Note: Hello peeps! I know I've been away for AGES, but here it is, FINALLY: The final chapter of Hunted! Honestly, it's been a long time coming and I truly hope you're going to be satisfied with the ending. Of course, I will be writing an epilogue as well, which is why the story won't be marked as finished just yet.
I also haven't had time to get around to answering your comments and questions, but let me tell you, I WILL do that. Also, please note that there are some time jumps across these scenes, so I hope it isn't too confusing for you guys.
Please enjoy! :) xx
Chapter 34: The Choices We Make
"Tell me what you see."
The smell of candles burning was the most prominent in the air. The room was warm, but there was a draft somewhere too; she could feel it in her lower back as chills crept up her spine. Besides their slow breaths, the room was quiet. There was no disturbance, because they had shut out the sounds of the city; filtered them away until there was only a small buzz left in the background.
"Tell me, Sara."
Felicity's voice penetrated Sara's mind again and for a moment, it sent shockwaves through the blonde who was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Sara tried her best to focus, tried desperately to make sense of the feelings that Felicity was trying to help her control.
Almost two weeks had passed since Sara had been released from the hospital. Her recovery had been quick, despite her severe injuries. It was something that should have been the first clue to her changed nature. Of course, despite seeing the signs of it, Sara had struggled to accept the fact that she wasn't the same woman she had been before the Siege.
She let out a small huff, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to focus again on Felicity's question: What did she see? It was a difficult thing to answer, considering that she wasn't seeing anything at the moment. Not only were her eyes closed, but they were also blindfolded. She was meant to be training her other senses, something which she had done before, of course, while training to become a huntress for the League. This exercise was different too, though.
"I see darkness in my future," Sara muttered, mostly under her breath, but she knew Felicity heard her. The other blonde squeezed her hands a bit, almost reassuringly, but Sara could tell that she was losing her patience.
"I don't want you to tell me in words, Sara," Felicity sighed, this time out loud.
Sara pulled her hands out from Felicity's and frustratedly tore the blindfold off, "Then how am I supposed to tell you, Felicity?" Her voice was exasperated and she was tired. She knew that Felicity could sense her irritation as well.
"Maybe I asked the wrong question," Felicity said, tilting her head in a way that made it difficult for Sara to stay mad. Truth be told, she wasn't angry at Felicity. None of this was her fault.
"I'm sorry," Sara said, knowing that she owed the apology to the other blonde. Felicity had had her own struggles since the Siege, but she hadn't been reluctant to drop remodeling the Foundry with the rest of the team to help Sara figure herself out.
"It's not your fault," Felicity said. "I know this is difficult for you. I know it's hard to accept that this happened to you."
"Felicity, what happened to me isn't the difficult thing to accept," Sara insisted.
"Then what is?"
"I don't know!" Sara growled. For a moment her heart beat faster and the hairs on her arms rose. She looked at Felicity, her hands clenched as she stared at the woman who was trying to help her. Felicity had her lips pressed together, her eyebrows furrowed as she took in Sara's appearance. She reached over and gently took Sara's hand in hers again. Sara looked down when Felicity gingerly opened her palm. Her nails had extended somewhat, forming into claws that had dug into her skin, drawing blood.
"Damn it," Sara frowned, her pulse calming at the sight of her own blood. "I'm sorry… Again."
"I want to help you, Sara, but you have to be open for it," Felicity said. "Have you been in touch with Nyssa at all since she left?"
"No, but she'll contact me once she deals with her father back in Nanda Parbat," Sara sighed, rubbing her temple. "It's going to be hard for her to explain how one his best huntresses became a werewolf."
"Well, a severe bite from a werewolf hybrid should be the only explanation he needs," Felicity said. "From what I can see, you're taking the separation- as temporary as it may be- hard."
"Do you have a Ph.D. in psychology as well?" Sara questioned, raising an eyebrow at Felicity.
"No," Felicity let out a small laugh. "I just understand the basic functions of a wolf on a deeper level."
Sara lowered her head, thinking about what her friend was saying. She wasn't trying to be difficult or rejecting the help she was getting. It wasn't about her having some kind of lingering hatred for werewolves, or anything like that. Since she had woken up in the hospital, things had been stressful for her. Her mother insisted on being around her every day and Laurel kept trying to convince her to be her maid of honor. Sara wasn't interested in taking up a normal life in the city… Or at least she didn't think she was. Over the years that she had been away, she had changed. It was a normal thing, but somehow, her mother seemed to still expect her to be the girl who had gotten on the Gambit all those years ago. Her father was different, but then again, he always had been. He understood that she had been through a lot and he knew that she was the Black Canary as well. Her dad knew that she could never just leave that part of her life behind. At the same time, she wanted to move on with her life, but that all depended on whether or not Nyssa could convince her father to release Sara from the vow she had taken.
Then, there was the fact that she was now a werewolf.
Sara knew she needed to adjust to the change and understand the extent of her powers and enhanced senses. She already knew the basics that they had been taught in Nanda Parbat, but it was a different thing to read about killing werewolves and applying the knowledge about them to herself. Throughout it all, Felicity had been by her side. She had helped her by being there when Sara talked to her father about what had happened to her and offered all the help she could give. It wasn't difficult to see why Oliver had fallen in love with the blonde.
"Do you want to talk about it or continue another day?" Felicity asked. "We could go for coffee or something? Oliver and the others should be back any moment, but maybe we need a girl's night?"
Sara hesitated slightly, but it was difficult to contain her smile. "I'd like to try again, if that's okay?" she asked.
Felicity nodded, "Of course."
Sara resumed her place on the training mat and closed her eyes. This time, she ignored the blindfold and just tool Felicity's hands in hers. A minute or two passed as they both got situated and tried to relax.
"Tell me what you see, Sara," Felicity's voice echoed inside her head again.
Sara scrunched up her nose, focusing.
"Show me what you see."
The instruction was clear this time and Sara's breath hitched as she felt a slight tug inside of her chest. It was as if Felicity's words triggered something inside of her, and she tried to remember exactly what it was that had happened that night. The memory of it flashed inside her head and she felt her head pulsating. She wasn't sure if it was working at first, but then Felicity spoke again.
"I'm with you. You're not alone."
A shaky breath fell from Sara's lips as her mind was flooded with images. It was almost as if she was there again; on the dark streets of Starling City during the Siege.
She was running as fast as she could, taking down hybrids from left to right. A wail was heard and she turned, her heart pounding at the sight of Roy fighting a giant hybrid all on his own. She ran towards the younger man, desperate to help him. It had been difficult, but somehow, she had gotten the hybrid's attention and she had fought against him as well as she could. Then, just as she thought she had gotten the upper hand, the hybrid turned on her and bit her on her right side. Sara screamed out in pain as the hybrid's canine teeth tore through her leather suit and her skin. The sharp fangs embedded themselves into her flesh and she felt warm blood spilling as the hybrid only clamped down harder. Her vision got dizzy, but she heard someone else call her name. She tried to focus, finding a spot in the distance as the hybrid threw her to the side. Nyssa. Something cold washed over her at the same time as Nyssa and her loyal League members came down on the hybrid. Sara's head fell to the side and she saw a bright light. A loud bang echoed through the street and suddenly, Barry was there, manipulating the ground beneath them. The fire that was slowly spreading through the street grew for only a moment as Barry used the flames to keep the other hybrids away from them. His face was covered in soot, sweat and blood, but there was something fierce in his eyes that told Sara that the man wasn't going to be giving up any time soon. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she was conscious long enough to realize that the cold she had felt came from Barry. The witch, warlock, or whatever the hell he wanted to be called, had built some kind of protective barrier out of ice around her and Roy. She hadn't even realized it until he turned and looked at her.
"Get her out of here," Nyssa yelled. "Now!"
Barry was by Sara's side in less than a millisecond. Sara's stomach turned when she felt herself being pulled into a cloud of light. The feeling was unlike anything she had ever felt before. One second she was bleeding in the street, hazy eyes taking in her lover as she fought monsters, and the next, she was in Barry's arms and next to Roy. Then, a loud bang later and another bright flash, she was outside the hospital.
Sara opened her eyes again, pulling herself out of her memory. She looked at Felicity, who wiped a tear from her cheek.
"I'm sorry," Felicity said. "I know I wanted to teach you how to project images and memories to other pack members, but I don't think I was ready to watch just how close both you and Roy came to dying."
A sense of gratitude and love welled up inside of Sara. The fact that she and Felicity had come so far since the first time they met made her feel like she might actually be capable of change. There was acceptance in Felicity's eyes and Sara felt no judgment from the other blonde. It made her feel bad that she had been so quick to jump to conclusions when it came to the hybrid. Now, after everything they had been through together, Sara was a werewolf and Felicity was an alpha. According to Felicity, it was only normal for Sara to be drawn to her, because betas usually needed the guidance and security that came from the alpha and the pack. That was one of the things that Sara hadn't been able to get out of her mind: the pack. They hadn't had an official conversation about it, but from what Sara could tell, Felicity was more than willing to let Sara in. In fact, Felicity had insisted that Sara should come with her and Roy when they went to meet with some younger wolves who had helped them during the Siege. Sara had never gotten the chance to thank Sin and her friends for their help, so she had gone with Felicity without thought. When Sin and her friends had sensed Sara's changed nature, she hadn't really known how to act. It wasn't as if she had learned the ways of the wolves in any other way than how to beat them in combat. They hadn't decided on anything just yet, mostly because Felicity wasn't sure whether she was meant to be leading a bigger pack or not. Sara knew that Felicity could handle it, but with everything else on their plate since the Siege, she didn't know if Felicity was ready for it. Or at least she suspected that it was there that Felicity's hesitation mostly laid.
