Title: Against the rules
Chapter 28: Be prepared part 1
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Fareeha's POV
When I see Ana I know something's wrong. Her body seems tense and her hands are constantly fidgeting with her sniper.
I look over to Angela and see that she has observed this too. Her frown making it clear to me that one question is lingering on both of our minds.
What's happened?
I break out of it first. She'll come to me if she needs the support. I'll give her time.
We walk up to Ana, my metal gear moving smoothly from the oil treatment I gave it recently which will probably be repeated again today.
"Hello." I greet softly, wanting to come across as welcoming rather than my usual rough exterior.
She flinched slightly as her eye lifts from the ground to look at me. She didn't even notice us walk in. She pauses for a moment before I see a forced smile on her face.
"Fareeha." she greets. Her hands pushing the sniper to the back of her. I frown softly.
Didn't she want to talk to me? What about yesterday? My anger almost flares before it gets cut off by a point made by Angela.
"Where's Ewa?" she asks, causing me to look around the room. Nope, no ominous black figure lurking around crates with enough knives to supply an army.
I see Ana flinch again. She quickly composes herself before averting her eye back to the ground.
"Uh… I don't know." She mutters, probably trying to work through her thoughts, I did the same when I was in a difficult situation.
Was she in a difficult situation with Ewa? It would make her odd behaviour understandable.
To try and sway the conversation away from an obvious painful situation, I start with a conversation that needs to be addressed.
"Ana... Can we talk?" I ask, still not sure of what I should call her. We need to talk about these feelings that I'm having around her. Angela reckons it will make me feel better.
She looks up, I see what looks like a flash of pain behind her eye but it disappeared as soon as it begun. She nods softly with an understanding look upon her face.
We decide to take a seat at the set of crates furthest from the middle of the room, so when people come they will stay out of the way and give us the feeling of privacy.
Ana takes one crate by herself and Angela and myself take another. From the position of the crates, we're sat right across from each other but not in an uncomfortable way, it a relaxed and friendly manner that doesn't feel like an interrogation.
Having Angela by my side makes me a lot more relaxed, I feel safer with her here, knowing that I won't have to be in the unusual terrain of emotions by myself. I've never been open with a lot of people, I find it hard to trust and I struggle pulling my walls down sometimes. But with Angela here, it's become a lot more easier.
I fold my hands together and look at them for a long moment. I need to be honest, I need to be open. If I'm not Ana won't be either. We have to knock down walls today and we can't do that if I refuse to participate.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my mind as I try to think about what to say to the woman that didn't come back home to me.
"I'm angry. For you not coming back to me. I'm upset because I don't know what's wrong with me that caused you not to come back. But I'm also happy. I'm happy because I've got my mother back after fruitless years of begging that you was alive." I say to her, still not making eye contact. I could feel tears prick at my eyes and I know if I looked at her then my resolve would shatter.
It took a few moments to control my eyes, making the tears disappear back into a place which didn't bother me in this very moment.
"Oh darling… there's nothing wrong with you. If anything there's something wrong with me. Scratch that, there is something wrong with me. I should have never left such a perfect child such as you. I'm so sorry my baby Scarab. If I could take it back I would." she replies, her voice full of sympathy and regret for her past decisions.
"Don't pity me. I hate it." I mutter softly, not wanting the raw emotion to spill over from what shes just said to me.
I hear such a familiar chortle, her laugh like bells to my ears. A laugh that I've missed for so long.
"You haven't changed at all have you? It's remarkable how much you're like me besides the fact that we haven't been around each other for so long." she says, mirth lacing her voice making her merry.
I couldn't help the smile that leaked onto my own face. I guess I haven't changed one bit. And I know that I'm like Ana, everyone likes to tell me.
"If there is any change it would be that she's more reserved and doesn't let anyone in. But you was always the same on some levels." Angela adds to fill in the silence which made Ana laugh slightly.
"I've noticed them changes. I wouldn't say that they're bad things but they're not that brilliant either." Ana replies, speaking to us both.
After a moment of silence, where we just let it all sink in, I watch the ground. I try to count the fractures in the slab but was soon pulled away from my mental exercise.
"Can we have a relationship? I would like to amend my mistakes and be a better parent to you." Ana asks nervously, obviously feeling the need to explain her question more than required.
It wasn't a hard answer. I wanted a relationship too. I want to get to know her and understand her again. I want my mother back.
I look up from the heart ground and focus on her eye.
"Yes." I say loud enough for everyone in our spot to hear. Making sure to show true trust through my eyes even if it wasn't presented through my rigid body.
This moment was soon disrupted by the heavy thumps and machinery whirling. This was obviously D.va's suit coming to the hideout.
I expected to see Sombra with the unusually black carbon fiber suit but she wasn't when it made its way through a large doorway that must have been used for trucks.
D.va sets up on the edge of the room, close to us but not too close where it would be intruding privacy.
Hana Song's agile body slides out of the suit, her and giving a small wave in our direction before standing in front of her still stood mech suit.
My curiosity chews me up too much. I have to ask.
"Where's Sombra?" I ask. Noticing how she was relaxed and easy going this morning.
Her attention moves back to me where it focuses for a brief moment as she thinks about what I said, her head in the clouds previously.
