Chapter Text
Oliver shifted in his chair, watching patrons come and go. It was after nine, Felicity should have been here half an hour ago. She was never late unless it had something to do with Arrow business. Since no one had called him he figured that it wasn't a major crime going on at the moment. Reaching into his pocket for the umpteenth time to make sure the small velvet box was still in his pocket he ignored everyone around him.
This was the night. He had tried to propose a dozen time already but no time had been as perfect as the night when Thea and Laurel had interrupted their dinner. He’d had the ring even longer, it had been his grandmother’s something his mother had given to him soon after his return from the Island. Now he realized there would be no perfect time. He also realized that the only thing that mattered was that he and Felicity loved each other and any time they were together was perfect.
Oliver looked up when he heard the restaurant door open and frowned when he saw Diggle. Digg’s face was set and grim and- were his eyes red and his lids puffy? Oliver’s eyes scanned the door of the window and was baffled when he noticed that Captain Lance was standing there, his face hard and grim.
With a sinking feeling in his stomach Oliver stood, one hand stretched out as if to stop Digg from closer. “No.” He gritted out, drawing the attention of the other patrons.
If Digg didn't say it, it wasn't real. If he didn't hear the words, his whole world wouldn't be ripped apart like tissue paper. That the happiness he’d had for the past months wasn't gone.
He shook his head, gritted his teeth until his jaw ached. “No.”
Digg kept coming despite the rage that Oliver couldn't hide. “I'm so sorry.”
Childishly he covered his ears as if that would stop the words. But it was too late, he had already knew and Oliver felt his legs go. Digg managed to catch him before he hit the ground.
“No.” A broken word that wrenched the heart of every man and woman in the restaurant.
Oliver made a sound, part sob, part denial and sounded more like it came from a wounded animal. He clung to Digg, burying his face in the scratchy wool of John’s coat as a sob ripped itself out of his throat.
“No.”
“Come on, Oliver.” John said as he led, or more precisely half carried, half dragged Oliver out of the restaurant, away from the probing eyes of the other patrons. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
John shared his grief but right now his priority was to get Oliver out of sight so the other man could have his breakdown in private with people who loved him surrounding him.
Oliver was completely oblivious to his surroundings, not noticing the Canary and Speedy watching from the shadows, making sure that if Felicity was the first strike they wouldn't take Oliver too.
Thea had found the blood, having come home from a patrol to find that the loft’s door had been left ajar, she’d been wary as she opened the door only to find the loft in a complete disarray. Felicity had fought her attacker, there wasn't a table that wasn't upended, and there was at least two knifes embedded in the wall. Two of the large windows that overlooked the balcony were shattered, glass and blood littering the floor in a macabre display of the battle that had taken place.
Thea had followed the blood that had trailed up the stairs. There were hand prints on each step, as if Felicity had more crawled up the stairs, trying to get away from her attacker. Blood had showed the path in ever thicker puddles until Thea had arrived just outside the door of the room that Oliver and Felicity shared. A bloody hand print marred the otherwise pure white door. Thea was so sure that she was going to find the body of the woman her brother loved she almost sagged in relief when a sweep of the room only showed yet another puddle. It only took her a moment to realize that the amount of blood that saturated the soft grey carpet was too much for anyone to survive.
She had called John first, explaining in an near hysterical tone that something had happened Felicity. John had arrived fifteen minutes later, to find Thea standing over the large puddle of blood in the centre of Oliver and Felicity’s bedroom.
Years of military training snapped Diggle into laser focus. This wasn't the bedroom of his best friends, this wasn't the room of the woman he considered his sister this was a crime scene and he was going to focus on the facts. Only the facts, not the crushing pain that radiated from his chest with every heart beat that told him that no one, especially tiny Felicity Smoak, could survive blood loss like that. With a jerk of his head he refused to think about this being Felicity. “Did you find the body?” (Not Felicity’s body, dear God, not her body.)
“No.” Thea replied, sounding dazed.
“Did you look?” Digg demanded sharply.
“There’s no more blood.” Thea said.
John looked to the puddle and he swallowed back the bile that threatened to come up, burning his throat. No, there were bloody marks like someone (not Felicity) had dragged their mortally wounded body as far as they could from the door before they had collapsed to bleed out. How much blood did a woman (not Felicity) have?
Thea let out a gasping sob. “Oh, God!” She cried, a hand over her mouth as she ran out of the room, slipping in the blood as she escaped the smell of iron that permeated to room.
Diggle heard wrenching sounds outside the door and he nodded in distant approval that she hadn't contaminated the crime scene.
On autopilot Digg pulled out his phone and dialed Captain Lance. Later he would have no idea what he had said to the other man but it seemed only like a few minutes later that the Captain was standing in the room (not Oliver and Felicity’s bedroom) face grim as crime techs worked around them.
There were questions and John answered to the best of his ability, gently prodding a white faced Thea to do the same. Lance was through but surprisingly gentle and his own face was pale.
“You sure it’s her’s? Where’s Queen?”
Digg nodded. “Oliver told me he wanted to arrive at the restaurant early so he could take to the waiter.” Digg said, his voice oddly hollow. “Felicity said she was going to go straight from work to the restaurant. I don’t know why she came here. Her assistant might know.”
When Lance held out a tissue John was so surprised that he felt his face was wet. He had been crying without realizing it. Suddenly he wanted Lyla. God he wanted his wife, for her to wrap her arms around him and assure him that this was nothing more than a nightmare. That Felicity wasn't gone, most likely dead, her body nowhere to be found.
“What am I going to tell Sara?” Digg heard himself ask. “She loved Felicity.” He choked on the past tense like his body was trying to reject that she was gone.
Thea’s face crumbled but she managed not to cry. “What are we going to tell Ollie?”
One of the crime techs came, whispering to the Captain who went two shaded paler before nodding curtly.
“They were able to confirm the blood. It’s Felicity Smoak’s blood.”
The tech nodded. “We’re confirmed that there was over 2 litres of blood. Unless she received immediate medical attention this is a fatal amount of blood loss.”
“We have to tell Oliver.” Thea said, her voice hard.
“I will.”
Of course it would be him. Oliver might lash out and Digg was the only one that could take the hit.
Now Digg knew it had been ridicules to think that Oliver would lash out. When Oliver was in deep emotional pain he turned it inwards, lashing out only against himself.
Lance was solemnly silent as John managed to get Oliver into the back of the car. John confirmed that Speedy and Canary were doing likewise.
They wouldn't allow anything to happen to Oliver.