She slipped each foot into its designated mid-calf boot, wiggling her toes to adjust the footwear to be more comfortable. She then pulled on a light-grey, hooded sweater, pulling her hair out the rest of the way with a toss from both hands. She decided to leave her hair band behind, opting to let her shoulder-length hair fall free today, instead of going for the usual ponytail that she is usually seen wearing. Lastly, she grabbed a pair of headphones and her phone, syncing the two before shoving the phone into the pocket of her skinny jeans.
"Where're you goin'?" Came a young, feminine voice behind her.
"Gonna stretch my legs and get some fresh air." She answered, not bothering to face the little girl sitting at the desk behind her while she got ready.
"Hm. 'Kay."
Once she was ready she made her way out of the shared bedroom, calling back half way out the door.
"Don't chicken-fry that brain staring at that screen all day." She said.
"Yeah, mom." Came the sarcastic reply. She just rolled her eyes at her little sister and closed the door behind her.
Once she was in the hallway she pulled her phone back out of her pocket. She gave a few taps on the screen and was soon listening to her current song of choice: REALITY USED TO BE A FRIEND OF MINE – P.M. DAWN, a satisfied smile stretching across her young adult features.
Jessica Michaels began walking down one of the halls of the Apartment Bloc, a name affectionately chosen by the denizens of Watchpoint: Gibraltar who retire to the two-story building on a near nightly basis. As she walked, she stepped to the rhythm of the song she was listening to at a comfortable volume, head bobbing with each beat. As she made her way through the residential complex of the former Overwatch facility, she passed a few windows that allowed the early afternoon sun to shine through and light the hallway in its glow and offered her a magnificent view of the Strait of Gibraltar.
It was a positively gorgeous day of a truly wonderful week. Since last Saturday, the whole of the Overwatch team had been relaxing at the base, thankful for the free time they had gotten since they had answered the recall and returned to active service.
Truly, it was time well-earned and deserved for the heroes who put it all on the line to protect the Earth and all who inhabit the blue planet. Indeed, it was a thankless job, as well. Due to the PETRAS act, everything they do, and indeed their very existence as Overwatch is considered an international crime. This meant that whenever they would head out on a mission, they had to be quick and discreet, as to avoid alerting the authorities. They could not afford to get caught, and neither can the rest of the world.
Down a set of stairs and then another hallway, the brunette continued her lackadaisical journey through the building as the song continued to play. It was about 3/5 done when she left the Bloc and found herself entering the cafeteria. It was here she found one of her teammates stumbling out the kitchen door with two armfuls of food and a pack of cheese snacks hanging in his mouth. Jessie smiled at the sight, a hand automatically coming up to hit the pause button built into the headset, bringing the song to a halt.
"Hey, Lenny!" She called out, catching the taller man's attention. He looked up from his haul, smiling at the sight of the approaching brunette.
Lenard Oxton, A.K.A. Tracer, was one of the original members of Overwatch before it was shut down nearly seven years ago, and was probably the first to dive back into the fray, head first, when he got the recall from Winona. He was a talented and athletic man who accomplished so much since graduating from high school. From becoming a skillful pilot to surviving the slipstream incident to his time as one of Overwatch's best agents.
Currently, he was standing there, dressed in a football (Soccer) shirt, navy sweat shorts, and flip-flops. Hanging from his waistband was a smaller, hand-held version of his signature chronol accelerator, the chest piece that anchors him to the present and grants him the unique abilities that he uses out in the field. Designed and built for him once the main vest proved a little too bothersome to carry around all the time, it allowed him to stay in the present, without the use of his abilities. It is meant for use off-duty, when the main chest piece and harness were not needed.
He tried to speak, but all that could be heard were a series of muffled noises, courtesy of the snack pack jammed in his mouth. This prompted a giggle from Jessie. When she reached him, she lifted a hand up to the 5'10" man's face and pulled the offending blockage out from his jaw's grasp. Once it was out, he repeated his greeting, and this time Jessie could hear him, loud and clear.
"Cheers, dove! What're you up to? Hummingbird not with you, today?" Asked the British man, giving a quick look around. Hummingbird was Lenny's nickname for Jessica's little sister, Daniella, on account of the ten-year-old super genius being as energetic and, at times, animated as a hummingbird.
She despises the moniker, but Tracer continues to tease her with it non-the-less.
"She's back in our room, cooking her eyeballs into meatballs on the computer, trying to figure out something I have no desire in understanding." The young woman answered, conversationally.
"Sounds delicious." Lenard said jokingly, eliciting a giggle from the twenty-three-year-old.
"That's Dani for ya. Me? I'm just out for a walk, listening to some music, getting some fresh air, that sorta thing. You know, relaxing."
"As you should be. Days off like this are rare for us, you know."
"Trust me, I know. So, what're you up to, handsome? Wait, wait, let me guess. You…are off…to feed a third world nation, right?" Jessie asked, pointing at all the food and adopting a fake look of anticipation.
"I am actually!" Said the adventurer in mock surprise playing along with the joke. "It's this small, out-of-the-way island called smart-asstonia, in the middle of the Cheeky Ocean, east of suchapest."
Now the two were laughing.
"Nah, I'm actually about to indulge meself in the most asinine plan I have ever come up with in five minutes. I'm taking all this nutritional goodness…" He lifted the food piles for emphasis. "…And I'm going to head over to the hut…" He nodded in the general direction of the recreations building, nicknamed: The Hut. "…And I'm gonna park me bum on the couch, in front of that glorious monstrosity of a teley, and I'm going to go through as many of the worst movies ever made as I possibly could, before I grow a brain cell and watch something else; maybe some football, or as you bloody Americans like to call it, "soccer"." He finished in a teasing, nasally American accent. His companion just lifted a dainty brow at him.
"Why do you brits have to drive on the wrong side of the road?"
"You mean the right side of the road."
"Exactly. The wrong side."
Lenard just chuckled at her antics, soon joined by her giggles.
"Alright, alright, I guess I'll leave you to your strange form of suicide. Far be it from me to tell you what you can or can't do." She said, not hiding her amusement. This earned her a peck on the cheek from the over-encumbered man, her smile becoming more genuine afterwards.
"I knew you'd understand. Right, then, I'm off. Be a dear, though, and pass the pack?" He requested the bag of cheese snacks still clenched in Jessie's hand.
Obliging, she passed the junk food back, letting him grab it by the edge with his teeth.
"Cheersh!" He thanked her, slightly distorted behind his clenched jaw.
"Any time."
Jessie eyed the British hero as he walked away, her gaze travelling down his athletic body. Before he disappeared around the corner, though, she called out to him, again.
"Hey, Lenny!"
Lenard stopped and turned to acknowledge her.
"Nice ass!"
He smiled smugly.
"Thank ya! Grew it myshelf!" He called back with the snacks still in his teeth, then continued on his merry way.
Yet again, Jessica was left giggling at the adventurer.
Jessie had grabbed a drink from the kitchen before leaving the cafeteria. She was now outside in the cool spring breeze and bright sun, sipping on a delicious beverage, and listening to some of her favorite songs, opting for more of the classics and saving Lucia's latest album for later.
This time her eardrums were being graced by the heavy rock rhythm of CLICK, CLICK, BOOM – SALIVA. A true rock n' roll masterpiece in her opinion.
"…It's all inside of meee, it's all inside of meee, it's all inside of meee, it's all inside of my head…" She sang along, enjoying the sensation of the sun's warm rays clashing with the gentle, cool breeze on her skin.
As she walked, she could feel the positive energy emanating from the base. Everything felt great to her, today. It was a stark contrast to how it usually is around the watchpoint. Normally, the place would still feel half dead to her, as well as the rest of the team, due to them being too few for such a massive base. Even if they were to spread themselves out, they would only be utilizing 1/5 of the base. The rest of the property was left abandoned.
