Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow. Obviously.

Author's Note: This fic arose out of a throwaway idea from myself, in the Lauriver Discord server - building on a previous discussion about the underutilized multiverse of the Arrowverse, I commented that the idea of someone from Earth-1 traveling to an Earth where the Moira Queen's two kids were Olivia Queen and Theodore Queen. That snowballed into a discussion about what Earth-1 might look like if that were the case, and also, if we genderbent one other character - namely, Laurel into Loren.

As happens sometimes in fanfic spaces, a discussion becomes a 'I have to write this idea' and here we are.

In this verse, the changepoints are the genderbending - that Olivia was born instead of Oliver, Theodore born instead of Thea, and Loren born instead of Laurel. While their different genders obviously mean they had different experiences growing up, et cetera, the intent here is that at their core, their personalities are the same, they are the same people - just in different circumstances and genders, etc.

The rest of the universe beyond those three has been unchanged, largely. Malcolm is still Malcolming, the League of Assassins exists unchanged, et cetera.

This fic will be written as a series of short scenes/vignettes, written chronologically. Or so goes the intent. If a given vignette takes place before any previously posted ones, I will say so.

Some updates (chapters, as it were) will contain one vignette, some will have several. Depends on any number of factors.

I don't have any specific faceclaims for Olivia, Theo or Loren. We did discuss some in the server, but while several promising suggestions were made, I decided to leave it up to the reader's imagination, and my descriptions. Imagine the characters as they existed in the show, but the opposite sex.

Given that this is a series of vignettes, rather than a complete rewrite, there may be some things left unanswered in the story itself, though I'll do my best to avoid that. If you're confused, or have questions, or think my characterization is way off, or anything of that sort, as always, please leave a review/comment.

Thanks extended to everyone in the Lauriver Discord Server for their help with this.

Different Queens

By Kylia

Cold Feet

"...Second thoughts when you take a major new step in a relationship are normal, Olivia," her mother said, gently. "Yes, moving in with Loren would be a big step, but - and I say this with love - you wouldn't actually have any objections to moving out of the mansion, and you know it."

Olivia smiled a little, "No offense, but... kind of, yeah. And I love Theo, I do, but it would be nice to live somewhere without him being underfoot all the time." She added, laughing a little. She loved her little brother more than almost anything else in the world, but his penchant for wanting to tag along all the time, while adorable, was annoying too, sometimes. Sometimes.

"Perfectly understandable." Her mother laughed. "You love Loren, and he's been nothing but good for you, and you for him. If you need to think about it more, do it, but still. Don't throw away a good thing out of a momentary fear."

"I-" Olivia started, then let out a breath with a sigh. It wasn't that she'd been actively thinking of breaking up with Loren, but... then she frowned a moment, more out of confusion than anything else.

She shifted in the chair, looking at her mother, sitting on the couch across from her, looking for the right words.

"You know... I always wondered, Mom." She said, swallowing. "You were always very clear to Theo and I about how we need to be careful about who we're friends with, who we're in relationships with... I mean, I won't pretend that I followed those rules perfectly," she flushed a little, thinking of some of her poor choices before she and Loren started dating, "But... I mean... Why are you so okay with me dating the son of a cop? Who's going to the police academy in a few months? I love Loren, and it's not that I want you to object, but I've always wondered why you and dad never..."

"Tried to suggest you date someone richer? Like Carter Bowen?" Her mother asked, smiling, teasing, and Olivia grimaced at the mention of Carter. He was... okay, he was nice. Aggressively nice, but he'd asked her out more than once - never being an ass about it, but it had taken several 'no's for him to accept that she wasn't interested. "I admit, when you first told me you were dating Loren, I... thought about it. You were friends with him and his sister at Balloi prep, and that was one thing, but... then I met him again, when you brought him for dinner. And I changed my mind."

"Why?" Again, it wasn't as if she wanted her mother to stop being okay with Loren, but it had been a question that had burned in her for years.

"For one, I saw how happy he made you. At the end of the day, Olivia, the thing that matters most to me is your happiness, not whether or not you live up to some... abstract ideal of how a Queen should behave." Olivia bit her lip, looking away at her mothers words. She wasn't sure she really believed that, at least not all the time, but... "And, while that is the most important factor, there's also the fact that Loren isn't going to be any ordinary officer, or even detective. He's an exceptional young man."

