A/N: Made it! Thanks to everyone who wanted to see this from Oliver's POV as much as I did, and who told me I could actually write in his voice. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Oliver took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, plastered on his best fake smile, and tried to pay attention to what the man in front of him was talking about. He had arrived at the charity gala with Thea almost an hour earlier and he still hadn't laid eyes on Felicity.

He knew from the comm link that Mason had already picked her up and they were on their way, but until he saw her for himself he wasn't going to be able to relax.

There hadn't been time for her to come by the lair before she needed to break into the Colonel's house, so he was relegated to waiting for her to arrive.

He spotted Mason first, and the woman on his arm could only be seen from the back. Her dark green dress, and elegant up-do nothing like his usual type. Oliver was immediately confused, and then paniced. And then she turned.

Oliver's breath caught in his throat as he realized it was Felicity. Even from across the room he could tell the gown fit her perfectly. She tilted her head slightly to take a sip of her drink and the light caught the hair clip.

It was tucked into the side of her twist, no curls hiding it, meant to be seen and noticed. A swell of pride, and possessiveness filled him and he had to turn away from Thea for a second before she saw the unschooled look on his face. He had to do a better job of hiding his emotions. No one could know the connection between him and Felicity.

It was hard to concentrate on the idle chatter around Felicity and around himself at the same time. He hoped Digg was having better luck. Thea wandered off to the bar, trying to score a drink and Oliver got stopped again before he could follow.

He knew when Felicity saw him. He would have sworn he could feel her eyes on him, and when he turned their gazes locked for just a second.

A few minutes later he found himself forced to talk to Mason as Felicity stood to his side, the man's arm wrapped around her waist. Oliver endured it as long as necessary and then escorted Thea to the opposite side of the room. He may not be able to get Felicity away from the asshole right then, but he would be damned if he'd let his sister be near Mason as well.

There was more small talk, an older woman who desperately wanted to set him up with her granddaughter, and him trying to keep Felicity in his sight.

He listened to Mason dismiss Felicity as so much insignificant flotsam, and Oliver had to rein himself back from stalking over and punching the man in the face. Felicity's muttered 'What a dick!' actually made him smile, and he had to quickly apologize to the person he was talking to.

A lull in the conversation allowed him to excuse himself. Felicity had moved on to the buffet tables which meant he couldn't see her. A familiar voice, coming in tinny over the ear piece almost made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Well, seeing as that's a Queen family heirloom you're so proudly displaying in your hair I just assumed we must be related."

It was Thea, and she had just cornered Felicity.

"Oh shit," Oliver said aloud

He could see them now. Felicity looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights although she was trying to hide it. Thea looked like a predator.

Cold sweat broke out on his back as he tried to make his way to them. Of all the contingencies they'd planned for no one had considered that Thea would recognize the hair clip. But of course she would.

He half listened as Felicity did an admirable job of acting like she had no idea what Thea was going on about. But if there was one thing his sister was, it was tenacious. Thea was right, and she wasn't going to give up.

He was twenty feet away when a hand landed on his elbow. He almost shook it off when he looked down and saw the kindly face of the host's elderly mother. With a strained smile he was forced to stop and thank her for her charity work.

When he heard Thea threaten to call the bank manager and have an inventory done he made the worst excuse of his life and hurried to his sister's side.

He more frog marched Thea away instead of trying to delve deeper into the mystery of the hair clip. Thea fumed, whispering angrily in his ear the entire time. Oliver did eventually find the Demarco's and pawned his glaring sister off on them. They had a son the same age and were eager to talk to her.

Mason had found Felicity again, and then suddenly Oliver was on alert. Felicity had been invited back to the house.

When he saw Mason step away he watched Felicity from across the room. Now that it was happening she lost what ever tenuous control she'd been using all night. Her hands twisted in front of her, and she looked scared to death.

"You're doing fine. Just a little bit longer and we'll have what we need. Maybe I'll even take you out for the fro-yo you were talking about." he assured her, glad to see the tension leave her shoulders at his words.