"Am I a part of your pack?" Sara asked, not able to help the question from slipping out.
Felicity gave her a look, "Sara, you're my friend and you're family. Of course you're a part of the pack."
"Your pack," Sara said pointedly. "It's your pack, Felicity."
Sara could see her biting her cheek. Felicity shrugged and then met Sara's gaze again. "Do you think I can do it? Lead a pack of wolves, all by myself? It was another thing when it was just me and Roy, but now Sin and those other wolves want to join and then there's you too, and I just don't know if I'm cut out for this," she quickly babbled.
"What does Oliver think?" Sara questioned.
"He thinks that I can do it, but I worry that if I devote myself solely to the pack as an alpha, I won't have time to help him with the Arrow-stuff," Felicity admitted.
"You're worried you'll stretch yourself thin," Sara stated, nodding absentmindedly. There was a solution, of course, but she didn't know whether Felicity would be acceptable of it. "You could always have Roy help you. He's your beta, right? Couldn't he take on some of the responsibility when it comes to the new wolves?"
"He could," Felicity agreed, "but I kind of want him close to me and out on the streets, helping Oliver… But there might be something in what you're saying." She was looking at Sara in a way that made Sara wish she had learned how to tap into her alpha's mind.
"What?" Sara asked.
"You could help me with Sin and the others," Felicity grinned. "After I teach you everything I know, you could help maintain the contact between us and them. We can't have them coming into the Foundry until it's set up more properly, but we could still use their help to keep an eye on the streets."
"To keep unruly Dark Ones from harming humans," Sara nodded slowly. "You want me to check in on them every once in a while? Doesn't being a part of a pack mean that we would have to meet up regularly or live together or whatever?"
"Not necessarily," Felicity said. "It might have been like that ages ago, but today things are different. People, in general, have free will and the concept of it has developed among wolves as well over the past couple of centuries. Nowadays, werewolves can be part of a pack and only meet once a year, if necessary. Usually though, they just meet up on full moons to get through their transformations together and help each other out."
"So we wouldn't have to meet with them more than once a month?" Sara raised an eyebrow. "What about them accepting you as their alpha?"
"If they do, then they'll ultimately know that they have my support and protection. If anything were to happen to them, I would be obligated to look into it. They would only have to swear me their allegiance and loyalty," Felicity explained. "Look, you and Roy are a different thing. Roy already lives with me but we've talked things over and he wants to move into an apartment with Thea. Whether you decide to stay in Starling City or move on from here, you have to know that you'll always be welcomed into the pack. As I said before, you're family and you would have been even if you hadn't become a werewolf."
Sara's eyes stung a little and she bit her lip to keep control of her emotions. "You have no idea how much that means to me," she said.
Felicity smiled kindly, reaching for Sara's hand. She squeezed it once, reassuringly, "I understand."
And Sara could sense that she did.
"I'll think about it, okay?" Sara said, knowing that she didn't have an answer yet.
"Okay," Felicity agreed. "For what it's worth, I really hope you stay in Starling City with us for a while. We could use all the help we can get with the remodeling of the Foundry and planning Laurel and Tommy's wedding."
Sara groaned and rolled her eyes, "God, why do those two have to rush themselves?"
"Well, considering that Tommy was actually just thinking about eloping because things kept getting in the way of them tying the knot, I think I understand why Laurel would want to get it done with as soon as possible," Felicity mused.
Sara was about to reply when she heard the code being entered for the Foundry doors. She and Felicity both stood up as Diggle, Roy and Oliver descended the stairs. Felicity blew out the candles and Sara helped her put the things they had used for their meditative training away.
Roy still had a slight limb since the Siege, something which Sara had talked to him about. She hadn't understood why he hasn't healed completely yet since he too was a werewolf, but according to Roy, he was going to get better after the next full moon. Felicity guessed that it might have had something to do with the fact that his leg had almost been completely shattered by the hybrid, which was why it was taking more time to heal. Sara could see on his face as he walked that he was still in pain too, but he kept insisting on going out patrolling with Oliver and Diggle. It was normal to want to feel useful, especially after just resting for a couple of weeks.
"Hey, you," Felicity said as Oliver approached her. Sara smiled, lowering her head to give the two some privacy when Oliver leaned in to kiss Felicity gently. The two of them were just radiating love, something which Sara found absolutely adorable.
"Hey," Oliver said, voice hoarse. His eyes were shining as he looked down into his mate's eyes and Sara wanted to throw up, because goddamn it, could they stop being so cute?
Felicity glanced up at her, face breaking out into a wide grin.
"I hear you," Roy said from across the room, raising his water bottle in Sara's direction. Sara looked at Felicity again, who couldn't seem to hold in her laughter.
"You projected that last thought pretty strongly," she explained.
The thought of her being able to communicate with Felicity and Roy through her mind was exciting, in a way. Things like these had always fascinated Sara when she had been younger, but she had never understood the extent of pack bonds. She knew that her abilities might be a bit heightened considering that she had been turned into a wolf and not born, but Felicity assured her that with time, she would learn to control them better. The whole projecting thoughts thing would also probably fade a bit with time and mainly work during full moons or when they were in wolf form.
"So, ready to go home yet?" Felicity asked Oliver, brushing back some of his sweaty hair from his forehead.
"I… I think I might stay for a little while," Oliver said, sounding almost hesitant. He looked toward the bathroom that Diggle had disappeared into, and Sara could see on Felicity's face that she understood what her mate was getting at.
"Whenever you're ready, I'll be at the apartment," Felicity told him, leaning up on her toes to kiss him again. Sara could feel the worry that Felicity was trying to hide. She was clearly trying to be supportive, but there was some kind of lingering concern as she took Oliver in. The conflicting emotion made Sara frown, but she covered it once Felicity looked over at her.
"How about the three of us go get a late night snack at Big Belly Burger and then I'll drive you guys home," Felicity suggested.
"Didn't you crash your car?" Sara pointed out.
"Well, yes, but that was months ago and I kind of took Oliver's out from the garage after asking if I could borrow it," Felicity admitted sheepishly. "Besides, I was being kidnapped at the time, so it's not like I was a bad driver and accidentally crashed my car."
"You let her take the Porsche?" Sara gaped at Oliver, who shot her a look.
"Actually, she got the Bentley," he deadpanned. "Besides, what's mine is hers. Right?"
"Ditto," Felicity said, hands clapping together. "But we should really, really, really consider me using my savings to buy my own car. I don't want people to start writing stuff about you being my sugar daddy."
Sara looked at Roy who widened his eyes dramatically and mouthed, 'sugar daddy', in her direction. Sara couldn't help but snort.
"Okay, now that that's settled," Sara said, walking up to Felicity. She hooked their elbows together and looked at the other blonde. "You said something about a Big Belly Buster?"
"I never specifically mentioned what you should order, but I suppose a Buster is as good as anything really," Felicity shrugged. She leaned up and kissed Oliver one more time and then pulled Sara along. Roy said goodnight to Oliver and followed behind them up the stairs. Sara tried her best not to think too much about what had Felicity so conflicted and Oliver so down. She knew that the two of them would resolve it, whatever it was, because they were without a doubt one of the strongest couples she had met. Besides, it looked like Oliver really needed a moment with Diggle to clear his head and after everything he had been through, they all owed it to him to let him have that.
As they got into the car, Sara looked over at Felicity again, "Hey?"
"What?" Felicity asked.
"It's going to be okay," Sara said, trying to convey how much she meant it.
Felicity smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "I know it will."
-§-
When Diggle got out of the bathroom, he was met with Oliver repeatedly hitting one of the dummies in the training area. He resisted the urge to sigh because he could see the tension that was set in Oliver's shoulders. It had been that way ever since the Siege, but Diggle hadn't pressed the younger man to reveal anything he wasn't ready for. He had known deep down that Oliver would come to him if he needed him. Besides, Oliver had Felicity too, although Diggle wasn't sure that the two of them had had the time to talk about whatever it was that was bothering Oliver.
"Shower's yours, if you want it," Diggle said, resting the towel around his shoulders as he approached Oliver.
Oliver got another hard punch in on the dummy and then turned toward Diggle. His breathing was hard and his cheeks were flushed, a frown on his face as if he had been in deep thought.
"I figured you would go home with Felicity and the others," Diggle continued when Oliver didn't speak. It wasn't a question.
"I… I was wondering if we could talk?" Oliver said, sounding hesitant. He still wasn't really looking at Diggle, but Diggle tried once again not to push.
"Of course, Oliver," Diggle said. "Lyla's out of town for an A.R.G.U.S. mission, so I'm not in a hurry to get home."
