Wrapped up

I was still in full work mode, ready to jump at moment’s notice to save someone’s life. I was distant, even cold towards the Commanders as we left the building. Both Gabriel and Jack grabbed their weapons as they saw so many criminals uncuffed, just sitting on the ground sharing water and supplies from the diner. I kept walking, like I wasn’t even seeing the chaos in front of me, the blood, the guns everywhere.

I walked right up to McCree to inform him I had brought the Commanders with me. Jesse rushed over to our leaders to give them a recap while I called for backup. Federal agents would take custody of everyone involved and will press charges accordingly.

 

I kept hearing non-existent gunshots that echoes through my head, making me flinch and look around. I didn’t trust myself around any weapon at the time, worried I might shoot someone innocent while I was drifting in this haze. I kept a stone-cold face, zoning out at times.

I felt like crying, screaming, going off at the people that had attacked us, but then I kept thinking “What would the Commanders do”. Jack would keep it professional, and Gabe would need his space. So that’s what I did, hold my head high and retreat once work was done.

 

Hours later the Deadlock members had been transported off. It was just us again, in a bloody warzone, collecting our belongings while watching the sun rise. I walked to the edge of the cliff, staring into the distance the screams not leaving me alone. I didn’t speak to anyone, kept my distance, refused any attempts of conversation.

 

Once we reached the hotel again, I went straight up to my room and locked myself in. I walked to the bathroom to shower, seeing the bloody clothes on me reminding me even more of what happened. I tossed the clothes aside and spend a good hour under the water, sitting on the tiles and letting the sound of water wash away the horrors I committed.

Minutes and hours blended together, I laid on the hotel bed, looking up at the dark ceiling, my curtains were shut, blinds closed. My head kept replaying that day’s events, the shooting, the screams, stuck in a tunnel surrounded by crossfire. It felt like I was being crushed by a weight I could not carry, no matter how hard I tried.

 

I missed breakfast and lunch, my door still shut, and the room behind turned in my own personal battlefield. I kept hearing shooting coming from nowhere, felt the rough ground on my hands as I fought for my life and the life of my teammates. I nearly jumped out of my skin as someone had knocked on my door. The adrenaline shot up again, never letting me calm down. “Caitlin? Are you awake?”, Jacks worried voice came through the door.

 

I didn’t know what to do, human interaction seemed like too much for me, but this was my boyfriend, I couldn't let him just stand there. I opened the door just a little, peeking outside “Yes, I’m awake.”, my voice was barely above a whisper, and I couldn't meet his eyes.

 

That didn’t ease his worry so he took it upon himself to enter my dark room. I didn’t let him in but I also had no more strength left to block him. I walked back to bed and crawled back under the sheets. Jack came to sit next to me, checking for a fever, a frown on his face. My skin was as pale as a ghost, eyes red from crying, I was still twitching at every small sound.

He kept stroking over my hair, encouraging me to speak up about what was going on with me, but I was zoned out again, staring at the ceiling fan, going back to the moment I fired the first shot. Jack couldn’t get through to me no matter what he tried, so he did the only thing he could think of. He carefully cradled me in his arms like a small child and slowly carried my limp body over to Gabriel’s room.

 

He was knocking up a storm at the Mexicans door until he opened. Gabe was a guy that needed his personal time after hard missions, and Jack knew that. He wouldn’t interrupt this alone time if it wasn’t serious. Gabe saw me hanging there in Jack’s arms, he tried talking to me: Cariño, hey, look at me please. What’s going on hm? You with us?”, as I didn’t respond to anything, not him holding my hand or him covering my eyes. he also became concerned and allowed us in his room and offered his bed to lay me down in.

