Hey, guys, thank you for your reviews last chapter! Your enthusiasm for this mini fic fills me with such joy. I really love revisiting these moments in season two and giving them a unique spin. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

From Russia, with Love

In the last two years, Ned had seen more change and chaos at Queen Consolidated than in the past two decades of his career combined. Although some would probably say that "career" was a strong word considering he was only a janitor and not one of the C-suite executives he tidied up after. Personally, he was partial to the term "custodial arts"—a little phrase he'd picked up while watching his daughter's favorite movie, The Breakfast Club. It was like an art form, making sure that everything was clean and in working order.

He mopped the floors, shampooed and vacuumed the rugs, washed the white boards and windows, discarded the rubbish, and helped with general maintenance. Whether it was for casual meetings or cutting business deals, it was important that both employees and visiting outsiders saw the executive floor in pristine condition. A clean, organized office put people at ease. It made them trust that the company's operations contained the same ease and efficiency. It made them feel welcomed and productive. To most people in the office, his efforts went unnoticed. His job mostly consisted of being useful yet unseen—a fact he'd gladly accepted long ago. Ned never needed excessive praise or thanks anyway.

After graduating high school in the sixties and getting drafted into the army to serve in Vietnam, he'd wanted a normal job with minimal stress. Fighting for his life while watching his fellow soldiers and friends die in combat had taken its toll. All he cared about when he'd returned home was marrying his high school sweetheart and putting food on the table for his family. After working a string of crappy jobs, the janitorial position at QC had been a godsend. It paid well, offered good benefits, and allowed a generous amount of vacation time. He'd been happy where he was, and never wanted to leave. Even after his children had grown up and his beloved wife had passed, he still wanted to go to work every day. It helped pass the time, and it was nice to be around people rather than stuck alone all day in an empty house.

"Good night, Ned," said Joan. She'd been at Queen Consolidated almost as long as he had. She'd worked her way up to executive assistant for CEOs such as Robert Queen and then Walter Steele. Now she worked for the new vice president, Isabel Rochev.

He and Joan had both known Ms. Rochev when she was just a young intern starting out at QC. She'd been a go-getter even back then, but at least she was more pleasant to be around. Ms. Rochev often had a huge smile on her face, which Ned later realized had more to do with Mr. Queen than her internship experience. He and Joan never spoke of it outright, but they'd been around long enough to see the signs. Joan had been friendly with Moira Queen, the CEO's wife, and had therefore never cared for Ms. Rochev. It was a cruel twist of fate she now had to work for the young woman she'd so vehemently disapproved of.

Ms. Rochev became the epitome of an ice queen since then. After her near hostile takeover of QC, she walked around the office with a scowl on her face and took great pleasure in ordering people about. Her ambition had clearly transformed into a kind of ruthlessness that put many in the office on edge—including the new CEO, Oliver Queen, and his assistant, Felicity Smoak. Rumors swirled about them, too, when he'd plucked her out of IT to become his executive assistant. Ned refused to partake in such gossip. Seeing Miss Smoak—or Felicity as she told him to call her—was one of the bright spots of his day. She was a brilliant young woman with a kind smile and warm disposition. The only reason he even knew how to work his smartphone was because she'd generously taken time out of her busy day to help him get the hang of it. He also appreciated her asking about his kids and his electric train hobby. Even if she wasn't the CEO's assistant, Ned was happy to prioritize her requests.

On this evening's rounds, he would start with the CEO's office first. There had been a lot of extra foot traffic through it—what with QC's involvement in Sebastian Blood's efforts to clean up The Glades and Moira Queen's impending trial for The Undertaking. The company had been in a constant state of upheaval, and it didn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. Ned mopped the floors by the elevators first, since he could hear Mr. Queen in his office with Ms. Rochev arguing yet again. It'd be a lie to say he wasn't glad the younger Queen didn't get along with Ms. Rochev. Ned doubted he knew the true history of Ms. Rochev and the Queen family, but he figured the young CEO's parents would be proud their son didn't trust her so easily. Ned tried not to eavesdrop, but it was difficult considering the rising volume of their voices.

