A needle adorned with surgical thread was looped skillfully through crimson-stained flesh by nimble fingers that had done so hundreds of times before. Angela Ziegler's left hand found a pair of scissors on the tray table beside her and she swiftly snipped the end of the thread. She went about dressing the wound and the soldier, who was a fresh face to Overwatch, looked thoughtfully at his stitches. The injury had been somewhat severe when he was first brought to the triage; A laceration that spanned from his upper abdomen to the skin just beside his navel. It was rather deep, but Mercy wasn't worried. With the nanobots she had administered to the wound before closing it, the tissue would be repaired by morning. The patient winced a bit as Angela finished covering up the wound. She removed her gloves and wiped at her forehead, which was coated in a thin layer of sweat.
"I apologize about the pain. It's nothing some Acetaminophen won't fix. Check in with any of the medical staff tomorrow and they can take another look at that wound." She said mechanically.
The young soldier thanked her before easing himself off of the medical table. His fingers gingerly moved to the injury as he ambled toward the entrance of the large tent. A few nurses shuffled around him as they tended to other soldiers that had just returned from various missions. Usually the busiest time for the medical staff came in the morning, after the stealth ops had been completed. It was typically only Blackwatch that took on the big secret missions, so the rush wasn't that overwhelming. The injuries, however, were almost always the most severe. Depending on how the operation went, they would either return filled with bullet holes or completely unscathed.
Nothing was too much for Doctor Angela Ziegler, though. She was a prodigy; A globally recognized genius. She joined Overwatch at the age of twenty and had been running with them ever since. She had helped pioneer countless experiments utilizing nanobiology and had advanced the technology with the help of her fellow scientists. Sure, she was spending the prime of her life in the clutches of war. But she was making a difference in the world. She loved to help people. And here, in Overwatch, people needed her.
The noise in the triage tent began to die down as morning came around. And sure enough, as if on cue, the Blackwatch agents came filing in. A soldier known as "Woods" was carried by two familiar faces. Gabriel Reyes and Gérard Lacroix helped their friend onto an examination table as a nearby nurse began prepping her station. He moaned in pain as his comrades reassured him that he would be alright and did their best to help him remain calm. Eventually, he relaxed and the two men made their way toward Angela, both of them still adorning matching combat gear. The doctor greeted them warmly, met with a bear hug from Gérard and a half smile from Gabriel.
"How did it go?" Angela asked, handing the men some sanitary wipes to clean themselves up.
Gabriel began wiping off his hands and Gérard beamed, "No fatalities. And we got the intel that we need. Gabe even got to play hero by getting Woods out of trouble."
Reyes rolled his eyes at his counterpart's explanation and began to tune him out. It was nothing out of the ordinary, though. Gérard was extremely passionate about his work. He'd been spearheading the operations against Talon for quite some time now, and he was enthusiastic about it to say the least. A running joke amongst the agents of Overwatch was that Gérard only talked about two things: His job and his wife. Although, as far as Angela knew, none of Overwatch had ever actually met the woman that he constantly spoke so highly of. It was rather odd to know virtually everything about a person that you had never even met. Angela sometimes pondered what the lady was like in real life. Gérard painted her like some sort of goddess, but he had a habit of exaggerating things.
Angela snapped out of her thoughts when Gérard placed a hand on her shoulder, "Angie, are you in there?"
Suddenly noticing the weight of her eyelids, she nodded, "Yes, yes. Sorry. It's been a long day."
"No rest for the weary." Gabriel muttered as he folded his arms.
"At least we go back to Headquarters tonight. You can sleep on the flight." Gérard pointed out to his partner.
"We leave tonight?" Angela perked up, encouraged by the idea that she would be able to knock out for a few hours.
"Oui," Gérard chuckled, "Don't sound so disappointed."
"I completely lost track of time." She admitted, unrolling the sleeves of her white coat, "It will be nice to finally relax for a moment."
"And by 'relax', you mean burying yourself in mountains of paperwork about your research, right?" Gabriel let a smirk creep across his lips.
"I relax, Gabriel." The doctor said defensively.
"Sure you do." He replied sarcastically, "I'm just thankful that I'll finally be able to go out for drinks with Jesse again. I miss the bastard."