"How is she?" Oliver wondered.
"Good," Diggle answered. "Morning sickness is a bitch, but she's taking it like a champ." Oliver nodded absentmindedly and this time Diggle couldn't keep quiet. "What's going on, Oliver?"
He watched as his friend took a few steps back from the dummy. Oliver crossed his arms and Diggle recognized the defensive move for what it was. "Do you remember Russia?" Oliver asked, making Diggle pause.
It had been months since Russia. In fact, Diggle was almost certain that it had been over a year now. He remembered everything about the mission he had pulled Oliver and Felicity into, how desperate he had been to save Lyla from the gulag she had been kept in. Diggle knew though, that Oliver was probably not talking about that, but rather what he had done during their trip.
"I remember," Diggle said, wary of whatever it was that Oliver was going to say now. It was no secret that Oliver had messed up back then and it had caused a rift in their team for a long while. Back then, Diggle hadn't understood how Oliver could have slept with Isabel after kissing Felicity, especially considering that it was so clear that he was in love with the blonde. Diggle had hated the pain he had seen in Felicity but he had also loathed the self-hatred that he had seen in Oliver whenever Felicity had walked away from him. It had been a difficult time for them all because the distance between Oliver and Felicity had completely messed up the team's dynamics.
Now Diggle watched as Oliver struggled once again. The younger man ran his fingers through his hair, sighing deeply before covering his face. Diggle approached him slowly, "What's the matter, Oliver?"
"When… When Felicity and I fought Slade and Isabel," Oliver started, pressing his fingers to his temples, "we learned something about Russia." Diggle waited patiently for Oliver to continue, but it seemed as if Oliver was still trying to choose the right words. His fingers were still firmly pressed against his temples and Diggle watched him as he seemed to fight off a major headache.
"Oliver, you don't have to–"
"Yes, I do," Oliver interrupted. "I have to talk about this because it's been over two weeks and I haven't been able to figure out how I feel about it."
Diggle stayed quiet. It was clear that this was something that had been bothering Oliver ever since the Siege. Hadn't he talked to Felicity about whatever it was? Was that why he had come to Diggle first, because he needed to sort through his feelings and talk to his friend before talking to her?
"When Isabel approached me in the bar, I was in such a low place," Oliver tried again. "I had just rejected Felicity, which made me feel broken, but my mind kept telling me that we couldn't be together… Isabel sensed that I was off, and I know that I acted of my own free will when I took her up to my room."
It was difficult to listen to this, but Diggle didn't want to stop Oliver now that he was finally talking. Seeing his friend, his brother, in such a low and confused state made him want to be there for him more than ever.
"I was so confused, Dig," Oliver said, voice thicker than before. "When we got to the room, everything sort of became hazy, but I always blamed it on the alcohol."
"What are you trying to tell me, Oliver?" Diggle said when he saw Oliver's hesitation.
"Isabel told me and Felicity that she… That she had to convince me to stay," he said.
For a moment, Diggle didn't really understand what Oliver was telling him. He frowned, but there was a bad feeling in his gut and the hair on his arms rose as Oliver met his gaze once more.
"She implied that she compelled me to stay, because she knew that I had been about to pull away from her," Oliver clarified and the pain in his eyes made Diggle want to punch through a wall. "I don't even remember, Dig. That's the worst part. I remember thinking I had made a mistake when I took her with me, but somehow we still ended up in bed. After that, everything is just a big blur and I– What am I even supposed to feel about that?"
Diggle wished that he had been there with Oliver and Felicity when they had fought off Slade and Isabel. If he had been, he would have most likely taken a shot at the monster himself, aiming for her head. It wouldn't have solved anything, of course, because they couldn't go back and change the past. However, it would have made him feel a bit better probably, because what Isabel had implied, definitely sounded like she had taken advantage of Oliver in the vilest way possible.
"I'm sorry," Diggle found himself saying. He put a hand on Oliver's shoulder and Oliver shut his eyes, head lowering. "I understand that this is difficult for you, Oliver, and I get why you're confused. Have you talked to Felicity about it yet?"
"I haven't, but I know that she's been giving me time to gather my thoughts on it," Oliver confessed. "I see it on her face every time my mind goes there. Whenever I think about Russia, she senses the change in me and I can see the way her face falls."
"That's because it breaks her heart," Diggle said, no doubt in his voice. "Oliver, I know that the worst thing about the situation is probably the fact that you don't fully know exactly what happened that night. If Isabel really did compel you to stay, then that would also explain the gaps in your memory. She probably took some of the details away, just to mess with you even more."
"I hate her, Dig," Oliver growled. "I hate her with every fiber of my being. She fucked my head up, but I can't even use that as an excuse because I know that I went there willingly."
"But what happened after is what matters, and you don't even know that," Diggle insisted. "You were messed up, man, you said so yourself. Yes, it might not have been the best decision to leave the bar with her, but if what she said is true and you came to your senses and didn't want anything to do with her, you need to accept that she mistreated you." Diggle squeezed Oliver's shoulder. "You can't let her still mess with you. She's locked up in a place where she won't see the sun until her miserable life is over and you're free. You and Felicity have a chance to help one another move on and be happy, which is all that should matter now that we've stopped Isabel," Diggle said. "It's going to be hard, but I am one hundred percent convinced that if anyone can work through anything, it's you and Felicity. I'm here for you, man, always. If you decide to talk to Tommy about it, I know he will be too. Honestly, though? You have a literal soulmate who would do anything to see you happy again. You need to talk to Felicity, because I know that that will help you more than anything I could ever say."
Oliver seemed to think about it for a moment and Diggle didn't continue, because he knew that Oliver needed to process his words. Diggle knew without a doubt that he would be there for Oliver if he ever needed to talk, but at the same time, there was no one who would understand the younger man better than Felicity. The two of them literally had a soul bond, which meant that they could feel whatever the other one was feeling. A part of Diggle wondered whether Oliver's torn feelings on the whole situation had to do with the fact that he still felt guilty about what had happened.
"I'll talk to her," Oliver finally said. "I've always known that I needed to, but I don't think I was ready yet…"
"Felicity isn't going to pressure you, Oliver," Diggle reminded him. "Whenever you're ready, she'll be too." Once again, he squeezed his shoulder and this time, a hesitant smile appeared on Oliver's face and the tension that had been there seemed to release a little.
"Thank you, John," Oliver said.
He didn't need to say anything other than that.
"Anytime, Oliver," Diggle nodded. "Anytime."
-§-
Felicity leaned back against the headboard of their bed after fluffing the pillow she had placed behind her back. She looked at the time on her computer, sighing to herself when she realized it was way past midnight and Oliver hadn't come home yet. His talk with Diggle must have run long, but she couldn't hold that against him. Ever since the Siege, Oliver had been struggling to accept what Isabel had revealed about Russia. Felicity's own feelings were consumed with anger and sadness over the way that her mate had been treated, and she wished there was more she could do to stop him from hurting. However, Felicity understood that Oliver needed time and because of that, she had done nothing more than give him her silent support every night they went to bed or whenever he momentarily lost focus. There had been a lot of things that needed fixing around the city, and keeping the streets clean from criminals and Dark Ones had been taking up a lot of their time. She knew that if he wanted to talk about the things that had happened, he would come to her when he was ready.
Yet again, Felicity sighed, fingers moving quickly over the keyboard as she went over the last couple of points that had been made during Queen Consolidated's crisis meeting. She and Oliver had both attended, of course, especially considering that most board members wanted to discuss the fact that neither one of them had been aware of Isabel's plans to terrorize the city. Quentin's statement at the press conference had covered up the existence of Dark Ones, but some of the board members wanted to know if Oliver had somehow been aware of Isabel's plans when he had bought her out of the company. Oliver had denied it, at first, but Walter and Moira had been present too and they had shared that Oliver had followed his gut instinct. The others around the table had been glad to learn that their CEO could follow his instincts and make the right choices for the company, and those who had been opposed to him being appointed CEO, officially stated that he had their support. It was then that Oliver told them that he wouldn't have been able to get Isabel out of the company without Felicity's help. Of course, that wasn't the whole truth, because Oliver had kicked Isabel out all on his own. He had continued though, and shared that Felicity had managed to track down some offshore accounts that Isabel had set up when she had embezzled from the firm. Walter and Moira had stood up as well, showing their support for Felicity and her computer skills. Somehow, that meeting had ended with her being voted into the position as the new head of the Applied Science Division.
The whole department was going to be rebuilt after the Siege, because it seemed as though Isabel truly had taken it personally when she had been bought out. Some of her hybrids had been sent straight to Queen Consolidated to destroy everything they found in their path. Applied Sciences had taken the most of the attack, probably because Isabel had thought that might have been where they had developed the cure. Now, two weeks later, the company was starting to get back on its feet and all board members were contributing to various charities around Starling City to return their home to its former glory.
Felicity's ears perked up at the sound of the key turning. She paused, listening intently to Oliver as he walked inside. He didn't drag his feet, he never did, but it told her that despite the emotional turmoil she could sense from him, he wasn't completely broken from it. She knew that he was tired though, so she wasn't sure whether he would try to talk to her about it all tonight.