Knowing he'd need to leave the party as well he gathered up Thea, who was all too glad to be going. His timing was perfect and they stepped outside to see Mason and Felicity waiting for their car. As he helped Thea with her wrap he faked a look at his phone.

"There's an issue at the club. Digg's called one of the other driver's to take you home. He should be pulling up now." he told her evenly

Thea gave him a withering look as if she had some reason to not believe him. "Sure, whatever. Maybe I'll call Roy and tell him to come over." she grinned at his glare, and stepped down the stairs to where the car waited.

Felicity was about to get in Mason's car when she caught sight of Oliver over the open car door. Their eyes locked and without words she communicated her fear and worry. He couldn't look away. He needed her to know she'd be safe.

Thea gave him an odd look, and slid into the car. As he shut it behind her, he took one last look at Felicity. "I've got you." he whispered. And then she was in the car, Mason climbing in behind her.

Oliver didn't even wait for Digg to exit the car and open the door for him as would be expected. He was already tearing off his bow tie, and undoing cuff links before they had pulled away from the curb.

"She's got this." Digg assured him.

The noises coming over the comm made him think differently, but he and Digg both pretended like they weren't hearing anything.

They had scoped out Mason's neighborhood days ago.

An eight foot high solid wall surrounded his property. The only access was through a front gate that was manned around the clock with two security guards. A team of five other guards patrolled the perimeter at random intervals.

Digg dropped Oliver off far enough from the front gate that no one could see them. Oliver had changed into half of his Hood outfit just in case. His jacket, bow, and quiver were in a bag slung over his shoulder as he stood in the shadows and watched Digg drive off.

Now he waited. The plan was for Felicity to get in, slip a pill into Mason's drink, and wait for him to pass out. It sounded simple. But as he listened to Mason breathing heavily near her ear Oliver knew it was anything but.

Felicity asked for a drink like they'd planned. Oliver heard her let out a long slow breath. "You're doing good, Felicity. I know this is hard, but you're almost done."

Supportive, and helpful was all he was going to be tonight, regardless of how hard it was going to be on him to listen.

The wait was agonizing. She asked for Mason to put on some music, and then they were dancing. Which meant that Mason wasn't drinking his drugged beverage.

Oliver took some calming breaths of his own when he heard her startled shriek, wondering what Mason had done to her. When she finally asked where the bathroom was and got away from him Oliver felt like he was walking the hallway with her.

He heard a door shut, and Felicity letting out a shaky exhale. "Are you alone?" he asked

"Yeah," she whispered

"You doing okay?"

"Not really, but I think it's almost over." he hoped she was right

"Give him a minute and then try and see if he's passed out or not."

"Ok." she replied.

The silence was discomforting. Other than Felicity's uneven breathing he heard no other sounds.

He didn't even realize he'd been holding his breath until he heard Felicity's excited whisper, "I'm in! Mason't out!"

"Good job. Now, get the download started and then make your way to the front gate. Tell the guard there Mason drank too much and passed out and you've already called a car to pick you up. Digg will be waiting." They'd been over the plan several times, but he didn't think it would hurt to say it one more time.

He sent a quick text to Digg, telling him to circle around the neighborhood and be ready to pull up in front of the guard house.

"On my way." he heard over his comm link only. They were almost out, and then all of this would be over.

Felicity gave a relieved little laugh, "You promised me fro-yo." the change in her tone was dramatic, he couldn't help but feed off of it.

"I did. I'll hold up my end of the bargain." the tension eased out of him as he heard her fingers clicking over the keyboard

"Deal. Plugging the external hard drive in now, and...download has started. Looks like it'll only take a few minutes."

Five minutes tops she'd be in the car with Digg heading back to the club.

Then he heard her breath catch.

"Felicity, what is it?" the hand that held his bag fisted tightly as he waited for her response.

"I don't know." she whispered, fear plain in her voice.

There was a loud bang, and then Felicity sounding scared.

It was Mason's tone that propelled Oliver into his action. The man's voice was dark, and dangerous and something Oliver didn't understand told him she was in trouble.