"Don't forget the plans for Friday evening!" Gérard piped up again, brown eyes filled with excitement, "Angela, I almost neglected to tell you. On Friday, Amélie has a ballet performance! I want everyone to attend so that you may all meet her."
"That sounds wonderful, Gérard. What production is it?" Angela inquired.
Gérard hesitated. Doctor Ziegler could see the gears in his head turning. He ran a hand through his matted, dark hair. His expression was thoughtful, but he shook his head.
"I'm not sure… But it will be amazing, I promise you!" He assured her, bringing a finger to his com-piece.
He turned away for a moment and mumbled a few affirmations before turning back to them, "Looks like we're leaving a bit earlier than expected. Care to accompany us, Doctor Ziegler?"
Angela quickly accepted the offer and cleaned up her station before joining the two men as they strolled outside. A few fellow agents were boarding the ship ahead of them. The whirring of the motors was irritating, but oddly comforting, since it served as a reminder that they were finally homebound. Angela was grateful that soon she would be back in the comfort of her office. Back with her piles of paperwork and her cluttered bookshelves and her countless novelty mugs. She smiled at the thought of home as she boarded the ship. Almost instantaneously, she was greeted by Ana Amari.
"How are we, Ziegler?" Ana asked, wrapping her arm around the doctor's shoulder and giving her a squeeze.
"Doing well. And yourself, Captain Amari?" Angela replied politely as they settled into the booth.
"Exhausted, homesick, in desperate need of a drink." Ana laughed, "The same as you, I'm sure."
"I certainly wouldn't be opposed to a drink right now." She admitted, rubbing her temples with her index and middle fingers.
"Call it a mother's intuition." Captain Amari grinned and tapped a digit against the side of her nose.
The doors to the ship were sealed and the engines began to hum louder. The aircraft slowly lifted off of the ground and the cabin pressure changed slightly as their altitude increased. Angela slouched in the booth, folding her arms over her chest and letting a sigh escape her lips. Beside her, Captain Amari fiddled with one of her holo projectors. Across from them, Gabriel was completely asleep. His head hung to one side and his mouth was slightly open. To the left of him, Gérard tried to contain his laughter as he dug through his duffle bag. For the most part, the ship was silent, save for the constant whirring and occasional rattling of the ship. Angela felt herself beginning to drift off to sleep and did little to fight it. Within a few moments, she had succumbed to the clutches of a dark, dreamless sleep.
"Ziegler," Captain Amari's voice, as well as a quick shake of the shoulders, brought the doctor out of her slumber, "Rise and shine."
She groggily sat up straight and stretched her arms, taking note of the soreness in her back. Ana waited patiently as her comrade tried to get up and around. She wiped at her eyes before scooting out of the booth and rising to her feet with a yawn. The sniper nodded toward the doors of the ship, which were now opening to allow everyone out. Gabriel and Gérard picked up their bags and hustled off of the ship to debrief with everyone back at HQ. Ana and Angela gathered their own belongings, careful not to leave anything on the ship.
"I hope you're not planning to nose-dive into your studies, Doctor Ziegler." Ana began in a motherly tone, "You should eat breakfast, first."
Breakfast? She hadn't even considered such a thing. Back at the triage, they had been working in a different time zone. Breakfast time at the Headquarters was bed time for the medical staff. Or, at least, it would be bed time if they were able to get some sleep. Angela was no stranger to lack of sleep. She'd suffered with insomnia long before she joined Overwatch and even before she had began studying medicine. And if she were to be completely honest with herself, she always felt like she operated better in the latest hours of the night. She'd come up with the best tweaks to her nanobot technology in the hours between midnight and dawn, even performed some of her best surgeries at similar times. Angela sometimes prided herself on her ability to continue functioning despite having not slept in what felt like days. Others, like Gabriel, could never operate under such conditions.
"I'll probably just have some coffee," Angela said, steadying herself as she walked down the ramp of the ship.
"Nonsense. You have to eat real food." Captain Amari demanded.
The Swiss woman sighed, knowing there was no arguing with Ana. She was basically the mother of everyone in Overwatch. She looked after them, encouraged them, and even cracked down on them when necessary. Especially Fareeha. But seeing the bond that the two shared made Angela long to know her own mother, or even her father. They died when she was very young, leaving her with no memory of them. The only parents she had ever known were the people who worked at the group home where she was raised. That was better than nothing, wasn't it? Either way, she was grateful for Ana's motherly presence… Even if she was a little frightening sometimes.
