Hours later he was positioned on the roof of a seven-story apartment building his eyes trained on the building across the street. Waiting. He might not have the leads the police had, or Felicity's expertise, but he knew people and he knew desperation. With Jose out of the picture, along with most of the money, and so that meant Kal was desperate which meant he was going to do something very stupid.

As if on cue, he noticed his car drive up to the curb of the building, and Felicity stepped out, and Diggle followed. There seemed to be an exchange, he imagined Felicity telling Diggle not to worry, telling him she was safe, and he could almost hear Diggle insist on walking her up to her apartment. He knew people.

He watched them go through the front door, and it was no more than thirty minutes later when he watched Diggle come back out. Now the waiting game started. He kept his eyes trained on movements surrounding the building but his eyes kept darting to her window. She moved around her apartment, turning the TV on, making something on the stove, flipping through her mail. And he felt his rage change, and become something else, something more, something he thought would make him weak. If this was love, he didn't feel weak, he felt stronger than he ever had before.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed it, a quick movement, someone was climbing up the fire escape on the far side of her building. Fluidly he pointed and aimed his bow and arrow. This feeling he was having, it made his heart race, his throat dry, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to make the kill shot. Not if he wanted to look Felicity in the eye. Not if he wanted to be the best he could because it was what she thought he was. So he chose the next best thing, he aimed again, the man was moving fast across the roof of the building. But not fast enough.

The arrow went sailing through the air, and hit Kal in the shoulder. Wounded, he fell to the ground grasping at his shoulder. He shot another arrow; this time aimed it for the rooftop entrance. Grabbing onto the wire attached to his arrow, he slid across the street and as Kal got to his feet he took the opportunity to throw a hard punch to the man's head, leaving him unconscious.

Lifting him up on his shoulders he started back towards the fire escape. He knew just how he was going to make Kal pay.

Oliver watched as the man, who was tied at the end of a wrecking ball swung like a pendulum, back and forth, back and forth. And while he swung he screamed.

He called Diggle.

"Oliver."

"Diggle, would you please alert the authorities to Kal Varga's location. He is currently being held at the construction site of," he paused looking at his cross streets, "100 and Main."

"Do I even want to know?" Diggle asked, obviously aware of Kal's screaming. "How did you find him so fast?"

"A vigilante never tells his secrets."

Diggle laughed, "OK meet me for drinks at The Bin Box"

He didn't need to answer, he felt like a drink, if felt like a lot of drinks actually.

Diggle wasn't hard to find, he was standing at the bar talking to the pretty bartender, and the men standing next to him look childlike next to him.

"Oliver!" Diggle waved him over. "What are you having?" He asked when Oliver sat.

"Whatever's on tap." Oliver turned to his friend, "are we celebrating something?"

"Your safe return." Diggle offered. "Tell me where you found the bastard."

"Felicity's" Oliver answered taking a drink of his beer.

"What? I went through that place myself."

"He was waiting. It was the only play he had left. No Jose, no money, the only thing he had was leverage against Oliver Queen and that was Felicity."

"Good thing the Hood was in the neighbourhood." Diggle seemed amused.

"She's not coming back to Queen Consolidated."

"I know." Diggle added, "women like Felicity don't just keep hanging around, waiting for you to get a clue. She will move on, with or without you."

"Looks like she already has."

"I don't follow."

"Joshua Tate." He hated the name, he had no idea why but it tasted sour on his tongue.

"Ah, the patient that your girl visited." Oliver looked at him, not appreciating the tone. "She told me a little about him, telling me about how she felt guilty for his coma, how she wished she could go back and change things."

"Yeah," Oliver took a longer drink. His glass was already feeling empty.

"You don't think that those two are going to fall madly in love with one another, do you?"

"Why not?" Oliver emptied the bottle and motioned for the bartender for a refill. "Girl pines for coma boyfriend, boyfriend wakes up, girl and boy fall in love. It's a happy ending." He unhappily finished.

"Look man I know you were on an island for five years, and haven't got much game. If you want to be in Felicity's life, you're going to have to make an effort."

Oliver refused to play this game. "What are you talking about?"

"When she spoke about Joshua, she was concerned." Dig paused, "but when you're running late, even ten minutes she get's panicked. And don't even get me started that night we thought you were about to die if it wasn't for Barry."

"What are you saying."

"I'm saying that Felicity has feelings for you that don't come close to this scenario you dreamed up about her and some guy in a coma."

