A week later Victoria breathed in the Washington air as she and Ana stepped off the plane, she didn't speak about Weasel face. But from the look on secretary Adawe's face told her she, on the other hand, did want to talk.
"MUMMY!" Victoria heard Fareeha yell as she rushed across the private jet hanger.
Ana reached down scooping Fareeha up and swung the girl around both mother and daughter laughed as Ana nuzzled her daughter's cheek. Victoria stood next to Ana tugging her coat slightly closure, Fareeha reached out to Victoria allowing the younger woman to take her and kissing her cheek.
"Only you two?" Fareeha sounded disappointed that the others weren't with them.
"Sorry darling," Victoria stroked back the dark hair back, "The others are back in Eygpt protecting your home."
Fareeha smiled weakly as Victoria put her back down onto her feet, "Will I still get to talk to them?"
"Of course darling."
Fareeha smiled slightly and tugged on her mother's hand, "Come see what I did."
Ana sent a wave back to Victoria as Secretary Adawe walked to her, Ana's face showed concern to Victoria over Adawe's shoulder.
"It is a pleasure to see you again General Secretary," the fake smile that had plastered her face.
"Victoria would you like to come to my office," it wasn't a request it was an order. Reyes had a similar voice and someone else did, she bit her lip as she felt a pain spread across her temple. Ten months, two weeks and four days since she has been back home. No matter the drug concussion in her body trying to fight what was in her system, when she forced herself to think it hurt always hurt.
Victoria was silent as she followed the General Secretary through the halls, she noticed a lot of new staff all with giant overwatch symbols on backs of jackets or shirts walk past. A few saluted at her then she realized why these were the new soldiers that Adawe had hired hoping that their own army will do a better job than the other countries.
"Come in Victoria," Adawe was being nice, alarm bells rang in Victoria's mind knowing the general secretary wanted something.
Victoria sat down in the overstuffed cream chair, "Is this about what happened?"
"Yes," she stated.
"I didn't mean to cause a hassle Adawe I promise he..." Victoria felt terrified she wanted a proper hot shower not the shower in the bags they had in the Temple of Anubis she could still feel the fingers across her skin.
"Victoria you didn't do anything wrong though I need to know do you remember anything else?" Adawe asked.
The blonde shook her head the blonde waves curled around her, "I tried but..."
"Our doctors would like to run more tests, more injections as we lost a lot during your time in Austrailia," she told Victoria.
"Of course do you think..."
"I understand you want a bit of relaxation on your week off," Adawe smiled a sickly sweet smile that put Victoria on edge.
"I understand that Overwatch comes first Secretary General," Victoria stated.
"Good Ameila Vale, of 'Come talk to Vale' has been begging for an interview with you since you came back," bingo Adawe was wanting her in more press coverage, "You have tomorrow for Fareehas birthday."
"Thank Secretary General," she smiled pushing the chair back and leaving the room.
She could feel the shakes all the way to her room, all new recruits tried to stop her wanting to ask questions but she couldn't speak. When the door slammed close behind her she let herself finally breath wanting away from this dreadful place. A low pitch whine sounded at her feet as she looked down Dexter's warm chocolate eyes looked up at her, "Hey boy," she smiled down at him. He barked happily to see his mistress and jumped around her feet, before he looked at the door, "Sorry baby..."
Dexter whined before nudging her knee pushing her towards the oversized sofa, "You miss him as much as I do."
Victoria laid down on the sofa tucking one of her arms under her head, as Dexter laid down beside her. She didn't know how long it took her before she stopped her hugging Dexter and finally decided to go wash, the dalmatian followed closely behind her as she grabbed hold of her tablet out of her bag and locked the bathroom door behind her. She sat down on the edge of the tub and ran the bath till it was scolding hot, she flicked through the most recent movie listing finding 'They are like us,' it was a musical about the start of the omnic war and rested it on the toilet lid as she sank into the hot water.
Victoria rested her head back against the white rim of the bath tilting her head slightly to look at the screen, bubbles piled high covering her entire body with the soapy suds. She and Jack needed to talk really, she was still annoyed that he didn't trust her with Gabriel but she was thankful about the incident with Weasel face that she knew Secretary Adawe would want to speak about more.
