At first Angela had heavily insisted that Amélie stay hooked up to her IV, just to be cautious. However, when Amélie had scowled and very strongly worded that she would not, under any circumstances, be going to the bathroom in a bed pan, Angela had agreed to remove the IV so that the woman could make her way around the corner to the bathroom. Under supervision, of course.
She never understood the fuss doctors made when you were under their care. Over ninety percent of their job involved writing notes and prodding in places she did not appreciate, in her own eyes she was well and fit enough to get up and about on her own and without assistance, even if she was still struck with an uncomfortable sensation in her chest as she adjusted to her normalising heart rate.
As well as that, the stitches on her scalp were scabbing and beginning to itch underneath the bandaging. Angela, Lena, and one of the nurses had already caught her scratching at the fabric several times as the wound healed.
It had only been a few days, but she was getting antsy. Her joints were stiff and her muscles ached; part of her longed once again to be running and swinging from rooftops as she chased down her prey. Lena, though childish as she could be, was no fool and had noticed her restlessness.
"Ya gotta' rest luv, doc's orders."
When Amélie had scoffed at this, Lena had very firmly leant over and wriggled her index finger against the French woman's nose.
"Yeah it sucks innit, but Angela pulled all those bits and bobs out of yer 'ead and ya' wouldn't even be here if it weren't for 'er."
While she hated to admit it, Lena was right. She owed Overwatch her life, and Lena... perhaps even more.
So here she was, stuck in her hospital room with nothing much to do except eat, sleep, and- incredibly- enjoy Tracer's attention whenever the woman came to visit her. Still, she made the most of it, if only because it would be difficult to sneak out even in the dead of night. Looking at the bright side of things, at least while she was under the protection of Overwatch there would most likely not be any attempts by Talon either to reclaim her or destroy her.
Though the mind controlling and biology altering technology inside of her skull had been removed, she would still never be the same woman she was before Talon. They had strapped her down, tortured her and conditioned her to feel nothing but hatred and to be filled with a rush whenever a life was snuffed out at her own hand.
It was a darkness still that seeped through every crack and every fibre of her body, one that made her fingers twitch as though they were pulling the trigger. One that clawed its way into her dreams, filling them with rage and blood lust.
She had to kill them. Every last one of them. Whether they were directly involved in her being turned into a monster or if they were just a clerk who didn't even know her name; she would hunt down everyone who worked for Talon and bring their lives to an end the way they brought hers to an end that evening she had killed Gerard.
Blood filled her vision, thick and sticky as she brushed it away with a dirty palm. A man whimpered, she didn't care. Even as he reached up with an open hand of surrender she had pulled him close and buried her dagger deeply under his chin.
His blood had been warm, soothing, dribbling down the backs of her fingers and filling her body with heat. Lips turned into a devilish smile that took in every single detail as she watched the life flicker from her victim's eyes.
Sheets rustled and she found herself sitting up straight in bed, chest feeling as though it might burst through her rib cage and her skin clammy, soaked in sweat that made her night dress cling to her body.
Her lungs heaved as they struggled to deliver oxygen to her blood stream, the images of death at her own hands still strong in her mind. Even as she peered down at her hands, palms facing up, she saw how her fingers trembled as though not under her own control.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she balled them into fists and willed it to stop. The room was already dim, the lights having been turned down many hours ago now. Though she wasn't sure what time it was, she knew there would be no way she would be able to go back to sleep even if she tried.
That was it. Amélie threw the sheets off her legs, swinging them over the edge of the bed and taking a few cautious moments to peer down and make sure her feet found the ground. Once they did, she pulled herself out of bed with all the strength she had.
Her legs were a little wobbly at first, she had to reach out and steady herself with her hand against the wall; after this she managed to maintain even steps until she made it to the door, pulling it open as slow as possible.
There were no guards, and no nurses in sight, to her relief. Making her way out of the room she decided to take the hallway to her right, following the small lights that glowed softly from their half moon shaped domes.
The hall led down to a set of double doors that she pushed open, her feet clapping softly against the linoleum floor beneath. Another hall split off of this one, and she turned right again. This time she was able to find a door with a little glowing green sign labelled 'Exit', and with shivering arms she reached out and shoved the door open.
