So I guess the big inspiration behind this was 'I can't find the fic I want to read so I guess I gotta write it myself.'

But really though, there's lots of fics of younger Jack and Gabriel falling in love for the first time, lots of fics of older Jack and Gabriel reconciling and falling back in love, but there isn't a whole lot focusing on the messy, middle, in-between. And, I dunno, maybe it's not the most fun, happy, pleasant thing to try and write about, but it's still a huge, important, defining part of their relationship.

Wow, that was a rant.

Anyway, all of the chapters (except for the first and last) are based on segments of the real Indiana divorce form. The version of my fic on AO3 has a link to the form I mockingly filled out with Gabe and Jack's info.

BIG kudos go out to my beta Anakin, who was an amazing help as I wrote this! This fic would not be as good without their input. Also shout out to the r76 big bang discord for the oodles of encouragement!

Petitecreme and Ike-mama both made some truly beautiful art to go along with the fic! Go check it out!

When Blackwatch was suspended Gabriel Reyes was out of a position, but not out of a job. He wasn't put on leave, or fired, the suits in charge just needed to find him something official to do. Sitting in his office and picking at the dirt underneath his nails wasn't an option. Since the terms of the suspension didn't permit him to do field work, he was demoted to head trainer. Now he's the full-time drill sergeant and baby sitter for each fresh batch of Overwatch recruits.

Gabriel studies his newest class from the observatory room above the shooting range. There's 12 of them, not counting the handful that quit in the first week. Each has a different specialty and hails from a different part of the globe. All bright-eyed and hopeful, eager to make the world a safer place. All under the age of 25.

All leaving some skill to be desired. Most of their bullets hit the mark, but some, too many in his opinion, miss by a few inches. He can see the moment's hesitation between aiming and firing. Their reaction times are a fraction of a second too slow. They're sloppy. So, so sloppy. He misses the days when Overwatch could be as choosy and exclusive as they wanted to be. Now, given their penchant for PR blunders and royally fucking things up, they're lucky anyone still wants to risk their necks for them.

Gabriel yawns, stretches his arms up in the air, and glances up at the clock on the wall. He grimaces. He's run long with the recruits. Again.

Not that he cares. And not that they mind. Sometimes he has to order them to bed because they want to keep going all night. But Petras isn't going to be pleased when he finds out. Gabriel's already behind on all the tasks he's ordered him to do. His unconscious desire to procrastinate is stronger than Petras' threats to put him on permanent desk duty unless he gets his priorities straight. If he's here training the recruits he's not in his office sloshing through resumes, searching for someone to fill the impossibly fillable hole Ana left behind.

"That's enough for tonight." Gabriel's voice booms over the intercom. All activity ceases, and every eye in the room looks straight up at him. "Report back tomorrow at 0800 hours for your next training exercise."

Below there's shuffling and idle chatter as the recruits pack up to leave. They move slowly, if at all, seeming more interested in conversing than anything else. Gabriel jots down notes on his clipboard. Weaknesses he noticed, and things to work on during their morning session. It doesn't take long for the page to be so marked up he has to start a fresh one.

"How are they lookin' Boss?" Jesse's voice calls out from behind him. Gabriel turns around to see him leaning his forearm idly on the doorframe. The brim of his stupid hat takes up half the doorway, casting his face in shadow.

Gabriel sets down his clipboard and shrugs at him. "Not completely hopeless. With some training they might end up being halfway decent."

Jesse laughs. Gabriel listens as his spurs jingle-jangle as he saunters over to his side. "I saw you drilling them on the obstacle course yesterday. They're not bad. Better than me when I first started anyway."

Gabriel snorts. "That's not really saying much."

"Hey!" Jesse pouts at him, putting his hands on his hips.

Gabriel rolls his eyes. "Fine, fine. You had some skill, but you also had a shitty attitude and it took you a while to actually want to improve."

Gabriel looks him over and notices the frayed, beige messenger bag at his hip. A thick, leather strap crosses around his shoulder and over his torso. It's his travel bag, he recalls. And he remembers the covert job - gathering intel on Doomfist's whereabouts- that he tasked to him that afternoon.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on your way to Numbani by now?"

Jesse holds up his hands defensively. "I know, I know. I just have one quick errand to run first."

"And what's that?"

Jesse zips open his bag and fishes out a manila envelope from inside. He holds it out for him to grab, leaving just a few inches space between it and his body. "Commander Morrison wanted me to give this to you."

Gabriel frowns down at the envelope, then backup at Jesse. "What? Jack can't deliver his own mail?"

Jesse winces at the ice in his voice. "Uh… you should probably read it first."

Still glaring, Gabriel snatches the envelope out of his hand. It's feather light, and looks thin enough to be empty. He shakes it gently, just to make sure there's something inside. The front is suspiciously void of any markings. No bright red 'Top Secret' or 'Classified' like he's grown accustomed to seeing on mail from Jack. The Overwatch Insignia, which is supposed to be printed in the top right corner of all official mail sent and received between agents, is also missing. The only distinguishing mark is his own name, Gabe, written in blue ink with Jack's neat, rigid handwriting.

Gabriel wants to take the envelope back to his office and chuck it into his mountain of papers to look at later. Much later. He's about to tuck it under his arm when Jesse gives him a sheepish head nod, egging him to open it. Gabriel sighs, undoes the tiny brass fastening, and pulls out the documents to see what's so important that it has to be dealt with now. His attention is immediately drawn to the big, bold word in official print at the top of the page.

Summons

"You have been sued by your spouse for dissolution of your marriage. The case is pending in the Court named above."

