Not How The Story Ends

[Felicity Smoak]

"Felicity!" Oliver was calling her and she really ought to open her eyes, but her head was pounding, and she really just wanted some more sleep. Sleep off this apparent hangover. "Felicity!" Which was odd, because she didn't drink. Sometimes at Oliver's parties she would have a glass of his expensive bubbly but she was a reasonable adult and always limited herself to a glass or two but never--ever--more. She didn't need help making a fool of herself.

"Felicity!" Oliver was sounding insistant. Please don't let me open my eyes and be sleeping at work she prayed. It she was then it would his fault for keeping her up all night. (Something she'd have liked to be able to say more other reasons.)

Blinking her eyes opened she tried to look around. She definitely wasn't at the office. Too bright. She was outside, but couldn't remember how she got there. 'Felicity!" Oliver sound relieved now so she knew she better speak up. If he was glad she was waking up it meant she had been down for a while. Her mouth was like cotton and everything hurt, especially her wrists and ankles.

Blinking she began to see his face form as her vision cleared. Say something! "I've dreamed of waking up beside you." There.  NO! Not there! Damn it, Felicity! "In platonic settings! Not that I dream of you. Just. .... that. ....." It was then she noticed the green around his head and in the background. Oliver was in a plain t-shirt, and she begin to remember things. She was going to train with Diggle (which explained why she was in yoga pants, and long sleeve shirt rather then her dresses to impress Oliver), but first went to drop something off with Oliver and then nothing. Til now.

Looking around she moved to slowly sit up, reaching to put a hand on his should for support. Trees and grass for as far as she could see. Woods, but it felt and looked different then Starling City. "Please tell me we are at the park!" Because it looked islandly to her.

[Oliver Queen]

Oliver had opened his eyes to an extremely bright sky. He didn't have to wait for his vision to clear. The familiarity of the air, the smell . . . everything, made it quite clear where he was. And that caused him to abruptly be on alert, and he quickly snapped out of his unconscious state. He didn't know how long he'd been out for. Only that his head was throbbing -- the aftermath of whatever he was given. But this was not the worst he had suffered. He quickly rose to his feet, instantly transforming to a defensive mode as his mind began to re-piece the events that led him here. He'd been ambushed. He remembered that much. And as flashes of it sped through Oliver's mind, it all led to the face of one man: Slade Wilson. He took a deep breath to calm himself at the memory of the man, and the actions he took to bring down Oliver. He had brought him back to this hell of a place, because he knew that if ever there was one location that could tear Oliver down, it was Lian Yu.

But there was more. Oliver could feel it, sense it. He was not alone here. As familiar as the air in this place was, there was also a familiarity in the sense of danger Oliver was quickly picking up. Slade had brought him here, and wanted to make sure he didn't leave. All part of his twisted ploy at revenge no doubt. He was weaponless, but that left him far from helpless. Oliver knew they were not too close, but they would find him. Slade knew this island extremely well, and without a doubt, would have already destroyed any camp that Oliver could have otherwise set up. So he just stood there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Thinking back to how exactly he had gotten here and -- that was when another flash hit him. Enough to make him freeze. He had not been alone when he'd been ambushed.

"Felicity!" He knew for a fact that Slade would not have spared her. He blamed him for Shado's death -- and while Oliver knew it was his fault, this kind of revenge was completely uncalled for. Slade should punish him, not innocent people. Then again, this was all part of the risk of having ties, of being close to people. This got hurt. And now, Felicity was stranded along with him. "Felicity!" He called again. He knew she was around here somewhere, and began to hurry through the heavily tree infested area to find her. She couldn't be that far -- he hoped. But never the less, he moved quickly, not wanting to risk someone else finding her first. Oliver feared what Slade had instructed his minions to do should either of them get caught. "Felicity!" He called again, his voice getting more urgent. Then in the distance, he saw a figure lying on the ground. Fear coursed through him as he raced toward her, falling to his knees next to her. "Felicity!" He said once more. She was alive. Thank goodness. But Oliver was not foolish. She was placed in this exact location for a reason. To bait him. As she began to rejoin the conscious world, Oliver's eyes scanned over her to see if she was severely harmed. She was bruised, but it did not look like she was too impaired.

