Chapter Text
Fareeha lay in the branches of her favorite tree, listening to the guitar on the wind. This was her favorite tree because Uncle Jack and Uncle Gabe liked to sit beneath it, and Gabe would play his guitar after missions. Ever so quietly, like her mother, she thought, she turned over so she could look below.
Uncle Jack was laying on Uncle Gabe’s legs, which were stretched out in front of him as he lay with his back against the trunk of the tree. Gabe was in the middle of a particularly fascinating lick when she was spotted by Jack. He had opened his eyes, and was gazing directly at her. A knowing smile crossed his features as he winked and closed his eyes again.
“A lovely day, eh, Gabe?”
Uncle Gabe just grunted as he focused his attention to his fingers on the fretboard.
“The birds are especially active today, I think there might be a little falcon in our tree.”
This time, Gabe looked to Jack, confused. Then he smiled, and looked up.
“Fareeha, how long have you been up there,” Gabriel asked.
She judged how far the sun had moved before replying, “About an hour. I knew you’d come here. I like to listen to your guitar. It’s so pretty!”
“Why don’t you come on down? I’ll show you a few things if you’d like.”
Little Fareeha gasped. She had dreamt of the day that Uncle Gabe would teach her how to make the pretty music. She made it to the ground in record time, considering her grace in landing.
Jack moved, and Fareeha took a seat on Gabe’s lap so that the guitar rested in front of her. He explained the different parts and how things worked, and let her tinker for a bit. She loved to tinker. All too soon, her mother called for her, and she had to go.
“Umm, Uncle Gabe, could we do this again sometime,” she asked.
A beautiful smile crossed his face as he said, “Of course, little falcon.”
She ran off, and Gabe gave a mischievous smile to Jack.
“Oh no,” Jack said, “I know that look. What do you think you’re up to now?”
“I may have an idea,” was all that he would say.
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Ana’s POV
Something was amiss in the Watchpoint. She could sense it. It all started on Fareeha’s 12th birthday. Gabriel, who was known for his extravagant gifts, had only given her a card, which Fareeha had kept secret, and 20 Euros. She tried getting information from McCree and Genji, but the Blackwatch agents apparently knew nothing about their boss’s sudden lackluster in gift giving. More suspicious, their stories didn’t match up.
Genji had said that Gabe had forgotten, and gotten her something last minute. McCree said that he was busy with a mission and had appointed them to take care of it, but they had limited resources and time. While both were plausible, neither was convincing. Blackwatch sticks together, she thought.
She, being a concerned mother, was snooping. She had found the card, which simply read, “Happy Birthday Falcon, There’s More to Come.” But what?
It was a whole week before she found another lead. Gabe was off base, she noticed. Not on a mission, but on a temporary leave to town. Odd, considering how the pantry had just been stocked. Supplies were delivered to the watchpoint by the local military. So what could he have gone to get? Upon further inspection of Athena’s logs, McCree and Genji were also missing, although the three of them left at different times.
Now she found herself waiting at the lookout tower, scanning for the rogue Blackwatch agents. Alas, she found them. All returning at once. Odd. She quickly intercepted them as Gabriel instructed the two younger agents to carry a crate inside and place it “in the spot.”
“Gabriel! How nice of you to return,” Ana called out as she approached. McCree and Genji continued inside as Gabe sauntered over to her.
“Just picking up some much needed supplies for a Blackwatch operation.”
“Oh? I don’t recall any operations coming by either Strike Commander Morrison’s or my own desk,” she replied nonchalantly.
“Blackwatch is my division, for your protection and deniability, I do not report all of our activities.”
“I see,” a scowl prominent. “Well I trust in your judgement. What I really wanted to know about is what you had in store for Fareeha.”
That lopsided smirk and shrug was all he gave her as he turned and walked back into the base.
“You’ll see.”
Ana had just finished her tea to relax after a long day when she returned to the room she and Fareeha shared. She heard music coming from within, which was nothing new. Her Fareeha had gotten quite into music recently. Classic rock, especially. She thought she recognized a song Fareeha liked, and then a sour note.
It all clicked.
The crate.
The spot.
The music.
She opened the door, and came face to face with Fareeha, a brand new electric guitar draped over her, blaring as she resumed her careful fingering of the chords.
“What is this, habibti?”
With that smile that crossed her daughter’s face, she realized she had been played.
Fareeha turned, fingered a chord, and strummed.
“I wanna rock!”
Ana paled as she thought of all the noise she was about to endure as her little Fareeha learned her new trade.