Felicity slowly came to in a strange place, her head throbbing from where the woman she assumed was Sophia had cracked her with the butt of a gun. She tried to move and grimaced, ropes tied tightly around her body and arms. She shoved her panic down, knowing it would do her no good. She had to get herself out of this or hold out until Oliver came for her because she knew he would. It was only a matter of when.
She blinked slowly and tried to find some hint of where she was but it was no use. Her glasses were gone and the room was very dimly lit, making it nearly impossible to make anything out in the room. Her best guess was that she was in a warehouse but what made her more nervous was she didn't know if she was still in Starling City or not. For all she knew, she could be in Central City or some other place out in the middle of nowhere. Getting out of these ropes was her first priority, though, and she turned her attention back to that problem. She strained at the ropes again and again to no avail.
"You won't be getting out of those, I can tell you that much," a woman's voice drifted into the room.
She swore in her head and she knew her already slim chances of escaping became even slimmer. "Let me guess, Sophia Cassavette?"
Sophia stepped into the light, an unnerving smile on her thin lips, large brown eyes wide open in a startling way. "That's right. I never properly introduced myself before I knocked you out."
"Untie me and I'll be happy to return the favor," Felicity said. She knew she should keep her mouth shut and not antagonize the crazy woman but keeping her mouth shut was not her forte.
Sophia smirked and stepped forward, back handing Felicity, hard. The inside of her mouth stung and she tasted copper, the inside of her cheek breaking open against the side of her teeth. "I'd watch that mouth if I were you, I quite enjoyed that."
Felicity straightened up as well as she could while tied to a chair and narrowed her eyes at Sophia. She wasn't going to let this woman see the fear in her, no way. She was terrified, she didn't think she could escape on her own, at least not while she was tied up, and she didn't know if anyone was going to be able to find her before Sophia killed her. 'No,' she thought to herself. Thoughts like that would do her no good, she would get out of here. Whether it was on her own or Oliver found her, she would get out of here. It was that thought that straightened her spine and brought a smile to her lips. "You have no idea the hell you've just unleashed upon yourself."
Sophia laughed, echoing off the walls. "I'm not afraid of your little boyfriend. He isn't going to save you, sweetheart. It's just you and me now."
"Where did your lap dog go? Oh, that's right, I tased him," she shot back. "How's he feeling, by the way? I hear it takes a while for complete body function to return after that kind of shock," she mocked. She hadn't been able to stop them from taking her but Shepard had made the mistake of not patting her down, allowing her to maneuver the taser out of her pocket while she'd been in the back of the van, unsupervised, with her hands tied in front of her. The second the doors had opened and he'd gotten close enough, she'd managed to nail him in his side with it, sending a few thousand volts into him. He'd fallen to the ground but before she'd even had a chance to move, Sophia had rounded the corner and slammed the butt of a gun into her head, making the world go dark.
Sophia glared at her while she began to pace in front of her. "Don't worry about my dear Frank. He'll be recovered in no time and trust me when I say, you're going to regret that little stunt you pulled."
She believed that, she just hoped she was long gone by the time he was back on his feet. "Now what are you going to do? You managed to get me here but I don't understand what do you think this will accomplish?" Maybe if she could just keep her talking, buy herself some time, she could find a way out of this.
Sophia frowned. "I haven't quite decided yet. I planned on having James here but things changed. I don't have the time to wait for him."
Panic rippled through her, time was the one thing she'd thought she might have on her side but she'd clearly underestimated the woman in front of her. "You must waste a lot of time waiting on him."
"This is your fault!" She exploded. "He's been loyal these last twenty years and if it wasn't for you, he still would be."
Felicity scoffed. "I don't see what I have to do with my father's loyalty towards you. The way I heard it, he chose you over us twenty years ago." Felicity controlled her facial expression as she managed to slip her left hand out of the ropes unnoticed.
