After track practice, Hana having watched from the bleachers while Lena coached Lucio and the other teammates, the two friends walked to the front of the school where the pick-up and drop-off zone was located. Jack was waiting patiently in his truck for the two. They both got in and the father looked over his shoulder to Lucio in the back seat.

"Since you're staying the night at our place kiddo, I'll head over to your house so you can grab what you need." He said, turning his head back to the front and starting to drive.

Lucio nodded in agreement. "Sounds great, thanks!"

Jack did his usual half-smile, focusing on the drive. Hana admired her father. Always. He was so strong, even when Hana and her mother were weak. When Gabriel had assaulted them in their home, the man had done everything he could to keep Gabriel from hurting the two most important women in his life. While Hana would certainly never forget the terror of those moments she spent, cowering in her mom's arms, she would also never forget the incredible bravery the silver-haired father sitting beside her held.

"We need some music in here!" Hana exclaimed. There was a lot she liked about her father, but she couldn't like everything. One thing she disliked was the silence that her dad preferred to drive in. "Let's see..." The teen girl reached to the radio on the center console, pressing a few buttons, scanning throught the channels for a decent station to listen to. Settling on some pop, she leaned back in her seat, smiling. Despite her foot's irritating injury, this was going to be a good night. She was excited to have Lucio sleep over, and still could hardly believe that her father was okay with it. Maybe he was loosening up?

The drive to Lucio's home was fairly quiet, and when Jack pulled in the driveway, Satya was in the open garage, searching through a box of items. Lucio got out of the car, smiling and walking over to his mother. They talked briefly, before Lucio hurried inside. Satya walked over to the side of the truck and Jack rolled the window down, looking to the Indian woman.

"He did talk this over with you, right?" Jack asked.

Satya chuckled, nodding her head once. "Of course. I was the one to suggest that he stay with Hana for the night."

Jack raised a brow in surprise. "Oh? You must be feeling generous."

"Your wife in turn is coming over to my home tonight for wine." Satya crossed one arm over her chest, her other hand sitting under her chin, elbow propped on the horizontal arm. "So it will just be you and the kids tonight."

Jack was silent for a few moments before letting out an exasperated sigh. "There she goes again, making me babysit. Maybe I should just go over to Reinhardt's."

Hana chimed into the conversation. "Me and Lucio are old enough to take care of ourselves, you know. We aren't little kids. We don't need a babysitter."

Jack glanced to his daughter then to Lucio's mother. "It's up to you, Satya. Is it alright with you if I leave the kids alone at my place?"

Satya thought quietly until her son emerged from the house, then turned her eyes to Jack's. "Have fun with your friend, Jack. The children will be fine, I'm sure."

Jack smirked and nodded his head. "And you enjoy your wine."

Lucio walked up to his mother and gave her a hug before getting back into the truck. Satya waved a goodbye before turning and heading back into the garage. Jack once again turned to look over his shoulder at Lucio, though his eyes shifted between both teens as he spoke.

"It's just gonna be you two alone tonight. I expect both of you to be on your best behavior. Don't go crazy, and clean up after yourselves, alright? It's all I ask, just keep the place clean and don't break anything... I'm giving you both an opportunity to show how much you've matured. If tonight goes well... I might let you spend the night more often, Lucio. Got it?"

Hana and Lucio both nodded their heads, grinning as if every word he spoke had gone in one ear and out the other. The father sighed and put the truck in reverse, pulling out of the driveway and heading to his own home.

After Angela got off work, she drove home to discover than Hana and Lucio were there alone. The two were sitting on the couch in the living room, playing some fantasy video game on the console beneath the TV. Angela approached curiously.

"Where's you father, Hana?" She asked. Hana paused the game and looked to her mom.

"He went over to Reinhardt's. Satya said she doesn't mind Lucio and I being alone here for the night." The teen explained, with Lucio nodding his head affirmatively. While Angela felt a bit uneasy, she couldn't deny that the two were old enough to take care of themselves.

"Alright. Well, I'm going to relax a bit before I leave." With a smile, Angela sat on the couch beside Hana. "Can I watch?"

Hana grinned, unpausing the game. "Yeah! This game is about dragons and magic and stuff. It's really fun, and Lucio is a really good priest!"

Angela raised a brow. "Priest?"

"They're healers. Like doctors, but with magic!" Hana explained as she began playing. The mother nodded her head slowly.

