To Ana, being home was a source of immense happiness and comfort. With Overwatch demanding so much of her time that returning home even once a year was a struggle, Ana was eager to pull herself away from all the responsibility and pressure, shed the Strike Captain's cloak, and just be…Ana. To be herself. To let down her guard and be able to close her eyes without worrying about the next emergency, which would ruin the next few days of her life. To walk and not feel the weight of the world on her shoulders, even for the shortest moment.

Home was a place for Ana to relax. A sanctuary. But it seemed to have become a thing of the past.

Kamilah – her beautiful, patient wife – had always striven to keep the peace within their household. Ana could tell her prolonged absences was wearing on Kamilah, slowly and surely, but her wife always let off steam in long-winded nagging or heated bickering, before letting Ana off the hook with a simple promise or a tweak of the nose. Kamilah loved her wife, as Ana did her, and she was willing to tolerate a few dissatisfactions for the sake of harmony, recognising that Ana was trying her best as well.

Fareeha, on the other hand…

"Have you even considered other choices, Fareeha?" Ana asked, and bit down a sigh when that frown creased her daughter's forehead – again. Not a good sign. "There are so many things you can do, instead of joining the army."

"Why do you keep trying to change my mind?" Fareeha replied, the effort at sounding civil obvious in her tone.

"I'm not trying to change your mind. I'm just pointing out that you still have plenty of choices right now," Ana said calmly. "You're only 19. You still have time to explore, to see what you want to do with your life. Personally, I think you should go to a university first–"

"But why waste my time when I already know what I want to do," Fareeha pointed out.

"Because it can do you good. Even I got my degree first."

"In military science. And you joined the army in the end. Besides, mama's done everything without a degree."

Kamilah glanced up from her plate, at which she'd staring. "I would've studied if I had the luxury, Fareeha. It'll be good for you to study when you can. Like ami's saying, you should get a degree before–"

"Now you're just ganging up on me," Fareeha accused. "Why won't the two of you just accept my decision!"

"Fareeha," Ana stepped in, anger simmering below the surface at Fareeha's petulance. "You have the time, and we have the money. You can choose anywhere you want to go – you can even go to a university overseas. I just want you to think this over. This will be good for your future–"

"You keep saying that!" Fareeha had raised her voice, and Ana's brows drew together in a frown. "I know what I want my future to be, and I've been preparing myself for it! Literally the entire family's been in the army, and you're all doing just fine!"

"You don't understand what it's like," Ana growled. "You don't know what the army requires of you, takes from you. You have no idea the kind of sacrifice it'll force you to make–"

"Yeah, I have no idea!" Fareeha talked over her. "And guess what? It's because I'm not in the army yet."

"You are not ready for it," Ana declared, raising her voice to match her daughter's.

"No." A sneer curved Fareeha's lips. "I see now. You don't want me to overtake you, don't you?"

Ana's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What?"

"You're afraid that I'll do well in the army," Fareeha continued, staring back at her mother, poised in challenge. "You don't want me to take your place in the future, do you?"

Hand clenched into a fist, Ana said lowly, "You don't know what it's like to be in my position."

"And you talk big like the rest of them!" Fareeha said, deliberately loud. "You make your life sound oh so dramatic, but I won't let you–"

Ana didn't give her daughter a chance to finish, anger bursting to life at the sheer cheek of this girl. "That's enough! Go to your room, now!"

"You can't order me–!"

Rising from her chair, Ana pulled herself up to her full height, glaring at Fareeha. "I said, now!"

Fareeha bared her teeth in anger, and did just as her mother ordered – except she stood with such force, that her chair toppled over. She didn't bother to pick it up, storming away from the dining table as she griped out loud, "I'm not your fucking cadet!"

"Watch your tongue!" Ana shouted after her, watching Fareeha slam a fist on the staircase's railing before stomping up the steps, and finally slamming her door shut.

Wrestling down the urge to knock on Fareeha's door and trash their whole argument out, Ana clenched her jaw and sat back down. She took a deep, calming breath, turning her head to look at Kamilah – and paused. Kamilah was resting her head in one hand, wearing a severe frown with her eyes screwed shut. Ana's heart ached at the sight, and she covered Kamilah's hand gently with her own, but got no reaction.