He was so preoccupied that he hardly even noticed her typical ramble. Where it may have otherwise amused him, right now, he just needed her to stop. So he put his hand over her mouth and raised his index finger of his other hand to his lips. "Shhh," he said softly. It was silent. Too silent. They were not far. He knew she was confused, and probably had a million questions. But they needed to go and find a safer spot. They were far too exposed out here. "We need to move," he stated, and with that, he helped her to her feet, grabbed her hand and began to ran. He was making sure he stayed at a speed that she could keep up with. It was no longer just about him surviving: it was also about protecting Felicity, and that, changed everything.

[Felicity Smoak]

Oliver stopped her from talking by covering her mouth and then telling her the scariest four words he could have started with. "We need to move." And then he got her to her feet, and began pulling her into a run. Even with her head pounding, and her vision not quite perfect she was able to try to hurry. Felicity trusted Oliver enough to not keep asking what was happening, and try to keep up--he had saved her life on more then one occasion and it became easier to just do as he said when danger hit and not leave him worrying about how she was only going to get herself (and maybe him) killed.

After running for what felt like forever, Felicity could not go on without a rest. She was in no where near as good as shape as Oliver was, nor uses to running in the woods. She had tripped a few times but managed to stay on her feet by using his grip on her hand to hold herself up. "Stop!" She whispered yelled, trying to keep her voice down, as she came to a stop. "I can't . . . I have to rest."

By now she had figured out the hangover part, and even some more details. They were kidnapped, and back on Oliver's island--the one with Hell for a name. The reason her head was pounding was because they drugged her, and the reason she was having trouble coming out of the haze was because after being asleep for so many hours she was dehydrated. She would not complain, but before they ran some more, she had to breathe.

[Oliver Queen]

All Oliver could think of was what the safest place to go to was. All the typical camp sites would already be covered by whoever Slade sent down with them. He knew why Slade didn't kill him right away: he wanted to instill fear in him. He wanted Oliver to watch Felicity die, before he met his own end. He wanted them both to be afraid and . . . well Oliver was. Not for himself. But for her. Hearing her and feeling her stop moving, he paused and turned to look at her, moving closer to her so he could see her face. She was exhausted. And he couldn't blame her in the least. But nor could they just stop here, when he knew the others were not far behind. And he didn't know how many of them there were. He looked around, taking her hand again, and leading her to a tree. He pulled her behind the thick trunk, her back resting against it. "I won't be far," he began to tell her. "But stay here, and don't look." He didn't want her to be afraid nor see what he had to do. He had vowed not to kill again but these was completley different circumstances. It was either kill or be killed. Slade's men were not amateurs that could be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They were assassins. They would not stop until they did what Slade instructed them to. And Oliver could not take that risk. Not with Felicity.

He looked at her for one more moment, before stepping into view to what was chasing them. The threat had not revealed itself yet, and Oliver needed to get a better idea of what they were up against. He ran a few steps, just to get the proper speed and power, as he leaped up, getting his footing by walking a couple steps up the tree, before leaping to another, toward a thick branch to the tree next to it. He made sure to grab hold of the thick part of the branch so that it could hold his weight just for those few seconds. He then swung over it and that gave him enough power to get into the tree he intended to, climbing the last little bit so that he was near the top. The tree he had selected was thick with leaves, which gave him the perfect concealment.

From up here, he could see the clearing below, and most importantly, he could see Felicity. Keeping her in view assured him that she was safe. It didn't take long for two more men to come into his view. As Oliver suspected, they had been chasing them. they stopped in the clearing, obviously recognizing that something wasn't right. He could hear them murmering about something, but Oliver continued to wait. Wanting to see if there were any more, or if there were just two stationed in this vicinity. They were stepping closer to the tree Felicity was hiding behind and knew that this was the moment to strike. He couldn't affod to let them use her as a hostage, who knows what damage they could do within mere seconds of having her in their grasp.

So without further delay, he leaped down from the tree, immediately, tackling one of the men to the ground. Catching that one off guard, the other pulled out a large dagger, which Oliver kicked out of his grasp. The man just pulled another, but thankfully, Oliver was a bit faster. He ducked from the swing, and came up, swinging his fist into the man's face as hard as he could. The other scrambled to his feet to join the fight, but instead was greeted with the back of Oliver's foot as he kicked him. He then grabbed one of the men in a choke hold, quickly breaking his neck, before he grabbed the dagger lying on the ground and killed the other as swiftly as possible. As both men fell lifelessly to the ground, Oliver took a moment, staring at them. He could not regret killing them, but that did not make him feel any better about the situation. Lian Yu was a place unlike any other. It was survival. He had to do what it took to survive . . . and more imnportantly, to protect Felicity.