The door to the bedroom opened and Oliver stepped inside, stopping only for a moment when he saw her on the bed. He kept his eyes on her when he removed his shoes and Felicity closed her laptop, putting it on her side table. She watched him silently as he removed his socks and pulled his shirt over his head. Oliver unbuckled his belt and Felicity stared at him wordlessly, wondering what was running through his mind. He pulled the belt out of the loops in his jeans and lowered them as well, folding them neatly before placing them on the armchair in the corner of the room. Felicity patiently waited, but she couldn't help but shift on the bed and lick her lips at the sight of him. They hadn't had sex since before the Siege and seeing Oliver in just his boxers was doing things to her, as always. He slept like that every night and Felicity wasn't exactly wearing pajamas either. Still, holding one another throughout the nights had been the only intimacy they had needed. It didn't mean that Felicity's temperature didn't spike whenever she saw him undress.
Oliver sat down on his side of the bed, closest to the door. His back was to Felicity and she could feel that he was still deep in thought, especially when he covered his face with his hands.
Felicity scooted closer, putting her hand between his shoulder blades. "Are you okay?" she asked, voice low.
"I'm a little better," he said, sounding earnest. "I talk to Dig about what Isabel said."
"Yeah?" She moved closer to him. "What did Dig say?"
"He basically told me that I should talk to you too," Oliver said. "He understands why I feel the way I do. Not knowing for real what happened that night is eating me up from the inside. Diggle suspects that was part of why Isabel told us about the compulsion, to mess with us even if she lost."
"Makes sense…" Felicity mumbled, softly kissing his shoulder as she leaned against him.
"Felicity." Oliver raised his hand and covered hers that rested on his upper arm. "I don't want to live in the past anymore. I want to be able to move forward. Isabel… She put a wrench in my mind when she told us about the compulsion. A part of me wants to just let it go and move on, but another part can't accept what happened." Felicity could sense his frustration and she understood what he was feeling. She had suffered the consequences of compulsion herself when her memories had been altered before her escape. With Nyssa's help, she had recovered some of them, but she still remembered how infuriating it had been to realize that someone had messed with her head like that.
"I don't know what to do, Felicity," Oliver said, leaning into her.
Felicity wrapped her arms around him. She held on, wanting to give him all the support she could. "Oliver, you're one of the strongest people I know and I'm fully convinced that you'll get through this," she told him. "We'll get through it together and put it all behind us."
"Before I knew, I didn't have a problem with anything other than the fact that I had slept with her," Oliver admitted. "I knew I had made a mistake, but that was all I thought it was. Knowing that she might have compelled me to stay when I had been about to leave… I feel dirty and used in a way that I've never felt before. It bothers me, because I know I shouldn't let her get under my skin like this, yet it makes me sick."
Felicity felt tears prick her eyes. God, she loved this man more than anything in the world and to hear him suffer like this because of what some psychotic bitch had done to him… "I'm so sorry, Oliver," she said. "I know we don't know exactly what happened, but we know that Isabel wanted to break you and maybe, this was a part of that, like Diggle said."
"She wanted to break us, Felicity," Oliver said. "She knew that what happened in Russia ruined the relationship we had built until then and now that we've moved on from it, she wanted to throw it back into our face. She used my fucked up past to mess with my head and I'm afraid that she's succeeding."
"No," Felicity shook her head, pulling back from the embrace. "I don't accept that and neither should you. You aren't the person that you were before and whatever happened in Russia, I know that we can work through it once again. I forgave you and I love you no matter what. We don't know what happened, but we can prove her wrong by not letting her mess with us anymore."
"How do you know we can do that?" Oliver asked, meeting her gaze.
"Because I know us," Felicity answered. "I know you. My love, my everything… My soulmate." She gently brushed her fingers over his cheek. Oliver's eyes closed at the sensation and he leaned into her touch. "Isabel is locked up and she's never getting out. She can't hurt you anymore and she doesn't hold any power over us. However long you need to work through this, you have to know that I'll be with you every step of the way."
Oliver leaned forward again and rested his forehead against hers, inhaling shakily. "I love you. I don't want you to doubt that," he said.
"I could never doubt that," she said, raising his hand to her lips. As she kissed his fingertips softly, Oliver lifted his hand to touch her cheek, just like she had done to his.
Moving in, he kissed her softly, like he always did, but Felicity's heart soared because she could feel the shift inside of him. He was still going through it, but she had no doubt in her mind that he would come out the other side stronger than before. She didn't doubt them, and that had been what Oliver had needed to heat in this moment.
"I'm with you," she murmured against his lips. "Are you with me?"
Oliver kissed her again, a bit harder this time as his fingers tangled in her hair, "Always."
-§-
It was the featherlight touch of her fingertips that woke him from his slumber. The silence in the room was comforting, enough so to only make him shift a little on the bed and quickly snooze off again. Having her close to him was a comfort unlike any other and Oliver never wanted to lose that feeling. In his still hazy state, his arm curled around her small frame and he pulled her closer, burying his nose in her hair, smelling her familiar shampoo. Her lips pressed against his shoulder and he could feel the way that they stretched into a wide smile. She shook a little, trying to keep the laughter in and Oliver's own lips broke out into a smile he couldn't contain.
His eyes opened slowly and he found that she was already staring at him.
"Aren't you the one who pointed out that it was scary when people stare at someone who is sleeping?" he asked, his voice sleep-ridden.
"I am," Felicity confirmed. "You looked so comfortable though, so I couldn't resist."
Oliver only hummed, leaning in closer so that he could nuzzle against her again as they let the silence surround them once more. It was true, what she said. Felicity had always managed to help keep the nightmares away, but this was the first morning in two months time that his thoughts hadn't instantly traveled to the Siege or Russia. Perhaps it had something to do with what day it was, or maybe his mind had just decided for him that it was time to let go. Nevertheless, Oliver was awake and he had slept through the night with no interruptions. His mind was clear and his heart didn't clench painfully at what Isabel had told them that night in the power plant.
"Did you sleep well?" he found himself asking Felicity.
She raised her eyebrow at him, grin still in place. "I always sleep well when I'm by your side," she said and he knew that she was purposely trying to be cheesy.
Oliver let out a laugh before putting his hand on her shoulder, pushing her back a little as he rolled on top of her. Felicity's arms instantly wrapped around him, her hands resting on the burn marks on his lower back. He leaned down and kissed her, murmuring a soft, "Good morning," against her lips.
Felicity's hips rolled against his and he knew that it was only a natural reaction for her. He groaned against her throat, feeling his blood rush south at the movement that caused his body to react.
"Good morning," Felicity grinned back, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Despite the playful nature of the movement, Oliver knew that Felicity wasn't going to push him. In the two months since the Siege, they hadn't done anything other than hold one another throughout the nights. He knew that no matter how frustrated either of them got or how hard he sometimes woke up, he just wasn't ready for sex.
Or at least he hadn't been.
This morning, waking up relaxed and well rested had him thinking in other ways. During these past two months he had taken time to think about everything that had happened and he had made the choice to try and move forward. Isabel was behind bars and so was Slade. They didn't know how much of Slade's anger had stemmed from the mirakuru and how much of it had truly been his own actions, but Oliver was in contact with the people who were monitoring Slade regularly in his cell.
Isabel wasn't going to get out as long as she lived and she would never be able to touch neither Felicity nor him ever again. He had his friends and his family and they had all respected his boundaries and need for time. Today was a happy day for them all and for the first time since the Siege, Oliver truly felt like it might be the first step to brighter days.
"Are you ready for today?" he found himself asking Felicity.
"Why are you asking me that?" Felicity questioned. "It's not like we're the ones getting married."
Somehow, the mention of marriage and the two of them warmed his heart. The thoughts that he had had months ago, before the Siege and Isabel, reappeared; images of Felicity clad in white walking down the aisle toward him flashed through his mind once more. His breath hitched and he met Felicity's warm gaze, knowing that she might be able to sense what he had been thinking about.
"One day," she said and he really didn't need anything other than that.
Knowing that they had a future after everything that they had been through, after all the struggles they had faced… It made him believe in them even stronger than he had before. For the first time in two months, Oliver found himself wanting to tear off the shirt that Felicity wore to bed and just ravish her completely. There hadn't been a day that his body hadn't missed the physical aspect of their relationship, but his mind and soul hadn't been ready for it. There had been too much going on in both of their heads. While Oliver had been coming to terms with what had happened in Russia, Felicity herself had struggled with her choice on whether or not to take the cure. They had talked about it several times and Oliver had made sure that she knew that just as she supported him, she had his support as well. Felicity's struggle mainly laid in the fact that she had been turned into a hybrid against her will. Yet, as the months had turned into years, she had gotten used to her powers and she had never struggled with bloodlust in the way that Roy had when he had been hopped up on mirakuru. Felicity hadn't brought it up in a while now, but Oliver sometimes caught her staring at the vial that Barry had prepared for her in case she decided to take the cure. Oliver knew that being there for her whenever she decided on what to do was all that she needed for him. She had to make the choice for herself and not think about what others might want her to do.