"If I would have known about you and your mother back then, I would have killed you then and we wouldn't be in this situation. As it is, I have to take a completely unnecessary trip across the country to dispose of your whore of a mother."
Felicity laughed loudly while she subtly worked her right wrist out of the rope. "Do you even hear yourself right now? Do you hear how insane you sound? You would've killed a six-year-old because what? My dad left you?"
Sophia flew across the room, her hands on the back of the chair while she leaned in close to Felicity's face. Felicity froze and prayed that Sophia didn't realize she had one and a half hands free. "He's mine! If my brother had just left his sister alone, he never would have left. And I wouldn't have wasted years of my life trying to get him back." She pushed off the chair, making it rock slightly, but she hadn't noticed Felicity's free hand. She resumed her pacing, running both hands through her hair, eyes wide and wild.
"He left us to come back to you. You won twenty years ago."
Sophia stopped, whipping her head back towards Felicity. "Is that what he told you? That he left to come running back to me?"
"He said you got a hold of him and he saw an opportunity to come home, so he took it."
"Lies!" She hissed. "I tried for years to get him to come home. I even cut the brake lines on his parents car, thinking he would come home for the funeral but he never surfaced."
Horror filled Felicity's gut and she felt a renewed urgency to get herself out of these damn ropes.
"It was only when I threatened to kill that little brat Owen that he finally came home." She turned her back to Felicity. "I should have killed him when I had the chance, too. He's proven to be a strong ally for my husband. Or maybe I should have let his little addict of a mother live." She shrugged her shoulders and turned back to Felicity. "I'll be honest with you, I'm not the best at thinking ahead. I react. Except this time. This time, I bided my time for months, waiting for the right time but I never thought he would reach out to you. I also didn't account for your close relationship with the Arrow." She stepped out of sight for a second, returning with a handgun. "I wanted to watch James' face while he watched you bleed out but finding your lifeless body will have to do."
Both hands were out now and she was so close to undoing the ropes, already feeling them loosening. Her nerves were shot and her hands were sweaty but she was working with stubborn determination. "And what about after that? You think he'll come crawling back to you?"
"I'm not that stupid. I've barely held my control over him all these years and he'll be out for my blood after this but it doesn't matter. I gave him the chance to really choose me, to really be with me but he's never been happy. Maybe I haven't either but what matters is that I get what want. I wanted James and now I don't." She shrugged her shoulders."I might as well rip every thing he has ever loved away from him before I kill him. He's the next to die, he's betrayed me far too many times. It's time for us to go our separate ways."
"Haven't you ever heard of divorce?"
Sophia's eyes widened and she appeared offended. "I'm Catholic. Divorce is not an option."
Felicity forgot about the ropes for a minute and stared at her in disbelief. "But murder is?" Felicity let out a low whistle. "That's some serious crazy person logic."
"Shut up!" She screamed, spit flying from her mouth. "You don't know anything about me!"
"I know that you're insane. I know that you think by killing a man's family, you can make him love you or that you can control him or whatever it is you've been trying to do to James for the past two decades. I know that you're a sad, desperate, lonely person who has no one left. Your brother's dead because of you, you're going to kill your husband, and I'm pretty sure the only friend you have is the only person in your circle who is even more psychotic than you. What will you really have left at the end of this?" Just a few more seconds and she would be free.
"I'll have me! And Frank and all the people who are loyal to me!"
Felicity shook her head, actually feeling a small amount of pity towards this woman. "The same people who were once loyal to your brother. They betrayed him for you, what makes you think they won't do the same to you the second someone else comes along? Someone who's more sane or at least hides it better, what will you do then?"
Sophia sneered. "I know you won't be around to find out. I'm growing tired of your insults and petty jabs, little girl. I think it's time to put an end to this." She leveled the gun at Felicity's head, her eyes cold, and Felicity knew she'd pull the trigger with no hesitation. She'd run out of time.