"Mom!" Fareeha called as she ran over to the two women.
"Fareeha," Ana smiled as she tightly hugged her daughter.
"I'm so glad you're home safe," The Egyptian woman said cheerily, "That includes you, Angela."
"It's good to see you as well," Angela responded with a smile.
"I'm glad you're here, habibti. Come. Help Doctor Ziegler with her bags and then bring her to the kitchen." Ana ordered.
"Oh, really, it's no-" Angela started up, but was quickly interrupted.
"Alright," She nodded as she took one of the doctor's bags and hoisted it onto her shoulder.
Angela shielded her other bag, causing Fareeha to raise a brow at her. "I've got this one. It's fine."
Fareeha shrugged and the two women walked toward the medic's office. They ventured into a large building with sliding doors that asked for authorization. Fareeha pressed her finger to the scanning pad until the light blinked green. The doors unlocked and slid open to allow the two agents into the hall. They entered the cold corridor with long, blue walls and strolled to the elevator, waiting for the car to come.
"How was your mission?" The younger woman asked.
"It wasn't much of a mission," Angela admitted, "I only went into combat twice. It was mostly just working back at the triage."
"Still exciting! I bet you saved many lives. You must be exhausted," Fareeha said enthusiastically as they stepped into the elevator.
Doctor Ziegler only chuckled and watched as the other woman selected the floor that her office was on. She couldn't wait to be back in her niche. The elevator came to a halt and the doors parted ways. Angela briskly approached the end of the hall, where her office door sat in waiting. She pressed her finger print to the scanning pad and then typed in the code to unlock her office. The lock clicked and she pushed the door open. She was exponentially delighted to see the familiar mess before her. Fareeha followed her inside and placed the bag down on the little white love seat in front of the coffee table. Angela dropped her bag on the floor next to the love seat and huffed before looking back at her friend. She wanted to collapse on the couch right then. Fareeha must have read her mind.
"You know if you don't come with me, my mother will hunt you down and force feed you." She exaggerated, placing her hands on her hips.
"I know." Angela giggled and trailed after her as she stepped back into the hallway.
The pair headed back toward the courtyard and crossed over to the cafeteria. The doors slid open and they were welcomed with the familiar noise of chatter as soldiers and agents ate their breakfast. Thankfully, breakfast was the most quiet meal time of the day, since everyone was trying to wake up. Angela matched Fareeha's pace as they sauntered to the kitchen area. Sure enough, Ana was busy manning the waffle iron. As the two women came up behind her, she turned around and opened up the press to reveal a perfect waffle.
"Toppings are over there. Yours is coming up next, habibti." She told the duo as she used a fork to pry the waffle out of the iron.
She dropped it onto a plate and handed it to Angela. The blonde woman looked down at the waffle and felt her stomach growl when the bouquet hit her nose. She couldn't even remember the last thing she ate. She tried to recall what her most recent meal was as she ambled to the counter and set her plate down, but she couldn't think of anything. She reached into the cabinet above the counter and pulled out the syrup before raiding numerous drawers in the fridge for strawberries and whipped cream. After she had decorated her breakfast with various toppings, she plopped down on a barstool on the opposite side of the counter. She cut the waffle into bite-sized pieces and chewed them slowly, barely able to keep her eyes open. Fareeha joined her at the counter and started mowing through her meal.
"Try to stay awake, Angela." Fareeha laughed, "Mom's working on the coffee."
Angela nodded and popped a strawberry into her mouth. She was only halfway through her breakfast when Fareeha had finished hers. Ana slid them two mugs and Angela quickly brought the drink to her lips. Even though it was hot, she drank a few mouthfuls before placing the mug back on the counter top. Fareeha waited for hers to cool and Ana leaned on the other side of the counter.
"Thank you for everything, Captain Amari." Angela said graciously as she returned to cutting up the remaining half of her waffle.
"It's no trouble." Ana said with a wave of her hand.
"Do I smell waffles?" A husky voice asked from the other side of the kitchen.
Jack Morrison strolled over and smiled at his teammates. Ana began fixing him a cup of coffee, Fareeha greeted him politely, and Angela offered him an exhausted smile. He folded his arms and stood before the countertop.
"Long flight?" He joked as he accepted a mug from Ana, who he then thanked.