"If Lucio is playing a Priest, what are you playing?" She looked over all of the markers and symbols on the screen, equally confused and fascinated. How Hana and Lucio could have all of this memorized was beyond her, and she was an M.D.!

"I'm playing a tank," Hana said simply, before elaborating when she realized her mother wouldn't understand. "My character soaks up damage so that everyone else can live, and keeps enemies distracted. But I can also do a lot of damage if they don't deal with me. It's pretty OP in this game."

Angela understood that role a little more. It made a bit more sense than a priest using magic to heal wounds. Dress a knight up in enough armor and he'll cause a big problem.

"What's OP?"

Hana giggled. "Overpowered, mom. It means they give a pretty big advantage that unbalances the game and is hard to deal with."

Lucio piped in. "And with a healer constantly keeping them alive, the tank's pretty unstoppable so long as that healer doesn't die."

"Okay... I think that makes sense. I've never played video games in my life, so all this terminology is beyond me." Angela shrugged her shoulders.

Lucio grinned. "Hey Hana, how about we hook up a third controller and let your mom play?"

Hanna glanced to Lucio, then to her mother, reaching under the coffee table and retrieving a third controller. She pressed a buton on the center, then handed it over. It felt odd in Angela's hands; why was it such a strange shape? Hana held up her hands, showing her how to hold it.

"Okay, look at the buttons on the right. Those are your abilities. You'll learn those as we go. You move with the control sticks. Don't worry about the other buttons for now, we'll teach you those." She explained. Angela felt a bit overwhelmed, looking down at the controller to orient herself with the labels on the buttons. At least the control sticks were simple enough to memorize.

"Now press the start button in the center to join the game." Hana instructed, Angela taking a second but finding the start button and pressing it. A character popped up on screen, virtually naked aside from nude-colored undergarments.

"Why is she not wearing anything?" She asked curiously. Hana laughed.

"Because you have to put armor on her! But first, you have to pick a class. Just pick whichever one you want, and we'll teach you." The girl encouraged, showing her how to scroll through and where all of the important information was.

Angela wound up creating a Mage, specializing in fire spells. A DPS, as Hana had explained. After clothing her mage in the proper robes, they set out to play the game. And while Angela died quite a few times, she started to get the hang of it, even earning a few kills with the help of her daughter and Lucio.

After almost two hours of playing, Angela glanced at the clock on the wall and smiled. "Alright, that's enough for me, I need to change clothes and get going." She set the controller aside and stood up.

Hana paused the game and grinned at her parent. "Fun, right?"

Angela laughed quietly, nodding her head. "Yes, I have to admit. Thank you for letting me play."

Hana smiled sweetly. "Anytime, mom. Have fun at Satya's! Don't drink too much."

"If I do wind up drunk, I'll just stay at her place. Don't worry." The mother assured before heading upstairs. She changed out of her work clothes, putting on more casual jeans and a t-shirt. She threw on a cardigan and redid her makeup, then went on her way, leaving Lucio and Hana to fend for themselves for the night.

She drove over to Satya's, parking in the driveway. Per usual, Satya was out on her porch in her chair, glass of sangiovese red wine in hand. As Angela approached, the Indian woman smiled pleasantly and stood.

"Please, come in." She said, opening the front door and walking inside the beautiful home. Angela followed, enjoying the heavy scents of incense that drifted through the air.

"What incense are you burning today?" The doctor inquired as she kicked off her shoes beside the door, nudging them to be side by side as orderly as they could be. She knew Satya's OCD was targeted at just about anything that was out of alignment. Thus, everything in the woman's home was impeccably lined up. Angela could easily believe that her friend had taken a tape measure to all of the decor and furniture.

"Nagchampa here in the downstairs, linen upstairs." Satya answered as she guided Angela to the kitchen, where she retrieved a second wine glass and set it on the island counter. She then motioned to the wine rack tucked away inside a glass cabinet along the wall. The glass was perfectly clean, not a single finger print to be found. "Please, help yourself to a wine of your choice. I'm certain I'll have something you like."

Angela opened the cabinet, careful not to touch the surface of the door. She glanced over the selection of wine Satya had. It was mostly white wine of various types, as such was Satya's favorite, however there were a few rather expensive bottles of red wine. Dark and rich. They also happened to be Angela's preferred kind, though knowing the price of said wines, she was hesitant to select them.

Apparently, Satya could read her like a book.

"Don't worry if it's the more expensive wines, I purchased them to be drank, did I not?" She remarked. Angela glanced over her shoulder with a sheepish smile.

"I hardly ever buy wines so pricey, so I feel a little guilty." She sighed as she plucked a bottle of Shiraz from the rack. This bottle in particular was priced over one-hundred dollars. She turned around and went to the counter, pouring herself a glass then sitting down in one of the chairs, Satya sitting opposite of her.

"Ah, that is such a lovely wine. Very strong flavor. I drink it on cozy nights while I watch old movies." Satya commented before taking a sip of her drink.

Angela smiled. "I love wines like this. I was a little shocked to see you drinking a red wine yourself, considering white is your preference."

Satya nodded, snickering amusedly. "I felt the occasion called for something a little heavier than my usual." She paused for a moment, glancing to the side out the window to her back yard. "You know, I'm very glad to have you here, Angela. It is hard, still, to be alone. Lucio has always been around me so much, that now that he is becoming more and more independent I can't help but feel a little lost."

"Oh Satya..." Angela rested her head on her hand, propping her elbow on the counter. "I can't say that I know how you feel, since I still have my husband in my life, but Hana as well is growing more and more independent from her father and myself. It's nerve wracking. I just want to hold her in my arms and protect her always, but at some point we must let them go. I think tonight is not only a good test of their self-control, but as well of our own strength in letting our kids start to really grow up."

Satya nodded, though her expression was that of a woman deep in thought. "Lucio's dreams will not garner him much success for a long time. I worry for him. I would never abandon my only child, but... I wish there was a way that I could help him see that being a DJ alone will not earn him a living. Don't get me wrong, he is a talented young man, but... he needs something to fall back on. Something to sustain him while he does pursue his dream."

Angela hummed lightly in understanding. "I feel the same way with Hana. She plays video games on the internet, and other people watch her gameplay. Sometimes they even donate to her so that she can buy her own equipment. But that alone can't sustain her... She doesn't seem to be interested in much else other than video games, and I respect that. She's not like most girls her age. At least I never have to worry about what to buy her for her birthday. I just look and see what games she doesnt yet own, and see what ones are coming out, and nine times out of ten she's happy with it."

"Lucio is similar. I purchase new headphones or 'cool' equipment for him like speakers and such, and he appreciates every bit of it. I suppose I can't go wrong with technology." Satya shrugged her shoulders. "He also loves frogs, for some reason. I won't let him have a pet one, however. Material goods aren't everything though. Lucio sometimes expresses his emotions in ways that hurt me. He is very vocal. When I do something that he disagrees with, he doesn't hesitate in the slightest to oppose me. We've argued a lot, especially as of late. I wanted to show him that I do care, and that I want him to be happy. That's part of the reason I allowed this whole night to happen."

"Lucio really does love you, Satya. You've raised him alone from the day he was born. You've given all of yourself to allow your son a good childhood. And I'm certain he is happy. That boy is full of life every day that I see him." Angela reassured, reaching a hand over and grasping Satya's forearm comfortingly.

"I just wish that my husband had stayed... Certainly Lucio would be happier if he had a father in his life." Satya's eyes were distant in remembrance.

"Father or not, Satya, you can't change the past sixteen years of Lucio's life. All he's ever had is you to be there for him. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he appreciates everything you've done for him." Angela squeezed the arm in hand. "You are a wonderful mother to him. Don't feel bad because you couldn't do everything. Be happy that you could do what you have done."

Satya now turned her eyes to Angela, then shut them, nodding her head with a light hum. "Yes, you are right. I shouldn't be living so much in the past."

Angela smiled. "Precisely."

-

Meanwhile at Reinhardt's, Jack and his old comrade were sitting on the man's couch, steins full of beer in hand. The TV in front of them was playing the latest American football match, a sport the German of the two had come to enjoy due to its physical nature. European football was great and all, but it just got so boring so quickly.

Jack took a drink of his beer before talking. "Have you seen Ana lately?"

Reinhardt raised a brow curiously. "No, I haven't seen her. I think she may have gone back to Egypt. She always did like it there better than here."

"Somehow I get the feeling she's still here in the states, she's just secluding herself... After she got shot, she just wasn't the same woman, you know?" Jack stared into the foam that sat at the top of his beer, thinking on the last time he saw Ana. It'd been quite some time.