Thankfully, she'd undone her ropes and the second the gun raised up, she dove out of her chair, throwing herself at Sophia's legs. She slammed into her with her full body weight, throwing Sophia to the ground and sending the gun flying. Felicity sent up a small prayer before she pulled her elbow back and punched Sophia in the face. She felt her nose crack under her fist and blood gushed out. Felicity jumped off of her and dove for the gun, her right hand throbbing from her successful punch. She was inches from the gun when Sophia's hand grasped her ankle and yanked her back down to the floor. Felicity screamed, startled, as she slammed into the concrete, her head bouncing off. Her head felt like it exploded as blood poured from the wound, affecting her vision. She saw Sophia grab the gun and she scrambled away from her. A shot went off to her left and she froze for a second before she backed into the wall and she knew there were no escape options left, this was it. Tears filled her eyes and Oliver's smiling face flashed through her mind. She wished she'd had a chance to say goodbye, she wished she could apologize for failing him and getting herself killed, she wished she had more time.
Sophia raised the gun and smiled. Felicity straightened up and met her gaze, refusing to be afraid. "Fuck you," she spat at Sophia. She didn't swear much but if there ever was an appropriate time for an F-bomb, now was the time. She was trying to come with some last hail-mary escape plan but as she watched Sophia's finger twitch towards the trigger, she knew that wouldn't be happening.
Imagine her surprise, then, when instead of watching Sophia shoot her, she watched her fall to the ground. Confusion washed over her until she noticed the ropes that had magically appeared around Sophia, containing her as she rolled around on the ground. It didn't register that it was from an arrow until Oliver came into sight. His eyes widened in shock as he took her in before running across the room and falling to his knees in front of her. He grasped her head with his hands and his worried eyes searched her. "Jesus, you're bleeding."
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she told him between sobs as she collapsed into his arms. His arms wrapped around her, so tight it was painful, but she didn't care. He cradled her head as she sobbed into his chest, fingers clutching his arm.
"I've got you," he whispered as he pulled her into his lap.
"You bitch! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to slit that pretty little throat and watch you bleed out!" Sophia screamed at her while she rolled around the floor trying to free herself.
"That's not going to happen," she heard Lieutenant Lance tell Sophia and her body sagged in relief. It was really over.
"Frank's still out there! He'll get you and if he doesn't, Tockman will!" She continued to scream as Lance pulled her to her feet.
Felicity used Oliver for support as she slowly got to her feet. She could tell Oliver wanted to protest which made her feel grateful that he didn't. She stood still for a minute, gaining her bearings seeing as she was feeling a little dizzy. Sophia continued to spew venom at her but she didn't bother paying attention to what she was saying. She made her way over to her, smiling as she watched Sophia struggle against the ropes around her and Lieutenant Lance's grip. She pulled her arm back and swung, connecting once again with Sophia's already broken nose. "I told you I'd pay you back," she said while Sophia swore and kicked out at her.
"Get her out of here," Oliver said, a mixture of worry and pride in his eyes as he stared at Felicity.
Felicity shook her hand out as soon as Sophia's back was turned, surprised again at how much it hurt to actually hit someone.
"Are you ok?" Oliver asked once Sophia was gone.
Felicity nodded and immediately regretted it, hissing in pain. "I'm fine, I just want to go home."
Oliver frowned. "I think you should go to the hospital."
"No way in hell," she protested.
"I have to side with Oliver on this one," Diggle said as he joined them. She hadn't noticed him or Roy or her father or Owen come in. She'd been focused on Oliver and Sophia.
"I'm fine, I just took a couple hits to the head."
Oliver growled behind her and she turned towards him, startled. "You're going to the hospital, Felicity."
She looked at the men surrounding her and knew she'd already lost the battle. She didn't have the energy to argue anyway. She threw her hands up in defeat. "I'm not happy about it because they are definitely going to keep me overnight because I'm probably concussed from all this and I don't even like walking into hospitals so staying overnight sounds like a nightmare-"
"Felicity," Oliver said gently, his hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry," she sighed. "What I was trying to say was your right."