However, that wasn't the case today. Even the empty and abandoned areas seem to radiate with life. The would continue to fuel the smile that the former military lieutenant had been wearing since she woke up this morning.
"C'mon, C'mon! Everybody, c'mon! C'mon, C'mon!" She began singing the final lines of the song.
"Click, Click, BOOM!"
*BANG*
Her fingers flew to the pause button as she pulled down her headphones, listening carefully for the loud noise that caught her by surprise.
*BANG, BANG*
'Gunshots. Very familiar, too.' Jessie mused, hearing a few more shots go off nearby, echoing through the area.
She followed the source to an opening between two sheds. This lead to a small, open patch of grass which held one tree, a cooler, a lawn chair, a small box of ammo, a box of cigars and a cowgirl standing near the edge of the cliff.
When Jessica met Jessica.
"Oh, give me a home, where the buffalos roam, Where the deer and the antelope plaaay..." The younger woman began to sing, a spark of mischief in her brown eyes.
The other woman dropped her head into a waiting, metallic palm, while the other holstered the gun it was holding before finding its way to her hip. She then turned around, lifting her head and letting the supporting hand mirror it's twin. She gave the new arrival a look of amused incredulity.
"Really, Michaels?"
This caused the young brunette to burst into giggles.
"Hey, I gotta tease you a little. I'm still jealous of that figure." She said, giving her senior the once over.
Despite her age and smoking habits, Jesse McCree is one of the most physically fit women Jessica Michaels had ever seen or met. Her figure was enough to make super models cry. Currently, McCree was dressed as stereotypically as you'd expect from a country girl: country jeans, cowboy boots, and a tied, red button-up showing off the source of Ms. Michaels' jealousy. Now, Jessie's own figure could hold its own against McCree's, but she could never seem to achieve the same taut midriff and waist that the cowgirl has.
"Oh, this ain't nothin' special." McCree said, while intentionally tracing the tip of a finger down the middle of her exposed abdominals in a teasing fashion.
"Alright, alright, don't rub it in, or I might just jump off the cliff out of depression." She said with a laugh before finishing. "How're you doing, McCree?"
McCree smiled before answering.
"Right as rain, darlin'. What 'bout you? Out for a walk?" She asked as she knelt to grab something out of a box by her feet.
"Yup. Listening to music and getting some exercise." Michaels said, while putting her drink down on the cooler, and her headphones on the empty chair.
"Well, shit. Can't go wrong with that." Replied the cowgirl who was now holding a pair of clay disks in her prosthetic hand, while the thumb of her right hand was hooked behind her signature BITCH belt buckle. "Do me a favor, sweetheart, and pass me a cigar, will ya?"
"Sure." The younger brunette replied. She flipped over the cigar box and grabbed one of the Robustos-sized smokes. As she walked over to the former outlaw, she inspected the cigar when realization struck.
"Are these genuine Cubans!? Jesus, where did you get these?" She asked, awe struck at the hard-to-get cigar.
The gunslinger smiled.
"Headed into town, yesterday, and found this fancy bar. Not usually my kinda digs, but the drinks were good 'n cold. Ah'll tell ya, Michaels, the men in there were practically droolin' all over me. Seriously, Ah didn't have to gussy up or nothin'. Anyway, there was this one guy who challenged me to a drinkin' match. Was probably tryin' to hook up, but didn't get too far. He passed out 'n naturally, Ah won."
"No surprise." Jessie commented as she stopped in front of the gunslinger.
"Yeah. By then, Ah had a nice buzz goin', but could still think straight. Of course, Ah had to fix that, so Ah made my way back to the bar and ordered a glass o'bourban. That's when this other dude showed up and ordered the same. Turned out to be a friend of the guy Ah beat. So, he starts chattin' me up, talkin' booze 'n what-not. I could tell what he was after, and to be fair, he wasn't tryin' to hide it. Had to respect the guy for it. He didn't waste my time with fake bullshit. So, Ah gave the fella a chance. Before either of us knew it, we had a bunch of drink laid out and were comparin' cocktails."
"Let me guess. He passed out, as well. Right?" Jessie spoke up.
"Nope. He held on like a champ. Even after downin' a deadlock headlock. Not many could handle that mix, but he took it like a man and came out the other side like John Henry, 'cept he didn't die after."
"Who's John Henry?"
"Old folk hero. Ah'll tell ya the story another time. Anywho. So, by know, the drinks got us laughin' our asses off for no good reason. We took a breather to get some air in our domes; We were havin' too much fun to pass out anytime soon – or die from alcohol poisonin'. Which ever came first. That's when things started getting' interestin'. First, he said I was gorgeous. Then he complimented my ass, then my tits. After that, he said he had a wicked drink back at his place that he was sure would get us fuckin', quick, fast, 'n in a hurry."
A smirk made its way on the ex-soldier's face.
"Oh my, Jessica. Didn't anyone ever tell you never to get in a stranger's car?" She asked slyly.
"Eh. Dude's nothin' special. Ah could've taken him, easily. Besides, Ah never go anywhere without good ol' peacekeeper keepin' me company." She replied with her own smirk, and patting her precious partner lovingly, the gun glimmering in its holster.
"Do I even wanna know where you hid it?"
"In my jacket. Anyway, we didn't even take his car. By that point, we were drunk, good n' proper, so we took a cab to his place. Turned out, he was loaded, and had a good deal goin'. Seriously. His place was big. We go inside, and head straight to the kitchen – or was it the pantry? – And we dig out this special booze of his. We soon found out why it gets people jumpin' like jackrabbits. Can't remember if it was whiskey or wine, but apparently, one of the ingredients was some kind of aphrodisiac. A little weird, but gave it a great flavor that reminded me of cherry cola. We both downed a couple of shots of the stuff, and waited. Didn't take too long. Soon enough, Ah was pantin' like a dog, n' felt fire in all the right places, while he was so hard, he could've chiseled diamond. It was a mutual understandin' between us that now was the time to get down n' dirty."
"Where'd you guys do it?"
"Where didn't we do it? In bed, in the shower, in the laundry, in the pantry, in the damn fridge, we did it in the garage, in one of his cars… at one point, Ah remember being in the dog house, but after that, we got too drunk. Couldn't remember jack shit after. All either of us knew was that we woke up naked in bed, this morning, spoonin'. I was the big spoon, by the way. The house was a right mess. There were clear signs all over the places we rolled through. Hell! When Ah woke up, I found the hood ornament off his Bentley jammed up my ass. Didn't notice it was there until Ah tried getting' up." That elicited a series of giggles from the younger woman.
"Yeah, that definitely sounds like you two had a good time." She said after regaining her composure.
"It sure as sugar was. Good thing he had enough protection, too. So, anyway. Once we got cleaned up n' dressed, we headed back down to the kitchen for breakfast. After the grub, it was high time Ah left, and Ah let him know. That's when he gave me the cigars as a gift, and told me his name was Diego. He also said that if Ah ever wanted to go for another roll in the hay with'em, I should feel free to call. Took off after that." McCree finally finished her story. She then grabbed the forgotten cigar, lit it with her golden flip lighter, and took a drag.
"You know, you could have just said "I got the Cubans from a guy I had a one-night-stand with", instead of telling me that impressive story. Just saying." The slightly shorter woman said.
"Yeah, Ah could've, but where's the fun in that?" The older woman countered.
"With this Diego, apparently."
This got a bark of laughter from McCree. "HA! Ain't that the truth?" She then lifted up the clay disks. "Care t'join me in some target practice, Michaels?"
"Sure, but I didn't bring my gun." Jessie pointed out.
"You can use mine. I don't mind." Jesse offered.
"Okay then." She shrugged before being offered the revolver. "How we doin' this?" She asked.
