Chapter Text
what the hell
John Diggle was a man on a mission as he strode through the new lair in search of his sometimes boss, Oliver Queen. The night before Digg, Roy, Sara and Sara’s old new love, Nyssa had bonded. Digg was upset that the bond was formed by comparing notes about what went down on the Unthinkable night. It started with a call from Roy saying Felicity had left Verdant (Oliver’s club that was mostly back in order following Slade Wilson’s attack) with some strange man. Immediately Dig thought someone had taken her! Sara and Nyssa were in town and had seen it all go down. Digg called Sara who informed him that Felicity left of her own volition and the man was not after Oliver or the Arrow.
They all decided to track this down because they knew that Felicity Smoak didn’t do one night stands. Even if she left on her own accord this was not good. They found her in her townhouse with said man. They had knocked on her door just to be sure she was fine and found a thoroughly kissed swollen lipped Felicity. When her suitor got a look at the team he fled. That should have been the end of it but they had made Felicity mad. A loud and mad Felicity was NOT a good thing.
“Why are you guys here? I have the night off! As a matter of fact I have the rest of my life OFF”. The group looked at one another wondering what the hell she was talking about because as far as they knew The Arrow Mission (Felicity had come up with the name and wrote a mission statement they were all to read) was far from over. Sara spoke up first, “I realize I have been gone for a bit and busy with...things but Oliver quit?” Dig shook his head no but before he could correct this Felicity spoke up “No, Oliver has not quit but I was fired. Fired from Team Arrow, fired from QC and even fired from his life”. She began to cry and then started pacing and babbling..”I can’t believe he would do this to me. He promised I would never lose him..I don’t know what I did wrong...one minute he is all good job, you’ll always be my girl and then BOOM..dismissed”. She plopped down on the couch, put her head in her hands and started to cry.
The others stood staring at her then looking to one another trying to decide who was going to comfort her. Finally Dig walked over to sit beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. Then gently asked, “What exactly did he say? Maybe you misunderstood him?” She sniffled and looked up at Dig with a broken hearted face that broke his heart into a million pieces then her words made him so angry he wanted to kill someone. She took a deep breath and replied “Maybe we shouldn’t discuss this” while looking to Sara and Nyssa. Nyssa spoke first “I will not betray your trust Ms. Smoak what you say here will stay between us”. She smiled at Felicity and she returned her smile “I wasn’t speaking about you”. Sara understood it was about her. “Umm, Felicity have I done something to make you think you cannot trust me?” Felicity stood up and walked over to Sara and hugged her. “No, Sara it’s just...oh fine! I’m drunk and can blame it on the alcohol as the song says...Laurel was the one to fire me. She came to me a few days ago and let me know that I was no longer needed on the Team. She explained that she could get all the information the team would need. Then told me that when Oliver gets QC back he needs a real EA not an IT specialist..which would normally be a relief since I hated that job and being a glorified babysitter..but then she said I wouldn’t be hired back at all. Then..*sniffle, sniffle* “ she walked back to the couch and grabbed a tissue before continuing..” I said that wasn’t her decision to make..she told me that Oliver asked her to tell me that I was no longer part of the team arrow or team QC. I started to argue but she did that “perfect and beautiful face” that makes me feel so UGLY..”
Dig was livid! How could Oliver do this to Felicity? She was the heart of their team. She was the sun they all moved around whether they meant to do that or not. Sara looked ready to shove her weapon up Oliver Queen’s ass. Roy looked like he expected no less from his former girlfriend’s older brother. Only Nyssa had a look of understanding and gently asked “Have you spoken to Oliver about this?” They all turned to look at her like she had grown and extra head. She continued, “ I mean no disrespect towards you but perhaps Laurel did not discuss this with Oliver and did this because she knows Oliver loves you”. Felicity laughed. A belly laugh and turned to Nyssa. “i’m sorry I am not laughing at you it’s just that Oliver is not in love with me. Since the day I met him he has been head over heels in love with Laurel. If Laurel needs me gone to be with him, gone I will be”. They all were lost in their own thoughts. Sara was the first to speak up, “I love my sister. I know her better than anyone and she would act without his knowledge if it gained her the title of Mrs. Queen. I agree with Nyssa. Talk to Oliver”. Felicity thought about it for a moment and then decided they needed to know...
“Guys, this isn’t just about Laurel and Oliver. It is about me. The way we got me into position to cure Slade was to let him see Oliver tell me he cares for me. That was the plan. We go to Queen Mansion and in front of a bug Oliver would say Slade took the wrong woman when he took Laurel. That he needed ME to be safe. Then Slade’s men would come for me and when I got close enough I stick him with the needle and let me say that the worst part of the plan was the needle” She shudders. She hates needles but would do anything to save their city even poke a madman with a needle which looking back on it wasn’t the best plan ever.
Coming back from her musings she went on, “I think Laurel feels that I may have read more into his ‘I Love You’ then I should have..I mean yeah that was definitely NOT part of our pre-game plan but Oliver decided we needed to really sell it, I guess.” She was remembering how for a brief second time stood still and she actually believed he might possible mean it. Then reality came back and she realized in this life, in this universe the Oliver Queen’s do not fall for the Felicity Smoak’s. “When we were in the foundry Slade went on and on about me and Oliver and I guess Laurel isn’t happy with just how much Slade believed it. She can’t have, as she put it, a fangirl who would drop her panties for Oliver in a heartbeat in his life every second of everyday so buh bye Felicity”.