Oliver smirked. "Now I'm convinced you have brain damage."
"I wouldn't tease her too much, Oliver. Did you see the punch she landed?" Diggle said, impressed.
"I remember trying to teach her how to really throw a punch last month and it looked nothing like that," Roy chimed in.
"Hey, I'm still standing here, you guys." She was beginning to feel a little light-headed and she wanted to get in a vehicle so she could sit down.
"And you shouldn't be. Let's go before you change your mind or pass out," Oliver voiced her thoughts as she thought them, putting his arm around her and letting her lean on him for support.
She caught sight of her father and Owen standing awkwardly over in the corner but other than a slight nod from her father, there was no acknowledgment of each other. It made her sad for some reason and she realized she felt bad for her father, she understood why he'd left all those years ago. Her long-standing anger for her father had faded a little in the last hour but the tragedy in his life wasn't an excuse for the man he was. Tragedy itself didn't determine your path in life, it was how you responded, who you became in the aftermath that mattered. Her father had let Sophia hold the power over him, he had let everything weigh him down and harden him, leaving him unable to see the good in the world. He was nothing like the man who was standing by her side now. Oliver had withstood more tragedy than any one person should have to endure but he continually came out the other side a stronger and better man. It was one of many things she admired in him.
"What are you smiling about?" Oliver asked as he pushed the door open, leading them into the cool night and out of the dark, musty warehouse. He stared at her, concern shadowing his eyes.
She hadn't even realized she'd been smiling and she understood that it must have seemed out of place to Oliver, given the recent events, yet she was feeling good about her situation. Sure, she'd been kidnapped, taken more than one good hit to the head, and had a gun pointed at her, but she was alive. It was hard, even with the bleeding head wound, to feel upset considering that ten minutes ago she'd been convinced she was going to die. "I'm just thinking about how happy I am to be alive."
She didn't think it was possible and it wasn't the reaction she expected but concern etched itself deeper into his brow. "I'm happy, too," he said as he helped her into the car, climbing in after her.
She frowned. "You don't sound like it." She was surprised when he didn't say anything, choosing instead to pull her close to him, wrapping his arms around her almost painfully. He pressed his face against her head gently, inhaling deeply, as if he was trying to convince himself that she was really there. She let it go on for a moment, savoring being this close to him, before she pulled away so she could look at him. "Hey," she said softly. "Are you ok?"
His lips flicked up in what was supposed to pass for a smile but she wasn't convinced in the slightest. "I'm ok, I'm just relieved. I didn't think I was going to get there in time."
She flinched when the car started to move, the pounding in her head intensifying. "Speaking of which, how did you find me?"
Oliver looked away sheepishly and she caught a glance of Dig smirking in the rearview mirror. "There was a tracker in your taser."
She gaped at him. "Seriously? How long has that been there?"
"Not that long. I put it in there the night I talked to Martin Cassavette but to be honest, I forgot about it until Dig mentioned it."
She narrowed her eyes at Dig, who was staring straight ahead. Convenient how he was the attentive driver when it was him in the hot seat. A thought occurred to her and she turned back to Oliver. "I knew you seemed too at ease after that talk with Martin."
"I didn't want to take any chances and I knew that you've been carrying that thing on you constantly, even more so lately, it seemed like a safe bet. I was worried Sophia might have found it on you but it was right outside the warehouse door."
She smiled tiredly, exhaustion setting in. "I tased Shepard when he opened the van doors." She yawned and curled up into the seat. She frowned when Oliver nudged her. "Hey," she grumbled.
"You have to stay awake, Felicity. We're almost to the hospital."
"Thank you, Oliver. For saving my life. Again," she told him sleepily. "I gave her a fight, though."
"Of course you did," he whispered as he placed a light kiss against her head.
