Disclaimer: I want to spread some light. This may come as a fright, but so this can't come back and bite. I'll have some foresight, and also because It's polite. The knowledge that I do not own Overwatch is our insight. I will tell you it's alright, and wish you a merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Author's (Alec) Notes: This is a flashback. Not a chapter. Just a little present from Kate and I. Happy Holidays. We love you all.
L'edition Noël (Christmas Special)
A young girl by the age of 13 sat on her bed, packing the last article of her clothing into the small backpack pulled up with her. Beneath her, the bed remain free of any sheets, the white, padded protector all that sat between her and the mattress; the sheets having been stripped away a long time ago. With her final jacket placed neatly away, Lena zipped up the small plastic zipper, securing all of her belongings safely inside. As she leaned back against the plain white wall behind, her gaze drifted from the small blue backpack and landing on the present lain next to it; an envelope of folded red and white striped wrapping paper complete with a neatly tied ribbon she had spent more than enough time perfecting.
Lena looked up from her spot, eyes resting on the other half of the shared bedroom. Across the way sat the same sight she had seen for a number of years now; the same white and blue color scheme and decorations she had come to know as her time. From the nightstand detailed with small red flowers, to the dark wood framework of the bed, the girl couldn't help but feel her spirits sink, chest becoming heavy and insides numb as she looked over the perfectly made and cleaned half.
With a small sigh, she slid over to the edge of the bed until the rubber soles of her shoes made contact with the thin carpet beneath them, the thin strap of her backpack slipping over her jacketed shoulder as she grabbed for the package, tucking it under the crook of her arm as she parted from the bedroom she had come to call hers. She made her way down the series of wooden steps, heading over to the kitchen with a reluctant heaviness in each step. Upon entering the space, she caught sight of the dark haired woman bent over the countertop, a small mountain of sandwiches piled up beside her on a crisp white plate.
"When will they be here?" Lena asked softly, voice squeaking out as her built up anxiety began to affect, her fingers tightening on the wrapping paper.
"Soon." Her foster mom said simply, her attention fixed on the lunch preparation lain out in front of her.
The corner of Lena's lips turned down into a pout as she padded over to the medium sized dinner table pushed towards the side wall and away from the kitchen, pulling out one of the chairs before slumping into it. "Why are they doing this today? Tomorrow is Christmas." With her each word, her voice began to deflate more and more, the reality and depression of the circumstance sinking into her as she stared at the foil of the wrapped gift she had placed on the surface before her.
The mother set the mustard covered knife onto the cutting board in front of her, making her way over to the small girl tucked into the corner of the table. With a small, sad smile, she ran the tips of her fingers along Lena's hair line, pushing a few strands back and behind the shell of her ear as she cupped the pale skin of her cheek, bringing her head up from its fixed downwards position, making their gazes meet in the middle. "I know you're going to miss him, but I know that you're going to love your new foster home."
"Have you met them?" She asked, voice small in her throat as her brown eyes remain fixed onto the older woman's.
"I have and they already love you." The corner of dark haired woman's lips remained turned up in a reassuring smile; a feature that had been almost fixed on her face since she had gotten to know her.
"How do you know?" Lena said with curiosity.
Leaning down slightly, the caretaker planted a soft kiss onto the top of her head for the last time. "Who couldn't love you?"
"Then why are you giving me away?" Lena pouted.
With only a softly spoken sentence, the woman could feel her heart crumpling up, shattering in her chest as the words so quietly stated jabbed at her insides. With a short sigh, she wrapped her arms around Lena, pulling the shorter girl in close as held her to her chest, giving her smaller frame a squeeze. "Don't say it like that.." After a moment, she let up on the embrace, allowing the brunette some room to breathe. "This was the best home I could put you in now that you're 13."
"And you couldn't wait until after Christmas?" Lena asked, words tight and close to her only accented with a somber gaze as she reached a hand out, fingertips resting on the foil wrapping paper of the present. "Can you give this to him tomorrow? I didn't get a chance to tell him that I won't be here."
A harsh, firm knock echoed through out the hallway and into the kitchen, pulling attention from the two of them away from the current events of the midafternoon. "That might be them," the caretaker began, pulling herself away from the table as she straightened out the front of her shirt, soon signaling Lena to get up from her spot. Reluctantly, the young girl got to her feet, shadowing behind the dark haired woman as she made her way into the hallway, soon pulling the heavy wooden door open.