"Gabriel snored." The sniper huffed, "Doctor Ziegler didn't get to hear it."
"Damn shame." Jack snickered, "Where's Gabe now?"
"Debriefing. They shouldn't be much longer." Ana glanced at the clock above the window on the wall adjacent to them.
"How'd it go, Angie? Did you have to patch him up again?" The soldier asked, referring to the time that Gabriel had a bit of a mishap during a mission with Jack.
It was a supposed to be a simple clean sweep operation, but Gabriel managed to trigger a tripwire and ended up with a few darts stuck in his body. It was almost as bad as the time that Gérard had accidentally crashed into a cactus patch on an ATV. Either way, the poor guy could never live it down. Jack just couldn't seem to let it go.
"Not this time." Angela said, "I did have to work on the new recruit, though."
"Woods?" Morrison inquired.
Angela nodded and took another sip of coffee. Jack hummed quietly and turned to look toward the seating area where everyone else enjoyed their breakfast and socialized. A silence settled over the tired group as they drank their coffee. Gabriel and Gérard wandered into the kitchen, both of them looking intoxicated by the smell of breakfast. A wry grin covered Jack's face at the sight of Gabriel Reyes.
"Hey, Gabe. How'd it go?"
"Fine." He grumbled, crossing the kitchen to make himself something to eat.
Gérard exchanged greetings with everyone and started conversation with Jack about the mission, Ana and Fareeha started speaking Arabic to one another, and Angela stared blankly at her now empty plate. All she could think about was that damn couch in the next building over. She wanted nothing more than to go back to her office and sleep for days. In fact, she could probably fall asleep right here, right now. She felt her heavy eyelids beginning to droop when a loud ringing caused her to jerk upright in her seat. Gérard brought his cell phone to his ear and paused for a moment before a stream of French flowed past his lips. He then retreated around the corner to continue his phone call.
"Amélie, probably." Jack shrugged.
"He gets so excited about her." Fareeha smiled, "It's precious."
"Not sure why." Gabriel muttered as he returned to the group.
"What do you mean?" She prodded, tilting her head.
"Gabriel." Jack said in a warning tone.
Angela raised her eyebrows and rested her elbows on the counter top. A small smirk found its way onto Ana's lips and she attempted to cover it with her hand. Gabriel was too occupied with stuffing a hot pocket into his mouth to acknowledge Jack's scolding. Angela and Fareeha waited for him to swallow his mouthful of food so he could elaborate. Once he had gotten his first bite down, he shook his head and wiped at his mouth with his sleeve.
"Everybody knows it's a marriage of convenience." He said in a low voice.
"Convenience?" Angela asked, also being mindful to lower her speaking volume.
"Guys," Jack growled.
"They're not in love?" Fareeha frowned.
"Obviously Gérard is completely infatuated with the woman." Ana pointed out, "We just aren't sure if we can say the same for her."
"I heard they're only married because their families are so tightly knit. That, or something about politics." Gabriel says.
"Enough!" Jack snapped, causing the room to fall silent, "The last thing Overwatch needs is gossip within itself. It's bad enough that the media is slandering us. We don't want everyone at each other's throats."
Everyone went still for a moment and exchanged nervous glances. Jack chewed the inside of his cheek and set his mug down. Gérard rounded the corner again with a smile on his face.
"Is everyone still attending the ballet tomorrow night?" He asked.
The group simultaneously affirmed the plan and Gérard lit up all over again, "Magnifique!"
With that, the French man sashayed out of the room. The group of Overwatch agents exchanged glances once again. Morrison sighed loudly and ran a hand through his hair.
"Just don't talk about it. Okay?" He warned as he turned on his heel and exited the kitchen with his coffee mug.
"Who shit in his cornflakes?" Gabriel remarked with a devious grin on his face.
"What do you mean? It wasn't you?" Ana bantered.
"I didn't shit in his cornflakes, but I spit in his coffee." He said, earning a loud laugh from Fareeha and a coy simper from Angela.
"You two and your rivalry, I swear." Captain Amari shook her head light heartedly as she began cleaning up the mess from breakfast.
"One day he'll learn." Reyes said as he left the kitchen.
"Whatever you say, Gabriel." Ana laughed.
