It Takes Time / Reaper x fem!OC

13. Midnight Smoke

Exhausted, Sienna flopped back onto the bed she'd been assigned in the headquarters. It was a small room, but the girl really didn't care as the soft duvet enveloped her skin.

Even after finally meeting all the members of Overwatch - people who she had idolised for half her life, in her chest there was still something missing. Everything felt off, like a dream that I'm about to wake up from, her mind finished for her.
Having no other place to stay, Jack had asked Winston to put her up in one of the many free rooms and he had happily obliged. The gorilla was somewhat the captain of the organisation now, having brought everyone back together and founding the new headquarters. Not that anybody disagreed with it - he was a very amicable fellow, and everyone loved him truly as a father of some kind, or at least the 'crazy science uncle' as Zarya had comedically suggested.

Before sleep overcame her, Sienna thought back to the events of the day. Minusing the crushing worry that had gripped her mind regarding Reaper, everyone had been very friendly. Although Hanzo had been a bit stoic, he'd greeted her very formally and hadn't shown any particular dislike to her. McCree, on the other hand, had been overly friendly, even joking about Sienna sharing his room if she didn't find hers 'to suit your taste, darlin'.
The soldier had scolded the cowboy for it, but they'd all laughed and it had helped soothe her nerves.

'It's just as well I asked about the rescue mission in the end' Sienna murmured to herself, and it was true.

After asking Winston, he'd told her about how once they finally found where she was being held captive, they created a diversion - that Winston gleefully explained in full technical detail to her - to draw him out and keep him there while they got her out. At the mention of the diversion moment, Sienna hadn't been able to keep her cheeks from flushing as she remembered the events prior to it, prompting Winston's hand on her forehead checking for fever: 'is that the beginning of a cold I see?' and Soldier 76 practically forcing her to head to bed early: 'get to bed, you'll want some good rest'. Smiling softly, it reminded her of a family coming together.

Finally tucking herself into the bed that wasn't quite as comfy as Reaper's had been, she let the unfamiliar darkness claim her.

Moments before her consciousness left, a flicker of black smoke drifted across the balcony window, throwing a moonlit shadow across her face for a second before flickering away into the night again.

~

Most of the team were already training the next morning when she got up, although a couple were still grabbing some breakfast in the lounge area. Waving a quick hello and exchanging some 'good morning's to the members who were around, she headed off to explore the base.
Winston had given her free access everywhere, telling her that there 'wasn't anything to hide, anyway'.
McCree had offered to show her around, but she had politely declined - mainly because she wanted some alone time, but also because she was slightly scared of the glare that Jack Morrison was giving both her and the gunslinger as they chatted. She shivered slightly at the memory then laughed at her involuntary reaction; her voice bubbling out in the open space.

She stuck her hands in her pockets and continued walking, finally glad to have a clean change of clothes: even if they were just training slacks. Pushing through yet another door on her exploration path, natural light suddenly replaced the artificial ones inside, causing Sienna to have to raise her arm to her eyes.
Seemingly having stumbled into a garden courtyard, she let her green eyes gaze around the open space. It was like a little safe haven from the big metal compound: not so large but still an impressive little area. Unlike the war-torn, rubble city outside, the space was purely natural and untouched.
'And by the looks of it,' Sienna spoke aloud to herself, 'nobody comes here very often'.
Beautiful flowered weeds were overgrowing everywhere, creating the occasional secret hole where a small person could probably hide in. Having spent a long time finding hiding spots and living spaces in the city after the war, the idea of these holes existing somehow comforted her.

It's all a bit illogical, especially since I'm pretty much in the safest place I could possibly be - with the Overwatch members.

Pushing her illogicalities aside , she decided that it couldn't hurt to spend some time in the sun after a week of darkness, and settled back against the wall of the garden, looking up at the sun. At some point the brunette must have dozed off in the warmth, as she awoke later in the arms of a soldier, the rocking sensation of him walking waking her up.
Noticing her coming to, he slowed his pace a bit but didn't put her down, tilting his head down to watch her through his blue visor.

'You fell asleep outside.'

He said it as if that was all that was needed for an explanation, and squeezed her a bit to shift her better into his arms, continuing walking as if it were the most normal thing in the world. And with him, it might just be that. I never know what he's thinking.

'Uhm...'

The surprise of being carried broke through her haze of sleep very quickly, leaving her wide awake and very unsure of what do to next.
Raising her hands to put one on his shoulder and one on his chest, she struggled a bit, attempting to convey her desire to be put down.

Feeling her wriggling, he stopped and looked down at her again.

'You're not wearing shoes. I don't know where they went, but I'm not putting you down until we get back.'
Although she couldn't see his face, his gruff voice had a hint of amusement in it that she had only picked up on after knowing him for so long.
'W-what? Where are my shoes? This isn't funny, Jack. Give them back!'

This time the older soldier genuinely chuckled, and readjusted his hold on the girl in his arms. His next response was almost too serious for Sienna to believe him, though.
'I have no idea what you're talking about.'
Sienna slapped his chest half playfully, half out of annoyance. But at the same time, she was deadly curious. She'd never know Jack to be the one who played games or messed around, and she was seeing a completely new side of him - that is, if it really is him who is playing this prank on me.

But as it turned out, it really hadn't been Jack. He'd brought her back to her room, and then denied all involvement in her missing shoes plight. It was only until she utilised her new friend Tracer's skills to steal all of Jack's shoes that he stopped, surprised, having thought it was Tracer who had taken them to begin with.

After discerning it was none of the Overwatch team at all, Jack's soldier training sprung back into gear immediately.

'Call Winston immediately. There's a possibility we have a flaw in the security system.'

Sienna looked to Tracer, and then back to Soldier 76.
'Honestly, there's no need to do that, I'm sure I must have just taken them off before I went to sleep. It's no but deal, I'll go search for them now-'

'Better to be safe than sorry though, right love? I'd let Jack do his job: we in Overwatch have all been through a lot and, well, it never hurts to take precautions.'
The pilot gave a grim smile, but then as if flipping a switch she cheerfully grabbed Sienna's arm and tugged playfully.

'Don't worry about this anymore, anyway. Come play games with me and Mei! The cavalry will be here soon anyway.'
With a giggle and a wink, Lena Oxton dragged the barefoot Sienna off by her arm, leaving her looking back over her shoulder at the Soldier pacing uncertainly across the corridor. A strange feeling came over her, as if she knew what was happening but her brain couldn't understand it.

Well, as long as no more of my things go missing I'll be fine.

And with that, she allowed herself to forget her worries and go have some fun, looking forward to getting to know the Overwatch members better in their free time.