Ok so this is a collection of oneshots just for dad Jack (and other dads) and his kids which he denies to have adopted, because everyone could use more family bonding moments. Since I don't know how many oneshots I'll write I'm going to mark this as completed and edit as I write more. I hope you'll like these.
Of all the ways she thought she would go down, being shot because of a sprained ankle was definitely the one she expected the least. And getting said sprained ankle by simply tripping on the remains of a wall because of a miscalculated jump, of all the things, was rather embarrassing. 'Earth open and swallow me now' kind of embarrassing.
Now, in her defense, all of Lena's attention was on the Talon baddies that quite literally popped out of thin air. She half wished they had brought one of the Shimada brothers with them; their ninja training would've come in handy a few minutes ago. There were so many, and it all happened so fast, she didn't have the time to realize what was going on before they were surrounded. Didn't mean they were going to give up now, though.
Given the circumstances, they were doing fairly well: any enemy Lena missed would be quickly shot down by either Jack's -or soldier 76, as he insisted to be called even after his failed attempt at hiding his identity- pulse rifle or Fareeha's rockets. Even if they were just three people, they could have easily replaced a whole soldiers' squad with their efficiency and skills, everyone perfectly synchronized, Lena and Fareeha only needing to take a quick glance at Jack and an almost imperceptible gesture to know what to do next.
Even if they were outnumbered, thanks to their teamwork, the fight would soon be over. Most of the Talon agents were already down, and the few stubborn ones left wouldn't last long. All in all, it could still be considered a successful mission, they could get home alive and in one piece, with a few scratches and bruises at most. A shame they couldn't bring someone with actual medical knowledge like Angela, it was always better to be safe rather than sorry, but it was supposed to be a relatively simple mission, and there were other more pressing matters that required her attention; should anything happen, Jack's biotic field should've been enough to deal with any serious injuries. Hopefully, at the rate they were going, they wouldn't need it... or at least that was before Lena got distracted, tripped and sprained her ankle like an idiot.
At least she got rid of the Talon agent trying to sneak on Jack to shoot at his back.
On the other hand, she was now injured and on the ground, her pulse pistols lost in the fall, and two enemies who noticed the unfortunate event were already approaching her with their guns loaded. Great, exactly what she needed.
Blinking would be useless if after that she couldn't run away, and a recall was already ruled out, it would just leave her on the damned remains of the wall that was the cause of her current predicament. She still had at least one pulse bomb left, but at that distance, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't get caught in the explosion too. A sprain was more than enough, she didn't need second and third degrees burns as well, thank you very much.
The closer the enemies got, the faster her mind was running, trying to come up with something, anything that could help her, if not to get herself out of trouble, at least to buy enough time for anyone of her allies to come and help. Her first attempts to stand up had been a complete failure, her injured ankle unable to sustain her weight.
As much as she glanced around, her eyes bouncing from one side to another, almost waiting for a miracle, there was nothing she could do, not even running was an option in her current state.
"Don't even think of moving." Lena yelped as she stared at the barrel of the rifle being aimed at her, the finger of its owner itching to pull the trigger and shoot her.
Was this really how she was going to die? In this godforsaken place at the hand of an unnamed soldier?
She knew the possibility of dying soon existed, given her job and Overwatch's new reputation... she just hoped to be able to say goodbye to all of her loved ones beforehand.
Everything happened too fast. She clearly remembered hearing a shot being fired, and then, the man holding the rifle at her face fell in a puddle of his own blood, the hole of a bullet wound going straight through his head.
His companion didn't have the time to figure out what was going on before the butt of a rifle was slammed into his face with a sickening crunch, and he fell next to the other man with a bloody broken nose.
When she looked up, Jack was standing there, his back facing her, the 76 on his jacket one of the most comforting and relieving sights since that hellish mission started. His tactical visor was activated, and in less than a few seconds, he effortlessly wiped out any enemies left nearby, while Fareeha was soaring the sky, looking for any threat in the distance.
When the tactical visor was turned off, Jack kneeled near Lena, the rifle now resting on the ground.
"Where are you hurt?" Finally allowing herself to breathe, she silently pointed at her injured ankle, and without adding another word, he carefully examined it. Not long after that, Fareeha landed, her weapon still loaded and ready to shot, sparing a quick glance at her companions and a routine 'you ok?'
"I'll live," replied Lena, which was good enough for her, considering she was about to get her brain blown up by a bullet not even less than a minute ago. Satisfied with the answer, Fareeha resumed her guard duty, looking at any possible hiding place in search of more hidden enemies.
"Not broken at least, that's good. I'll call Angela and tell her to be ready for when we come back." After a rather painful poke, Jack stood up, the pulse rifle once again slung over his shoulder as he called the doctor on his comm.
"Can't you use your biotic field?" The thought of having to deal with the pain until they got back to their base wasn't a pleasant one.
"Takes too much time, we're an easy target here. First we get back to safety, and then we can take care of your injury." He wasn't really wrong. There was no guarantee that more Talon men weren't waiting around there just to ambush them once they lowered their guard.
"Can you walk?" She shook her head in answer, looking around in an attempt to spot her weapons. As if on cue, Fareeha came back, handing over her trusted pistols, and with a quick thank, Lena secured them to her hip once she was satisfied with their condition. There were a few new scratches in the metal here and there, but they were still functioning, and that was good enough for her, at least at the moment.
The rendezvous wasn't that far away, but it would still take at least half an hour before they could get there, and that was when they all could walk. Groaning at her luck, Lena slowly made an effort to stand up, doing her best to put as little of her weight as possible on the injured ankle. It would be a looooong walk... well, at least that's what she expected. Out of nowhere, Jack picked her up, ignoring her embarrassed squeak as he carried her bridal style.
"What? Were you really expecting to get anywhere with that injury?" His tone may have sounded as gruff and serious as always, but she could swear there was a bit of worry slipping into it. Her confused look soon turned into a bright grin, and then into giggles.
"Can I get at least a piggyback ride?"
Jack stood there for a moment, looking at the giggly girl in his arms, and she could almost hear the gears in his brain moving as he wondered if he really heard that right. A shame the visor covered his face, that would've been quite the sight.
"Lena Oxton, you are a 26 year old woman, not a child."
Some muttered swears later, Jack found himself piggybacking a still giggling 26 year old child. Even Fareeha looked amused at the sight, but at least she was trying to hide it. She did get a quick picture, though, figuring the rest of Overwatch would like to see too.
"Thanks, dad."
"I am not your father." Despite the somewhat annoyed tone and the tired sigh, there was an unmistakable fondness in there too. She playfully stuck out her tongue in answer, and then they were finally moving, tired, covered in blood and dust, but they all would get back home together, back to the bunch of weirdos that somehow became their family. A family they would never trade for anything else in the world.