[Felicity Smoak]

Oliver pulled her toward a tree, and helped her rest, but his words assured her that whatever they had just ran from was still there--so many assure wasn't the right word. She felt fear, and it only grew when he finished speaking. "-and don't look." 'Don't looks,' Her mouth repeated the words, and her hand tightened on his, while her other hand came up to grasp his shirt to hold him there, but after a second she let him go. She HAD to keep trusting him. She knew what he was capable of when she signed on with him, and everyone had warned her of the risks. Diggle had been working with her for this reason.

She peeked at him until he began climbing the tree, then while assuming he could not see her, took the moment for her guard to drop. Her face crumpled as she held back the crying. Cry later, live now. Bending down the rested her head on her knees and thanked God for the important things, like how she was not asthmatic. Lifting her head, she forced herself to stand and look for some sort of weapon. Picking a large fallen stick, she held it in her hands.

It was then she heard it. The sounds of grunting and a fight. Oliver. Felicity held her breath until the sounds stopped, and then she waited. Had he won? Please! Let him have won! She could hear foot steps approaching and she lifted the stick. Surely if Oliver won then he would have said something? Or was their still danger near by? When the steps grew even with the tree, she stepped out and swung at whomever was approaching.

[Oliver Queen]

Oliver quickly searched the bodies to see what weapons he take. They mostly had daggers on them. Which shouldn't be a huge surprise. Slade had a thing for swords. He looked at the bodies one more time, once again, unsurprised by the fact that they didn't carry anything helpful -- other than the weapons he took and tucked away -- or telling of where they were stationed. There would be more coming, but not right away. Did Slade truly think two were enough? Maybe they made the decision themselves to split up. Oliver hoped for his and Felicity's sake, Slade's goons were that stupid. He then walked toward the tree that Felicity was hiding behind, and just when he was about to step behind it, a massive stick came swinging at his face. He grabbed it mid air, and the impact caused the 'attacker' to fall to the ground.

He looked down at her, not quite stunned, but just letting her attempt sink in his mind for a moment. He first looked over her to make sure she wasn't hurt, before he extended a hand to her to help her up. "Not bad, for a city girl," he said slightly teasing, feeling the need to lighten the mood, even if it was just for a second. There was no time for humor, or jokes. But he knew she was upset. And humor seemed to sometimes put her at ease. "Are you alright?" He asked, knowing he could not ask that enough times.

[Felicity Smoak]

It was Oliver! Felicity had swung the stick, and when it suddenly stopped, she lost her balance and finished the swing with her body....to the ground. Looking up at Oliver for a moment, she pushed up her glasses and took his offered hand. His joke would normally have helped put her at ease, but the men behind him (whom she was assuming where either out cold or dead but she was trying VERY hard to look to see which one) was a reminder of what was happening.

He asked her if she was alright, "Not even remotely." She tried to joke, and while her words were honest her voice was strong, and only a little shaken. She would not panic on him now, or cry and fail him. "You should use your money to build a resort here so next time we come here, we can just check in." Because with his five year stay, then his three month stay, then her visit and now this . . . it was becoming a popular place.

"We should get moving again?" She was both telling and asking him, because in truth . . . . there were not computers to hack here, so she was useless to him. AND she still had questions, which had to he held off until they were safe--and away from bodies she was fighting NOT to look at.

[Oliver Queen]

Oliver would have perhaps smiled at her joke were the circumstances not so grim. He knew that her being here, that every ounce of fear she possessed, that everything that was happening to her and may happen to her . . . would be his fault. "Yes," he answered/agreed when she said that they should get moving again. "There will be more." But not right away. They had some time to pace themselves. If they were traveling in pairs then they would not be so difficult to overcome. The only concern was that he wasn't exactly sure how many were on the island. "There's a cave not too far from here." One that they could seek shelter in for a short while. "Just give me a moment," he added, as he moved toward the bodies again. He crouched on the ground, his eyes looking for the specific spot -- aha! There it was. Very carefully, he moved one of the bodies, so that it's face was pressing down on a land mine, and used the other body to add weight. Instinctively, the first thing a person did when they saw a body face down, is turn the face upright so that they can see the identity of the corspe.

