The sky was gold where the sun met the horizon as Tracy stepped out of the house, the cool air tickling her neck. A sweet aroma floated out from the door, inside the Pyro was busy in the kitchen. Whatever it was it smelled delicious.

Engineer followed her out the door, a small smile on his lips as he led his way to the truck, the dim light shining off of his helmet. After everyone had put their things away, he had invited her to help him look around in the sheds he had mentioned earlier. Apparently Engineer had something in mind to help their French teammate get around in the meantime while they worked on their more permanent solution.

Jumping in the passenger seat, Tracy lit a cigarette as the Texan climbed inside and started the truck. Despite the smooth flavor, she knew she should stop, but it really felt like the only thing keeping her from having an anxiety attack. Keeping everything balled up inside her was taking a toll, but at least this would keep her hands, and more importantly her mind busy. It was a very short drive, they could have walked in her opinion, but she also enjoyed sitting down and resting her feet. Tracy was procrastinating obviously, she was very aware. She just hated the thought of turning on her team, even if it was a direct order.

Tapping the ash off her cigarette, she blew a cloud out the open window, watching the smoke slowly rise before being snatched up by the wind. Licking her lips, she decided to interrupt the comfortable silence.

"What are we looking for exactly?"

Perking up, he caught her eye before turning back to the road. "Ah, well, if they're still sittin' somewhere, I should have a few prototypes lyin' around. The lil doohicky 'round his neck we made should be easy to tweak. I got somethin' in mind as an attachment, hopefully it's still where Ah left it."

As they approached the building, she noted how bright red the paint was, however chipped and weathered it was. Just like the smaller barn, there were metal tables filled with tools and spare parts, but they were lining the front and sides of the barn. The grass surrounding the barn had been trampled down, creating paths through the grain. Attached to the barn were once stables, turned into a garage. A single RED truck sat in one of the stalls, covered in layers of dust. He slowly pulled their vehicle into another stall, a strange feeling falling over the Thief.

"So the barns are color coded?" She mentioned as he opened the driver side.

Engineer hesitated, turning back to her. "Err... I suppose."

"Does that mean that... he.. could...?" She let the question hang, fiddling with the cigarette in her fingers. Last time the two Engineers had interacted, it wasn't exactly friendly.

A little relief passed over his face, waving away her concern. "Oh! Nah, I doubt he'd come 'round here. Only been a handful of times we ever crossed paths outside of work... And if he did, Ah was here first." The two jumped out of the truck, stepping back out into the light.

"What happened when you guys did bump into each other?" Curiosity wrenched that out of her mouth. She wanted to cover her face, wondering why she needed to ask at that moment.

A small wrinkle formed on his brow, "It was a might awkward... First time it happened, Ah had a feelin' he'd show up. I don't know why, just a coincidence I'd reckon. We ended up decidin' he'd stay in this barn fer the night, and Ah'd stay in the other. We both ended up leavin' in the morning, didn't wanna stick around too long."

It was strange, but she felt a little reassurance at that. That nightmare she had that one night made all the more sense now. But if that was true, then...?

"Was it our RED Engineer specifically?"

They had been approaching the door of the barn, where he took out an old key. Unlocking the door, he turned to give her a frown. "Where are ya goin' with this?"

"I'm just asking if he was the one we've been fighting, or one from another RED team?"

He absorbed her words, opened his mouth, then shut it before thinking them over once more.

"Actually... I didn't ask."

Opening the door, Tracy was greeted by the smell of dust, oil, hay, and barn animals. Flicking on the lights, she was surprised by the layout. Part of the barn had been a workshop, filled with nuts and bolts, inventions partly constructed, and rolls of rolls of blueprints lying in stacks. Everything was covered in a layer of grime from months or possible years of disuse. She was only slightly shocked when she saw a group of bats flee from the sudden light, fluttering out broken slat windows. The other side of the barn held a small group of cows, each in their own stall.

Distracted from her previous questions for the moment, as another one bubbled to the surface. "Who's taking care of these cows while you're gone?"

Walking through the barn, they approached the animal stalls. The closer they got, the more she realized these cows were massive. While she had never seen a real cow in her life, she knew they weren't necessarily the size of a hippopotamus. She flinched when the Texan reached out to pet the massive creature, who loving bellowed in response. "...and how are they so big?" She squeaked.