A sharp, cold wind hit her already cool body, and she found herself outside on a patio area. In the distance she could see grass, bushes, trees and other garden decorations. There was a paved footpath that wound its way throughout the shrubs, lit by gently glowing solar lights that were dotted along its edges.
Everything was visible in tones of greys and blues, a thick layer of cloud bubbling and swelling over what little of the moon sat above, barely a faint glow of its cheery face visible to the naked eye. The clouds were hues of purple and navy, surely threatening to spill a downpour at any given moment.
Suddenly her legs felt heavy, her eyes snapping shut as visions- memories- flooded through her mind. Pools of blood surrounded her, rivers of innards and body parts, a child crying for their mother.
Clutching at her abdomen, Amélie grunted and squeezed her eyes even tighter, grimacing as though in pain and the reflex memory of a trigger squeeze pulsed through her index finger. She felt surrounded by strangers and enemies, trapped like a caged tiger; how she longed in that moment to be dancing across rooftops and chasing down a frightened target.
She opened her eyes. There; in the distance.
A small water feature bubbled and splashed down the surface of a piece of slate, running into a catchment bowl underneath it, feeding it back up via a pump. A few feet from the fountain was a wooden bench, slightly weathered and even a bit crooked, seating a small woman.
There was no mistaking that mess of brown hair.
Somehow, she found the strength to steady her legs, still gripping her arms around her now frigid body. One foot in front of the other, even as it took longer than it would have if she was in fighting condition, Amélie pressed forwards until she was close enough to catch the other woman's attention.
Lena spotted her in her peripheral, a face that had momentarily appeared so relaxed in an instant became plastered with concern.
The Brit got up in a heartbeat, rushing over to her side.
"Amélie?"
Warm hands slid over her arms, applying firm pressure and sharing body heat. Smoky hazel eyes searched over her features, her own eyes meeting Lena's and holding her gaze before slowly inching over the slender shape of the woman's jaw; pink lips were so plump, parted just enough that she could feel the brush of heated air rushing from between them.
"What are ya' doin' out here, luv? You should be resting," Lena pulled one of the French woman's arms over her shoulders, holding her weight and slipping one of her own around Amélie's waist. The raven-haired woman shuddered, her heart pulsing from the mere sensation of Lena pressed beside her.
Her eyes slid to the side as she watched the woman assist her in making her way over to the bench. Even now, there was a part inside of her that itched to chase the brunette in a thrilling game of cat and mouse, even if she never caught her. However, there was an even more tempting reason to capture her than to simply secure a kill.
"Cheri, you should know better than to try and cage a spider."
Lena snorted, and it wasn't an entirely obnoxious sound.
"You 'aint no spider luv, you're a human being, just like me."
With the woman's assistance, she tucked her hospital dress out of the way and slowly took a seat on the garden bench, not entirely unaware that Lena continued to have an arm wrapped around her shoulders. She took a quick breath, noting the wisps of condensation that played from her lips as she exhaled.
"I am a monster," she turned her head to peer at her companion from behind sparkling amber eyes. "You would be a fool to believe anything other than that."
Her head and heart were conflicted, full of torment that reminded her of everything she was conditioned to be; an unfeeling creature of the night, remorseless and bloodthirsty. Though her will was once her own again and she had broken free of the umbilical cord that had entwined her with Talon, her chest still ached with a desire to hunt and kill to such an extent that it should have terrified her.
She expected Lena to be staring back at her with fear and hatred, perhaps even for her to get up and leave right now to spare herself from the hands of a murderer. It was selfish of Amélie to believe that the woman would remain by her side, and yet she wanted it more than anything, even more than she wanted for her to flee.
To her surprise, Lena's head was tilted and her hazel eyes were staring back at her with such kindness and devotion that it made the fine hairs on the nape of her neck prickle up in response.
"What I believe is none of ya' business," a quick smile and a small set of fingers slid over into Amélie's lap, cautiously slipping over her own. "But if ya' must know, I reckon' there's a sweet little French broad hidin' away in there somewhere."
Amélie peered down at their hands, her head shifting from side to side as she shook it, in disbelief of what she was hearing from the Brit's mouth. A tiny smile crept onto her lips as she rolled her hand palm up, allowing Lena's warm fingers to slide between her own until they were linked.
"My sweet, I can never be the Amélie I once was."