"Well, Ah got these clay disks, here. Ah'll throw'em randomly, and you shoot'em down. Simple." The gunslinger explained.
The former soldier took a moment to get acquainted with the borrowed weapon. She hefted it in each hand, trying to get a feel for the weight. She then checked the sights. While she did all that, she mentally compared the peacekeeper to her own sidearm, and called up her weapons training from her time in the army. She was a little surprised to find the gun lighter than it looked.
Finally satisfied, she adjusted her grip, and got into position.
"Ready when you are."
"Atta girl. Here goes the first two. Try n' get a better feel for the recoil." McCree instructed before tossing the two clay disk with her robotic prosthetic. They soared through the sky, splitting off from each other and heading off on different trajectories.
Jessie focused on the first, aimed, held her breath, and gently squeezed the trigger. She prepared for the recoil, but it wasn't enough as the shot missed its target. She then switched to the next, adjusted, and fired off another shot. This time, it was a direct hit. The disk exploded from the impact of the bullet, sending shrapnel falling to the ocean below.
"How'd it feel?" Asked McCree, watching the elder Michaels adjust her grip on the gun, again.
"The recoil's not what you'd expect. It doesn't kick up. Instead it sends out a shockwave through the gun. Did you swap barrels?" The shorter woman enquired as she went over the gun with a critical eye.
McCree took another drag before answering.
"Yup. It's designed to catch the gas at the mouth before divertin' it to the back and out through the cylinder. A little harder on the hand, but makes maintainin' your targets so much easier. Ah did add a buffer grip to make it more comfortable, though."
Jessica spotted the aforementioned parts. She gave the grip another feel, feeling the buffer action built in it. When she was done, she got ready again, giving McCree the go ahead for another round. The other girl was happy to oblige.
By the time the two women were done, there were only six clay disks left out of forty. Jessie went through twenty, missing only three. The first one when she tried the gun out for the first time, and the other two, when the gun went empty and she forgot to reload. McCree, on the other hand went through only fourteen. Ten with the younger girl, and four before she arrived. True to her skills, she hit every single one of them.
"Alright, Ah think that's enough for now. Good shootin' there, partner." McCree praised her junior's skill with a gun.
"Thanks. It couldn't hold a candle to you, though. You make it look effortless." The elder Michaels returned the compliment in kind, herself impressed by McCree's gunmanship.
"That's just years of practice n' experience. Just keep shootin' and you'll get as good as me in no time." The older woman replied with a pat to the younger girl's back.
"I guess." Jessie crouches down to check the box of clay disks. "Six left. Wanna finish these suckers off?"
McCree leaned over to consider the left-over targets.
"Hmm. Sure, if ya think y'can throw all six at once." The cowgirl decided, however it left Michaels with a contemplative frown.
"Don't know if I can by hand. They're bulky, and I'm weak with my left. How about we split'em and toss'em, together?"
"Sounds good. Pass'em." The markswoman replied.
The two women grabbed their disks and stood side by side.
"Alright, on three." Jessie spoke. "1…2…3!"
With a strong swing, they each threw their disks. Flying high and far, the disks soared through the air like flock of migratory birds flying south for the winter. Jessie watched them before looking to McCree. The older woman just stood there watching as the disks flew. She hadn't made a move for her gun yet.
"What're you waiting for?"
"Hold on."
Farther and farther the disks went, soon reaching their apex before beginning their descent towards the water. Jessie continued to watch the whole thing, her eyes moving from the clay disks to Jesse and back. She began wondering if the gunslinger had given up on trying to shoot them down. They were a good distance away now, even beyond the younger girl's own skills.
"I think…"
If one would have blinked, they would have missed it. Jessie's eyes went wide as within a split second, McCree drew her Peacemaker, and fanned the hammer in a blur of motion. Six shots rang out in quick succession. The bullets flew as they pursued the distant disks at high speed, with the intent to destroy. Even though she was shooting from the hip, McCree's aim was true, as all six rounds soon found and obliterated their intended targets. The distance meant nothing to the bullets, the gun, and the woman.
Jessie's jaw hung open. She'd always known that Jesse McCree was one of the best shots in the world, but it still didn't dampen the effect the display had on her. Looking at the woman in question, she could tell that she was barely even trying. Her facial expression remain neutral the whole time. Not even a bead of sweat on her forehead.
A smirk of enjoyment made its way onto McCree's face. She blew the smoke from the barrel of the now empty gun, then twirled the weapon around her finger. The weapon spun once, twice, and on the third, it found it's way back into it's holster. Her other hand then found the front tip of her hat, pulling it down slightly to block the sun. The drag from her Cuban cigar was just the tip of a very badass iceberg.
She looked over to the former military lieutenant, only to burst into giggles at the look of shear awe the younger girl had.
Jessie managed to come out of her shock enough to speak.
"No comment."
"Guess Ah'll take that as a compliment." The gunwoman giggled out.
"You shot the disks, but it's my mind that's blown." That drew even more laughter from McCree. "I'm gonna go see the doc; see if he's got any spare brains. Later McCree." Jessie then made her way to the chair to grab her headphones and drink before making her way out of the clearing.
"Hehe. Ah'll see ya later, Michaels."
Jessie had drained the last of her drink and tossed away the can as she made her way to visit Angelo, the base doctor and team medic. She was still fighting off the effects of McCree's skills with a pistol.
'A pistol that's bigger than most men.'
The current song playing did not help, but it amused the woman to think that her playlist's shuffle feature had a sense of humor, considering that as soon as she pressed play, REAL THING – TY STONE started playing.
'Yeah she definitely is the real thing. Damn. Now I feel a little sorry for the jackholes who end up in her crosshairs.' She mused.
She made her way over to the Center Stage, the base's main facility, where med-bay was, as well as the briefing room, and Winona's lab. As she continued on her merry way, Jessie couldn't help but wonder to herself about weather or not she might one day be as good as McCree was.
'She did say that it was all practice and experience. So maybe if I start putting in the hours…' she mused.
She was so deep in her thoughts, her body was left on auto-pilot, the music she was listening to nothing more than background noise. As she went over her abilities with a pistol in her head, trying to pinpoint weak spots to focus on, she began to round a corner but ended up walking into something solid coming from the other way. Unfortunately, with the size difference being against her, Jessica got pushed back and ended up losing her balance, but before she could fall over, a strong hand caught her arm and pulled her back up.
"Careful, now. You nearly fell over." A deep baritone and accented voice said.
Jessie regained her footing and shook her head clear. She looked up and smiled appreciatively before becoming more apologetic.
"Thanks, Fareh. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." She said to the Egyptian man standing before her, pausing her music and pulling her headphones back down around her neck.
Fareh Amari was one of the newer members to join the team. He was also their liaison to Helix Security International who have decided to support Overwatch by bolstering their armory and providing a limited selection of tech. This was made easier by the simple fact they are a private security company, despite the funding they receive from the U.N. Even though they are effectively the replacement to the old organization, the security firm still recognizes the work that Overwatch had done in the past, and having taken notice of the work this new iteration is doing, they sent Fareh, whose father used to be Overwatch's second-in-command, as their ambassador.
The Arabian smiled.
"I should be the one apologizing, Jessie. I walked into you." He said.
Jessie shrugged.
"Well, weather it was my fault or yours, thanks for the save, anyway." She gave her gratitude.
"Any time, my friend." He nodded.
"So! Happy! What've you been up to today?" She said, switching to a chipper mood.
"I was just speaking with Angelo in med-bay, actually."
"Oh yeah? What did you boys talk about?"
There was a subtle change in Fareh's expression and tone. Anyone else would have missed it, but through the combination of women's intuition and experience raising her sister, who had a habit of hiding things from her whenever she screws up, Jessica was able to catch on to the subtle twitch in demeanor.
