"We have to decline."

Everybody in the meeting room turned to stare at Fareeha.

Angela was relieved. Fareeha had taken the words right out of her mouth, and she had expected that no one would agree with her. She wasn't one to enjoy confrontation, and she was immensely grateful that she wouldn't have to argue for her position alone, like she always had in the past.

"Why?" said Winston. "This is great news. If we agree to the UN's offer, we'll become legitimate again. We'll actually get a stable source of income, and Overwatch will grow to be restored to its former glory."

The team's mission in Hong Kong had unintended consequences. People had taken pictures of Angela, and it was confirmed that the woman covered in dirt and blood was indeed Mercy. And instead of working alone like she had for the last few years, Mercy was travelling in a group. When the news got out that Overwatch was back in action, the team packed up their belongings in case they had to move to a new location. What they didn't expect was for the United Nations to welcome them back with open arms.

"The UN might not be on the right side this time. This omnic crisis is different from the first. The First Omnic Crisis was caused by God Program infections. The affected omnics didn't have a choice when they went around on murderous rampages, so there was no choice but to put them down. But this time we're not fighting against just God Programs", said Fareeha.

Angela recalled the recording the world had watched not too long ago.

In response to the small outbreaks of different God Programs in different parts of the world, tension grew even more between humans and omnics. After the incident in Hong Kong, Russian omnics gathered in Moscow to stage a march in memory of the innocent omnics that had been displaced or killed.

What began as a peaceful demonstration ended in chaos, as the Russian military opened fire on the omnics without a word of warning. Somebody had streamed the incident live from the relative safety of a third-floor balcony. Amidst the sounds of guns popping, bullets hitting metal, and omnics screaming, cheers could be heard clearly emanating from the human spectators. There weren't any survivors. The footage was so graphic Winston had to make sure Bastion wasn't present when he played it at their meeting. Omnics couldn't produce tears, but everyone knew Zenyatta cried.

"This time it isn't just humans versus omnics. As far as we know, Talon started this, and we don't even know why yet. The omnics that are actually infected with God Programs are a tiny percentage of all the omnics alive right now. What's happening is that otherwise harmless omnics are getting pitted against the human population that is getting increasingly riled up. In reality, the bad guys on both sides are a minority, but the UN will have us representing humans as a whole. Omnics are still hugely underrepresented in the UN", said Fareeha.

"I do not see the problem", said Aleksandra. "The best way to end this crisis is to eliminate all omnics. Then there will no longer be conflict between omnics and humans." She stared directly at Zenyatta.

"That's ridiculous", said Angela. "For one thing, you can achieve the same result by killing all humans. Secondly, you should know by now that we have never been successful in shutting down or destroying omniums, so there will always be omnics to replace the ones we kill. Thirdly, you can't discount that omnics have the same consciousness that humans have. Their processing centre was based exactly off of the human brain, making them think exactly like us. They can feel the same emotions we do. To eliminate one virus-free omnic is the same as murdering a human. And the line between human and omnic is blurred by advancing technology that allows people to replace body parts with robotic ones. Look at Genji."

Everybody turned to look at the cyborg that was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest.

"He has very few actual human parts. And yet you wouldn't consider him any less human than me", finished Angela.

"I do", said Aleksandra. "How do I trust a man who is half machine?"

"The heart of a man still beats inside of me", said Genji.

"Both humans and omnics have already dirtied their hands", said Fareeha, before the argument could dissolve into violence. "This is going to be a war where both sides have justification to fight. Both sides will commit atrocities for the honour of their own kind. There is no justice in this kind of war."

"I agree with Fareeha", said Angela. "If we want to solve this problem, we need to find a way to prevent God Programs from spreading, and inhibit them after infection has taken place. We know it's possible, we have living proof of that."

Bastion whistled its appreciation.

"We're in a good position now", said Fareeha. "We're small, and not tied down to anybody. It gives us the freedom to pick-and-choose our battles on a case-by-case basis."

"If we work for the UN, we will be able to make a bigger impact", said Ana, raising a challenging stare at Fareeha.

A different kind of tension rose in the room. The team had celebrated Ana's return from what they had assumed to be death, and the original members of Overwatch had no hesitation in spending whole days catching up with her. The newer members were captivated by her stories, and jostled for seats closest to the veteran like children. However, the relationship between Ana and Fareeha remained stagnant. Fareeha seemed to have forgiven her mother on an intellectual level, but there was still a space that they couldn't bridge between them. And the rest of the team was fully aware of the fact. Angela didn't think it was either woman's fault. They were just waiting for the other to make the first move.

