"Dig, what's up?" His eyes drifted over to her as he listened to Dig, a funny look on his face. "Will do. But uh—I can tell you right now she's not going to like it." He paused again and she wished she could hear what Dig was saying. "Okay. Good luck." He hung up the phone and her stomach dropped.

"What? What is it, Roy?"

"Um—that was Dig. He wanted me to tell you that—uh," he trailed off.

"Spit it out, Roy."

"They're taking the QC plane to Central City to have a talk with Martin Cassavette." The words rushed out of him.

"They're doing what!?" She exploded.

A few hours later, Oliver stepped off the plane and headed into the private hangar.

"Are you sure about this, Oliver?" Dig asked when he caught up.

"Do you have a better idea? I want this over with, sooner rather than later. And I want to avoid using Felicity as bait."

"She's done it before."

He clenched his jaw and dropped his duffel on the floor. He turned around to face Dig. "This is different."

"So you keep saying."

"Are you telling me that you want to put her in danger?"

"You know that's not what I want," Dig said. "This is about something else, isn't it? There's a reason you don't want her to be bait, why?"

"Because I could have gotten her killed the last time!" His voice boomed in the empty hangar. He rubbed his jaw, trying to regain his composure. "I am not putting her in any more danger than she's already in if I don't have to."

"So this is about Slade then?"

"This isn't about Slade," he answered wearily. "This is about Felicity. She's always willing to do this, offer herself up with no regards for her own safety. And when she's not volunteering to be bait, she's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong and getting herself into trouble. I mean, even now, she's done nothing and someone wants to hurt her. For once, I'd like to put a stop to this before I have to rescue her from the arms of a mad man. Or woman."

Dig smirked. "That's something I can get on board with."

A little over an hour later, they were on the rooftop of the mansion that was the Cassavette family base. He was on the phone with Felicity, who was none too happy with him.

"I've disarmed the security system but I don't know how long you have until they notice. The satellite thermal imaging shows ten guards, six patrolling the grounds, three at separate exits and one stationed outside what appears to be a bedroom, one person inside. My money's on it being Martin," she told him, her tone cool and he knew she was pissed. "I'm sending the blueprints to your phone."

"Thanks, Felicity."

She sighed. "Just try not to get yourself killed." She hung up before he could say anything.

Dig chuckled under his breath. "How mad is she?"

"Mad enough." He hoped this worked and he didn't piss her off for nothing.

They quickly and quietly worked, taking out the Cassavette security outside before making their way inside, using the door located in the kitchen. Dig went to take out the ones patrolling while Oliver made his way towards the room where they thought Martin would be. One guard was posted outside, just like Felicity had said. He planned to sneak up on him when the guy turned his head, spotting him.

He reached for his gun and Oliver sent an arrow flying, puncturing the hand that wasn't going for the gun. The guy screamed and dropped his gun but kept charging. Oliver simply moved aside, sending the larger man into the wall. He started to get back up and Oliver slammed his bow into the side of his head, knocking him out.

"House is clear," Dig's said over the comm-link.

Oliver pushed the door open, finding an overweight, middle-aged man, sitting up in bed. His head bobbled as he tried to focus on Oliver. "What the hell are you doing here?" He slurred. He pointed at him, drink in hand, before seemingly forgetting what he was doing. Coming back to reality, he glared and shook his finger, sloshing the drink everywhere. "You shouldn't be in here. Johnson!"

"You're security won't be coming, Mr. Cassavette."

The man threw off the blankets, nearly falling out of the bed. He used the bed to hold himself up before finally steadying, tightening the silk robe he was wearing and taking a pull from the glass tumbler he was still holding. "I don't know who you are but you need to leave." He didn't slur his words this time and Oliver could see the traces of a mob boss in him now.

Oliver leveled an arrow at him. "We need to talk. You and your men need to get out of my city."

"You're the Arrow, aren't you?" He took a step backwards and seemed to be sobering up by the minute. "Look, I don't want any problems with you. None of my men are in Starling City."