 

They both sat by my bedside, talking to me, reassuring me that I was safe until I finally cracked and stared crying again. They were right there when I needed them and had their arms around me before I could cry out to them. “It’s okay my love, I got you. Shhh… it’s alright”, Jack tried his best to keep me from upsetting myself even more by crying so much. Both knew just how bad today was, nothing worked according to plan, and I had been pulled in the middle of something I was not ready to face

 

It was pure torture to send a soldier in training into a battlefield before they even had a chance to prepare themselves. They were very aware of how scenes like these could affect a person’s mind, causing serious conditions like soldiers PTSD, paranoia, anxiety and many more. They had seen it all before if not experienced it themselves at some point. But nothing hurt more than to see a loved one in the same amount of pain.

 

I had my face firmly pressed into Jack’s chest as I sobbed my heart out yet again, my lover made sure I sat comfortable in his lap and kept his hand on the back of my head to sooth me. Gabriel gently rubbed my back sitting right next to Jack. Both their faces twisted in worry as they tried to help me deal with this overwhelming wave of events.

It felt like hours until I had calmed down again, being back to pale, blank faced self but this time I wasn’t alone. Gabriel tried to keep my head from going back by talking to me, about anything but this job. Jack made me drink some water and eat some light snack because I skipped two meals already.

 

It took even longer for me until I could move again, leaning my head against Jack’s shoulder and looking up at them. Jack put a long kiss on my forehead as I managed to meet his eyes for the first time after the mission. I was completely exhausted, whenever I was about to sleep, I would get another flashback keeping me constantly on edge. This was the first time for hours that I wasn’t shaking internally. I basically melted against Jack as he kissed me and took some of my worries away.

I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, not in any detail and it looked like these two understood completely. My shoulders slumped together as I let myself be held while I was trying to get one straight thought into my head. “Is it ever going to get better?”, I asked quietly, hoping their experience could guide me again when I needed it.

 

Despite everything that happened during the flight both Gabriel and Jack were here for me, putting their complicated feeling aside to help their newest soldier through my first of many experiences of what war really looked like. “War isn’t pretty. But with time, and the right support, you will learn to live with it. This life will change you, Mijita but we are doing this for a greater good, to save others and protect those who can’t protect themselves.”, Gabe reassured me softly, moving a little closer to drape his arm around my shoulders and pull the both of us in a hug.

 

Jack made sure he wasn’t gatekeeping me from the other man and offered to let me sit between them, Gabriel still declined firmly he only agreed to see us after he saw in what state I was in. I still moved over a bit, leaning back against Gabe’s shoulder, holding on to his arm, while trying to rest. It was surprising to the Latino that I was willing get so close to him and even more surprising that Jack would allow it without getting overly jealous of that type of affection.

Jack just smiled and move closer to lean against Gabriel’s other shoulder, still stroking through my hair. Gabe didn’t move an inch, having us use him as some comfortable pillow to lean again was unexpected but also something he should get used to, if he were to agree that is. “Did you ask him yet?”, my voice gained a bit more strength after spending more time with them in the same room.

 

“Not yet. I was going to give him his space after today’s chaos but I’m guessing you want me to?”, Jack and I were speaking like the man we were talking about wasn’t in the same room with us. He listened to everything; his head turned to us investigating what we were scheming about.

 

I tilted my head up to meet Gabe’s grim but curious face, he sure did not like to be the only one left out of the conversation. I hugged his arm a little tighter and looked over to Jack than back at him. “Isn’t this nice? Spending time like that?”, I was trying to get a smooth start into this topic, I didn’t want to drop another bombshell on him after that stressful mission.

Gabe looked around, adjusting his position a little to lean against his headboard and had us laying on his shoulder-chest area. “Not bad I guess.”, he sounded unsure. This conversation was leaning in so many directions that he was still as clueless about it was before.

 

“What if we did this a little more often? Just the three of us. Officially”, I already hinted at something. Just as we discussed some time before, Jack and I saw this as what it was. Gabriel would want nothing more than to wrap me in his arms and never let go. Even after he admitted defeat in the race towards my heart, he held me like I was his, so why wasn’t I going to be his. Jack made this plan exactly for that reason, he was not going to lose his brother in arms over the girl they were both pining for.