"We were discussing some recent familial exchanges, to be truthful with you. Letters and the like. Nothing to be worried about." He said almost naturally, but Jessie could sense his coyness and that there was more to this than he was letting on. His smile wasn't as far reaching as it usually is.
"That's nice. I bet it must be nice to hear from family, again." She replied with a smile and nod.
"Indeed…it is."
For a brief moment, Fareh's gaze went far. For a brief moment, his mind travelled to other places. This meant that, for a brief moment, Jessie could see the anguish in the security specialist's eyes. Something had transpired recently that left the Egyptian in a soured mood.
"Fareh? Is everything alright?" She asked, switching to a more direct approach.
His brows pinched together, warily. Normally, she refered to him by the nickname she gave him. Fareh is the Arabic word for happy, which is why Jessie calls him Happy. She only ever uses his actual name when the situation calls for seriousness; namely the battlefield.
"Everything is fine. Why…" He started to ask but was cut off.
"Come on, dude. I had to raise Daniella, myself. I know when someone's trying to silver-tongue me." She deadpanned before adopting a caring tone and expression. "I'm your friend, Fareh. I lost both of my parents when I was barely even a teen; I'm on the same boat as you, and Angelo. If something happened with your family, you can trust me to understand."
Fareh sighed in defeat. Jessie was right. She was the only other person on this base who suffered the same pain as him. He should be able to confide in her such sensitive topics. It would also help to get a woman's perspective on this particular issue.
"You're right…I'm sorry. I've just been troubled by a letter I received today. It threw my thoughts in turmoil." He admitted, pulling out the written letter from the back pocket of his jeans.
"I know what that's like." Jessie said in agreement.
"Not like this, though. Here. Have a look." The liaison said grimly while handing over the letter to the younger girl.
Jessie took the proffered letter, unfolded it, and began reading. As her eyes scrolled through the message, Fareh watched carefully as her neutral expression soon gave way to shock and realization.
"Dear lord up in heaven…Happy…is this legit?!" She asked breathlessly, the air knocked out of her by the implications of the letter's very existence.
"Normally, no, but there are signs in the message that point to it's legitimacy." The letter's recipient then began to explain to the enthralled woman.
"First and foremost, it's written on paper. That shows a few things. It shows that the author couldn't use or doesn't have access to a data-pad or online connectivity. Now, that can mean many things, however, my father is presumed dead – KIA – but they never found his body."
"And without a body, it's nothing but guess work." Jessie finished for him as her mind started connecting the dots as they came.
"Exactly."
"Geez. So much on just one paper."
"Yet there is still so much more. Another sign is that it is in English. My father is pure Egyptian. Before his supposed death, he would send me letters in Arabic. Of course, many people can write letters in English, and this message could be a trap for all we know, but it's how the letter was written that says something." Fareh continued.
"Linguistics. Did he use some choice words?"
"In a way. It's the context in general. The simple fact that he mentioned things like training me when I was a small boy, and how he taught me to protect those I hold dear…these are things that only my father would know of at the same time. My training by his side was kept to ourselves; we didn't feel the need to tell people."
"I can relate to that, but let me stop you right there." The younger girl spoke up, halting the explanation with a raised finger.
"If you can see all these signs, hints, and clues, then why are you still so cagey about it? Your dad is still out there, alive and well, but, you're looking at it like it's a bad thing." She indicated his hesitation. "What's wrong, Fareh?"
The security chief sighed.
"I want to be happy about this, but…" He sighed, again. "My father supposedly died seven years ago. Seven years of pain and guilt; of trying to move on. In the end I managed to pull through…and then this. Forgive me for being so negative. I just don't know how to properly approach this." Fareh pocketed one hand while rubbing his face with the other one.
"I know how."
"Hm?" He looked up to regard the girl, only to receive a hard slap across the face. He was left wide-eyed and confused at the sudden hostility from the elder Michaels.
"Did that fix things?! Fareh, you idiot, do you even realize fully the implications of this piece of paper?!" She lifted the letter to emphasize her point. "Let me put it this way: My parents died ten years ago. One by one, I watched as they were both buried six feet under at the Calvary Cemetery, back in Seattle. Imagine it, will ya?! A thirteen-year-old girl losing both her parents and having to look after her new-born baby sister! I barely had the luxury to grieve for them! It hurt, man, and it still does. Understand that my parents are dead and gone, and they're never coming back." She choked for a moment as memories began to surface, but she powered through them. "But yours did! Get it?! Your dad is alive! He's out there, right now, kicking ass and taking names, and you have the audacity to question it and act depressed?! I should beat you until you turn fucking albino!" She stopped and took a moment to collect herself.
Fareh couldn't help but watch in quiet awe as the smaller girl before him chewed him out like his old drill instructor from his time in the army. A moment later, Jessica spoke again, albeit in a more gentle and caring tone and expression.
"In life, hardships and suffering is a common occurrence. It's how we grow as humans. This is a good thing that's happening for you here, and good things are rare. It's a reward for all the good you've done in your life. Your father's alive, Fareh. Cherish that knowledge." She finished with a small smile.
Fareh's face fell neutral as his mind processed Jessie's words of wisdom.
"It also came on such a beautiful day." She said knowingly.
That helped put a smile on the Egyptian man's face, with the bonus of an added chuckle.
"You win! You win! You're also right. My father is alive. I should be happier about this." He said, breaking out of his funk with a confident smile.
"Atta boy, Happy! I'm thrilled for you. I really, really am." Jessie joined in this uplifting moment, giving Fareh a congratulatory hug.
"Thanks, Jessica." He said as he broke the embrace. "Although, that slap was a little much." He mentioned while rubbing his tender cheek. Jessie just shrugged.
"Sorry I'm not sorry. You needed it, 'cause you were being an idiot. I had to smack you out of it, and it worked. If you don't like it, then don't be an idiot again. Simple." She said with a smile and a shrug. Fareh scoffed.
"Simple. Right." He replied sarcastically.
"Right!" She finished victoriously before continuing past her companion towards the med-bay. "Anyway, I'm off to see the good doctor, so I'll see you later, Happy."
"Of course. I'll see you later, Jessica." Fareh said in farewell to the younger woman, as he too continued his way in the opposite direction, feeling better about the new set of circumstances that had made themselves known to him; ready to face the rest of the day with a smile, knowing that his father was alive and well.
The atmosphere of the med-bay was light with the sounds of strings emanating from the speakers built into the ceiling, the notes flowing so weightless and free, gently carrying the mood of the room with it. Jessica couldn't help but feel her body relaxing; what little stress she carried melting away as the music played on. It made her want to cuddle with someone.
'Damn, where's Lenny when you need him?' She thought in a relative daze, pulling her headphones off her neck and holding them in her hand.. The day kept getting better and better for the 23-year-old woman.
She scanned the room before finding the man she came to see sitting at his work station, typing away at the terminal before him. He was dressed in a way that you would expect a self-respecting doctor to dress: White button-up shirt, pale blue cotton vest, beige trousers, black loafers, and, of course, the obligatory lab coat. With a goofy smile on her face, she walked over to the good doctor.
"Sweet musical baby Jesus, Angelo, what is this beautiful song?" She asked with a groan of pleasure.
The blonde doctor smirked as he kept his eyes on his computer.
"AIR ON THE G-STRING – JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH." He then swiveled his chair around and looked at the girl approaching him. "You seem to be enjoying it quite a bit." He said as he watched Jessica's pleased expression with amusement.
"Mmm, can't help it." Jessica began with a groan. "It's just such a soft and gentle song. So light, so breezy, so…" She spins her hands, trying to find a good word to describe the sensation brought to her by the song.
Angelo lifts a brow.
"insouciant?" He offers.
"Gazoontite…wait that's a word?" She asks in mild surprise.
Angelo said nothing. He just closed his eyes and gave his head a small shake in exacerbation, yet he still maintained his smile. He then opened his eyes and spoke once more.