"Ah, this was one of my granddad's experiments. You might see the Scout running around with a bottle of what these babies make." He gave the cow another pat. "Well, Mann Co. wanted to break into the dairy industry with somethin' more powerful than regular milk so they commissioned him. They wanted him to expose the cows to radiation, first few dozen ended up dyin', til' he infused one of em with Australium. The calfs survived, almost too well, these cows been alive seventy years over their limit. Sold mosta their brood to Mann Co. but we kept these."

"So they have Australium IN them?"

"Tiny microscopic amounts in their blood, yeah. Wanna try some a' their milk?" He reached into one of the stalls, grabbing a bucket. She was slightly terrified as she watched him get beside the monstrously size creature. Tracy didn't know if cows kicked like horses, but she didn't want to find out. It took less than a minute to her relief, as he left the stall. Reluctantly, she took the bucket offered and took a small sip.

It tasted like... milk. Sort of. There was definitely something off about it. But it was so subtle she couldn't put her numb finger on it.

"Uh," She handed him the bucket back, shaking her hand. "I don't think milk is supposed to make my left arm tingle."

"Yeah..." He cringed, setting the bucket down. "I guess that's why the boy just throws it. Anyways, the cows 'er fine, this whole barn is automated to feed and care fer' em."

With that, he moved onto the other side of the barn, pulling out old boxes and crates to peer inside. Tracy dawdled for a moment, unsure of what to do with herself. She always felt like she needed someone else to direct her, even when she was back home. Despite being the 'leader' she took most of her cues from Victor. It was easy for her to get caught up in their excitement, blinding her better thinking. Shaking her head, she hesitated only a second before stepping beside her teammate to help sort through the contents.

Together they pulled heavy crates and tool boxes from under tables and shelves into the light, peering into their dusty contents. Engineer waved away the particles floating in the air, disturbed by the movement. He grumbled as he sorted through them, counting under his breath. It looked like pieces to the mechanical arm under that glove of his, some half built, many different prototypes that had been used and broken. Tossing broken and old parts aside, he grabbed one of the few that was mostly intact, only missing the pinkie and ring finger.

Dropping it into her hands, he turned and grabbed a few loose pieces, shoving the toolbox back underneath the table as far as he could. The old machinery was cold and coated in grime, but aside from the missing fingers it looked to be in good shape. Helping him push aside the other boxes, he turned to give the barn one more look. Tracy couldn't see his eyes, but the gaze gave her the impression he missed this place. That even thought they were there, he was already counting the days til they were gone and he'd be thinking of home again. She had stopped counting at this point, not sure if she would ever go home at all.

The ride back was short and comfortably quiet, the only sound being the engine and the dirt under their wheels. The sun had finally fell below the horizon, a cool breeze leaving pin pricks on their skin. As the Thief stepped out of the truck, she noticed the soft sound of crickets, something she realize she hadn't heard in awhile. Harvest had once been a farm, but all the gunfire had chased off the wildlife, leaving it barren. She had been so used to the lifelessness she had simply not noticed.

Stepping inside the house, they were hit by a wave of heat and smells, the stew Pyro had been preparing earlier must have been done. Setting down their cargo, the two walked into the kitchen and were greeted by their teammates, just sitting down at the long table. Medic sat at one side, spoon set into his bowl, with the Spy sat on the table next to him. The Pyro sat at the other, perking up at the sight of them. Grabbing their own bowls, they took their seats at the table and dug into the meal prepared for them. It was a meaty broth, heavy with chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes. The warmth ran through her limbs, filling her with drowsiness. The southerner was the first to stand from the table, yawning loudly as he announced he was heading up to his room. She hoped he would get some rest, as far as she knew the Engineer hadn't had any rest since the night before, and sleeping in that chair was definitely not healthy for your back.

Pyro was the next to finish. Tracy had been so distracted by eating her own that she hadn't noticed they were done until they got up from the table. It just occurred to Tracy she had never seen the Pyro eat before, even though they were the cook. Although now that she thought more about it, being the cook left the Pyro alone to eat as they worked, but she had definitely seen the Pyro sit down for meals before. They must have been really subtle about eating in front of them. She wanted to ask why, what could be under that mask that was so bad? But she was afraid, mostly of how the Pyro would react.

Blinking, she was shaken from her thoughts as Spy coughed, a sullen frown on his face. God, the poor Spy. Everytime she thought of him all she could feel was sorrow. She avoided looking at him, not only for her benefit but also because she knew he would hate the look of pity in her eyes.

