Oliver stopped outside of the room, but Diggle was already inside. It was like the oxygen and every word he'd thought about saying to Felicity up until that moment had been stolen from him. He watched Diggle as he hugged Felicity and as they spoke. They both looked towards him for a moment and then resumed their talking. He just didn't know that any of the words that he was grasping to bring back that had sounded so perfect in his head before they'd been stolen from him.

So, he stood out there for the time and just watched them.

As much as he just wanted to go in there and hug her and kiss her and pour out every single thing that he'd thought about since he had even thought for a split second that she'd died...but his feet didn't move.

"Hey," Curtis said, coming up to him, his hand on Oliver's shoulder. "I heard she's awake." Curtis' hand moved from his shoulder even though Oliver didn't say anything or look at him. He moved it all on his own. "Is she okay? She's okay, right? I mean, Digg's in there. They're smiling. Felicity's okay. Say something."

Oliver finally turned his head to look at Curtis. "The doctor said that the next twenty four hours are critical."

"Oliver, I-"

"She's alive, that's all that matters right now, right?"

Curtis nodded. "Right."

"And we have to be positive because Felicity's only going to worry more about us if we're not," Oliver said matter of factly with a shrug. "She doesn't need to worry over us."

"No, she doesn't." They were both silent for a few minutes. "But I did manage to work with ARGUS and I think I've engineered a better version of the implant. Lyla's already told me that I can use ARGUS resources to manufacture it and they'll get anything I might need."

"Thank you for that."

"Anything for Felicity," Curtis said.

Diggle was moving towards the door now. Oliver pulled it open for him. The door closed and Diggle caught a confused Curtis' arm. "Felicity wants to see you, Oliver," Diggle told him. "Get in there. You have all the time to say whatever you need to say...and time to still figure it all out."

"I was going to-" Curtis said motioning towards the room door.

"Nope," Diggle vetoed. "You're with me." John looked right at him, still holding Curtis in place. "Don't screw this up...you almost lost her. This is your chance." And with that, Diggle turned and started to drag Curtis down the hall.

"Do you ship them?" Oliver could hear Curtis ask them. "Because I totally do."

Waiting a moment, he pushed the door opened and entered the room. His head was down as he thought about what he was going to say first.

"You better turn that frown upside down," came her teasing (yet still a bit groggy sounding) bright voice.

He couldn't stop the smile as he looked up at her. "I'm sorry I didn't come right in, I-"

"You don't have to say anything," Felicity told him as she held out her hand.

Closing the distance between them, he reached out and took her hand and stood there by her bedside. "The doctor said-"

Felicity waved that thought away with her other hand. "We're not talking about doctors or spines or any of that right now." She paused for a brief moment. "Plus, I've already heard what the doctor has to say." Her smile was bright enough to almost make him forget what the doctor had said to him, to wash away the worry that was bogging him down. "Right now, I just want to talk to you."

"What shall we talk about then?" he asked before kissing her hand.

"Life," Felicity said with a smile. "Whatever that's going to look like when we finally get back to Star City."

"Sometimes after...things...happen it's hard to believe that the world keeps going on without us," Oliver admitted.

"Thea and I are so having a girls night, I'm just forewarning you now...and we might invite Dinah...not sure how she feels about a girls night."

"Okay," he said with a smile.

"And I'm assuming you and Samantha are going to talk...I mean, it's not fair for you to not get the chance to really know William. Obviously them hiding away doesn't actually work and-"

"I'm sure she and I will talk when we get back," Oliver said gently. He honestly didn't want her to worry about him or everyone else. Though, at the same time, he knew that there was no way to stop her from doing so.

"And also, I would like to be able to get to know your son," Felicity said slowly. "If that's okay with you…"

"I really would like that."

"Too bad they don't make an Overwatch action figure, maybe she could beat out The Flash as his favorite," she teased brightly.

Oliver shook her head. "Hey, I think he's coming around to the Green Arrow."

"Does he know?"

His expression changed, he was almost sad. "Yeah," Oliver practically whispered.

And her voice and expression changed to mirror his. "Are you okay with that?"

Oliver perked a bit. "You know, you don't have to do that."

"What?" she asked curiously with a slight tilt of her head.

"Take care of me. You're the one that's just had surgery."

She pulled him to her and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was a long kiss that changed the longer it went on, deeper and more passionate. "Someone's got to take care of you," she whispered as they separated. "I think I'm probably best at it."

"I'm not sure I'm so good at taking care of you."

"It's not always about taking care of the other person. You've helped me grow...and love…" Felicity pointed out. "It's more that I remind you that you're worthy to be loved...also, I do stitch you up…"

"I love you."

"I love you," Felicity whispered before kissing him again. "And I'll love you even more when we get to be put on a plane home."

"That's not going to be for at least twenty four hours," Oliver informed her.

Felicity sighed. "I hope you're up to the challenge of keeping me company until then…"

"I think I'm up for it," he told her with a smile before leaning in once again to kiss her.

"Let him sleep."

"I'm awake," he mumbled as he lifted his head and forced his eyes to open. Felicity was staring back at him. She looked better, more color in her face, and she was still far too cheery for the situation. Oliver rubbed his face roughly with the palms of his hands as he straightened up in the chair at her bedside. He looked over to see Diggle and Curtis there.

"There are beds," Diggle pointed out.

"I didn't want to leave," Oliver replied honestly. It wasn't that Felicity needed him because she was being constantly monitored and there was nothing medical that he could actually do for her, but he felt like his presence was important. Perhaps then the words would spill out on their own. So far, he hadn't really made any progress...that he remembered.

"I would have sat with her," Curtis volunteered. "I mean, unless Digg and I are interrupting right now. We wouldn't want to interrupt, would we?"

"We're not interrupting," Diggle stated matter of factly.

"I mean, you could have been," Felicity teased. A beat passed. "But the only thing you were actually interrupting was Oliver's snoring."

Oliver frowned. "I don't snore."

Felicity patted his arm gently. "Not judging…"

Oliver continued to frown and shook his head a bit. "Anyways…"

"I just talked to Lyla and she said that we should be heading back to Star City tomorrow," Diggle reported. "There's ARGUS agents on post keeping an eye on Samantha, William, and Thea." He tilted his head slightly. "Well, Thea just happens to be there...she's pretty much babysitting them too. Just to make sure they're protected."

"I appreciate that."

"So, I'm okay to travel?" Felicity asked hopeful.

"The doctors are telling Lyla that things are looking good, so as long as that's the case we'll be leaving tomorrow."

"What about the implant?" Oliver asked.

"I've been working on it," Curtis said. "But I still need to run some more tests on the new model and I'm supposed to use the resources from the ARGUS facility near Star City. At least that's what I've been told. There's a computer model going right now running tests."

"You made a new model?" Felicity questioned.

Curtis nodded. "Given that your spine is able to receive a new implant, this one should be a little stronger. I'm trying to insulate it to keep it from being vulnerable to EMPs."

"That's not exactly an easy task."

"That I know," Curtis said. "I'm also trying to possibly make it a little thinner and possibly more pliable so that it can be molded on top of a vertebrae to try to increase its function to be as natural as possible. It would also keep the swelling from being all weird if there was no separate implant chip floating around."

"Curtis, I-"

"You can look at the specs and everything once I finishing running the computer model tests."

Felicity smiled and Oliver couldn't help but feel hopeful. He'd been a little reluctant to be excited when the biostimulant implant was first brought up by Curtis when Felicity had first sustained her spinal injury, but he'd seen it work. He knew that Felicity was too stubborn to not try it. Last time it had given her the ability to walk and to lead a life in a way she was accustom to.

"Sounds like everything is coming along," Oliver commented.

"I mean, I have some suggestions on how life could be improved," Curtis brought up.

"Not now," Diggle said flatly.

"Don't look so grumpy, John," Felicity said with a tilt of her head.

"I'm not," he said quickly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Just worried."

"You should go home to Lyla and J.J.," Felicity told him. "I'm fine. I'll babysit here."

Diggle smiled at that.