"So, what can I do for you today, Chätzli?" [Little cat] The doctor asked.
"Can't remember." Jessie was now doing a small waltz around the room.
"Mein gott." [My god] He said in a whispered chuckle, propping his head on a waiting hand. The sudden feeling of weight across his lap had the swiss man looking up in surprise, finding Jessica's pleased expression. She had taken a seat directly on his lap, threw her arms over his shoulders and clasped her hands behind his neck, then tucked her head into the crook of his neck.
Obviously, this action had caught Doctor Zeigler completely off guard. Now he had a young woman sitting in his lap, cuddling up to him.
"Uh, Jess…" He was about to ask her what she was doing but was cut off.
"Blame the song, Angelo. It's making me feel all mushy and romantic inside." She said with her eyes closed, maintaining a small smile the whole time.
"…Ok-ay…." Angelo wasn't so sure, but resigned himself to his new role of cuddle buddy.
"Good! Now, stop being a dingus and hold me. Oh, wait! Hold on." She leaned over towards the desk and dropped her headphones before returning to the cuddle. "There we go. Now, hold me." The young brunette ordered.
The blonde male shook his head, but wordlessly obliged, wrapping his own arms around Jessie's mid-section.
The woman moaned in pleasure as she relaxed into the embrace.
"You're no Lenny, but I can make due for now, I guess." Jessie said.
The doctor just rolled his eyes at the jab.
"Gee, thanks a lot, Ms. Michaels." He said, sarcastically and with a smile.
Jessica giggled.
"You're welcome, doctor."
There was a moment of silence before the 23-year-old spoke, again.
"I bumped into Happy in the hallway…literally. He told me the two of you had a nice chat."
"Happy? Ah, you mean Fareh. Yes, we discussed family matters. It was a delicate subject, to be sure." The doctor pointed out, remembering the seriousness of the conversation.
"There's nothing delicate about finding out that your father is still alive and kicking." Jessie countered. Angelo's eyes widened slightly.
"He told you?"
Jessie shrugged.
"Had to pull it out of him, but in the end, yeah, he did. He showed me the letter, we discussed it, and then I slapped him stupid." The young woman explained nonchalantly.
Angelo shifted the two of them so he could look her in the eye, completely nonplussed.
"Why, may I ask, did you slap Fareh?!"
Jessica met his gaze with her own.
"Because, herr doktor, his father was alive, and he went out of his way to send Happy a letter, telling him that he was alive and why he fell off the grid, and Happy was standing there brooding and moping and acting as if the paper was a death warrant, even though he KNOWS that it was genuine. Forgive me for smacking some sense into him and making him realize that he should have been happy that his father was alive. Personally, I'd be bouncing off the walls if I ever found out that one of my parents is still alive." Her words came with a sense of finality to them. Yet, the doctor still wasn't convinced that that was the best course of action on a fellow team member, one who happens to be the main link between them and their only outside supporter.
"Even so, I'm sure there was a better way to help him realize instead of just hitting him." Angelo said disapprovingly.
Jessie just returned to her cuddling before speaking.
"Don't worry, Angelo, he laughed it off in the end. All's well that ends well, right? I bet he didn't even feel it. I probably just scratched an itch for him." She giggled as her imagination conjured up images of the Egyptian man scratching his back with a cactus, and gargling lava.
Dr. Zeigler decided not to pursue this argument anymore, and dropped the topic.
After a moment, the flowing strings that emanated from the speakers came to an end. This disappointed Jessica, having the beautiful song end, but it quickly shifted into intrigue and bewilderment as the next song began to play.
"Huh. I had no idea you'd be into reggae." She said as she lifted her head and focused her hearing.
"There is plenty you don't know about me, my dear, and vice versa." Angelo said with a knowing smirk. He was also glad now that it looked like she was getting up.
Jessie listened to the lyrics for a moment.
"…Bob Marley?" She guessed, not looking in the doctor's direction.
The doctor nodded.
"BOB MARLEY – IS THIS LOVE." He confirmed.
"PERFECT!" She exclaimed before diving back into the cuddle, much to the Swiss man's dismay.
"Okay, Jessica, I think that's enough cuddling for one day." He said with a small grunt, having been tackled deeper into his chair. He pulled his arms from around the smaller woman, leaving her fidgeting from the loss of contact.
"Aw, five more minutes. Please?" Jessie whined like a child who was told that it was time for bed, but the doctor wasn't having any of it.
"No, my dear, enough is enough. Also, Genmi will be here soon for her scheduled check-up, and having you on my lap like this is just going to give her the wrong idea." He explained as he tried to coerce the former lieutenant off said lap, however Jessica wasn't having any of it. She was enjoying herself too much to just quit without a fight.
"Don't worry, Angelo. She won't get Jealous. I don't mind sharing." She retorted.
"What?!" The Swiss man looked at her incredulously.
Jessie lifted her head once more.
"C'mon, man, she's a woman, too. I bet she'd enjoy this kind of attention. Besides, you like her, don't you? I bet you'd love having her on your lap like this. Cyborg or not." The young woman clarified, and giving the Swiss man a suggestive wink.
Angelo couldn't help blushing as he balked at what the young Ms. Michaels was insinuating.
"That is not funny, Jessica! We are good friends. nothing more." He defended, but Jessica only smiled in glee.
"Oh, look at you, all blushing and embarrassed. You look so adorable!" She said as she, once again, dove back into a cuddle.
Angelo just sighed, letting his head fall back in frustration.
"Gib mir Stärke." [Give me strength.]
"Oh, hush. You know you're enjoying this." Jessie said in defiance.
"No, not anymore." The doctor said in annoyance.
"So, you DID enjoy feeling my ass on your lap! I knew it!" Jessie proclaimed as she sat up again. The Swiss man just gave her deadpanned glare, leaving the girl fighting not to laugh at his expense.
"Am I interrupting something?" Came an accented feminine voice. The two looked over to the door to find Genmi Shimada standing there with her hands clasped behind her back, the glowing green visor of her mask watching them curiously.
Angelo's eyes widened in surprise at her sudden arrival. He tried to greet her and explain the situation, but he was beaten by the pesky brunette who was still on his lap.
"Genmi! Come in, come in! Come, join our cuddle party. There's plenty of Angelo to go around."
The cheerful greeting, combined with the resounding smack of a facepalm from Dr. Zeigler, left their dear Kunoichi in giggles.
Despite having his face firmly in his palm, Angelo spoke up.
"Genmi, can you please get her off me?" He pleaded with the cyborg woman.
"Hai, Senpai." Genmi replied, regaining her composure. She walked over and placed a hand onto the brunette's back. "Come now, Jessie-chan, it's time to get off the doctor." She says in a gentle and loving tone.
"Awww, but this is soooo nice! He's almost as comfortable as Lenny!" Whined the younger girl as she squirmed from her position.
"I know, but you cannot stay on top of him forever, now can you? It is time to do something else, imōto." [little sister] Genmi replied while rubbing her junior's back, lovingly.
She didn't want to, but Jessica had to concede to the younger Shimada. With a last groan of displeasure, she shifted off Angelo's lap and stood up, finally allowing the good doctor the freedom to get off his chair and carry on with his life.
"Thank you, both of you. Now, shall we proceed with your check up, Genmi?" He said with a sigh of relief, adjusting his lab coat before walking over to a full body scanner and setting it up.
Genmi wordlessly began to follow, her hands held in front of her.
"would you like to join us, Jessie-chan?" The older woman asked as she walked past the brunette. Jessie watched her for a moment, wearing a neutral expression on her young features, before shrugging and joining the two, pocketing her hands in her hoodie.
The doctor manned the controls next to the head of the scanner's built-in bed while Genmi sat on the edge before shifting around and laying down into position.