With a muffled curse he flicked the comm to Digg only as he simultaneously pulled on his jacket and quiver on. He was running for the front gate before the hood was fully up.

"Digg, she's in trouble. I'm going in. Get here now!" and then he switched it off entirely, it would only be a distraction.

Everything tunneled down to doing what was necessary to get her out.

The first two guards saw nothing. He fired an exploding arrow into their glass fronted booth, the resulting explosion and smoke allowing him to scale the gate easily.

A silent alarm had been tripped, but he paid it no mind. The remaining guards came from every direction. Oliver barely blinked. Hand to hand was quicker in close quarters. As he punched and spun his only thought was getting to Felicity.

Soon he was stepping over the prone form of the final guard, arrow notched as he fired another exploding tip at the front door before kicking it down.

They had a basic knowledge of the layout of Mason's home. Oliver bypassed the main living spaces and slipped down the hallway to the left, his leather soled shoes making almost no noise.

Sounds of a struggle let him know he was close. He burst through the door and saw Felicity on the floor, Mason pinning her down with his hands wrapped around her throat.

Oliver didn't think. The arrow he had drawn back found a new home in Mason's chest, slicing cleanly through his heart. The body slumped to the side.

"Felicity!" he yelled, dropping to his knees next to her. Her eyes were shut, dark bruises already forming where Mason's had been strangling. Oliver's hands were everywhere, too scared to check for a pulse. When her eyes fluttered open weakly he almost sobbed in relief.

One of his hands wrapped under her waist, pulling her up towards him slightly. An object lying next to her caught his eye and he reached for it. A syringe. Another wave of panic washed over him.

"Did he inject you?" he asked, but there was no response. She tried to move her head but it only lolled limply.

Suddenly Oliver wasn't in Charles Mason's study, he was in the middle of the Glades, mortar dust covering everything as he watched Tommy die. He shook his head fiercely and focused back on Felicity.

"Felicity! Wake up!" he demanded, not noticing that his voice was breaking, "Fight!" but there was no response.

His gloved hand pushed loose strands of hair off her face as he lowered his forehead to hers. "Please don't do this to me. I need you." he whispered,

"Oliver!" Digg's voice came from down the hall, and then he was in the doorway

"Oh god, what'd he do to her." he said, rushing to their side, "Is she..." but he couldn't finish the sentence.

"She's been drugged, I think." Oliver said, handing the syringe over his shoulder. He didn't say anything about how Mason had been strangling her, one look at her was enough to determine that.

"Let's get her out of here. Cops will be arriving soon." Digg moved to the desk and grabbed the flashdrive; it hadn't crossed Oliver's mind.

He slipped his arms under her and stood easily. Digg provided cover as they made their way out of the house.

Oliver purposely kept his mind blank as he carried her. The one time he looked down to see her pale, soft skin damaged by that man's hands a flare of rage had almost consumed him. Mason's death had been too easy, and Oliver would regret that the rest of his life.

One of the guards from the shack had come to and stumbled out, gun drawn. Oliver never broke stride as Digg put a bullet in the guard's shoulder and jogged for the car.

The ride back to the club was silent and entirely too long. Digg kept shooting worried glances into the back seat as he sped as fast as possible without drawing unwanted attention.

Oliver finally allowed himself to look at Felicity. As if the finger shaped bruises around her neck weren't enough there was also swelling and a small cut along her cheekbone. Mason must have struck her.

His lifted a hand and let it ghost gently over her face. His fist clenched momentarily as he saw a thin trickle of blood make it's way down her cheek. He used his thumb to brush it away.

Light from a passing car made the jewels in the hair clip glitter and the words he'd had inscribed floated to the forefront of his mind.

Love. He loved this woman.

It seemed so easy now he didn't understand how he'd struggled for the past week ignoring what he had already known.

