That week, Sienna died.

Well, not literally.
But I'd argue that I'm damn close.

Sprawled out on the courtyard grass in the setting sunlight, battered and bruised and aching all over, Sienna couldn't bring herself to move.
Why, oh why, did I ask Jack Morrison... the 'infamous' Soldier 76...to train me...
The warmth of the day was fading now, but she was too physically exhausted to bring herself to get up and head to her next training session.

Behind her closed lids, the orange backlight suddenly disappeared as a shadow was cast over her. Raising a week arm and reluctantly opening her eyes, the half-man half-omnic stood over her, a faint green glow illuminating him.

'Hey Genji.' Sienna said, her voice sounding just as dead as she felt. Closing her eyes again for just a moment, she felt him sit quietly down next to her.
'Sorry. Am I late? I'll be ready in a moment, I just need to take a slight break for a few minutes'

The ninja chuckled and turned to look at Sienna lying on the ground next to him, waving a dismissing hand. 'You're not late, I just thought you looked comfy down here.'
He paused, stretching his legs on the grass, and the clicking of metal resounded in the air.
'So, Jack's training was that hard today was it?'

Unable to turn more than just her head to face him, Sienna looked up with her dark eyes.
'Jack's training is this hard every day. It's just finally caught up with me'

At first, her words sounded just depressing, but as she tilted her head back up to the sky, she couldn't help but grin, feeling Genji laughing beside her.

Deciding it would be rude to keep her swordmaster sensei waiting, she dragged her arms behind her and pushed her weight up - only to find Genji pushing her back down again with two fingers against her chest.

'No training today, I am cancelling today's session.'
Looking out over the courtyard walls, the sun had already disappeared behind the cityscape, the light turning his armour a soft shade of pink. Settling comfortably down, the half-omnic took in the gorgeous view, ignoring the shocked look on Sienna's face. 'There is only so much you can learn over such a short period of time, Sienna.'

Utterly surprised at his words, Sienna fought against his hand and sat up immediately, facing him.

'Genji, wait, please! I'm okay. I can train. I promise I'm fine.' she pleaded, terrified of losing her new teacher - hating the thought that she had just blown everything.

Soldier 76 had done a fine job of teaching her the basics of dual blade weilding, but had suggested that Sienna sought out Genji for more advanced technique. He was, after all, a master swordsman.
And so, every day, after her crossbow and close combat training with Jack, she would meet Genji to spar if he was free - something that he seemed genuinely happy to oblige her with.

But this time, he refused, looking away from her to the soft sunset.

'Sienna, you are only human. Although I am not completely any more, I remember what it was like to be that exhausted. You will learn nothing like this.'

'But Genji-'

'Tomorrow, Sienna. You must be healed, first.' He interrupted, his robotic voice managing to convey both firmness and kindness at the same time - and Sienna couldn't help but be reminded of his own master, Zenyatta.

Leaning back on the grass, she let her eyes close again, annoyed but understanding his decision. Frustration coursed through her, and her fingernails subconsciously ripped out chunks of the grass beside them.

'I can't afford to waste time like this...' Sienna mumbled into the ground, quiet enough that she expected her sensei not to hear - but at the same time forgetting his robotically enhanced senses.

Her words piqued his curiosity, and he turned away from the silhouetted cityscape; the green light from his visor shining down onto the brunette.
'I have wanted to ask this for a while, Sienna. Why are you in such a rush to learn?'

As soon as she heard the question, a cold sweat came over her, and her heart sank. How am I supposed to answer that?

Opening her eyes, she found Genji leaning over her, as if examining her intently through his visored gaze. Sienna closed them again immediately.

'Um, well...'

Just tell the truth, Sienna. Say what you can.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and began to speak, slowly and cautiously... But the more she spoke the more the words just flooded out, like a dam had been opened in her heart.

'I want to be able to protect everyone at Overwatch. Every second I've spent here, since the very beginning, I've been welcomed like one of you... And the more and more I get to know everybody here, the less I want to see them hurt. You are all so, so selfless - every single person I've met here truly cares. About the world, about each other - about doing good . I want to be able to fight... I need to be able to fight to save what is important to me.
And...'

Sienna choked up on her words, feeling her emotions coming to a peak. Raising an arm to her eyes so Genji wouldn't see the tears beginning to form, she swallowed and continued.
'If I don't learn soon, there might not be anyone important left for me to save.'

With a single tear streaming down her face, Sienna couldn't bear to move her arm away from her face. The embarrassment was eating her up ftom the inside, and she could feel Genji still watching her, judging her until-

A cool, metal hand placed itself softly on her forehead, brushing lightly against her forearm.