Jessie peeked over the swiss doctor's shoulder. Curiously, she watched as he manipulated the panel, made adjustments and activated the scanner. A scanner he said was a little old, and below what he preferred, but would make do due to constraints. After a minute of observing, she came to a startling conclusion.
She had no idea what he was doing. Everything she saw Angelo do was beyond her knowledge.
With that life altering epiphany, she moved her attention to the cybernetic woman lying still beneath the scanner, letting the device complete its task.
"How're you feeling?" The 23-year-old asked conversationally.
"I feel fine, though it wouldn't hurt to have a professional confirm it." The Japanese woman replied as the scanner started winding down.
"You trust Angelo to look you over? I mean, I know he he's our only doc, but he can be a bit of a hack." Jessie asked humorously, earning an amused glare from the man in question.
Genmi laughed as she sat up, again.
"I do. He has kept us alive so far, yes?" She pointed out, her green visor hiding the mirth in her eyes. This earned a giggle from the young woman.
"Yeah, I guess he's decent enough. Can't hold a candle to Lenny in the cuddles department, though." The two females shared a small laugh at the Swiss doctor's expense. Angelo simply smirked to himself and rolled his eyes, letting them have their jokes. After all, he is a firm believer that laughter is one of the best medicines. After uploading the data from the scanner to his computer, he turned around and addressed his patient again.
"Okay, Genmi, could you please sit at the edge of the bed?" He pointed at the end of the scanner bed before going to grab a nearby stool.
Wordlessly, the Japanese woman scooted herself towards the end as instructed, opting to sit on the corner to make things easier for what Angelo was about to do. Jessie sat along the side of the bed, directly behind the younger Shimada. A moment later, Angelo rolled over on his stool and positioned himself next to Genmi, a strange tool in one hand.
"Right, Genmi. Please remove your back plate." He instructed.
Jessica watched as, once again, the kunoichi responded silently with a nod of her head as she reached back over her shoulders and manipulated a pair of hidden releases that the former army lieutenant had no idea were there. The top end of the back plate jutted out with a hiss as a seal had been broken. Then, the female cyborg reached to the small of her back and played with two more hidden switches that made the bottom of the plate pop out as well. At this point, Genmi rotated around to give Angelo access to her back, pulling one leg up and tucking it under while the other remained on the floor.
Angelo reached forwards and carefully took hold of the panel by the sides, and with quick, practiced fingers, he hit one final release and the piece finally came away in his grip. Jessie couldn't help a small, quiet gasp at what she saw when it did.
Genmi's back laid bare before her. It was a tapestry of smooth skin and scar tissue. Marks of varying shapes and sizes were spread over the entirety of the exposed region. As Jessie's eyes moved down the Japanese woman's body, skin soon gave way to what looked like synthetic muscles, a long, metallic lip separating the two, beginning just bellow her left ribs, following along the waist until it neared the middle where it began to climb until it disappears beneath the right shoulder plates. She looked over Genmi's scars, reading each one carefully, deciphering the cause and age of each one and imagining what it might have been like to receive them. She could feel her body tense at the thought of it, with phantom pains radiating across her own torso.
Let it be known that this was the first time that Jessica had ever laid eyes on any portion of Genmi's body; her real body below the plates of armor that she normally saw. She used to wonder what the Japanese woman looked like underneath all that plating, but not anymore.
One of Jessie's hands came up and began tracing one particular scar which sat just below where the younger Shimada's heart would be. By the shape of it, the former lieutenant could deduce that the shot that caused it had very nearly hit her heart. It would have killed her, instantly.
She was unable to look away from the pain that Genmi had endured. Reinharde was probably the only one who could match her quantity of scars, but those were collected over years of service in the German military and Overwatch. Genmi had received hers in one fight.
"Jessie-chan?"
"…It's a miracle you survived…" It came out as a whisper but Genmi and Angelo had both heard her. Genmi had been watching her from over her shoulder since she felt the younger girl's finger caress her back, but then looked away for a moment before replying.
"It was. Everyday, I thank the heavens, both for my survival, and for the doctor." She said, looking over her opposite shoulder at the doctor, who gave her a small smile, before returning her gaze towards her younger teammate. "If it wasn't for him, I would have perished nonetheless." She finished.
Jessie lowered her hand.
"Do you ever resent her?" She enquired, meeting the cyborg's gaze.
Genmi shook her head and looked forward, knowing that Jessica was referring to her older sister, the one who inflicted all her injuries. The artist behind her scars.
"No. Not anymore. I realized that Hanako was as much the victim as I was, being forced by the clan to do what she did. For that, I have forgiven her. Now, I pray that, one day, she may forgive herself. You may not be able to see it, but her emotional scars match my physical ones." Genmi ended sadly.
There was a brief moment of silence between the two women. Angelo had remained silent throughout the exchange, opting to finish up the scans he had been taking, quietly.
A moment later, Jessie began to move. She adjusted her position on the bed, and then leaned forward towards Genmi. The female ninja twitched in mild surprise when she felt the younger girl's arms wrap around her waist, pulling the two into an embrace, and resting her head, ear flat, on the older woman's bare shoulder.
"Holy shit, Genmi. I don't think I could ever do that. If it was me in your shoes, I don't think I could've ever forgiven them."
Genmi, for her part, laid her own arms over Jessie's and leaned back into the embrace.
"Thankfully, you aren't." Genmi simply replied
The younger girl tightened her hold on her friend, her head still resting on her shoulder.
Despite being covered from head to toe in alloy, composite and synthetic materials; Despite being loaded with cybernetics; despite being virtually half robot, Jessica could still hear her heart. She could still hear her heartbeats. Each pulse strong and evenly paced. Despite being half robot, Genmi Shimada was still fully human. She still had her humanity.
Eventually, the moment had come to an end, and the two girls separated. Jessie's heart still went out to the rebuilt. Watching the cyborg reattach her back plate with the help of the swiss doctor, many thoughts of Genmi's current physical condition floated in her head. However, one particular thought had caught her attention.
She had to ask her.
"Hey…Genmi?" She began. The ninja had just finished the reattachment and had stood up when Jessica called her. Looking over, she replied.
"Yes?"
Jessie swallowed.
"Can I ask you a…personal question…about…well…" She finished by waving her hand up and down the other woman's body.
"Of course. You may ask me anything, Jessie-chan." The kunoichi replied with a nod, her tone easy-going and gentle.
"I – gotta ask. Does, uh…that – still work? I mean, like…c-can you, um, still…you know…." She trailed off, waving a hand around the area of her body below her stomach to help clarify what she was too hesitant to directly ask. Genmi picked up on what the younger girl was trying to say.
"…Can I still bear children?" Genmi finished. Jessie winced but nodded her confirmation.
"I can." She answered comfortably. "However, my current physical state would make it slightly more difficult. Thankfully, if I were to conceive, I'm sure Doctor Zeigler would be there to assist me." She said with a smile hidden behind her visor. Both girls didn't have to look at the first-responder, knowing he was blushing hard.
It was no secret on base that the topic of childbirth always seemed to rile Angelo, for some reason.
Jessica sighed a breath of relief for Genmi. Being rendered infertile is a horrible fate for any woman, and the thought of it would send shivers up and down Jessie's spine. Needless to say, she was glad that Genmi could still conceive if she wanted to.
"That's definitely great to hear."
Before the conversation went on any further, a window opened up on Angelo's terminal. It showed a light blue background with a white, stylized I in the center.
"Ms. Michaels?" Came a synthesized, male voice with an African accent.
Jessie turned to the computer screen with a smile.
"Hi, Icarus! What's up?" She greeted the Base's A.I.
"Your sister, Daniella, wishes to see you, citing a personal matter." The ever-helpful Icarus informed.
The brunette raised a brow at this.
"Is she okay?" She asked.