By unspoken agreement Digg and Oliver headed for the couch Felicity had placed in the lair instead of the cold metal table they usually used when one of them needed medical attention when they arrived at the club. Digg wheeled over the cart as Oliver lay her down carefully, kneeling at her side as Digg handed him what he needed to start an IV.

They functioned as a well oiled machine, for which Oliver was grateful. He was too close to the edge to handle any sort of conversation.

As Oliver slipped the needle into her fair skin he could hear Digg behind him beginning the analysis on the contents of the syringe.

The clear fluid dripped steadily into her veins, hopefully working to flush the drug from her system quickly. He laid her limp hand across her middle, allowing his fingers to close over hers.

It was a long fifteen minutes before Digg broke the silence. "Looks like a heavy duty dose of rohypnol." Oliver's jaw clenched at the knowledge. He nodded to let Digg knew he'd heard. There was nothing they could do to wake her up, the drug would have to just run it's course.

"How high was the dosage?"

"High enough to keep her asleep for a long while, but not enough to cause any harm."

Relief flowed through him. He reached into the cart and selected what he needed to clean her face. There was nothing he could do for her neck, and as he coasted a hand over the discolored skin he could feel himself getting angry again.

"He was going to kill her." Oliver seethed, forcing himself away from the couch, acutely aware he was quickly losing control of his emotions.

Digg stepped forward, blocking Felicity from Oliver's view, and maybe that was for the best. "You stopped him. You saved her. Mason's dead, and we've got all the information we need to take down the rest of his clients."

"He was going to kill her." Oliver repeated,

"You saved her. He's dead." Digg took two steps closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "She needs you to keep it together right now, man."

The rage had grown within him to the point where he needed to lash out. He needed to expel it before he exploded. With a growl he turned from Digg, facing the wall, his breaths shallow as he fought with himself.

An image of Felicity, head cocked to the side giving him a disappointed look for damaging her lair was the only thing that kept him from putting his fist through the drywall or upending a table.

His eyes slipped shut and he focused on his breathing. She needed him to be calm and in control. Muscle by muscle he forced himself to relax until the anger had dissipated.

Digg gave him an approving nod as he crossed back to Felicity's side.

"It's going to take her hours to sleep it off." Digg said

"We'll go back to the mansion." Oliver decided, and then looked down, realizing he was still dressed as the Hood.

Digg gestured to the back with his head, "Go change. I won't let her out of my sight."

With one more lingering glance in her direction Oliver did as told.

As they made the journey from the club to the Queen mansion, Felicity safely held in his arms Digg looked in the rearview mirror and caught his eyes. "What are you going to tell Thea?"

Oliver's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't thought about that. "I'll think of something."

There was a chance his sister was already in bed and he could avoid the whole thing, but he doubted he would be that lucky.

Digg pulled up out front and Oliver got out carefully, making sure not hit Felicity's head on the door. Digg went ahead, and by the time Oliver crossed the threshold he knew why the other man was giving him a significant look.

Thea waited halfway down the stairs.

"Ollie, what the hell happened?" she exclaimed and rushed to the bottom. Her surprised eyes cut over Felicity and then back to him, "Wait, this is the girl with that guy who gave me the creeps. This is the girl with our hair clip! I know you didn't believe me, but I know that clip belongs to us. Why is she here?"

Oliver's patience was thin, but he needed to protect Felicity and keep Thea from asking too many questions.

"She ended up at the club with Charles Mason, he drugged her drink and tried to get rough with her. The bouncers kicked him out and I felt bad for her. I didn't know where she lived so I decided to bring her here. I didn't want Mason to follow her home. I was being friendly" It was the thinest excuse he'd ever heard. He could almost see Felicity rolling her eyes at him.

Thea gave him an incredulous look, but something in his demeanor must have told her something else because she let it go. "Ok, Ollie. That was very...chivalrous of you."

"Sir..." Digg interrupted and motioned towards the stairs, saving from his sister.

"Goodnight, Speedy." Oliver said before moving past her.

"I assume you're putting her in a guest room." Thea said in a lilting voice.

He threw her a glare. "Goodnight." he said pointedly and continued to the second floor.

