TW: Memories of suicide attempt. Stay safe! Xx (Not graphic).

Felicity spent the rest of the day answering questions from Walter and dodging Oliver Queen, who she spotted a time or two looking for her. She was absolutely mortified with the way she came across that she was sure each time he was looking for her, he was trying to fire her. She didn't know for sure of course, but she was absolutely embarrassed regardless. She knew she had foot-in-mouth syndrome but that was a whole new level, even for her. She sighed softly as she shut down her computer and made her last rounds around the office – making sure everyone who stayed later than her was good to go before she left.

As her pink stilettos carried her outside to the parking garage, her mind went to him. The reason she had cut her wrists in the first place. Cooper was currently sitting in a jail cell without the opportunity to see the light of day again after what he did to her. An attack so brutal it had caused her to not want to live her life anymore. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to forgive him. She shook her head to clear it of its thoughts and continued making her way to her car, unaware of the person hidden in the shadows, watching her every move.

XXX

By the time she reached her apartment in the Glades, Felicity was tired. It had been a long day for her and she was desperately seeking out a hot shower and a pint of mint chocolate chip. Comfort food if you will. She deserved it after her first, long day of work at Queen Consolidated. She had done everything Walter had asked of her and had still managed to make an idiot out of herself in front of Oliver Queen. Gold star. She was surprised Walter didn't call her up into his office and tell her she was fired for the way she had offended his step-son. Perhaps Oliver was waiting to do that himself? She wasn't sure.

Sighing softly, she finished taking her shower and got into a pair of her most fluffiest pajamas she could find and then snagged the ice-cream out of the freezer before making her way to her couch in her living room where she settled in. As she sat and ate her food, her mind wandered to Cooper. She had been stalked by him – had been put through the ringer because of him and it wasn't until he had been detained and arrested did she truly feel safe once more. She hadn't felt safe in Las Vegas, though. She needed to move. So she did – to Starling.

Felicity kept her doors locked nice and tight; her windows too. She made sure she was as safe as she could be while her ex-boyfriend was rotting away in a jail cell. It was the least he deserved after affecting her mental health so much it caused her to try and take her life. She was tired of being 'that girl' back home. She focused on the here and now in Starling. Just then, her phone went off and she looked down to see who had text her. A text from her best friend, Caitlin Snow, asking about how her job went.

After answering back, she finished off the last bit of her ice-cream before going to put it back in the freezer and prepare for another day the next day.

XXX

The next day at the office dawned bright and early for Felicity, who hadn't had enough coffee and was currently on the hunt for her third cup. Her night had been filled with nightmare after nightmare, the same ones that always haunted her dreams and she was exhausted. She was so tired; she wasn't looking where she was going and damn near ran into someone again. Stopping herself in her tracks in the nick of time, Felicity found herself face-to-face with Oliver Queen yet again. Blushing furiously and cursing herself, she offered up a weak grimace.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Queen," she mumbled, embarrassed at her careless ways yet again.

"Ah, Ms. Smoak, just the woman I wanted to see," Oliver said, eyes twinkling kindly. "And, I thought I told you to call me Oliver?"

Felicity swallowed, throat bobbing with the movement as she nodded her head. "You're right Mr. – Oliver. But please call me Felicity in that case, then."

Oliver gifted her with a smile and she bit down on her tongue lest she spew out more proverbial word vomit and embarrass herself yet again. "All right, Felicity." He had agreed easily so perhaps she should call him by the name he wished for her to call him by. "I was just coming to congratulate you on – Felicity, are okay?"

Felicity shook her head, because no, she was most definitely not okay. She was decidedly awful as her eyes darted around the hallways, wondering where Cooper had gone. Blinking for a moment to help regain her composure, she realized she had imagined him and she knew the nightmares that she had the previous night were playing into her reality. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Mr. Que – I mean, Oliver. I thought I saw – never mind." Giving her head one last shake to expel it of thoughts and images dancing circles in there, she looked back at Oliver. "You were saying?"

He studied her for a moment, before glancing over his shoulder, frown settling deeply against his lips before nodding and continuing once more as he turned back to face her. "I was just coming to congratulate you on the fact that your hard work paid off yesterday. Our security breach has been taken care of and we are safe and secure once more thanks to your technology expertise." His compliment was gracious in its endearment and she appreciated that.

"You're welcome," she replied, tone soft. "Just happy to be able to do my job for you guys. To be able to do what Walter and I suppose the company hired me to do."

Oliver studied her, looking at her for a moment before glancing down "Well, I should at least take you out to coffee as a thank you."

She chewed on her lip; did he thank all the employees for their hard work through coffee? She wasn't sure but she also wasn't going to question it lest she upset him and got in trouble. "Well, if you're sure, I could do with a cup of coffee, yeah."

He grinned at her, eyes shining once more and she found herself wondering if this is what he looked like before his five years on the island. "I'm sure. Let's go."

"Oh, now?" Felicity asked and Oliver's grin stretched forward some more.

"No time like the present," he replied. She supposed he was right and she went and shut down her computer, locking it the next moment before the two of them were off – her wondering how on earth she ended up in this position all the while.

Author's note: Next chapter is coffee! Reviews lovely! Thanks to all of you who have read it so far! Xx