Five months had passed since Team Arrow had defeated Slade and his army. In that time they found themselves rebuilding their lives, they had rebuilt the secondary facility which Oliver had kept a secret from the rest of the team, they had managed to get Queen Consolidated back just recently and it had seemed that the team found themselves with little to do every day. The city had stood united in what had occurred and crime levels were pretty low, with the city's main focus being on recovering and rebuilding. Team Arrow had made it their mission in these past months that if the city wasn't in need of the Arrow and the team, then they were in need of Team Arrow off duty.

They had helped businesses and homes rebuild, had attended the many food stalls around the city feeding people who had lost their homes and their jobs. It had been Felicity's idea that Oliver should be seen helping feed and clothe the homeless, she had pointed that the Arrow wasn't needed but it did not mean he could not help as Oliver Queen. Eventually it had been Oliver Queens presentation in these past few months from the media and the many people that had gained to love and support him that had won him QC back. Felicity felt proud and so happy that although Oliver had entered his nightly activities without expecting any praise or anything, that he was being acknowledged for all the good that he was doing as Oliver Queen. She would endlessly watch the smile on his face as the people of Starling City had begun to greet him with cheers and smiles, it pained her heart that his parents were not here to see this but knew nevertheless that they would be proud.

Felicity sat behind her new desk on her computers as usual in their new lair which Felicity liked to call the tomb because it was dark and pretty scary, remembering all that had happened in these past five months and how fast the time had gone. The team hadn't spent that many nights together because it was unnecessary, Oliver would still come in and spar and train sometimes with Dig but mostly on his own. During these past few months Felicity had been working at Starling General Hospital she had helped repair the generator and set up the computers and relocate all the patient details that had been lost when the computers had been destroyed. In the weeks leading up to Oliver gaining QC back she had left the hospital and taken up position again as his executive assistant. She would never mean anyone harm or want dangerous people out there but she kind of hoped that crime would pick up because she missed it, being Oliver's EA was not at all enjoyable or challenging but she knew he needed her now more than ever to get QC back on its feet.

She was alone in the tomb, updating her systems, she had found herself very often during the day dreaming and remembering that night in the mansion, she had fought so hard to forget that night, she had constantly told herself, literally spoke to herself in the mirror that Oliver Queen did not care for her, not the way she cared for him. Felicity had felt uneasy with having Laurel Lance around, she did not have anything against her, but her heart pained sometimes when she would catch smiles and glimpses between Oliver and Laurel, she knew that they had that never ending love, the one in movies where they always find themselves back to each other no matter what. It had been the uneasy looks that Laurel would give her when she was being all happy, happy, smiley, smiley with Oliver and close that made her rethink that closeness that maybe sometimes was a little inappropriate. As a woman she knew what it felt like to see someone they love a little too close to someone else, so she had made it her mission to put space and distance between her and Oliver since she took position as his EA again and meant she was around him a lot more again. She knew that Laurel loved Oliver and probably fell in love with him even more since finding out his secret. She felt like she needed to respect that, give Laurel her chance, in all fairness Oliver was hers to begin with so it only felt right. Her heart hurt endlessly in distancing herself from Oliver and in a way letting him slip into the arms of another woman and there were days were she hated herself for not fighting for him but she did not know or feel like he in any way ever shared similar feelings for her.

Oliver had noticed that Felicity had been a little distant with him, there were less stares and less touches and less sexual innuendos and rants from his favourite blonde but did not think anything of it, it had been three weeks since they got QC back and they had been very busy working till late, rehiring people who had left the city, left QC so he did not think anything of it, but he did have to say he missed her even though she was sitting behind the glass doors of QC every day and behind the desk in the new lair.

It was a new week, Monday, Oliver walked into QC not surprised to see his IT girl sitting typing furiously away. "Morning" he said, he stopped and got himself and her coffee, placing it on her desk.