Oliver had no intention of putting Felicity in a guest room, which Digg seemed to have known because the door to Oliver's bedroom had already been pushed open.

Digg waited in the hallway. "Need anything?"

"No, we'll be good." Oliver said,

"I'll stop by and talk to security, let them know to beef it up tonight, just in case." Oliver nodded his agreement.

"Take care of her." Digg added unnecessarily and shut the door behind them.

Oliver laid her down on his bed, and then realized he had a bit of a problem. Felicity still wore her green evening gown. The high slit had parted, showing a long strip of bare leg he couldn't seem to keep his eyes from.

Then he saw the bruises again, and the swelling on the side of her face, and any desire he'd felt was momentary.

He selected a dress shirt from his closet, not wanting anything that would be constricting against her throat and then sat by her hip, leaning her forward until she rested against his chest. The closure for the dress was hidden at the shoulder, and it took a few fumbling attempts before he got it unlatched.

He pulled the zipper down gently, and slipped her arms into the shirt, leaning her back enough to fold the ends together in the front. His fingers nimbly did up the buttons before he tugged the dress down her hips and off her legs. The shirt came almost to her knees, and he felt he'd done a damn good job being respectful of her state. He only hoped she thought the same when she woke up.

It was easy enough to pull the covers back and slide her beneath them. The last thing he did was pluck the hair clip from her now messed up twist. A few more pins and her blonds hair spilled over his pillows, leaving her looking almost peaceful.

With the hair clip clutched tightly in his hand he pulled a chair up to the bedside and waited.

The night drug on. He dozed off once only to be woken up by Felicity's frantic thrashing.

He was on his feet immediately, sitting on the side of the bed and covering her hand with his. "Shhh, you're safe." he told her, brushing hair out of her face and waiting without breathing until she calmed.

The rest of the night was spent pacing the floor until the sun began to rise.

Oliver returned to the chair, laying the hair clip he'd held on to all night on the table next to the bed. He sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees, head in his hands.

He didn't know she was awake until he heard a rustling sound and a long, drawn out 'ow'.

Oliver leaned over her, heart beating frantically. "Felicity, how do you feel? Don't move if it hurts."

She blinked against the light, and grimaced before she spoke. "It's mostly my neck. The rest of me just feels like I got run over by a train, that's all."

Even though her voice sounded rough and unnatural it was still the most beautiful thing he'd heard. It struck him suddenly that she was going to be alright. The knot that had resided in the center of his chest loosened up a bit. He sat back in the chair and looked down, needing a moment to let himself accept it.

Her hand on his wrist startled him. "Don't," she whispered, "Please don't do what you always do. I won't..." tears formed in her eyes, and he realized she thought he was shutting down and blaming himself. "I won't do something like this again...I don't want to."

He pulled her towards him, hating that he'd made her upset. "I'm sorry," she continued, unable to stop, "I'm so sorry, I should have..." sobs choked her voice and he held her tighter, one hand coasting over her hair as he whispered in her ear.

"This wasn't your fault. Missions go bad. Sometimes we have days like this." it took everything he had to keep his voice even, but he meant it.

Felicity's eyes were wide as she sat back and stared at him.

"I take it you weren't expecting that response." he said lightly

"No, not exactly." she admitted, "Oliver..."

He looked her right in the eye and gave her a small smile, "You're part of my team. I trust you. I trusted you long before I knew how invaluable you would become to me. You're smart, and capable, and sometimes thing just go wrong." There was more that he wanted to say, but right then he needed to make sure she wasn't second guessing herself.

The stunned expression on her face let him know she'd heard him. "But you're right, you won't be doing that again."

"No, I think we've learned that some things should be left to the professionals." she gave a little laugh, but it was hard and brittle.

"I think we've also learned that I can't handle seeing another man's hands on you." he admitted, waiting for her reaction.

Her eyes flicked up to his. "Oliver..." she breathed out, stunned.

The hope and want in her eyes was almost palpable and he wondered how he'd been so blind for so long.

