Lena paused, taking a deep breath before she entered the pub, her gaze falling on Emily. The brunette paused a moment longer before she made her way to the bar, sitting on one of the stools. Emily seemed to be distracted by the book she had open behind the bar, and Lena debated over whether or not to try and get her attention.

"Um… excuse me…"

"Hmm? Oh hey!" Emily smiled upon seeing her, and Lena flushed. "How are you?"

"I'm… okay. My head is better anyway."

"Glad to hear it."

Lena nodded, her mouth feeling dry. "I just… I wanted to thank you for what you did… and, you know, I wanted to talk to you without me being a blubbering mess."

Emily smiled, giving her a nod. "If we're being honest, I had hoped you would come back in here after that day I first saw you. You know, when you ran into the doorframe." The redhead's brow furrowed. "Though you didn't really run into it so much as… what do you call it, blinking?"

"Yeah, blinking."

"Is that what that thing on your chest is for?"

Lena looked down at her accelerator. "Well, it keeps me anchored to the present timeline… blinking is just a side effect."

"That sounds like a story you'll have to tell me sometime." A pause, "Can I get you a drink?"

"Oh, um… I've actually never had alcohol before."

"Never?"

Lena shook her head. "I've been told any alcohol would go straight to my head."

Emily laughed. "Okay, leave it to me, I'll get you started with something your speed." The redhead moved to begin mixing a drink, and Lena glanced at the still open book.

"Whatcha reading?"

"Oh, I go to school during the day," Emily replied as she worked. "I study when it's slow like this."

"What are you studying?"

"Law."

"Not so you can break it hopefully?"

"Why, you going to arrest me?" Emily gave her a wink and grin, and Lena immediately turned red, a familiar pitiful noise coming from her throat.

The redhead laughed at that before she set a glass in front of Lena. "I'm just teasin' you. I'm studying to be a lawyer."

Lena nodded, quickly picking up the glass and taking a long drink. She almost choked a few moments later, setting the glass down and coughing a few times.

"You okay?"

"Fine!" The bar suddenly felt very hot, and Lena tugged at the collar of her uniform.

"Did you like it?"

"What—oh, the drink." Lena realized that she had been so flustered and had drank it so quickly that she hadn't stopped to actually register how it tasted. "Um… I don't really know."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? Do you want me to make you another one, because I can—"

"N-no, thank you, I have to… I have to get back to my watchpoint." Lena quickly stood and reached into her pocket, pulling out a few bills. "Here, I hope… I hope this is enough."

Emily took the bills, a slight look of surprise of her face. "Lena, this is way too much—"

The brunette was already gone, and Emily shook her head. "Yep, she's gay."

The new watchpoint felt more like an apartment than it did an official Overwatch installment. Lena knew why they had moved her to an unmarked building, but she still wasn't entirely on board with it. How were people supposed to know where to go for help if there was nothing to identify this as an official Overwatch watchpoint?

The brunette let out a sigh, turning away from the computer screen and looking around the empty room. She was on her own now; no new agents had been sent, and Lena wasn't sure if it was because they didn't trust her, or because they were too afraid of a repeat incident.

The door to the watchpoint suddenly opened, and Lena sprang to her feet, drawing her pistols. She was met with the sight of Commander Morrison, and she relaxed before quickly moving into a salute.

"Commander Morrison sir, I didn't know you were coming," Lena said.

"At ease, Oxton."

The brunette relaxed, noticing that Commander Morrison didn't look entirely pleased. "Is something wrong, sir? Have I done something?"

"I heard you refused to return to HQ."

"I wanted to stay here sir, to continue protecting King's Row—"

"You had direct orders to return to HQ."

Lena's brow furrowed. "But—"

"Sit, Oxton."

The brunette did so, feeling rather small.

"What happened that day at the watchpoint?"

"Sir?"

Jack moved to stand in front of her, crossing his arms. "The day the watchpoint was attacked, what happened?"

"I already wrote my report, sir—"

"I know, and I've read it, but there are a few things that don't make sense. The main one being why did you survive with little more than a laceration on your head when all the cadets were killed?"

"Get down!"

There was a bright flash of light, and windows were suddenly sprayed with bullets, bringing down the cadets where they stood. She was trying to get up, to get to them, but their blood was pooling out across the floor, keeping her trapped, slowly drowning her—

"Did you hear me Oxton?"

Lena put a hand to her head, forcing the image away. "I don't know sir."

"You don't know what?"

"I don't know why I was spared."

"So you have no idea who the killer was?"

Lena's brow furrowed as she suddenly realized where this was going. "You think I had something to do with this?"

"I am just looking at the facts—"

"I would never do something like this! You know I am dedicated to Overwatch; I've proven myself to you more than once!"