"As much as I love having you on top of me, we need to start getting ready for the wedding," Felicity said, bringing him out of his thoughts. Her hands were roaming his bare back and Oliver shuddered against her, softly kissing jaw, moving down to her throat. A sound fell from Felicity's lips that made him twitch in his boxers, but he knew that what she was saying was true. He was supposed to be Tommy's best man today and there were some things that he had to help coordinate before the actual ceremony.
"Just so you know," he said, thrusting against her once to make her feel all of him. "Tonight, when we get home, I'm going to strip you naked and take my time exploring every inch of you like it's our first time. Is that all right with you?"
Felicity let out a moan, "Goddamn it, Oliver. How am I supposed to keep a clear mind when you'll be prancing around in a suit all day."
"I don't prance," he said, his mind going to a conversation they had had months ago. It made him smile again and he brushed back a piece of hair that had fallen onto Felicity's face. "So, you okay with that?" he asked again.
"I am so, so okay with that," Felicity said. "I am more than okay with that."
"Good," he kissed her again before moving off of her, "because I'll be wearing suspenders."
He hurried toward the bathroom, narrowly escaping the pillow that Felicity threw in his direction.
"Now that's just rude!" she called after him and Oliver couldn't help the laugh that fell from his lips, or the lightness he felt in his chest for the first time in what felt like forever.
-§-
Oliver's hand rested on the small of her back as they raised their champagne flutes in honor of Laurel and Tommy. Felicity took a sip after Oliver's best man speech, looking toward him just as he leaned down and softly kissed her. She couldn't help the sigh that fell from her lips, happy and content. The ceremony had been wonderful and for once in their life, there hadn't been any unexpected surprises. Felicity had smiled through tears as she watched Laurel walk down the aisle with Detective Lance by her side. The bride had been beautiful, yes, though it was the pure happiness on Tommy's face and the tears in his eyes that had made Felicity shed a few tears herself. After so many months, after so much time, Tommy had finally gotten to marry the woman of his dreams. While the two of them had been exchanging their vows, promising to love and hold one another until the day death did them part, Felicity's eyes had locked with Oliver's. Her heart had hammered away inside her chest and she had instantly seen the way that Oliver's own eyes darkened slightly. She had felt warm and suppressed the urge to fan herself because she could hardly contain herself for what was to come tonight when they returned home. Roy had stepped on her foot though, hissing under his breath that he didn't need to hear her thoughts to pick up on the sexual tension that she and Oliver were apparently emitting. She had only growled under her breath and Roy had shrugged dismissively, not even ashamed of himself for pointing it out.
Now, after Oliver had finished his speech, they watched as Tommy and Laurel shared their first dance as husband and wife. Oliver stepped away from her slightly and Felicity shifted, instantly gravitating toward him, making him smile.
He held out his hand to her, "May I have this dance?"
Felicity smiled, her eyes twinkling as Oliver pulled her into his arms and they started swaying lightly. For a good while, they moved slowly, their eyes staying connected throughout the song. Oliver's hands were warm on her waist before he took her hands, twirling her once. Felicity laughed, her hands pressing against his chest as he lowered her down, dipping her once and lingering for a moment before pulling her back up. Her cheeks were flushed, she knew, because she could feel some of the people around them watching them while others whispered. She pressed her forehead against Oliver's chest, feeling his heartbeat against her palms as Oliver leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. From the side, she could see Moira and Walter watching them. There was a light in Moira's eyes as she observed them, silently raising her glass in their direction. Felicity only smiled in return and then turned her focus back to Oliver.
After dancing for a while, Roy and Thea approached them in hopes of switching partners. Felicity easily moved over to Roy's arms, but not before pressing a lingering kiss to Oliver's lips. She could see it in his eyes that he too could hardly wait for them to go home.
"How are you doing?" Roy asked after they swayed for a while.
"Fine," Felicity shrugged. "Your leg?"
"It healed perfectly after the last full moon," Roy confirmed. "Sometimes I still feel a twinge though, but I think it's more in my head than anything else."
They danced a little more and then walked away from the dance floor. Felicity shot a glance in Oliver and Thea's direction, but the siblings were talking about something and didn't seem to pay attention to anyone else. Felicity and Roy made their way over to the bar, getting themselves something to drink.
"So," Roy drawled. "Have you made a decision yet?" He drank directly from his beer bottle, raising an eyebrow at Felicity in question.
Felicity sipped from her glass of wine. "Are you asking me whether I'll take the cure or not?" Felicity wondered.
"I think that was implied, considering that you've been mulling over it for two months now," Roy replied. "It's a yes or no question, Felicity. You know that no one will judge you if you decide against taking it."
"Hm…" Felicity pressed her lips together. "I know that. There's just been so much on our plate lately. I feel like I haven't been able to properly relax until tonight and… I don't know, maybe I want to hold on to this feeling a bit longer before I make a choice."
"I don't know what conversation I just walked into, and I'm sorry for interrupting, but I need a moment with Ms. Smoak," Quentin Lance said as he approached them. Roy nodded, sending a meaningful look toward Felicity before excusing himself.
Felicity turned to look at Lance, grateful for the interruption for once. "Detective Lance," she said, "how many times have I told you to call me Felicity?"
"About as many as I've asked you to call me Quentin," he quipped, making her let out a laugh.
"Congratulations on your daughter getting married," Felicity said politely.
"Yeah, thanks," Lance said. "I had my doubts about Merlyn, but the young man proved himself to be loyal." Lance moved so that he could stand next to Felicity. They looked toward Tommy and Laurel who were still dancing, but Felicity's eyes quickly moved toward Oliver and Thea yet again. "Your boy has been busy," Quentin pointed out. "These past two months we've made more arrests with the Arrow's help than ever before. The crime rates in the Glades have lowered immensely and the city is slowly returning to its former glory."
"Careful, Detective," Felicity said. "You're starting to sound proud."
Lance snorted before shaking his head, "Well, I don't think I'll be ready to tell him that yet, but I am."
Felicity looked at him and he met her gaze head-on. There was no wavering, he meant what he said and somehow, Felicity knew that it would mean the world to Oliver to know that he really had Lance's support after everything they had been through.
"Thank you, Quentin," Felicity breathed out.
"Yeah, yeah," he nodded dismissively. "I also wanted to thank you, for everything you've done for Sara. I know that it's been difficult for her to adjust to her new… nature, but she told me that you taking her in has helped a lot."
"Sara's family to me," Felicity said. "So are you."
"I hope you know that goes both ways," Lance told her and Felicity smiled at him gently. "That's why I feel like I should tell you that there have been a lot of calls from reporters coming into the station. They keep asking whether or not we've figured out who the madman responsible for the Siege was talking about when he mentioned the White Wolf."
Felicity's smile dropped and she turned toward Lance. "Why haven't I heard anything about this before?" she asked.
"They have been keeping it all on the down-low, wanting to snoop and see if there really is a story there," Lance told her. "Mostly, they are just speculating, asking people on the streets what they think."
"And what do they think?" Felicity frowned.
"Some think it was a code name for someone on the Arrow's team," Lance shared. "That of course had the reporters questioning whether the Arrow is working alone or not. Other, think that the White Wolf is the Arrow's protector or something like that. Then there are those who say that it's his secret lover." Felicity's cheeks warmed and she looked away from Lance. He cleared his throat before continuing, "They don't have anything concrete, Felicity. They are only rumors and no one knows anything for sure about the Arrow's identity, which makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly who or what the White Wolf is. Your secret is safe."
"Thank you for sharing this," Felicity said. "You know that I'll have to inform the rest of my team of this."
"Of course," he nodded. "That's why I decided to tell you. The buzz has been getting louder among the people in the city, which is why the reporters have started to investigate more on the matter. I'm pretty sure it will all die down eventually."
Felicity thanked him yet again before excusing herself. She walked over the dance floor toward Oliver, who turned toward her the moment he felt her presence. He said something to Thea before nodding curtly and moving in Felicity's direction. He met her halfway, his hand finding her elbow as he lowered his head to whisper in her ear, "How do you feel about getting out of here?"
"I feel like you read my mind," Felicity replied, taking the arm he offered as he led her out of the room.
-§-
Oliver stood behind Felicity as she unlocked the front door and made her way inside. Her heels clicked against the floor and he took in the burgundy dress she wore. It clung to her in all the right places, flaring out just above her knees. The material was silky and as they had danced together tonight, he had felt as if there was hardly anything separating her skin from his.
Oliver tried to clear his mind. Before he could make good on his promise, he knew that they needed to discuss whatever it was that had Felicity so deep in thought. Then, there was also the discussion he'd had with Thea, while they had been dancing.
He followed Felicity into their bedroom, closing the door behind himself despite the fact that Roy didn't live there anymore. He had taken up a permanent stay in the Queen Mansion. It had taken some arguing on Thea's part to make it happen, but once his mother had seen that there was no way to separate the young mates, she had given in. Since Oliver himself had been staying with Felicity, he didn't see a problem with having someone with enhanced senses protecting the rest of his family.