Olivia nodded slowly. "He is." Loren believed in her, believed in her ability to do and be better, even after... she swallowed. Her mother didn't know about that incident, and that was for the best. Loren was... so good, and caring. Smart, dedicated, driven... perfect, really. Not to mention just... okay, so he was also just, sexy as hell, especially shirtless, even more especially when he'd just been working out.

"His father is a dedicated, and capable cop, but a detective is all he's likely to be. Loren, though? He's got the capabilities, the drive, the intelligence and the ambition - not to mention the diplomatic ability - to end up police commissioner someday. Whatever he ends up doing, you won't be married to some dead-ender traffic cop for the rest of your life." Moira concluded. "Your happiness is the most important thing to me, Olivia, but I admit, knowing that Loren will be going places someday is a comfort to me."

That... okay, that makes a lot more sense.

It wasn't really that Olivia didn't think that her mother believed that she put her children's happiness first, but she'd been on the receiving end of one too many disappointed talks about behavior 'unbecoming of a Queen' and 'the future CEO of Queen Consolidated' from her mother to really take her mother at her word.

But Oliva also couldn't deny that Loren had it in him to be so much more than a beat cop, or even a detective. He would be an amazing detective - he cared about people. He believed in justice, and right and...

But Loren was smart, and driven... and yeah, more diplomatic than his dad. Olivia liked Quentin, all things said and done, but he was a bull in a china shop. Olivia had seen Loren be righteous and angry and blunt - and it could be very sexy, honestly - but she'd seen him defuse situations with words that most of Olivia's male friends would resolve with violence. He had always had the faculty at Balloi Prep on his side without being some sort of teacher's pet/tattletale...

Olivia laughed a little. Olivia, you'd be an idiot to let him go, and you know it. Loren was damn near perfect, and Olivia may have dropped out of four colleges, but she was not that stupid.

"What's so funny?" Her mother asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just... I was thinking about Loren... you're right about his potential, the kind of man he is... and how stupid I'd be to let him go over this." Olivia admitted. She stood, leaving over the desk to give her mother a quick hug. "Thank you."

Moira smiled, "You're welcome."

Olivia walked out of the living room feeling a bit lighter. The anxiety was still there, but... less. Thank you, Mom, she thought again. Without her... well, Olivia couldn't have talked to Tommy about it, not given his habit of waking up with a different woman every night (it worked for him, and she was fine with that, apart from...) and while Sara was her closest female friend...

It would have been hard to talk with her about how she was having cold feet. But Olivia didn't have that anymore. The anxiety, though... that Sara could absolutely help her deal with.

Dad mentioned something about taking the Queen's Gambit to China for business... She'd have to ask him where he was heading, but some of her friends who'd been to China had good things to say about the nightclub scene in Shanghai, and Hong Kong, at least for rich American tourists...

I know Sara has a break coming up in college...

Plus, Sara would be willing to miss some class, for a bit of fun, right?

By the time Olivia had gotten up to her room, she'd convinced herself. Now there was just convincing Sara... and convincing Sara's parents.

Better get Loren's help for that. Olivia mused.

This would be fun. A couple of weeks partying with one of her best friends?

What could possibly go wrong?

The Daughter You Lost

Moira Queen had given up on hope.

She'd done that before, when she realized that Robert was never going to stay loyal. She'd given up on holding out for the idea that he would ever be the husband she'd once hoped he'd be.

But she hadn't truly understood what it was to give up on hope until after. Two days ago, she'd have said that she truly had lost all hope of ever having hope, any belief that things could ever truly get better. After 5 years under Malcolm's thumb...

And now...

For years, Moira had wished she could have her daughter back. But she'd never actually let herself dream that she might come back. Never let herself get caught in the fantasy of what she'd say or do, if Olivia somehow came back from the dead...

And now Moira wished she had, because her daughter was here, on the other side of that door, and Moira Queen had no idea what to say, or do. She wanted to grab Olivia and hold on tight to her, never letting go. She wanted to weep and tell her daughter she loved her, over and over and over again. That she was sorry for not trying harder to find her. For not believing that she was alive, out there, somewhere.