"Oxton—"

"You don't think I've asked myself that same question a hundred times over? Why I was the only one to live when all the cadets lost their lives? I have nightmares about it every night, and every noise makes me jump because I can't help but wonder if the killer is coming back to finish the job!"

Jack was silent, and Lena looked down.

"Sometimes I wish I had been killed with them…" she said softly.

Jack let out a sigh. "I'm sorry Lena. I knew it was ridiculous to think you had anything to do with this, but things have been… tense lately. People have started to speak out against us… some even think we're criminals."

Lena looked back up at the commander. "Why?"

"I don't know." Jack placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know what it's like to be the only one to survive… and I am glad you were not taken from us."

"Thank you sir."

Lena let out a sigh as she looked at the sad plastic tray in front of her. Another night had fallen on King's Row, and once again, she was eating dinner alone.

"Maybe I should have gone back to HQ…" the brunette muttered to the empty room as she poked at her food with her fork.

"Or maybe you should stop sitting around feeling sorry for yourself."

Lena's brow furrowed, and she looked up, seeing Vasha sitting across from her. "Vasha…? How… what are you doing here?"

"You know why I'm here; you conjured me up as a way to deal with your inner turmoil." Vasha smiled before she added, "So, let's talk about this Emily character."

Lena looked back down at her food. "I didn't expect this to happen, but I think I like her…"

"Well, you obviously like her, you blinked into a doorframe full force when she noticed you."

The brunette looked back up with slight surprise. "How do you know about that?"

Vasha gave her a look.

"Oh, right… you're in my head…"

"Lena, what's really bothering you about this?"

"I just don't know where you and I stand."

"We never had closure, so you're not sure if you can proceed with Emily because a part of you will feel like you're cheating on me."

Lena nodded. "I still have feelings for you, Vasha…"

"And a part of you always will, but we haven't talked in two years."

"Why? Why did you suddenly stop talking to me? Why can't I contact you?" Lena asked almost desperately.

"I only know as much you, remember?"

"Right…" Lena let out a sigh, rubbing her face. "I'm so pathetic… I have to conjure you up just to make myself feel better…"

"You're lonely, which is why you should at least try with Emily."

"I just don't know how I would even approach her."

"It sounds like you already have approached her."

"You know what I mean—"

"You're doing the exact same thing you reprimanded Fareeha for."

Lena scowled, and Vasha grinned.

"What are you so worried about anyway, it's not like this is the first person you've had feelings for. We were together, remember?"

"That was different, you did most of the work, I just awkwardly said yes."

Vasha laughed. "Look, why don't you just do something nice for her, show her you're interested?"

"You mean like leaving flowers at her apartment and saying they're from a secret admirer?"

"If you say they're from a secret admirer then how does she know it's you?"

"… Right, of course, that would be silly."

Vasha gave her a flat look. "You already did that, didn't you?"

"… You know, you don't have to call me out on it."

"… and when I got home, there were flowers waiting for me, though there wasn't a name on a card."

"O-oh?" Lena took a sip from her drink, doing her best to remain calm. "Who do you think it was?"

Emily shrugged. "Probably the blond guy that comes in here every night."

"Who, that guy?" Lena's gaze fell on the blond in question, who was currently sitting at the end of the bar.

"Why, do you think it was someone else?"

Lena looked down at her drink. "Whoever it was, it must be someone thoughtful."

"Or someone too afraid to just ask me out to my face."

"I don't know if I'd use the word 'afraid'… maybe they're just nervous. Maybe they've never done this before."

"Well, I don't have time to track this mystery person down. If they really want a chance with me, they should just say so."

Lena picked up her drink, muttering, "Maybe they're gay and they don't know how to approach you…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Emily paused from where she had been drying glasses, looking back at the blond at the end of the bar. "You know, I'm pretty sure it was him. I'm going to talk to him about it—"

"I'm gay for you!" It was out before Lena could stop it, and her face immediately colored.

Emily paused at that, feigning surprise. "Oh?"

"I left the flowers for you."

"You did? I had no idea!"

"… You're being sarcastic right now, aren't you?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Lena, let's face it: you haven't exactly been subtle about how you feel about me. I mean, you're not staring at my breasts, but you come in here every other day and you nurse your one drink as long as you can."

Lena buried her burning face in her hands. "I know. I just… I've never done anything like this before, and you're just so amazing. I mean, you're smart and you're funny, and you're tough, and when I look at you, I just…" Lena trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.

"Your forgot my most important trait."

"Which is?"

"I'm gay."

Lena slowly lowered her hands, staring at the redhead. "You… you and me… we could actually… you would actually… we could date?"

"Well, you haven't actually asked me yet—"

"Please go on a date with me!"

Emily smiled before she said, "Well, since you asked so nicely… how about tomorrow night at my apartment, say seven?"

Lena nodded, too dumbstruck to do anything else.