He looked at his friend for a long time. "I don't think I should be with-"

"Stop! Stop right there, because that shit might work on your ladies. But I know you better. I know that all your doing to keeping everyone at a distance, because you can't handle being hurt. And that might work for awhile, until one day you wake up and realize you don't want to be alone anymore."

"How very Oprah Winfrey of you."

Diggle took a drink of his beer, and in all seriousness replied. "She will move on Oliver. With or without you."

This was necessary, she thought to herself, this has to happen. She breathed in and out, trying to control her nerves. If she wasn't going to be around Oliver or Diggle she was going to have to learn to take care of herself. No more depending on them to get her out of tough situations. Although, she could argue with herself, that tough situations won't have the same meaning as they once did.

Her job at Starling City Police was going to start next Monday, and that only gave her a few days to get this done.

"You never know who might be a threat." Hugh's voice boomed around them. Everyone was facing a cement wall, at least ten feet apart, in maybe three rows.

She managed a quick glance at the girl standing next to her, Jenny the Librarian, she looked just as panicked as she was. "At any moment your life might be in danger." Hugh was walking in between them. He was large, maybe 280 pounds, and at least six-foot four. "And who's going to be there, to save your life?" He asked no one in particular. She felt him move behind her, she was certain that he was going to throw her around like a rag doll-like he did Celeste. "I said, WHO is going to save your LIFE?" He practically yelled.

At once everyone yelled back, "I AM." And then in a swift motion she saw Jenny being flung on to her back and landing with a thud on the mat. Hugh reached for her hand, and pulled Jenny back up. The class turned to face him, and she could feel the atmosphere in the room change considerably.

"I hope I'm not late?" She would recognize that voice anywhere. And she turned to see Oliver strolling in to the gym, wearing sweats, t-shirt, and runners. He held up his hands to the group, "Oh, I am late."

"And you are?" Hugh asked crossing his arms.

"Oliver Queen." He stuck his hand out for a handshake. And just as fast Hugh reached, pulled and tucked under Oliver, who went flying just as easily as Jenny. Landing hard on his back.

"Next time, be on time." Hugh didn't bother reaching for Oliver's hand and moved to the center of the group again. Oliver raised his eyebrows at her. She could hear the women whispering around her. "Isn't that THE Oliver Queen?" "Oh he is so hot!"

This wasn't acceptable she thought, as she tried to focus on Hugh. He was using poor Jenny as a demonstration on being attacked from behind.

She felt him standing next to her, his arm casually brushing up against hers. She tried to ignore it, which he knew of course, and he purposely moved against her. Their arms were skin to skin. There was an entire gym, yet he was pressed up against her.

She shot him a look, which he ignored smiling at Hugh and Jenny.

"Okay, did everyone get that?" The group nodded, "I want to see each of you try with a partner, take turns." He instructed, and before he finished there was a rush of voices.

A tall blonde turned to Oliver, "would you like to be my-"

"Actually, I'm Felicity's partner." He informed her, and put his hand on the small of her back, leading her to the opposite side of the mat.

"What are you doing?" She hissed.

"Taking self defense classes." He answered innocently. When he didn't say anything else she continued.

"No, I'm taking self-defense classes, you are doing something else. What are you up to?" She lowered her voice, trying to keep their conversation as private as possible, as they faced each other on the mat.

"I don't know if you've heard, but I was kidnapped not to long ago."

"Oliver."

"From my own home." He added just as sweetly, hand on his heart.

"Oliver, stop it."

"I just don't want to be a victim again." He cracked a smile as he reached for her arm, and just as Hugh had done to him, tossed her down onto the mat. He was still holding her hand, grinning down at her, so she kicked at his knee, causing him to loose his balance. He ended up landing across her torso, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact he had he seemed quite content to lay there staring at her.

"Is this about Queen Consolidated?"

"Absolutely not. Diggle tells me you have a fancy new job with the police."

She tried to wiggle out from under him, but it didn't work. "Is this about my other job?"

"Not that either." She looked around, and caught a few stares.

"Let me up, people are staring at us."

"I. Don't. Care."

"Please Oliver." It must have been how she said it because, he slowly lifted himself up, helping her as well.

"Your turn." He said.

She grabbed at his hand, and he easily moved out of her reach. Again, she tried and he did the same move. If he didn't want to play fair, neither would she. She made a third attempt to grab at his arm, and as he moved in the other direction she grabbed her stomach, doubling over in mock pain.

