It had been nearly two months since Oliver's return. Felicity was packing up her bag, getting ready to leave the Foundry.

"Are you leaving already?" Oliver asked, a tone of pleading in his voice.

Ever since he had gotten back, she had been distant. She was around considerably less than before, and her conversations with him almost always limited to business and even those were getting ever shorter.

At first he had written it off as her just needing time to adjust. Yes, part of him had hoped that when he had come home she would be over joyed, run into his arms, and tell him she loved him. But it had been a small hope, and he knew she needed space. Him dying couldn't have been an easy thing to go through. But now… now something was bothering him. The few times she did look at him there was sadness behind her eyes, and she seemed to shouldering something he didn't understand.

"I have to go. Work." She didn't look at him as she began walking away.

"Felicity," he called, running after her, "wait."

"Oliver, I have to go." Her voice was quiet and she looked at the ground.

"Felicity, I know it couldn't have been easy when I was…" He stopped. She had briefly looked up at him, but now was looking away.

Please not now, she thought.

"But I'm sorry. And I can tell something happened, or maybe it was just… I don't know…"

I'm not ready. She was mentally willing him to stop. To not ask questions. To just let her go. It had been a vain hope, and she knew this would come eventually, having to leave, to push him away, but she still didn't know how to get through it.

"You can always talk to me."

"Don't," she whispered. She started flashing back to that night with Malcolm.

"Will you sell your soul to the devil for Oliver Queen?"

Felicity stood looking into his eyes for a few seconds, and then, "Yes."

The word fell out of her mouth with determination, but she knew it was defeat.

"Good." Malcolm turned back to pick up his drink.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"For now, nothing. Your fearless leader will be back to you within the week. I'll find you then."

"He's going to ask questions."

"Just tell him his friend in the League did it."

"Did what?" Felicity didn't know what Malcolm was going to do to Oliver, and it terrified her.

"Don't you worry. He'll understand."

"He'll be normal?"

"Exactly as he left you," he said with complete sincerity. "But let me make something clear yo you Ms. Smoak. You belong to me now, not him. I don't care if you still work with your little group, but I will know everything you do. And don't try and ever out smart me, because it will not work out well for you, or him. I know I just told you you could with anyone, but I'm not anyone, and I know that I'm playing with fire, but I assure you, this isn't my first time."

"They will notice…"

"I don't care how you deal with it. Play double agent. Tell them your not cut out for this life anymore. Slowly just leave. I. Don't. Care. So long as you remember, that in the end, you come home to me."

She breathed, realizing what this would mean.

"Do we have a deal?"

It was Oliver's life or hers. There wasn't a choice. With the same determination as before, she repeated her decision. "Yes."

"I'm worried about you and I-"

"Don't." Her voice was louder than before.

I can't do this…

"Felicity, if something happened…"

"YOU DIED OLIVER. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED." She looked him in the eye for the first time. He her voice was so loud he took a step back.

"You died, and we were all left here behind. You left us. You left me."

"Felicity…" The pain in his voice pulled at her heart but she pushed through.

"No. Just… just don't, Oliver. Look, just because you weren't in it, didn't mean the world stopped."

Mine did.

"We all had to move on because there was still evil and someone had to fight it and… and… you weren't here."

"I didn't mean to make thing more difficult on you all. I lo-"

"I don't want to be a woman you love!" She cut him off, knowing if she heard those words again, she wouldn't leave. "I don't love you, and I don't want you to love me, and I just can't do this anymore Oliver."

She turned around, leaving Oliver with an expression on his face that nearly killed her.

As soon as she got outside she grabbed a wall. Her legs felt like they were going to fall out from under her. Her hand lifted to her mouth, tears beginning to fall. She knew what she had just done, and afresh wave of guilt washed over her for the pain she was causing him. After a moment, she let go, and kept walking to her car.

Better a broken heart than one that's not beating.