"You were supposed to sign this report at last night's board meeting. Know why you didn't?" Ms. Rochev questioned, her tone filled with accusation rather than curiosity.

The elevator dinged right then, and Felicity came walking out. He waved at her, but she walked right past. Ned didn't take it personally; she seemed distracted and in a rush. He wished her luck as she headed into the lion's den.

"Probably because I didn't attend last night's board meeting," Mr. Queen casually replied.

"Where were you?" Ms. Rochev demanded.

Felicity stopped just outside the office door, looking anxious and unsure about how to interrupt.

"I have other interests outside this company."

"I don't."

"Uh, Mr. Queen," Felicity tentatively interjected.

Ned pushed the mop forward, getting an eyeful of the exchange. He saw Mr. Queen motion for her to wait.

Isabel continued, "I thought you were serious when you said we were partners."

Mr. Queen shifted behind his desk but made no move to get up. "Isabel," he replied, "I missed one meeting."

"This week!" she retorted. "Last week it was two meetings."

Felicity, fidgeting with her hands, moved closer as Mr. Queen leaned forward on his desk.

"Mr. Queen," the blonde tried again.

He gave Felicity a "not now" look and raised a hand to hold her off.

Felicity didn't look appeased and stepped forward again. Ned had to give her credit. Anyone else would've run in the opposite direction with Ms. Rochev's wrath on full display.

"Company-wide revenue is at double digits since you and I took over—"

"Oliver," Felicity stressed.

Ms. Rochev whipped around, glaring at her, while Mr. Queen inhaled sharply with a somewhat surprised and exasperated look on his face.

Ned almost dropped his mop hearing Felicity interrupt so forcefully—and using her boss's first name, no less. No executive assistant he knew would dare to do such a thing. Either she was very brave or still too new at her job to realize her mistake.

"I'm sorry to interrupted your—grrr," she went on, making a cat-like clawing gesture with her hands. Ned stifled a chuckle. "Um, I need to talk to you about your plans for this evening…with Mr. Harper."

Mr. Queen stared back at her and bit his lip, probably to contain the reprimand coming. Ned had never heard Mr. Queen raise his voice to Felicity, but there was a first time for everything. He held his breath, hoping the scolding wouldn't be that severe. Ms. Rochev, meanwhile, stared him down waiting for a response.

"You'll have to excuse me," Mr. Queen said to Ms. Rochev so casually that Ned did a double take.

"We have work to do. It's important," the brunette argued.

Mr. Queen and Felicity shared a knowing look before he stood up. He buttoned his suit jacket and said, "So are my…evening plans." A look of utter disbelief crossed Ms. Rochev's face. "I'm sorry." He walked out of the office with Felicity hot on his heels.

"We are going to have to work on your excuses," he muttered to her.

"You're right."

Ned nearly forgot he was supposed to be mopping when they approached. He was too busy watching the way the pair reacted to each other. Why would Felicity have to come up with a better excuse? Did he tell her to purposefully interrupt when Ms. Rochev was on a rampage so he'd have an out? That would explain the lack of reprimand. But Ned got the feeling that something else was going on. Why would Mr. Queen and Felicity be leaving together so late instead of dismissing Ms. Rochev and discussing his plans in the office?

"Oh, hi, Ned. I didn't see you there," Felicity greeted as Mr. Queen pushed the button for the elevator.

"Hello, Felicity. Mr. Queen," he replied.

Mr. Queen nodded a hello. He had a unique presence. He was strong and, at times, charming like his father, but there was also something a little more intimidating about the way he carried himself. His eyes roamed over Ned—like he was assessing a possible threat rather than an employee—before returning to Felicity. Ned hadn't seen a look like that since he was in the army.

"I hope we didn't ruin the floors on you," Felicity said, looking down to make sure they weren't standing on a wet spot.

"Nope, you're fine. I haven't got to that side yet."

"Good. How's your daughter doing? The new baby is due soon, right?"

"Any day now," Ned confirmed. "I'm looking forward to being a grandpa again. They're waiting on the gender reveal, but we're hoping lucky number three will finally be a girl."

