A/N: Just a reminder that this story isn't S5 compliant and doesn't include all the new members of Team Arrow. I used the "break Digg out of prison" aspect of S5 to bring John back - mainly because he's fun to write and because he doesn't let Oliver get away with crap. Thank you very much to folks who fav'd and followed. It's much appreciated.

Fortunately for Oliver, Felicity was merciful about his Stanford threesome experience – well, fairly merciful. She did perform a little online research and learned that Aimee (one third of his university hookup and centerfield on the softball team) had been talented enough to play on the U.S. squad in the Beijing summer Olympics. The next few times he and Felicity got into bed she assumed an apologetic expression, saying she was sorry she couldn't be as athletic as some women but hoped she wouldn't disappoint. Then she grinned. Rather than answer, he opted to put his hands (and tongue) to work, and replace her teasing smile with a look of pleasure. So really, things worked out all right.

Sadly, he didn't have a whole lot of time alone with Felicity to be teased or to give pleasure. Donna decided to extend her Star City visit to include Felicity's awards dinner, so privacy at the loft was limited. More seriously, Lyla called to tell him John was in an army prison and she wanted to break him out before he came to harm. Given his experience with prisons, Oliver shared Lyla's sense of urgency and immediately began working with her to plan the difficult escape. He was surprised when Felicity declined to participate. After all, he knew she loved John every bit as much as he did.

"Wouldn't it be better to prove that the charges are false and get him released?" she asked. "If you break him out, he'll be wanted and he'll have to go into hiding. It may seem like a good idea now, but in the long run it won't be much of a life for John."

Oliver shook his head. He hated disagreeing with Felicity, particularly since they'd only recently reunited, but he was with Lyla on this one. "Once John's out, we can work to prove he's innocent," he said. "People disappear or die in prisons. The sooner John is free, the better."

Felicity stopped arguing with him, but remained adamant about not getting involved. Oliver worried that this difference of opinion might damage their renewed closeness, but fortunately she seemed determined to prove that they could be a couple even when they didn't align on everything. He was grateful for that. He hadn't realized the enormity of the gap her leaving had left in his life until that gap had been closed. Now that it was, he wanted it never to be opened again. So, basically they agreed to disagree.

While this seemed a positive sign for their relationship, the upshot of not working with her meant that he barely saw her for a couple of weeks. Between John's jailbreak and his mayoral duties, he was lucky to find an hour every other day when he wasn't tied up with some activity. It severely restricted his time with her – which was so not a good thing. On the other hand, it also limited his exposure to Donna – which was an unexpected benefit. The few times he did see Felicity's mom, the subject of him, The Arrow, and her daughter didn't come up at all. Donna seemed pleased to see Felicity happy, and he began to think that the entire threesome issue was behind them. It had become a silly mistake that he and Felicity would laugh about years from now.

By the evening of Felicity's awards dinner, things appeared to be back on track. John was out of prison and Donna would be returning to Vegas in a couple of days. He anticipated having far more time with Felicity in the future, maybe even every night. He hoped it wouldn't be long before they were back to living together.

Still…as good as things were, he was disappointed that he couldn't actually attend her dinner. He cursed himself for not planning better, and he went into the joint Star City-Central City council meeting that evening with something less than his best attitude. Sitting at the head of the table in the City Hall boardroom, he listened with increasing frustration as the two councils argued over how to manage funding for the high-speed train improvements. The councils had worked well together in the past, but tonight it seemed as though they couldn't agree on anything. He glanced at his watch and barely refrained from rolling his eyes. They were 30 minutes into the meeting and it felt has if they had been there three hours. At this rate, they'd still be talking past midnight.

He allowed his mind to wander to Felicity and her evening. He wondered which dress she had worn to her dinner at Star City College. He wondered what lingerie she had worn under the dress that she had worn to her dinner at Star City College. He imagined removing said dress to find out. Would he need to work with buttons or a zipper? Down the back or the side? And would her hair be up – giving him the chance to pull out the pins and watch it tumble to her shoulders? His imaginary undressing of Felicity was far more interesting than the current discussion on municipal bonds, and he found himself drifting even further away from the debate in the boardroom.

Until he noticed that the room had gone silent and both city councils were staring at him.

He cleared his throat. "Ummm…yes?"

"We asked," Councilman Rice said, with a curious expression on his face, "whether you thought the state might be willing to provide matching funds for some of the rail improvements? The project should provide jobs for quite some time – maybe even permanently. It seems like it might qualify for the matching program."