It must be awful sitting there, unable to move, completely helpless. His only blessing was he didn't need to breath, at least not in the traditional way. He couldn't even light his own cigarettes, something he must have been jonesing for right about now. Standing up, Tracy moved to a seat closer to the pair, and as much as it pained her she reached out and pulled the Spy across the table to her side. The Medic raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"You think you can have some soup?" Tracy tried, dipping her spoon into the broth. It wasn't much, but maybe he might enjoy the flavor?

He rolled his eyes, his brow furrowing. It was quite strange sitting there, observing him. He looked quite like the old 'head-on-a-platter' gag. "And how exactly do you suppose I eat it? My throat doesn't go anywhere, if I have to remind you."

Frowning, she pulled the spoon out of the bowl and presented it to him. "You can spit it out if you want to, I just figured you might want to taste something other than ash after so long."

Spy paused, staring at the warm brown liquid. She could practically watch the gears turning in his head as he weighed between his pride and a spoonful of soup. Eventually, and begrudgingly, he opened his mouth. Tracy was slightly tempted to ham it up, pretending the spoon was a plane to fly it into his mouth, but thought better of it. Even if she wanted to, she just didn't have the balls. Gently, she guided the spoon onto his tongue, letting the Spy take the lead. The expression on his face as the flavor hit him was more than enough thanks. Pulling the spoon from his mouth, the Thief grabbed a napkin and held it against his lips. They repeated this process a few more times until the Spy gagged, accidentally trying to swallow the liquid by accident. Tracy and Medic couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face, quickly quelled by the scowl that replaced it.

"I think that's enough, don't want to tempt fate again now do we?" The German gently scooped the head into his arms, "I think I should retire, we have a long road..." He held the Spy up ghoulishly, "A-head of us!"

Tracy just looked on in bemused shock at the doctor, listening to the head in his hands spew insults in english and his native tongue. Rubbing her temples, she waited for the two to stop.

"You are NOT funny, puns are the lowest form of comedy. And-!"

"Anyvays, be a dear and clean this up for me? I'm going to prepare for bed." Medic spoke over the frenchman, gesturing to the bowl and silverware on the table before walking upstairs. Tracy watched him climb the old steps, the wood creaking as he made his way up.

Finding herself to the be the last at the table, the Thief quickly gulped down the last of the stew and stacked the bowls on top of each other. Carrying the entire load to the sink nearby, it was a quick rinse before being set down to dry on some towels. She had never been in a house so open before, there were practically no walls save for the bathrooms. The semi-transparent white curtains gave the home a delicate touch, it was strange but Tracy felt as if there should be many more people in this house. Engineer had mentioned his father had gotten him into this job, it was something of a tradition in his family, so she wondered where he could be. Or where his mother was, for that matter. But then again, it as quite possible they simply passed away and if so, she didn't want to open old wounds by prying.

She suddenly became aware that this was an opportunity to sneak around, but the call of her bed as so enthralling, the warmth in her belly made her incredibly drowsy. These were the excuses she gave herself as she climbed up the steps to the second floor. She just wanted this one night, this one night to pretend she didn't have to steal from one of her friends. She could feel a bit of that familiar anxiety welling up inside, the little tremble in her hands. She had to, just had to, but not tonight. If there was one thing she was good at, it was putting this off.

The Engineer's door was closed, the guest room across was cracked open. From inside she could see the two beds separated by a nightstand holding a small gas powered lamp, giving it a warm atmosphere. Pyro was already lying in one, back facing the door, their shoulders rising and falling steadily. Their friendly German doctor had changed into a nice pair of pajamas, she noticed there was cute little pill pattern across the fabric. He was sitting up in bed, busy reading a book he rested in his hands. Beside the Medic's bed was a small dresser, where one of the drawers as pulled out. The Spy sat, resting on top of a pillow in the drawer, a lit cigarette between his lips. From the foot of the stairs, she could just barely hear the Medic murmuring, something she eventually realized was the doctor reading aloud. It wasn't very often she witnessed his more caring side. For a moment Tracy just stood there, happy to just watch.

She only stood there a minute more before she worried about someone noticing. Tip-toeing as quietly as she could across the creaky floorboards, the Thief made her way into her room and quietly shut the door behind her.

Being in an unfamiliar room always made her feel a little uncomfortable, but she did her best to try and ignore it. Slipping off her shoes and untying the hoodie from her waist, she fell back onto the bed and spread out, stretching her limbs out to their limit. Taking this moment to relax, Tracy laid her head on the musty pillow, and within a few minutes, found herself drifting off...