She looked up, meeting Lena's gaze and allowing the smile to fade from her features. "If that is what you had desired-"
"I'm not tryin' ta make you 'you' again," Lena's voice was firm, her eyebrows lowered and her irises shifting from side to side. It almost appeared as if she was slightly offended by such an insinuation.
As though to drive the point home, the brunette took Amélie's hand that was linked to her own, dragging it over to her torso and spreading slender fingers out over the glowing blue orb in the centre of her chronal accelerator.
"I'm just tryin' to show you what yer been missin' out on."
Such a vulnerable position. Amélie knew that at any moment she could drive her fist through the device, destroying it and using that as an advantage to destroy Lena in the process. Her fingers twitched momentarily, a pleasant warmth and a buzzing sensation making her whole arm tingle and making her want to flex her palm out even further.
The material was surprisingly soft to the touch, perhaps a hybrid material. Regardless, it was sturdy and did not feel as though it would be easy to damage in any case. She wondered how comfortable such a device must be, if it was irritating to the woman's body.
As though they had a mind of their own, her fingers slid down the side of the device and found a small nook where the harnesses slipped over Lena's chest, sliding underneath and pressing into the soft white shirt that was separating her skin from the other's.
Amélie splayed her digits, watching as her hand rose with a sharp inhalation from Lena. It had intended to be a quick breath, but the air caught in the brunette's throat from the sensation of a human touch beneath her harness, the movement catching her off guard and causing her breath to hitch in her throat and her exhalation to come out in a shudder.
Amber eyes watched intently, a feeling of satisfaction welling up in Amélie's chest as she watched Lena's eyelids flutter and patches of flushed skin to pop up along her neck and jawline. It was far too easy, far too tempting, yet she was having trouble identifying just why she felt an insatiable need not to kill, but have Lena's hands pressed against her and pulling her close. She felt a fire igniting in her gut every time they made eye contact; it was too much too soon, burning her from the inside out.
Her fingers wanted to travel, to touch, they longed to press deeper and feel the pulsing of a heartbeat against their tips. But even as she longed, her hands trembled and she found her throat dry, an irrational fear gripping her chest.
"Luv,"
Amélie dared to look up, meeting Lena's eyes and feeling the warmth of the smaller girl's fingers wrapping around her own. They squeezed, and the brunette's lips softened into a tender smile.
"I know yer anxious, but ya' don't have to do anything to please me," her voice was soft, reassuring. A hand reached out, brushing her dusky hair behind an ear. "How 'bout we take it slow yeah? We got all the time in the world, and I'm right more than happy to wait until yer right n' proper again."
She let out a breath, her chest burning with the action. So much she wanted to say, but she couldn't think with Lena's fingers now creeping along the inside of her forearm. It was such a mild form of intimacy and yet even that small gesture made Amélie feel as though her stomach was turning inside out and her head was spinning.
"Chéri, I might never reverse the blood lust Talon's conditioning instilled in my very being," she found her voice, and managed well enough to sound apologetic even though her tone was harsh.
Lena's hand slid up her arm, tracing a line up her neck that sent goosebumps prickling along her skin, coming to a rest at her jawline. A calloused thumb fluttered across her lower lip; she did not resist the urge to kiss the digit.
"Y'know, Overwatch could always use more good agents."
It was so corny, so heroic, Amélie found it difficult to take the woman seriously. However, maybe that had been her intention, her lips curling into a soft smile and a wispy laugh escaping her lips. Lena's brows lifted and her eyes brightened once she saw this reaction, perhaps she was pleased she had managed to extract some form of happiness from the French woman.
"Oui," Amélie lay her hand over Lena's, pressing the warm digits more firmly against her face. "We shall see, ma belle."
A chill ran through the air, the wind picking up and the clouds overhead swirling in response. The breeze blew through the foliage of the trees, speaking in hushed whispers and whistles, dying down for a few seconds only to pick back up again with an almighty gust.
"C'mon, better get ya' back inside, yer gonna' freeze out 'ere."
She wanted to argue that her body had been chilled to the bone longer than she could remember, the biological modifications that had previously been implanted in her controlling everything from her heart rate to her hormones. She could have argued, but the smaller woman slid her padded jacket off her arms, leaning up and wrapping it over her hospital shirt.