Doctor Angela Ziegler lie sprawled out across her beloved couch with a book on her chest and her glasses halfway down her nose. She had barely finished the first page of her reading when she slipped into a deep, dreamless slumber. Drool trickled from the corner of her mouth as she rolled onto her side, still completely asleep. If it weren't for the abrupt and aggressive knocking on her door, she would've slept for the rest of the day. However, she quickly jerked upright, causing her book and her glasses to topple to the floor. She scrambled to pick them up before hurrying to the door. She opened it and found a smug looking Gabriel in the hallway.
"I figured you'd be asleep," He said knowingly, "Thought I'd wake you up so you wouldn't miss tonight's outing."
Angela pulled back her white coat sleeve to reveal her watch. Her eyes widened at the realization that she had almost slept through the entire day. She then looked back up at Gabriel and shook her head slowly.
"Outing?" She inquired.
Gabriel chuckled, "You know? Gérard invited all of us to go see Amélie perform."
"Scheisse," Angela muttered, "I completely forgot. When are we leaving?"
"About an hour. Get yourself cleaned up and I'll meet you downstairs." He told her, gesturing to the dried spit on the corner of her mouth.
She quickly shut the door, her face turning red as she wiped at her lips with the sleeve of her coat. Again, she had managed to fall asleep in her work clothes. It was a pretty common occurrence, but it usually happened when she was out in the field. Otherwise, she could actually will herself to change into some sweats before she tried to pull an all-nighter and read endless medical studies. The blonde woman huffed as she looked through the little closet in the back of her office. HQ was nice in the sense that it had housing for the Overwatch agents, but Angela spent the majority of her time in the office, away from her private quarters. That's why she had taken the liberty of moving half of her belongings into her office. Things like clothes, certain furniture items, and even various trinkets and novelty items. It was more convenient this way. After all, the office was closer to the cafeteria and the debriefing room. It also housed her treasured love seat, which she swore was the most comfortable piece of furniture ever made. She had probably slept on that couch ten times as much as she had slept in her actual bed.
The doctor successfully fished out a small, light blue dress that she had worn to a few gatherings before. It was similar to a sundress, since it was comfortable and short. But it looked more formal and it often got her quite a few compliments. She pulled the dress off of its hanger and looked at it for a moment before deciding that she needed to shower. Reluctantly, she carried herself up to her private quarters and unlocked the door. Once inside, Angela made her way into the bathroom and started the faucet. She took a brief shower and quickly dressed herself thereafter. She dried her hair and put it into a neat bun with a few loose strands of hair hanging freely around her face. The doctor decided to apply some light, natural-looking makeup before she headed out the door.
When she arrived downstairs, she saw Gabriel leaning against the wall in the hallway. His arms were folded across his chest and he was sporting a nice suit. It was weird to see him in formal attire, rather than blood-smeared combat gear. He stood upright and nodded to the door. Angela followed suit and the two eventually boarded a small ship that would get them to their destination quickly. She, Gabriel, and a few other members of the Overwatch crew packed into the aircraft. They arrived at their first stop shortly and then piled into a sleek, black hover car that transported them to the theatre. Hordes of people stood outside the building, waiting to get in and take their seats. The vehicle pulled to a stop along the curb and Gérard was there to greet them. He greeted each one of his friends warmly before ushering them into the theatre. Angela was a bit overwhelmed by the whirlwind of activity. In all honesty, it was probably because she couldn't shake the feeling that she was still half asleep.
The Swiss woman held the long, thin strap of her little handbag a bit tighter as she passed by an abundance of well-dressed folks inside the theatre. She trailed behind Gabriel and scanned her surroundings as they approached the front row of seats. One by one, the Overwatch agents sat down and settled in for the show. Shortly after that, the crowds outside were allowed in and the theatre was humming with chatter. Angela put her arms on the armrests and straightened her aching back a bit. Gabriel absentmindedly tapped his foot beside her, something he often did as he sat. Gérard spoke with Jack excitedly about the performance, explaining how he couldn't wait to see his wife dance. The doctor felt a pang of sadness in her chest upon remembering what Reyes had said about his comrade's marriage. It was clear that Gérard felt something, but Amélie remained a complete mystery. Perhaps she would get a little more insight upon meeting the woman.
