The day for your cesarean arrived and Genji still hadn’t come home. You were strangely calm. You discovered a reserve of nerves that you haven’t had to use before. Angela prepped you with serious, but soft, words. What you should expect if everything goes well.

“He’s out there, hoping you’re safe and well. Remember that,” she said.

You had an attentive nod for everything she said, but you didn’t feel or react any more than that.

“I’m going to put you under now.”

You squeezed your hand into a fist, flexing your arm, and glancing at the IV attached there.

“It’s going to be fine,” Angela reminded you one last time. She smoothed her hand over the tight bulge of your pregnant stomach.

You had a few moments of panic–Wait! Wait! Wait!–before falling unconscious.

—–

The senior Overwatch members knew where Genji was being held. That wasn’t the issue. It was the beefy security. Piles upon piles of Talon underlings patrolling key parts of the base. Overwatch was still small. Too small to take them all on if the alarm was raised. The only former Blackwatch agent was McCree, and that wasn’t enough. So they were in the planning phase.

Hanzo couldn’t wait for this. He informed Dr. Ziegler of where he was going. Then he left.

Sometime the next day, Hanzo slipped inside the Talon base. He spied on the security camera room and discovered where they were keeping Genji. His brother was laying on the floor of his cell. Hanzo noted that Talon chose to go with the sound-proofed walled cell, to keep tortured prisoners quiet. He moved with greater urgency.

Talon also chose to use identification chips implanted on the inside of the wrist. He tracked down the guard of the appropriate rank and took his life without a sound. He then discovered that this guard (and probably a lot of the others) had cybernetic arms.

How convenient, he thought.

Hanzo removed the arm with the implant and took it to Genji’s cell. He waved the man’s arm over the door mechanism. The door slide open. Hanzo stepped inside, allowing his footfalls to be heard.

“Hanzo…?” Genji croaked, his throat sore.

“The very same. I am here to drag you home,” he says. “Like usual.”

Genji dragged himself partially up onto his forearms. His face plates are missing, but those can be replaced.

“Tch, I am not the only fool in this family,” Genji says. Hanzo starts to argue, but Genji yells above his words, “Do you know what they will do to an intact member of our clan?!”

The implication is obvious to Hanzo. He came arrogantly without backup. If he is caught, there will be experimentation, and without regard for his human rights. Talon will dissect him and use the knowledge to enhance their soldiers.

“I am here now!” Hanzo yells back. He quiets down to speaking angrily through his teeth. “I can’t very well leave without you. Your mate awaits.”

“I suppose there is wisdom in those words.”

Hanzo helped get Genji out. Genji couldn’t move without flinching or groaning in pain. Hanzo had to help him walk. Hanzo kept it to himself how frustrated he was about it; they would be caught and returned to Genji’s cell if they couldn’t move more quickly.

With Genji limping beside him, Hanzo asks, “So, what happened?”

Genji takes a laboured breath.

“Sombra hacked my body. I made a mistake. I was tired. I let her get too close, and she disabled my body. Even you, with your lack of enhancements would have fared better than I did.”

Hanzo glared at Genji for the implication that Hanzo was weaker with his human body. His attitude was unbecoming of someone who should be grateful for being rescued.

“Can you stow your pride for a moment?” he growled.

“Can you?”

“Tch.”

Hanzo quietly seethed.

“We’re both fools,” Genji said softly.

Hanzo glanced at Genji’s weary smile. He cracked and smirked back.

“I will get you home. You can get some sleep and stop being grumpy at your older brother who just saved you. Heroically.”

“Sounds good to me.”

They eventually did escape, but not without attracting some attention.

—–

Robbed of the energy you had before you went under and momentarily unsure where you were, you woke. You glanced around blearily. You felt the comforting warmth of home in your chest a split second before you recognized that it was Genji’s back facing you on the bed next to yours. Hot tears of relief streamed down your cheeks. You couldn’t hold them back if you wanted to. Your exhaustion was too great.

“Dr. Ziegler,” said Athena’s even, reassuring voice, “the patient is awake.”

Genji rolled over towards you so fast that he fell over the edge of the bed with a “whoa!” and fell from your sight.

You tried to laugh, but it came out as a repetitive croak. You sniffled. His tail rose into view with an under curl.

“Land on your feet?”

Genji chuckled from the floor. Your voice was scratchy, because you needed water to wet your throat.