Gabriel's eyes glaze over the rest of the paper. It's just more fine print explaining what he just got delivered and what to expect going forward, as if he needs an explanation. He purses his lips and feels his heart rate increase and his head spin as he tries to make sense of the jargon. It's so formal and polite. Why does it have to be embellished with fancy words and legalese? Dissolution of Marriage? Why not be blunt and call it what it really is, a divorce?

"I imagine you know what this is?" He says to Jesse. He sighs softly to himself, and pinches the bridge of his nose.

Jesse nods timidly. "Commander Morrison briefed me. When I get back I gotta sign some papers myself confirming that I, y'know, served you." He bites his lip, and shoots him a soft, sympathetic expression. "Sorry."

Gabriel furrows his brows. "For what?"

He shrugs. "I dunno. For your divorce, I guess? I know you two broke up ages ago, but still, it must suck having all this dragged back up again."

"Don't be sorry." Gabriel says flatly. He looks back down at the papers, as if staring at the words longer will force them to make sense.

Jesse smiles and laughs unsurely. "I uh... was kinda surprised when Commander Morrison asked me to do this for him. I figured you guys took care of this stuff already."

There's a pause in the conversation. It's Gabriel's turn to respond- except he doesn't have anything to say. There's not any explanation to give. Instead he busies himself with stuffing the papers back into the envelope. After a silent moment passes Jesse guffaws and elbows him lightly, playfully, on the side.

"It's just like you to put off dealing with lawyers for as long as humanly possible, huh?"

Gabriel snorts out a harsh laugh. Yeah, that's why they put off the divorce. That's why they've left their marriage hanging unfinished and in separation limbo for five years. Miserable together, long past trying to mend things, but still reluctant to let go. It's all because he dislikes lawyers.

They both turn their attention back to the training area, watching as the recruits continue to make their exit. Most are still lingering to socialize, talking animatedly among themselves. Conversations lost on him because he's too far away to hear. Gabriel thinks about making an announcement ordering them to clear out, but has a change of heart as he reaches for the intercom mic. What does he care if they stay to chat?

"I was talking to 'em yesterday." Jesse says after a moment passes. "After you finished with 'em on the obstacle course."

"You weren't scaring them off were you?" Gabriel asks, wary. "I don't need any more dropouts."

He chuckles. "Nah, I wouldn't do that. They were just asking me about some rumor goin' around about you and Commander Morrison. They wanted to know if it was true that you two were married once."

"Hmm." He says, pointedly not looking at him and trying his best to sound uninterested.

"A couple of 'em believe it. Couple more are skeptical. The rest all think we're fucking with 'em."

"And what did you tell them?" He asks.

"I told 'em they should try asking you and see what you'd say. Doesn't sound like any of 'em took the bait."

"Nope." He says, shaking his head and popping out the p.

Jesse turns to study him. "What would you tell 'em though, if they did ask?"

He's quiet for a moment. He scratches his chin and shrugs his shoulders. "The truth I guess. Not like it's anything worth hiding."

A satisfied smile stretches across Jesse's face. He nods at him. "Hey, I gotta run. Like you said, I have a plane to catch." The smile dissipates as his face turns serious. "If uh… you want to talk or anything..."

Gabriel rolls his eyes. "I'm fine. You get on out of here. I'll contact you in the morning with further instructions."

"Yessir." He gives him a tiny salute before jingle-jangling out the doorway and down the hall.

The walk back to his office feels longer than Gabriel remembers. His feet are slow and sluggish as he winds his way through the corridors. The envelope under his arm weighs him down.

His mind is drawn to a memory from decades ago. Back when he and Jack were happier. Their marriage in a better, healthier place. Bored and restless on a long flight to Beijing, Gabriel opened up his holopad to Jack's Wikipedia page. As Jack watched from the seat next to him, Gabriel edited his Personal Life section to say that "Jack Morrison married Gabriel Reyes during the Omnic Crisis in a secret moonlight ceremony."

Jack couldn't keep his face straight as he told him off for it. Laughter kept finding ways to bubble out of him, until he stopped trying to suppress it and let it take over. The two of them howled with laughter until their stomachs ached and happy tears formed in the corners of their eyes.

Five minutes later the change got removed for "unverifiable claims and possible vandalism". Gabriel just chuckled and rolled his eyes, knowing that this would happen. But Jack stared at the screen blankly with a doe-eyed look of pure sadness. Gabriel stroked his hair, and started to tell him, it's okay. Before he could get the words out Jack took his face in his hands and pulled him into a soft, passionate kiss.

Now they've grown so distant the idea of them ever being married is the punch line to an unfunny joke. Something nobody would ever believe because it sounds made up. Even the people there to see it wonder if it was real or only something they imagined, since their memories are in such stark contrast to what's playing out in the present.

Sometimes even he forgets that they were married once. Are still married, though not for much longer it seems. Gabriel's not sure if this bothers him or saddens him or what, but his hands balled into tight fists tell him he's not apathetic to it like the last time.

When Gabriel flips the lights on in his office he's greeted with a fresh stack of papers strategically placed smack dab in the center of his desk. Resumes, he sees when he plops down into his chair. There's a sticky note on top in Petras' writing saying 'REYES: REVIEW THESE ASAP!' One of the not-so-subtle hints he's been dropping that if he and Jack don't find a replacement for Ana soon he's going to delegate the task to himself.

Instead Gabriel shoves the stack of resumes aside, knocking them off his desk completely, and empties the manila envelope to look at the documents once again. Behind the big, bold Summons there's more paperwork. A copy of the papers Jack's already completed, his "Verified Petition for Dissolution of Marriage". And there's a blank copy of the same form, presumably for him to fill out.

Gabriel digs through his desk drawer to find a pen.

This fic is filled with my own headcanons and *incredibly* self-indulgent. But I'm a creature who feeds on praise, so if you like it let me know, yeah?