Felicity walked over to the small desk and Oliver leaned back against the door, tugging at his bow-tie to loosen it up. He watched her as she opened the lowest drawer. The move made her dress stretch over her ass in a way that made his fingers itch to just hold on to her.
But he couldn't… At least not yet.
Felicity picked up the small wooden box and closed the drawer before walking over to the bed. She sat down and looked up at Oliver expectantly. He pushed himself off of the door and removed his shoes before joining her, sitting down next to her.
"Did you know about the tabloids?" Felicity asked.
Oliver raised an eyebrow at her. "I think you'll have to be a bit more specific, Felicity," he told her.
"The gossip magazines and other more professional journalists all over Starling City who are trying to figure out who the White Wolf is," she clarified, fingers moving over the lid of the box.
"You know I don't pay attention to those things anymore… They wouldn't be able to figure anything out either way," Oliver said.
"Maybe," Felicity nodded slowly. "It was a bit of a shock though, when Lance told me about it tonight. It made me realize that I've been so focused on everything else that I didn't even notice that there were people out there who were actively trying to get to the truth about me. Of course, they don't know it's me that they're trying to figure out, but they are apparently speculating on whether or not the White Wolf is the Arrow's lover, so–"
"Fe-li-ci-ty."
She pressed her lips together and Oliver watched as her thumbs moved over the wooden box in her hands. "They are trying to figure me out, Oliver," she said again. "It's something I've been trying to do myself since the Siege."
"I know," Oliver said, his hand covering hers. "I know that I haven't been the only one soul-searching."
Felicity turned toward him, blonde unruly locks of hair slipping from her perfectly imperfect updo. "I've made my decision, I think, although I'd really like to hear what you have to say about it too," she said, opening the box. Inside, the vial filled with the cure to her hybridism laid and Oliver met her hard stare as he waited for her to continue. "I know that becoming a hybrid wasn't my choice," she started. "For the longest time, I hated myself for being weak and letting the Master do this to me. After I was turned, a part of me just didn't want to accept the fact that I was more powerful than before. Despite lacking the bloodlust, I still saw myself as weak for being something that hadn't been a part of my nature."
Oliver listened intently, his hand still covering hers. He wanted to give her all the comfort he could while still giving her however much time she needed to get her words out.
"When I joined you and Diggle, I was still struggling to accept what I had been turned into," Felicity continued. "After a while though, working with you guys and getting to use my enhanced powers for something good, made me feel… Better, I guess. I started finding my place in the world, my purpose, and that made me feel good, Oliver. I felt guilty though, because there I was, using powers that had been forced upon me to try and make Starling a better place."
"I'm sure I didn't help," Oliver said. "Being the way I was, judging you for what you were… I'm sorry for that."
"That's in the past," Felicity said, her eyes shining as she looked at him. There was a small tug on her lips, almost as if she couldn't help but smile at his words. "To be honest, the way that we were toward one another in the beginning just proves how much things can change with time. We started off on the wrong foot and then, a year and some time later, we figure out that we're soulmates. Talk about twist of fate."
"I think a part of me might have always known," Oliver admitted. "When I got that first message from you, telling me to find you… There was this unexplainable need in every cell of my body to just figure out the mystery that was Felicity Smoak." He raised his hand to her cheek, thumb gently caressing her over the blush that appeared at his words. "I will forever be grateful for finding you. I'll always be thankful for everything you've taught me and the way you opened my eyes. About the Dark World and the real world, but most importantly, about myself. Without you, I probably wouldn't be sitting here today."
"Oliver…"
"No, please, just let me say this and then you can continue," he interrupted her. "I talked a little to Thea tonight. We talked a bit about everything that has been going on with me and the things I've gone through since I returned to Starling City. I was spiraling, Felicity, and I know that now. Everything was a mission or a hunt to me and I didn't even see it until you made me face some hard truths." Oliver wet his lips, clearing his throat. His emotions were getting the better of him, but she had to know, especially tonight. He already suspected what she wanted to tell him, but he wanted her to know exactly how much she meant to him and how having her with him had ultimately saved his life.
"Having you on the team, fighting with you almost every day gave me some kind of– I don't know– purpose," Oliver explained. "My life wasn't just about killing Dark Ones or keeping people safe, I wanted to figure out who you were and what your secret agenda was. That night, when I took you home, when you couldn't sleep? It was the first time the two of us really talked and I saw something in you that I hadn't expected. After trying to hate you for so long, I just realized that– That I actually cared about you and what happened to you, all along."
A tear slipped from the corner of Felicity's eye and Oliver gently brushed it away. He leaned into her and she met him halfway, pressing their lips together for just a moment before pulling back again.
"I cared about you long before I found out we were mates," Oliver said. "I think that deep down, I might have loved you from the first moment I saw you, but I was too stubborn to see it or accept it for what it was." He kissed her again and Felicity shuddered against him. "I want you to know, that no matter what your choice is, that will not change. Despite my denial in the beginning of our relationship, I know now that I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. You saved my life the night that we met, not just from those wolves, but from myself too, simply by coming into my life. I loved you then, I love you now, and no matter what choice you make, I will keep loving you because you're you."
Felicity sniffed, not even bothering to wipe her tears away as she closed the distance between them. Oliver felt her move her hands away momentarily, probably putting the box on the bed next to her before she leaned into him completely and raised both hands to his face. She deepened the kiss and he opened his mouth willingly, letting her tongue stroke his and explore freely. God, he loved her, more than he would ever be able to put in words. He could try and hold speeches like he had just done, but he would never truly be able to convey the way he felt about her by speaking about it. Through their soul bond, he knew that she felt it, just like he felt her love for him.
Eventually, once his fingers had made their way into her curls, completely ruining her updo, they pulled apart. Oliver waited then, knowing that she needed to finish what she had started. It took them both some time to get their breathing under control, and Felicity seemed reluctant to let go of his face. Instead, she kept her hands there, not bothering to pick up the wooden box containing the cure. She opened her eyes, and Oliver's breath hitched at the sight of her irises turning a bright golden hue.
"I used to hate myself for what I had been turned into," Felicity said, voice shaky. "My choice had been taken from me and I hated that with every fiber of my being. Now, I have a choice again, Oliver. I can choose whether or not I want to remain a hybrid or return to being a wolf. A part of me can't help but wonder if I should just take the cure, but then another part… I've become used to the person I am now. After meeting you, I changed too. It might not have been my choice before, but now, being a hybrid just makes sense to me. You're a part of why I feel the way I do. You accepted me for who I am and you taught me that it wasn't about whether I was a wolf or a hybrid or even a human. You taught me that it was about me and what I used my powers for. You helped me accept myself for who I am and the person I've become while helping you do what you do." His lips parted and Felicity smiled, eyes still filled with tears. "You are my hero, Oliver Queen."
Whatever plan Oliver had had about the things he had wanted to discuss with Felicity tonight, went out the window after those words. He moved forward so quickly that he literally knocked her over on the bed. Felicity giggled, her laughter ringing in his ears, making his chest feel warm as he found himself on top of her, kissing every inch of her face that he could reach. She wiggled a little under him, moving herself upward so that they wouldn't be awkwardly laying at the end of the bed. Oliver didn't follow first, kissing down her throat, the side of her neck and down to her chest that was already heaving. The wooden box that had been on the bed clattered to the floor when they moved again, probably after Felicity accidentally kicked it as she tried to make her way up the bed. Oliver decided to ignore it now that he knew for sure that Felicity wasn't going to take the cure. If she ever decided that she wanted to, Barry had the formula and would probably just be able to make her another one.
"Oliver," Felicity whined, her fingers gripping his suspenders, tugging lightly. He allowed her to pull him towards her again, kissing her with urgency as his own hands moved to her feet. He pulled her high-heels off, one by one before moving one of his hands to her back. His other hand settled on her ankle, tracing her skin there for a moment and then moved upwards, pushing the silky material of her dress up.
"It'll get stuck," Felicity muttered against his lips, her hand finding his chest as she pushed him back a bit. "Wait a minute." She lifted herself up, reaching back for the zipper. Oliver watched her as she pulled it down over her chest and he found himself once again pulling her under him. Felicity laughed at his eagerness and Oliver couldn't suppress his own chuckle. He kissed the tops of her breasts, his fingers finding purchase once more in her dress as he pushed it down, over her hips. Felicity squirmed, helping him to get the dress off of her completely and somehow, they managed. She was panting, looking at him with darkened eyes and Oliver swore under his breath as he leaned back and looked at her.
Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was a mess; lips that had been painted red were swollen and there were red marks on her chest, where his beard had rubbed against her skin.
"How come I'm only wearing my underwear while you haven't lost anything but your shoes?" Felicity asked, clearly teasing him.
Oliver laughed again, shaking his head as he pushed himself up, moving back so that he could remove his clothes. Felicity laid there watching him with hungry eyes as he divested of his clothing. He chucked off his boxers in the end too, not wanting anything to hinder them from moving forward with this tonight.
It had been too long since they'd had each other like this.