"You are too idealistic, Fareeha. If we did it your way, we will have to wait until lives have already been lost before we take action", said Ana.

"There is no justice in punishing people and omnics if they're just a threat to innocent lives. They haven't done anything yet. Until they soil their records by themselves, they are innocent as well", said Fareeha.

"Overwatch was shut down for a reason", said Angela. "It's because of the sketchy behaviour of Blackwatch, assassinating people based on threat alone."

"Blackwatch's actions were justifiable", growled Jesse. "If you could save a hundred lives by pre-emptively taking one, wouldn't you?"

"Blackwatch was headed by Gabriel, who started seeing enemies wherever he went. For goodness sake, he blew up our headquarters in Switzerland", said Angela.

"Gabriel had good intentions at the start", said Ana.

"It's not like you or Fareeha are perfect", Jesse said to Angela. "I don't see either of you checking each person or omnic for "guilt" before you kill them on the battlefield."

Angela and Fareeha defended themselves at the same time.

"I don't shoot to kill", said Angela.

"I only use lethal force if necessary", said Fareeha.

The two women exchanged glances and Fareeha let Angela repeat herself before continuing her thought.

"At least, I don't kill if I'm given a choice. When I worked for the army and Helix Security, I had to follow orders. But I was hoping that I'd get to abide by my own moral standards this time", said Fareeha.

"What difference does it make if we're following the money anyway?" said Jesse.

Fareeha opened her mouth to argue, but Ana interjected.

"In any case, if we do not accept the UN's offer, Overwatch will continue to be illegal", said Ana. "And now that it has been confirmed that we are back, if we say no, they are going to persecute us until we are forced to disband. If we join the UN, we will be able to stay together, and that is the important part. We are all family now. That is why I came back. Because I have to protect my family."

There was a loud bang when Fareeha stood up abruptly, knocking her chair to the floor. "You've done an awfully good job at being family", snarled Fareeha.

The whole room went deathly silent. Members that hadn't spoken yet shifted uncomfortably in their seats, wishing that the meeting would just end.

Somehow Fareeha managed to maintain a staring contest with every set of eyes that dared to swivel in her direction, until the tension became so unbearable, Fareeha stormed out of the room, more to the benefit of everybody else rather than herself.

"Angela", said Zenyatta. "I will continue to argue in your place. Go to Fareeha."

"Shouldn't Ana…" started Angela, but stopped. One look at Ana's face made it clear as day that she wasn't in the right mood to settle things with Fareeha.

Why me, thought Angela, who followed Zenyatta's suggestion and left after Fareeha.

Angela had an inkling of where Fareeha would be. She ascended the stairs up the building as high as they would go, until she came across a latch in the ceiling. She opened it, and climbed up a ladder until she made it on top of the roof.

She found Fareeha sitting on the edge of the roof with her knees pulled up to chest. Fareeha didn't have to see who touched her shoulder. She knew immediately that it was Angela. She accepted her presence, and Angela took a seat next to her. They sat in silence, watching the heavy, cumulonimbus clouds roll across the sky. Perhaps they stayed like that for hours, maybe only a few minutes, Angela wasn't sure. Despite the gravity of the situation, they were so high up and so far removed from all the people that made life feel so complicated, Angela couldn't help but feel at peace.

But she knew that they were just running away from their problems.

Angela's fingers toyed with the dog tags that dangled around her neck. It was now mandatory for every member of Overwatch to wear them at all times, not just when they went into combat.

Angela hesitantly pulled Fareeha to lean against her side.

"It's ok to cry", said Angela.

It started as pained gulps of air, like a fish struggling to breathe out of water. Then, the floodgates opened, and the most Angela could do was anchor Fareeha to her chest, as the soldier unloaded years of frustration.

Angela rubbed small circles on Fareeha's back when her sobs turned into small whimpers interspersed between hiccups. She delicately ran her other hand through Fareeha's hair.

"Give her a chance", whispered Angela. "I'd give everything for the chance to argue with my parents again."

Angela felt Fareeha's arms wrap around her back, and then realized that her cheeks were wet. Angela buried her face in Fareeha's shoulder, and for the first time in almost twenty-seven years, Angela cried for her parents again.


It may have been easy for Ana and Fareeha to avoid each other, but it was much harder for Angela.

