Save Him One More Time: Phase 3

Chapter 14- Reunion

Angela and Gabe had been walking all day, and their food was gone, they had drank all of their water, and they were only halfway there because Angela insisted they rest often to conserve energy.
"Angel, I'm not tired and neither are you. We have to keep going. It's getting dark,and then we won't be able to go much farther before we have to sleep."
"Gabe, as soon as it's dark we will go faster, I promise. But I don't want anyone to see us in the daylight. They might recognize us and tell Moira. But we can keep going, for now," she conceded, getting up and pushing through the bushes back to the road.
They walked as the sun set, as the moon rose, and it was nearly dawn before Angela sat down where she stood.
"Gabriel, I have to stop for a minute. I can't feel my legs." The town was barely a mile ahead. Gabriel stared ahead for a moment, frustrated, frowning and panting, then turned around and picked her up, bridal style.
"Gabe, you should rest too," Angela protested, but she didn't resist.
"We're gonna get to that town before people start arriving in shuttles and that's only a few hours away." He shifted his hold a little.
"Gabe, we're going to be slower like this."
He smirked and gently slung her over his shoulder.
"Gabriel!!" She pounded his back and pulled herself upright, holding onto his hair.
"Angela, let go, you're pulling- ow!"
"Put me down. If you're going to pull something like that, I'm going to walk on my own." She gripped his hair a little tighter.
"Okay, okay, fine, let go, I'm putting you down." He set her down, rubbing his head when he stood back up. Angela shook a few hairs from her hands and shook her head at him.
"Gabriel, you know better." She walked on, Gabe still rubbing his head as he followed.
"Angela, I think you've left a bald spot." He ran his hands through his hair and looked sadly at the small amount of loose hair he'd gotten. She didn't even turn around.
"I didn't. If I left anything it's a bruise on your back. Never do that again."
They walked in silence for a minute, then Gabe couldn't take it anymore and he grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"I'm sorry, Angel. I won't do that again."
She looked up at him and smiled, shaking her head.
"See to it that you don't," she said, and lightly poked his arm, leaning her head against him for a moment.

This town was much bigger than the last, and they easily found a place to stay- the town must have been a vacation spot before the Omnic Crisis. Rooms were cheap, if you were willing to risk a few roughs coming to break into your room.
Once they'd gotten into their room, Angela looked herself over in the dingy mirror.
"I'm just going to wash all of it," she sighed, trying unsuccessfully to brush some dirt off her shirt before she gave up and went to the bathroom and showered fully clothed. She came out dripping wet and shoved Gabe into the bathroom.
"Don't even bother taking your clothes off, they need a wash too." She closed the door behind him and laid her clothes out to dry, tying a sheet around herself for the meantime. She sat against the headboard of the bed not covered in clothes to rest, and woke up lying down some hours later, the questionable duvet tucked up to her chin, and Gabriel's arm around her. He was breathing in her ear. She rolled over and put her head on his chest, and he pulled her closer.
They woke up to a knock on the door. Gabe growled under his breath and grabbed his shirt off the floor, pulled it on and answered the door.
"What do you want."
"Room service."
"Go away. You can come back after we've checked out. Now scram." Gabe closed the door, locked it and wedged the chair underneath the door handle. Angela was still sitting on the bed, blinking sleepily. He sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he realised a few minutes later that she had fallen asleep on him. He laid his head against hers and kissed the top of her head, holding her for a while longer.
He'd barely drifted off when a blinding flash made him jump and his head began throbbing. He heard faint screaming and saw a blurry Angela, crying. Screaming. Morrison dragged her away, and everything went black. His head was still throbbing when he woke up to Angela standing over him, gently shaking his shoulder.
"Gabe? Are you alright? What happened?" He tried to sit up, but she held him down.
"Lay down a moment longer. What happened?"
He tried to remember. "An explosion...I think...I saw you...you were crying and screaming and then...Jack dragged you away." He rubbed his face. "My head hurts."
Angela nodded. "The explosion. Jack told me you were dead. I knew you weren't, or if you were, I could save you. But he wouldn't let me. He dragged me away and left. Winston told me he found Jack shot a while later." She paused for a second. "Genji and I found Jack on a shuttle to Poland just a few weeks ago. I don't know where he went afterwards, but he's still alive."
Gave pushed himself up on one elbow.
"Can I get up now?"
She nodded. "As soon as possible, we need to get to Russia. I know of a safe house there, and we can catch up on the past eight years there."
"Eight years?"
"The explosion was eight years ago, Gabe. I thought you were dead until a few months ago. I thought Jack was dead until a few months ago."
"Oh." He sat in silence for a moment. "Guess I do have a lot missing then. Eight years, huh?" Angela nodded, picking up her clothes and taking them to the bathroom to change.
"What, you shy? You never minded before."
"Gabriel. It's been a long time. Give me some time to adjust." She continued from the bathroom, "I thought you were dead, then you started hunting me, and I had to adjust to the fact that you were alive and wanted to kill me and now I have to adjust to the fact that you're alive and don't want to kill me." She emerged from the bathroom, carrying her neatly folded sheet, and laid it on the bed. "Forgive me if I confuse you. I'm confused myself."
"No, it's fine. I get it." He did not, in fact, get it. He didn't know what had happened. As long as she wasn't mad at him he wasn't going to pry too much.
They made their way to the station that evening, and Gabe was on edge. He kept glancing behind them, listening intently to the surrounding noises, and checking every alley they passed. Angela noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Someone, or something's following us. I can catch a glimpse of it sometimes, and I can hear it."
Angela grabbed his hand and pulled him into the first doorway she saw. She put a finger to her lips and looked out at the darkening street. No one passed by in the street, although Gabriel stiffened when he heard some mechanical noise above them.
"That's it," he mouthed. "Listen."
Angela listened closely, and she heard something she recognised on the awning just above the door. A metallic sigh. She grinned and turned to Gabe.
"Genji," she whispered. Something leapt off the awning and a moment later, Genji poked his head around the corner.
"Angela."
She started to move forward, but Gabriel grabbed her arm, shaking his head. She looked at him, puzzled.
"Genji. It's Genji," she whispered, trying to pull away. Gabe shook his head and pulled her closer.
"Let him come to us," he breathed.
"Angela?" Genji had heard her.
"Genji."
They heard quiet footsteps and heard him pull his katana out. A few seconds later he poked his head around the corner. He saw Gabe and froze.
Gabe let go of Angela's arm.
"Genji."
The cyborg adopted a fighting stance.
"Let her go, Reaper." Angela stepped between them.
"Genji, he's not trying to capture me. We've both escaped and we need to get to Russia." Genji looked suspiciously at Gabriel, trying to decide if he'd forced her to say that or not.
"You lie." He said it almost as a matter of fact, but stood down. Reyes shook his head.
"No, Genji. She's telling the truth. Apparently I've missed out on eight years. And she won't tell me anything till we get to Russia."
Genji stared at him for a second, then nodded.
"Welcome back, Commander." He put one hand out. Gabriel shook it warmly.
"It's been a while, Genji."