"I guess that'd be up to your son-in-law. You know, because it's the guy who determines the sex of the child. An egg is an X chromosome and sperm is either an X or a Y—not that you probably want to be thinking about your son-in-law's sperm. I mean, we all know how pregnancy occurs but the details might be—" She stopped abruptly mid-babble when Mr. Queen placed a hand on her shoulder. While Felicity's cheeks turned pink, the CEO looked to be fighting a grin.

The blonde sent him a thankful smile before saying to Ned, "I'll keep my fingers crossed for you."

The elevator dinged. It was only then that Mr. Queen took his eyes off of Felicity. He held the door open for her.

"Thank you," Ned replied, chuckling. "You're a real sweet girl, Felicity. Enjoy your night."

"You, too. See you tomorrow." She got on the elevator.

"It was nice meeting you, Ned," Mr. Queen politely added.

Just before the doors closed, Ned watched the pair turn toward each other and whisper. He couldn't help but smile, pleasantly surprised by what he'd witnessed in just that brief exchange. The smile didn't last long, though, as Ms. Rochev came stomping out of the office. With a huff and not so much as a glance in his direction, she got on the elevator—leaving behind a trail of footprints for him to clean once again.

After days of nonstop rain, it was finally a sunny day in Starling City. The temperature had still dropped uncomfortably low, but Ned wasn't one to complain—even if it did make his arthritis flare. He pushed his cleaning cart into the CEO's office.

"Good afternoon, Felicity," he greeted the young blonde.

It took a moment for her to respond. When she did, Ned noticed her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hi, Ned."

"Everything all right?"

"Uh, yeah. It's fine. Just a long day," Felicity said. "Jet lag and all."

Ned nodded sympathetically. "Will Mr. Queen be out of the office for a bit? I'd like to get started on his windows."

"Now would be a perfect time. He's got meetings all afternoon."

"Sorry I couldn't get to them sooner. I'd hoped to finish them before you guys got back from Russia, but I was backlogged with maintenance requests," he explained.

Felicity clicked away on her computer. "No worries."

"How was the trip, by the way? It must've been fun to travel with the boss overseas and see the sights," Ned commented.

She paused, her entire body going rigid. Her expression fell for a second before she forced another smile. Was the trip to Russia the reason for her somber mood? He already regretted mentioning it.

"It was…productive. And cold. Very cold," she muttered, her tone signaling that's all she wanted to say on the subject.

Ned took the hint and got right to work. Every so often his eyes would drift over to Felicity. Something was bothering her today. Her slumped shoulders and permanent frown as she worked was so different from the babbling and bubbly woman he was used to. Had something happened between her and Oliver? The younger Queen had quite the reputation with women in his day—still did, in fact. He better have kept his hands to himself.

Just as Ned was finishing, brisk footsteps echoed from the corridor. Mr. Queen had returned. Ned quickened his pace, not wanting to cause the CEO any inconvenience. Before entering the office, Mr. Queen stopped at Felicity's desk.

"Can you deliver this to Isabel's office please?" he asked her.

The young executive turned toward the office when Felicity called out, "Why her?" Mr. Queen stopped in this tracks. "I mean, besides the obvious leggy model reason."

"It just kinda happened," came his quick and somewhat awkward reply. Ned paused, shocked to hear the usually confident CEO sound so unsure of himself. "It didn't mean anything."

Something definitely happened in Russia, but not between Mr. Queen and Felicity. It sounded like something happened with Ms. Rochev. Ned shook his head. He hoped he was reading too much into their conversation. It would be a shame if the young Queen fell into the same trap as his father with that snake in disguise.

Glancing through the glass wall, he caught Felicity's wounded expression before she averted her eyes to her desk. Ned's heart clenched for her. He'd recognize that look anywhere. He'd nursed his own daughter through a broken heart or two over the years. Ned had suspected Felicity had a crush on her boss, but the pain he saw on her face ran deeper. Judging by Mr. Queen's remorseful look as he stared down at her, it seemed he was aware of it, too.

"Hey," Mr. Queen murmured.

Felicity lifted her chin, though it took a second before she could meet his gaze.