"Twenty percent of her body is covered in scar tissue, she's had second degree burns all over her back, and arms." Moira's thoughts were pulled away, back to the now, as the doctor - the best she could get to Starling General, the best on the west coast money could get her here, now - started explaining the state of her body.

"X-rays show at least twelve fractures that never properly healed."

All the stoic self-control in the world - years of practice at it - couldn't stop her mouth from dropping, covering it with her hand. She barely choked back the sob that threatened to burst forth, the thought of her daughter...

"Has... has she said anything about... about what happened? How she-" What had her daughter gone through, on that island?

"No... she's barely said anything at all, Mrs. Queen." He hesitated, and Moira could tell he had more to say.

"What else?" She pressed, stepping forward a half-pace, needing to know.

"Before I went into private practice, I was with the Army Medical Corps. I treated several soldiers who were captured by the enemy in Afghanistan. That's the only place I've seen injury patterns like some of the ones on your daughter - not all of them, but..." he hesitated a moment. "I don't know what happened to your daughter on that island, but her injury patterns are consistent with torture, Mrs. Queen."

This time, a sob did come out, as she covered her mouth, horrified. Her baby girl, tortured? Who- how-

She looked at the door, through the small window to see Olivia standing there, looking out another window onto the skyline of Starling City.

Moira's head felt light, stomach lurching - not that she'd been able to eat much of anything since discovering her daughter was alive - as-

If she was tortured, then that meant she wasn't alone on that Island, at least not for all five years, and if -

"Is there-" She forced herself to breathe, a ragged, shuddering breath, then started again. "Is there any indication that she - has she said anything about - was she -" She couldn't even bring herself to say it, but the doctor seemed to grasp what she was asking.

"There's no indication that she was raped, Mrs. Queen." The doctor answered. "And when we asked her for the purposes of establishing risks of her having any sort of sexually transmitted infection - she was very clear that nothing that could have exposed her to suck risks happened in the last five years. The former is... unfortunately not conclusive under the circumstances, and the latter could be her suppressing a traumatic event," Moira felt her throat seize up, but the doctor went on: "That said, I think it is more than reasonable to assume that your daughter was spared that."

Moira wanted to demand more than assumptions, but - what did she actually expect the doctor to do, force the information out of Olivia?

It was at least enough to make her sag a little, shoulders falling from their tension... she took another, less ragged breath. "Thank god," she murmured, praying the doctor was right.

"But that said, Mrs. Queen, it's my official recommendation that your daughter see a therapist specializing in dealing with trauma on the scale it seems she experienced," the doctor said, his tone professional, detached. Robert would have rejected that suggestion in a heartbeat. Her late husband had been a good father, for all his other faults, but he'd never believed in the efficacy of talking about one's feelings, and always declared psychiatry and therapy in general to be useless. Moira had tried to push back on that with Olivia and Theo, when she could. To only partial effect, sometimes.

"I can have a list of qualified people made up for you." He added, and Moira nodded. "I should warn you, Mrs. Queen, that you should prepare yourself: there's every chance that the Olivia you lost might not be the one that was found. No matter what happens after, the kinds of experiences that cause the injuries your daughter has? They change people."

Moira looked away from the doctor, back to her daughter. Changed or not, whatever happened to her...

That was still her daughter.

And Moira would be there, for her daughter. Now, and forever.

Stepping forward, she pushed the door into Olivia's hospital room open.

"Olivia?" She asked, softly, voice thick, throat tight.

Olivia turned, and she saw her daughter's face... older, but still, the same face she kissed goodbye before she got on that damned yacht.

"Mom?" Olivia's voice was almost raspy, but soft - and it was her voice. Olivia's voice. The voice she'd wished she could hear again, just one more time. The voice that would promise, sincerely in the moment about not getting in trouble with the paparazzi again. Who, as a child, would sweet-talk the staff into giving her extra treats, and then lie about it later, not realizing Moira knew the whole time. The voice of her daughter, who had confided in her about first loves, about Loren, mere days before leaving...

"My beautiful girl..." she choked out, blinking back tears, as she stepped closer to Olivia, hesitant - she almost felt like if she moved too fast, her daughter would vanish right before her eyes...

But then she was hugging her, and after a moment's hesitation, Olivia returned the hug, slowly, awkwardly.