Oliver paced outside her hospital room with Roy, his stomach was a knotted, anxious mess. It had been like that since the moment he'd realized she was gone and it had only escalated since he'd gotten to the warehouse.
"She's going to be fine, Oliver," Roy said, dragging him out of his thoughts.
"I know. It's just-"
"You thought we lost her," he stated. Oliver heard the gunshot ring out in his head again, reliving the moment he'd been convinced he was too late. "I did, too," Roy said so quietly Oliver almost didn't hear him.
"But we didn't. She's safe, Roy, and this isn't going to happen again," he told him.
"You can't guarantee that, Mr. Queen," James' voice came from beside him. "Would you give us a moment to speak privately, Mr. Harper?"
Roy looked towards Oliver, who gave him a brief nod. Roy looked unconvinced but he still walked away, leaving the two of them alone. "What is it?" Oliver bit out.
James sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. "I wanted to thank you, for saving my daughter's life." Oliver started to tell him that he didn't do it for him when James cut him off. "I know that you care about her, that she's important to you." Oliver was rendered speechless, earning him a look from James. "I might not have a relationship with my daughter but I'm not a fool, Oliver." He ran a hand through his hair, showing for a moment how ragged he was really feeling. "And I may not agree with your extra-curricular activities or my daughter's involvement in them but I do know that you will do everything in your control to keep her safe. I just don't know if it'll be enough when the time comes."
Oliver wanted to protest, he wanted to yell at James, tell him to get the hell out of here, but he couldn't because James had a point. It was the same thing that was tearing him up at this moment. "I know and if I could stash her away and keep her safe from everything, I would. But that's not who your daughter is. She's brave and courageous and she believes in this, she believes in me. Putting her on the sidelines will never be an option because she would never want that and we need her. I wouldn't underestimate her, Mr. Manning, she's a strong woman."
"And I suppose I have you to thank for that?"
Oliver shook his head. "No, it's all your daughter. She's an amazing woman."
James smiled. "That she is. And as much as I hate to admit it, you're not so bad yourself, Queen."
"I wish I could say the same for you."
Silence fell over for them for a moment but before either could speak again, the door to Felicity's room opened and her doctor stepped out. "How is she?" Oliver asked the second the door was closed.
"She's going to be fine. She's got a concussion so we're going to keep her overnight but as long she doesn't take any more knocks to the head, she'll be perfectly fine. She asked to see you, Mr. Queen."
Oliver nodded and thanked him. He watched him walk away before his hand reached for the doorknob.
"Will you give her this?" James asked, handing him a piece of paper with a number scribbled on it. "Tell her she can call it whenever she wants but I'd like to see her before I go back to Central City."
Oliver took the paper and shoved it in his pocket. "I'll pass along the message."
James placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder. "Thank you." Oliver knew he was thanking him for more than giving Felicity his number which left him once again at a loss for words. James turned around and walked away, joining Owen, who was standing at the end of the hallway. Oliver shook his head before pushing the door open and walking into Felicity's room.
"Was that my father I heard out there?" She asked before he'd even completely stepped foot into the room.
Oliver nodded and walked over to her, handing her the scrap of paper. "He wanted me to give you that and tell you that he'd like to see you before he leaves the city tomorrow."
She frowned but took the piece of paper anyways. "Huh," she muttered.
Oliver grabbed a chair and pulled it close to the bed. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he sat down and looked her over. There was a goose egg on the right side of her forehead that was turning into a wicked bruise along with matching cut on the opposite side.
"I feel like I got hit by a truck and I'd like to get more than half an hour of sleep at a time but other than that, I'm just peachy." She pointed a finger at him. "I told you they were going to make me stay overnight."
"You were right."
She grinned, making him smile. "I like hearing you say that."
He took his jacket off and threw it over the back of the chair. "Well if you're stuck here all night, then so am I."
"Oliver," she said softly.