The young man continued in a low, soothing voice, "Because of the life that I lead, I just think that it's better to not…be with someone I could really care about."

Ned's eyebrows shot up as he took in the intense and surprisingly intimate way Mr. Queen addressed Felicity. Maybe her crush wasn't so one-sided, after all. But why was he pushing her away? Was Mr. Queen worried about what people would say if they dated? If so, he was already too late. Most of the company already gossiped about the nature of their relationship.

No, it had to be something else. The way Mr. Queen talked, his own heart was at risk of being broken. Did he sleep with Ms. Rochev because he was in denial about his growing feelings for Felicity? That was certainly one way to sabotage a potential relationship. Ned shook his head. Young men today wasted so much time battling their feelings. In his day, when you found a good woman, you courted her and married her before someone else beat you to it. There was always another guy just waiting for his chance.

Despite Felicity's clear disappointment, the blonde gave a slight nod and stood up. The older man, however, kept his eyes on Mr. Queen. The young CEO looked remorseful—shutting his eyes with a grimace. When Felicity spoke again, he whipped around.

"Well, I think—" Felicity paused, fiddling with the paper in her hand. Another charged look passed between them, and Ned, along with Mr. Queen, waited with bated breath for what she had to say. "I think you deserve better than her."

Mr. Queen stood frozen in his spot long after Felicity had walked away. He looked utterly floored by her statement. He didn't move until Ned gathered his things and rolled his cleaning cart out of the office.

"Oh, Ned, is it? I didn't realize you were here," Mr. Queen commented, the spell finally broken.

"Just tending to your windows. You should have a perfect view of the city now."

"Thank you."

Without thinking, Ned asked, "Is Felicity all right?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. She's fine," he answered distractedly. "I think she's just trying to…process after Russia. Lots of work to catch up on."

"Felicity reminds me of my wife a little bit. She had a kind heart, too."

"Had?"

"She passed away a couple of years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"I miss her every day. We were high school sweethearts. I knew she was the one for me the moment I laid eyes on her. Can't beat a blonde," he said, earning a hint of a smile from Mr. Queen. "Of course, I couldn't actually marry her until after I got back from the war. I was a different man when I came back," he explained. "Broken, you could probably say."

Mr. Queen swallowed what looked like a lump in his throat. Ned knew he understood, having experienced his own traumas.

"But my wife never wavered. I'm not sure I would've gotten through it if not for her."

The young CEO cleared his throat. "You were a lucky man."

"In some ways, yes. But I like to think I was a smart man. Not in the usual way, because I ain't ever gone to any fancy schools or worked an office job. But I knew an amazing woman like my wife didn't come around every day," he explained, looking in the direction of where Felicity had just left. "If you wait too long, you might miss your chance."

Mr. Queen's eyes widened slightly. Ned gave him a small, knowing grin. "Have a good day, Mr. Queen."

After the late, agonizing night he'd had, Ned would surely regret getting into work so early. He'd spent most of the prior afternoon and last night in the hospital. Like many other seniors and citizens of Starling City, he'd got his flu shot yesterday morning as suggested by his doctor. Unfortunately, it'd done more harm than good.

The Count, a former drug dealer for Vertigo imprisoned by The Arrow, had escaped during The Undertaking and returned to terrorizing the city. He'd substituted the flu shot with a more potent form of Vertigo. Even the assistant district attorney had been affected right in the middle of the Moira Queen trial. Ned had never done drugs, and he never wanted to after experiencing such excruciating withdrawals. He didn't have the money to buy the next dose The Count was pushing and, even if he did, he wouldn't want it.

The hospital staff had tried to keep him comfortable as best they could, but even their hands were tied. Nothing they gave him to counteract the drugs worked. He'd turned on the TV in his room to watch his favorite sitcom, trying to take his mind off of the pain, and saw the breaking news interruption. Moira Queen had not only been acquitted of all charges for her part in the Undertaking, but The Count held Felicity Smoak hostage at Queen Consolidated an hour before. Apparently, QC had been looking into finding a cure.