She was getting tired. All she had wanted was to get totally drunk and screwed by some random guy. A good wine and orgasm. That was her plan now she had a room full of trained killers and a headache and worst of all the guy she bad brought with her was gone. Great. She couldn’t even get a one night stand.
After putting Felicity to bed. Making sure she had water and Tylenol by her bedside the motley crew left her place and headed to Digg’s. Sara said she knew the plan was to get Slade to take Felicity but this love word thing was not in the plan. Nyssa said she believes Slade knew it was truthful. Roy said he’d seen the video and Oliver said it and he meant it. He then got his laptop (Felicity gave him her old one) and pulled up the footage. Sara and Nyssa both sighed at the romance of it. Digg was livid. He didn’t know anything about any of this. He knew these kids were in love but for Oliver to say it and let her believe he didn’t mean it? Not a smart move if he wanted to stay alive.
They had all stayed up debating how, when and who should confront Oliver. Nyssa would gladly do it but the rest feared she’d kill him rather than talk. Roy was a no-go due to his past with Thea and Oliver’s obvious distrust of the kid. Sara would be way too complicated for even this group to deal with that talk. That left Digg. He was glad he was chosen. He could kill Oliver but he would say his peace first. They all said goodnight and Digg agreed to let them know the outcome. Would they be Team Arrow or would they splinter off. Digg sighed and thought to himself that some days just blew.
He finally found Oliver working on arrows. Good he has a weapon at the ready. This way if I kill him it’s self defense. Just then Oliver turned around and did his impression of a welcoming smile until he saw Digg’s not welcoming at all face. “What’s up Digg?” Digg marched over to him and got right in his face, “what’s up? why the hell did you fire Felicity and why in the fuck did you let Laurel Lance do it? I mean I know she has you by short and curlies but to hurt Felicity that way? Why man? And before you start this better be good or one of us is leaving in a body bag.”
Oliver stepped back and had a stunned look on his face. Felicity called it confused puppy face. He finally pulled his head out of his ass, “I did not fire Felicity and I most definitely did not ask Laurel to speak to her on my behalf”. Digg looked at him. He knew Oliver was a shit liar to those who knew him best but still. Why would Felicity lie? She wouldn’t. Laurel....”Oliver, are you telling me you did not tell Laurel to fire Felicity from Team Arrow? That you did not ask her to let Felicity know she would not be back at QC in any capacity? and most of all that your friendship is over? This is a yes or no questions.”
Oliver looked pissed before replying “no, no and HELL NO. Digg I would be lost without Felicity. Letting her go would be like cutting off both my arms.” They both stood there in silence. Digg debating what to tell Oliver then went with the truth. Felicity always went for the truth so he would also...”Last night Roy saw Felicity leave the club with some sleazy guy. He called all of us and we went to her place. She was making out with this stranger and drunk. I don’t mean cute Felicity has a buzz but DRUNK. We escorted the guy out and then got Felicity to tell us what happened.” Oliver was stunned. He knew Felicity well enough to know she didn’t get stupid drunk and definitely did not go home with strange men. “Why would she do something so stupid?” He inquired. This was not like her at all.
“Did you tell her you loved her as part of your plan to get Slade to take her?” Digg studied Oliver to make sure he didn’t try to lie and that Digg could have peace of mind. Oliver was thinking about how to answer this question because he knew unlike Felicity, Digg would pursue this line of questioning. Oh hell. “Yes”. Digg was stunned that Oliver would say it and admit it. “Did you mean and do not play the semantics game. DID.YOU.MEAN.IT?” Oliver closed his eyes and turned away. He sighed then turned back around and looked Digg straight in the eyes, “yes. I meant it. I meant every word.” Holding his hands out in surrender he said, “I love her. I am IN love with her. I was scared. Three times that night I walked out and didn’t know if I would see her again. When the van wrecked I thought I lost her. I couldn’t NOT tell her. I needed to tell her just once how I truly feel. I would have killed myself if anything happened to her. I hated myself for putting her in Slade’s path. I put the one I love in the arms of a mad man. Then acted selfishly and told her how I feel”.
Digg wasn’t surprised Oliver was in love with Felicity he had seen it. He was surprised Oliver knew it and admitted it. He walked over to Felicity’s chair and sat down. Oliver stood a few feet away. They were both lost in thought. Digg finally spoke, “what are you going to do about Laurel?” Oliver looked at him with a stunned expression. “I thought you would kick my ass or at least tell me to get the hell away from Felicity.” Oliver waited for a reply when none came he took a deep breath, “I don’t know. Laurel..is Laurel. I’ve loved her most of my life. I treated like shit though. I feel I owe her something but my heart isn’t with her anymore...nor is my head.”
“if you love Felicity and you care for Laurel you owe them both the truth Oliver. Laurel deserves someone who loves her and only her. Who would take down an army for her. Felicity deserves to know how you feel. All of how you feel. But first you need to rehire Felicity because your team and your sometimes team of Nyssa and Sara are all staging a revolt”. Digg wondered if he should say the next part but decided honesty was best, “without Felicity you don’t have a team. I can’t and won’t work for Laurel. There is no with Laurel. I don’t trust her to have my back and I don’t trust her to keep secrets”.
Oliver politely listened then told Digg he needed to workout and think so Digg left Oliver alone with his thoughts. The first thought Oliver had while working the salmon ladder was “what the hell Felicity went home with another man?” Oliver jumped down from the salmon ladder, grabbed his tee shirt off the floor, his keys off the desk and made his way out of Lair 2.0 as Felicity called it. He needed to talk to his girl. Right Now.