"Frank Shepard is and Vincent Marcetti was, until he was killed."

His face crinkled and he seemed confused. "I never sent anyone there." His face turned beet red with anger. "Sophia." He spat her name.

Oliver lowered his bow. "I was told she convinced you to expand into Starling City as a ruse to kidnap her husband's daughter."

Martin swore under his breath. "She tried but I told her no. It makes no sense to set up there, it's an unnecessary risk." He snorted and took another drink. "And now one of my guys is dead and you're standing in my bedroom. Makes a guy wish someone was here to fully appreciate an I told you so." He chuckled to himself before turning serious again. "Though, I don't know if I believe you since I know for a fact James does not have a daughter."

"Trust me he does. She was born during the six years he wasn't in Central City."

A dark look passed over his face but he didn't look surprised. "And he hid it all these years, that son of a bitch. I should have known. I mean, it's no skin off my back if he does have a kid. I just thought I knew everything about that man."

"Will you call your men off?"

Martin waved a hand. "Of course. I told you, I don't want any problems with you. You stay in Starling, I'll stay in Central and everything will be copacetic."

"As long as your sister doesn't do anything stupid."

He glowered. "I will take care of Sophia and her lap dog."

Oliver nodded, feeling uneasy about how well this was going. "I hope so because if anything happens to Felicity, I will make it my personal mission to take you and your sister down."

Martin smiled grimly and knocked back the rest of his drink. "Of that, I have no doubt."

It was the middle of the night by the time Oliver arrived at Felicity's. Dig dropped him off before heading home. Roy was laying on the couch, watching TV, but he couldn't see Felicity. "Is she asleep?" He asked Roy, who started to reply but was interrupted by Felicity's bedroom door flying open. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Oliver, though he was too distracted by the short pajama shorts and tank top she was wearing to be concerned about her anger.

Roy scrambled off the couch. "I'm gonna leave now." Oliver thanked him while Roy dashed past.

"Well, obviously, you survived, so I'm guessing it went well." She moved closer to him but she didn't look any calmer.

"It went surprisingly well, actually."

She stormed over to him, shocking him when she smacked his shoulder. Hard. "Hey!" he started. She stood very close to him, arms folded underneath her breasts.

"What happened to we don't know what we'd be walking into, we can't just show up at a mobster's house? What happened to that? What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about keeping you safe."

"We had a plan! There was no reason to jump on your private plane and fly to Central City!"

"I didn't like your plan," he told her through gritted teeth.

"Then you should have told me, we could have come up with something else, as a team."

"It doesn't matter now, I took care of it. It's over."

She gave him a disbelieving look. "Just like that, huh? I find that hard to believe."

"And you think I don't? Martin had no idea what Sophia was doing, he's going to take care of it. That's why I went to him instead of her."

"Even if he manages to get her back in line, which I doubt, who knows how long it'll last, not to mention that Tockman is still out there, somewhere."

"And we'll find him." He grabbed her shoulders gently and sighed. "I had to do something, Felicity. Maybe it wasn't the best plan and who knows if it'll work but it was a chance I had to take. I couldn't sit around and wait for something to happen to you. I can't lose you."

"And what if something had happened to you? Do you know what that would do to me if you got hurt or killed trying to keep me safe? You're not the only one here who doesn't want to lose someone," she whispered. "If it came down to me or you, I know who I would choose."

It was like she'd lowered every wall she had, leaving everything she was feeling all on her face, and it took his breath away. "Don't say that," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms, placing a kiss on top of her head. His chest felt like it was going to burst and he wanted to stay like this forever, with her in his arms. Once again, he found himself in dangerous territory with her. This wasn't the right time, he didn't know for sure if the danger was really over, so he needed to wait. As much as it was killing him. He squeezed her once more, wanting to commit this feeling to memory, before taking a step back.