"Milah?" Ana said, peering at her. "You alright?"

Kamilah didn't move for the longest time. Then her hand fell to the table, eyes opening to stare blankly at the dishes left on the table. Without a word, she pushed her chair back and rose to her feet, slipping her hand from Ana's. Opening her mouth to speak, but finding no breath, Ana just watched as Kamilah walked slowly to the staircase, and climbed up towards their bedroom.

Heaving a quiet sigh, Ana looked back at the half-eaten dinner on the table, and lost her appetite. Feeling hollow, Ana stared for a few moments longer, before moving mechanically to pack their leftovers. She retrieved the containers, and managed to clear her head while packing the food neatly away, storing them in the fridge. Then she took out a teapot and two cups, reaching for her favourite tin of tea leaves in the wall cabinet.

A spot of tea would do them both good, Ana hoped as she set the tea leaves to steep. If not to get Kamilah talking, then at least to smooth things over.

Ana's little plan worked – it warmed Kamilah up to her after a quiet cup together, but they could barely discuss Fareeha before switching to another topic of conversation. A diversion they needed, to be sure, and though the matter still weighed heavily on their minds, they managed to find a peaceful moment together, Kamilah resting her head against Ana's, with her wife's arm around her.

They passed the days in Cairo in similar silence, so to speak. Fareeha's intent to enroll in the army wasn't discussed, and their daughter was more than happy to keep it that way. She stayed at a distance from her parents after that night, but she did give short answers when spoken to by her mothers – mostly Kamilah. Very little words passed between Ana and Fareeha for the two weeks she stayed at home – a longer holiday she'd managed to carve from her schedule, but couldn't enjoy in the end. Only Kamilah's presence soothed her frayed nerves, and it was what kept her anchored as the family traveled back to Zurich with Ana, on their yearly visit to the Overwatch base.

It was an awkward affair. The others picked up on the reticence between Ana and Fareeha quickly, owing to their lack of direct contact and Fareeha staying away from Ana as much as she could. A simple message to Reinhardt helped to set Ana's mind at ease about Fareeha, knowing that her daughter would be well taken care of by the stout Crusader, who was stuck in base due to injuries he'd sustained in the last mission.

With Fareeha occupied, Ana was left with Kamilah to entertain – but that was rather easy. Her wife had recently taken to tidying up Captain Amari's messy workspace, when she wasn't wandering around base or with the Strike Team. And Kamilah was in another bout of 'spring cleaning' in Ana's office, when Ana left to retrieve a duffle bag she'd left in the shooting range, but not before teasing her 'secretary' and getting a smack on her backside.

It left Ana walking with a slight spring in her step for the first time in months, and a polite smile soon accompanied her lighter mood, when she bumped into a young blonde leaving the shooting range. Angela Ziegler seemed surprised by Ana, and her back instinctively snapped straight in the presence of a superior officer.

"Captain Amari."

"At ease, Doctor," Ana returned the greeting, amused by how nervous Angela still seemed. She nodded at the doors sliding shut behind Angela, and said, "Getting some practice?"

Angela glanced briefly at the doors, and gave a thin smile. "Yes, ma'am."

Ana nodded in approval. The young woman had signed up with Overwatch the moment she'd gotten her medical degree, and completed her residency. Angela had taken to the hospital ward like a fish to water, but faced a significant obstacle in mandatory combat training that would prepare her for the field. She'd refused to touch a firearm for the first month, before Torbjorn managed to persuade her to participate in training.

"Good. I appreciate the effort you're making." Ana smiled, turning towards the doors. "Well, I'll see you–"

"Uh, Captain?" Angela had stepped forward, subtly wedging her shoulder between Ana and the doors. "I–, um. I would like to ask you…"

Ana cocked her head. "Yes?"

"I…" Angela's eyes darted to the side, and she seemed to be thinking hard. But her shoulders sagged a little after a moment's thought. "I would like to ask you…if you knew when I will get my first mission."

Ana smiled gently in understanding. "Don't worry about that, Angela. You still have a while to go before we'll send you out into the field. I'll make sure you've had ample time to prepare before then, alright?"