Jesse had been walking for way too long. He had the suitcase of Angela's things in one hand and held the sleeping Sam on his back with the other. Every time he heard or saw a car approaching he'd set the suitcase down and wave, trying to flag it down. It hadn't been working so far.
He'd lost sight of New Sacramento hours ago, and still was nowhere near his own city.
Y'know, he thought, this would go a lot faster if I just sucked it up and bought myself a hovercar. He made a mental note to get Mike on that as soon as he got back. No sooner had he set the suitcase down, gotten Sam into his arms and sat down than a car stopped near him. The driver got out. Ashe. Jesse put one hand on Peacekeeper, anticipating an earful and a few punches. Ashe hadn't been on good terms with him since he'd left her gang  when he was seventeen.
But she didn't yell, slap him, punch him, shoot him, none of that. She pointed at Sam.
"Is he yours?"
Jesse squinted up at her.
"What's it to you?"
"Well, he don't look like you. That's why I asked."
"No, he ain't mine, and I ain't fixing to give him to you."
She did slap him then, lightly, across the arm with her hat.
"Why'd you bring him all the way out here for?"
"I need to get back to my own turf and he ain't got parents. I wasn't just gonna leave him there by himself."
"Couldn't flag down a ride?"
He shook his head.
"Seems as if I get better luck when I'm by myself."
Ashe sighed and shook her head.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." She walked back to her car.
"Get in."
Jesse did so, laying Sam across the backseat and putting the suitcase in the floorboard.
"Whatcha got in the suitcase?"
"Some stuff I'm keeping for a friend. Ain't much, just some clothes." He wasn't exactly lying. He had packed all of Angela's clothes that would fit in there along with the suit. Ashe raised an eyebrow.
"You wouldn't be hiding something from me, now, would you?"
"No." He pulled a cigar from his pocket and stuck it in his mouth, searching his other pockets for a lighter. Ashe took it out of his mouth and threw it out the window.
"Not in my car, Jesse McCree."
"Fine. But you didn't have to throw it out the window."
"Shut up. My car, my rules."
He rolled his eyes.
"Watch the attitude, McCree, or you'll be walking again."

(Here we go! Back in the swing of things and continuing the schedule. Next chapter should be out in a couple weeks!
Thank you all so much for reading!)