It was a six-and-a-half hour flight from east coast to west. Between the nights spent at home and being cooped up in one of Bruce's private jet so long, Cassandra felt like her bones were turning to dust. She swore she'd make it a point to walk whenever possible while she was away and spar if a willing participant was available. It was all she could hope for, she was strictly forbidden from bringing her uniform in her suitcase.

Connor was there waiting just past the gate that surrounded the landing strip. The recent events left Cassandra so exhausted, she thought me might fall asleep as soon as he wrapped his arms around her. "Hey," she said. "Missed you."

"You too," Connor said. They remained still for a moment. When a breeze passed they both shuddered just a little. California was always warmer than Gotham, but fall was still fall. "Let me get your luggage." Connor released her, rolled it around to the back of the Prius and popped the trunk. "You look tired. Should we save the sight-seeing for another day?"

"No," Cassandra said. "Not that tired. Want to see."

"All right," Connor shut the trunk. "I'm feeling hungry, so I guess food is the first priority. I know a little place around here, you like Chinese?"

Cassandra broke into a tiny laugh.

"Don't assume it's obvious," Connor said. "Dinah loves Thai food a lot more than I do."

Star City appeared to be the kind of place Gotham had always struggled to become. Artisan shops lined both sides of the street, people covered the sidewalk but no one seemed to be in a hurry and every the air smelled cleaned than it should have with all the cars on the street. Gotham could never look so pleasant.

The two sat quietly as Connor seemed to pass an unseen threshold into the city proper. He drove them down steep hills that felt like roller coaster drops and past dozens of interconnected townhouses. In spite of herself, Cassandra leaned back in the chair and shut her eyes.

Connor took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Listen, I don't know… everything, about what's gone on since I left. Bruce told my dad some things, most of what I know I learned second hand from him. If there's anything you need to talk with me about, please don't be afraid to do so."

A small smile crept across Cassandra's face. "Thank you."

The hills only evened out when Connor neared sea level. Waves from the Pacific Ocean beat against the sand and the beachgoers were audible even with the windows rolled up. Connor turned into a small restaurant across from the beach identified by a string of writing in Mandarin and the name, "DONG BEI." Cassandra followed him inside. A few couples, two lone diners and one family sat dispersed around the restaurant. A heavyset clerk across the room looked up when the bell attached to the door rang and she flashed a big smile.

"Connor!" Though her accent was on the wrong syllables, her enthusiasm was genuine. "Welcome, sit."

"Well, if you doubted I was a regular, Jade just proved it." Connor sat down in a booth near the entrance, Cassandra was quick to follow.

Little paper lanterns hung down from the ceiling over every table and the walls were covered in paintings of animal-people plowing or harvesting fields. It seemed to Cassandra at the very least a bit more authentic than the tea house she and Stephanie fought in.

The woman from across the restaurant, Jade, set down a pair of teacups, bags and a kettle of hot water on the table. She only brought one menu, which she handed to Cassandra.

"I order the same thing every time I come in." Connor turned to their server. "But don't get it started until she orders." The way he pointed and held his hand straight but flat and the server's nod suggested she understood the request, if not the words.

Cassandra scanned the menu. "What do you like?"

"Green curry sauce and noodles. But I don't eat meat," Connor said.

Cassandra nodded and scanned the menu. The English writing was limited compared to the lines upon lines of Mandarin, but there were lots of pictures and she understood enough of what each described. When a few minutes had passed Cassandra pointed to a roasted pork and rice dish with relative confidence at what she was ordering and the server nodded as if she understood. None of the conversations of the rest of the building reached them, they felt almost as if they were alone.

Connor didn't say much, but he did watch Cassandra carefully with every sip of tea she drank. In another individual it might have seemed off-putting, but Connor had always been considerate more than anything else. He understood Cassandra spoke little, had recently come off a long flight and was struggling with thoughts in the back of her head. He didn't wish to burden her with a request she choose words for conversation.

A memory stuck out in Cassandra's mind, though she didn't know why. It was the thought of a coffee shop in Gotham, much simpler and noisier than the one they sat in. It was one of many memories she'd tried to suppress, but it came in clear.

It was a few weeks into January, just days before her birthday. The Seraphim had finally been defeated, Gotham was on its way back to a lull of relative peace. After much contemplation and a push from Bruce, Cassandra dialed a phone number on a too well preserved paper towel from the hospital. Cassandra didn't even like coffee but agreed to go to the first café that was mentioned. The food and drink wouldn't matter, she just wanted to catch up.