In the doorway stood a large man, taking up most of the space. His stature remained tall and imposing, yet gentle and soft behind a pair of dark rimmed glasses. Black hair was brushed back from his forehead, thick sideburns leading to a thin beard filling his jawline, creeping up just above his chin. From beneath the rolled up sleeves of his dark brown sweater lain a thick covering of hair over his large arms.
Lena peaked out from behind doorway, her eyes almost instantly filling with tears upon seeing him. The bag and present were dropped from her grasp as she ran out, throwing herself into the larger man. "Winston!" She cried out, arms wrapping around him as she held on for dear life, shoving her face into the fabric of his shirt. "I thought I would never see you again.."
He returned the hug, picking the younger girl and holding her close to him. "Why is that?"
Lena looked up at him, gaze meeting his as her face fell once more. "I'm going to a new home." Her voice was slow and soft, reluctance lacing every word she had to speak. She looked down eyes fixed on the ground, not wanting to see his reaction. A nudge to the back of her arm caused her to glance back, the foster mom placing the fallen gift back into her palms, giving her smaller hands a small squeeze before their small exchange parted. Upon seeing the shiny wrapping paper once more, her heart sinking to the lowest it had been for that night; the final reminder of where she was and what would become of her after this night presenting itself once again. Lena's grip tightened on the package as she lifted it up, holding it in front of her with a firm grip, her eyes fixing back onto his. "I wanted to give you this on Christmas, but I guess that now will have to work."
Winston set her back down, allowing the rubber soles of her shoes to make contact with the floor once more before taking the gift. "I had one for you too, but -"
The younger girl cut him off in an instant, halting him without any hesitation. "It's okay. I'm just happy that I got to see you before I had to go." A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she spoke. "I hope you like your present."
The older man couldn't help but feel the wave of emotions rushing over him, a strong feeling of care hitting him. "Lena, I -"
"Please, just open it." She cut him off once more.
Winston gave a slight nod, turning his eyes back onto the foil wrapping of the red and white striped paper. After undoing the time consuming bow, he shoved the blunt tips of his large thumbs under the crease in the back, stripping away the covering and tearing the bottom away from what it was enveloping. Nestle inside was a dark grey scarf, knitted and woven in a simple yet practical way. Upon closer inspection, minute slip ups and mistakes could be seen; a true sign of how much time and effort the brunette had put into it.
He couldn't help but smile, slipping the material around his neck and placing the ends in a loose tie. "I love it. Thank you." He wrapped his arms around Lena, pulling her into tight hug. "Now I have something for you." The girl could only look at him, head tilted slightly in confusion as he cleared his throat. "I'm going to be your new foster parent."
Complete and utter disbelief washed over the brunette, her mind racing as her heart began to beat harder in her chest than it had for the entirety of that day. Her breathing became short and shallow, her gaze shifting between the man she had come to know as a friend and the woman who had cared for her for the past three years. "He is telling the truth, Lena." The woman spoke up, attempting to clear any confusion regarding the sudden release of information. "We've been planning this for a while, and all of the paperwork just went through."
Tears began to prick at the corner of the younger girl's eyes, spilling over with ease as a laugh bubbled up in her throat, her throwing herself onto Winston once again and wrapping her arms around him, holding him as tight as she could. He returned the hug once more, his own eyes stinging with the contagious emotion upon seeing her like this.
Lena sat on the carpeted floor of her new room, removing the last of her clothing from the small blue backpack and putting it into the chest of drawers pushed against the edge of her bed. With the little things she had now put away and folded neatly, she found her mind wandering. She got up from the stationary position she had been in, parting open the door before shutting it softly behind her, her socked feet making little noise on the wooden flooring as she padded her way down the stairs. A wafting smell of cooking meat pulling her away from the initial trek to Winston's office, the scent leading her off course and changing her path.
Making her way into the familiar kitchen, she pulled out one of the barstools, planting herself down onto it as she folded her arms over the countertop. "It smells great. What're you cooking?"
Winston looked up from the large pot on the stove, the corners of his lips turning up in a smile upon seeing her again already making herself at home. "It's cold out, so I thought that a stew would be nice."