Until then, though, she tried to relax in her seat as the lights dimmed. The composer began to direct the orchestra and beautiful music emanated from the pit in front of the stage. The curtains drew back to reveal what appeared to be a bunch of soldiers, each of them clutching a staff. Mercy smiled to herself, reminded of her own Caduceus staff that she had grown so attached to. She watched in amusement as a mass of dancers fled the stage, leaving one soldier on his own. He was quickly joined by another male dancer who was scarce of clothing. The pair danced around the stage for a bit before a swarm of performers took to the stage. Girls danced on their toes around a ballerino who adorned gold robes. Beside Angela, Gabriel looked completely lost. His brows were knit in confusion and he rested his chin on his fist as he watched the events unfolding before him. At the back of the stage, from a large archway, a silhouette appeared. A female dancer with a veil over her face gracefully took to the stage.
Gabriel nearly jumped out of his seat when Gérard smacked him on the arm and whispered, "That's her!"
She took lengthy, confident strides with pointed toes and came to a halt in front of the dancer in the golden robes. He removed the veil from her face and Angela gazed in complete awe. From what she could see, Amélie was beautiful. She was tall with long legs; The poster body for a ballerina. She had some muscle to her arms and her thighs were extremely toned. Her skin was fair and her stage makeup added an intense contour to the natural angles of her face. From the moment she took to the stage, she stole the show. Angela had never seen such elegance before. She performed with powerful emotion and executed every bit of her choreography flawlessly. At the end of the production, everyone in the audience rose to their feet and applauded as loud as they could. Angela clapped until her palms were burning. The dancers bowed and the applause soon died down as groups of people hurried backstage to meet with the performers. Gérard got to his feet and insisted that every member of the Overwatch crew accompany him backstage.
Angela clung to Gabriel's arm as they pushed through the sea of people to get behind the stage area. The commotion caused her to give a small squeeze to Gabriel's bicep, emitting a gravelly chuckle from him. The Overwatch team came to a grinding halt when Gérard finally found Amélie. She was now wearing a pair of black sweat pants and a white sweatshirt with the name of her dance studio on it. Her dark brown hair had been dropped from its tight bun and was now hanging in a short, loose ponytail. Even though she looked exhausted, she was still the epitome of beauty. Angela thought she was gorgeous on stage, but up close, she was absolutely stunning. Gérard introduced every member of the team to her and she met all of them warmly. When it came Angela's turn to be introduced, she shook Amélie's hand gently. The doctor noticed how soft her hands were and she hoped that her palm wasn't sweaty. Big, golden brown eyes locked onto Angela's own and a radiant smile crossed Amélie's lips.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," She said, her French accent notably much more prominent than Gérard's.
The doctor hesitated a moment before nodding and saying politely, "It's great to meet you, too. You were amazing out there!"
Amélie gave her thanks for the compliment and went on to thank the rest of the Overwatch team for coming. People began to exit the backstage area and the agents were able to spread out a bit more. Gérard wrapped an arm around his wife's waist and Angela couldn't help taking notice of the sudden change in her body language. She mentally penciled down how she stiffened a bit, how she furrowed her brow, and how she fidgeted with her fingers. Gérard, who must have been completely oblivious to the red flags, leaned in and whispered something into Amélie's ear. When he pulled away, she looked thoughtful for a moment. She then shrugged her shoulders and gave a curt nod. Gérard got that massive grin on his face again and he turned to the Overwatch crew.
"My friends! I'd like to invite you to accompany Amélie and I to dinner. On me, of course." He said excitedly, making it nearly impossible to say no to his invitation.
Of course, there were a few exceptions. While a few members of the team said their goodbyes, Angela's eyes remained on Amélie. She noticed how the French woman was equally as observant. Her eyes scanned around the room until they found Angela's again. Angela quickly looked away, but caught a glimpse of the playful, knowing smirk that tugged at her lips. The doctor grabbed her own arm and pretended like the curtains behind her friends were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. Thankfully, everyone started moving again and the French couple walked ahead of her. She fell back a tad and Gabriel matched her pace, taking a final look around the theatre as they approached the doors.
"It really is a beautiful theatre." Gabe muttered gruffly.
"Always a man of good taste, Reyes." Jack remarked with a chuckle as he strode ahead.
Gabriel rolled his eyes, "I can't appreciate anything without a comment from Strike Commander Ass Hat over there."
Angela couldn't help but giggle, "You two love each other," She reminded him.