When given the options she had for rooms, Ana chose to stay in Angela and MeiLing's room. Ana had become something of a night crawler in the seven years since she lost her eye. She told grandiose tales of her adventures sabotaging Talon missions, but Angela determined that Ana's detailed explanations of such a small timeframe was a diversion from actually having to talk about herself.

Angela and MeiLing had each taken the bottom bunks of their respective beds, and Ana had chosen to sleep in the bunk above Angela. The night after the meeting, MeiLing had gone to spend the night with Aleksandra, leaving Ana and Angela alone.

"Angela", came Ana's voice just as Angela's eyelids were starting to droop.

"What is it?"

"How could you do that to Gabriel?"

Angela's body stiffened, and she became completely awake.

"You know he's alive?" said Angela.

"Yes, him and Jack. I know you are the reason why they did not die in the explosion in Switzerland."

Moonlight shone through the window, giving Angela a clear view of everything in the room except for the person she was talking to.

"Jack was going to live regardless. He was injured, but it looked like Gabriel had taken most of the damage. I think the explosion was accidental, and to this day I believe that Gabriel was trying to protect Jack. By the time I found them, Gabriel was too far gone, and most of my supplies had been blown up. Even I barely got out of the building alive. I had managed to salvage these nanobots I was developing that hadn't been tested yet. It was supposed to be a cure for cancer. The first wave of nanobots would force the cancerous cells to undergo rapid apoptosis – ah, that's programmed cell death – before the second wave encouraged stable division of healthy cells. It didn't work as planned. But I had no choice. It was the only thing I had on me. He would've died otherwise."

"I am grateful that you tried to help him", said Ana. "But I think that there are some things that are worse than death."

"I don't know how the nanobots are still working", said Angela. "I'll find a way to fix it."

"Do not blame yourself", said Ana. "This is my fault. It is because I was not there to protect them."

Ana sighed and Angela could hear her turning onto her side. Angela knew that Ana was holding the falcon plush that Fareeha had returned.

"I have been a terrible mother, haven't I?" said Ana.

Angela didn't respond.

"My unit depended on me. I did my best to protect them. They called me "Mama Bear", but by then, I had already lost my own cub."

"Ana…"

"I have been a mother to you almost as long as I have been a mother to Fareeha."

Ana took a ragged breath.

"During the seven years I went missing, I was in Egypt. I stayed in the same city as Fareeha that whole time. I slept during the day, and made a living during the night. Naturally, our waking hours overlapped, and sometimes I would watch her. I disguised myself, and I would follow her at a distance when she went to the market. Sometimes I would go to her home and dare myself to knock on the door. But I could never bring myself to do it."

"Why not?"

"Because I am a coward" said Ana bitterly. "When I knew people presumed I was dead, I saw it as an opportunity to run. To run from my reputation of being so good at killing other people's children. And then when I thought about my Fareeha, I thought about how unfair it was to the parents of my victims that my child lived while theirs were dead. I felt so guilty. So I ran from Fareeha too."

"At least you came back."

"I did, but I do not know how to be a mother anymore. All I know is how to shoot."

"You can't force your relationship to be the same it was sixteen years ago. Even my relationship with Fareeha isn't the same as it was then. Just talk to her. Tell her everything you just told me. Fareeha has always been the listening type, but you have to approach her first. She's waiting for you."

Ana seemed to consider what Angela said for a while.

"You are right. Thank you, Angela."

"You're welcome."

"Angela, what exactly is your relationship with my daughter anyway?"

"We're friends", said Angela quickly. "Good friends."

"Oh, I see", said Ana. "What a shame."

"Angela!"

Reinhardt barged down the door and had yelled so loud, Angela and Ana both instantly sat up in their beds. MeiLing and Aleksandra peered in curiously from outside the room.

Angela jumped to her feet and was slightly alarmed at the sight of Reinhardt carrying an unconscious Fareeha in his arms. Although she was a decently tall woman, with that giant of a man holding her, she looked very much like a child.

"She's dead. I killed her", cried Reinhardt, so distraught he addressed Angela in German.

"What?" responded Angela in kind.

"She hasn't been sleeping well lately because she liked to sleep with that falcon plush", rushed Reinhardt, taking a moment to look in the direction of Ana, where the stuffed animal laid. "She asked if she could sleep with me, so I let her. While I was asleep, I rolled over and I… I squashed her…" Reinhardt held Fareeha out, offering her to Angela.