"I don't know. She said she needed to sort something and left early this morning, she probably got caught up with something." she replied friendly, before moving back to her mech suit, losing all interest in the conversation.
I frown softly. Odd. Well, she was a Talon agent. You have to be odd to join them. I shrug it off and turn back to my small group.
Angela's hand reaches out and fingers her way into my own, holding them snug together like they were meant to be. I smile softly, what would I do for happiness without this woman.
I hear the quick padding of boots as a interested looking Sombra walks into the building, going towards Hana.
She picks her up in a tight embrace, causing the smaller girl to squeal softly in delight as she is reunited with someone she hasn't seen for one hour max.
I would usually roll my eyes at how pathetic this is but I get it now that I am in a relationship with Angela. I hate spending time away from her even if it is a small moment. I guess you can say we're still in the honeymoon stage but I don't care.
I hear a thud and quickly turn to see the slightly familiar shape of the knife master in the black garments that seem a little more tossed that usual.
Her eyes work their way over the room, straightening herself out as she does. Her eyes linger in our direction for a small moment before she turns to a crate in the middle of the room and takes a seat on top of it.
I frown softly at how she doesn't come over to Ana. I glance at said person and see her eyes trained on the floor in what seems like an avoidance of showing people the pain that lay thick in her eye.
I look over to Mercy, having a silent agreement. She was better at speaking then I am.
I stand up and make my way off to the side of our group a little bit. I slowly remove my armour, unclasping the secret attachments and placing it all down on the concrete slabs beneath my feet.
Under my suit I am wearing a set of shorts and vest that hug my figure so they don't catch in the machinery and so I don't overheat while I'm in my suit.
I go into one of the crates and pull out some tools and equipment I stashed in there for easy use for today.
I place it beside my gear and sit down in the middle of this look a like mess. But it was my system. Angela calls it a disaster zone when I fix up my gear but I call organised for my methods.
"Hey, what's up?" I hear Angela ask Ana, making sure no one else hears what's going on.
Ana sounds like she's thinking from the lack of response. I don't look up so she doesn't think I'm all that interested.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Ana replies softly, I hear her hands connecting with her sniper as the scrape against the crate tells me she brought it to her front to fiddle with or to work on it.
"What's going on between you and Ewa then?" Angela asks, continuing to look out for my mother.
There's another pause in thought. Maybe it's still a little raw for her. Have they fallen out?
"Don't worry about it. We'll sort it out." Ana adds before going quiet again.
So there is trouble between the two. What happened? Is it because Ewa doesn't like women with children? That's unlikely.
This doesn't make any sense. If they're in love then surely they wouldn't have problems so bad that they don't speak. Or does that happen?
This is annoying. This is why I never got into gossip when I started military school, too much shit.
I tighten bolts in my suit with extra vigour, making sure nothing will fall apart while shooting the shit out of them heartless bastards.
After tightening every bolt, I grab a small touch up kit. I have to look presentable when shooting, I can't be known as chippy scrap.
I check where bumps and scratches are in my suit, making a mental note of them all.
I soon feel someone sit beside me and look over to see Ana watching me diligently, probably trying to understand my process.
"Hey." I say softly as I carry on looking, turning my gaze back to the hunk of metal that is a pain in the ass to wear when you're exhausted.
"tighten, clean, oil, adjust?" Ana asks softly. I freeze what I'm doing. How does she know my method? I don't tell anyone.
"I always used to do that with my equipment, I only ever told one person about this and it was Winston, the same man who taught you the same method unconsciously." she elaborates, making sure I understood how she knew my system.
"I didn't leave you completely Fareeha, I made sure you would be brought up right if I ever did go missing. And if you ask me it's the best way to work equipment." she tries to comfort but the last comment was said a little smugly which made me giggle softly at how our reactions are similar when anyone questions it.
"Really?" I hear Angela almost exclaim, I look up to see Ewa stood with her handing her what seemed like a bank card.
"Yes, you need it to bring Widowmaker back once we leave, I already know the devices will malfunction so it's best if you get started early." Ewa replies, giving Mercy a tight nod before going to move back to the center of the room to carry on whatever she was doing.
Angela looks shocked for a moment before she opens up a tablet like device and starts tapping in some blueprint's and materials she could need.
I look back at Ana and see her watch Ewa walk back, her eye sad for the time she spent staring at the retreating form.
Her eye moves away the second Ewa goes to sit on the crate, her eye returns to my suit as she tries to focus on what I'm about to do.
I sigh and start to work my way through the injuries my armour has been through in its last battle.
What is going on between this pair? It must be serious if it's causing this much pain for both parties. I could tell Ewa was in pain, she wouldn't look at anyone and kept her wall up but I know that facade all too well.
Angela moves up to us, deciding to take a seat on my lap. I'm sure her spirit animal is is a cat because she just loves this attention but not attention as she doesn't even speak to me.
I roll my eyes and carry on, working around her slim frame.
I see Ana look slightly amused at my partially annoyed face and I stick my tongue out at her.
I was shocked at my actions, I've never been so childish before unless I was just with Angela.
However, this just made Ana more amused than before. I roll my eyes playfully.
Maybe having her around is a good thing.