Amélie's fingers gripped the collar of the jacket, pulling it more tightly around herself and taking a moment to breathe in the fresh scent the Brit had left on the material. It was... soft, earthy, a little musky with a hint of vanilla; a perfume that wasn't so overpowering it made her sinuses burn. It was pleasant, comforting.
She would not admit it, but her body was tired and her head still ached; she was very much grateful that Lena steadied her, a hand laid gently on her lower back as they made their way back inside and out of the cold.
They managed to slip back into Amélie's room without alerting the nurses to their late night escape, Lena pulling the sheets back and assisting her into her bed despite the scowl she gave and then dismissive hand she waved in the brunette's direction.
"Casse-pieds ! I am quite capable of taking care of myself."
Another snort from her companion.
They looked at one another as Lena pulled the sheets up to Amélie's chest, making sure they were tucked in and tidy with a smooth of her palm. Lena was wearing a cocky smile and a lifted eyebrow that was only just visible from underneath her mop of hair as it fell across her face.
A small pout pushing into her lips, the French woman settled down into the bed, her bandages shuffling against the pillow but it actually felt incredibly good to be laying down again. She tried not to meet eyes as a hand swept over her face, knuckles grazing her cheek.
"Same time tomorrow yeah?"
It was partially a joke, being that she knew they shouldn't be sneaking around in the middle of the night like two smitten teenagers in the first place. But on the other hand, she knew Lena would return to visit her some time tomorrow; unless she got caught up in an assignment or on patrol. There was part of her that was jealous at the thought of Lena out there, getting to shoot people and engage in combat. There was also a part of her that was jealous she wouldn't be out there, engaged in combat beside her.
A thrill ran up her spine, the thought of her keeping the woman in her sights, covering her from above and plucking off Talon agents; keeping her safe.
Her finger twitched.
"May I kiss you?"
The words had left her mouth before her brain had had a chance to engage, and now here she lay, heat rising in her cheeks and her heart racing, unable to turn and make eye contact. A soft chuckle danced near her earlobe, a sound that made her toes curl underneath the sheets.
"Well then, since ya' asked so nicely."
A moment later, delicate fingers turned her head and soft lips applied pressure to her own. Her body tensed, her chest seized, the connection seeming to last forever until Lena's lips parted and bumped against hers playfully, teasing. Amélie was compliant, a whimper coming from her throat as she tilted her head, her lips opening to allow more contact as Lena's mouth pressed to hers.
A rush of air from the brunette's nostrils ghosted against her cheek, warm and familiar. She felt the blood rushing through her body, pounding in her head, and as much as she never wanted this moment to end she willed herself to pull away. Clutching onto Lena's shirt, she did not allow the woman to leave her personal space just yet.
"Je suis désolé, this is... overwhelming for me."
Lena leant in again, this time pressing only the lightest of kisses to her lips.
"Take yer time, I 'aint goin' nowhere luv."
Amélie lay against her pillow once more, letting out a barely audible sigh and letting her eyes slide shut.
"Well, 'cept to get some shut eye," an edge of humour returning to her voice, she leant forwards and made sure Amélie was tucked in yet again. "Take it easy, yeah?"
A short nod was her reply, and after a brief moment of hesitation, the Brit finally pulled herself away from Amélie's bedside and made her way to the door.
"Night!"
"Bonne nuit, les amoreux."
The door shut as the smaller woman made her exit, the lights automatically dimming as she did so. As the room fell into darkness, shadows slipping along the walls as the wind played against the trees outside her window, Amélie snuggled into the jacket that Lena had let her keep for the time being. She hummed quietly, running a thumb over the soft suede fabric.
Outside the sound of rain could be heard, beginning to patter against the glass window. A night like this would be perfect for hunting down Talon agents, under the cover of darkness, footsteps and grappling hook silenced by the weather.
Amélie wondered how long it would be before she would be combat ready once more.
Thank you to everyone who left reviews and was incredibly patient waiting for me to update. Being a new homeowner, doing home improvements and raising two puppies, as well as looking after 3 cats and a girlfriend, it gets a little hard to find time to write but I have managed it. Your continued support has really helped me to find the motivation I need to keep writing even when I have almost no time to sit down.
Special shoutout to those who reviewed: redbird691, Badassfox, Crazycatlady89, MaynesHere, JimmyJam1385, .5, Infinity Comes To A End, Tommy298, x Kyuubi z, and two Guests.