His hand came out to cup her cheek, "Felicity, somewhere, in all of this I realized...I realized you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I would be an idiot to do anything that would jeopardize that."

Her hand came up to wrap around his, her thumb brushing over his pulse point. "That sounds suspiciously like something Digg would say."

He nodded once, "Doesn't make it any less true."

"Touche," she replied, but he could see the doubt on her face. Their eyes were locked as her hand left his wrist and slowly trailed up over his arm, across his jaw and cheek and began to stroke the line between his brows. His eyes fell shut and he relaxed into her.

"That's better," she said quietly. When he felt her begin to draw back his hand flashed up and caught hers. He didn't blink or look away as he brought her arm closer in. His lips ghosted over her wrist and she gasped.

He didn't hide from her, he let her see everything he'd been through that night. The fear, the jealousy, the rage, and the realization that he loved her. When his lips made contact a second time she shivered.

In the space of an instant he'd gone from needing to make sure she was safe to needing to kiss her.

He pulled her closer and she didn't resist. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he slid from the chair to the side of the bed. His hands landed on her waist and then she was against him.

"Oliver, " she said, her voice light and breathy. He could see her mind working, trying to figure out how this had happened.

"Stop thinking." he told her, moving in closer

"I'll try, but this is...I never expected this. You never gave me any indication that anything I felt could be more than just an unrequited crush."

A fist clenched around his heart. "I know. And I'm sorry if you doubt me, you have every reason to. But, you need to know that I know now that you're what I've been looking for. You're what I need. Always." he'd quoted part of the inscription on purpose.

There was no more hesitation on Felicity's part. Her mouth was suddenly on his, and after a moment to realize this was actually happening he kissed her back. One of her hands scratched through his hair, the other clutched a handful of his shirt.

His hands ran over her back and down her sides. When he felt warm, smooth skin under his fingertips he slipped under the shirt, skimming over her waist. She moaned into his mouth and sucked his bottom lip between her teeth.

Oliver let out a low growl as he kissed along her jaw and then her collarbone. The hands at her waist pushed her backwards into the pillows as he rose above her on one knee and followed.

He was just about to trace the edge of the borrowed shirt she wore with his lips when there was a sharp knocking behind him.

In a flash he was on his feet, blocking Felicity with his body as he turned to see who the intruder was.

It was Thea. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed shaking her head at what she'd just witnessed.

"Just 'friends', Ollie?" she said smugly, "You really thought I bought that line last night that you felt sorry for her and was worried that creep was going to follow her home?"

Thea crossed the room and sat in the chair Oliver had spent his overnight vigil in.

He heard Felicity scramble behind him, no doubt mortified at his sister catching them.

"Speedy..." he began but she held up a hand to quiet him.

"Don't. Now, I don't know why she was involved with that sleezeball, or why you were pretending like you didn't know her when it was totally obvious you did." both Oliver and Felicity dropped their heads at this statement, "Your explanation last night was lame, and quite frankly insulting if you thought I was going to believe it."

"How...how was it obvious that we knew each other?" Felicity said timidly.

The look Thea gave her was withering, "Seriously?" she asked, arching one eyebrow. First, there was the crazy amount of eye sex you two were having. Don't deny it." she ordered at their reaction, "And then, when you were leaving. You have no idea how you looked at him, or how he looked at you, do you?" Oliver just stared at her, having no idea what she was talking about. "Well, I don't know how you got to where you're sucking face finally, but trust me, there was some serious 'talking without talking' going on, and it was all very intense. There was no doubt you knew each other, I just didn't know how."

Oliver once again tried to speak but Thea cut him off. "Hold on dear brother, you'll get your say. Now, more than anything, what I have to know is why she was wearing great-grandma Queen's hair clip, because I damn well know that's what it is."

While she'd been talking she had leaned over and taken the clip from where it lay on the bedside table.

There was a long pause while Thea looked at her brother expectantly, "May I speak now?" he asked.

Thea waved her hand and Oliver quirked an eyebrow at her. He still couldn't tell Thea the truth, but some version of it that sounded more believable than the tale he'd told last night would have to do.

"I didn't exactly tell you the entire truth last night because I was worried about Felicity. She works for me on the side at the club. I found out that Mason was trying to infiltrate Queen Consolidated and use bogus information to sink us to our investors. I asked Felicity if she could help me out by getting that information from Mason. So she pretended to go on a date with him. But...it was too much of a risk. He almost killed her last night when he caught her trying to hack his computer. Luckily the Hood was on to him as well for doing something similar and was there to save her. She has me listed as her emergency contact which is why I brought her back here." Oliver said all this so calmly it almost sounded like the truth to Felicity.

Thea nodded along as he spoke and gave him a long look when he was finished. "That still doesn't explain the clip." she said thoughtfully.

The clip was harder to explain, and there was no way to hide what Thea had seen. "I...care for Felicity. I wasn't ready to take it public. The clip was something I chose because I wanted her to have it." Felicity reached a hand out and tangled her fingers with his.

Thea's look had softened and she glanced back down at the piece in her hands. Just as she was about to give it back she pulled it in closer and gave it another look.

"Oliver, since when does this hair clip have an inscription on it?" she asked and his heart dropped. "And who on earth is OQ. As far as I know you're the only...Oh. My. God!" she screeched, rising to her feet as she looked between the clip and her brother and back to the clip again.

This wasn't how he wanted Felicity to find out. He hadn't even thought that far.

There was a long moment and then he felt the bed move as Felicity suddenly pushed herself back into the headboard.

She'd figured it out.

Thea pushed the clip into Felicity's limp hands. "Here, this belongs to you. I'm just going to...yeah, I'm gonna go now." she said quickly and slipped out the door.

He still hadn't turned to look at Felicity. The air was heavy between them as he waited for her to say something.

"Is she right, Oliver? Did you have this added?" she sounded shocked, unable to believe it was true

Oliver scrubbed his hands over his face and finally looked at her, "Yes, I did."

"And did you have it added for me?"

"Yes, I did." he admitted, "Now you know all my deep dark secrets."

Her hand came out to pull on the hem of his shirt so he'd resume his spot next to her. "I thought I already knew the deepest." she countered with a smile.

"Not by half. Telling you I was the Hood had nothing on this." he said, matching her grin

Felicity held the clip between them, letting the light catch the ruby. "Did you mean for me to find out?" he knew why she was asking

"I don't know." he said honestly, "When I had the engraving done I wasn't even sure why I did it. It was...impulsive."

She gave him a look, "But you don't do impulsive."

"Maybe I do when it matters." he was already leaning in and she met him halfway.

He kissed her until they both needed air. Their foreheads resting against each other, her hand played with the edge of his collar. "When did you figure out why you did it?"

"Last night, when I almost lost you."

Her breath caught in her throat and she buried her face in his neck, holding him tight. "I'm sorry I scared you." she said, her voice muffled

"I'm just glad I got there in time." he said softly,

"Mason?" she asked so quietly he almost didn't hear her.

"Dead." he answered, his voice hard. He felt her jerky nod.


They were silent after that. She curled into him, one hand holding onto his shirt as if she was afraid he was going to slip away from her.

When he looked down her eyes were falling shut. Slowly, he shifted her so she was once again laying down.

She blinked sleepily and held her hand out, "Stay." it wasn't a request.

He slid in behind her, arms wrapping around her middle as he pulled her to his chest. His lips skimmed over the back of her neck and she trembled.

"How'd I get out of my dress and into your shirt?" she asked suddenly

"I changed you." he said, and waited for her to yell at him.

All she did was make a disgruntled noise and something unintelligible.

"What was that?" he asked

"I said, it figures that you take my dress off and I'm unconscious when it happens."

A wicked smile crossed his face, "Well, next time we'll just have to make sure you're awake."

Felicity stilled, then shifted backwards some and turned in his arms. "Next time." she agreed, laying her head on his chest.

"And I'm keeping the shirt."