In the history of Overwatch, there was only one perfect day. Christmas day, of course, what other day could it possibly be? It didn't seem perfect at first, but really… it was perfect. Naturally, the day started with Ana more or less having a heart attack. Most days did, so that wasn't too unusual, and didn't throw off the normal Overwatch rhythms too much. What happened after, though, definitely did.
She woke in her quarters on Christmas morning to find someone standing there, at the foot of her bed. Glowing purple. The sniper's heart seemed to constrict, but she forced herself to stay still, feigning sleep, as her hand crept towards her rifle. She'd left it beside her bed, as per usual. Old habits die hard, after all.
The time it took her hand to get close to the butt of the rifle, Ana spent subtly scrutinizing the distracted woman -teenager really- standing at the foot of her bed. Clearly Mexican, she had a punky, side-shaven haircut, and appeared to have purple hair. In fact, she seemed kind of obsessed with the color purple, as everything about her outfit, from her leggings to her gun holster (mysteriously empty, she must be kind of absent minded to forget her gun on an assassination mission) to the case of the phone she was fixated on texting with, was some shade of violet. Huh… Something about her seemed… familiar. Ana had to have seen something about her before… New assets of the enemy usually didn't just appear like this. She usually knew something was up first.
Ana's fingers brushed the side of her rifle. The sniper whipped the gun to her shoulder, and in the exact same instant, the Mexican intruder glanced up, snapping to awareness as her gaze found the barrel of Ana's rifle aimed right at her eye.
"Back away." The sniper ordered, glaring at the teenager.
Instead of doing as Ana ordered, like most intruders did when faced with the alternative of a missing eye, the girl had the gall to laugh.
"Relax, abuela, I'm not going to hurt you."
Abuela!? Grandma? What a little-
"Then what the hell are you doing in my room?" Ana accused, resigning herself to the idea that her Christmas would not be spent as she'd wished. She'd planned to do something nice for the tired-out, battle-weary, war-torn members of the Overwatch team. God knew they deserved it.
Most of them were just kids for heaven's sake… They deserved to be at home today, not in a war zone, not fearing for their lives. Just relaxing, being kids for once. Ana was certain that Lucio and Hana and Mei and Lena and of course her darling daughter Fareeha thought they were all grown up, but from her perspective… They were children. Her children. And damn it all, she would do anything to make sure they were safe. It was why she, a mother and a woman of almost sixty, was still fighting in a war that had long given up her generation to the history books.
Her train of thought was completely shattered when the teenage girl plopped down on the foot of her bed, letting out a dramatic sigh and shrugging.
"I'm tired of all this fighting." She said, voicing Ana's thoughts exactly, before allowing her dark brown eyes to meet Ana's for a moment. The expression on the girl's face wasn't that of a soldier on a mission. She looked like a kid, a tired kid, and Ana couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in her chest for holding the girl at gunpoint. The girl continued speaking and waving one purple-gloved hand expressively. "Aren't you sick of it, abuela?"
The sniper remained silent, eyeing the intruder through her scope, wondering what the hell she was getting at.
"Look, Talon is just as human as you are. We get tired too. I want a truce, amiga... Just for today. It is Christmas, amiga. Please." There was no lie in the girl's eyes. She looked fearlessly down the scope of Ana's rifle, her request simple and pure and not at all against Ana's wishes. However… it was against her common sense.
Then again… We get tired too. I want a truce, amiga… There was no earthly way for a mother to refuse a plea like that. Not when it came from a battered and bruised teenager who had a hint of her own daughter's looks about her.
This could be the most idiotic decision I will ever make. But at least I will die compassionate.
With a sharp sigh, Ana dropped her rifle and held up her hands in acquiescence, prompting the teenager to let out a grateful sigh and lean her head on her hands for a moment, murmuring something in quiet Spanish. Ana couldn't quite make it out, though she caught the word Dios. God? There are surprises everywhere.
The two of them sat there for what could have been one minute or ten before the girl sat up again and gave Ana a small smirk.
"My name is Sombra." she said.
"No, it's not." replied Ana, without missing a beat, a small smile curving her lips. "I know some Spanish too, chica. No one would name their daughter Shadow."
A high, sweet laugh rang through the room, and 'Sombra' doubled over in a fit of giggles. Mildly bewildered, Ana still couldn't quite resist a chuckle at the girl's mirth.