Whoever comes across this area and finds the bodies, will most certainly do what Oliver anticipated, and unknowingly set off the explosion. The sound would not be a concern for he and Felicity would be far from this area by then. Oliver was well aware that it wasn't much, but the more minions he could take out with these small traps, the better. Just until he thought of a more suitable plan. Oliver then took the jacket off the other body. He had a feeling Felicity wouldn't like the thought of wearing a dead man's jacket, but it could get cold at night and she would need as much warmth as possible. He slung the jacket over his shoulder and walked back toward her. "Let's go," he said, walking a few steps ahead but waiting for her to be alongside him before he moved any further. "Leave the stick," he added, almost teasingly, but he was serious. There were a lot better sticks out there and now, he had a weapon to carve other weapons out of.

[Felicity Smoak]

They both seemed to be trying to ease the other one, while ignoring the attempts of the other to ease themselves, and Felicity found that almost more comforting then anything he could say. Oliver was here! They could do this! He surprised five years alone, and Diggle surely would not leave them here that long. They just had to survive long enough to let him get here and save them. Oliver agreed they needed to move, and she smiled up at him glad that they were leaving this spot.

Then has asked for a moment, and she watched as he went over had moved the bodies, putting one a few feet over from where it had been, with it's face tot he ground and the other he was taking his coat. Dead then? Not out cold. It was on thing to know Oliver killed, and other to see the proof of it not far from you. When he came back, and started walking it took her a few seconds before she could turn to follow him, as her eyes stayed on the men.

Leave the stick he said. "Hmm?" She turned from the men and watched him for a second before her mind caught up with what he said. Leave the stick. She looked down at it in her hand, and then dropped it to the ground. "Yeah," Felicity hurried to catch up with him, and fell into step with him. After a few minutes of walking she reached over and took his hand, squeezing it a little to offer what little support she knew he would let himself take, then let go. Oliver hated to kill now. He had killed The Count for her, and now these men. She knew he would not kill if he could avoid it or without good reason

and the reason was what scared her.

[Oliver Queen]

The walk to the cave was mostly silent. He had to admit that her gentle squeeze greatly reassured him. Because it showed that she did not perceive him as a monster,a murderer. That she was not urging him to find another way, even under these circumstances. He greatly appreciated that. More than he could say in mere words, so he instead, remained silent. He was however on full alert and from what he could tell, they were not being followed. Nor could he hear anyone else around. It all felt too easy, to simply take out two men and have no others around. He knew better than to underestimate Slade. But all he could do was be extra cautious. When they got to the cave, Oliver went inside first to make sure it was vacant of any wild animals. It seemed to be ok, and unlived in. He walked back out to where Felicity was standing.

"There's a river just down this way. We'll go there first and then come back." They had a place to claim shelter for a little while, and a place to freshen up. It was far too ideal of a location for the others to not check in on. So they may as well take advantage of it while they could. When they got to the river, Oliver bent down next to it and scooped some water in his hands, splashing it over his face to freshen up some. He had no plan. And he hated not having a plan. He knew Diggle would be looking for them, but even surviving here for a few mere days was a lot harder than one may assume. Especially when they had who knows how many men hunting them. "How is your head?" She didn't need to tell him for him to know. He had experienced the same throbbing, but he was rather used to being knocked out. She was not, nor was it a feeling he ever wanted her to get used to.

[Felicity Smoak]

They walked toward a cave, and then she waited outside of it while Oliver made sure it was safe, then he told her the plan for the next few minutes. Water then back here. She walked silently with him to the river, still not sure if it was safe to talk or not. She had so many questions, and needed the answers to them. He then asked about her head. Felicity smiled to try to keep from showing it how much it was really hurting.

"Nothing that some water, and Advil wont kill." And at least one of which was something found on this island. "How's your head?" She returned the question, making sure he was alright too. Felicity knew he always was trying to help others and sometimes he would forget to check on himself. It was why she tried to always make sure to check on him, and doctor his wounds. "Do you remember what happened? Everything is hazy for me. I don't even know where they took us from." She was going to meet him at the Big Belly Burger but never recalled making it there. She could have, and the drugs just blocked it. "Who would put you back here?"