That dining partner was far more talkative than Connor, but Cassandra didn't mind. She didn't even care that she could only understand perhaps half of what was said to her. The memory wasn't so much bad as tainted, and that meant it was worth avoiding.

Despite all her efforts Cassandra did find one thing said meaningful. She tested it on her tongue over and over again but she couldn't make it come out. Connor's expressions were hard to read, she wasn't sure she could sense if he knew she was struggling inside her head or not. The minutes ticked by as they sat in silence. Cassandra insisted to herself she should just say it. Exactly the way it had been said to her. She just had to swallow her nerve and say it.

"So, is this a date—"

"There you go." Jade returned right as the words slipped out of Cassandra's mouth and set their two plates in front of them."

Connor lowered his head to her. "Xie xie nin," he said. He looked to Cassandra as the waitress walked away. "Sorry, what did you say? I didn't catch that."

Cassandra did everything she could to keep the blood from rushing to her cheeks as she turned her attention toward the meat and rice. "Nothing." She would be in Star City for the foreseeable future, there was no need to rush the question.

Connor didn't press the matter. Cassandra clasped her hands and said a short grace before she dug in. Both ate their lunch in mostly undisturbed silence and Cassandra agreed with Connor's endorsement of the restaurant. When their bowls were clean, Jade quickly whisked them away and present Connor with the bill and a pair of fortune cookies.

Connor cracked open his own after he handed over a credit card. He studied it a few seconds before he muttered, "'You are an inspiration to those around you.' That is a statement, not a fortune."

"But a compliment." Cassandra broke open her own.

"Still isn't a fortune. You want me to read that for you? Just in case?"

Cassandra passed it to him, more to honor the offer than her own fear of inability.

"'Live a little, have some desert.' That's advice, it isn't a fortune either. And isn't the cookie itself supposed to be desert?"

Cassandra laughed. Though she wasn't sure she totally understood, it felt like Connor had earned it.

"But we can follow it anyway. There's another place I like a couple blocks from here. You okay to walk?"

"Dying to."

The two soon rose from their little restaurant booth and worked their way up a gradual incline up the sidewalk behind the Chinese restaurant. Cassandra was slowed by the meal she'd eaten and the long hours of travel, but Connor adjusted his pace to stay near her.

A few times Cassandra considered taking a step closer and just bumping her hand against his own. Just to see if he would react. But after the interruption at lunch, she was too afraid to try. For the moment, it seemed better to just focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

At the end of a short trek, just at the top of one of the small hills, a Ghirardelli chocolate shop came into view. By the way Connor's pace picked up, it was clear that was the place he was talking about.

The Ghirardelli shop was a far cry from the calm and quiet at Dong Bei's. From Connor's first move inside Cassandra picked up lots of talk between parents and children. The smell of chocolate seemed almost baked into the walls, which were covered all over with advertisements and statements about the newest candy on the shelves. At the center of the store was a counter, behind which stood a tall, busty Latina woman, maybe in her twenties or thirties, flanked on both sides by freezers filled with scoopable ice cream.

She too beamed as Connor approached. "Well look who it is." Her voice was a little gruff, but warm nonetheless. "How're you today? Did you come for the usual?"

"Only if you don't have another flavor that's both chocolatey and vegan." Connor and the woman both laughed before he raised a hand toward Cassandra. "I'm entertaining a friend from out of state, so please be on your best behavior."

"Oh please. You tip me too well here to do anything less."

A chuckle escaped Connor as he ushered Cassandra forward. "This is my friend, Cassandra. Cassandra, his is Lupe, she's my favorite server out here."

Cassandra tried to match the enthusiastic smile on Lupe's face. "Hello."

"Well hi there, Cassandra." Lupe raised her arms and referred to the freezers at her sides. "You let me know if you want to sample anything. I'll make you cones, sundaes, malts, whatever you want. And let me know if you want a taste of anything first, we've got sample spoons. And don't take any of Connor's recommendations. You don't get a figure like mine by giving up dairy products."

Connor burst out in a laugh and Cassandra gave her a giggle. There was still so much on her mind, so many thoughts she was forcing below the surface. But there, in her first afternoon in Star City, she felt more at ease than she had in months.

Maybe things would work themselves out after all.