Oliver wasn't going to argue the 'babysit' part of what Felicity was saying and though it looked like Curtis had pondered on it for a moment, he shut his mouth a moment later.

"You could take Curtis back with you to work on the biostimulant implant back home," Felicity added a moment later.

Diggle seemed even more amused at that. "I mean, if it means that you and Oliver will have time to talk...then we'll be on the next flight to Star City."

"We've talked."

Oliver didn't miss the look he was getting. "Yeah, that's not what John's talking about," Oliver said quiety as he turned his head to look right at her. Their eyes locked and he could see the realization hit Felicity.

"Oh."

"That's our cue," John said. "You two talk, I'm going to go take Curtis for a walk."

"Why do you make it sound like I'm a puppy?" Curtis complained as he was guided out.

"Don't forget to feed him!" Felicity called after.

They were silent for what felt like a long span of time. They were both just smiling at each other. These simple moments were the ones that he missed with her. It wasn't that Oliver didn't still have these moments, but they were never so intimate feeling. There was something about being alone that allowed for letting down of walls.

"I've missed this," he whispered.

It seemed to only cause her to smile brighter before a few giggles bubbled out. "Being in a hospital?" She looked around. "Well, a medical recovery room anyways…"

"No," he said as he reached out to cup the side of her face as she turned her attention back to him. "I've missed you. Us just being together. Like this. Except not the being injured part." Oliver still didn't feel like he was saying the right things. "Not that I-"

Felicity pressed a finger to his lips. "I know what you mean."

"I love you, Felicity," he confessed when her finger moved away.

"I love you."

"I know that I've made mistakes-"

"We both have."

"But I don't want us to go forward...unless it's together," Oliver told her.

Her face scrunched up a bit, confusion clear. "Oliver, I'm not leaving-"

"Marry me."

There was still a bit of confusion in her. He could see it. "Oliver-"

"Marry me."

"Is this the changing of the guard?" Curtis asked.

Oliver nodded his head towards the door. "Sure. You're up."

Curtis didn't even question it. He looked between Oliver and Diggle for a moment before heading out.

"So, you and Felicity talked?" Diggle asked from where he was laying.

Sitting down on one of the empty beds, he gave a nod.

"How'd it go?"

"I think it went well."

"You think?" Diggle asked. "It went well? Yet, you still sound like you're not sure."

"You know, I'm starting to think that being a vigilante is giving me anxiety."

Diggle laughed in response. "I know you, Oliver. The only times you're anxious is when it involves Felicity."

"What if-"

"Don't think about being the Green Arrow or her being Overwatch. Don't think about anything that has to do with vigilantism," Diggle said as he sat up. "Don't think about Ivy Town. Don't think about anything except you and Felicity...because everything else will fall into place. Felicity's already proven that she's in this relationship for the long haul...even when you two aren't in a relationship."

"I keep coming back to worrying that I'm going to be the reason why she gets hurt...like she already has...and seeing her in that bed-"

"You already know that both you and Felicity can have a relationship if nothing changes with her spine," Diggle said gently. "You also know that there's a possibility that Curtis' chip will work again."

"I have these nightmares...and in them...Felicity dies at least half of the times."

"And half the time she lives?"

Oliver nods.

"Do you remember how happy you and Felicity where in that moment you asked her to marry you?" Diggle asked.

He couldn't help but grin. "Yeah."

"You thought it could work then, that you both deserved to be happy...with each other...together," Diggle laid out. "Has that really changed?"

"No," Oliver whispered. Diggle was right. Everything he was saying and asking, it was all spot on. He was letting fear guide him. He'd told himself that he wouldn't allow fear to take control of his life, but he kept doing it. Felicity was always there to light his way, to show him that there were other ways, and to remind him that life wasn't led with fear.

"So, are you going to allow yourself to move forward with Felicity?"

"Yes."

"Am I going to get any other information about what you two discussed?"

"Probably," Oliver said with a slight shrug. A small smile spread across his face. "Eventually."

"Yeah, okay…" Diggle said with a shake of his head. "You know Felicity will probably tell me."

"You're right, she probably will."

"You two deserve to be happy."

TBC…