"Can I help?" She offered, leaning up in her seat as she looked over the lip of the pot to get a better look at its contents. Lena couldn't help but smile, a comfort beginning to fill her. Everything felt right. With the wafting scent of cooking food, the kitchen was awake, alive with the smell of home. The warmth hugged her. Everything just felt so right, so perfect in a way she had not known before.
"Of course." He patted the empty space of dark countertop next to the stove. "How about you jump up here and help me start the roux?" Lena jumped down from her perch on the barstool only to make her way around the small island, hopping up onto the surface, her legs swinging idly as she waited. "I'm going to slowly add flour while you stir, okay?" He continued, handing over the wooden spoon he had been using.
"Aye aye!" She said, giving a small salute to top it all off.
Once the two had finished with the roux, all other ingredients were poured in and added to the pot; each one having been cut and cooked beforehand. A large metal lid was placed over the steaming concoction, a small timer being programmed next to the stove top. "You did a great job." He commented, giving the dark brown mop of her hair a slight ruffle. "This should be done in about an hour and a half."
"Okay, big guy, what do you want to do until then?"
Winston couldn't help but smile, reassurance in his decision situating itself as one of the best ones he had made in his life. "I was thinking we could make some dessert."
Lena jumped off of the counter, feet making contact with the floor once again. "Can we make some mince pie?" She asked, looking up at the taller man.
He was slightly taken aback by this, an assumption being made, but not one instantly expected. "Of course, may I ask why?"
"I wanted to leave one out for Santa." The shorter girl looked down, rocking on the balls of her feet as embarrassment washed over her.
The larger man gave off a small. "Of course." As he began to prepare the necessary ingredients, a quick realization hit him that one day he would have to tell her the truth about Santa. But today was not that day.
As the sun rose steadily, its rays peeking in through horizontal window stretched beside her bed, Lena awoke. Her eyes opened wide as she looked around the new room that she could proudly call her own; a comfort of her new reality washing over her. Throwing the heavy blankets off of her, she jumped out of bed, soon opening the door to her room as she took off down the hall, making her way over to Winston's room. Just as she raised her knuckles against the wood of his door, her knock halted just before making contact; an idea distracting her from the action. 'I should make him breakfast.'
She turned around on the ball of her foot, rushing down the steps and into the downstairs. Immediately once Lena had reached the bottom, a scream bubbled up in her throat as surprise came over her. Overnight, a tree had appeared in the living room, the strand of colorful lights illuminating the living room in a comfortable glow; an assortment of presents each ranging in size and wrappings lain out beneath it.
From upstairs, the sound of a door being thrown open could easily be heard, the loud bang echoing throughout the house as heavy footsteps made their way down the stairs, short and panicked breaths follow along with it. "Lena, what is-" In an instant, he had paused, a smile forming onto his face as relief overcoming him, the scream having been silently been explained. "Happy Christmas."
"Are all of these for me?" Lena asked, looking up at him in a state of disbelief. As soon as he had given a nod, she wrapped her arms around him as she had done many times before, giving him a tight hug before the brunette sat herself down onto the carpeted floor in front of the tree and amongst the presents, unsure of where to start.
Winston stepped over, grasping a few gifts before handing one to her, placing the next few by her legs. Inside each one were toys or clothes, each one he had known that she would love upon the years of knowing her; a stocking set up for her filled to the brim with candy and snacks. As soon as every box and package had been opened, each item being removed and a small mountain of wrapping paper being left its wake, the larger man handed her a white envelope. "One last thing."
Reaching forward and taking it, she gave him a smile, ripping open the folded bit of stationary and removing a single slip of paper. Unfolding it, she was greeted with a picture of a thin framed bicycle, its kickstand stuck down to the cement as it leaned over slightly onto the side of a white-walled house front; the black numbers of its address only just in view. It took her only a second to realize where exactly the picture had been taken, the girl jumping up from her place on the floor as she ran outside only to see what had been photographed.
It only took her a second to run back in, launching herself forward as she jumped towards Winston, her arms finding their way around him again as she held him close, her embrace instantly being returned. "Thank you so much.." She said softly, burying herself into him.
She didn't have words to explain how happy and grateful she was. Neither of them did. The smell of home and Christmas filled the air. The warm lights of the tree twinkled upon them as they sat there holding each other. A father and daughter spend their first Christmas together.