Building Blocks

"Pew pew pew!"

Jack couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the sight before him. A sight that he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with of course – times had changed, but Lego had still been a thing in his childhood, as it had in the childhoods of millions of children across the globe. Even with all the advances in handheld technology, even in the event of a world war that had done a number on the human race and human civilization as a whole, those born after the Omnic Crisis were apparently quite happy to keep playing with plastic bricks.

No, that wasn't what gave him pause when he saw Fareeha Amari playing with Lego in the apartment she shared with her mother in Cairo. Rather it was the fact that the Lego set she was playing with was based on Overwatch. And the two year old Fareeha was going "pew pew pew" with was based on him.

"Pew!" Fareeha exclaimed. She ran over towards Jack. "You, pew! Pew!"

"Pew," Jack murmured, looking at the Lego figure. He took it in his hands, and found Jack Morrison Jr. staring right back at him. Same clothes, same hair, black plastic gun. He gingerly handed it back to the child before him.

"Pew?" she asked.

"Pew," Jack said.

"Pew!" She ran back to the playset, which had numerous little Lego figures set up against omnics that Jack doubted were actually built in accordance with the instruction manual – certainly they didn't match any model he could recall fighting against.

"Pew! Bang!"

He remained seated, watching in bemusement. When he'd taken the offer for genetic enhancement, he'd said yes. When he'd been offered the position of team commander for Overwatch, he'd said yes. When the Lego Company had asked him about using his likeness for a playset, he hadn't said yes, because he'd never been asked. So on the one hand, he wanted to be angry. On the other…

"Here Jack."

On the other, he couldn't deny that the set was making at least one two year old happy in the world, specifically a part of the world that was still recovering from the Omnic Crisis. Not so grim that Cairo didn't have running water mind you.

"Thanks."

He took the glass of water that Ana gave him, as she sat back on the couch beside him. Ana's apartment was small, and the centre of it had become a warzone as her daughter re-enacted the battle of…Denmark?

"Look mummy," Fareeha said. She held up a Bastion-type omnic and a Lego figure that looked like Ana herself. "You! Pew!"

Ana smiled. "Wasn't that close dear."

"Oh." Fareeha widened the gap between her hands a bit. "That good?"

"Very good."

"Good! Pew!" An invisible rifle shot hit the Lego omnic and it was dropped to the carpeted floor, scattering into multi-coloured pieces. Ana laughed. Jack frowned.

"What?" she asked him.

"Huh?" He took a sip of the water. "Hmm. Lemon?"

"I…okay, yes, there's lemon. But-"

"But?"

"What's bothering you?"

More than you know. He took another sip of the water, doing his best to pace himself. Water was a precious commodity these days, especially in this part of the world. Being the mid-21st century, humanity was already dealing with the effects of a rapidly warming world, but now it had to deal with the effects of a world of crippled infrastructure. The fan above them spun and spun, reminding Jack of a helicopter. The type he'd deployed out of on more missions than he could count.

"Come on Jack," Ana said. She got to her feet, taking care not to step on any of the multi-coloured bricks lying around the floor. "Is it Petras?"

"No."

"Is it Faraq?"

"What? No."

"…liar."

"Which is the lie?"

"Least one of them."

Jack took another sip. The glass was half empty. Or half full. Whatever.

In truth, both statements had been lies. Petras was being Petras, kowtowing to protocol. President Faraq was being President Faraq, making it a point that Overwatch respected the sovereignty of Egypt as forces in the region concentrated on rooting out omnic cells spanning from Egypt, to Syria, to Turkey. One week on, and it seemed that it would take another war to get anyone to work together.

"Mummy?" Fareeha asked, waddling up to her mother. "I'm thirsty."

"I know, honey, but water rations are-"

"I'm thirsty!" Fareeha wined.

Ana sighed. "Okay honey, have this." She gave Fareeha her water. "Now be careful not to-"

Fareeha dropped the glass, shattering it.

"…spill it."

Both adults in the room sprung into action. Ana picked up her daughter, who was now wailing like a banshee. Jack got a paper towel from the kitchen area and began fishing up the glass. He glanced as Ana took Fareeha to her bedroom. It only took him a minute or so to clean up the glass, and sponge up the water. It took about ten times that number before Ana came out, looking exhausted.

"How is she?" Jack asked.

Ana sighed. "Sleeping, for now." She yawned. "Key word being 'for now.'"

"Oh."

Ana smiled. "Should have seen her after she was born. Think I got five days of sleep that year." She yawned again. "Course, Sam helped."

"How is he?"

"Sam? Oh, fine," Ana said, evading Jack's gaze. "Still in Canada."

"Keep in touch?"

"…Fareeha does."

Jack could tell that the subject was bothering her, so dropped it. Something he took care not to drop was his glass of water. "Here."

