Lena paces back and forth worriedly in the med bay. Angela did not let her go in with Amélie so now she is stuck outside the door to the room they went in about an hour ago. Fareeha stands with her, arms crossed stoically. She is studying Lena curiously as the smaller woman paces.
"You love her a lot." Fareeha suddenly states rather bluntly, nodding towards the room where Amélie and Angela are.
Lena stops and looks at the woman.
"I... yes, yes I do." She admits gently staring at her hand as if it is the most interesting thing she has ever seen, "I kinda always have... when I thought I saw a bit of the old Amélie, I was willing to believe it. Though if I could've just saved her back before Talon did this to her... she could be happy with Gérard right now, probably with a family and not... here."
"Don't blame yourself for her late rescue. It was not your fault Lena, you blame yourself too easily for everything bad that happens to your loved ones." Fareeha frowns at Lena, uncrossing her arms.
"..." Lena sighs softly, "I guess I do... but..."
"I guess I could've done many things different, but it is what it is Lena. You nor I can change anything from the past. Even though you can physically reverse your timeline, you have to start looking forward. Yes, remember your mistakes so you can do better in the future, but don't dwell on them to the point where you begin losing yourself in the past." The younger Amari eyes her with a stern gaze, her mouth set in a straight line.
Lena's lips upturn is a tiny smile and she nods curtly.
"Alright Fareeha, I understand... You are begining to sound like your mom and it is scaring me."
"Well, everyone becomes their parents at some point in their life, and, my mother was a great woman. So I do not mind, I just hope I do her justice, even when going against her wishes." Fareeha quirks a smile and closes her eyes with a sigh.
"Against her wishes?"
"She never wanted me to be a soldier. Yet here I am, but, I like what I do and I'm sure if she were here she'd grudgingly accept it."
Lena nods softly but then jumps as the door opens and Angela peers out. The doctor looks rather tired and she blinks when she spies Fareeha, surprised that the younger woman is still here.
"Lena, she is asleep now, the mind wipe process is done. If you would like to stay you can, she needs something to jog her memories when she wakes up, the sooner the better." Angela shifts her gaze to Lena, the latter nods and sprints in the room without a second of hesitation. Angela turns back to Fareeha, "May I ask why you are still here?"
"You have a promise you have to uphold." The younger Amari folds her arms and the doctor raises an eyebrow.
"A... promise?" The blonde tilts her head, "What promise?"
"Well, you seem quite stressed right now, so you can fulfill that promise at a later time, but, I will say that you promised me a date."
"A... a date..." Angela ponders, the words, confused, "oh... OH." Her eyes widen and she blushes, "W-well... oh goodness, I didn't think you would remember that... but I ... I will... I ... I just have a patient to look after for n-now."
The taller woman smiles.
"That is why I said later, I will go now, I must unpack my things. See you later Angela.~" Fareeha almost looks smug as she leaves, but, in all honesty, inside she is squealing like a little girl.
Angela just shakes her head in bewilderment and walks back into the operation room, letting the door slide shut behind her.
A few hours later, Lena sits beside Amélie, watching the woman rest. It is much like she did when Amélie was recovering from the battle, but now, Lena is filled with paranoia for her friend. She stares at her, her brown eyes searching for even a hint of movement. She nearly falls out of her chair when Amélie rolls over in her sleep, but, nothing else happens.
Lena picks up the little silver dog from a table that is beside the hospital bed Amélie is resting on, and studies it. Amélie had taken this because it reminded her of Lena. Lena rolls her thumb over it and smiles softly. In a way, it reminds her of all the time they spent together. The few days Amélie had been on the cliff with her, and, all the things they did with eachother before Amélie had been taken all those years ago. Lena loves Amélie, she admitted it to Fareeha, and she has admitted it to herself many times over. The betrayal she had felt had been amplified by her love. One of the last things she had said to Amélie was that she still could not forgive the woman. Now, as the reality of everything has settled down on her, she feels terrible about it.
She puts the dog back and huffs, rubbing her face with one hand. She sits up as she hears the telltale click clack of Angela's heels approaching her. Turning, she sees Angela looking down at her with a gentle expression.
"Lena, it's late. You should go-" Angela begins, but is quickly cut off by Lena.
"Sorry Angie, but no." Lena's brow furrows, "I'm staying here."
Angela sighs, she knew all along that, that would be Lena's answer.
"Alright, let me at least get you a bed as well."
"This chair is fine."
"Sleeping in a chair for multiple days is hard on your back, I am getting you a bed!" Angela bustles away quickly to get another bed.
"Angie, no, it's oka- ugh... welp..." Lena sighs, watching her go, Angela is extremely stubborn when she wants to be. She sits back in her chair and sighs, waiting for Angela to return.
The clock strikes twelve, but no one stirs. A young woman, Lena, sleeps in a chair, paying no mind to the empty bed that is for her. Amélie lays asleep on a bed in front of Lena, she does not stir because of the chiming clock.
The door opens quietly but it seems as if no one is behind it. It slides shut with a soft click and Lena stirs, but doesn't awaken. Almost non-existent footsteps can be heard traveling to the bed underneath the loud tones of the clock. Suddenly, a woman appears, as if from nowhere. Purple light twisting around her and revealing her form.