"Morning, hmm, thank you I need this" she reached at took a zip of her coffee, she always secretly loved that he knew how she took it and to add extra chocolate sprinkles over her latte, even though coffee shops were so stingy because they would tell her chocolate sprinkles were only for cappuccinos, she often found herself arguing with the coffee guy so when Oliver always found ways to ensure the chocolate was on her latte would make her feel all giddy inside.

"What's on the agenda for today?" He asked smiling.

"Well I am interviewing candidates for head of finance, you have a meeting with the board at 2, you have lunch with Laurel, well work lunch she wants to discuss partnering QC with the DA, however that works and you have a meeting with Walter later on this afternoon" she said never taking her eyes off the screen.

Oliver noticed the twitch in her eyebrows when she mentioned Laurel, "thanks Felicity" he said, walking into his office to start the day.

Lunchtime had quickly come round and Oliver took off with Laurel. When he had returned he filled Felicity in with Laurel's suggestion of QC becoming sponsors to the DA and she thought it would benefit both of them if they worked closely on building sponsors for clients who were on probation to find work.

"Do you think that is a good idea, helping convicted felons find a job, what jobs at QC?" Felicity asked as she sat on the edge of Oliver's desk.

"Not necessarily, QC has many partnerships not just major Fortune 500 so we could help, I know but they will not be major convicted felons, I said that I would only agree if we were to keep it to low time criminals theft, minor assault, vandalism..."

"All qualities that employers are looking for" she snapped sarcastically.

"Felicity I think it would be good, another step in the right direction for the image of QC, helping rebuild the city, Laurel said that if we give these people jobs then they are less likely to end up in prison again and this means less likely to become criminals again making our job easier" he tried to make her understand.

"I get that I do, trust me, and your right the chances of recommitting crime again would be low, but we just got off the ground again Oliver this is huge and there is still so much to do, this would take up a lot of your time ..."

"That's why I have you, you are already interviewing people to fill in the endless vacant spots were have going and I know that you are on top of everything, it's good publicity" he smiled, that knowing, charming smile when he tries to get something.

Felicity watched him for a few seconds, she could see that he was excited at the prospect of this new business venture "ok I guess" was all she could say as she stood up to make her way back to her desk.

"Felicity, it's my fault that many of these people are in prison in the first place, the undertaking, Slade's army, I failed this city, I did not make it safe, I am the reason why people felt the need to turn to crime ..."

"Stop, stop, this is not your fault and I am getting sick and tired of you blaming yourself for everything, it is not your fault that people made bad choices and mistakes, you should not be held accountable for other peoples decisions, a lot of people have suffered Oliver, but they did not give up, they did not turn to crime, so please stop blaming yourself when none of it is your fault ok" she had just noticed that she walked straight back to him, her face nearly touching his.

"Thank you" he whispered looking at her lips, he noticed her swallow, he leaned in just a few inches away from her mouth, he couldn't do this he thought, yes everything he had told her that night at the mansion was true but he could not allow himself to go there with her, she deserved so much better than him. So he moved back feeling a little flustered and returned to his seat and watched as she walked away.

The week had gone past relatively quick, Felicity found herself always busy interviewing candidates for positions throughout QC, with all that had happened to the Glades and Starling City she did not blame the amount of people that had chosen to move, yet it did not make her job easier. She had only been to the tomb once this week and that was to set up a few updates, crimes had been relatively low and it was nothing that needed the Arrow's attention and nothing the police could not handle. Oliver had placed Felicity in charge this week as he spent the whole time at the DA's office with Laurel setting their plan in motion. The idea about sponsoring known felons had taken off with about 10 different organisations that were in partnership with QC agreeing to it; with how fast this new venture was happening Felicity could only assume that it was a matter of time before those on probation was put into work.

Felicity had barely seen Oliver this week, in a way she was grateful this plan of hers to keep her distance was made a little easier, yet she had expected in this time for Laurel to make her move but there was nothing to show that Oliver and Laurel were in a relationship. Felicity had started to miss Diggle too, she would spend most her day texting him and he would text her pictures of sonograms or baby clothes that he had brought. Felicity was sitting in Oliver's office on his computer inputting details of the new employees and sending them to HR, when her beeped, she assumed it was Diggle with yet another baby related picture but to her surprise it was a text message from Oliver which he had clearly sent to the whole team telling them to be in the lair.

