A/N: Thank you to everyone who has favorite and reviewed. I'm so happy you are all enjoying this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much! Please, read and review.

Chapter Ten: The Dark Knight

"May you know the age of hope when you see it!"

-Annette Curtis Klause; Blood & Chocolate

Three weeks had passed since the fateful night of Felicity's death and rebirth, and Oliver was still reeling from the information overload he had received that night. First, there was the bit about how his own mother had been involved in killing Felicity – which had led to her cat-laced-Mirakuru transformation – with some enforced help from Isabel Rochev who had covered it all up. Then, there was the fact that both Tabitha – aka the White Tiger – and Mr. Wayne – aka the Dark Knight/Batman/Caped Crusader (whatever the hell name he went by these days) – were both respectively also injected with Mirakuru and had been for a few years now. Tabitha, for the last fifteen years, had been carrying the Mirakuru in her blood laced with the DNA of a Northern Siberian White Tiger. Mr. Wayne, from what Oliver had been told, carried the Mirakuru in his blood laced with the DNA of a black Leopard. Both animals considered to be the most volatile and strong mammals on the planet next to the Grizzly Bear and the Polar Bear. He had also learned that Rhas Al Ghul, who was now dead, had also carried the Mirakuru laced in his blood with the DNA of a Russian Red Wolf. On top of that, the mere fact that Mr. Wayne was a masked Vigilante in Gotham as well was something that had been equally shocking as everything else.

In spite of all of this, Oliver had tried his hardest to cope, but each week it grew harder and harder, especially with the growing fact that Felicity had spent the last three weeks working with Mr. Wayne/Batman on trying to figure out why – beyond their search for Talia – the League was really in Starling City. He didn't like the thought of his Felicity being involved in the criminal underworld, and he liked it even less that she was doing it with Wayne…of all people. All throughout the past three weeks, the thought of Felicity and Wayne getting closer and closer – as was obvious by their interactions – was forcing Oliver to realize the same thing over and over again…

Self: meet jealousy, where you'll get a mind-numbing headache, an irresistible urge to commit a violent murder, and a damn inferiority complex!

For the first time in a long time he knew what it felt like to have someone you wanted being taken away from you, and he had no one to blame for himself. But, he needed to tell her…everything. Seeing her with Wayne was eating him up alive, the knowledge of them working together like she had with him was driving him insane. For two years he'd ignored what he felt towards her, denied it, or forced himself to not even acknowledge it. Now…he needed her to know.

Thus, it was on this particular night – it was a Friday and things had been quite in the criminal underbelly of Starling City lately…what with five masked heroes running around all at once – that Oliver was finally going to come clean with Felicity and himself.

Felicity chose that moment to walk into the alley side entrance of the Foundry. She was wearing simple skinny jeans, a red t-shirt, and dark blue heeled ankle boots. A simple purple leather jacket finished the colorful outfit. "Oh, hi Oliver. Just wanted to check on some of my alerts," said Felicity in a distracted voice s she made her way over to her desk of computer monitors where she promptly bent forward to focus on her task. Oliver slowly but deliberately made his way towards her.

"Felicity, I…" the words caught in his throat. Felicity paused in what she was doing and straightened as she felt his presence behind her. Turning, she looked him in the eye and frowned at his lack of voice. "I…" Oliver's eyes closed before he seemed to give up on his own voice and gripped her face between the palms of his hands and lean forward. He hesitated at the small gasp that came from Felicity's lips before diving head first into his kiss.

Felicity had spent the better part of two years wondering what it would be like to kiss Oliver Queen, but this…well, it was not what she expected. At first she figured it would be passionate and rough, and it sure as hell wasn't gentle but…the kiss held a certain level of vulnerability to it. First his lips just brushed over her before it turned into a steady heated lip-lock. In the end it was Felicity who separated the kiss in her need for air.

"I…I love you," Oliver let out in a puff of air. "I love you."

Felicity took a small step back and gazed up at him with calculating look that held love, hope, but also a sense of wariness, and Oliver hated that he had done that to her. He hated that there was any measure of doubt in her mind about what he felt, but he was going to ensure that she knew that it was her he wanted and that she was the most important woman in his life. Felicity's sigh broke through his thoughts.

"If we're going to do this, we do it the right way. I deserve no less from you," said Felicity seriously.

"Agreed," said Oliver in a rough voice. "Meet me here tomorrow."

"For?" asked Felicity, unable to mask the hope in her voice.

"Because, Ms. Smoak…I'd like to date you."

"Ok," said Felicity with a watery smile of joy. This was finally happening.

It was 6:30 the next evening, just an hour before his date with Felicity, when Oliver got the call from a panicked Sara. She had been trying to make amends with Laurel, and the first step to that was complete and total honesty, and as such she had come clean about her involvement with Oliver before, during, and after the island. She had informed Laurel that the affair between Oliver and her had started two weeks before she had gone on the Gambit with him, and then of course there was the fact that they had sexual relations while Sara had been on the island with Oliver, but the worst was how Sara had revealed that she and Oliver had had sex mere hours after her return. Laurel had guessed that they had sex, but she had assumed it was a day or two before that fateful night during their family-reunion diner. Suffice it to that Laurel had irrevocably been driven over the deep end with this new knowledge and, according to Sara's desperate call for help from Oliver, was threatening to kill herself.

By the time Oliver had reached Laurel's apartment, Detective…officer Lance, Mrs. Lance, and Sara were already there along with an ambulance and a couple EMTs. Laurel seemed to be bad off, but at least the EMTs had some sort of control over her, but the moment she saw Oliver she seemed to lose what little sanity she had left. It wasn't until six hours later after they had all, by force, put Laurel into a mental and rehab facility just outside of Starling City, that Oliver realized that he had completely forgotten about is date with Felicity. He was just about to make his way home when Digg and Roy found him and cornered him to reveal some interesting news about Malcom Merlyn having just been spotted and now the public news was going to practically have a field day with his very obvious return from the dead.

Oliver was torn, but in the end he forced himself to stay a while longer in order to relay the message to Sara. Digg and Roy left first and headed to Verdant.

When they arrived at said Foundry, they were shocked to see Felicity sitting tiredly in her chair all dolled up. She wore a simple but sexy black cocktail dress with a red belt synched at her waist, matching sparkling red stiletto heels and dark green nail polish – so dark they appeared to be black – adorning her sharp fingernails.

"Wow, Blondie. Don't you look hot all spiffed up. Got a hot date?" asked Roy good naturedly.

"As a matter of fact I do. Where's Oliver," asked Felicity with confusion. She had assumed that the reason Oliver was six hours late for their date was due to some emergency Arrow business that he'd had to deal with.

"At this very moment, not sure. But we did just see him about twenty minutes ago dealing with his usual Lance Sister drama. Apparently Laurel found out 'bout just how much and how often Oliver and Sara went behind her back and tried to off herself with some drugs and booze. Last we saw, he was waiting see how she and Sara were doing down at the Starling Central Rehab and Mental Center," said Roy with an annoyed eye roll. What he hadn't realized was Felicity's paling face or Digg's look of sympathy as the older man came to realize that the date Felicity had been waiting on had indeed been Oliver. By the time Roy did realize this; Felicity had arisen from her desk chair and made her way past him to the bottom of the stairs. She had left behind, on her desk, the Lafayette Rothschild wine Oliver had given to her a year ago.

"Give that back to Oliver for me. I don't want it anymore," said Felicity, her voice and mind were weary. Roy looked ashamed that he had revealed some sort of sacred truth to her, and he hated that he had to see the toll it was taking on her heart, mind, and even her body; it was Digg, however, who spoke up first.

"Felicity…"

"Don't, Digg. Don't make excuses for him."

"Will you be coming back this time?" asked Roy. Would this be the final straw that would forever erase Felicity from their everyday lives?!

Felicity turned, but didn't answer, and gave Roy a sad smile before leaving. She had nothing left here. Why would she? It took a few moments of silence to make Roy completely on edge over the events of that evening, before he finally turned to Digg and said, "Is this ever going to end?" a resigned sigh was Roy's only answer.

Never again, Oliver. Never again. Though Digg, echoing the words he had told Oliver the day he had discovered his and Sara's indiscretions down there in the Foundry.

Outside the Foundry, in the alley way, was the shadowed figure of none other than Slade Wilson whom – with the help of an amazing listening device – had overheard their entire conversation, and as he left the alley could be heard mumbling under his breath, "Oliver Queen, you are a fool."

Meanwhile, Sara had said goodbye to Oliver who had left her side just a few moments earlier and was now wandering the darkened streets and alley ways of Starling City. She had wanted to make things right with her sister, to confess her sins, to be honest and come clean with her past…but her good intentions had backfired and Laurel had gone over the deep end thanks to her. Sara did not cry, she had already shed her tears and now she was empty, nothing more than a shell of the girl she was so many years ago. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a mocking slow clap from the alley behind her that she had just passed. She turned, a dagger at the ready, to come face to face with a smirking Slade Wilson.

"Slade…" Sara was shocked into a frozen standstill.