The tablet suddenly stopped playing the musical number of an omnics love for the trees and blared out some heavy rock metal from the 1950's, she jumped slightly at the sudden loud music. She leaned across and swiped twice at the screen ignoring the call and starting the play again. It didn't take long for a high pitched ding to sound, and the music to sound again. This time she looked at the name seeing Gabe across the screen, she whined in annoyance as she shifted in the tub so her breasts pressed against the rim of the bath. Her arms folded along the edge as she leaned forward slightly and tapped on the answer button. Both Gabriels and Jacks face appeared on her screen, the lighting was dark they were both lit up by what she assumed was the torch on Gabriel's pad.
"Fuck Victoria sorry," Gabriel realised that she was in the bath and shoved the tablet into Jacks' hands.
She laughed slightly at the dark blush that illuminated his face, "How can I help?"
"We are having problems getting a hold of Torbjion we need visuals on him can you?" He asked her.
Victoria tilted the screen backward as she stepped out of the bath and unplugged the tub, she wrapped a large towel around herself noticing she had been soaking in the tub for just about an hour as she dried herself off. She took the tablet off the seat and threw it across the room to land next to Dexter.
"Victoria there is no need to throw it," Jack scolded her.
She laughed as she threw on an Overwatch issued tank top and black jeans, she put on her combat boots and threw on her jacket. She breathed deeply as she scratched Dexter behind the ear and picked up the tablet, "What are you guys doing it's looking like the sun is just rising there?"
She noticed that the sky had got slightly lighter in the background, "Patrol, General Anu had a report that a handful of slicer omnics had been spotted."
Victoria locked the apartment behind her as she skipped the elevator and jogged down the stairs stumbling passed a few trainees, "What on earth slicer omnics they..."
"Haven't been seen since the beginning of the crisis we know," Gabriel's voice was faint.
Victoria skidded through the halls a few minutes later knowing that every second counted, she slipped into the IT department taking three data pads and a few cables she entered the first free meeting room with a board.
"When did you last hear from him?" She asked as she set up the tablets to the screen she swiped at a few screens bringing up data on slicers, Torbjion's comms line which seemed to be done along with the other four that was still in Eygpt. Liao and Reinhardt's lines were faint in her ear, she got two pings straight away on the map which were Gabriel and Jack.
"What are you seeing Victoria?" Gabriel asked her.
"I've got you two," she answered as she chewed on her bottom lip.
"Anything else?" He asked.
"Give her a minute."
"Torbjion's life is on the line!"
"You shouting at her is not gonna help her!"
Victoria screwed her eyes shut as she rubbed her temples, she knew what she needed but at the same time, she was not sure. She flicked up Overwatches satellites and radio signals in the area, the satellites over Eygpt was stationed over Anubis at the moment she picked up the radio chatter from the soldiers out there.
"Jack... what where Torbjion's last coordinates?"
"28 North and 29 East," he answered his voice became slightly crackly.
Victoria's fingers raced across the tablet her green eyes focusing on 28 North, 29 East they were right in the middle of the desert at the moment.
"Are you sure Slicers would be all the way out there..." She wasn't entirely sure if she was questioning the boys or herself.
But Gabriel heard her, "Satellite images show them being here, there's a village two hundred yards north of where we saw them."
"Can I have these images or..." a few seconds later a loud ding filled the room and an item was in her inbox. "Thank you," she chirped.
"No problem how are you doing finding him?" Jack asked her.
"You know trying to move a satellite isn't easy right?" She questioned.
"How on earth do you even know how to do all this?" Gabriel questioned.
"I don't know... I just..."
"Victoria just focus on the task you have been given," Jack told her
She breathed deeply knowing that he was right, it still hurt trying to think back to certain points her army training was a major one at the moment. Her childhood and her time throughout high school were another, she brought up the image that they had sent to her the clear slim outline if an aerial shot of picture. It just caught the glint of the sharp curved blade.
She took a few deep breaths before she set back to work her mind solely focused on finding Torbjion. As the satellite moved over the given coordinates she heard a faint crackle. Looking back up to where everyone's comms lines sat on her screen, she sent a boost through the satellite into the radio towers as she drew the image in to be bigger Victoria grinned a Cheshire cat-like grin. An encampment was made about twenty yards from Torbjion's the last ping to the comms unit. His comms lines continued to crackle whilst Laios and Reinhardt became as clear as day in her ears.
"Miss Victoria what a surprise," Reinhardt's laughter sounded in her ears.
Jack and Gabriel saw Victorias smile the tablet that held the call was pointed towards them.
"Nice to hear your voice to Reinhardt, Laio are you two alright? Your comm lines were drowned out slightly?"
"We are fine, we came across a village it seems to have Talon soldiers through it," Laio responded.
Victoria hummed and stepped away from the tablets towards the holo screen she pulled the terrain of what looked like an encampment and the town up into 3D.