He leaned forward, setting his elbows on the edge of the bed, and grabbed her hand. "I don't want to hear it, Felicity. There is nothing you could say that will make me leave so you're going to have to accept that you're stuck with me until you get out of here." She smiled and shook her head but didn't say anything else.
It was almost noon by the time they got out of there and both of them were exhausted from lack of sleep. Nurses had come into her room frequently to check on her, waking her up, and Oliver couldn't sleep if he tried. Dig had stopped by earlier in the day, bringing her a fresh change of clothes and a spare pair of glasses. When he'd offered to give Felicity a ride home, Oliver had told him to head and take the day off. He'd swung by his apartment last night after Felicity had first gotten to the hospital, needing to change out of his Arrow clothes, and he'd driven her car back to the hospital, something which he was thankful for today. She gave him a strange look when she realized they were taking her car. "When did this get here?"
"I drove it here last night, I didn't want to take my bike and it was still at my apartment."
She held her hands out waiting for the keys. He brushed past her and opened the passenger door for her, telling her without words that she wasn't driving. She rolled her eyes but climbed into the car without protest, surprising Oliver. He jumped in, started the car, and began to drive in the direction of her place.
They rode in silence for a few minutes but she hadn't stopped staring at him since they'd gotten in the car and it was beginning to unnerve him. "What?" He asked.
She laughed lightly. "It's just strange to see Oliver Queen driving my car."
He almost told her that she was going to have to get used to it but he held his tongue, unsure of where they stood. "Are you going to call your father today?" He changed the subject.
She slumped back into the seat. "I think so. I want to talk to him but I don't at the same time, does that make any sense?" When Oliver nodded, she continued. "I don't think I want a relationship with him but I'd like to have a conversation that wasn't brought on by someone trying to kill me."
"Are you going to call him when we get back?"
"Yeah, I think I might take a nap first. I feel like I haven't slept in days."
Oliver smiled but it quickly disappeared once Felicity's place came into sight. "I don't think you're going to be able to take that nap."
She muttered something under her breath about impatient men as she shook her head. "I guess we're doing this now. On the bright side, maybe I can get some uninterrupted sleep after he leaves."
Oliver pulled up next to the dark sedan, catching sight of Owen sitting in the driver's seat. James was out of the car, leaning against it, waiting for them. "Do you want me to come with?" He asked her as he parked the car.
She thought about it for a second before she shook her head. "Just give us a minute."
Oliver nodded. "I'll be right here if you need me."
She smiled at him before getting out of the car. "I know you will be."
Felicity made her way inside the house, James close behind her. She pointed towards the table where they'd had their last conversation, gesturing for him to take a seat. "Would you like some coffee?"
He waved her off. "I won't be here long and I'm sure you could use some rest."
She nodded while she stood there, feeling awkward. When she realized there was nothing she could do to avoid this conversation, she finally sat down, perching on the edge of her seat.
James sighed. "I came here because I wanted to apologize."
"For what exactly?" She said before she could stop.
"Everything. Sophia, our last conversation, leaving you."
She nodded absent-mindedly. "I get it. Why you left. Sophia told me she killed your parents, that she threatened to kill Owen."
He nodded slowly. "I knew it was only a matter of time before she discovered that you and Fiona existed. I couldn't take the chance."
"Why didn't you tell me that the other night?"
"I can admit that I handled things poorly the last time we talked but I came in here with the idea that I was going to upfront and honest with you. I never factored in how difficult that would actually be, hearing everything out loud made me realize how many awful decisions I've made over the years. I don't blame you for hating me, I would hate me, too."
She smiled sadly. "I don't hate you, I never have. I wanted to but I could never make myself. Though, that doesn't mean I agree with anything you've done."
"I wouldn't expect you to. I want to be a better man, Felicity, but I think that it's too late for me to change."
She snorted. "It's never too late change. You just have to want it."