[Oliver Queen]

Oliver splashed another handful of water on his face as she asked how his head was. He had been through worse so this was nothing compared to all that. He may not have advil but maybe he could find the right plants to mix together to help soothe her head a bit. "I'm fine," he assured her. She then asked what happened, trying to remember where they were taken from . . . and who had brought them here. "His name is Slade Wilson." A man that he used to be friends with. "And he's a long story." A long, complex story. It wasn't as if they had a lack of time, it was just that Oliver wasn't sure he wanted to delve into his and Slade's history. Then again, Felicity deserved to know. She was after all, dragged here by him.

"Felicity," he began to say, his voice softening as the conversation transitioned from Slade to this. "I'm so sorry, about all of this." He knew that didn't even begin to cover an apology she deserved, but it was a start. Perhaps she would never know just how truly sorry he was. She had been put in harm's way because of him, but this took it to a whole new level. "You shouldn't be here. And I'm sorry that you are." She didn't belong here. Slade's battle was with him, and yet he was dragging her into it. If Oliver thought there was a chance he could get through to the man, then he would try to negotiate something with him. But he knew that was pointless. His best bet was focusing on finding a way to get Felicity off the island. And if fate was particularly kind to them, then himself too.

[Felicity Smoak]

Felicity lifted some water to her own face, and then lifted her ponytail up so she could rest her wet hand on her neck to feel cool while Oliver spoke about Slade Wilson. If she had a computer she would check the name but she didn't, so instead she had to accept his 'long story' comment. They had the time, but she knew the island was hard to talk about for him. With luck this time would be different.

Then he apologized for getting her into this. "Oliver, you didn't bring me here. You never would have brought me here. I know that. You have nothing to apologize for." She knew he was trying to keep her alive, and would not put any guilt on him for things out of his control. "When you find this Slade Wilson, you can make him apologize to me. Not you."

She didn't miss how he didn't answer the question, but she would not press until he was ready. Anything could have happened to him while she was out. He could have been awake the whole time, and they could have beat him. Her eyes feel over his body, and while she could not see under his clothes (though she wished on more the one occasion that she could) she wondered how many new injures colored him.

[Oliver Queen]

He may not have physically brought her here, but he was the reason she was here. He would not exempt himself of any blame, and the fact that she was not blaming him . . . showed what a remarkable person she was. Most others would be lashing out at him -- and rightfully so -- for being responsible for this. But Felicity, was proving time and time again why she was so different from others, and he meant that in the best way possible. He had everything to apologize for, but knew that he was not going to be able to change her mind about this. He would just have to offer his apologies throughout their time here, and hope that things would not get worse for her -- because he of all people knew that they most certainly could. She then spoken of making Slade apologize and Oliver almost smiled at the thought. He was not going to make Slade apologize. He was going to kill him for bringing Felicity here: for targeting the people he cares about.

"He was stranded here as well, at the same time I was. That was how we met." That was part of the story. A very brief, very short explanation. "He knows this Island very well," he warned her, beginning to explain why he was a threat. Oliver didn't have the upper hand of being familiar with the island, but that was hardly going to discourage him. He had the greatest incentive and motivation and that was all he needed. "Long story short, he isn't too happy with me." To say the least. "But I am going to get you home Felicity." No matter what it took. He spoke these words with confidence, because failure was not an option. Failing her was not an option. He took a few sips of water before standing on his feet, his eyes scanning their surroundings. When he was sure that they had some more time in this area, he began to gather a few thick sticks. They were going to need proper hunting weapons.

[Felicity Smoak]

He began talking about Slade, and Felicity could not help but to run through the other names she knew from the island. Shado, who she knew next to nothing about besides that she died. Sarah, who she met and liked. Now Slade--finally a not-girl! "For a remote island that no one has heard of, it gets a lot of visitors." She mumbled quietly, though loud enough for him to hear.

He went on to not explain the story, only the ending--where Slade also makes it off the island, and is not happy with Oliver. "But I am going to get you home Felicity." She knew that. Reaching over she put her hand on his arm as he finished drinking some water. "I know that. I trust you, Oliver. Just tell me what you need from me to do it." She let go as he stood up, but she kept talking. "I know I'm the last person you want to be here with--as I have no skills to help you--but I can still be of some help."