THUMP! She was startled by a noise that seemingly came from beside her. Bolting upright, the Thief scanned her room, finding nothing amiss. Again, she heard a thump, this time she could recognize it was coming from another room. Heart racing, she grabbed her trusty screwdriver from her suitcase and gently opened her door. Peering outside, she noted the door to the guest bedroom was closed, no light coming from the crack under the door. It may have felt only like a second for Tracy, but it must have been at least an hour or more. Otherwise, nothing else had been disturbed. Carefully, she quietly tip toed across the floor, standing in the middle of the room. She was just waiting for there to be another noise.

BAM! Tracy flinched before looking for where the cacophony originated, turning towards the room beside her own. Taking hold of the door knob, she hesitated a moment before trying the door. She wasn't sure if he was awake or if someone was attacking, but either way she wanted to be quiet.

The room was dark, but she could tell the decor very similar to her own, but far more lived in. Maps and blueprints were taped to the walls, a desk near the door covered in papers and miscellaneous parts half put together. A bookcase against the far wall held textbooks and family photos, the dust haphazardly wiped from their faces. Old brown curtains covered the windows, blocking the moonlight peering through the cracks. In the bed at the middle of the far wall slept the Texan, his back facing her. He was wrapped in his covers, softly groaning.

Gently, she placed a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him. After a few seconds of this only making him roll around, she grabbed him and shook a bit harder, trying not to hurt him. She could feel him tense under her fingers as he struggled to consciousness, wrenching himself from her grasp. He practically lept from the bed as he pulled away, a shadow turning him into a silhouette in the darkness. Gulping for air, Tracy noticed his hand shaking, only one. His right hand, which was usually gloved, was just a smooth stump at the middle of his forearm. The hand he still had wrapped around the stump, rubbing the area soothingly.

"A-Are you alright?" Tracy asked lightly, afraid to step forward. She rarely had any nightmares herself, but the few she had shook her every time.

It took him a minute for the Engineer to get his bearings, gulping in breaths of air. After a moment, his shoulders untensed. He sat back down on the bed, his breath still shaky. His left hand still rubbed at that stump, scratching lightly at the center. It was hard to see, but she could tell he was looking in her direction. Taking a deep breath, he finally replied.

"Y'know back when we were in that van, and Ah told ya about mah hand?" He gestured to it, one of the few things she could clearly see by moonlight. Tracy took a step forward and sat down on a corner of the bed, biting her lip. Instead of speaking, she simply nodded, not wanting to interrupt him.

"Forgive me, I wasn't bein' entirely truthful... Ah didn't lose my hand to a compress, I lost it in battle."

"This was back in Teufort, b'fore we were sent to Badwater. RED had mounted their entire team against the base, casualties were high, Respawn was workin' overtime. Back then our... copies weren't stocked up. We managed to hold them back, but not without losin' everyone first."

"At the very least I can say I kilt' every last one of them son-bitches. Except one." He clenched his fist, taking a deep breath before running his hand down his skull, wiping away the sweat.

"Their Soldier managed to fire a rocket just as he died, damagin' my sentry. I thought I'd have time to grab some metal and make repairs since mah mini-turret was still up. Just as Ah was about to head upstairs to respawn their Heavy came around the corner and tanked the bullets from my mini and makin' short work of the sentry."

He cringed as he went on, a deep grimace on his lips. "Ran to Respawn, had a teleporter there goin' down to intel. Ah figured I'd either lose 'em down there or Ah could take 'em. Thought he was more injured than he really was, figured gettin' in close with my shotgun would do the trick. He's big but the boy's got faster reflexes than I anticipated. He came 'round the corner and took it right outta mah hands."

"Took out my wrench, but he already knew what I was goin' for. He grabbed it and..."

He slammed his stump down on the nightstand beside the bed, the sound reverberating around the room as he gripped the antique wood, his hand wrapping around his throat. Tracy shivered, dread crawling up her spine.

"He shoved my own wrench down my throat. I can still feel mah jaw dislocatin', my teeth crackin' from the forced. I probably swallowed a few on the way down." He gripped his throat a little harder, a small laugh bubbling up from deep inside. Was he trying to lighten the mood? Put her at ease? She struggled to swallow down a lump in her throat, her fingers digging into her thighs.

"Had me pinned to the wall, whole time I was just prayin' someone would come out of Respawn just in the nick of time. When he started rippin' my fingers off, Ah pretty much stopped hoping. Ah don't know how long he went at it. All I remember was screamin'. Surprised I didn't die drownin' in my own blood."