For a moment, for that brief moment, Moira allowed herself to pretend. Pretend that all was right in the world, that everything would be alright, for ever, going forward.

Her daughter was home. Once lost, but found again. Even if the doctor was right, that this wasn't the same Olivia, that she was changed for good...

She was home. Nothing else mattered, in that moment.

You Were Dead

Theodore Robert Queen - Theo to just about everyone except his mother when she was angry - had hoped for this for five years. To see Olivia, to have her home.

Of course, none of the times that he imagined his older sister coming home had he imagined her first words to him would be 'hey little brother'. He'd imagined something... more profound. But...

Her 'you were with me the whole time' after that was more like it, though.

Theo knew that Olivia was alive. He'd known. She'd hoped her dad had lived, even after all these years, but Olivia... Theo knew. Whatever anyone else believed - Loren had held out hope the longest, but even he'd accepted Olivia was dead after a year. Theo had cussed him out and refused to talk to him for months after that. He'd been so angry at him. And then...

Well, Theo had made his opinion known about what happened after, what was still happening.

But now Olivia was here, and they were all here, for dinner.

In all of Theo's dreams about Olivia coming home... he hadn't stopped to actually think about what it would be like for Olivia. Five years on some random island in the North China Sea? He'd done her research, so many times. It could get very cold, and... Theo had read accounts, people stranded, castaways. On and off through the years, desperate to find something that she could bring to someone and say 'look, Olivia's alive!'...

Finding food, and clean water, potential for illnesses, vitamin deficiencies...

And to go from being a Queen to that... and then now, back here, the mansion. With a plate of food made by professional chefs... from zero to sixty, right? Five years alone? Had She even talked to anyone before being found by those fishermen?

The point was, Theo had imagined Olivia's 'welcome home' dinner in a lot of ways.

He'd never imagined it would feel... awkward. Olivia was sitting there with a stiffness, even if she was trying to hide it, that Theo had never seen. Tommy and Loren were both here (Loren's parents had been invited, but his mom was at a conference out of state and couldn't get away, and his dad had refused to come), as he'd always imagined, but... well...

She tried not to glare at Loren's hand. I get why he's got it and it's not like - he forced himself to look back over at Tommy. He'd tried to fill a bit of the gaps in the slow conversations.

"What else did you miss? Celebrities: Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansen got together, then broke up. Robert Downey Jr is back in the spotlight after a whole bunch of movies based on Marvel Comics. Black president, that's new. And Lost? They were all dead, I think." Theo watched Olivia's gaze - she was looking at Mom and Walter, brow furrowing as Walter poured more wine for Mom.

"I don't think Olivia ever watched Lost," Loren pointed out, then added in a teasing voice. "Tommy managed to avoid getting pulled over for a DUI for a whole year, so there's a miracle worth noting."

"Oh, and Loren became completely unfun since he graduated the Academy," Tommy added, "Total stick in the mud." Well, he's kind of right there. Loren had pretty much sworn off alcohol entirely, beyond the occasional glass of wine. Theo didn't get it. But Loren wasn't a complete buzzkill - detective or not, he'd never reported Theo for underage drinking or fake IDs. Just confiscated either when he saw him with them.

Annoying, and boring, but still.

"Yes, sorry, I can't go out and party with you like we're still in college every night." Loren stuck out his tongue just a little, and Tommy rolled his eyes. "Some of us have jobs."

"Hardly the only -" Tommy started, and Theo immediately cut in. Olivia needed to know about this, but not from Tommy, not right now.

"On the island... what... what did you eat there?" He asked, genuinely curious, but mostly just trying to deflect. Olivia had barely touched her plate, or even touched her wine. Everyone went silent, Tommy and Loren both staring at her. "I just - you... you haven't eaten much."

"A lot of fish," Olivia answered. "I'm just... used to not earning a lot." She cut off another piece of her meal and moved the fork to her mouth, as if to prove something.

Another awkward pause, then Tommy spoke again, "Tomorrow, you and me - we should do the city, catch up on all the new sights." He said it more like he expected the answer to be yes, rather than suggesting it.

"I should be able to take the day, or most of it," Loren added. "Might have to meet up with you a bit later though."

"That sounds like a great idea," their mother chimed in, quickly.