Oliver groaned as he took in the sight of her. He couldn't help but wrap his hand around his hard member. Stroking himself a few times, he desperately tried to take away some of the pressure he was feeling. Felicity shifted a little on the bed again, gripping the sheets beneath her. She bit her lip and Oliver moved forward, kneeling on the bed as he tried to ignore the way his dick twitched at the sight of her. He hadn't had her in months and he wanted to savor this moment.
His fingers wrapped around her ankles again and he moved his hands over the smooth skin of her leg, slowly making his way upward. He bent down, kissing the inside of her right thigh before doing the same on the left one. Nuzzling against her, he took a moment to just lay his cheek against her skin, looking up to meet her eyes. Her chest was heaving and he could literally feel the heat that she was radiating when he reached for her. Oliver slid up, making sure to drag his body over hers and he relished in the feeling of her hardened nipples as they brushed against him. He kissed her again as he simultaneously reached down, cupping the apex of her thighs. Felicity gasped into his mouth, her hips rolling against his fingers as he rubbed her through the thin material of her panties. He could feel her wetness soaking the material, but for a while, he settled on just kissing her and teasing her like that.
The way that she moved beneath him and the way that her hands gripped his arms told him that she wanted him to just move. When she scratched his scalp, Oliver couldn't suppress a grunt as he thrust his hips forward on the bed. He froze as the sensation made him feel even more wound up than before. If he continued like this, he wouldn't last.
"Get a move on then," Felicity panted against him.
Oliver growled at her when she nibbled on his shoulder. He felt her human teeth scrape his shoulder and the thought of her biting him again made him impossibly harder.
"Fucking shit, I feel like I'm going to explode," he admitted, feeling a little light headed.
"Can you wait until you're inside me?" Felicity asked. He raised his head and gave her a look of disbelief. How the fuck could she still be teasing him? How was her brain even functioning properly right now? Was he the only one feeling this desperation?
All of the sudden, Oliver found himself on his back. Felicity planted herself on his stomach, her hands on his chest as she rolled against him. Oliver grabbed a hold of her hips, gritting his teeth when he felt her slickness against his abs. Was she…?
"You have really hard abs," Felicity said, eyes fluttering closed as she threw her head back. Oliver's lips parted and he fought to keep control of himself. The sight of her rubbing against him like that, taking her own pleasure by using his body…
"I have something else that is hard too," he heard himself say.
Felicity's eyes opened wide and she looked down at him again. "Clearly, your brain is still functioning too," she laughed. Oliver pushed himself up, wrapping his arms around her. The move effectively pushed her back so that she landed perfectly in his lap. Reaching down, he tore the flimsy material of her panties away from her body and Felicity shuddered again at the move.
"Come on, Felicity," he said, encouraging her when he saw her eyes glow gold. "Come on."
Felicity reached down and grabbed his cock, lifting herself up before she positioned him at her entrance. She pressed her lips to the side of his neck and Oliver raised his hand to the back of hers, holding her there to make sure she knew what he wanted. His lips parted in a soundless gasp when she lowered herself down slowly while piercing his skin with her fangs at the same time. He closed his eyes, holding on to her as she drank from him. The feeling of being connected like this; having her drink his blood as he moved slowly inside of her– It was the best feeling in the world.
Her warmth surrounded him in more than one way and he let her move at her own pace, using only his hands and his strength to help her. There was no pain as she drank from him, only pleasure. He could feel her presence all around him and inside of his head. The love she felt for him was intoxicating and he hoped that through their soul bond, she would feel that he returned the feeling just as strongly.
After a while, he started feeling a bit lightheaded, so he tugged a little on her hair and Felicity pulled back instantly. Her eyes were still glowing and her fangs were out. There was blood on her mouth and Oliver could feel it trickling down the side of his neck. Felicity lifted her wrist to her own mouth, tearing into her skin before offering him her blood. He licked the wound she had made, tasting the pure energy that she radiated and he could feel the familiar heat that indicated that his skin was healing. She leaned forward then, lapping at the place she had bitten him, licking up the blood that had previously escaped her.
"You good?" Oliver asked when she pulled back.
Felicity nodded at him. "You?" she wondered.
"I'll be even better once we move," Oliver said, not being able to help his smirk. Felicity returned the grin as she pushed him back to lay down. He was still painfully hard and he was inside of her, but when Felicity finally started moving, Oliver's eyes rolled back at the pleasure that exploded inside of him. He could feel her tight walls fluttering against him and he gripped her tightly, making her move faster against him. Oliver planted his feet on the mattress and then pushed himself up, fucking into her harder than before and she met him halfway. Sweat covered their bodies and the sound of their skin slapping together was almost obscene, but Oliver reveled in it.
He was still wrapped around her when he twisted them around. Felicity's head connected with the pillow and Oliver wrapped her legs around his waist before thrusting into her again. She cried out, eyes squeezing shut as pleasure ripped through her, making her thighs shake. Oliver held on, his hips moving at a furious pace as he chased his own release. Felicity grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down, kissing him deeply once more and apparently, that was all he needed. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through him and Oliver's movements faltered as they both rode out their orgasms. He panted against her lips as he came down and opened his eyes to meet hers. Felicity was smiling at him, lazily and with so much love that his heart felt as if it was going to explode. He tried to move away, but she continued to hold him tightly. Instead, he let his weight cover her, knowing that she could take it. His face found the crook of her neck and he kissed her there, his tongue darting out to taste the saltiness of her skin.
"If you do that, I'm going to want you again within the next half hour," Felicity said, still breathing hard.
"Give me a couple of minutes," Oliver chuckled.
"I told you I'd give you half an hour," Felicity repeated, laughing as she looked down at him, kissing his forehead. She gently ran her hands over his shoulders, letting out a moan when Oliver finally pulled out of her. They would both need a shower later.
"We're the worst," he mumbled, wincing at the stickiness that was left behind when he moved away from her.
"Hm… I agree, but right now, I don't really think I care," Felicity said. Oliver raised an eyebrow at her again. "I mean, of course I care, it's just that I'm so blissed out right now that I'm not even thinking straight. That's like the first Oliver-induced-orgasm I've had in months! Don't judge me."
"I understand, Felicity," Oliver said, kissing her again. "I… I have something I want to ask you."
"If you ask me now, I'll agree to anything," Felicity told him. Oliver grinned, looking away from her as he shook his head. "I'm just kidding. Come on, Oliver, ask away."
He turned back to her, lifting his hand to brush across her cheek, moving downward to her clavicle. He trailed over her heated skin there, running over her breasts and Felicity's breath hitched when his thumb touched her nipple.
"Earlier tonight, Thea suggested I look for closure… You know, about Russia," he said, waiting for her reaction.
"I agree, and just this once, I'll forgive you for talking about your sister in our post-coital bliss," Felicity said, but he could hear the humor in her tone.
"If I ask you to come with me, will you?" Oliver asked, cupping her cheek again.
Felicity's eyes softened and she turned her face into his palm so that she could kiss it. "Yes, of course," she said. "Wherever you go, I'll come with you. Always."
-§-
There wasn't much light in the room. The chair he sat in was uncomfortable, but he wasn't about to complain to anyone. He waited patiently, hands clasped together on top of the table as he stared down at them. His leg wasn't jumping up an down, his fingers weren't rubbing together as they usually did when he was nervous, simply because he wasn't.
A door at the end of the room opened and Oliver raised his head. Two cloaked people came into the room first, their hands raised as they turned toward the door again. Next, Oliver observed as Isabel Rochev was led into the room, followed by two other cloaked people. The four guards walked around her, all four holding their arms out in Isabel's direction. There were metal cuffs around her ankles, connected to chains that led up to her wrists where another pair of cuffs held her hands tightly connected. A third, thicker chain was wrapped around Isabel's slim neck, forcing her to hold her arms close to her body with every small step she took. She was wearing an orange jumpsuit with a number stitched onto her breast pocket as well as some kind of symbol. Oliver recognized it as the insignia that was drawn on the roof of the building, where the helicopter that had brought him here had landed.
"Mr. Queen," one of the guards said. She was a woman, as far as Oliver could tell; slightly smaller in build than the other three guards, but radiating just as much power as the others. She moved around the table and Oliver stood up to shake her hand, but she only stopped a few feet away from him. The other three guards moved Isabel, making her sit down in the seat on the opposite side of the table.
"I'm afraid I don't know your name, Ms…?" Oliver trailed off, but the woman shook her head. Underneath her hood, he could see her lips curve up into a smirk.
"Not important," she answered. "We are not here to exchange pleasantries with one another. You came for closure and that is what the Covens have decided to grant you. We will remain in the room to make sure the prisoner won't try anything, but we'll put a spell around the table to keep any sound from getting out. As long as you stay within a five-foot-radius of the table, we won't be able to hear anything you say."
"I, uh… All right," Oliver nodded, figuring that this wasn't the time to start questioning the way that magic worked in this place.
"The chains around the prisoner's wrists will be secured to the table. They have also been spelled to ensure that she can't escape," the woman continued. "You have one hour to say what you have to say and after that, I find it most difficult to believe that the Covens will grant you a second visit. Your hour begins once we have stepped out of the radius I previously mentioned and have taken up our place in each corner of this room. Do you have any questions, Mr. Queen?"
Oliver went over everything in his head. "Will she be able to compel me?" he wondered.
