They were in Illios and they were losing ground. Reinhardt could feel the sweat trickling down his back as the sun hit his armor. He kept his shield up protecting the frantic scientist behind him. She muttered in fast Chinese as she adjusted her equipment.

"Is it working yet?" He asked politely, trying to sound casual instead of concerned.

"Almost." She definitely sounded concerned.

A few bullets hit his shield, in the distance he could hear the rattle of Tracer's guns and the buzz of Winston's contraption. Overwatch had just reformed and truth be told, the response to the call was underwhelming: two young girls, a gorilla, and two old men. Somewhere behind his shield Torbjorn's hammer pounded away.

"Almost ready!" He promised Reinhardt, Mei echoed his words.

A few more bullets hit the barrier, it was beginning to crack, he would need to recharge it soon. As he turned to warn them, a heavy shot hit and broke the shield. Torbjorn would know to get to cover but Mei, she was just a scientist, fresh on the front lines. Reinhardt turned and threw his arms around Mei, shielding her with his body as he carried her around a building corner, bullets hit the armor with a thud. Reinhardt gave a small gasp of pain, feeling the weight of his age suddenly.

"Are you alright!" He dropped Mei and her equipment.

"Yes! Sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't see it. Are you ok?"

Reinhardt turned back to the battle, he saw the flash of Tracer as she pulled the fire from his group. "I'm not as young as I use to be."

There was a crackle over the comm system. "Talon breaching the left side, headed for you, Reinhardt." Winston announced.

"I'm ready!" Torbjorn stood proudly next to his work.

"I'm not." Reinhardt thought to himself with a sigh. He felt old, he felt weak, he felt a sharp sting in the neck.

He slapped a hand to the sting and pulled away a small vial. Poison? He looked around for the shooter. There, high on a building behind them was the shadow of a sniper. Another sting, he saw the gun fire this time and another small vial hit him in the chinks between the armor. He opened his mouth to warn the group when he realized he felt better. He rolled the shoulder that had been sore before, it felt fantastic. Another shot, he felt like he hadn't been standing in the sun absorbing bullets for the past hour. Something stirred his memory. Bionic rife? Something about bionic rifes. Reinhardt was distracted by a shout behind him, he turned to see Winston jumping toward them with Tracer behind him and the whole of the Talon group hot on her heels. There were around ten of them, that was not ideal. He lifted his shield arm, bracing for the impact.

Another crackle over the comms. "Get ready, Reinhardt."

He felt a stir in his chest, he knew that voice, it couldn't be. Then it hit him like a train. He didn't feel the sting, just the tidal wave of adrenaline. He forgot about his shield, his allies, the sniper, all he could see were ten dead men in front of him, waiting for the grave. He swung his hammer around and hit the ignition in his suit, charging forward with a roar. "Are you ready!? Here I come!"

The next minute was a blur of red and silver. When it was said and done, Reinhardt collapsed next to his fallen foes, armor and hammer red with blood. He saw Winston racing toward him but Tracer got there in the blink of an eye.

"Reinhardt! Are you alright? What happened?!"

He didn't have the energy to speak, he was too busy panting for breath, he was going to feel that in the morning. He felt drained, tired. Tracer tried to help him up but her knees buckled under the weight of his arm. He chuckled tiredly. "I think I am too much of a burden for you."

Winson slipped his long arm around Reinhardt and pulled him up with his raw, animal strength. "What happened?" He asked in awe.

Reinhardt glanced up where he had seen the sniper. "You know, I'm not sure myself."

Two hours later they were loading up the airship. Reinhardt had cleaned his armor up the best he could before storing it, Bridgett would have to work on it when they got back. He looked out of the ship's doors as the small village they had landed next to, people were going about business, unaware of battle that had happened nearby, all except one. There was a small, hooded person leaning against the wall of an alley nearby, watching him. As he caught sight of them, they turned and disappeared.

