Summary: An alternate take on Arrow's Pilot; Oliver was not alone when he was rescued. Kassandra Stevens—formerly Jamie Carter—was rescued with him and now has to start a new life four years after she went missing.

Author's Note: Kassandra Stevens was formerly Jamie Carter in the first stories of my redux. She had to change her name due to being hunted by Gordon Walker and other hunters. Since season 4, she has gone by the name Kassandra Stevens. This has been previously posted on Archive of our Own.

She was shaken out of sleep to the sound of gunfire and then the ground shook. "We gotta move," her companion said.

As soon as she stood up, the two of them had to hit the ground again as the window beside where she had just been standing shattered. An involuntary shriek came out of her lips as Oliver yanked her down and covered her.

"Come on.." he urged again. "Keep low."

She reached out and found his hand and the two of them made their way onto the chaotic street.

"It's not far," he kept promising between the two of them having to find shelter from the gunfire. Soon they were joining panicked people running in the street.

She felt the sharp pain in her arm and fell to the ground.

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The sound of the boat's engine snapped Kassandra back. It took her a moment to remember where she was and how she got there. It still seemed surreal that she was actually going home.

"Home..." she whispered the word to herself.

One of the younger men on the boat offered her fish soup that their cook had just prepared. She smiled and nodded her thanks, getting a slight bow in return. The young man then presented a bowl to her shaggy haired, bearded companion who accepted it without a word. She wanted to engage him in conversation, ask him about what he was thinking about finally going home and seeing his family, but then thought the better of it. She was just glad he was eating.

Kassandra settled in, crossing her legs, and shifting a little as she ate soup. A few years ago, she wouldn't have even considered eating fish soup or any kind of authentic Chinese cuisine…but that was before everything happened. Before when she thought she was going to have what resembled a normalish kind of life.

Feeling Oliver's eyes on her, she looked over at him again, meeting his gaze. She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile that everything was going to be alright now. Their nightmare was over.

"How's the soup?" he asked softly.

"It's good. But I have to admit I'm looking forward to eating a good old-fashioned cheeseburger."

That got a faint smile.

The captain of the fishing boat came and asked in Chinese how the soup was and if there was anything that they needed.

"We're doing fine. Thank you," said Oliver.

"The soup is delicious."

The captain bowed and went off the supervise the rest of his crew.

"You should try to rest," Kassandra said, adding more softly when she saw the hesitation in Oliver's face. "It's alright. You're safe."

To her dread, his face became blank again as he laid down with his back to her. Kassandra ate a couple more spoonfuls of the fish soup before setting down the bowl and also lay down, trying to rest again.

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"Oliver Queen is alive. The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China sea 5 days ago, 5 years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed "The Queen's Gambit." Queen was a regular tabloid presence and a fixture at the Starling City club scene. Shortly before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault charges stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi. Queen is the son of Starling City billionaire Robert Queen, who was also on board but now officially confirmed as deceased."

The news broadcast was over every single television in the hospital and, Kassandra figured, all over Starling City. But, considering that the Queen family was one of the most powerful if not the most powerful family in the city, of course Oliver was going to be news, she thought as she watched the file footage of the younger and seemingly more care-free Oliver Queen.

"Channel news is still trying to identify the young woman that Queen was rescued with. There has been speculations that she could be Kassandra Stevens, the young woman from Kansas who went missing four years ago."

Yup there it was. There was footage of the two of them coming off the charter plane and meeting the ambulance that took them to Starling General, where they currently were.

"One can only wonder if maybe five years away hasn't slowed down his playboy ways."

She carefully sat down on the examination room table as the nurse returned with her release papers.

The young nurse couldn't help her curiosity. "Are you going to the Queen mansion?"

"Not sure," was the answer. She managed a smile before applying her signature and handing the papers back to the nurse.

"Between us, I'd go in a heartbeat. He's dreamy…" The nurse held the clipboard to her chest and left the room.

Kassandra got dressed and found her way back to the examining room where Oliver was, and came to find that he wasn't alone. A smartly dressed blonde woman was hugging him close. Oliver looked up to find here there.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just came to see how you're doing."

The woman that had been hugging Oliver stepped forward to introduce herself.

"I'm Moira Queen."

"Kassandra Stevens. It's nice to meet you, Mrs Queen."

Seeing Oliver with his mother, an overwhelming feeling came over her as she realized that now it was her turn to track down and find her own surrogate family.

"Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?" Moira asked.

"I don't want to be any trouble."

"You're not," Oliver interjected with a small smile. "We insist."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome.