Enraptured in Ice

by KibaElunal

At the height of Overwatch's thirty years of service, many members were dedicated to using science to seek out solutions to Earth's growing problems. One such scientist is Mei Ling Zhou who in an emergency placed herself and her crew into cryostasis. However, something went wrong and five years later she is revived by Winston's young lab assistant, eager to prove himself. (Lemons)

17. Chapter 17

Enraptured in Ice Ch. 17

AN: Hello everyone! Sorry it took so long on this chapter. I have just been all over the place lately. You can rest assured I will not be dropping this story. Sad to say, we're actually nearing the end of it, BUT don't worry, for a suggestion was made to me and I think I will most likely act upon it. So, if you guys would like to see an alternate timeline sort of thing where Dan meets Hana before he meets Mei, and they end up together, let me know your thoughts in the reviews. In addition, for those of you who like much better smut than is presented in this series, you'll be happy to know I have some smutty Dan. Va. (as I call it) exclusives for those who add me on Skype: Kiba Vulpus Elunal. Thank you all for your support! All of your messages of concern were very helpful as I've been going through a bit of a rough patch. It really means alot to me, and I wish you guys the best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba

Mei and Lucio sat silently in the room of his small hideaway. Dan still lay on Lucio's bed, broken and beaten, his chest struggling even to draw breath. Mei was terrified. It was like his accident with the machine all over again. "You must really care about him," Lucio commented. "I can see it on your face."

"Yes," Mei admitted. "He means more to me than almost anything."

"It's a shame he's already with someone. I could foresee you two making a good couple."

"I am that someone," she explained with a soft smile. "He and I work together, but somehow, he made me fall in love with him. I suppose there is a first time for everything, but I never would have guessed it would happen like this."

"What? I thought he was with Hana Song."

"He was," Mei emphasized. The climatologist gave a soft sigh, moving to Dan's bedside and sitting beside him. Reaching out with her hand, she gently stroked his hair while Lucio's music worked to patch him up. "Why is it taking so long?"

"Did you not see the size of that woman?" Lucio exclaimed. "I'm surprised he wasn't taken out with the first punch."

"That is something else that concerns me. I've never seen Dan so cold before. He's a pacifist, and yet...I've never seen him act quite like that. He's not even that strong. Most likely, I could overpower him. Whatever happened to him, it is troubling." Mei's wrist communicator began to beep furiously, drawing her attention away from her boyfriend. "This is Mei, go ahead Watchpoint."

"Mei, this is Tracer," the british accent came through. "Have you got eyes on our Dan?"

"Y-yes, Tracer. I fear he is not in excellent condition. Something happened and he weas injured. He's healing right now, but I'll be happy to have him contact you when he wakes up."

"That's not necessary, love. We've locked on to your co-ordinates and are preparing for landing."

"They're doing what now?!" Lucio asked just a loud roar overtook the musical remedy. Outside, a jet slowly descended like a helicopter to come to a landing just outside of the shack. "Oh God, they're going to bring Vaswani right to me," he groaned. As the two rushed outside, the cockpit opened, revealing Hana and Tracer. Lucio's eyes widened as the two women clambered out to land smartly in the dust. "I can't believe it. Is that D. Va, in the flesh? And you..I recognize you! Weren't you a member of Overwatch?"

"Where's Dan?" Hana demanded, walking right past the man to force open the door. "Is he in here?" When her eyes fell upon the battered body of the technician, she quickly rushed to his side. "Dan! Dan, speak to me!" she pleaded, taking his hand in hers.

"Forgive her," Tracer apologized to the two. "She's been antsy the entire way here."

"How are you feeling, Lena? Dan told me what happened," Mei asked, trying to ignore the fact that Hana was so close to him.

"I'm much better now," she surrendered. "Nothing like trouble with an old friend to snap you out of your own problems, I suppose. Also, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend here?" She offered her hand with a smile. "Lena Oxford, though you can call me Tracer."

"Wow! I can't believe I'm actually getting to meet you in person. I swear, it's like celebrities are falling out of the sky or something. Betty White isn't going to be making a guest appearance is she? I'm Lucio."

"Lucio? As in the musician?"

"The very same. Though I'm doing less concerts and more freedom fighting lately."

"Yes! I have heard about that! Very great work! It's nice to see there are still heroes around."

"Aw shucks, you're making me blush," he laughed. "Anyway, come on in. I'll show you where your friend is resting."

Mei followed behind them, her eyes glued to Hana. While she held no illwill against the younger girl, it didn't change that she was a bit nervous about the entire situation. What had happened between the two of them while she was gone? Just because Dan had told her that she was the only girl for him didn't mean he'd told Hana.

"What happened to him?" Hana murmured, sinking to sit beside him. Her hand absently went to caress his cheek, before noting the enormous bruise on his jaw. "Someone hit him?"

"We need to talk about that," Mei admitted. "Perhaps it were best if we discussed this privately…"

"Say no more," Lucio sighed. "I'll be outside, stretching my legs and hiding your plane. I don't want Vaswani descending on this place like a bunch of vultures."

After he left, Mei took a deep breath to begin explaining, but Tracer interrupted her. "Let me guess. He suddenly began acting strangely. He attacked someone for no reason, didn't respond to you when you spoke to him, and was injured heavily when he suddenly became lucid."

"How did you…?"

Tracer and Hana exchanged nervous glances. "They were telling the truth then," Hana whispered. Tears began building up in her eyes as she buried her face in her hands. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to save him, of course," Tracer tried, wrapping an arm around the smaller girl. "It'll be okay. No need to cry, love."

"I still don't know what's going on!" Mei complained. "Will someone please fill me in?"

"Dan is a sleeper agent for Talon," Tracer stated. "He found me locked up by Ana and Jack, both of whom are still alive. They've been keeping tabs on him for the last month or so. They say that Talon has a new operative that is able to even hack people."

"How is that even possible?" Mei gasped.

"It's hard to believe you've been gone for so long," Tracer noted. "While you were frozen, a new medical procedure was invented using nanobots to help remove certain illnesses and speed up a person's recovery from injury. It's entirely possible that if she can hack into the self contained network they use, that she'll be able to control a person completely. She could remove their ability to feel pain, repair muscles the moment they're damaged, even control their minds. The only predicament is she'd have to have done it in person to put her own receiver in. Dan must have one himself."

Mei stared down at him in shock. "But he's going to be okay...right?"

"Of course!" Hana snapped. "Dan isn't going to let someone just control him! He can fight back! He'll win! He's not going to…" she stopped, her shoulders heaving as she began to cry more. "Right?" she asked. "He's going to be okay…right, Tracer?"

The three women all stared at one another, trying to find comfort in the gaze of the other two, but the truth was all three of them were terrified. "Wait a tick," Tracer suddenly exclaimed, catching her palm on her hand. "Hold everything! I know how to help Dan!"

"You do?" Mei questioned excitedly.

"Yes! I knew you could think of something!" Hana cheered.

"We need an expert in machines. Someone even better than Dan."

"Where are we going to find someone like that?" Mei demanded. "Winston doesn't even have that kind of know-how. He taught Dan a lot, but Dan also taught himself most of his knowledge."

"Maybe so, but whose books do you think he'd been reading to teach himself? Who in Overwatch has enough knowledge of machinery to give Dan the knowledge he knows?" Tracer pressed, her smile getting bigger. "I'll give you a hint, his temper is as short as he his."

Mei's eyes widened. "You mean…"

"Who? Who?!" Hana complained.

"Torbjörn!" Tracer beamed. "That man is a marvel with machines, and it was his notebooks that Dan used to create his inventions. If we can track him down, we can have him create some sort of interceptor to help Dan."

As all three girls began to discuss their options rapidly, things seemed to finally be picking up.

---

As Angela boarded the flight from America to Gibraltar, she calmly flipped through the pages of her magazine. She didn't often take the time to relax and let her hair down, but on planes, she enjoyed taking her time to be more 'girly' than she typically did. "Hello," a woman greeted her cheerfully as she began stowing her things in the rack above her.

"Hello," Angela greeted back, before seeing that behind the women were two men she recognized. "Jesse? Reinhardt? What are you two doing out here?" she gasped.

The woman she'd just met looked over her shoulder at the two confused. "You know them?"

"Doc, good to see you."

"Indeed," Reinhardt grinned broadly. "Apologies. Brigitte meet Dr. Ziegler. She was once a companion of ours on the battlefield. You won't find a better medic anywhere else in the world!"

"Th-thank you for that," Mercy stammered. "But why are you both here on this plane? You didn't plan on dragging me back, did you?"

"Drag you back?" Reinhardt asked as he collapsed into the seat beside her. "Did you leave?"

"Y-yes."

As Brigitte and Jesse also sat down, McCree smirked to himself. "If that was what you were concerned about Doc, then I'd be curious as to why you voluntarily got on a plane to Gibraltar. Makes me kind of wonder if maybe you weren't so keen on leavin' after all. Tell the truth, you just miss the kid, dontcha?" Just as she was about to protest, Brigitte nudged the cowboy hard in the ribs.

"Leave her be, Jesse. It's a pleasure to meet you Doctor Ziegler. I'm Reinhardt's assistant, and now apparently, babysitter to a cowboy. Don't mind him. He's still in a bit of pain from an incident we faced in the desert. We're heading to the base ourselves so that we can report to Winston for a mission."

"Please, call me Angela," she suggested. "And no, Jesse, I'm actually not going to visit Dan. I need to speak with Winston about a request on behalf of a mutual friend. Talon has been giving him some trouble and it'd be nice if erm…" she looked around before lowering her voice, "Overwatch gave some assistance."

"Overwatch may have some concerns of its own on its plate right now, Doc. Not that you can't ask, but I'm afraid some information has come to light that may be a bit jarring. Even for you."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Jack and Ana are alive!" the larger man blurted, causing her eyes widen.

"Sorry, we're working on bluntness," Brigitte promised.

"They're alive?" Mercy repeated in disbelief. "How can they possibly be alive?"

"No idea," McCree answered. "You can ask them yourself once we get there though. They're just sitting around drinking coffee like nothing happened. To be honest, it right pisses me off."

"Understandably," she agreed. "Why have they come back now after all this time?"

"You're just as in the dark as we are," the cowboy replied.

Mercy sank back in her chair, just as her watch began to beep. "Oh! Reinhardt, it's time for you to take your medication. Do you need something to drink? I'm sure we can get one of the flight attendants to…"

"Bah!" the larger man scoffed. "I don't need any medication! I've been as healthy as an ox, doctor."

"Why on earth do you have an alarm for his medication?" Jesse pressed.

"I...have one for all of my friends," she admitted bashfully. "I programmed them when I was taking care of them, and my nostalgia keeps me from turning them off. It helps me to remember to think about everyone at least once a day." She then added, "And it doesn't matter how you feel Reinhardt! You can relapse into cardiac arrest if you stress yourself too much and don't have your blood pressure medication!"

"That's silly! I haven't been taking it for years!" he bragged, smiling broadly.

"Hey Reinhardt, I've got your lunch that I packed," Brigitte replied, passing it to him.

"Oh! Thank you, Brigitte! I was beginning to get hungry. You're always such a good girl." He pat her affectionately on the head before wolfing down the sandwich.

Brigitte leaned over to Mercy with a soft smile before whispering to her, "Don't worry. I've been slipping his pill into his food since I found the bottle he tried to throw away. He's kind of like a dog. I've actually had to wrap it in cheese before."

Mercy had to conceal a chuckle. "I'm glad that you're there to take care of him. You care about him a lot, I can see. Just be careful. Don't let your care for him consume your life, okay? I'm sure you had dreams of your own. Don't give them up for anyone else's sake."

"Doctor Ziegler," she replied, "with all due respect, I doubt you became a doctor because you didn't let your care for others consume your life."

Angela smiled at the woman. "I suppose you have me there," she admitted. "You know, you really remind me of someone."

"Oh?"

"Yes. A bright pupil of my own. As Jesse said, he's at Gibraltar right now. I'm sure you'll love meeting him. Dan is such a sweet boy. I think you two will get along great."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be departing shortly. Please stow all belongings and buckle all seat belts for take off. Thank you."

Looking up at the overhead speakers, Brigitte smiled politely before resting her head against the chair's headrest. "I'm sure I will. Thank you, Angela. I apologize if I fall asleep on you. I'm afraid most of my nights have been spent driving and listening to David Hasselhoff music lately."

"Don't mind me. I'm probably going to have a nap myself, so just get some rest. You've earned it."

---

Hanzo, Genji, and Zenyatta sped down the halls, firing their various weaponry in many directions as numerous guards were dispatched under their assault. Hanzo gave a slight huff. He knew in his heart that he owed his brother for this help, but he was far too stubborn to admit such a thing.

"Wait," he instructed, firing another one of his sonic arrows at the far wall. Something had tripped his senses, and he was certain that the farther they went in, the thinner their forces seemed to be. It should have been the opposite.

Sure enough, there was the figure of a woman just behind the wall. She was moving about on some sort of console, but the three couldn't identify what it was specifically she was doing. "Brother, we should move quickly," Genji insisted, but Hanzo kept his hand raised to instruct them to hold.

His tattoos began to glow as he reached deep within himself. He could feel the power of the dragon deep inside of him, roaring to life and demanding blood to sate its hunger. Drawing back his bow, the power raced into his arrow as he aimed it straight towards the wall. "Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau!" he chanted the ancient words of power before releasing the arrow in a fierce spiral of ethereal energy.

Sombra smirked as she heard the sound of the rushing dragon. So he'd actually tried it as she suspected. Pressing the final few buttons, an electrical field roared to life, capturing the energy within it as the dragons lashed furiously as being trapped. "Impossible!" Genji gasped.

Activating her teleporter, she suddenly blinked from existence to reappear behind the three and opening fire with her machine guns. "Behind us!" Zenyatta cried, causing the three warriors to wheel about. Genji leapt to the forefront, his blade moving in a blur to deflect the fire as Reaper manifested behind Hanzo.

"You've made a grave mistake," he growled, causing the archer to turn back, just in time to receive a shotgun blast to the chest that sent him flying back into the monk. "Sombra, Amelie. Finish them off," he commanded.

"Working on it, pendejo!" Sombra retorted, switching between dodging the reflected bullets and firing upon the ninja.

Meanwhile, her free hand moved in a blur as energy leapt from her glove towards the omnic. "What is happening to me?" Zenyatta hissed as his body spasmed against his will. Raising his hand towards Genji's back, fear gripped his mechanical mind. Surely she didn't mean to… "Genji! Run!" he gasped.

The ninja managed to see his mentor just as he was about to strike, and quickly rushed forward, his body propelling him with his plasma jets past the hacker. "After him!" Gabriel cried to Amelie, who began firing down the hall at him.

The cyborg ninja could feel the heat of the bullets racing past him. Fear gripped his heart as he barely managed to reach the door. "Brother, forgive me," he whispered. Just as he was about to reach freedom, a grappling hook raced to him, grabbing his back and pulling him back towards the fray.

Just as he thought he'd reached his end, an arrow flew, severing the cord and planting into the wall. Genji turned to see his brother, giving him an affirmative nod before Reaper slammed one of his guns over the back of his head, sending him crumpling to the ground beside the now powered down Omnic.

"Sombra, he is getting away!" Amelie cried, but Genji knew what he had to do. There was no help for his brother or master now, save the one person he knew would be able to help. All he could hope was that they would be alive when he returned. Overwatch would not let this stand, he knew.

As he managed to hop the fence and vanish into the wilds, Sombra let out a cry of frustration before casting her gun on the ground. "Take them to the holding cells!" she demanded. "It's time for us to make some new toys to play with."

---

When Dan finally came to, he found himself alone, save Hana who was curled up on the bed beside him. He quickly jerked away in shock, and immediately regretted doing so as pain raced through his entire being, causing him to cry out.

Stirring awake, the young gamer turned to see him sitting up in bed, back against the wall. "Dan!" she cried excitedly, giving him a big hug. "I was so worried about you!"

"Hana?" he gasped, the pain from her embrace running up and down his spine. "Too tight."

"Oh, sorry. I guess you're still hurting."

"What happened to me? I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

She frowned. "I'm not entirely sure on all the details," she admitted. "Mei just said you were injured in a fight. She didn't really say how, necessarily." Her tone was sombre and Dan seemed to notice the way she sank when he asked.

"Did I kill someone?" he asked, his mouth going dry.

"No! At least...I don't think so, anyway. I just got here with Tracer." She paused for a moment, gently taking his hand in hers. "Dan, there's something you need to know. I don't know how else to tell you this, but it's very important. You may not believe me at first. I didn't want to believe it either, but...I'm really scared right now, Dan. I know we're not together anymore but…" she sniffed, her eyes starting to tear up, "I'm really worried about you, Dan."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," he tried as she snuggled up to him again. He gently raised his arm, tenderly stroking her hair with what little strength he had. "See? I'm alive, still."

"It's not that," she muttered. "We found out why Jack and Ana were at Gibraltar. They were watching you, Dan. They found evidence that you've been a sleeper agent for Talon this entire time."

Dan had to stifle a laugh as Hana looked at him in shock. "Me?" he chortled. "I'm a sleeper agent for Talon? Hana, that's ridiculous! You know me. I'm a pacifist. I can't shoot very well, I'm not able to socialize well, and what's more, I'm best friends with Tracer, possibly one of the nosiest people in Overwatch."

"Dan...it's true," she murmured. "Mei said you went absolutely berserk. You just began hurting people. She tried to stop you, and you just pushed her down. You didn't even stop and...I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you, Dan."

"I...I don't remember anything," he admitted, rubbing his head. "I remember I was with Lucio. We'd managed to convince him to help us, but Vaswani had Mei and our machine, so I needed to get her out. We got to the door, but it was locked and then…" Dan trailed off, shutting his eyes tightly as he tried to remember what happened after that, but it was all a blank.

"Who's hungry?" Lucio asked as he kicked open the door to his shack. "I got some of the best food Rio has to offer. Ah, Dan! Good to see you up and alive. Catch!" Reaching into the brown paper bag, he pulled out a small parcel wrapped in tin foil before tossing it to him.

Dan hissed from the heat, tossing it between both hands before dropping it onto his blanket covered lap, preventing him from burning himself any further.

"And one for you, little lady," Lucio grinned, handing Hana a similar package as well. Sitting down, he grabbed one for himself from the bag before removing the foil and taking a bite of the golden brown treat within.

"What is it?" Hana asked, sniffing hers carefully before nibbling on a corner.

"Picanha empadas," Lucio answered. "Basically, it's a fried beef pot pie. Best beef you'll ever taste in your life, believe me."

Dan felt as if he hadn't eaten in days. Unwrapping the meal, his stomach grumbled, showing just how hungry he truly was before he scarfed the entire thing down in a few bites. Hana looked at him in shock from how quickly he'd wolfed it down before quickly starting on the next one. "Dan, are you okay?" she asked cautiously.

"Y-yeah, sorry," he replied with his mouth full before he swallowed and repeated himself. "Sorry...Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel really hungry for some reason. How long have I been out?"

"A few hours," the musician informed him.

"I feel like I haven't eaten anything in a week," Dan whined, finish his third one. "Please tell me there's more in the bag."

"Whoa, you may want to slow down a little," Lucio warned. "I love the food of Brazil, but if you keep swallowing it like a snake you're going to wind up with the Rio runs."

"Good news," Tracer announced as she came in. When her eyes fell on Dan though, her announcement died and she quickly zipped over to him for a hug. "Dan! You're awake!"

"Yeah," he groaned gently patting her back. "Still hurting though. I need to start warning before I get more hugs, huh?"

"Listen Dan…"

"Hana's already filled me in. I don't remember anything from when I arrived at Vaswani. Lucio and I got to the door, it was locked, and then nothing."

"Well, thankfully, we've come up with a solution," Mei chimed in, giving a big smile to her boyfriend.

"Mei! Thank goodness, you're okay," Dan said, running to her. The two embraced as Dan kissed her lovingly. "I was so scared, Mei. I thought I'd never see you again."

"You were scared?" Mei choked. "I was terrified! You nearly killed that woman with your bare hands, Dan."

"I don't remember," I swored. "Honest, I don't."

"So much for no hugs," Hana huffed under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Anyway, I managed to get in touch with Torbjorn through Athena's networking system. He says he's eager to meet you, Dan and that he thinks he can help us get this sorted out."

"Torbjorn? The Torbjorn?" he asked giddily.

Tracer frowned. "Dan, this is serious. Seriously, how can you pretend like none of this ever happened? When Mei brought you back here, you had several broken bones and all of your muscles were torn like tissue paper. Right now, until we get you situated, you need to realize just how much danger we're all in."

Dan sank. "What do you mean?"

His friend sighed. She hated having to spell this out for him, but it was the only way to get him to understand. "Dan, when you went berserk, you didn't even recognize Mei. You probably wouldn't recognize me or Hana or Winston. Right now, you're a ticking time bomb and we don't know what will set you off or when. Just being here right now is a huge risk to us and to you."

"Wh-what are you saying?" Dan asked.

"Tracer…" Mei warned, not wishing to upset him.

"I'm saying, Dan...that if Torbjorn's plan doesn't work, you're going to have to seriously consider leaving Overwatch."

"Tracer!" Hana protested.

"I'm sorry, Dan. I know that hurts to hear. It hurts to say the end though, we have to think what's best for everyone. I know you don't want to leave, but look at the alternative! What if you were to hurt me or Hana? What if you were to hurt Mei?"

"Do not use me in this argument, Tracer," Mei quickly interjected. "I for one will not even consider such a thing until we know for certain there are no other alternatives."

"No, she's right," Dan muttered. "I don't want to hurt you, Mei. If I couldn't recognize you when I flipped...if they made me kill you, Mei...I'd never be able to forgive myself."

Mei hugged him close. "Dan, you don't have to say that," she whispered. "We are going to figure this out, understand? Right now though, you need to pack. We're meeting Torbjorn in Gibraltar in a few days."

"But...the hurricane…"

"Lucio will take care of the machine for the time being. I've already set it up, and it's taken care of," she promised. Gently resting her hands on his cheeks, she leaned closer to give him an eskimo kiss. "Trust me, Dan. You'll see that everything will be just fine."

"Okay," he agreed softly. "I trust you."

With that, he began to pack up the rest of his belongings, Lucio's music having rejuvenated him enough that his body's soreness had become manageable. "Okay, everyone," Tracer called. "Into the jet!" Having filled up all four seats, Dan found himself sandwiched between Mei and Hana, both of which were holding his hand.

He doubted it was because they thought he'd be afraid of take off with Tracer at the wheel. In a way, their walking on eggshells behavior only seemed to make the situation feel more dire.

---

As the small Swedish tinkerer continued to pack his things, he could feel his wife's gaze at his back. "So explain to me again, why it is you to have leave so suddenly?"

"I told you hunny bunny," he replied as sweetly as he could. "Overwatch needs me. See, there's this kid and…"

"What about your kids?" she demanded.

"Sugar bear…"

"Don't 'sugar bear' me, mister!"

"It'll only be a few days, then I'll be right back here, safe and sound, with nothin' for you to worry about." Hopping onto a chair that was beside her, he sweetly placed a kiss on her cheek. "You know I'd never leave if it weren't important."

"You mean like that time that they had the kitten stuck in a tree?" she asked flatly.

"Oy! It wasn't stuck in a tree! It was stuck on top of a giant comatose Omnic whose proximity sensors were still active and had laser guided missiles that could level a small country!" he protested.

"And the time you went to have a drink with your old friend?"

"Lily dove, you know that I had myself a drink after I put my 'old friend' out of commission while he was rampaging across the countryside in a giant mechanical monster."

"You just have an excuse for everything, don't you?" she sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Well fine then! Go! Go if you don't want to spend time home with the love of your life and your nine beautiful children."

"Erm...eight," Torbjorn corrected.

"Are you saying I don't know how many children we have?" she gasped in shock.

"No, no, no. I'm saying we have eight children. That's all I'm saying, didn't mean nothin' else by it," he quickly assured her.

"Oh really?" she asked. "Because I'm almost certain for a fact that we have nine."

Torbjorn looked at her incredulously, scratching the side of his head confused and counting on his fingers. "Well, lessee...Anna, Elsa, Maja, Agnes and Oliva, then the boys, Lucas, Liam, and little Wilhelm." He held up his hands for his wife. "See, eight."

She smirked at him. "You're forgetting one."

He looked back at his hands, counting once more in his head. "No, I'm not," he retorted. "We have eight children, I'm certain of it."

"Come here, you silly man," she beckoned.

He began grumbling to himself as he waddled closer and she took his hands in hers, counting with him. "Anna, Elsa, Maja, Agnes and Olivia," she counted one at a time on his fingers. "Lucas, Liam, Wilhelm," she continued, moving on to his other hand before taking it and placing it on her belly. "And Torbjorn Jr." she murmured finally.

Torbjorn's eyes widened, sparkling with love and adoration. "We have another little one on the way?!" he cried in excitement. "Oh darlin'! When did you find all this out?"

"Just last night," she whispered.

"Last night?!"

She nodded her head. "I can narry believe it. I'm going to be a papa again!" He kissed her fully on the lips, and she had to resist giggling, as his large beard tickled her chin. Weaving his fingers with hers the two just stood there gazing into one another's eyes. "I'm sorry to say, darlin' but I've still got to go."

"Yeah, I know you do," she sighed softly. "I just wish Overwatch would find someone else. It'll be hard to raise our children if you wind up in prison. I know most of the others don't have lives to return to, but you have a wife. You have a family who loves and misses you."

"Aye, and it is why I'm wealthier than the rest of them," he joked. "I swear, love. I'll be back as soon as I possibly can be. This boy apparently is self taught in engineering using my journals and Winston's tutelage. He's in a spot of trouble, and who knows, once he's free from it they may never have to call me again."

Closing his briefcase with a loving smile, he went and gave his wife one last kiss goodbye before waddling to the den. "Come on kids," she called. "Tell your father goodbye before he goes off to save the world."

"Good bye, Papa," they all told him one after another exchanging hugs and kisses. "Don't forget to bring us something back from Gibraltar, Papa," his oldest girl cried, just before the rest of them all muttered terms of agreement.

He gave a hearty laugh. "Of course, I will. Now you all be good for Papa, okay? Anna, you're in charge. Elsa, you're in charge of making sure Anna is in charge. Be sure to help your Mama out with anything she asks for."

"Yes, Papa," they chimed.

With that, Torbjorn left for the airport, a soft smile on his lips.

---

As the jet touched down, Dan sighed, pulling his hands from the two girls and unclipping the harness. Normally, Tracer would have made some joke or teased about stowing trays in the upright position or something, but this time it felt as if someone had died. There were no jokes, no laughs...just the crippling awkwardness.

Dan was still sore all over, and since he'd gotten on the plane, he had been nearly starving. As they all climbed out onto the tarmac, Dan heard the entry gate open just beside the. Turning, he saw Jesse, Mercy, Reinhardt, and a woman whose name he did not know. Even still, when he saw Mercy his eyes lit up and he quickly ran to her.

"Doctor Ziegler," he cried excitedly, throwing his arms around her in a big hug, causing her to stumble and drop her things. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hello, Dan," she chuckled, hugging him back. "It is good to see you again."

"I tried to call you. Why didn't you answer?" he asked.

"Dan, I told you I'd only come if you had an emergency."

"I did have an emergency!" he argued.

"Missing me, I don't think counts as an emergency," she lectured.

"I was blind and half-deaf for nearly three days," he stated flatly, causing her eyes to widen. "It was a mechanical error. Machine blasted my head with enough compression to make the capillaries in my eyes burst."

"What?! When was this?!"

"About a week ago."

"Oh, Dan...I'm so sorry. I just thought…"

"It's okay," he quickly forgave her. "You're here now, and that's all that matters."

"Not for very long, I'm afraid," she replied. "I've just come to ask Winston for some help on behalf of a friend. Even still, it is nice to see you, Dan." She pat him affectionately on the back before brushing past him towards the main lab.

"You must be Dan!" Reinhardt declared, giving him an enormous bearhug that caused his spine to crack. "It is always good to meet new family!" he grinned brightly.

"H-hello...nngh...sir," he responded politely, his muscles afire from the pain of the man's overwhelming strength.

"Reinhardt, you're hurting him," the woman beside him informed him, causing him to quickly put Dan back on the ground.

"Apologies, friend. Sometimes my excitement gets the best of me," the large man laughed. His eyes then flowed over Dan's shoulder to Tracer. "LENA!" he boomed, rushing over to her to repeat the process.

"Easy big guy," she gasped as he lifted her off the ground.

The woman who was travelling with them that Dan didn't recognize gave a small chuckle. "I have a feeling he's going to be doing this quite a lot." She smiled to Dan, offering her hand to shake. "Brigitte," she introduced. "Dan, right? It's nice to meet another assistant of Overwatch."

"Assistant?" he asked, shaking her hand.

"To Reinhardt, specifically. And you're Jesse's right?"

"What? No, no. I'm Mei's assistant." He turned over his shoulder to point to his girlfriend and boss, but she was nowhere to be found. "That's odd...she was just there," he commented.

"Ah, well," Brigitte shrugged. "I'm sure I'll get to meet her soon enough. I'd better get the meathead's stuff unpacked. Otherwise, he just kind of throws it all on the ground."

As she left, Jesse just wrapped an arm around his pupil. "Man...I always hate seeing her leave, but I love watching her go," the cowboy commented, adjusting his hat. "I feel I owe you a debt of gratitude, Dan. Thanks to your warning in the desert, I was able to hold off those two vermin...at least for a little while anyway. Appreciate the save, amigo."

"Yes, sir. Anytime."

As they all left, Dan found himself standing there alone. His heart felt like it was breaking into pieces. "Dan?" Hana asked, moving to his side. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I just can't believe it," he murmured. "Mercy and Jesse...they all act like nothing's wrong. I mean, I was worried that everyone would be treating me like I was made of glass. I'd almost wished they wouldn't but not it feels like they don't even care."

Hana threw her arms around him, hugging him close. "I care," she whispered to him. "I care very much." With that, she pressed her lips against his. For a moment, Dan lost himself in the sensation, before he gently grasped her shoulders and pulled her away, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Hana," he whispered. "I can't. I'm…"

"I know," she sighed softly. "I can tell you really care about her, Dan. More than you care about me, anyway."

"It's not like that," he tried. "I do care about you but…"

"But you're in love with her," Hana finished for him, offering a weak smile. "I know, Dan. It's just...going to take time for me to let go, I guess." She took his hands in hers, giving a gentle squeeze. "If it helps, I wish you both happiness," she sniffed, trying not to let herself cry. "At least we'll always have Korea?" she tried.

Dan could feel himself hurting all over again. He knew he'd made the right choice, but this was twice as agonizing to deal with in person. He hugged her close. "Yeah," he whispered to her. "We'll always have Korea. I love you, Hana. I'm glad to have you as my friend."

"Me, too, Dan," she gave him another peck before turning to head towards Winston's lab. For a moment, Dan just stood there before turning and heading elsewhere in the compound. He just wanted to be alone for a while.

Off to the side, having set her things down in her lab, Mei had returned, just as she'd seen Dan and Hana kissing. Wiping a tear from her eye, she returned to her lab so she could sit down, and so that no one could see her crying.

To be continued...