"Those Ranger instincts still kicking, Morrison?" Reinhardt chuckled. "Whatever she's doing, wherever she is, I'm confident she's fine."

Jack wasn't so sure, doubting his friend's confidence in the motherly woman's safety. "You know how much worse her PTSD got when we all came home. She felt she didn't fit in anywhere, not even with her own daughter. I'm worried about her."

Reinhardt was quiet for a moment. "Maybe we should go to Fareeha's apartment. See if she knows where her mother is. Now that you have me thinking on it, last time I saw Ana she seemed distraught."

The massive man's words concerned Jack greatly. A distraught Ana was an unpredictable one. "Yeah, I think we should. Old soldiers should keep an eye on each other, just like she had our backs."

"Agreed." Reinhardt used the arm of the couch to help stand himself up, groaning quietly. "This old dog really needs to take it easy, but I just can't. Not while Ana might be in danger."

Setting their steins on the table for retrieval when they returned, the two former soldiers slid their shoes on and walked out the door, both getting in Jack's truck. They drove down the quiet streets to the location of the apartment complex Fareeha Amari lived in. Thanks to Ana, the two veterans knew which apartment number was hers.

Reinhardt did the knocking, and Fareeha was quick to call from inside. "I'll be there in a second!"

Almost a whole minute later, Fareeha opened the door, dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a sports bra. Her hair was wet, telling easily that she'd just gotten out of the shower. Her face flushed brightly when she realized the two grown men at her door. "What the hell are you two doing here so late?"

Reinhardt's own face reddened in embarrassment. "Sorry to rush you. We were just concerned about your mother. Last I saw she was fairly distraught... I know she used to live with you, though that's probably not the case anymore."

Fareeha sighed. "I haven't seen her in almost two weeks. She's gone completely off the radar. I haven't filed a missing person's report, mostly because I know she can handle herself."

Jack furrowed his brow. "Despite the fact that you know she has troubles with her stress and anxiety?"

Fareeha nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not heartless, Jack. I know her problems. But she's not some helpless old woman that you need to go searching for."

The silver-haired men both had the same astonishment and anger on their faces. Jack took a step forward. "We're going to search for her. Two weeks without contact to her own daughter is too long. You really don't know how bad her PTSD is, do you?"

Fareeha looked into Jack's eyes. "Listen here, Commander Morrison, don't forget that I was the one who took her in when she couldn't live on her own. I looked into her one eye, comforting her when she needed me most. But I know damn well that she doesn't need someone to constantly watch her back. She made a habit of watching other people's backs instead. I am Ana's daughter. Do not act like just because you were comrades in war means that you know her through and through."

Reinhardt placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, pulling him back. "I don't think she could help us find Ana, Jack. If it's been two weeks, she could be anywhere. Let's just start with locations we know Ana likes. The park, her favorite streets, places like that."

"I also like places that are quiet." A voice spoke from behind the group. All three turned, and came face to face with the woman they'd been arguing about. Ana put her hands on her hips.

"What, a woman can't want some time alone?" She scoffed, stepping past Jack and Reinhardt. "Thank you for defending me, Fareeha, I do appreciate it. And you," She turned her eye to Jack, reaching and grabbing a hold of the man's shirt. "You ever step towards my daughter like that again and you will be trying to wash a bullseye from your back."

Jack stepped back and sighed. "Sorry, Ana. We were just worried. We know you struggle."

Ana's posture and expression softened, and she smiled. "I know. But I'm on medications now. It's much easier to deal with the anxiety, and I don't really have nightmares. I'll be staying with Fareeha again until I decide I need some other time alone."

Reinhardt scratched his head. "But where did you stay for the past two weeks?"

"Various places. Mother knows best. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to chat with my daughter." Ana now turned to Fareeha. "Now, back to you. What on earth are you doing answering the door half-naked? These men don't want to see your body! Jack is married!" She scolded. Fareeha groaned, starting to reply as the two entered the apartment, shutting the door behind them.

Reinhardt couldn't help but laugh. "Look at us, Jack! Going out on a search and rescue for someone who doesn't need it! Haha, let's just go back to my place and hope we didn't miss much of the game."

Jack sighed, smiling and shaking his head. Maybe they had overreacted to the situation.

"Old habits die hard, I guess."