"No," the woman replied. "The Covens have taken great measures to ensure that the prisoner won't ever be able to compel anyone else to do their bidding. You are safe within these walls, just like the world outside is safe from her."
"No more questions," Oliver said, making a note in his head to ask Barry about all of this one day.
"You may take your seat." The woman motioned to the chair he had previously been sitting on and took a few steps back from him. She motioned to the other guards, who nodded once and stepped back from Isabel. The brunette shot them a glare before leaning back into her seat as far as the chains would allow her. Oliver sat down in front of her and once again placed his hands on the table, clasped together. The guards took up their posts and Oliver looked up to see a light purple flash above them. The shield was in place and the countdown had started.
Oliver looked at Isabel who had finally turned her attention to him. She observed him almost curiously before straightening her back again. He didn't say anything as she rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck. He didn't make a sound as she leaned a bit closer, her fingers tapping the table as she went.
"Hello, Oliver," she said, her voice sounding just as cold and detached as it had whenever they had worked together at Queen Consolidated.
Once again, Oliver didn't speak. He only waited, wanting to see if he felt something, anything at all. The disgust was still there, but it wasn't directed at himself so much as it was toward the brunette across from him. The anger that had been almost crippling him had faded, replaced by a calm that he knew came from the woman he loved. No matter what happened today, Oliver knew that he had already made peace with himself. Now, he only wanted to see if he could learn the truth.
"I have to say, when those witches told me I had a visitor, I didn't expect you to be the one waiting at the table when I walked through those doors," Isabel said, fingers still tapping against the table. Oliver noticed that her nails were no longer the perfectly manicured ones she had always advertised in the office. Instead, they were broken and chipped, lined with a black color that made her fingers look almost dead.
"Tell me, why did you come here today, Oliver?" Isabel asked, dark eyes glinting. "Better yet, how did you even find this place?"
"That's not important," Oliver replied. His voice was calm and controlled. He wouldn't allow this visit to get out of hand.
"Come on, Oliver," Isabel laughed. "It's not like I'm going to get out any time soon. I'm going to be locked up in this prison that is controlled by the Witch Covens. I won't see the sky until the day I'm going to be buried. I can't use whatever information you give me against you anymore."
Oliver clenched his jaw, hating how silky smooth her voice sounded. She might not be able to compel him, but that didn't mean that Isabel wasn't a damn good negotiator. He wasn't going to give in though; he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of getting to him ever again.
"I came here because I wanted to know what really happened in Russia," Oliver said, tired of wasting time.
Isabel clicked her tongue before grinning, "Does that really matter anymore?"
"It does to me," Oliver said curtly, pressing his lips together.
Isabel watched him silently yet again. Her eerie smile widened and her eyes once again glinted with that darkness that she had shown during the Siege. "How long has it been, Oliver? How many months have passed since the Siege?" she questioned.
This, who chose to answer. "Five," he said, eyes narrowing.
"Are you telling me that even now, five months after that night, you want to know what happened? It's been well over a year since Russia, Oliver. I'm afraid my memory might have been tarnished my time in captivity," Isabel said, grinning. "Why don't we move on to more interesting matters? Slade Wilson's whereabouts, for example. Is he too a prisoner here or have you taken him somewhere else?"
"Slade isn't here," Oliver said. "The mirakuru no longer runs in his veins, but he is being kept in another place where he won't be able to hurt anyone until we know for sure that he has made a full recovery."
"That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard," Isabel said, her demeanor suddenly changing. "He won't recover from this, just like you won't. The answers to your questions won't change a single thing. I am going to live with the satisfaction that I managed to break you. The great Hunted of Starling City, the protector of humans, the Arrow. You will never get a good night's sleep and not knowing the truth will eat you alive because you will know deep down, that I won." Isabel's cheeks were tinted red and if looks could kill, Oliver would be dead by now. Her hands rested flat on the table and she her breath was labored. She jumped a little in her seat, as if trying to move the chair closer to him, making a screeching sound fill the room. Oliver saw out of the corner of his eye how one of the guards took a step forward, but he held up his hand, making sure they saw that there was no need to approach them.
"You almost did," he said, staring into her eyes. "Break me, I mean. Those first two months were hell for me because, just as you said, not knowing the truth was eating me alive." Then, he laid his hands on the table, just like she had done. He wasn't restrained, so he could move a bit closer. "Once again, you didn't count on the people around me. My friends and my family," he told her. Isabel's eyes narrowed and Oliver's grin widened. "I had people who fought for me, who helped bring me back into the light and who helped me accept that what you told me that night, wouldn't change what had happened in the past. Whether it is true and you compelled me to stay, or if you lied just to mess with my mind, it doesn't change anything. Like you said, in the long run it doesn't matter." This time, he was the one who tapped the table and Isabel glared at him. "I've taken my time and accepted that I can't change the past no matter what it was that actually happened," Oliver said. "It might take me a few more months, or even years to fully get over it and stop thinking about it, but ultimately, I am going to be out there–" he pointed towards the door, still grinning– "while you'll be in here, withering away." He tapped the table again. "I will be happy and you will have lost."
With that, he stood up from his chair, straightening his tie. Isabel moved too, but the chains kept her in her seat and she let out a low hiss. "Are you leaving already?" she asked, clearly trying to mock him, but it wasn't working. She was never going to be able to get to him ever again.
"I am done here," he said, buttoning his suit jacket. He took a step away from his seat and the guards instantly moved forward once he had stepped out of the secure zone. Isabel struggled against her restraints as the guards took a hold of her.
"Wait, wait!" she hissed. "I'm curious to know one more thing. I want to know what your dear Felicity chose in the end," she yelled after him as the guards started dragging her away. "Did she take the cure? Is she really better than the rest of us?" Oliver continued to walk toward the exit, ignoring her. "Come on, Oliver. Tell me!" Isabel screamed, her voice darkening. "Tell me, what did she choose?"
This time Oliver stopped and he heard the guards pause as well. They weren't pulling her away anymore, clearly sensing that he was going to say something. His back was still turned toward her. He didn't want to look at her ever again and he knew that he didn't owe her a response. Still, he knew that this was going to be the last thing she ever heard coming out of his mouth, and despite everything he had gone through since he was shipwrecked, Oliver Queen knew that Isabel deserved nothing but the truth.
Why? Well, the truth was something that Isabel had never been good with, and he knew that it was the one thing that would most likely leave her sleepless at night.
"What did she choose!?" Isabel screamed again, pulling against her restraints once again, making the chains clatter.
Oliver turned his head slightly, still facing away from her. "She chose us. She chose me," he said, not giving her anything else as he finally continued walking. Another scream of frustration and rage filled the room as Oliver reached the door. He opened it and stepped outside, sealing it shut behind himself. He let out a deep breath and looked up, his gaze settling on Felicity who was leaning against the opposite wall, waiting for him.
She straightened up, smiling as she pushed herself away from the wall. Oliver opened his arms to her and she stepped into his embrace without hesitation, resting her head against his chest as she placed her hands on his lower back. For a minute or two, she held him close. Oliver couldn't help but press his lips to the top of her head.
"Are you okay?" Felicity finally asked, her voice a little muffled because she was still pressed tightly against him.
"I am," he confirmed and his answer made her tilt her head up so that she would be able to look him in the eyes. Oliver leaned down, closing the distance between them as he kissed her softly. He watched as her eyes slid shut and a sense of serenity filled him, coming straight from her through their soul bond.
"Thank you," he said once they finally pulled apart, foreheads resting against one another.
"For what?" Felicity wondered, frowning a little.
"For never giving up on me and for trusting me," Oliver counted. He smiled again. "For loving me," he added, knowing deep down that he was in fact thanking her for so much more that he couldn't even put in words.
"You make it easy, Oliver," she said to him, her words making him feel warm all over. "Let's go home."
Her fingers tangled with his and he gently squeezed her hand back when he felt it tighten over his. He kissed her once again for good measure, nodding as they started making their way toward the exit.
When they finally stepped out into the light, Oliver knew the truth deep in his heart. With Felicity next to him, he knew, he would always be at home.
Note: I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I struggled a little with some parts, while others just flowed naturally. The ending scene was one of them. It just came to me one night, because I knew that I wanted to somehow show that Oliver had gotten closure, especially since what happened was left kind of ambiguous. It's meant to be that way because honestly, Isabel is twisted and evil and she wanted Oliver to suffer. She never would have told him the truth and that was something that Oliver understood with the help of his loved ones.
Now, I'm going to start writing on that epilogue now, because I have some scenes in mind, but peeps, if you feel like there's something missing, something you want to see, feel free to drop a comment and tell me. While this chapter (in a way) was written to tie things together and wrap them up, the epilogue will be a look into Oliver and Felicity's future (the team's too btw!). So, if there's something you wanna see, TELL ME. You can comment here, but you can also write to me directly on Twitter (Sugar_Pepper666).
Thank you once again for reading and supporting this fic. I know I've been the worst when it comes to regular updates, but I really hope it's been worth it in the end. I'm a woman of my words and I finish my stories. Until the epilogue, lots of love for you! xx