"You have me there, abuela." she admitted, snickering quietly. "You're quicker in the head than most of these…"
"Careful with who you insult, child." Ana warned. "My team no son idiotas."
Sombra shrugged a little and smirked broadly. Just as teenager-like as Fareeha had been, and Hana still was.
After a moment, Ana sighed and got to her feet, careful not to make a sound to show the aches that plagued her as she did so. Sombra was already calling her grandma. No need to give her any more ammunition. But apparently the girl was more fixated on her rifle then the woman who wielded it anyway. She'd somehow slipped off the bed, made absolutely no noise while doing it, and crouched beside the rifle, without Ana detecting her movement.
"Ay!" Ana snapped, instantly wary again, "Away from that!"
Sombra jumped back, holding up her hands.
"I was just looking! Goodness, abuela, you are paranoid." Sombra rolled her eyes to punctuate the statement, still subtly eyeing the rifle.
"Almost as if someone snuck into my room on Christmas morning." Ana retorted, using her foot to drag the rifle to a place where she could pick it up again, slinging on her back. Safe from light fingers and (mostly) prying eyes.
With a dramatic sigh and a wave of her hand, Sombra dismissed the barb, placing her hands petulantly on her hips. The pouty facade was dropped almost instantly as the girl's mind jumped to something else.
"You wouldn't happen to have some coco, would you?" She asked, putting on a charming smile.
"Do you ever stay focused on one thing?"
"What do you think, abuela?"
Ana sighed and rolled her eyes in return. She had to contain her smile, it wouldn't do to break the exasperated facade. It was tempting, though. There was something about this girl that tickled Ana. She was gutsy, that was for sure. Going into the enemy base, unarmed, completely vulnerable, and having the nerve to sass the woman who could kill her in a heartbeat? Either she was insane or brave, and honestly Ana would have been charmed by both at this point.
"Alright…" She sighed, motioning to the door with one hand. "After you."
Sombra had to know that this was because Ana wanted her in sight at all times, but she didn't comment on it, simply padding out into the hallway and waiting for Ana to follow.
She did, after grabbing a cardigan to put over her pajamas, (hey, it was cold in the base), nodding to Sombra to keep walking.
"Which way?" The Mexican teen inquired, looking over her shoulder at the Israeli woman. "I haven't been here before, abuela."
"We both know you canvassed the place before you even stepped foot in my room, child. Get walking." Ana smirked a little at Sombra's instant pout. I may have gotten a little older, but my mind is still just as sharp as it was.
Sombra walked silently ahead of Ana, weaving her way expertly through the corridors, occasionally sneaking covert glances at the rooms of the other members of Overwatch. They were still sleeping, thankfully. Ana didn't really want to get into an argument with Morrison over this. Though he was technically her boss, they both knew who really had the final say. Ana didn't really like to pull the I'm older and more experienced and save your ass on every mission card, so she passed Jack's room in grateful quiet. Lena's room was the last in the line, and Ana was glad to see the 'Occupied' light was on. The pilot had been acting odd lately, disappearing often and returning either late at night or late into the morning, usually a mess. She even missed fights now, which was simply unimaginable for the brunette. No one could make heads or tails of it. Ana shook her head fondly, dismissing the matter of the vanishing pilot in exchange for that of the marauding Mexican.
However, that was instantly eclipsed by the clink of something in the nearby kitchen. Ana instantly grabbed Sombra by the upper arm and dragged her back from the door she'd been about to enter, glaring at her. In her head, she quickly went over all the rooms they'd passed, making sure all of them had the 'occupied' sign on. They had, she was certain of it. Which meant there were more unannounced visitors in the building.
"You didn't tell me you brought friends." Ana hissed, pushing the teenager back against the wall. "What are you playing at, child?"
Sombra's eyes widened for a moment, and she slumped down against the wall, leaning her head back against it.
"I forgot, calm down."
"Calm down? You brought Talon to my base, right into my family's home, and you say 'calm down'? I thought I could trust you."
Sombra seemed actually hurt by that barb, wincing a little and looking down.
"Look, they haven't killed anyone." She protested quietly, crossing her arms as if this was a winning point.
Haven't killed anyone? That's really a swaying argument. There's Talon in my base and it's my fault, I let this little street rat stay.
"My god." Ana sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "What did I get myself into?"
"You agreed to my truce, didn't you?" Sombra said quickly, a hint of desperation in her voice. "Please, abuela, they haven't done anything. They just want what I do, they just want to relax for a day. Please, listen to me."