"Physically, she is fine. However, voice scans do show signs of stress and agitation. I recommend you speak with her if you wish to know more." Icarus revealed further.
This put Jessica's 'big sister' senses on high alert. Something's wrong with her little sister, and she's not going to let that stand. Jessie's bond with her sister, Dani, is a force to be reckoned with. For lack of a better description, Jessie loves her sister to the point she would move mountains to keep her safe. To say the least.
"Let her know I'm on my way. Thanks, Icarus." She stood up from the scanner bed and walked over to the terminal as she replied, all joviality replaced with a seriousness normally reserved for mission deployment. This was more serious than any mission. This was family, and everyone who knew Jessie knows how deeply rooted her sense of family was, following the trauma of losing both her parents ten years ago.
"Looks like I'm gonna have to cut this visit short." She said, grabbing her headphones and turning towards her colleagues with a look of determination. "Duty calls."
Angelo gave a small nod and smile as he began to speak. "Of course, Jessica. Don't let us keep you from your familial obligations."
Genmi crossed her arms and tilted her towards the med-bay door, also smiling under her visor despite it being hidden. "Go on, Jessie-chan. We'll see you later."
Jessie smiled back. "Alright, then." She then started making her way out of the room, hooking her headphones back around her neck, before remembering something and jogging back towards her comrades. Before either of them could ask her, she had wrapped her arms around Angelo once again, and surprising the doctor, once more. This time, however, there was no mischievous intent, and was relatively quick.
"Just wanted to say thanks for saving Genmi." She told him appreciatively before finally leaving the med-bay. The two remaining occupants chuckled, grateful for such a gesture.
Angelo looked to Genmi. "She has definitely come a long way since she first joined, hasn't she?"
"Yes. It's certainly surprising to think that she was the same woman who barely interacted with anyone and was fiercely protective over her younger sister, especially around the rest of us." Genmi replied, her glowing, green visor still gazing towards the door that Jessie left through.
It didn't take Jessica long to get back to their shared living space. She had opted to jog the whole way, saving time despite that the Apartment Bloc was close by. When she finally stepped into the room, she immediately found Daniella sitting on the end of her bed, hands folded on her lap, legs kicking idly, and her head lowered, looking deep in thought. She was dressed in a green Lucia hoodie, similar in style to her sister's, a denim skirt, yellow leggings, and a pair of green sneakers with yellow soles and laces. Unlike Jessie, she kept her hair in a short ponytail using a blue hair tie.
"Dani?" Jessie spoke, trying to gain her baby sister's attention. Daniella looked up at the calling, having been pulled out of her reverie. She wore a small smile of relief on her youthful facial features thanks to the arrival of her older sister. Jessie returned the smile as she closed the door behind her and approached the underage prodigy. "Hey. Icarus said something's up. You okay?" She said as she tossed her headphones onto her own bed.
"Yeah, I'm fine, but I wanna talk to you about something." The 10-year-old replied, apprehensive about the topic she wished to discuss.
Jessie sat sideways next to Dani, facing her, with one leg folded under. "You know I'll always listen to you, sis. What's up?" She said in a caring tone, and a genuine smile. Dani just looked away with a frown, remaining silent. This caused Jessie's own smile to fall slightly, as she watched her sister struggle to speak. "Sweetie, are you okay? If your scared I'll get mad at you, I promise I won't." She said, trying to ease the little girls worry.
Dani just shook her head. "It's not that. It's just…hard to talk about." She said, looking back at her older sister.
Jessica reach over and gently rubbed Daniella's back just like Genmi did for her earlier, trying to comfort her little sister. As she stroked away, the elder Michaels spoke up. "Just relax, collect your thoughts, breathe, and speak." She instructed her sister.
For her part, Dani did as she was told. She calmed herself down, organized what she wanted to talk about and took a deep breath. After the exhale she opened her mouth and began to speak.
"What would you do to get a boy's attention?" She asked her older sister.
'WOAH NELLY!' Jessie expected a lot of things to be the problem, but romantic advice?
Jessie stared at Dani for a moment, surprised at what she just asked her.
"Wow. Where did that come from?"
Dani blushed bright red, which Jessica found adorable. "I-I-It's just…there's someone I like and…and I wanna get his attention…b-b-but I don't know how!" Dani stuttered as her face burned in embarrassment. Jessie couldn't help the smile that freight-trained onto her face as she pulled her growing baby sister into an embrace.
"Aww, my little sister has herself a crush! I'm so proud of you! Now I know how mom felt." Jessie fought back a pang in her heart at the mention of her mother, not wanting to ruin the moment. Dani managed to wriggle out of the surprise hug, her earlier embarrassment watered down slightly by mild irritation.
"Quit it, sis. It's not that big of a deal." The mini-hacker said in an irksome tone.
"'Not a big deal' she tells me. Yeah, right. Come on, sis. Who do you think you're talking to? Of course it's a big deal! My little sister's growing up and finding love!" The older of the two retorted in glee. "So's the lucky guy?"
Dani's blushed deepened, bracing herself for what she was about to say.
"It's…." She quietly mumbled the name.
"What?" Jessica asked, looking confused having not understood what Daniella just said. Dani took a deep breath and forced herself to say it clearly.
"It's Dr. Zeigler."
Jessie was surprised. "Angelo? You have a crush on Angelo?" She asked. Dani, still blushing furiously, nodded in confirmation while Jessie mulled it over.
"…Yeah, I can see that." The older Michaels said with a shrug and indifference. She then spoke as she shifted closer to her love-struck little sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and bringing her close. "But why Angelo, though?" She enquired.
"UUHHH! I don't knoooow! He's just so handsome, so kind, so gentle, so…" She said exacerbated before trailing off.
"…So reliable? Dependable? Genuine?" Jessica supplied helpfully. Dani against her sister with a sigh.
"Yes. Those. He's such a…a…" The young genius blanked once more.
"Knight in shining armor. Mmm. I think I see what the problem is here. You, my dear and beloved little sister, are into the chivalrous type." Jessie began to explain her prognosis.
Dani sat back up, incredulous of her older sister's words. "That's a problem?" Jessie simply deadpanned.
"No, you bonehead, let me finish." Dani rolled her eyes but listened. "What you're going through here is as common as air. It's safe to say that this is your first crush, right?" Dani nodded. "First crushes are never the real deal. It's just the start of your romantic preferences building up." Jessie explained bluntly.
"But what if it is?! What if he's the one?! You can't know for sure!" The younger Michaels asked defiantly as she held on to the hope that what she felt for the swiss doctor was genuine, however, Jessie simply shook her head.
"Sorry, sis, but he won't be. Trust me on this. By the time you're old enough, you'd have gotten over him and a few others besides him, as well. I'm speaking from my own experiences here." The 23-year-old brunette finished in a knowing tone.
"B-But…but…." Dani tried her best to obstinate against her older sister's logic, but it just wasn't going to happen, as said sister shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Dani, but it's just not gonna happen." The elder of the two sisters spoke softly and sympathetically.
Daniella slumped in defeat, turning her head to stare at the ground in front of her, heartbroken. Jessica hated doing this to her, to dash her hopes the way she did, but she needed to know the truth. The elder Michaels leaned back in bed and reached behind her to grab a hair brush from the nightstand between the two beds. She then shifted her position so that she was sitting behind her little sister with her legs folded. She began to gently undo Dani's ponytail as she spoke again.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I had to say it. It would've been worse if I didn't." She said softly and apologetically, as she started slowly brushing her baby sister's light brown hair, taking care not to catch the brush.
"How could it be worse?" The younger of the two asked, morosely, but letting her sister's ministrations calm her down.