Sombra taps Amélie gently.
The woman rolls over, but does nothing else.
Sombra taps her again.
Amélie's eyes flutter open and she sits up, her face emotionless.
"Greetings amiga, Gabe's pretty worried about you, he says he isn't, buuut you can tell he is. You would've laughed at the ass chewing he got, it was amazing. Could I call in a favor? I need someone killed." Sombra whispers to Amélie, trying not to wake Lena.
Amélie stares at her silently, her face blank, her mouth set in a neutral position.
Sombra stops.
She takes a closer look at Amélie and her eyes widen.
"You didn't..." She holds back a laugh of surprise, "I saw it on Angie's notes, but I was sure you'd turn a whole brainwipe down!" She shakes her head, astonished and Amélie just continues to stare hollowly, "Hopefully the doctor is right about this one, it would be a shame to see you go like this. It would hurt your girlfriend a lot too, and hurting girlfriends is a bad thing Amélie. Don't do it, I'm serious, they kick you out of the apartment and refuse to make anything for you for days." She hears a groan and she looks to Lena and straightens up, looking back to Amélie, "I gotta go, but I mean hey if you get your memories back and are all goody two shoes now, I got some work for you, I mean, corrupt organizations aren't going to destroy themselves. Bye, I got a girlfriend to go apologize to, oh and we have a date scheduled, wish me luck you she'll of a woman! Boop!~" Sombra boops Amélie's nose and turns on her thermoptic camo, racing from the room. The door closes just as Lena wakes up.
Lena looks around the room, blinking groggily. She yawns and stretches, her back popping in several places painfully. Okay, maybe she does regret her choice about the chair. Something shifts in front of her and she glances up and gasps, hopping to her feet.
"Amélie!" She cries excitedly and hugs the woman, "How are you feeling? Are you... oh..." She lets go and looks at the woman, "Right... I need to jog your memories... but... how? You said I did it last time by making you guilty .. so... maybe I should try that... uhm." Lena frowns, thinking. "You... You are awful Amélie, you killed Gérard, Ana, Mondatta, and many others! Why, why would you do this?!"
No response comes from Amélie, just a blank stare.
Lena feels her stomach coil in fear, but she shakes it off. Second try is the charm right? She smiles at Amélie, deciding to use kindness and friendship.
"Hi Amélie! I can't wait to play more games with you! We can play some more Monopoly, go fish, and some Jenga... and... well if we play Monopoly you can use the dog this time. I-I won't fight you for it Amélie I promise." Lena's voice begins to waver as Amélie's face remains as blank as a sheet of printer paper.
"H-Hey Amélie, y'know, I feel horrible for telling you I couldn't forgive you earlier. I f-forgive you. I understand that it was Talon's doing, not yours, a-and I hope you can forgive yourself. Well I mean, if you remember all of that," Lena laughs bitterly her voice catching in her throat.
Amélie stares at her, her eyes hollow, lifeless.
"D-Damnit Amélie... You know... a week or so ago, when you showed up asking for help. I was so surprised and confused. H-Half of my family is dead Amélie, Jack, Gabe, A-Ana, Gérard... and I thought you were too, the old you... but... there you were, pleading with me. I began to hope... to hope that I could at least have you back. As a friend o-or," Lena let's out a strangled noise, "something else... Yes I still have Angela, Jesse, Winston, and Genji but... b-but I can't ... I c-can't have another friend leave Amélie! I can't lose someone else! I-I-I j-just can't... p-please remember me!" She searches Amélie's eyes for something, any small spark that could show Amélie regaining herself.
There is nothing.
Lena whimpers and cups Amélie's cheeks, bringing her closer.
"You said ... YOU SAID YOU WOULD PLAY GO FISH WITH ME!" She sounds childish, but she does not care. Tears begin to trickle down her cheeks, quickly becoming a stream, "You said y-you would! Y-You.. You said..." Lena crumples like a piece of paper in a frustrated poet's hands as they try to get the words just right. She slumps down and sobs, her body shaking violently, "I ... I-I love you Amélie." Her voice is barely a whisper as she trembles and wails mournfully.
This continues for what feels like hours, until Lena passes out from all the stress, and the sobbing. Amélie just blinks, and lays back down, her expression still blank. Emotionless. Dead.
Lena wakes to Angela nudging her gently. It takes her all of two seconds to remember everything, she looks at Amélie. The woman is awake, but her stare is still cold and blank.
"I'm sorry Lena." Angela whispers softly, "I've tried multiple things... but..." The doctor trails off, her eyes full of guilt, "She is currently on life support because her temporal lobe and limbic system are not... functioning correctly... She can move, but she cannot hear, see, nor remember anything..."
Lena is silent as she looks at Angela, she is tired and defeated. She then looks back to Amélie, placing a hand on the other woman's.
"We will give her some time but... she has no relatives that know she is, was, alive... she only has... well you currently... Lena i-it will be up to you... I'm sorry." Angela looks mortified at her own words.
Lena finally realizes what the doctor is saying. She will have to decide whether or whether not to... to kill Amélie. She bites back a sob and stares at Amélie. All she needs is time. Please, Amélie.