 

My statement made Gabriel suspicious, he moved me back into Jack’s arms and sat up to look at us, both smiling, openly, invitingly. I believed I had said enough to make him understand where this was going. It was high time that the men had the real conversation. “I’m not stupid Gabriel. It was very obvious to begin with.”, Jack said friendly but directly. There was no hiding around or denying it.

 

Gabe was not saying anything, his eyes kept scanning my face, If I was the one who set Jack up to this. I shook my head and pointed towards Jack excitedly. “I wanted this. “, Jack said, snapping Gabe’s head back up. “I trust you like no one else. I know she’s safe with you and that she needs someone like you in her life too.”, Jack encouraged his friend to think about it. The three of us, together against the word. “It’s up to you if you’re okay with this kind of arrangement. That we both take care of her and both make sure she has everything she wants.”, It’s a win-win for everyone involved. Both of them could call me theirs while I got to love and care for both without the suffering of choosing and losing the other.

 

The ball was in Gabriel’s court, the offer had been extended, the plan was set in stone. I kept nodding, urging him to just give in and say yes. The man had been stunned speechless, an invitation like that was a one in a million chance. There was a moment of hesitation, a quick glance of reassurance before Gabriel practically pulled me in his arm and refused to let go. He refused to get too physical before, respecting his best mate’s relationship status, but with this offer there was nothing stopping him. He could make up the times he had pulled away, all the times he was too much of a coward to show his affection towards me.

 

His answer was overwhelming positive: “Ustedes dos estan totalmente locos, you two are crazy but of course I’ll accept the deal.” Never letting go of he as he spoke. That was the reaction we both expected. This would be a new experience for all three of us but I couldn’t be more excited about something new. Not like that much would change from how things are at the time, I was close to Jack and if Gabe hadn’t always restricted himself, I would have acted the same way with him. We just slapped a label on what we were feeling.

 

I was feeling a bit better after getting distracted for a while, enough to leave Gabe’s room again. I went down to the bar to relax and be around people again while Jack and Gabe had a heart to heart.

 Jesse also had placed himself on a bar stool, drinking his sorrows away. I jumped up on a chair next to him, ordering something refreshing to regain some of the hydration I missed out on. Even someone so seasoned in this job as him had a hard time after seeing what had happened. I kept seeing pictures of him bleeding flash before my eyes but I shook them out of my head.

Jesse was one of two people that actually saw what I could do if the situation demanded it, he looked at me with completely different eyes because of that.

 

I felt like we had returned to being strangers. “How’s the arm”, I said casually while looking at the bottles behind the bar.

 

After a long silence and weirder looks he turned to me. “Fine, thanks to you”, he said that as if he was suspicious about me but I wasn’t one to be scared of. My abilities might make a skilled healer and support but I wasn’t running around piercing through people whenever I felt like it.

​

Jack had sat himself next to me and Gabe sat next to Jesse. Since Jesse joined so young with such a troubled past, I’m sure he found comfort in Gabe’s caring yet strict way. “Everyone has something special about them, that’s what Overwatch stands for. Extraordinary people fighting for change.”, I tried to explain myself. The Commanders stood quiet and listened to their “Problem children” talk it out.

 

Jesse seemed to think about that. Everyone in the team indeed had something special to them; we had a mutated talking ape, an Omnic monk and a brattish gal that time travels in the team so how weird could a lady with nature powers be.

I waited until he had ordered another drink before I handed him one of my roses that I had created behind my back. I placed it on the table between Gabriel and McCree to look at. Gabriel just raised an eyebrow while Jesse didn’t even look at it at first.

 

After finishing his glass Jesse then started to investigate the rose. Touching the petals carefully, picking it up and holding it just like I held dozens before. It smelled like any other freshly picked rose. “And that can heal a gunshot wound?” he asked sceptically. Jack leaned in a little closer his eyebrows raised in surprised confusion.

 

Gabe nearly chocked on his drink and slammed his glass down. “Excuse me?!”, Gabriel interrupted and snatched the flower from Jesse’s hands.

 

“Gunshot wound?!”, Jack asked alarmed and looked at me, as if I was the one responsible for it.