Angela's cheeks coloured slightly, and she nodded. "Thank you, ma'am."

Ana waited as Angela shuffled on her feet, cast a glance back at the doors, before hurrying off with a quiet goodbye. Bemused, Ana stared after the blonde, wondering why she'd acted so…odd. She pondered this mystery for a second, before leaving it alone and palming the door's controls. And she'd strode just a few paces into the range, before she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the only occupied lane in the range.

Fareeha stood with a pistol in both hands, aiming at the target some distance ahead. She'd fired off a shot and paused, lifting the ear muffs from her head. She turned around, then froze in horror when she found Ana standing before her. The air grew tense and heavy, while Fareeha regained some sense and placed the loaded pistol on the counter – flicking the safety on as she did so.

Taking one, two, three steps forward, Ana found her voice as fire sparked to life deep in her gut. "Fareeha Amari–"

"Forget it!" Fareeha said immediately, turning back to her. "I know what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it!"

"Now you just listen here–"

"No, I don't care!" Fareeha side-stepped and gave Ana a wide berth as her mother walked towards her. "I'm tired of being treated like a fucking child by you!"

"Fareeha–!" Ana raised her voice, but Fareeha didn't stay to hear more. Her daughter ran out of the doors, and she was left staring dumbfounded as the doors slid shut again.

She knew where Fareeha had run off to – the fields behind the cadets' barracks. Athena was fully capable of tracking Fareeha's every movement in base and reporting it to Ana in real time, but she chose not to utilise the A.I.'s function. Instead, she made a wise decision to cool her head, walking back to the office where Kamilah was, and telling her wife what she'd just seen. Kamilah took the news well enough, and though she shared Ana's deep concern for their daughter, they decided to leave Fareeha alone for the day, and talk to her at night when their tempers had cooled…somewhat.

Not that it helped. Ana knew full well that her anger would flare again, despite reminding herself all day to keep cool. And when Fareeha walked into their room near midnight, glaring at the corner where her mothers were seated together, Ana felt her own blood boil once more. She cast a glance at Kamilah – who watched Fareeha silently – and stood, taking a deep breath.

"Fareeha." Ana waited, only to be ignored by the girl who was packing her backpack. Fareeha kept her back turned to her mother, throwing her stuff into the bag jerkily, and Ana only grew more indignant as the seconds stretched on. "We need to talk."

It came out forceful, almost like an order, and Fareeha shot a glare over her shoulder. "I'm going to Jesse's."

"You are not going anywhere until we have a talk," Ana emphasised the last words, making it clear that Fareeha wasn't going to fuss or stomp her way out of this. And when Fareeha whirled around in anger, Ana almost wished the girl had just stormed out of the room without having her say.

"We don't have to talk, because I already know what you're going to say," Fareeha ground through her teeth. "You're just going to kick up a bloody fuss just because I was holding a gun – safely, and in practice–"

"You had no authorisation to touch anything in the armoury," Ana reminded her. "And you didn't get my permission."

"Your permission?" Fareeha raised her brows sardonically. "Oh, like the great Captain Amari is ever going to let me touch even a fucking target–"

"Language!" Ana snapped, only to have her daughter roll her eyes. "It's not safe for you to handle a gun when you're not trained."

"Because you refuse to teach me!" Fareeha shouted.

"And I will never teach you, because I never want you to hold one!" Ana matched her volume. "Who let you into the armoury today? And who taught you to hold a gun? Was it Angela?"

"Angela!" Fareeha barked a laugh, dripping with sarcasm. "Angela would rather not touch a gun, much less teach someone else to hold it." Her eyes bore that dangerous, rebellious glint. "Bet you wish I was like her, don't you? Bet you wish I wasn't–"

"You're damn right I do," Ana shot back. "Angela has the right idea, and you're better off following her example. It was Jesse, wasn't it?" She quickly asked before Fareeha could fire back a retort, and her daughter's face blanched, taken aback.

"It wasn't him! Don't you dare do anything to him–"

"I will do whatever I damn well want!" Ana took a step forward, but it only made Fareeha straighten up in defiance.