"Well, if it isn't the beautiful Sara Lance. How are things with you my dear?" asked Slade condescendingly, but Sara did not answer. "Too shocked for words I can see." Slade began to circle Sara like a predator would his pray. "Well, not up for talking I see. Perhaps we should play a new game. Do you know what this is?" asked Slade as he held up a small device that looked like it could have been the remote to a television or VCR. Sara shook her head. "No? Well, this is the remote to a small listening device that I found at ARGUS. It allows me to listen through walls…cement walls. In fact I just overheard the most interesting conversation back at your Arrow's little Lair. Did you know that dear Felicity Smoak and Oliver had finally had their first date tonight? Or at least were supposed to. You see, Oliver was too focused on you and your sister to remember such a life changing event. Ironic isn't it. You got between your sister and the love of her life, and now both you and your sister have come between Oliver and the only love of his life…Ms. Smoak."

Sara's blood ran cold as her eyes shut in horror. Oliver had been so distracted with what she had done wrong and how she had screwed up with Laurel that she had inadvertently taken from him what she had taken from Laurel all those years ago.

Slade continued relaying the event of the conversation he had overheard and how Roy and Digg were planning on leaving just as Felicity had.

"How does it feel? Knowing you helped destroy three of the world's most innocent and pure hearted women? That you helped victimize them? First, with your own sister…Laurel's health, trust, and sanity due to your lying and betrayal…your own sister. Then, Shado paid the price of your naive foolishness with Ivo…with her life!" said Slade with a sneer of disgust as he continued to circle her. "Now, you have destroyed Oliver's only light that could've guided him out of the darkness of his past. You betrayed Felicity's trust and loyalty in both you and Oliver, because now she knows that he will always choose his beloved Lance sisters over her. How does it feel knowing you singlehandedly broke apart the strongest team…Oliver, Digg, Felicity, and Roy?!"

Sara's face was a mask of pain and horror at everything Slade was accusing her of, and the sad part was that he was right…about all of it.

"You are a killer…an assassin. You're not a hero. The ironic thing about all of this is the fact that I have spent the last five years since I got off that retched island planning my revenge and yet…I didn't have to do a single thing to accomplish it! Your and Oliver's selfishness did it all for me. So, perhaps I should be thanking you…but then again…perhaps not."

And with those final words Slade left Sara by herself, in a world of darkness she had created all on her own.

When Oliver finally did return to the Foundry, a broad smile on his face at the fact that Felicity was most likely waiting for him, only to be met with a grim looking John Diggle who was sitting stiffly in Felicity's chair…but there was no Felicity. Digg noticed Oliver look around and knew exactly who he was looking for.

"She's not here, Oliver," said Digg. Oliver tried to hide his shock, but one look at Digg told him he was in for a very rude awakening. "This was your last chance with her Oliver and you blew it…big time."

"Digg, I…"

"Don't man. Just don't. I don't have time to listen to any more of your excuses, your promises, or your lies. And like Felicity…I'm done with you and so is Roy," said Digg in a detached voice as he got up from Felicity's chair and made his way to the stairs. It Oliver all of those short seconds to realize what he meant. They were no longer a team…not anymore.

"Digg…wait…"

"This was possibly the worst thing you could've done to her, Oliver. You gave her hope. You let her think she had a chance, and there is nothing worse in the world then thinking you have a chance when you really don't. It's always going to be them, Oliver. Doesn't matter who gets hurt in the process. Everyone else be damned." And with those final words…Digg was gone.

The foundry was silent. Absolutely, completely…silent.

Digg climbed into his car where Roy had been waiting for him to drive them back home to his and Lyla's apartment. He whipped out his cell phone and dialed the number that Anna Waller had given to him back when he had been recruited for Suicide Squad. When Ms. Waller answered he didn't give her any time to talk at first. "Ms. Waller, you still want a recruit to fill in for Shrapnel and Bronze Tiger?" asked Digg.

"Um…yes, but I had hoped that Mr. Harper would be that eventual recruit," replied Ms. Waller.

"Well, here he is. Give him your pest selling pitch," replied Digg as he handed the cell phone to a confused looking Roy. It took the kid all of the fifteen minute drive back to Digg's apartment for him to agree to join Suicide Squad.

When the police and Jim Gordon had received a call from the Batman on the Catwoman going psycho-bitch-kick-ass on a group of thugs in Narrows of Gotham City they had been a bit confused, but the Batman – while he cared no mind about the fact that the Catwoman was beating the shit out of a few low lives – was very worried that her obvious rage might drive her to actually kill them. She had already castrated own, practically ripped the arm of another one, and was in the process of ripping out the eyes of the other two low lives she had cornered with her sharp claws. When the sound of the sirens coming her way still did not deter her rage, Batman growled, "Enough was enough!" and practically threw her over his shoulder and had made it a good six blocks down the road before she started fighting back.