Ana growled under her breath, keeping one hand on Sombra's arm, pinning her to the wall still. She wouldn't be getting to her friends anytime soon. Not on Ana's watch. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to think. How could she fix this…? Do I have to? What are the chances that she is being honest with me? That Talon- That Talon's agents really feel the same way as Overwatch agents do? And… Is Amelie with them? Would she really come here? For a Christmas truce? Ana had so many questions, she couldn't really process them all at once. So she simply opened her eyes, gazing into Sombra's for a long, quiet moment before speaking.
"Are you being honest with me?" Ana asked quietly. There were no pretenses in her voice, no lies and no anger and no aggression. Only tiredness and hope and worry and everything that made her a mother. "Sombra, answer me."
The teenager, without hesitation, nodded. Her eyes never strayed from Ana's once, keeping their gazes locked together.
"Si." She said simply. "I am telling you the truth. There is one more thing you may not be aware of, however."
Joy, more surprises.
"Out with it?" Ana requested, raising her eyebrows.
Sombra sighed and looked down for a moment, hiding what Ana could have sworn was a small smile.
"Amelie has a cold. She is probably raiding your supply of medicine at the moment."
"Amelie has a what?" Ana demanded, on the verge of laughing from the sheer insanity of what she'd just heard. Amelie, the dreaded assassin, the Widowmaker, the deadly spider with a cold, slow heart and blue skin, who never missed a shot and had been the one to take Ana's eye, had a cold? "I cannot have heard that correctly."
Sombra giggled and nodded, smirking broadly.
"She is miserable, amiga, and she sneezes." She said this as if she was confiding a great secret, which in a sense Ana supposed she was.
"She sneezes." This morning was too surreal to actually be happening, she had to be dreaming in some sense. Ana took a deep breath to try and ground herself in reality, shaking her head and sighing eventually. As her eyes opened, she found Sombra's hopeful gaze on her, and knew in the part of her that would always be a mother that the girl was telling the truth.
"They won't shoot me, will they?" She asked tiredly, ignoring the small sounds coming from the kitchen. "I already lost one eye."
"Let me go in first." Sombra suggested, nodding a little.
"As if I would let you go in last. You might have forgotten that you were sent here to kill me."
"Salty, aren't you?" Sombra grumbled, wriggling out of Ana's grip on her upper arm. "Forget one thing and suddenly I'm evil."
"You work for Talon."
"Whatever!"
The Mexican bopped the button to open the kitchen door, and without waiting another moment, slipped into the room. Ana, creeping silently after her, rifle held ready, peered around the corner to see what was going on.
Some part of her had been holding out hope that Sombra was just playing a trick on her. Fooling her, trying to frighten her, something. But what she saw before her… defied all her attempts to rationalize it. She couldn't have been hallucinating, couldn't have been fooled. She really saw this.
Amelie, not Widowmaker, Amelie, stood in the center of the kitchen, leaning back against the counter, a mug of something steaming in her pale blue hands as she eyed Sombra. Was the Parisian… smiling? This wasn't even possible, what on earth was she seeing? Sitting on the island, looking around grimly as usual, was Gabriel. Gabriel, she'd missed him so much. Jack had too, though the grizzled soldier would never admit it to anyone else. Still in his black cloak and robe, but his mask was missing. He looked… okay, surprisingly. He looked alright, he looked god, thank god… And of course, both of them were looking at Sombra.
It was a relief, to see both of them after so long, and such bitter, painful partings. The last time Ana had seen Amelie this close was just before she'd lost her eye… and everyone had assumed Gabriel was dead… Of course, she knew better, but she'd let them continue the assumption. It was easier.
Sombra was speaking now, her musical lilt carrying her words to Ana's ears.
"It worked." She said quietly, and Ana spotted the corners of her mouth curving upwards as the young Mexican smiled at her companions. "It worked, amigos. She accepted."
Gabriel nodded, but all of Ana's attention was focused on Amelie now. The former ballerina let out a long breath, nodding slightly and relaxing. Ana hadn't even realized she was tense until then.
"Thank you." She said quietly to the teenager, before her eyes slid to the doorway, and then to the Israeli woman peering in. As Amelie's bright yellow eyes met Ana's one remaining brown one, the sniper slowly stepped into the room, letting her rifle hang from its strap by her side.
"Amelie." She greeted quietly, ignoring everyone else in the room as she gazed at her old friend.
"Ana…"