"Oh," Oliver nodded, hoping he looked as though he were in deep contemplation of the question. "Yes. We've actually begun discussing state funding with the Governor's office. They're looking for a more detailed proposal as well as confirmation that both cities are aligned on the plan before they'll commit – but I think it's a real possibility."

The Councilman looked pleased. "That's good news, Mayor Queen."

"Yes it is. But as I said, it's important to the Governor that both of our cities are in agreement over the plan – which means we need to resolve our funding issues. So maybe we can get back to discussing them."

The councils took the hint and once more began hashing out options for cost allocation. Oliver listened for a few minutes, and when it looked as though the discussion was flowing freely he surreptitiously took his phone out of his pocket.

He texted quickly to Felicity: What color are you wearing tonight?

She must have been bored, too, because the answer came back almost instantaneously: Red. He cringed when his phone dinged to signal the incoming text and quickly switched it to mute. Fortunately, the councils were beginning to argue again and didn't notice the sound.

He continued typing: My favorite color for you. How's the dinner?

Like I predicted. Rubbery chicken. Good wine, tho.

And your mom?

She's enjoying herself. Sitting next to one of the College's professors, telling tales about my brilliance as a child.

Before Oliver could respond, she followed with: But when we first got here, I thought I was going to have to pull her off of Mr. Dennis. She was ready to beat him with a wine bottle for firing me from Palmer.

Oliver froze at that last message, his thumbs poised over the phone. What the fuck was William Dennis doing at Felicity's awards dinner? It had only been a few weeks since the man had pointed a gun at her and tried to force her to take Vertigo. And now he was at her banquet? More importantly, why was Felicity joking about it – why wasn't she taking it more seriously? Hoping his scowl didn't draw the attention of the council members, he quickly typed: Why's Dennis there?

He's a trustee of the college.

A trustee of the college? What kind of answer was that? The man was also an accused felon. Where the hell did he get the balls to show up at a dinner honoring the woman he had so recently threatened? Oliver could feel his scowl deepen as he jabbed at the keys on his phone: He's also out on parole awaiting trial. He shouldn't be there.

Yeah, well you know, innocent until proven guilty…

Is there any security at the dinner?

Campus police.

Oh wonderful, well that was reassuring. Oliver wasn't even sure the City College campus police carried guns – although when he thought about it, an untrained rent-a-cop with a sidearm would probably make things worse. He typed rapidly: Fellatio – you should leave now. It's not safe. I'm sure Dennis isn't there to congratulate you.

Fellatio?

Felicity. Fucking autocorrect.

There was a pause – far too long for Oliver's liking. She finally came back with: It's MY dinner, I can hardly walk out on it without appearing ungrateful. There are a lot of people here. It's probably safer to wait til it ends and then leave with the crowd. And why does 'fellatio' pop up in your autocorrect? Is it a word you text a lot? You haven't used it in msgs to me.

Oliver snorted impatiently. The council's secretary looked up from taking minutes, but no one else seemed to notice. That is so not the point, FELICITY.

Relax, Oliver. I'm just pulling your leg – and maybe later I can pull other things. She added a winking emoji to her text.

Oliver closed his eyes in frustration. She wasn't getting it. You need to take this seriously.

Another long pause: I am, Oliver. I'm also being logical. If I leave now on my own, he could follow me and no one will see. Campus security is here to protect the Dean of the College. I'll stick by the Dean and ask him to walk me and Mom to my car.

Oliver reluctantly conceded that she had a point. It probably was safer to surround herself with people and move with the crowd. Surely Dennis wouldn't be stupid enough to go after her in front of a hundred witnesses. On the other hand, the man had attempted to take her out merely because he believed she had damaged his reputation. What the hell might he be willing to do now that she was responsible for getting him arrested? The more he thought about it, the less reassured Oliver felt. He glanced around the table. The council meeting was going to go on for at least another three hours. He needed to do something.

In a flash of inspiration, he texted Diggle: John, can you get to Star City College? Felicity's there for an awards dinner and she's in trouble.

The answer came back quickly: What kind of trouble?

William Dennis from the Palmer BOD threatened her about a month ago. He was arrested, but is out on bail and is at her dinner now. I think he might try something.

Are the cops there? I'm a fugitive…

Oliver grimaced. He could almost hear Felicity telling him that this was why breaking John out of prison wasn't a good idea. There was always a chance he could be recognized and it limited his ability to go certain places, especially in his hometown. It had to kill Digg to hear that Felicity might be in danger and not be able to jump all over it. Other than Lyla and his son, Oliver was willing to bet there wasn't a person John cared about more in the world. Still, there was another option…

Go as Spartan.