"Talon..." she whispered, "Come on Torbjion just a bit..." she adjusted the radio frequency her eyes on the encampment. Laio's and Reinhardt's red dots were bright against the blue backdrop, she was using their comm's to emit the radio waves. A small blip and the sound of shouting fiddled her ears, "GET THE FUCK OFF ME, YOU DUNCE!" Torbjion's yell sounded loudly in the team's ears.
A red blip came from within the encampments site, "Got him..." she laughed.
"Good girl," Gabriel told her.
"I WARN YOU, YOU WILL NOT LIKE ME WHEN I AM ANGRY!" Torbjion's yell was louder.
Victoria flicked his coordinates to the four, "Talon operatives... I don't think they were slicers. I think Talon was using something to look like them... I don't..."
"Victoria you have done well," Gabriel told her, "Go..."
"No!" She told him, "I need to know Torbjion will be safe."
"Miss Johnson," a familiar voice sounded in the doorway, Victoria pushed her hair back out of her face. The bright red hair of secretary Adawe stood in the doorway, "It is late you..."
"Victoria go to sleep love," Jack cut her off, Victoria noticed her view had changed she must be on Jacks visor now and not the tablet. The sound of the wind was rushing past the microphone.
Adawe stepped into the room, placing a hand om Victoria's shoulder, "You need rest Miss Johnson."
"You have done a great job Victoria thank you," Gabriel told her.
"We will call when we have him, I promise you," Jack told her.
"Alright, I love you, Jack," she smiled at the camera.
"Love you two Vicky see you soon," he then terminated the call.
Adawe leads her from the room, "You did well Miss Johnson that was a lot of pressure they put on you I am impressed with how well you handled that." Victoria was able to snatch her own personal tablet off the table before they fully exited the room.
"Thank you Madame Secretary," she smiled.
They both walked in silence away from the meeting room all the way to Victorias apartment a part of her knew that Adawe was concerned for their health more than anything. If her soldiers were unwell they wouldn't be able to perform their tasks correctly which in turn could lead to failed missions. As Victoria slipped back into her apartment Dexter looked up from the sofa as Victoria put him down a bowl of dog food and made herself some herbal tea. The tablet laid across the marble surface, she watched Dexter nudge his bowl about with his nose as he gulped down his food. Torbjion was a fantastic engineer the nanobots that Ana shot into them throughout missions to keep them upright and going was his creation, along with Reinhardt's armor and she only recently found out he had helped on her boot designs. If they did lose him, she wasn't sure who would help them. Yes, she and Ana were good with tech, nothing they do where on his level.
She downed her tea and gripped the tablet off the side before she climbed in bed. Dexter jumped up onto the blue covers and curled up on Jacks side of the bed.
Victoria slipped the pistol under her pillow as she closed her eyes allowing sleep to claim her as an old friend.
The loud ringing sound sounded in her ears Victoria threw herself up the covers bundled around her waist frantically reaching for the pistol. Dexter barked twice at Victoria which pulled the blonde out of her tired state of mind. The clock flashed 03:00 in a gentle blue color as she noticed the bright light filling her room. She grabbed the tablet and flicked up to answer the call, a very tired sweaty looking Jack was grinning widely at her, she could tell they were back in Anubis.
"We got him, Talon operatives jumped him when he followed the 'slicers' trace," he told her, his wide grin made her heart flutter slightly.
"Good, is he alright?" She asked through a yawn.
"He's fine, sends his thanks for helping us find him but is annoyed you fiddled about with the Overwatch satellites and nearly fried our comms with the radio signals you boosted out from us," he chuckled, his face fell for a second his eyes seeming to scan her for a few moments, "Did I wake you?"
Victoria hummed and nodded her head smiling weakly at him, "It's alright... glad to know he's safe."
"You ok? Gabe was a bit harsh on you earlier."
That made her laugh as she laid back down propping the tablet up on the small stand she curled up around the tablet. Dexter also padded about before he laid back down his head resting on her hip.
"Jack he is the Commander of our team, he was worried about Torbjion it is fine really."
"No flashbacks or anything?"
Victoria smiled tiredly at him shaking her head, "I'm fine Jack, I promise."
"I want to apologize..."
"For what?" She asked.
"Last week with you and Gabriel I didn't..."
"Jack sorry what I am confused," she told him.
Jack's eyes seemed to be fixed on one spot on her face, she reached up her fingers brushed the cut in her hairline. Fighting the titan felt as if it was months ago to her, she didn't realise how much it took out of her and Laio until the following day when they were up at the crack of dawn the next morning even after drinks.