"I agree," Olivia nodded, slowly. "I was hoping to swing by the office tomorrow, as well." She added. Theo stared at her a moment.

"You, voluntarily go to the company?" Theo laughed. Who are you and what have you done with my sister? He managed to avoid saying it out loud though, just barely.

"I've had a lot of time to think," Olivia answered, as if that was an answer.

"It's certainly possible, but there's no need to rush. Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere," Walter offered. Before Olivia could say anything, Raisa - carrying a bowl of fruit - tripped, nearly slamming into the table, but Olivia caught her, one hand against her torso and the other grabbing the bowl.

Theo blinked. I didn't even see her move!

"I'm so sorry, Miss Olivia," Raisa apologized quickly, but Olivia shook her head, and said something in... was that Russian? Theo only knew a few words that Raisa was prone to say when she was upset or distracted, but that sounded like Russian. Since when-

"Wait, you speak Russian?" Tommy cut in, laughing incredulously, and everyone else at the table looked confused too. Olivia took Spanish at Balloi Prep, didn't she? And didn't retain much, from what Theo remembered.

"I didn't realize you took Russian at college, Olivia," Walter added. Which one? There were four of them.

"And I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter." Olivia countered, flatly. Olivia! Theo tried to think of something to say, but she couldn't, and everyone was silent, Olivia staring at their mother.

"You didn't tell her?" Loren finally broke the silence, looking at Walter and his mother. "Why not?" Theo didn't like the accusatory tone in Loren's voice - he had no grounds to get pissy about not sharing something like this sooner.

From the way Tommy raised an eyebrow, then looked away, he agreed with him there.

"They didn't have to say anything," Olivia shook her head, softly.

"Still..." His mother nodded, "I should have said something sooner. It was just... hard to find the right way to." She reached over and took Walter's hand. "Walter and I are married. And whatever you may think of that, I don't want you to think either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."

"You were dead, Olivia... at least as far as the world was concerned," Theo added. "Dad, too." Walter had been so good for Mom. Finally getting her to leave the house, to have an actual life again.

"It's fine," Olivia said stiffly, but Theo could tell Olivia was still upset.

"You're allowed to-" Loren started, but Theo cut in. Olivia didn't know anything about what had happened here in Starling the last five years, and Loren should be keeping his mouth shut if he wasn't going to say what he should be saying.

"Mom's not the only one who moved on," Theo added, glaring at Loren. "Do you want to say it, or will I have to?"

"Theo!" His mother cut in, but Loren, even as his expression fell, and he let out a breath nodded. He held up his left hand, showing Olivia the simple gold engagement ring.

"No... he's right." Loren looked down at the table, then back at Olivia. "I... I'm engaged."

Theo watched Olivia's expression go completely flat... she'd never seen anything like it on his sister, but-

"Anyone I know?" Olivia finally said, flat, emotionless, as if blandly asking about the weather.

"...McKenna Hall," Loren. "She's - she's a detective too, and we met again, there. We started dating, a little less than two years ago." He opened his mouth to say something else, but then closed it. What else do you say?

Theo cleared his throat, regretting he'd said anything, "McKenna was the first person Loren dated after you, Olivia." It wasn't like Loren had just moved on the second he accepted that Olivia was dead. Theo had hated it. Theo still hated it. But... Loren didn't deserve to be hated for it any more than his mom did.

"I...I'm sorry, Olivia." Loren offered, weakly. "I- I thought... I thought you were dead and..."

Olivia stood, not saying anything, hands on the table a moment, as she took a breath. "You don't need to explain." Olivia said, voice still flat. "I need to be excused." She added, but didn't wait for their mother to say she could leave before she walked quickly from the room, turning her back to all of them.

Everyone was silent for a minute, and then Tommy broke the silence again.

"Well... that went over about as well as I would have expected."

"Tommy? Shut up." Theo snapped at him, even if he was probably right, there was no reason to... what, rub it in? "Loren-" Theo added, turning to him. "I shouldn't have-"

"No... you're right." Loren interrupted, shaking his head. "I should have said something too. Just..." he looked at the door Olivia had left through, swallowing. "Well, like Tommy said... that went about as well as anyone could have expected."

I wish we'd just kept with the awkwardness.