There was a pause: Right. I'm on it. Should take me an hour to stop at the lair and then get to the college.

Thnx.

Oliver texted Felicity once more: Spartan will be there in a hour. Please wait til he arrives and leave with him.

Thankfully, she didn't argue. Instead, she just responded: Will do.

Oliver glanced at the faces of the city council members. They were fully engaged in their debate, oblivious to his agitation. He felt some relief knowing John was headed to the college, but an hour felt like a long time. They should have found a hiding spot for John closer to the lair. From City Hall, Oliver could be suited up and at the college in half that time. He paused at that thought. He could be near Felicity in 30 minutes.

He made a decision.

Tapping the table for the council members' attention, he did his best to put a distressed look on his face. Given the circumstances, it really wasn't hard. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, hesitating when they all looked at him. "I'm going to have to step out for a few minutes. I had sushi this afternoon and I think some of it must not have been very fresh." He rested a hand on his stomach for emphasis. "I'm just going to step down the hallway to the men's room…"

A few of the council members looked skeptical, but more looked sympathetic as they nodded their heads in understanding. Without waiting for questions, Oliver waved weakly at the men and women around the table and then walked rapidly out of the boardroom, doubling over as if in abdominal pain. When he was out of sight, he broke into a run.

Thirty minutes later he was at the college, peering inside the large auditorium-turned-banquet-facility from the hallway just outside one of the doors. He was fully armed in his Arrow gear and felt a little foolish. There had to be close to a hundred people there, seated in groups of eight around circular tables with the requisite white tablecloth, flower arrangement, and remnants of dinner. Things looked calm – supporting Felicity's refusal to overreact to Dennis's presence. Nearly two thirds of the attendees were female (not surprising, given that the award was coming from Girls in Tech), and some of the tables held signs announcing representation from organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers and Girls Who Code. Everyone appeared to be having a good time, and bursting in there now with his bow drawn did not seem like a good idea. He elected to remain hidden in the shadow outside the door.

He spotted Felicity quickly. She was seated at a table close to the dais, watching a woman Oliver had never seen before give a speech. He noted briefly that she was indeed wearing red, her hair was most definitely up, and the combination was as enticing in reality as it had been in his imagination. He also spied William Dennis a few tables away, presumably sitting with the mostly male trustees of the college. Dennis appeared sanguine. He took his eyes off the speaker to glance at Felicity a number of times, but his expression was blank.

The same couldn't be said for Donna Smoak. Seated at Felicity's table, she regularly directed a glare toward Dennis that was probably melting the whipped cream on his uneaten piece of apple pie. The look sent a shiver down Oliver's spine; it was far more severe than the one she had given him when she'd told him to get his relationship sorted out with Felicity. He reflected that if Felicity was her father's daughter when it came to tech, she was definitely her mother's daughter when it came to feistiness. Donna Smoak was a force of nature. Oliver wondered if the woman might ever be open to taking lessons in hand-to-hand combat. He knew from experience that fighting was 10 percent athleticism, 40 percent training, and 50 percent attitude. She certainly had the attitude.

"In an era where we need more technical skills from all our young people," the woman on the dais was saying, "and particularly from our girls, Felicity Smoak has been a shining example of what a woman in the sciences can accomplish. Ray Palmer was quick to recognize her talents and brought her into his company as a vice president, requesting on his death that she become the CEO. In her short tenure as head of Palmer Technologies," the speaker joined Donna Smoak in directing a glare toward William Dennis, "Felicity pioneered a number of new technologies that will eventually change the way people live. Not only has she been successful professionally, but she has also shown compassion and generosity in all she does, particularly toward the citizens of Star City. So please join me in congratulating Felicity Smoak on being the recipient of this year's Girls in Tech's Outstanding Achievement Award. I can't think of a woman who deserves it more." The speaker started applauding and Felicity got to her feet.

From his position outside the doorway, Oliver scanned the room. He was pleased to see that people were smiling and clapping, genuinely delighted about Felicity receiving the award. He was less happy to see how the men's eyes lingered on her as she climbed the steps to the podium, although it was certainly understandable. She looked amazing in red, and the knee-length dress she was wearing clung flatteringly to her curves. He supposed it made him a little sexist, but he sometimes found it unbelievable to think that so much intelligence resided in such a beautiful woman. He had been foolish – so damned foolish not to grab onto her and never let go when he first met her, and even more foolish last year to jeopardize it all by not being honest with her. He vowed to himself that he would never be so foolish again.