He smiled. "You do have a point. We'll see how things go, especially after I get home and find out how big a mess everything is now that Martin's dead and Sophia's out of the picture."
Something occurred to her and her blood chilled. "You didn't set this all up so you could take control, did you?"
He actually managed to look offended or maybe it was shock. Either way, she believed that wasn't his plan before he even had a chance to protest. "That's not what I intended at all. I wouldn't have involved myself in your life unless I absolutely had to, I wanted you to be happy, and I bring trouble everywhere I go." He folded his hands in front of him and met her eyes. "Look, Felicity, I know it won't happen overnight but I'd really like to get to know you, make up for all the years I missed."
Sighing, she said, "To be honest, I don't know. A lot of damage has been done and as much as I'd like to move on from all of this, it's going to take some time."
He nodded understandingly. "Time is something I have." He stood up, straightening his shirt. "As much as I'd like to stick around, I have to get back to the city and take care of things."
She nodded and stood up, walking with him back over to the door. She stopped and crossed her arms across her chest, stifling a yawn.
James paused at the door and smiled at her. "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you. You've turned into an amazing woman." A look passed over his face and the next thing she knew, her father had pulled her into his arms, giving her a tight and quick hug. He moved away, clearing his throat. "Take care of yourself, Felicity. Feel free to call that number if you ever need anything or you just want to talk." There was a hopeful twinge to his voice that made her soften even more. He smiled at her one last time before walking out the door.
She watched him through the window as he walked over to the cars, saying something to Oliver before offering his hand to him, who in turn shocked Felicity by taking it and shaking it. He got into the car with Owen and both her and Oliver watched the car until it disappeared down the road. Felicity released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Hey," Oliver's voice called softly from the door. "Are you ok?"
She nodded, smiling at him. "Actually, yeah. What did he say to you?"
Oliver smiled as he walked over to her. "He told me to try not to get you killed. I think he likes me."
She snorted. "Do you think that earns you some points with me?"
He chuckled. "I'm worried that it counts against me."
"I think saving my life buys you enough goodwill to cover what you think is my father's approval." She nudged him playfully as she yawned. "I don't know about you but I think it's time for some sleep."
"Agreed. I'm going to crash on your couch, if that's ok?" She hesitated for a second and he added,"I wasn't really asking. I'm not leaving you alone tonight."
"Are we starting this again?" She asked in a teasing tone.
He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "This isn't about your safety, though that's not to say that I'm not concerned, but this is for me." A pained expression came over his face and he looked away from her. "I thought you died last night, Felicity." He ran a hand through his short hair, making her realize how much yesterday had affected him. "I heard the gunshot and I thought that was it and then when I got inside, I thought she was going to pull the trigger before I could do anything. I thought I lost you," his voice cracked uncharacteristically and all she wanted to do was make him feel ok again.
She stepped closer to him, placing both of her hands on his chest, assuring him that she was still here. "But you didn't. I'm alive because of you. I'm here because of you, Oliver." When he still didn't look up at her, she touched his face lightly, making their eyes meet. "I thought I was going to die last night," she whispered. "But I didn't. Life is too short to worry about the what-ifs, what matters is that I'm alive and I'm here. That's what's important." She smiled. "You saved my life again, Oliver, focus on that." She leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Now, as much as I wish I could stand here talking to you, I'm going to fall asleep standing up if don't go to bed."
He smiled and stepped back from her, gesturing towards the couch. "I'll be out here if you need me."
She gave him one last look before making her way to her bedroom. She got all the way to the door before she stopped. "Oliver?" She turned back to face him. "Will you sleep with me?" She flushed. "I don't mean sleep with me, I mean sleep with me." She flushed brighter, shaking her head. "When I was thinking that in my head, it seemed like a good idea but now that I've said it out loud," she trailed off and turned around, opening the bedroom door. She'd took one step before Oliver's hand wrapped around her wrist. She turned back to find him smiling down at her.
"Let's get some sleep."