"Woke up days later, Medic was the first to come outta Respawn and managed to stabilize me. Due to shortages, he wasn't permitted to... put me outta my misery. Parta me thinks he just wanted to play plastic surgeon. He fixed my jaw, pumped the teeth outta my stomach and put em' back in my mouth. My hand though... it was just too badly damaged. Sawbones had to amputate."

Tracy's mouth opened, a question on the tip of her tongue, but she was afraid of pushing him too far. He must have recognized the look on her face, predicting her question.

"I'm guessing you're wonderin' why I haven't just respawned? Miss Pauling took your blood, right?" The Thief nodded, "Respawn has gone through multiple upgrades throughout the years, the most recent takes your exact genetic code, the precise form you had when that sample was taken. By the time that was operational and fully tested, I found some old blueprints..."

He paused, his sentence trailing off as he gazed towards the desk opposite of the bed. Sat in the middle, illuminated by the moon, were two different Gunslingers. One she recognized as the one they took from the barn, the other she knew he had taken off to sleep for the night.

"Figured the metal hand was better than the flesh. Steel can't feel pain now can it?" His chuckle was dry and devoid of humor. Despite herself, Tracy felt a tear fall down her cheek. Quickly, she wiped it away. She didn't want to offend him. Shifting to face her, his shoulders finally relaxed, a wavering smile on his lips. For the first time she had came into the room, his entire face was finally visible. It took her a second to realized that the Engineer wasn't wearing his goggles.

It made sense not to wear them while you were sleeping, of course. But it was just one of the few things the Thief assumed she'd never get to see, like a unicorn or a rainbow. Those goggles had always been a constant for both of the Texans. Seeing one without them was utterly bizarre.

She couldn't help but stare at him, until she finally noticed what was throwing her off.

His right eye was brown, his left eye was blue. For a second she thought the light was playing tricks on her, or that his position simply blocked the moonlight. Tracy had never seen eyes like his before in her entire life, and she wasn't sure if she ever would again.

"...beautiful..."

He cocked an eyebrow, not quite catching her. "Hm?"

"Nothing!" Her face burned red, wondering why she couldn't control herself as she had earlier. She thanked god she had mumbled it under her breath, rubbing her temples to try and hide her embarrassment.

Wiping the expression off of her face, Tracy looked back up at the Engineer, biting her lip. "Listen, Engie–"

"Y'know, you can call me Dell when we're not on the job."

She opened her mouth, hesitating before she began again.

"Um, Dell..." It felt so strange to say his name. She had always known it, but their titles were so ingrained into her mind it was the first thing she thought of when putting a name to them. But she thought she could get used to it. "I know how it feels to wake up after a nightmare. If you want... I could stay until you fall back asleep."

Why did she ask that? He was a grown man, why would he want someone hovering over him while he was trying to sleep? He wasn't a child. Memories of her mother coming in at night after she woke up crying ran around in her minds eye. The way her mother would walk in and hold her until she stopped sobbing, and would gently pet her back until she fell back to sleep. Tracy missed her mother. She wished she could ask for some sort of advice, something that would make everything Tracy had to so much clearer. But would she even know how to handle this, put in the same situation? She wanted to steal the question back, wishing she never opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry, that was stupid..." She cringed, clenching her fists tightly.

It took a moment for Dell to respond, a bit of surprise on his face as he considered what she offered. She clenched her eyes shut, recoiling at her own ineptitude.

"I don't see why not."

Her eyes opened as she felt the bed shift. Reorganizing and untangling the blankets, Dell slipped under the sheets and laid his head down on the pillow, giving her a lazy but playful smile. The Thief couldn't help but smile back, a little overwhelmed by his response. Letting him get comfortable, Tracy shifted her position on the bed. For a long moment, there was just silence.

Closing her eyes, she couldn't help but begin thinking of home, and a song her mother would sometimes sing to her after her nightmares, helping her fall back to sleep. She began to recount the melody in her head, mouthing the words to herself.

"Why do you whisper, green grass?

Why tell the tress what ain't so?
Whispering grass, the trees don't have to know

No, no
Why tell them all your secrets?

Who kissed there long ago
Whispering grass, the trees don't need to know
Don't you tell it to the trees"

"That's a nice song..." Dell whispered, startling her. She turned to see him looking at her, the smile still present on his lips. Had she began singing that out loud? His smile transformed into a grin, gesturing for her to continue with a nod.

"She will tell the birds and bees

And everyone will know
Because you told the blabbering trees

Yes, you told them once before
It's no secret anymore
Why tell them all the old things?
They're buried under the snow
Whispering Grass, don't tell the trees
'Cause the trees don't need to know..."