Felicity reached the podium and shook the speaker's hand, smiling graciously as she accepted the plaque. Then she stepped in front of the microphone.

"I want to thank Girls in Tech for this award," she began.

She didn't get any further.

William Dennis sprang to his feet and shouted loudly, "Before this farce continues, everyone here should know that Felicity Smoak isn't who she pretends to be. The last thing she's done is show 'compassion and generosity' toward Star City. She's consorted with criminals and the Palmer Board of Directors was justified in firing her – as Chairman, I can assure you of that."

Well, so much for Dennis appearing sanguine and not attacking Felicity. While the attack wasn't physical, he had obviously come to the dinner with the intent of disrupting it and discrediting her. Oliver's senses went on high alert and he shifted onto the balls of his feet, poised for action should Dennis decide to make a more aggressive move.

In the banquet room, over a hundred pairs of eyes turned from the dais to stare at Dennis. Oliver unexpectedly felt the urge to smile. If the man's goal was to cast a shadow on Felicity's credibility, he hadn't picked a very receptive audience. Many of the women's groups here to see her receive the award were the same groups that had protested her firing months ago, and the eyes watching Dennis now held open hostility. Oliver could almost see the moment that Palmer's Board Chairman realized his plan was back-firing; his facial expression morphed from arrogance to doubt, and finally to incredulity. Dennis turned away from the women to glance desperately at the male attendees for support, but even they were shaking their heads as if to say: Dennis is losing it - he must be cracking under the pressure of his upcoming trial.

Still, the man wasn't ready to give up. Evidently, he felt he had an ace up his sleeve and he played it now. "She's a friend of The Green Arrow," he announced with conviction. "A friend of Star City's vigilante! She helps him – and my guess is she's been helping him ever since he showed up. If she's such an upstanding citizen, why would she be involved with The Arrow?"

The room was silent for a few seconds. Then someone laughed disbelievingly.

"The Green Arrow? Really?" the individual asked sarcastically. "Where's her bow?"

"I'm telling the truth," Dennis insisted. "I've seen the two of them together."

"When?" A woman called out, just as another asked, "Where?"

"I saw them about a month ago at Palmer Tech," Dennis stated. "It was the night I…" he suddenly hesitated and his eyes dropped to the ground. "The night was arrested," he continued more quietly. There were a few more snorts of laughter from the crowd. Recovering some of his bluster, Dennis continued, "The Green Arrow assaulted me and she was with him."

"We all heard about that on the news," a middle-aged woman in a black dress said loudly. "He assaulted you because you had Vertigo." She rose from her chair to glare across the room at Dennis. "Everyone knows the Green Arrow fights drug pushers. If Felicity Smoak's helping him do that, then I say more power to her."

"I agree," the woman next to her stood up as well. "I've got kids in high school. A couple of years ago the dealers were hanging around the streets by the school. Now they're afraid to go near it. If that's not doing something good for the citizens of Star City, then I don't know what is."

There were more nods of assent, and more women getting to their feet. Oliver felt a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the temperature. He'd never taken on the mantel of The Arrow for gratitude, but it was nonetheless heartwarming to hear these women say that they appreciated what he was doing. They were also effectively diffusing William Dennis. With every statement of support for The Arrow, the man looked a little more deflated. The only downer was that Oliver preferred Felicity's role to remain anonymous. If it became common knowledge that she knew and helped The Arrow, then she could become a target.

Up on the dais, the blonde woman in question was watching events unfold, saying nothing. Knowing how fiercely Felicity believed in what they did, Oliver prayed she wouldn't launch into a heart-felt defense of the Green Arrow and confirm her efforts to assist him. It would be entirely like her to voice her convictions, regardless of the risk. But then, she also was a smart woman.

She cleared her throat. "Ladies and gentlemen," she began quietly, and eyes began to turn in her direction, "as flattering as this all is – or I think it is, anyway - I can't take credit or blame for The Arrow's work helping Star City. Like many of you, I do believe he has the city's best interests at heart, and I certainly remember what he did for us when we came under attack from Damien Darhk. But Mr. Dennis overstates my…importance. What happened at Palmer Tech a few weeks ago – well, I was just lucky enough to be rescued by the Green Arrow, the same way some of you or your families may have been. There isn't any more to it than that."