Lena let out a long breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. Slacks, a button up shirt, a waistcoat… it had been a while since she'd worn something other than her uniform. The brunette paused, fussing with her hair a bit before she went to where her accelerator was charging. She picked it up and put it on, tightening the straps and looking at herself in the mirror again.

Her tablet suddenly began to ring, and Lena pressed the accept button, displaying the call on the larger screen mounted on the wall. "Tracer here."

"Oh, don't you look fancy," Fareeha said, and Lena could practically hear the grin in her voice.

Lena flushed, looking back in the mirror. "I don't know… I feel a little ridiculous…"

"What's the occasion?"

"I'm… meeting with someone."

"Mm-hm. What's her name?"

"Emily." Lena looked back at her sister. "She's funny and smart and beautiful and I'm terrified that I'm going to muck this up somehow."

"Come on, don't think like that. You have to go in confident; she agreed to a date, didn't she? That already proves she likes you."

"I hope so… I'm so nervous."

Lena took a deep breath before she knocked on the door to Emily's apartment, her heart pounding as she waited for the redhead to answer.

"Hi!" Emily said, opening the door and offering Lena a smile that immediately made the brunette's heart melt. "I'm running a little late, sorry."

"It's fine." Lena stepped into the apartment, handing the redhead a bouquet. "I got these for you."

"No mysterious note this time?" Emily said with a teasing smile.

Lena turned pink, looking away.

"They're beautiful; thank you Lena." Emily made her way to the kitchen area, and Lena followed, looking around the room. It was a studio apartment, and as Lena glanced towards the sleeping area, her gaze fell on an Overwatch poster on the wall.

"That's me."

"What—oh shite!" Emily's face turned red, a blush that spread down to her chest. "I meant to take that down before you got here, I know it's probably awkward for you—"

"No, it's fine." Lena offered the redhead a smile. "I didn't realize you were such a fan."

Emily didn't reply, her face still flushed as she turned to check on the food in the oven.

Lena moved to sit on one of the bar stools, another thought striking her. "Emily… please don't get upset, but I have to ask… you didn't just accept my date because I'm part of Overwatch, did you?"

"I accepted your date because I like you, Lena. Your association with Overwatch doesn't matter to me."

"So you would have said yes even if I wasn't Tracer?"

"Where is this coming from?" Emily turned back to face the brunette, a look of slight concern on her face. "Is there something you want to talk about? Is it because of the poster because my friends gave that to me as a joke—"

"I just… I have to be sure that you like me for me, and not because of Overwatch."

Emily approached the brunette, taking her hands gently. "I said yes to Lena Oxton, and I would have said yes to Lena Oxton even if she wasn't Tracer. I was just surprised you noticed me at all."

"How could I not?"

Emily smiled at that before she leaned in slightly, which immediately made Lena panic and pull away. The redhead seemed to realize her mistake, and she pulled away, releasing Lena's hands.

"Sorry, I thought… I'm sorry, I should have asked first…" Emily was becoming increasingly flustered, which only made her Irish accent heavier. "I'm just going to check on the food."

Lena watched the redhead, her heart pounding. She would be lying if she said she didn't want to kiss Emily, but that… that was a level of intimacy she had never achieved with anyone before.

"Food's ready," Emily said, pulling Lena from her thoughts. The redhead set a plate in front of Lena before sitting down herself. "I hope you like it."

Lena picked up her fork, beginning to eat. "This is amazing."

"Really?"

Lena nodded, continuing to eat. "The only thing I can make without the threat of burning the kitchen down is tea."

Emily laughed, a sound that Lena had a definite interest in hearing again. "Well, that is certainly good to know."

The brunette glanced back up at her companion, soon finding herself unabashedly staring.

Emily soon noticed, pausing in her eating. "Do I have something on my face?"

"I didn't mean to offend you earlier… you know, when you tried to…"

Emily colored lightly, accentuating the freckles on her face. "I'm sorry again, I shouldn't have tried to—"

"I want to kiss you."

"… Right now?"

"N-no… well, maybe… I mean… I want to kiss you eventually. It's just… I wasn't expecting… I've just never… I've never actually kissed anyone before."

"Never?"

Lena shook her head, watching as Emily tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Maybe… maybe you would let me… try it on you?"

Emily gave her a look, though she was smiling. "I thought you said you didn't want to right now."

"… If I don't do it now, I don't know if I'll ever be brave enough to do it."

The redhead smiled again, leaning in a bit before she said, "All right, give me your best shot then."

Lena paused for a few moments before she leaned in hesitantly and pressed a gentle kiss to Emily's lips. They were softer than Lena had anticipated, and she found that her concerns about doing it right began to melt away. Kissing Emily felt almost like second nature, and the brunette was reluctant to pull away.

"Can… can we do that again?" Lena asked, her heart pounding.

Emily grinned, bringing a hand up and running it through Lena's hair, something Lena found that she enjoyed immensely. "I think that can be arranged."