"That's all you ever do, isn't it?" Fareeha took on that sneer again, and Ana's hands clenched in anger. "You do whatever the hell you want, and everyone else can just accept it or fuck off. You do whatever you want, and that's why you've trained Jesse and hundreds of other cadets, except me. You do whatever you want, and that's why you stay in Zurich all the fucking time, while we have to shut the fuck up and pretend to be happy about it. You don't care about me, and you don't give a single shit about this family anymore–!"

It happened before Ana could even process it – her hand was in the air, palm stinging, while Fareeha's head was turned to the side. The loud smack registered late in Ana's ears, as a hand clamped tightly onto her arm, and yanked her backwards. Ana wrenched her eyes away from Fareeha – who'd dragged a hand over her eyes, stomping over to her backpack – and turned to face Kamilah, who looked stricken. They stared at each other as Fareeha ran out of the room, leaving the door to slide shut behind her.

"Do not do that ever again," Kamilah intoned, voice trembling slightly. Ana caught a dull flash in her eyes. "Do not hit her, ever again. Understand?"

It was as much a threat as a plea, and Ana's throat tightened. "I'm sorry, Milah. I'm sorry," she whispered, growing cold when Kamilah released her arm, walking backwards with stuttering steps. She looked into Kamilah's darkened gaze, and the faint trace of fear in her wife's eyes shocked her into action.

Damn it.

Ana followed after Kamilah, who'd taken another step away from her, before allowing Ana to draw close.

"Milah. I'm sorry. I really am." Ana hesitated, then set her hands on Kamilah's arms, tugging her close. She took comfort in the fact that her wife didn't resist. "I…lost control. I'm sorry. I'll never do it again, I promise. Please," she begged quietly, lifting a hand to cup Kamilah's cheek.

Don't shut yourself from me.

Kamilah didn't respond, and merely stared back into Ana's pleading gaze. She was quiet when Ana held her in an embrace, standing stiffly in her wife's arms for the longest time, before resting her head on Ana's shoulder.

Fareeha didn't return to the room that night. And Kamilah fell asleep with her back facing Ana. Troubled and unable to sleep, Ana lay with her eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling. Then she turned her head to look at Kamilah, heart squeezing in guilt and regret, until she couldn't bear it anymore, and reached out to touch Kamilah's arm tentatively. Uncertainty fell from her the longer she stroked Kamilah's arm, the motion soothing herself as well, and Ana scooted closer, so she could drape an arm over her wife's waist.

She did it gently, though Kamilah still roused soon after. Ana held her breath as Kamilah settled back to sleep, then seemed to notice the arm around her body. A long moment passed, and Ana dared to reach up with her fingertips, tracing over the back of Kamilah's hand, before fingers slipped slowly between her own.

Heart lightening at the sensation, Ana's lips curved in relief, and she shifted even closer to Kamilah's back. And in the early hours of the morning, Ana finally let her eyelids fall shut, drifting off with her wife's warmth for comfort.

Ana was eager to make amends, Kamilah could tell. How could Ana not, when she knew how her wife had grown up? And, to be honest, Kamilah had already forgiven her that night. She knew Ana was not that kind of person, and she recognised how hard her wife was trying to do better – Ana was, after all, affected by Fareeha's words as well. She put much of her work aside in an attempt to spend more time with her family, even if it was only Kamilah who stayed by her side, and she put on a smile that made Kamilah ache inside.

Despite her mother's overtures, Fareeha remained in a dark gloom for the rest of their stay, detaching herself from both mothers, and only returned to Kamilah's side when the time came for their flight home. Fareeha walked right into the departure without saying a word, while her parents were still hugging each other. Ana stared after her, then flashed a smile when Kamilah pecked her on the cheek in farewell.

Kamilah walked into the hall where Fareeha stood, then turned around to get one last look at Ana. A sudden wave of nostalgia hit her as she gazed back at her wife, who stood with one hand in her jacket's pocket, and the other waving goodbye as she wore that silly grin on her face. They were both twenty years younger for the briefest second, before the tinge of grey returned to Ana's temples, and Kamilah could feel the lines on her face which she always complained about.

Pulling on a smile, Kamilah waved back.