So, they fought…or he had let her take her rage out on him. but eventually that rage turned to passion and when he finally got the drop on her and had her trapped beneath him, Felicity took no time in reaching up and bringing his mouth down for a rage filled searing kiss. Wayne welcomed her kiss as their mouths ravaged each other. He was rough and unforgiving; her mewls and groans of pleasure were driving him crazy, but it was all based on anger…and as much as he wanted…no, craved her he wouldn't take advantage of her. Not like this.

Thus it Wayne who broke the kiss first and dragged them both into a standing position until they were face to face as he kept her firmly at arm's length with his hands placed securely on her shoulders. "Felicity…love. Listen to me!" She tried to get her claws on him and ravage him some more but he wouldn't let her. "I won't do this with you," said Wayne as Batman. His words seemed to freeze her. "Not like this. Oliver made that mistake with Sara. They were both hurting and they did something that they both regret. When you choose to be with me…I don't want you to regret it. I won't let you make that same mistake with me…no matter how much I may want you right now," said Wayne as Batman, all of it in a deep throaty growl as he tried to rein in her desires and rage as well as his own.

At his words Felicity fell forward into his arms and cried. She cried loud deep sobs as his gloved hands stroked her dark hair and his voice lulled and shushed her into a peacefulness that she hadn't felt for a long time.

"Whatever he did, he doesn't deserve you," said Wayne. They both new who he was referring to. "If he loved you with all the power of his soul for a whole lifetime, he couldn't possibly love you as much as I do in a single day," said Wayne in a harsh whisper of emotion, practically admitting his own feelings for her right then and there, but she didn't care that it was all too soon. His words soothed and comforted her and gave her small degree of hope that slowly began to blossom inside a spot in her chest…right around the left side just beneath her lung…where her heart was located. A piece of invisible rope wrapped itself around her beating organ and tie itself into a knot and began to steadily tug in a beat and tempo that followed the heart that thumped beneath her ear where it rested against the Batman's chest. For the first time in a long time, she felt…wanted.

"Put me back together," said Felicity in a helpless whisper. Wayne took her up in his arms and they were off into the darkness of night, his long cape billowing behind him.

Alfred Pennyworth did not ask Master Wayne any questions when he noticed him lift up the sleeping unmasked Catwoman and take her to his room. All he did was watch as the young man he had raised since his birth cared for the unconscious woman in a way that he hadn't done with anyone else. Not even Rachel Dawes.

"A very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love."

-Stendhal

A/N: Regarding the involvement of Sara and Oliver's relationship before, during and after the island was somewhat based on guess work. During a particular flashback sequence a few episodes ago when it appeared that Sara and Oliver had been screwing around a couple weeks/days before they left on the Gambit. Again during the island period as well. And of course, while Laurel knows that Sara and Oliver were screwing around when Sara came back into her life, she did not know how soon it happened. Just wanted to clarify that little bit of information.

I know this particular chapter had a lot of Drama in it but it was all so that I could move things along for Wayne/Felicity (Batman/Catwoman). Also, I'm sorry if you are disappointed that Oliver screwed up and chose the Lance sisters…again, but he still seems to be doing that on the show (even though I haven't been watching I have been keeping tabs via internet, etc.) and as such he is not yet in a place where he could devote himself wholly to Felicity. I hope you all understand and enjoyed the Wayne/Felicity (Batman/Catwoman) moment. This also helped facilitate how much more grown up and aware of things Wayne is compared to Oliver and the type of man Oliver needs to grow into.

Also, on what I had Slade tell Sara, about her wanting to kill, it is somewhat true. Sara was a part of the League out of necessity (at least that is what the Arrow show creators want us to believe) but even Wayne/Batman was able to fight his way out of the League and (technically) destroy them as well. He chose not to kill, whereas Sara decided to stick with the League for however long. She was an assassin for them; she killed because she chose to and because she was ordered to. It's not like Oliver (who killed to survive/revenge/love/or to save the city), Digg (killed to serve his country), and hell even Slade (who kills in the name of his love – Shado – and revenge…all of which are better reasons (though not morally sound) for killing unlike Sara. Just something I wanted to point out to the audience about her character.

This chapter also cemented the next step of Slade's act revenge. I hope that was clear in his conversation with Sara, if not…go back and re-read chapter seven. And just so you all know, the reason I have had Slade only verbally confront people so far is because psychologically I feel like his words of pain could do a lot more pain, damage, and suffering then by simply killing a bunch of people.

I hope you all noticed how I had Oliver expecting to have Felicity in the Foundry waiting for him. If so, good. It was to bring to head the fact that Oliver always expects Felicity to be waiting for him, only to realize that she is not going to wait forever…I hope you all agreed with this particular point that I made.

One last thing you guys might have questions about: the reason Wayne knew about the Sara/Oliver sex situation was because Felicity told Tabitha and Tabitha told him. I will bring this up in the next chapter but I had a feeling some of you might question it before I actually get to it.

Please, let me know what you all think!