Season 3: Rebuilding

3x06: Unforeseen

Synopsis: Diggle gets a scare as Lyla goes into early delivery. Meanwhile, the sudden turn of events forces Oliver to question and admit a few things about his own heart. As Malcolm sets his plan in motion, his past year with Thea comes into focus.

---

3x06: Unforeseen

"Hey!"

Oliver inhaled as he heard the familiar voice call to him like a siren at sea. He stopped his easy sparring with Laurel and lowered his bo staff at once. She panted beside him, tired and weary from their workout and walked over to her water bottle.

Oliver, meanwhile, turned as he heard the couple's laughter fill the foundry with life and light that was more than welcome these days. Felicity and Dick stepped towards them with matching grins that made them both seem at ease with life and each other. Both of them wore sweats and damp hair, a far cry from their usual outfits and Oliver couldn't help but frown at the unfamiliar picture they painted before him.

Laurel offered the new arrivals a wide smile as she sipped from her water. Her breathing had returned to normal as she spoke, "You two look very happy today?"

"We had a swimming competition," Felicity explained with a sharp nod and flashed the other woman a confidant smirk. Oliver blinked at the expression that passed her features. Confidence suited Felicity Smoak and it made him happy as her friend to see her this way. Unaware of his thoughts, the young woman explained, "We did laps and I won the race!"

Dick snorted. "She cheated."

"I never cheat!" Felicity disagreed and nudged her shoulder into his chest with a cute glare. She raised her chin boldly as she declared, "Except when I count cards, but that's a rare occurrence. You're just a sore loser!"

"You had an unfair advantage, Smoak," the tall, brown-haired man firmly disagreed. "Captains of the Swim Team usually do."

Oliver frowned and his curious eyes sought out the blonde's. "You were a Swim Team Captain in High school…?"

"That was a long time ago," the woman deflected as she held his gaze. "And it was more of a stand-in position that one time, not official. Hardly an advantage now. And certainly not an advantage against a tights-wearing martial arts experts who bench press three times my weight."

"Four times and it's not tights, it's a reinforced tri-polymer-blend with-" Dick inhaled sharply and raised a calloused hand as if unwilling to take the fight. "Never mind. Let's just call it a tie."

"I won fair and square!"

The man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he looked towards the open training area. "How about we settle this with a round on the mat?"

Felicity scowled. "You know I'm not good with those sticks."

"I think it's high time you learn," Dick suggested, and the words seemed almost trained, as if he'd been meaning to ask earlier but had been awaiting the opportune moment. "If you want to, that is?"

"… Sure. We have an hour to kill before me and Oliver have to report to A.R.G.U.S. Why not?"

"Me and Ollie were just about done training anyway. Here," Laurel said and offered her long, wooden stick to the blonde.

Oliver smiled tightly. "Actually, I wanted to discuss something with the two of you."

Dick and Felicity stopped and turned towards him expectantly. Their flawless, burning joy was momentarily replaced with confused attentiveness to him.