Nice work, Felicity, Oliver thought, you talked your way out of that one. There were more smiles and nods from the audience, particularly the women. Everyone was buying her explanation and she had avoided being labeled as an accomplice to the Green Arrow. The tension in the room eased and people started taking their seats again.

"So now that we've sorted that out," Felicity smiled, "I'd like to get back to the matter at hand. I'd like to thank Girls in Tech for-"

But Dennis wasn't finished. "She works with The Arrow and I'll prove it to you!" he shouted. Then he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun, pointing the weapon at Felicity. "The Arrow will be here in less than five minutes," he stated confidently, "because she's being threatened and he takes care of his own. My guess is he knows exactly where she is and he's not far away." He started walking toward the dais, keeping the gun aimed at Felicity.

Everyone in the room gasped, and a few people ducked under their table.

Oh fuck, fuck and triple fuck. How could Oliver have missed the gun? He must have been too distracted by Felicity in that damned dress. Now he was going to have to go in there to stop Dennis, confirming for everyone in the room the man's assertion that Felicity did indeed work with The Arrow. Oliver looked toward the dais to see whether there were any other options. He saw Felicity briefly assess the distance to the exits as well as search for opportunities for cover. There weren't many; any available options were yards away and she was wearing her usual, ridiculously high (but sexy) heels - which weren't exactly made for running. She was definitely going to need help.

It didn't look like it was going to come from the floor. The men at Dennis's table were moving nervously away from him, their eyes focused on the gun. The two campus security officers stationed at the back of the room were frozen in place – completely useless as well. Dennis continued walking slowly toward Felicity, waving the gun menacingly. There really was no choice; The Arrow was going to have to fulfill Dennis's prediction and rescue Felicity. Oliver pulled an arrow out of his quiver and started his charge through the doorway.

Thwack!

Donna Smoak smashed her chair against William Dennis's back just as the man was reaching the stairs to the dais. The chair was of the metal folding variety, sturdy enough to cause Dennis to fall face down on the floor, the gun flying out of his hand. As people watched in stunned silence, the weapon was recovered by a gray-haired, seventy-something woman in a powder-blue suit. She expertly checked the clip, then pointed the gun at Dennis in a two-handed, professional stance.

"Don't move, motherfucker," she said crisply, "unless you want to leave here as less of a man."

Every male in the room instinctively put his hands over his crotch.

Every male, that is, except William Dennis. For him, the warning turned out to be unnecessary. Donna Smoak and her chair had rendered him unconscious – at least for the moment.

Astonished...and relieved, Oliver slunk back into the shadow of the door, unsure of what to do next. There didn't seem any point in going into the banquet room now; he could hear sirens in the distance, signaling that the police were already on their way. On the other hand, he was reluctant to leave until he was certain Dennis had been completely neutralized. He glanced at the clock and marveled at how quickly events had unfolded. In the space of fifteen minutes the awards dinner had gone from normal (if a little boring), to panicked, and now to surprisingly calm - thanks to the women of Star City. He was willing to bet that not nearly so much had happened back at the city council meeting. Hell, they were probably still arguing over funding.

He stuck around long enough to see the police cuff Dennis, and then quietly turned and began making his way down the hallway to the building exit. He was about twenty yards from the exterior doors when he heard footsteps behind him and felt a blow to the back of his head, hard enough to make him stagger forward. As he recovered his balance and spun around with his fist raised, it dawned on him that there might be more to Dennis's plan than simply discrediting Felicity at the dinner. Maybe Dennis was working with someone else to draw The Arrow out for other reasons. Maybe this whole thing was a trap. Maybe it was part of a larger conspiracy.

Maybe Donna Smoak had just hit him on the back of the head with her purse.

He barely recognized her in time to redirect his punch into empty air. The woman was glaring at him fearlessly, as if she went toe-to-toe with vigilantes all the time. He thought about his earlier musings on Donna and hand-to-hand combat, and decided that additional lessons in fighting probably were not needed.

He turned on the voice modulator. "What the hell was that for?" he asked her incredulously. Fortunately, the modulator made the question sound fierce rather than confused - which is how he really felt.

If Donna was intimidated by his deep monotone, she didn't show it. She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. "It's a warning," she said sharply, "to stay out of my daughter's love life."

Oh crap – they were back to the threesome discussion again. And here he'd thought they'd put it behind them. Apparently that might have been true for Oliver Queen, but not for the Green Arrow.

