A/N: Well, here we are. The final chapter. When I first posted this story I had NO idea it would gain the following that it did. I first started writing Arrow fics four moths ago, and the Arrow fandom continues to blow me away with its kindness and enthusiasm. I am so grateful to everyone who followed/favorite/reviewed-I couldn't do it without you guys. I hope you enjoy the ending ;)

I don't own Arrow or its characters.

xxx

After brunch Nyssa mysteriously disappears without an excuse, and Sara and Oliver take Felicity to the police station to finish up her interview with Lance.

He takes her into a back room, even as Oliver and Sara weakly protest.

"Relax, you two," Lance mutters in irritation. "You think I don't know how to do my job?"

"No sir."

"No, Daddy."

"Alright then." He puts a paternal arm around Felicity's shoulders and walks her out of sight.

"I've got to admit," Sara says, sinking into a chair, "I was expecting a lot worse than this."

"She's tougher than she looks. Pretty remarkable, all things considered."

"Yeah. She's special."

Oliver leans into her. "You mad?"

"That you two are obviously googley eyed for each other?"

"Sara," he says seriously. "My eyes are not googley."

"You picked a good one," Sara murmurs. "I hope you know what you're doing, Ollie."

"Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing. But-I want to do the right thing. She...she's different."

"In all the best ways." Sara tips her head back against the wall and gives him a tired smile. "I'm jealous. That girl has an incredible ass."

He grins and Sara squeezes his thigh. "It's nice to see you. This week has been hell."

Oliver nods in agreement.

"We found out why," she says softly. "Why he killed her."

Oliver turns to her in surprise. "Why?"

Sara sighs, and runs a hand through her already rumpled waves. "It's a long, sad story darling."

Oliver glances at the door Lance took Felicity through. "I've got time for a story."

Once upon a time there was a man. He had a beautiful wife and a baby girl, but it wasn't enough.

The man was greedy. The man wanted more.

He knew dealers and thieves, con men and gang bangers. He left his home in the night and stalked the streets, committing crimes for dirty cash.

He got greedier.

He stole money from a man, a man who vowed to kill him for what he had taken.

He hid the money in the basement of his house, behind a loose brick, along with a fake passport and social security card.

A contingency plan, if he survived. If he ever needed to escape the country.

He ran.

And lived, for twenty years, on the run.

Until he overplayed his hand, had to run for his life, leave the country.

But first he needed to collect his seed money, his secret second life fund.

"So he goes to the house, her mom finds him, she threatens to call the cops, they argue, he kills her to escape. In a nutshell," Sara finishes. "Felicity wasn't part of his plan."

"Jesus Christ."

"And you thought you had daddy issues."

"No shit."

xxx

When Felicity is finished with Lance Sara practically snatches her away from him, saying something about girl time.

"Come on, Ollie, I'm sure you could use some space," Sara says cheerfully. "I'll bring her to your place around seven?"

Oliver watches Felicity longingly as Sara pulls her down the street.

He doesn't know what to do. He stares down at his watch and sighs.

Five hours to kill.

Thea doesn't look entirely surprised when he wanders into Verdant at three-thirty in the afternoon.

"You look like shit," she says from behind the bar, a clipboard in one hand and pen behind her ear.

"I had a bad night. Day. Week, I don't know." He hops up on the bar. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night."

Thea frowns, a sharp crease appearing between his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"Can I have a drink?"

"It's the middle of the afternoon, Ollie."

"Thea."

"Fine, tell me what's wrong and I'll give you a drink."

Oliver sighs. "Felicity's father died last night."

"Oh shit. Whiskey or vodka?"

Oliver presses the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Vodka."

Thea pours two shots and downs one with him. "What happened to him?"

"He killed himself."

Thea's mouth falls open. "That's horrible."

"In my kitchen."

"What?!"

"It's a long story."

"Are you okay? Is Felicity okay? What the hell happened?"

"Yes, not really, and it's a really long story, Speedy."

