Are You Asking Me To Dance?

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Arrow. It belongs to DC Comics and The CW.

Pairing: Oliver & Felicity (Olicity)

Rating: T

Summary: Set sometime after Season Four. Based on something that I read that Emily said in an interview. What if the chip in Felicity's back was hacked?

A weary Felicity Smoak left the headquarters of Palmer Tech late one evening. It had been a long day and she wanted nothing more than to go back to the loft, even if she felt Oliver's absence everywhere she looked, take a shower, and go to sleep.

Without Oliver.

Alone.

Suddenly she felt a wave of pain coursing through her body. At first, she thought the pain was in her head, some sort of physical manifestation of the way she missed Oliver.

But then the pain grew so intense that it forced her to her knees. As she crumpled onto the pavement in front of the building, dropping her purse, she realized the source of the pain.

Her back.

Specifically at the base of her spine, where the chip that Curtis had engineered had been implanted after she'd been shot by Damian Darkhe.

The small piece of tech that had given her the ability when the doctors had assured her that she'd be paralyzed.

How ironic that her relationship with Oliver had been destroyed at the very same moment that she'd been given the chance to walk again.

She remembered all too well, having their final conversation about William, slipping off the engagement ring and walking away from him. She felt a familiar ache in her heart at the memory.

"Oh no," She whispered, tears running down her face as she realized what this could mean.

If the chip malfunctioned she could lose the ability to walk.

Again.

She'd already lost that ability once and she hadn't realized until she'd been injured, how she'd taken it for granted.

"Please, don't let this be happening," She whispered, desperately, reaching into her bag with trembling hands for her phone, dialing the familiar number, and waiting anxiously for the sound of his voice on the other end of the line.

What if he doesn't answer?

I should've called Curtis first.

Then she heard his voice, and let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Felicity?

She heard the sense of urgency and love that filled the syllables of her name as they rolled off his tongue, and for a moment she was speechless.

"Felicity, what's wrong?" He asked when she couldn't find her voice to reply.

"Oliver…I need help…She whispered, through clenched teeth.

"Talk to me, Felicity," He urged, using the same phrase he'd used a million times before when they were on missions. "Tell me what's wrong." He insisted, his voice rising in panic.

"The chip." She whispered, under her breath. "Something's wrong with the chip."

The implications of her words sank in and his voice got lower and deeper until it was the same one he used as The Green Arrow interrogating criminals.

"Where are you?" He asked. And she thought she detected a slight change in his breathing.

Is he running?

"At Palmer Tech. Bring Curtis."

"I'm on my way." Oliver said, just before the line went dead.

Felicity wasn't sure if moments or hours had passed when she heard Oliver's voice.

"Felicity, can you hear me?" He asked, his stubble brushing against her industrial piercing in the shell of her ear, in a gesture so familiar it made her ache.

She blinked once and nodded. "Oliver, I think the chip has been hacked. I can't…I can't…"

"Curtis is going to meet us at the bunker. We're going to figure this out, I promise." Oliver replied, as he lifted her carefully into his arms.

"The schematics are on my tablet. In my purse… Curtis will need them."

Oliver nodded, throwing her bag over his shoulder with the same grace as he would a quiver of arrows.

"Got it." He whispered, taking off at a brisk run toward the bunker.

"Oliver, what if…"

He pressed a finger against her lips, silencing her desperate words. "Felicity…Hey…We'll figure this out. He repeated his voice soft and reassuring.

"Thank you." She whispered, pressing her cheek against his shirt, and closing her eyes against the pain.

"I told you," He replied, "You never, never have to thank me."

I love you.

I love you too.

The next time Felicity awoke, she heard the sound of Curtis typing furiously on the keyboard, followed by Oliver's voice.

"Felicity, honey," The endearment slipping from his lips automatically, "Felicity, can you hear me?

She blinked into consciousness and nodded, looking around, taking in the familiar confines of the bunker.

"Good. Can you move your feet?"

Felicity squinted and reached for her glasses. The second she slipped them on Oliver's handsome features came into focus.

Closely cropped hair.

Piercing blue eyes.

Muscular body.

Emotional and physical scars.

"Felicity?" Oliver said, drawing her from her reverie by placing his hand on her shoulder. "Take a breath and focus. Can you move your feet?"

"Oliver Queen," She replied softly, "Are you asking me to dance?"

Oliver smiled, hoping that his expression didn't reveal just how badly he wanted to kiss her at that moment.

"Felicity Smoak, I'd dance with you any time anywhere."