Even from next to her bed and through the darkness, Angela could see Fareeha's chest rising and falling softly.

"Reinhardt. She's just asleep", said Angela in English so that Ana would stop looking so scared.

"So that's it", said MeiLing. "I was wondering why he broke down the door."

"Now we need to replace two doors", mumbled Aleksandra. "In the morning", she added.

Reinhardt laughed. "Oops! My mistake!"

"Fareeha must have been very tired if she slept through all that", said Angela. "Reinhardt, why don't you put her next to the falcon plush she likes so much?" She heard Ana start to move. "No, Ana, you stay with her."

Reinhardt did as Angela suggested.

MeiLing yawned, and Aleksandra scooped her up into her arms.

When the three other members left to go back to bed, Angela stood on the bottom rungs of the bunk bed ladder so that she could see the mother and daughter more clearly.

Ana sat in the corner of the bed, furthest away from Fareeha, with an uncertain look on her face. After all, the last thing that had happened between them was Fareeha's outburst at the meeting.

Angela supposed that Fareeha had been especially exhausted after crying for so long. Coupled with a week of little to no sleep, and of course she would have passed out like this. Although she wasn't too concerned, Angela still pressed her hands over Fareeha's limbs and chest, checking for broken bones. Reinhardt's weight was nothing to sneeze at.

"She hasn't been getting enough rest because she needs to sleep with something", said Angela, nodding at the falcon plush.

"This is… this is my fault", said Ana. "I had her sleep with me for so long as a child, I made her dependent on body pillows and giant stuffed animals."

"Hold on, I shared a room with you once, and I don't remember…"

"She snuck into my bed after you fell asleep. She did not want to look uncool in front of you."

Angela and Ana stared at each other, until Angela couldn't hold her face straight anymore, and burst out in laughter. Ana's lip twitched, and she let herself smile.

"That's adorable", squealed Angela. "Fareeha said my habits hadn't changed since then, but she's the same! When she wakes up…!" Angela glanced at Ana and her smiled faded away. "When she wakes up, you'll talk to her."

Fareeha stirred then, turning on her side and groped the air in front of her towards Angela's voice. Ana picked up the falcon plush and placed it in Fareeha's arms. The sleeping woman made a small noise of satisfaction, and rolled onto her other side, where she wasn't hanging partially off the bed.

Ana reached out apprehensively and stroked the tattoo under Fareeha's eye.

"She looks so much like you", said Angela. "I'd bet that she'd look great with long hair."

"I always thought so too. She probably never grew it out because I kept bugging her about it", said Ana.

Ana grinned mischievously, and Angela recognized the Ana that she was more familiar with, rather than the awkward mother that she had become.

Ana leaned forward and whispered into Fareeha's ear, loud enough for Angela to hear. "Hey, your angel likes her women with long hair."

"Hey!" protested Angela, glad that it was so dark that Ana couldn't see the colour on her face. Hopefully.

Ana laughed, not so loud that Angela should be concerned about the noise travelling down the hall, but she stopped abruptly right after she let out a snort. At first Angela thought the snort embarrassed Ana, but then she heard a sleepy voice.

"Mama?"

With the exception of the night of Ana and Fareeha's reunion, Fareeha had been calling Ana, "Captain Amari", despite Ana's insistence that she wasn't a captain anymore. Indeed, she refused to take any leadership position since her return.

"Shhh", said Ana. She lay down on her side, and smoothed Fareeha's hair. She said something to her in Arabic, and Angela slid back into bed as quietly as she could.

Ana took advantage of Fareeha's half-asleep state, and Angela listened as the two women exchanged words in their first language. She knew the moment Fareeha realized where she was when the bed shook and a pair of legs appeared in front of her face.

Ana started talking rapidly. It was almost surprising for Angela to listen to. Despite Ana working at Overwatch for so long, she had never become completely comfortable with English. Ana had a tendency to talk slowly and enunciate carefully. It made her sound incredibly wise, even when she was teasing people or telling jokes.

Angela heard Fareeha say something in Arabic, and then Ana's short bark of laughter. Fareeha's legs slowly retracted from Angela's field of view.

Angela relaxed, and fell asleep to the sound of animated talking, and stifled giggles.

The next morning, even though she woke up later than she usually did, Angela tiptoed out the room, so that she wouldn't wake up the two women sleeping contentedly in the bed above hers.


A/N: Reinhardt is a wily old fox and I love him