She hops up on the bar with him. "That sucks."

"Yeah."

Thea leans lightly against him. "Are you really okay?"

"I don't know," he says. "It...kind of brought up some stuff."

"Yeah," she says softly.

She jumps down and pours them each another shot.

"I really like Felicity," Thea says sadly. "That's really sad."

"Yeah, it is. I like her too."

One of Thea's eyebrows shoots up. "Oh really."

"Like you said, she's nice."

"Mm-hmm. And also super smart, and super hot."

"Um...she's pretty, I guess."

Thea snorts. "You're totally in love with her."

"We've only known each other for a week, I can't be in love with her."

"What do you know about love?" Thea smirks at him.

"Ouch, Speedy. Be nice."

"I'm just saying-it's obvious that you care about her. And you care more about your car than half the girls you've dated."

"I loved Laurel," he says a bit sullenly.

Thea rolls her eyes. "And look how well that turned out."

xxx

Sara comes back to the penthouse at exactly seven with Felicity in tow and a bag from Big Belly Burger under one arm.

"Nice," he says appreciatively.

Sara smirks. "I know what you like."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, plates are in the kitchen."

The maid service came earlier and scrubbed up all the blood. The floor is sparkling clean but he can't help but feel a shiver down his spine when he crosses the floor.

Felicity is hovering on the edge of the kitchen, watching them set up on the counter, lip between her teeth.

"How was girl time?" he asks, wishing that Sara could maybe, like, leave. He hasn't been alone with Felicity since they got up in the morning.

It's a new feeling for him, missing someone who's standing six feet away.

Sara winks at him. "Jealous?"

"Should I be?"

Felicity shuffles forwards and brushes her arm against his. "No."

Sara groans. "Oh come on, play with him a little. Who knows what kind of perverted fantasies are rolling around in that brain?"

Felicity rolls her eyes. "I'm pretty sure Oliver knows I'm not into girls, Sar."

"That's not the point. Messing with him is fun."

"Thanks," he says dryly. "Glad to know I still have entertainment value."

Sara grins. "And you're pretty to look at."

Felicity makes a choked sound in the back of her throat.

"You're very pretty too, Felicity," Sara teases.

"Can we eat please?" Felicity asks weakly. "I can't keep up with you two."

"You can't keep up with banter? Are you feeling okay?" Sara presses the back of her hand to Felicity's forehead dramatically. "Oh Ollie, doesn't she feel a little warm?"

Felicity glares at Sara. "You. Are. Embarrassing me."

"Sorry." Sara gives Felicity a light kiss on the cheek. "Let's eat, these are the best burgers in Starling City."

"I know," Felicity says, glancing up at Oliver and winking. "Oliver already bought me one."

xxx

After dinner Sara pushes back from her stool and scrapes her hair into a ponytail.

"Okay," she says to Felicity. "Time to pack."

Oliver and Felicity both stare at her. "What?"

Sara rolls her eyes. "Packing. You know, that thing where we take your stuff and we put it all in your bag?"

Felicity blinks very rapidly, the color going out of her face. "I can't stay here anymore?"

"Of course you can," Oliver says, at the same time Sara says, "You want to stay here?"

Felicity wraps her arms around her middle, like she's trying to protect herself.

"You didn't tell me I wasn't staying here anymore," she says accusingly at Sara.

Sara frowns. "I thought since I was back..."

"Oh," Felicity says softly. "Right."

"Can I talk to you for a second," Oliver says, and pulls Sara into the hallway without waiting for her answer.

"What are you doing?" he hisses.

"What?" she says in alarm. "What'd I do?"

"I just thought...I guess we didn't really talk about who Felicity would stay with when you came back."

"Because it was implied. She's staying with me."

"Sara."

"What?"

"Come on. She's been through hell this week. You think she needs to be dragged around to another new place?"

"You want her to stay here."

"Yeah, Sara, I do."

"Oh," she says, frowning. "I didn't think of that."