'Thank you, Sienna.'

And suddenly it wasn't embarrassing anymore. It was as if Zenyatta was nearby, calming her... but the courtyard was empty except for the two of them.

Like master like pupil.

A bubble of slow calmness enveloped her, and she cautiously slid her arm down, wiping her eyes and peering up at Genji - but he wasn't watching her any longer. With one hand still gently on her forehead, he leaned to his right and dug into a small satchel, pulling out a flat, wooden box that he placed on his lap.

Despite his covered face, Sienna could hear the smile in Genji's voice when he spoke next.
'Today would have been only the fifth day since we started sparring, however you have progressed quicker than I could ever have imagined.'

Looking up from the box to her, Sienna could feel the pride emanating from him, and she couldn't help but blush, still aware of her damp face.

'And' continued Genji, smiling deeply under his mask, 'I understand why that is, now.'

Finding now a good time to sit up, Sienna heaved herself onto her arms, propping herself up and wiping her face - only to find her swordmaster handing her the box from his lap.

'G-Genji? What's this?' Honestly puzzled, Sienna hesitated before taking the box in both her rough hands, running her calloused fingers over the dark wood. Her emotions forgotten, she stared at the box.
It was smooth and heavy, and clearly valuable - but that didn't mean anything to Sienna. Is he really giving this to me? A... Gift?

'I was planning to give this to you when the time was right, and you had earned it.' Genji said, with tint of embarrassment in his voice himself.

Turning slowly to look at her now, he tilted his head and Sienna could feel the warmth emanating from him; friendly and trusting - as if she had known him for a lifetime.

'But now I know you've already earned it. Go on, open it'

Hastily closing her jaw which had somehow ended up open, Sienna flushed bright red. She hadn't expected anything like this, and her fingers fumbled lightly with the gold clasp. Lifting up the lock, Sienna was even more shocked.
Two golden, engraved daggers - the size of her hand - lay in the soft velvet lining of the box.

Unable to do anything but gap, she ran her fingers as light as feathers down the blades, feeling the metal as it morphed into the leather handle - intricately carved and embossed.

'Genji... They're beautiful.' she breathed, unable to bear looking away from them. 'I don't know what to say. I... I-'
Snapping the lid shut, Sienna turned to face him, and took the box in both her hands, placing it back in his.
'I can't accept these. Thank you, but this is too much. You've already done so much for me, I can't accept anything else.'
Receiving no response except his gaze, she pushed the box further into his hands and tried once more. 'Please.'

But before she could force his gift back to him any harder, he leapt up onto his feet, landing as gracefully as a cat. Blinking rapidly, Sienna could feel him grinning under his mask.

'Ha! If you can catch me now, I'll take them back - so farewell, Sienna!'

Leaping to her feet, she wasn't quite fast enough to reach out to him as he vaulted over the wall and onto the roof of the compound with ease, gone in seconds.
Her legs tensed to follow, but the weight of the box in her hand stopped her.
I can't put this anywhere, and I need both my hands...

'Damn you Genji, this was your plan the whole time' Sienna laughed, quickly getting over it. Deciding it wouldn't do any good to keep trying to return it, she opened the box again, lifting out one of the daggers and removing its sheath.

On closer inspection, they were just as gorgeous as they had been at first sight. They were weighted but light, clearly made to be a hidden, last defence - with the potential to be thrown, too.
But Sienna cringed at the idea of throwing them. 'I wouldn't be able to bear losing them...'

At the same time, she couldn't imagine a scenario where she would be without both her swords and her crossbow - even as a last defence, Sienna was sure she'd still have her dual blades.

'When I finish my training, I'll get my own weapons - and they won't leave my sight. But these...'
As she spoke, ideas kept rushing into her head.

'With these, I can keep them on me at all times... Jack, well, he doesnt have to know, right.' She asked herself, feeling mischievous.
'Besides, he'll probably call them 'unnecessary'.'

Placing the daggers back in the box, Sienna started off back towards her room, limping slightly, with (thankfully) no training session to get to anymore.

Unable to stop herself as she walked, Sienna opened the box again and again just to look at them, and finding herself smiling like an idiot every time.
With all the loaned items, clothes, weapons, and even her room in the headquarters, it hit Sienna why they made her so happy.
'This is the first thing here that is truly mine.'

And for the first time since she arrived, with the daggers by her side, Sienna began to feel a bit more positive. Her bones ached and her fingers shook, but Sienna had never felt more optimistic in her life.