Maybe! He was gathering sticks so she began gathering them too. Assuming it was for a fire, she had smaller sticks. Though she also had an idea! She knew how she could help! Looking around she began forming a plan.

[Oliver Queen]

That was true. This Island had not been as deserted as he had thought. He still remembered coming here for the first tie, and everywhere he turned, there was danger. There was someone he didn't know trying to kill him. Bur again, that was a long story and even though he was here, he still wasn't sure he was ready to talk about everything that had happened. Her confidence in him was touching. To know that she still trusted him to take her home, despite his many failures -- his most recent one being that Slade was able to bring her here. "All I need you to do is stay strong. And you're already doing it." Just like she always did.

She went on to say that she was the last person that he would want to be stranded with was her. And it was true, but not for the reasons she was suggesting. He stopped collecting sticks for a moment and looked at her. "Felicity, the only reason I don't want to be here with you, is because I don't want you to be in this position at all." It wasn't about her 'lack of skills' as she had put it. It was because he wanted her to be in a safe and stable environment. Away from all the danger that lurked about here.

[Felicity Smoak]

Felicity knew what he meant when he was trying to explain why he didn't want her here, and she felt special in that way. While he would not want anyone here, she liked to think that it was more then just not wanting anyone here. It was because she had come to be a member of his team. His friend. Though she saw him as more, she had hopes . . . . that she was also aware would never happen.

"I can do more then stay strong." She told with with her quaky 'I'm about to impress you' smile that she normally had on before she hacked into something or gave him information he didn't know she could get. Moving over to the river again she began reaching and and pulling up some mud, and clay. Taking her pile over to a sunny spot she formed it into a deep almost cup like form.

"Leave it here to dry over night, maybe a bit longer then take a leaf over the top, and use my hair tie to keep it on--" She looked back at him with her smile, "-and we can take water with us." Not much but still some. Moving back tot he river she washed her hands. "I don't know if it will work."

[Oliver Queen]

Oliver watched her, curious to see what she meant by doing more than staying strong. He gave a bit of a smile as he watched her at work. He knew was she was capable of when you gave her a computer. This was the side of her he had never before. "I didn't know you took pottery," he said teasingly. Though, in actual truth, it had never come up when he was doing his 'homework' on her. "That's good, Felicity." This way, she could stay hydrated. He was fine without it for a few days -- he'd learned that the hard way.

"But don't let it dry out here. We'll take it with us." Just in case someone was passing through. Oliver knew they had some time here, bu he didn't want to leave any sign of them from this direction. The two bodies in the other direction was a bit of a giveaway. "Come on. Let's head back to the cave." He would need to get some weapons readied so that they could hunt while it was still day. He didn't want to stray too far from her at night. So with his collection of soon to be weapons, he waited for her to get her fill of water before heading back to the not so far cave.

[Felicity Smoak]

"I didn't, but my mother did, and I thought how hard can it be to form some clay and let it dry for a while." She had assumed he had thought of something close too when on the island for the first time, but she also knew he had some more supplies back then, like an airplane, and bottles. . . . . girls to fill the bottles.

She got up and took her new cup thing with them, as he lead them back to the cave. While walking she kept talking, "Why would be bring you back here? If he knew were to find you, why not just kill you?--I mean--I am glad he didn't! I rather us be here then you be dead, but this seems a lot of work and really expensive."

Not everyone was a Queen. Oliver had money, and he was never apologetic about it, but nor did he rub it in anyone's face. Yet not everyone was a playboy millionaire who could afford to piss off people they hated by picking them up and dropping them on a island named after hell.

[Oliver Queen]

Now thanks to her, they had a little clay made water bottle which would most definitely come in handy. As they walked back she began to ask why Slade did this; why he would bring him -- them -- back to the island. There was a lot to their history, so Oliver was trying to think of the best way to answer her question, without giving her the long drawn out story to it. "That is his objective," Oliver said. It was Slade's endgame: to kill him. But not before he killed everyone else first. Even if they got off this Island, what stopped Slade from going after Felicity again? Or Thea? Or someone else Oliver cared greatly for.

"He wants me to suffer." Oliver was trying not to be blunt by saying that he wanted to harm -- or kill -- Felicity first, so that Oliver would witness that. "He wants me to lose all that I care about." People. Because he no longer prioritized the material things in his life, like money. Now, it was all about the people he loved. "He wants vegeance, more than anything else. Targeting those closest to me is how he gets it." And was successful too. Because here they were. Here she was. In danger, because of her affiliation to him. And because of Oliver's enemies.