"What happened to she's all wifed up?"

"I didn't know you were actually serious about her."

"Sara. Come on. If she wants to stay with me then let her stay with me."

"Ollie..."

"Did you really think I wouldn't develop feelings for her? Don't stand here and tell me that isn't exactly what you hoped would happen."

"I knew you would take care of her. Sorry if I wasn't expecting you to develop actual feelings for her beyond attraction."

"Why does everyone think I'm not capable of having actual feelings for someone?"

"Laurel, me, Helena, McKenna, Isabel, shall I go on?"

"It's not like that with her. Come on, I'm not that person anymore, Sara, you know that."

"Alright," Sara says. "If Felicity says she wants to stay here, then she can stay here."

"Gee, thanks for your permission."

"You're welcome," she says sweetly, and they go back to the kitchen.

"I want to stay with Oliver," Felicity immediately blurts out, and he smirks at Sara. "Unless...um, you're totally sick of me, which I get, and there was the whole my dad breaking into your house thing, and the blood, which, ew, honesty I'm trying to just block out of my memory permanently, because the last thing I want to think about is some guy who's technically my father, even if I barely knew him, blowing his brains out right where I'm standing-"

"Felicity," Oliver says sharply, and her cheeks get pink. "Of course I want you to stay with me."

"Oh," she whispers, and her pink cheeks turn into a full-blown blush. "Okay."

Sara laughs. "You two have got it so bad."

"Shut up, Sara," Oliver says.

"Yeah Sara, shut up," Felicity mimics, and ends up giggling hysterically.

"Okay," Sara laughs. "It's time for me to go. I should see Laurel. Nice job with that, by the way."

He opens his mouth to protest and she laughs. "Don't worry, it's not your fault she's a total bitch when she's drunk. I'll smooth it over."

Sara gives Felicity a bear hug, kissing the top of her head. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Felicity smiles shakily and nods. "Thanks to you."

Sara glances at Oliver. "I'm willing to share the credit."

Sara leaves and suddenly they're alone again, just him and Felicity.

He takes her in his arms and she fits right into him, the top of her head snugly nuzzled under his chin.

"So," Felicity says, "you're cool with having a roommate?"

"Well," he says lightly, "the girl in question is a genius, so that's gotta be helpful. And my sister is crazy about her, as is my best friend. I think everything will be fine."

Felicity looks up at him and grins. "Yeah?"

He smiles and tucks back a wavy blond strand. "She's also seriously hot."

"Oliver," she giggles.

"Smoking, really."

"Oh my god. That was the worst pun ever."

"You okay with living with someone who makes terrible jokes?"

Felicity shrugs. "You're pretty hot too, so I guess I can let it slide."

"Okay." He bends down and kisses her lightly, more of an idea of a kiss than the real thing, and Felicity smiles up at him.

For the first time since before the island really, he feels at peace, like everything really might be okay.

"What're you thinking about?" she says softly.

He smiles, his whole body light and alive. "I'm thinking that doing Sara a favor was the best decision I ever made."

Felicity tilts her head up for another kiss, her blue eyes dancing with light. "Yeah, we owe Sara a big one."

His hands run down her side, following the curve of her waist down to her hip.

"I'll give her a raise at Verdant."

"That's what I'm worth?" Felicity teases. "A few extra bucks an hour?"

"Felicity."

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to spend a very long time showing you what you're worth."

She smiles, slow and beautiful, her hands lingering on his chest. "You're amazing, you know that right?"

"I think you've got me beat in that department."

"Oliver?"

"Yeah?"

She quirks an eyebrow at him. "You going to show me or what?"

Oliver grins and hoists her up by the waist so her legs wrap around his torso. "I'm going to show you until you tell me to stop."

Felicity beams. "Not going to happen."

Oliver beams back at her (yes beams, like he's a kid who just got a puppy or something stupid like that).

Oh yeah. Sara's getting a big raise.

The End.
xxx

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