Kamilah's heart was set more at ease when they returned to Cairo, and went on with their lives as usual. Fareeha drew close to her mother again, and though she was still as hard-headed and prone to trouble as before, she did seem mellower around Kamilah – which was expected, considering how far she'd…drifted from her other parent. Still, Kamilah was glad to have Fareeha talking with her as much as before, and she did notice her daughter cleaning the Overwatch posters in her room every week, even the posters of Ana.

Months passed without much incident – barring the times Kamilah had to go to Fareeha's school – and when finals drew near, Fareeha finally spoke to her about the one sore subject that Kamilah was still hesitant to broach with her.

"I think I wanna study engineering," Fareeha said over her place of rice, voice a little dull.

Kamilah's heart lightened at the news, though she kept her relief in check at the sight of Fareeha's unenthused expression. "Are you sure?"

"Do I have a choice?" Fareeha half-rolled her eyes.

"I mean, I am happy that you want to study. But it might be difficult if you don't really want to…"

"Yeah, I want to," Fareeha sighed. "I guess the army can wait while I…see what I wanna do."

"That's good," Kamilah said eagerly. Fareeha had never wanted to discuss this before, limiting it to brief, non-committal chats with her mother, but she sounded quite certain . "You should take the chance to study before you start working."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Do you have any university that you're aiming for?"

"I don't know. I'll look into it." Fareeha shrugged, scooping a large serving of rice and beef into her mouth. "Nothing beats putting more stress on myself before finals."

"Don't worry, Fareeha." Kamilah clasped her on the wrist. "Just concentrate on your exams, then worry about what comes next, alright?"

"Mm." Fareeha downed half of her soda in one go. "Bet you're damn happy about it."

"Of course I'm 'damn' happy about it," Kamilah said. "I would've given anything to be able to study at your age. Instead, I had to–"

"Join the army. Yeah, I know. Some people have all the luck in the world."

"Bad luck, yes." Kamilah leaned in, setting a hand on Fareeha's head. "You're very fortunate, Fareeha. You have the choice to keep studying, and you have parents who can support you."

"Ugh, I know, mama," Fareeha groaned.

"Just reminding you, habibti." Kamilah smiled, nudging her head. "We love you. Your ami and I want nothing but the best for you."

"'The best'," Fareeha muttered, turning a little glum as she poked a fork into her last piece of vegetable.

"Yes. Even if it doesn't feel like it now," Kamilah said. "We've been through life longer than you have. And we know how to make things easier for you. So we–"

"Mama. Mama," Fareeha cut in, fixing her with a mock pitiful expression. "You're getting very long-winded."

"I'm old. I have a right to be long-winded," Kamilah retorted, while her daughter gave a snort. "I just want you to know that we love you. Alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Fareeha dragged her words in a long-suffering tone. But as she dug into her bowl of soup, she paused and surprised Kamilah with, "I love you too."

Kamilah nearly dropped her spoon, and ended up huffing in laughter. "You're still washing the dishes."

"I don't love you anymore."

"Whatever."

Ana: [Still stuck in office. :( ]

Ana: [How was your day?]

[Fine. And you don't have to check in every day, you know.]

Ana: [I know]

Ana: [I just miss you. That's all]

[When do you never]

Ana: [D:]

[Oh. And Fareeha wants to go to uni first.]

Ana: [Really? Well that's a surprise]

Ana: [And a relief. What, engineering?]

Ana: [Where does she wanna go?]

[She hasn't decided yet.]

Ana: [Ah well. Tell her we'll send her anywhere she wants to go, yeah?]

[Already told her.]

Ana: [Good good. My god, you don't know the weight that just lifted off my chest]

[I think I kinda know]

Ana: [Yeah haha]

Ana: [Tell me when Fareeha decides]

Ana: [Gonna get back to it. But call or text if you need me okay?]

[Yup.]

Ana: [Love you, albi. Been too long since I said that]

[You said that yesterday.]

Ana: [I know ;p]

Ana: [Good night, dear. Dream of me]

[A nightmare then.]

Ana: [HEY]

[Good night. Don't stay up too late.]

[See you in dream.]

Ana: [:D]