TITLE: Lullaby

CHARACTERS: Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak

SUMMARY: Oliver couldn't fall asleep, until he heard a certain someone singing. Set after the "Man Under the Hood" but before "Seeing Red."

AUTHOR'S NOTES: AUTHOR'S NOTES: I meant to write a post-ep fic of "Seeing Red" but my emotions are still too raw. So this came out instead. Inspired by a video of some members of the "Arrow" cast doing "Summer Nights." You can find it on YouTube (I tried to link to it, but doesn't allow links) by searching for John Barrowman Emily Bett singing and clicking on the video with the title "Here is what happens in set with 2 much time on our hands. JB"

DISCLAIMER: Oliver Queen and company belong to DC Comics.

He punched his pillow into a thousand different shapes but couldn't make it comfortable.

He drew the blanket over his head, covering himself in darkness, then pushed it down because he couldn't breathe.

He punched the wooden dummy until he was sore.

He climbed the salmon ladder until his body screamed in exhaustion.

He took a warm shower.

He made tea.

He tried counting sheep.

He warmed some milk.

But Oliver still couldn't fall asleep.

He sat on his cot in the lair, his mind too full of Slade Wilson. What was his next move? He'd taken his company. Would he go after his family now? His friends? He'd thought of sending them all away — his mother, the Lances, Felicity, Diggle — but he had a feeling Slade would just track them down and bring them back. He didn't think he could bear it of any of them were hurt because of him.

Oliver blew out a breath.

His former friend probably has his Mirakuru-powered army by now. How can he stop them? How can he protect his family, his friends from them? How can he protect Starling City? He didn't even want to imagine what kind of havoc those monsters could wreak. It would probably be worse than the Undertaking.

He glanced at the clock. It was 5 in the morning. He lay back down and closed his eyes. It's been days since he had more than a couple hours of sleep a night. He couldn't think straight anymore. Every waking moment was filled with worry for his loved ones and his city.

Oliver counted to 30 then sat up again, this time toying with the idea of warming another glass of milk and maybe finally taking some pills — he hated them, they made him feel sluggish — when he heard faint music coming out of the main part of the foundry.

He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders before padding out barefoot. The music grew louder and he realized he recognized the song — "Summer Nights" from "Grease." He found himself smiling; Thea loved that song when they were kids.

Another realization? The music wasn't coming from the speakers, but from the blonde woman who was monitoring programs on the computers. Her voice was soft, melodious and clear as crystal. Apparently, singing was another of Felicity Smoak's hidden talents.

He wanted to ask what she was doing at the foundry at dawn, but he also didn't want her to stop. Oliver quietly lowered himself on the floor and leaned against a pillar. He didn't want to disturb her, he just wanted to continue listening.

Fortunately for him, Felicity seemed intent on singing the entire soundtrack. She even did a quick butt wiggle when she launched into "You're the One that I Want" that had Oliver shifting uncomfortably in his position.

He leaned his head against the pillar, pulled his blanket a little tighter around him and closed his eyes. For the first time in days, his thoughts were calmer. He focused on her voice, letting it wash over him, soothe him, chase the worries away. It wasn't long before his breathing deepened and his last thought was of how beautiful Felicity's voice.

The end