"I had no right to have a go at you for giving Gabriel the ring," he stated.
"Oh Jack," she smiled, "It's fine..." Deep down though it wasn't fine the small nagging in the back of her head told her, he was going to leave her, send her back to Talon because she was talking to other men.
"No it's not Vicky it was a right dickish move off me," he told her.
"Jack I understand why you were annoyed."
"Do you, or are you just saying that to make me feel ok."
"You are worried I will try to please Gabriel...like... I did for... Talon."
Jack's eyes widened realising what it sounded like to her, "No no, Vicky I never thought anything like that."
"But you..."
"I was jealous."
"Why, though...?"
"You are going to laugh," he chuckled.
"I can't laugh at you."
"Promise?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
She sent him a tired looking smile before she held her pinky finger up to the camera, "Promise," she answered.
Jacks laugh rang in her ears making her swoon slightly as he lifted his own finger and bumped it against his own screen. "I thought... you would realise that there are much better people out there than me."
Victoria blinked a few times before she laughed, "Oh now you are being silly Jack."
"But Reyes?"
"Is my commanding officer, he is our commander I do not want him. I want you, I want to remember all the times we had together. I don't want anyone else..."
"But your ring."
"Jack... I don't trust myself I got lost. I could loose the ring... especially on top of fighting at hundred foot or higher omnic. I don't want to spend time combing through the sand when I could be spending my time-fighting omnics to make this world better."
"But why..."
She giggled smiling softly at him, "Because Reyes was there when it came to mind if I had thought of it before I stepped onto the fighter jet I would have given it to you."
"I am over reacting aren't I."
"A lil," her voice made a higher pitch as she made the gesture with her fingers causing her fiance to chuckle as he watched her do it.
"How is it?"
"Without you... Oh, dull."
"Missing me?"
"No not really," she scratched Dexter behind the ears making the dog groan and shift closure towards her, "Got Dex keeping me company."
Jack huffed with fake annoyance before he smirked at her, "Fine if you are going to be that way." It looked like he was reaching forward to press the hang-up button.
"No, wait!" She suddenly cried looking worried.
"Vicky," Jack sounded worried, "Hey princess, I wasn't going to sshhh it's alright."
"Sorry just..."
"You don't like being in a room on your own trying to sleep?" She nodded her head, her green eyes shined brightly with collected tears. "Want me to just talk?"
Victoria nodded again as she buried herself further into the covers, "Please."
"Well, what do you want to know?"
"The scar in your hairline, it's really faint not many can see it luckily it doesn't ruin then poster boy look."
Jack glared at her for a few seconds realising she had picked that up from Reyes. "Well..."
'The sun peaked through the orange leaves of the apple orchard, as Victoria and Jack sat down on a picnic blanket. Jack leaned back on his elbows as Victoria rested her head in his lap both looking over the Valley watching the sun set across the lake.
Jack ran his fingers through Victoria's hair, pulling out a few knots as he went, "Ow," she suddenly hissed as he violently tugged her head back.
"You ok?" He asked she could tell the fake concern laced in his voice.
"Rip my hair out next time why don't ya," her Indiana accent was strong.
"Oh you are being a baby Vicky," he chuckled.
The woman was up in a flash her green eyes settled on his own blue ones, "How about I tug out a load of your hair."
"Oh come on Vicky you are just being stupid now aren't ya," he stated.
Victoria blinked a few times started about what he just said, she reached over and flicked him in the temple. "Ow," he hissed lurching back slightly as he stood.
"See," she laughed, "Hurts don it."
"Come here you," Jack ordered pouncing forward reaching out to grab her, Victoria rolled out of the way and Jack tripped his foot getting caught in the blanket going flat on his face. Victoria couldn't help but giggle as Jack groaned pulling back up.
Victoria gasped as Jack sat up, blood poured down his face looking around the area Victoria found a sharp pebble which he must have landed on.
"Oh Jack," she whispered pulling out a batch of tissues from her back pocket, "Here."
Jack took the tissues from her offered hand and pressed them against the bleeding wound. He laughed before leaning forward and pressing his lips softly against hers, "I'm ok."
"Promise?" Her voice was soft she sounded as if she was about to cry.
"Promise," he laughed hugging her tightly with one arm.'