"Felicity-" and before he could finish she twisted his arm behind him, simultaneously wrapping her leg around his and pushing down. He fell on his stomach.

"Excellent! Excellent job Felicity!" Hugh called from across the gym, and truth be told she felt excellent. "Next time Oliver, I suggest you not underestimate your opponent."

Oliver flipped over and looked up at her. "And he doesn't even know what you can do with a high heel."

She had to laugh at that. "Seriously Oliver, what are you doing here."

"I'm here because you're here." He said.

She titled her head in question. "I'm here because I wanted to ask you out to dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Yes, where we sit at a table, eat amazing food, and enjoy each other company." He stood up, "and hopefully neither one of us is attacked, injured, or kidnapped."

"Well you never know with you, your kind of a magnet for trouble."

He put on his innocent face, "not I."

"I don't know Oliver, about what you said, about not having someone in your life-"

"That's great guys, you all did a great job today. See you back here next week." Hugh pointedly looked at Oliver, "on time."

She turned and made her way to the change rooms. She couldn't concentrate, and having Oliver this close to her made her giddy.

"Felicity wait." He called after her, but she choose to ignore him.

Waiting until all the other women had left she sat by herself on the bench, straddling it. What did he want really? Why now? Dinner, was he serious? So many questions, and her stomach still had butterflies from their exchange. Would it always be like this? Every time he walked into a room, would her heart race.

"So your hiding." Oliver said as he nonchalantly walked through the doors.

Surprised to see him, she sputtered, "this is the ladies room Oliver."

"I know, I read it on the door, before I walked in."

Putting her head in her hands. "What do you want from me?"

Oliver sat in front of her, and moved her hands away from her face. "I told you."

"Dinner?"

"Yes."

"Like a date?" She asked.

"Exactly."

"Am I missing something here? Is this how you plan on get me to go back to being your assistant."

"Nope. I'm just a guy asking a girl to give him a chance." She looked at him hard, his eyes were being completely open and she knew he was being honest.

"I don't think so." She managed.

"Why?"

"Because there is a lot of history there. And I'm not sure if we are well suited for one another."

"Can I tell you, respectively, that you're wrong." He argued, "first the fact that you and I have history means more to me than I think you can ever imagine. Not only do you know me, but you know all of me. I don't have to pretend. I don't have to lie. You can't know how much I value you that. And we are suited for one another, and I can prove it to you."

"How?"

"By taking you out to dinner." She grinned at his grin.

"I'm scared Oliver." She finally said, "when you almost died that night. I just didn't think I would ever be able to live with myself if I lost you like that. It scares me, the thought of you not in my life."

"I know," he leaned forward, "it scares me too. But what scares me even more, is knowing that I could have made a home with you and I didn't. I want to take a chance with you Felicity. I would like us to try…" he didn't finish just held her hand, "follow me I have something for you."

Intrigued, she grabbed her bag and followed him through the facilities to the parking lot, and around the side of the building. She stopped dead in her tracks. Oliver kept walking and leaned against the car.

"And to prove my devotion to you, I am gifting you this."

"Is that a Firebird?" She asked.

"Felicity," Oliver patiently explained, "this is the 2014 Firebird Firebreather. It's the their newest model, and I had some enhancements done as well."

It looked stunning, all black and glossy with red trim over the headlights, and the faintest of red flames on the front. It was sexy, it was dead sexy.

"I can't accept this…this is to much." She was flabbergasted.

"It's a gift you can't just give back a gift Felicity, that would be rude."

She shook her head, smiling so wide she thought her face might split. "What are the enhancements?" She finally asked.

"Oh, well I had them install bullet proof windows and doors. Also, four GPS locators, fingerprint starter, voice activated computer, and a killer stereo."

"Four GPS locators?"

Oliver shrugged, "you know…just in case."

"So."

"So." He repeated.

"Where are you taking me for dinner?"

Oliver smiled and moved toward her, and carefully brushed his thumb over her lips. "I know a great place by the wharf."

"I'll pass." Knowing he was teasing her.

"In that case, I guess you'll have to settle for a al carte Oliver Queen." Smiling she tipped herself up on her tippy toes and kissed him.

"Sounds dangerous," she held her hand out for the keys, which he placed her in hand. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have her heart race, and butterflies jump in her stomach, maybe it would be for the better. She didn't look back at Oliver as she moved towards her car. Maybe this is how it was meant to be.