[Felicity Smoak]

He spoke of Slade and one line made her become distracted. He wanted Oliver to suffer by going after the ones he cared about--and he went after her. Did Oliver care about her more then a friend? No. Surely not. Even while she knew she shouldn't, Felicity still found herself fighting to hold back a small smile, which didn't fit in with their moment.

"Guess you're going to show him when you find him." She joked, trying to distract from the little smile, even then her joke wasn't really a joke. She knew that Oliver protected his friends with everything he had. "Oliver Queen doesn't really silently suffer." He fought back, and removed threats. He protected and gave everything he had to the cause. "He's more the bring suffering to the oppressors type."

Time to stop talking. "So the cave. Will be spend the night here? Is it safe?"

[Oliver Queen]

"Guess you're going to show him when you find him." Oh she had no idea. Oliver had returned to Starling as the vigilante, but not to be vengeful. Slade was an exception to that philosophy. Because he knew that if he didn't deal with the man, then he would just keep targeting the people he cares about. But he wasn't about to go into detail about that. He would spare Felicity of what would happen when he and Slade came face to face. "Slade has already suffered quite a bit." Oliver was by no means justifying Slade's actions. He was merely stating that he wasn't going to go after people Slade cared about -- if there were any. Slade was Oliver's target, and he would go after him in full force for what he did. Her next question was easier to address.

"It should be safe for now," he assured her. When they got into the cave, he went ahead inside and sat on the ground. He then pulled out a dagger and began carving the end of a stick to make it sharp: to make it into a small spear. "Someone will eventually find the bodies though. So we shouldn't stay here more than a day." Because Oliver wasn't going to just endure being on the island. He was more focused on getting them -- mainly Felicity -- back to safety, which was far away from this place. "Most of the places I would have otherwise stayed in, are known to Slade. We have to be careful about where we spend our time." He wasn't trying to scare her. He was merely try to give her a general idea of the this vague plan of his was.

[Felicity Smoak]

Slade suffered? What had happened on his island? She didn't question it, only let him keep talking and explaining things, such as how they would stay here for about a day, then move on because Slade knew most of his places on the island--which meant that Slade had spend time with Oliver. Had they been friends or foes working together or even just foes?

"Most is not all." She pointed out, "And now we can keep him guessing. Maybe we can lay decoys at the other places while we keep moving to the ones he might not know. Or pick a place he would never think we should go." Which would give them a change to hide.

"I know you are going to say no, but we should take turns sleeping, and keeping a watch out." Like in the movies. She could keep watch. She could! From here there was less places to watch from.

[Oliver Queen]

Oliver thought over her words, trying to think of a place that Slade would assume he would never go. The only thoughts that came to mind, were places that were the most obvious. He knew Slade wasn't stupid, just as Slade knew Oliver wasn't stupid. Maybe he could go for the obvious rather than try not to. It was her next offer that made him pause this line of thought as she suggested that they take turns. She had said she knew he was going to say no, and she was right. "No," he said bluntly. That was not an option at all. She could stay up with him if she wanted, but he was not going to rest when there was so much danger about; when she was in so much danger. "I'll keep watch." He was accustomed to not sleeping at night. She needed her rest.

"You need to get as much rest as you can," he said, speaking aloud his thoughts. When he finished one of the spears he was working on, he held it up, putting his finger at the tip to test its sharpness. Setting it aside, he began another. Two would be sufficient for the time being. "Have you ever been camping before?" He asked. He knew she was a city girl but he was wondering if she had ever been out in the wilderness for a weekend. He was trying to help distract her from everything else, knowing that was nearly impossible, but wanting to provide casual conversation to give her something else to focus on.

[Felicity Smoak]

She had known he would answer the question as such, but it made her no less disappointed when he gave her his answer then when she first thought he would given the the first no. "You need sleep too. You can' keep me alive by staying up all hours of the day and night. You might not be ready to trust me now, but sooner or later you are going to have too.

"And no, I have never been camping before." She was a city girl inside and out. "Well other then my first trip here to find you with Diggle, but it felt really different then it does now. More relax. . . . even with the mines." She had stepped on one herself but it had not been as scary as this.