Or at least he tried. The second he went to move, her hands gripped his arm and she looked up at him. Her small hand moved up and caressed his cheek while a million emotions passed through her blue eyes. She leaned up, pressing her lips delicately to his, and a shiver ran up his spine. They stayed like that briefly before he deepened the kiss, holding her body as close to his as he could. She moaned and melted into him. He lost himself in her, the only thing that mattered in the entire world was them at that exact moment.

Suddenly, she was gone. He opened his eyes to see that she'd stepped away from him. "What are we doing?" He didn't think she was directly talking to him so he didn't answer. He turned his back to her and rubbed his face, running one hand through his hair. "We can't keep doing this."

"I know," he answered.

"Of all the things we should be doing, making out is not one of them."

It was nothing he hadn't thought himself but it didn't stop the sting that accompanied her words.

"This is completely inappropriate."

"Why is it so inappropriate? Because our lives are in danger?" He shook his head. "That's not going to change anytime soon, so what are we supposed to do, sit here and keep waiting for the mythical right moment?"

"The right moment for what exactly, Oliver?"

He looked away but he could feel her move closer.

"The right moment for what?" She pushed.

"This isn't it," he said mostly to himself.

"Of course it isn't." Her voice was tinged with disappointment. "And it'll never be, Oliver." He heard her feet shuffle across the floor to her bedroom and panic rippled through him. He wasn't handling this well.

"I don't want to screw this up." She stopped dead in her tracks but didn't turn back to him. "This isn't my area of expertise. I'm scared that I'm going to ruin everything and my track record makes that a safe bet." He stopped, unsure of how much he should really tell her. "I would bury these feelings in a heartbeat if it meant I wouldn't lose you."

She still hadn't turned around and her voice was slightly shaky. "What are you saying, Oliver?"

"I'm saying that I'm in love with you and I don't want to hide it anymore. I can't hide it anymore." He took slow steps towards her, feeling a rush of adrenaline from his confession. "These feelings are consuming me, Felicity." He was standing behind her now, too scared to reach out and touch her. "I've buried these feelings for so long that once I acknowledged them, they overwhelmed me." He reached a hand out to touch her but pulled back at the last second. He sighed. "But say the word and we'll forget any of this happened." He knew he wouldn't be able to forget but he could pretend to.

"I don't want to forget." She was still facing away from him and he wished he could see her face. She stood there quiet for a moment but he wasn't going to say anything. He would give her all the time she needed even if every second that passed without her speaking felt like an hour. "But I don't want to screw this up." Finally, she turned to face him. "I love you, Oliver, but this is a huge risk to take. If we take this chance and it doesn't work out, what then? We have a good thing going and I don't want to lose that or you."

"Then we have to decide if it's a chance worth taking before we do something we can't come back from."

"If we haven't already." She looked up at him. "So what now?"

"I say we take a couple of days to think about this, make sure it's a chance we're willing to take before we take the next step, whatever that might be."

"I think that would be a good idea. Maybe put this off until the fundraiser is over, that gives us some time but not too much."

Oliver smiled and cradled her face. "So we're in agreement?" After she nodded, he placed a light, chaste kiss on her lips. "Now go to bed. I think it's safe to say we can return to life as normal tomorrow."

Felicity groaned. "Which means back to work we go."

He chuckled. "I thought you'd be overjoyed to go somewhere that wasn't the lair or here."

"I'm happy to get out of the house but Queen Consolidated isn't exactly first on the last of places I would rather be."

"You're starting to sound like me."

She rolled her eyes. "The sleep deprivation must be getting to me if that's true." She smiled at him one more time before heading into her bedroom.

It occurred to him after the door shut, that she'd told him that she loved him. No matter how this turned out, he would cherish that. He plopped onto the couch, settling in for the night, unable to wipe the ear to ear grin off his face. Not that he wanted to. This was the happiest he'd felt in—well, he didn't know how long it had been and that in and of itself was well worth taking a leap of faith with her.