He decided to play dumb. Admittedly, that approach hadn't worked too well when he'd talked to Donna as Oliver, but maybe he would have more success with it now as The Arrow. He raised the hand carrying the bow, just to remind the woman who she was talking to. "Excuse me, but who exactly is your daughter?"

"Don't screw with me, mister. You know damn well my daughter is Felicity Smoak, and I know damn well what you've been up to with her and Oliver Queen. I walked into her loft a few weeks ago when the three of you were engaged in some collaborative synergy in her shower."

"Collaborative synergy?"

"It's a euphemism for a threesome, buddy. You, Oliver Queen, and my daughter. And if you think I'm bluffing about catching you guys at it in the loft, I can tell you for a fact that you wear black boxer briefs under those leather pants. I could ask you to drop 'em, but we both know I'm right."

Oliver sighed, the sound coming out more like a groan through the modulator. "Mrs. Smoak-"

"Ms."

"I'm sorry?"

"Ms. Smoak. I use my maiden name, as does Felicity."

"Well, Ms. Smoak, I would never do anything to hurt your daughter. She's an amazing woman."

Donna stared at him for a moment and then her expression softened. "Look, I know that you wouldn't hurt her deliberately," she said more gently. "It's clear that you care for her and mean well. I was glad to see you at the dinner tonight…hiding outside the door even if your services weren't needed…and I hope you'll always be there for her when she's in trouble." Then she shook her head. "But she has a chance for a real life with Oliver Queen. Those two are meant for each other, even if they're sometimes too stubborn to see it. Now that they've found each other again, I don't want anything to screw it up. And that includes you."

Oliver stared back, doing his best to appear like he was pondering her advice. He was a little surprised at how far Donna would go in defense of her daughter's relationship with him - that is, him, Oliver Queen. It was kind of gratifying. "I understand, Ms. Smoak," he said with a great show of reluctance. "I want Felicity to be happy, too, and if that means leaving her so that she can be with Oliver Queen alone, I will do that. But," he continued, as a smile began to emerge on Donna's face, "if Queen messes up again, I can't swear that I won't try to step in."

Donna nodded, "That's fair. I'd rather have her be with you than be with no one. I know you can keep her safe. And given how athletic you are, I'm sure the sex is amazing."

Oliver nearly choked and decided not to deny or confirm that last statement. It seemed like a good time to make his exit. "Well, Ms. Smoak, it's been…interesting…meeting you, and I can assure you I've taken your advice to heart."

She smiled again. "That's all I can ask. Goodnight, mister…Arrow." And she turned and headed back in the direction of the banquet hall, her purse dangling off her shoulder. Oliver wondered what the hell she kept in it – it sure packed one hell of a punch. He watched her until she disappeared from sight, and then switched off the voice modulator.

"You wanna tell me what that was all about?"

Oliver turned to see Diggle emerging from the shadows. "Just how much of that did you hear?" he asked John.

"Pretty much the whole thing. Sounds like a lot happened while I was away." John's voice was bland, but there was a definite lift to the corners of his mouth.

Oliver rubbed his forehead, careful not to dislodge the hood. "Well, Felicity and I are back together, which is the good news. The bad news is that Donna found out during a surprise visit to the loft. She saw The Arrow's equipment and clothing scattered about and came to the conclusion that Felicity, Oliver Queen and The Arrow are having a threesome."

Diggle snorted.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing, John."

"Well, you have to admit, Oliver, it is a little ironic. Remember a couple years ago when you were wrestling with your identities and which, if either, man could be with Felicity? You decided neither Oliver nor The Arrow could be a part of her life and ran away to Nanda Parbat. Turns out all you needed to know was that Felicity was okay with a threesome. You could have stuck around and both of you could have been with her."

"Funny, John, very funny."

Diggle grinned, and Oliver braced himself for more ribbing. Fortunately, John decided to change the subject. "So, it sounds like Felicity doesn't need the help of either The Arrow or Spartan tonight?"

Oliver shook his head. "No, neither one of us was needed. The women of Star City took care of Dennis, all on their own." He suddenly laughed. "The guy never really had a chance."

"Yeah, well you should know by now, Oliver, that you don't mess with the sisterhood. Since we're both out, I don't suppose you have time for a drink in the lair? It's been a while since we knocked back a whiskey."

"I'd like to, John, but I need to get back to City Hall. I'm supposed to be in the men's room, sick on bad sushi at the moment."

"Of course you are, Oliver. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yup."