"No Jack, it's-"

He gave her 'the look.' After a moment's hesitation, she snatched the glass from his hands and drowned it in one gulp.

"Thanks," she said, handing it back.

"Hey, don't thank me," Jack said, taking it to the sink. "Your house, your water."

"Actually the water belongs to the state technically. I'm just benefitting from it."

Jack began drying the glass out. "Y'know you're always welcome in Switzerland."

"I know Jack, I know. It's just…"

"Fareeha?"

"Yes." She sighed. "Don't know how Torb manages it."

"He's had practice."

Ana snorted. "Practice. Right. Well, ain't going to move beyond 'practice' Jack. One little monster is enough for me." She collapsed on the couch, rubbing her eyes. "When we due at the meeting?"

"Two hours."

"Two hours." She sighed, muttering something about babysitters and her daughter staying asleep. Jack, for his part, took a seat beside her, looking at the scene before him.

Lego. Lots and lots of Lego. Little figurines among little pieces – Torbjörn, Gabriel, Reinhardt, they were all there. He suspected that the Lego Company had only got the rights through Petras, but right now, that was the least of his concerns.

"Strange, isn't it?"

Ana looked at him from behind bleary eyes. "Pardon?"

"The whole Lego thing."

She shrugged. "Got used to it. Besides, Fareeha loves it. Says she wants to join Overwatch one day."

"Yeah, but…"

"But?"

"Isn't the point of Lego to build things, not smash things?"

Ana shrugged. "Can't say."

"Can't say?"

"Never played with Lego as a kid."

Jack gave her 'the stare.' "What, never?"

"No, you damn Yank, I didn't. I had better things to do."

"Like?"

"Like…better things. Or at least…other things." She leant over and picked up a Bastion head, running it between her fingers. "Still, it's a different world now. If Fareeha enjoys it, well…"

"You wish she didn't?"

Ana sighed, leaning back against the couch. "What you want me to say Jack? That I'd prefer my daughter not play with figurines based on war?"

"Don't want you to say anything. She's your daughter."

Ana didn't say anything. She just lay back on the couch, hand on her chin.

"You're doing a good job you know," Jack said. "I mean, far as I can tell…"

"Far as you can tell?" Ana looked at him.

"I…I mean…"

She laughed. "Relax Jack, I get it." She smiled. "And thanks. Not easy of course, but, hey, it's worth it." She reached over and gave him a playful punch. "You should try it sometime."

He smiled – one that, unlike Ana's, was forced. "I got plenty of time."

"Yeah, you say that. But twenty, thirty years from now? What'll you be saying then?"

"Hopefully more upbeat things than what I'll be saying two hours from now."

Ana snorted, lying back against the couch. Jack, for his part, did the same. Letting the silence speak for itself. Letting the fan above continue spinning, marking the passing of days, and the turning of the world.

Oh to turn it back.

It felt…natural here, he reflected. More natural than he'd have thought possible from someone still trying to keep the world together. Six years ago, he'd met Ana. Five years ago, after fighting and nearly dying together, they'd deactivated the last of the world's omniums and brought the Omnic Crisis to an end. Three years ago, Ana had gotten married. Two years ago, she'd given birth. One year ago, she and Sam had separated. Jack had stayed out of it, but sometimes he wondered… 'what if?' What if he was here, not as "Uncle Jack" to Fareeha Amari, but…someone else?

He leant down and picked up the Reyes figure, currently wielding two black 'things' that he supposed were meant to be shotguns. He needed something, anything to keep him on the road of reality, and not the road of "what if," or the detour route of "if only."

"Guess it isn't too bad," Jack murmured. He leant back in the couch again. "I mean, we fight a war, win a war…guess Lego's about building things, and people like Fareeha will get to rebuild the world, and-"

"Jack, much as I enjoy you waxing lyrical on philosophy, I really need some sleep right now."

"Oh." He looked at Ana, seeing her slumped back against her chair, and breathing softly. "I'll, er…"

"Long as you don't wake me or Fareeha up, you can do whatever."

"Oh."

He remained on the couch, watching Ana nod off. Less than two hours from now, she'd be awake again. As for Fareeha, he had no idea – how much sleep did a two year old need anyway? Getting to his feet, he weighed his options – TV wasn't one of them, and he couldn't read Arabic, so that wasn't one either. All that was left was the Lego.

Sighing, he got down on the ground and began to tidy it up. He could do that at least. Picking up the Jack Morrison piece, he brought it up to his face. The figurine looked right back at him.

"Pew," he whispered.

A/N

So, Lego Overwatch is now a thing. That's...neat, I guess.

Anyway, drabbled this up.

Update (04/11/18): Removed reference to Angela - as per the timeframe, she's indeed too young to be a member of Overwatch.