"I'll be right back!" Reinhardt called over his shoulder as he ran down the ramp. He ran to the alley, determined to see who it was before they disappeared. To his relief, they were a few steps inside the alley, waiting for him, the hood lowered. Reinhardt's heart leapt, it was her! Her hair was now white, neatly braided over one shoulder, but there was no mistaking the way she carried herself, the soft smile she wore or the tattoo under her eye.

"Ana." His legs went numb and he felt his knees hit the pavement. "Ana." It seemed to be the only thing he could say.

"Hello, Reinhardt." She smiled warmly as she stepped forward, putting a hand on his cheek. She had always been a slight woman, with him on his knees, she was barely taller. Reinhardt caught her hand in his, not taking his eyes from her face. "How can this be? I thought.." his voice stuck for a moment. "I thought you were dead."

Her face fell, sadness creasing the lines on her face. "I'm sorry, after everything that happened, I needed some time."

"Everything that happened?" He murmured in confusion. Then he noticed, for the first time, an eye patch where there should have been an eye. He put a gentle finger towards it. She bowed her head towards him, allowing the touch. "I didn't think it would be safe to reveal myself, not after Overwatch fell."

Reinhardt shook himself out of the past, it didn't matter now, she was here, right in front of him, alive. He threw his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so happy you're alive! I've missed you!" He declared in a gruff voice, blinking back tears.

"I missed you too!" Ana gasped. "Reinhardt, you're going to crack a rib!"

He released his grip, but not her. He kept her safely in his arms where he knew he could keep her. He thought back to those long nights in Egypt, weeping over his loss, holding little Fareeha as she cried herself to sleep. "Does Fareeha know?"

Ana's face showed pain and sorrow, her one eye filling with tears. "Not yet. Soon, I hope. Jack and I have-"

"Jack!? Morrison? He's alive?!" Reinhardt thought of another grave he had stood over, holding another crying friend.

"Yes, he faked his death and we have been trying to track down Gabriel."

Reinhardt felt his world tilt. Another friend, another grave.

"I'm afraid he has gone over to Talon." Ana finished.

"Everyone I thought I lost." Reinhardt said numbly.

Ana chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair. "Well, old soldiers are hard to kill."

He felt himself drawn back to the present at her touch. He suddenly remembered his face was lined and scarred and his hair was gray. "I have gotten old, haven't I?" His chest rumbled with a chuckle.

"You're looking quite well." Ana smiled. "This life must agree with you." She tapped him on one muscular arm still around her waist.

He smiled warmly back, taking in her appearance. She was older, but she was still his Ana, graceful and slender, stately and beautiful. He tugged gently on the end of her braid. "And you are as lovely as ever." He whispered reverently.

Small patches of pink appeared on her brown cheeks.

A contented silence grew between them as they smiled fondly, wistfully at each other. It was broken by Mei's voice calling for Reinhardt.

Ana stirred herself. "You need to go, and I must return.

Reinhardt felt his heart drop, she would not stay. "Will I see you again?" He asked with slight pain in his eyes.

She smiled and patted his cheek. "I think our paths will cross more frequently as we draw the net closer on our prey. I think sometime soon Jack and I will be able to join the rest of you." She stepped forward, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Not too long, I hope." And she kissed him gently.

Reinhardt felt his heart leap with old hope, knocking thirty years of dust from itself. He tried to pull her closer, to kiss her back, to let her know it was all he had thought of for those many years. But she pulled back and he let her go with regret.

"Till next time, my lion." She pulled the hood back over her head as she walked back down the alley, picking up her rifle.

"Till next time, my queen." He answered softly. She turned ever so slightly and smiled in response, then she was gone.

"There you are!" Mei appeared at the entrance of the alley.

Reinhardt blinked, he realized that his knees ached. He stood with a grunt of pain.

"What were you doing?" Mei looked down the empty alley curiously.

"I thought I saw a hawk. My mistake." He turned with a younger heart than he had in years and walked back for the ship.