Jack smiled as he saw Victoria had drifted off, her breathing had evened out as she curled up around the tablet as she slept. Jack ended the video call placing the tablet flat down on the table, pushing himself back away from the table in the central hub maps covered the table and the walls. New pins had been added to the large map that covered the back wall bright purple symbolizing Talon stood out against the soft yellow paper.
"Jack," Gabriel leaned against one of the archways the one that was normally covered with a blue curtain for the girls but since they weren't here they had pulled it back.
"Yeah, Gabe?"
"How is she?"
"Alright..."
"You don't sound sure on that one," Gabriel chuckled as he crossed the room and pulling out the seat next to Jack.
"I'm worried for her," Jack told him, "I know Ana is there but last time she slept in a room on her own she had nightmares of being raped."
"You are worried she is going to have one aren't you?"
"She is terrified when she has them," Jack argued, Gabriel could tell from the way Jacks body was tensed that at the moment all he could think of was Victoria.
"She will be fine Jack."
"Are you the one constantly woken up when she has one!"
Gabriel placed a hand down on his friend's shoulder smiling at Jack, "She will be fine Jack she's strong. Plus she has Ana as well, who treats Victoria as her own daughter remember that."
"I know," Jack sighed.
"I see why you are the worried man, they will back soon don't worry too much."
"Gentlemen, I am sorry to interrupt your bro time," Reinhardt stated through the archway that leads to the rest of the temple, "Is the lil Lady ok, Jack?"
"Yeah she is fine," Gabriel chuckled thumping Jack on the back standing from the table, "How can we help?"
"Torbjion is awake," the older war veteran stated.
The three made their way up the medical bay seeing one of the doctors shining a torch into Torbjion's eyes, "I am fine doctor let me get to my work." The blonde Swedish man tried to waive off the doctor that was fretting over him.
"Sorry sir, you are severely dehydrated and you have a concussion."
"Fucking Talon," Torbjion growled out throwing his arm to the side knocking the pitcher of water off the bedside table.
"Alright old man we get it," Laio hovered behind Jack and Gabriel a large grin across his face.
"Yeah thanks for running off the kid, I wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't..." Torbjion started to rant at Laio the younger Frenchman grinned widely at the older Swedish man.
"How are you feeling?" Gabriel interrupted before Torbjion could leap out the bed and strangle Laio.
"Fine, the doctor here thinks I need bed rest. Did the girls get back alright?" He asked.
"He most likely wants to make sure you are not going to drop down dead any moment," Gabriel chuckled.
"It will just be for the day Commander Reyes it is to make sure that he is at full health," The doctor explained.
They looked around seeing they were the only people in the medical ward, "Could you leave us, doctor?" Gabriel commanded more than asked.
The doctor realised this and rushed out the room quicker than the others could blink. Jack and Gabriel sat down on the bed to the right of Torbjion whilst Laio and Reinhardt took the left.
"What happened?" Gabriel asked.
"Honestly no clue," Torbjion sighed, "We were driving to the destination point you marked on our map we stopped a few miles off so we wouldn't startle the omnics. Laio dashed off and Reinhardt went after the little brat so he didn't get his head removed from a slicer."
"I didn't mean to boss," Laio looked like a child that had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"We are a team Laio," Gabriel groaned, "This is why we don't run off and put the rest of our team in danger."
"I know sorry Commander," Laio mumbled.
Gabriel rubbed his temples, "You are now on guard duty tonight because of this," Laio went to protest before his eyes locked with Gabriels, "Yes commander."
"Good," Gabriel couldn't help but smirk, "Continue Torbjion."
Torbjion chuckled slightly at the look of disappointment across Laio's face, "When Reinhardt went off I heard the shifting in the sand next thing I knew I woke up in the center of their camp. Thank Overwatch the Lil Lady was able to find my signal. Though I will be having words with her. The lass nearly blew the comms."
"Did you hear anything whilst you were there?" Jack asked.
Torbjion groaned rubbing his temples, "They mentioned Overwatch. Someone called Daniels was still after patient zero."
"Patient Zero?" Laio questioned.
Jack blinked a few times, "Victoria..."
"What?" The four men turned to look at him.
"The man from the nightclub... he called Victoria patient zero," Jack told them.
"So you are saying..."
"What we are going to say is that Talon wanted Torbjion to build armor for them, Victoria's name other than her help won't be mention... we clear?" Gabriel asked all of them.
"Yes commander," rang in the room.
Gabriel turned looking at Jack, seeing that his best friends normally healthy bronzed skin was a deathly white.
Jack felt his heart thudding in his chest as fear washed over him, he wasn't going to let them take her now again he lost her once he Wasnt going to loose her again.