Your feline love was appearing in a more upright manner next to your side when Angela greeted you with a cup of water, matching her namesake. You don’t know what you would do without these two angels. When it was proven you had the strength to hold the glass of water–and down the whole thing–you wiped at your wet eyes and runny nose. You took your hands away, and Genji bent down to kiss your cheek and then press his own cheek to it. You longed to run your fingers through his greying black hair. Instead, he gave you a playful headbutt with the forehead of his helm, and you pushed him back, muttering, “Goddamnit.” What a sap.

Yet, the taste of affection squeezed your heart and reminded you that you had missed him deeply. You needed more than a taste to be reassured that he was really here and not about to disappear again.

“Hold my hand,” you said, your voice cracking.

He gave you his hand. You took it to your face and kissed all over it, wordlessly communicating your feelings. I missed you, I miss you, I missed you. Then you remembered Angela was still there and stopped. She was pink in the cheeks from having witnessed your private affections.

“I’d give you some privacy, but we need to discuss things.”

“I agree,” Genji said.

You turned your attention to her.

“We have good news,” she began. You groaned in disgust at the cliche. “And we have bad news.”

“Okay. The good news. Please,” you said. “I can’t handle bad news right now.”

Genji’s thumb pet the back of your hand.

“The good news is both your babies are healthy. The surgery went well.”

“Thank you, Angela,” Genji said.

“Of course.” She gave you both a small smile. The doctor explained that the younger baby boy, Ichiro Peter Shimada, was in observation for being slightly underweight and just needed time and extra care. His older sister, Sae Eilene Shimada, was perfectly healthy and waiting to see her mom. “Now for the bad news,” she said, a hand on her hip. “Both Hanzo and Genji returned alive but gravely injured.”

“I’m fine,” Genji whispered to you, in case you started to panic.

“Yes,” Angela echoed, “the nanites in Genji’s body took care of his wounds within a matter of hours. Hanzo, however…we didn’t have enough money left for the same amount of nanites for him. He will heal. But it will take some old-fashioned time and rest.”

You perked up with what little energy you had when the doctor said she would bring your baby boy. Genji slipped out of the room apologetically, promising to return very soon.

“I want you to feed your youngest first to make sure he puts on weight. If you run out of milk, we can give formula to the girl.” Angela brought fists to her cheeks and grinned widely. “She’s so darling!” she exclaimed.

To you, your breasts were gigantic by now. You didn’t see how you could run out of milk. Angela gingerly passed the little boy to you and gave you some alone time. You looked over his fat, squished little newborn baby face. He already had black hair on the top of his head. Instead of blue-black ears, your baby had dark teal fur on his ears. It was wondrous how you managed to birth such a cutie.

Ichiro stared sleepily back at you with round, brown eyes, probably preferring to go back to sleep. You kinda just stuck your boob in the baby’s face at first, assuming he would find the nipple. This was one of the baby’s few jobs. Ichiro managed to miss every attempt at first. He cried out softly in frustration.

“Hey, it isn’t my fault you can’t find the nipple,” you chided gently. “The areola has only doubled in size, my little dude. Like a giant target.”

Ichiro seemed to take offence and cried harder, hurting your ears.

“Oh, jeez, okay. My bad.”

You remembered that you loved these tiny humans and drew some patience from that. As much as you longed to hold them, you wanted to go back to sleep. Ichiro eventually got the idea, and he started to feed. His round little eyes closed.

“This is the one time you can use the excuse you that you were born yesterday,” you told him.

Genji came in. He whispered in awe, “Look at him,” and sat next to you on the bed. He cuddled up next to you, curled his tail around his thigh, and reached over to run his thumb on the baby’s chubby cheek.

“There’s none for you,” you tossed at him without looking up.

“You are a grumpy mama.”

“I’m tired.” Your stomach growled angrily. “And hungry, apparently.”

Genji got up to get you some food.

“Anything but bananas, please,” you begged.

When Ichiro got his fill, Angela came with Sae so you could feed her next. Ichiro was put in the wheeled crib next to your medical bed, and you put your baby girl to your chest. She latched onto your nipple with ease and looked up at you with attentive, dark eyes.

You reached over to the crib and pulled it closer to place Sae in it.

“Did you burp ‘em, yet?” said a rough voice.

You glanced at the foot of the bed to find a pair of hardened, wary eyes staring back at you.

“It’s her first day as a mother, Torbjorn,” said the doctor, appearing in the doorway. “Give her some slack.”

“Nonsense! I can help. She can sleep. She’ll need it in the coming months.”

You were torn. On one hand, those were your babies Torbjorn was wheeling away in the crib, with Angela following. On the other, he was so right. You fell back asleep before deciding whether you wanted the help or not.