Ned breathed a sigh of relief when the news anchor reported Felicity was okay. The Arrow had shot and killed The Count with three arrows to the chest. The guy fell through the window and landed on a car below. It was a bit excessive considering one arrow could've done the job just fine, but maybe Starling City's hooded vigilante had had enough of chasing The Count. There were mixed feelings throughout the city about The Arrow, formerly known as The Hood. He'd been dropping bodies left and right last year, which concerned many citizens and infuriated the SCPD. This fall, though, it'd been reported that The Arrow had stopped killing the criminals he took down. So much for that.

Personally, Ned hadn't been much of a fan. He believed in respect for the law and anyone who put on a uniform to protect their country. Vigilantes didn't follow the same legal or moral code. They got in the way and diverted time and resources away from the cops actually doing their job. The thought of a hooded wannabe hero running around the city still made him uneasy, but he couldn't be all bad if he'd saved Felicity's life, right? If The Arrow hadn't intervened, would QC still have been able to develop a nonaddictive treatment?

QC was bustling that morning with the media outside wanting a quote from the CEO about his mother's acquittal and The Count incident. Security was also heightened. After clocking in, Ned went straight to the executive suite. He had to check out the damage and clean up. As expected, glass littered the floor. A tarp with police tape was placed over the gaping hole in the window. Security and maintenance men talked in the corner.

Much to his surprise, Felicity was already seated at her desk and looked to be working. He frowned, expecting her to have taken the day off. She surely earned it.

"Felicity," Ned greeted. "I saw the news last night. You all right?"

"A little sore, but otherwise I'm fine," she answered. "How are you? Did you get the cure last night?"

"I did, thank you. It was very brave of you to try and save the city."

"It wasn't all me. The Arrow had a lot to do with it."

"Did he hurt you?"

She frowned. "You mean The Count?"

Ned shook his head. "The Arrow."

Felicity stared back in surprise. "No, of course not. He'd never hurt me. He saved my life and the city."

"I saw on the news what he did to The Count. It was pretty gruesome."

"He did what he had to do," she said in a firm voice, "considering The Count held a syringe to my neck. Whatever you may have heard about him, don't believe it. The man is a hero." Her gaze shifted to something behind him, and she stood up. "Oliver."

Everyone else stood up a little straighter at the CEO's arrival. Security approached him, but he waved them off and went around the desk to Felicity.

"I thought I gave you the day off."

"You did, but I came in anyway."

"Felicity, you should be home resting," he lightly scolded.

"I'm better off at work. Trust me," she replied. A silent, knowing look passed between them.

Placated, his tone softened. "You okay?"

"Just some bruises. Nothing life-threatening," she tried to joke. "How about you?" Felicity touched his arm.

"I'll be fine." He sounded much too somber for a man whose mother was just acquitted of conspiracy and murder charges. Apparently, a lack of conviction still wasn't enough to assuage the guilt of what had happened, nor should it, in Ned's opinion. Those people in The Glades were gone forever, including Mr. Queen's best friend, Tommy Merlyn.

Mr. Queen reached for Felicity's wrist, which had a discolored, blackish-purple ring around it. She must've been tied up. Their eyes locked. "Does it hurt to type?"

"I'll manage," she murmured. "Thank you."

Ned sensed her gratitude was about more than his concern. Mr. Queen looked to be drinking it in, like a man who'd just wandered the desert and finally discovered an oasis.

Suddenly, Ned felt like an intruder as he watched the tender moment unfold. Judging by the security guards and maintenance men's looks to each other, they must've sensed it, too. For the first time, Ned noticed Mr. Queen's personal security guard, John Diggle. He must've really been distracted not to see the tall, hulking man. Unlike everyone else in the room, he watched the CEO and his assistant with a certain affectionate glint in his eye.

"Lunch at Big Belly Burger later?" Mr. Queen offered. Ned wondered if he even realized his thumb was caressing Felicity's bruised wrist.

"I'd love that," she replied rather breathlessly.

Finally, the two realized they weren't alone and broke their intense stare. Ned bit back a smile. He'd wondered about Mr. Queen's true feelings toward Felicity, but his doubts were quelled witnessing that one exchange. However long it took that boy to finally build up his nerve and ask out his assistant, it didn't really matter; he was already a goner.