"Say I help you and tell you how to approach Angelo. You head on over and try your luck. There's a lot of problems with this. For one, Dani, you're still ten years old. Angelo is thirty-seven. The age difference is too huge to ignore. He'd have to reject your advances just for that alone. There's also the fact that he'd probably not be interested in the first place. Last anyone checked, he wasn't looking to pursue a romantic relationship with anyone. He's got a lot of responsibilities and obligations he's committed to. You'd be putting in a lot of time, effort and hope just to hear him say 'no'." Jessica finished explaining as she finished brushing and started to redo the ponytail, this time looking clean and pampered.
Dani REALLY liked Angelo. Deep down inside, however, a part of her knew that it was not going to work, that it was not meant to be, but the other part held on to the hope that maybe she could make it work, that maybe Jessica knew a way to help her. Unfortunately, instead of receiving assistance in her romantic endeavor, she received the hard truth. She couldn't deny her sister's wisdom and experience in this topic. Her heart still ached, but it did less than before five minutes ago.
Jessica tossed the brush back onto the nightstand she got it from, then pulled her baby sister on to her lap, wrapping both arms around her in a big hug and resting her chin on her shoulder. Jessie held her tightly but comfortably, trying to give her sister as much love and support as she could muster. She still felt bad for her.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Jessie whispered.
"I forgive you…and thanks." Dani whispered her reply and leaned further into the embrace. A small smile grew on Jessie's face.
"You know I love you, right?"
"I love you, too…mom." Dani answered with her own smile. Jessie's smile grew further, her heart feeling warmer. Daniella only ever referred to her sister as 'mom' to tell her just how much she loved her. Having grown up without a mother, Jessica was the closest thing she had, having taken on a pseudo-mom role, raising her little sister in lieu of their real mother's death after giving birth to Daniella. The two Michaels women knew they were sisters, but they also shared a strong mother-daughter bond, as well.
They stayed that way for a few minutes more, making sure that Dani recovered from her earlier heartbreak. When they finally separated, Jessie spoke up, again.
"feeling better?" She asked in a more up-beat tone.
"Yeah. Thanks again, Jessie." Dani replied as she got off her sister's lap and stood up.
"No problem, kiddo. And hey, look on the bright side."
"What bright side?"
"By the time you're fifteen or sixteen, you'll be having guys falling head over heels for you!"
"You think so?"
"I know so. Honestly, a beautiful, super genius, hacker heroine? Better carry an umbrella 'cause the boys are gonna be drooling all over you."
Dani laughed at Jessie's description. "Sound's like their gonna be wierdos." Jessie giggled as well before replying.
"There will be wierdos. That I promise. But don't worry. I'll teach you how to punch a guy out cold by then."
"Good to know." Dani giggled again. Jessie then got an idea.
"Hey. How about I make it up to you? Let's head into town and grab us a sundae. What do you say?" The older Michaels offered.
"Does Lenny have a nice butt?" Dani replied teasingly as she quickly made her way out of the room.
"Hey!" Jessie called out. "That butt is reserved for my eyes only!" She said, following Daniella out, opting to leave the headphones behind.
The sun had just set, and the day had entered its twilight hour when Jessica and Daniella had returned from their ice cream run into Gibraltar's capital. Having treated themselves to a nice, big sundae consisting of three flavors: World-class chocolate, gold-medal ribbon, and chocolate-chip cookie dough, drizzled in whip cream and hot fudge and sprinkled with crushed oreos, that took their combined effort to finish. After a quick walk around the beach front, which was where the ice cream parlor was, they worked out what they ate, then made their way back to the base, watching the sunset on the way.
Once they were back on base, the two separated and made their own ways. Daniella headed back to their room to check on her thing which Jessica never bothered to ask what it was, while Jessie herself decided to make her way to The Hut and check to see if Lenny's still alive, watching all those terrible movies he said he was going to watch.
As she approached the recreational building, she took a passing glance at the picture surrounding the main entrance, before pushing the doors open and stepping inside. It was a picture of a straw hut that enveloped the front doors. The doors themselves positioned right where the hut's door would have been drawn. Jessie couldn't remember who painted it, but everyone seemed to like it, and that's how the building started to be affectionately referred to as The Hut.
As she entered the main living room, she quickly found Lenard sitting on one of the sofas, flip-flops discarded to one side, and feet kicked up on the coffee table, which was covered in eaten and uneaten food and snacks. She sauntered over and leaned forward against the back of the sofa, right next to the adventurer.
"You still alive?" She asked, striking up a conversation. Lenny looked up with a smile, and a slightly haunted look on his face. Jessie couldn't help but giggle at his expense. "Jesus, Lenny. Why are you doing this to yourself?!"
"I don't know…." Lenny replied laughing, half in amusement, and half out of delirium at having done nothing for most of the day except watch terrible movies.
Jessie just slipped into full-on laughter. Seeing her this way cheered Lenny up, joining in with his own genuine laughter. He didn't even bother to pause the current movie he was watching, not that he minded. A minute later, he managed to regain enough of his composure to speak.
"Care to join me, dove?" He offered her, patting an empty spot next to him on the sofa. By now, Jessie had also stopped laughing.
"Sure. Why not?" She said, slightly out of breath. Instead of hopping over the couch in true Jessica Michaels fashion, however, the brunette walked around the piece of furniture, instead. She took a seat right next to the British hero, but before she got comfortable, she bent down and took off her boots and socks, placing them neatly to one side. Pulling both legs up and tucking them to one side, Jessica then shifted over slightly and leaned into Lenny's waiting arm.
The former lieutenant sighed in content as she cuddled into the man she loves, resting her head against his shoulder while he held her close. They sat there contently as they watched the current cinematic abomination that Lenny was watching when Jessie came.
"So," Lenny started. "What did you do today?"
Jessie simply shrugged. "Walked around, listened to music, skeet shooting with McCree, slapped Happy, cuddled with Angelo, and took Dani out for ice cream." She answered nonchalantly.
"Heh, I heard about that slap. Fareh was in here earlier. He told me you cracked him across the skull." Lenny said, amused at what happened between the two.
"He was being an idiot. I had to do something." Jessie replied with another shrug and a smug smile. Lenny chuckled along as well.
"So why did you cuddle up with Angelo? I'm not good enough, all of a sudden?" He asked teasingly.
"Nah, he had this sweet song playing in the med-bay, and it got me all lovey-dovey and gooey. I needed a quick snuggle-fix and you weren't around. So, I made do with the doc." She explained.
"Still. You could have held out until you came to me." He retorted in false indignity. Jessie turned in his hold and gave him a quick peck on the lips before replying.
"If it's any consolation, he wasn't as nice to cuddle to as you are." She offered, lovingly.
"Good. Would hate to kill him because I lost you to his cuddles." He replied jokingly. Jessica smiled broadly and wrapped her arms around his mid-section.
"Don't worry your little cockney head. Even if his cuddles were better, I'll always be yours."
Lenny smiled back and gently pecked her on the head.
"Good."
"So, how many did you survive?"
"Three, so far."
"And what're you watching now?"
"Titanic: The Legend Continues."
"…Is that a dog? Is he wearing-?"
"Yep!"
"Um, why?"
"He apparently raps."
"…Raps?"
"…Raps."
"…"
"…"
"Can I pick the next movie?"
"Sure."
"Can it be a good movie?"
"Yes, please!"
A.N.: Hello, again! I'm back with another Overwatch piece. This time a one-shot with gender-swapped character. Now, I do believe this is the first Overwatch fic featuring gender-swapped characters. I did check for others, but until this point I couldn't find any. If there are, then please PM me the links. I'd love to see what other writers could come up with.
Anywho, so now that this piece is over and done with, I am officially moving on with my Mass Effect fic: System Shock: Redux. This will take longer to post because I wanna try and write the whole story, and THEN post the chapters. See how that turns out.
Anywho, again, Hope you enjoyed the story, and as always, constructive and/or funny comments in the reviews, anything else to my PM.
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