 

“Why weren’t we informed about this!”, both Commanders exclaimed in unison glared at us. It seemed that in the middle of all that chaos a few “minor” details went untold. Both of them were talking over each other, fast enough that I couldn’t follow a single sentence.

 

I looked over at McCree and nudged him to explain. He did not agree with me and gestured me to explain since it was my powers who healed him. I rolled my eyes and leaned over to grab Jesse’s arm and hold it out, the fresh scar still visible on his upper arm interrupting the constant barrage of questions. “During the scrabble a sniper got a shot in. I guess it was meant for me but Jesse took the hit.”, I explained and grabbed my rose again to keep it close to me, I wasn’t happy about Gabe just snatching it away without knowing its significance.

 

The room went eerily silent as the two leaders sat with the new information. Jack’s hands instantly wrapped around me, holding me closer like he wanted to protect me from something. Gabe’s face went a pale, his instructions were clear as we were ordered to chase down the perpetrator, but he didn’t think Jesse actually had to take a hit for me.

He reached over the both of us, pulling McCree to his side while grabbing my hand. We were alive and there never was a real threat to either of our lives, it was a graze shot that looked worse than it actually was.

 

“Jesus…”, Gabe huffed and rubbed over Jesse’s arm to make sure he was alright. The cowboy was still a bit all over the place from getting injured and repaired mid battle but the alcohol did a good job soothing his anxious mind.

 

Jack leaned over to look me in the eyes, giving me a deep unhappy sigh before eyeing up Jesse’s condition. “I assume you did your thing and healed him right up?”, Jack asked for clarification. There was no sign of a gunshot wound other than a small scar that could have been form anywhere. Not even Commander Morrison had a full overview of what my powers looked like in action or their end stage.

 

I nodded proudly, indeed I did what I could do best. Jesse knew what we were on about, but Gabriel was still unsure. “Her “Thing”?”, he asked carefully.

I couldn’t put into words what I could do, it was hard to explain for someone who didn’t feel it themselves. I held out the glowing flower again and placed it back with one protective hand over it this time. I made sure they wouldn’t just take it again while I plucked off a petal hand handed it over of Gabriel.

He looked between me and the petal before letting me place it in his hands, I waited for a few seconds before the petal dissolved in his palm, his callous hands turned soft, his stiff wrists from the years of handling shotguns stopped aching.

 

Gabe noticed the changes immediately and started inspecting his hands curiously, flexing and stretching his fingers, rubbing his palms together remembering how they felt before the war had taken the softness from him. “That…” Thing””, I picked the flower back up and put it in my chest pocket that was dedicated to unused flowers. “Amongst other things that is.”, I added with a sly smile on my face. “I can show you everything once we get back home.”

Gabriel’s face darkened as he processed what I just demonstrated, his hands were as good as new, Jesse’s wound basically never existed and the fact that all those criminals all looked untouched all had something to do with me.

 

With our original mission completed there was not much to do for us here. We already planned to fly back home the next day as Jack and Gabe’s phones started buzzing. Emails came flooding in, about the FBI reports and internal investigation. Several police officers in this city were arrested and charged with conspiracy to support a criminal organisation. Ashe, the Deadlock leader, confirmed their identities and worked closely together with authorities to redeem herself and her team in the eyes of the law.  

She also revealed more information about the people involved in the scheme. Their contractor was some Talon underling that coordinated several more of those hidden weapon storages. He was known under the name Antonio, some rich, coward that used the war to collaborate with Talon and make a quick buck of peaceful Omnic’s seeking shelter during their near extinction.

That man did not fear the public light and openly supported Talon’s efforts in the Omnic war, often seen in papers shaking hands with alleged corrupt politicians at right winged events. Overwatch’s IT department would look into him and document everything. Our next task to end this underground network was to find and arrest Antonio. Any reason will suffice, something as simple as an unpaid parking ticket would give us access to launch an investigation into him and would most likely reveal more serious charges which we could then use to obtain an arrest warrant.