"What's going on?" Felicity asked as she walked inside the tomb and noticed Diggle, Oliver and Roy sparring on the mats, she took in the scene in front of her, she had missed these days.

"Good, you're here, Roy was in the Glades, a few warehouses have been taken over, turns out that they are the mafia who have taken up residence in the Glades, as of yet they have not done anything illegally, but it is only a matter of time, I need you to look at footage try ID some of them, maybe the Arrow can put the fear of God into them before they plan on doing anything" Oliver said in one breath.

"On it" Felicity says as she starts to walk over to her desk noticing Laurel sitting on her seat on her babies.

"Felicity, I hope you don't mind, I thought I could get a head start on finding these guys but this is not my forte" she said looking at Felicity, she got out of her seat and pulled another chair to sit on.

"That's alright" Felicity managed to say as she sat in her chair and pulled up some programs.

"You don't mind if I sit with you, see what we find, let the boys fight" Laurel smiled.

"Of course not, I'm sure you as the DA could find something on these guys once we identify them" Felicity did not want her there but she would never say so, yet a part of her felt a little bitchy, Laurel had not done anything to her, it's just her past with Oliver, Tommy, working with the police that made her question certain things.

"Yes, you identify and I'll see if I can find out anything" Laurel added.

Once Felicity had identified the mafia members Oliver had paid them a visit but he had returned with a bullet wound to the arm, it had just grazed him, it seemed like the mafia were not to happy about a Green hooded figure threatening them.

"It's just a graze" Diggle says, as he applies lotion to Oliver's arm.

"You sure you don't need a hospital" Laurel says

"Yeah, just a graze" Oliver replies.

"Seems like they don't take to kindly to threats" Roy chips in from across the room.

"All we can do is keep an eye on them … at least they know that you are watching them" Felicity adds, as she helps bandage Oliver's arm, "Does it hurt" she asks quietly.

"No, I think you are all forgetting the amount of bullet and knife wounds this is just a graze, won't even leave a scar" he smiled at her.

As everyone began to scatter Oliver and Felicity were left alone on the lair, Oliver watched as she cleared away a few things and put Roy's tennis balls back into the container as he had left them scattered around the lair.

"I've told him a million times to pick up after himself" Felicity muttered to herself causing Oliver to chuckle.

"Maybe I should put the fear of God into Roy" he laughed.

"I don't think it would be that successful, he is not so easily frightened"

"Well you could always use your loud voice that always scares him"

"Yeah it does, but sometimes I swear it is like talking to a wall"

"He is not the only one that shares that gene" he teases.

"Is that so" she chucked a tennis ball at him.

"Only sometimes" he chuckles.

"Well I better be off"

"Felicity …" Oliver walks up to her, he takes a deep breath, remembering something Sara said we're not our masks and we need people in our lives who don't wear one

"Would you like to go to dinner with me" he asks nervously, if only pre-island Oliver saw him now a nervous wreck he thought.

"Now?"

"Erm no, tomorrow or the next day maybe"

"Sure" she yawned, "you want to text Digg, Roy and Laurel or shall I?"

"No Felicity, dinner as in just me and you, alone"

"Oh … erm like just me and you"

"Yes Felicity me and you, you and I, alone, on a date" wow is this what it felt like to ramble he thought.

"Oh a date … what about Laurel?" she said looking at the flooring.

"What about Laurel, hey I know that I have spent a lot of time with her lately because of this venture but it's not like that, me and Laurel are in the past so …"

She merely gave him a nod and a smile. "So is that a yes?" he asked her, receiving yet another nod. "Felicity give me something to work with"

"Yes, yes I'll go on a date with you" she grinned, feeling the blush that began to show on her face, Oliver walked over to her and pecked on her on the cheek.

"Let me walk you to your car".