All she received in response was a quiet grunt as Gabriel stuffed his hands in the pockets of his suit. They stepped outside and Gérard informed everyone that the restaurant was only a block or two away. Then, he led them down the sidewalk toward their destination. Outside, it was nice. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold. Cars occasionally passed by on the streets and sometimes music drifted faintly from the open doors of various businesses. It was nice, Angela thought. Nice to pretend like she was just a regular person, going out to dinner with her regular friends. Nice to pretend like the world wasn't falling apart at the seams. Even though it most certainly was, it was always nice to get away from the thought of it for a while.
Angela put off her bothersome thoughts as they closed in on the restaurant. It appeared somewhat small. How would they even fit the entire team at a table? Jack held the door open for everyone and then followed them inside. It smelled absolutely amazing and the atmosphere was calm. Gérard spoke with the hostess and she nodded before taking them through a small hallway and stopping in a room with a large, empty table. Everyone took their seats hastily and another woman came to take their drink orders and hand them menus. The team made chatter amongst themselves and Angela ordered herself a glass of wine. Fareeha nudged the doctor's arm with her own and Angela raised a brow.
"Did you see-" She was cut short when they both noticed Jack's threatening glare.
Fareeha slowly leaned back in her chair and Angela smoothed out the skirt of her dress. The two tried to look as inconspicuous as possible as the waitress began bringing out their drinks. Angela graciously accepted her wine glass and thanked the young woman. She held the stem of the glass as she took a sip. It was slightly cold, but incredibly good. She set the glass on the table and watched her friends socialize. Meanwhile, the poor waitress danced around the table, asking about orders and refills. Watching the woman never stop moving reminded her of her own work. Sometimes it felt like if she was in one place for too long, she'd turn into a statue. The waitress made her way to the end of the table, asking Amélie for her order. She tapped her long, thin fingers on the table as she spoke to the waitress. Her manicured nails made a quiet clicking sound against the wood.
Angela pushed back her chair and rose to her feet, "I'm going to wash my hands."
"Germaphobe... Hurry back," Fareeha remarked as she took a drink of beer.
The blonde woman went through the small hallway that they had gone through earlier and found the restrooms near the front of the restaurant. She stepped into the women's room and looked at herself in the mirror as she started the faucet. She lathered some foamy soap in her hands, staring back at her reflection. At least she didn't look as tired as she felt. Not to mention the fact that her hair still looked completely untouched. That was always something to be proud of. Angela's eyes shifted to the bathroom door as it swung open. Amélie entered the bathroom and took to the sink beside hers. She turned to Angela as she began to wash her hands. Suddenly, the doctor was nervous. Nervous. Why was she nervous? There was nothing to be nervous about. She was standing next to a devastatingly good looking woman who just happened to be married to one of her very good friends. Nothing to be nervous about.
"There's so much going on this evening. I can hardly keep up." She gave a light laugh, shaking her head as she looked down at the countertop.
Angela tried to push down her nerves as she lightly chuckled in agreement, "I know how you feel."
"I really do appreciate everyone coming, though. I wasn't expecting… So many of you." Amélie admitted, "Gérard talks about all of you all the time, but I thought he was just exaggerating the numbers."
"This is only a small portion of the organization," Angela informed her, "I'm assuming that Gérard hasn't brought you around Headquarters , then?"
"No, not yet. I'm not sure if he ever will. I'm sure it's most exciting, though," The French woman said.
"Exciting is one word for it." Doctor Ziegler commented, "Perhaps we can persuade Gérard to bring you around sometime. Then you can see the rest of the Overwatch family."
"That would be nice," Amélie smiled.
Amélie dried her hands and Angela realized that she was still standing there. She awkwardly moved toward the door and opened it, letting Amélie go ahead of her. They made their way back toward the table where plates were now being set out. At Angela's empty seat, there was a platter heaped with pasta. She returned to her spot between Fareeha and Gabriel and graciously dug into her food. Had she even eaten at all today? She knew how to take care of everyone except for herself. She tried to remain as lady-like as possible as she shoveled noodles into her mouth. The food was excellent and it filled her up rather quickly in comparison to the food that was served at Headquarters. She pushed her chair back a tad and finished off her second glass of wine, feeling warm and satisfied.
"I'd like to make a toast!" Reinhardt boomed as he stood up, "To Gérard and Amélie!"
The Overwatch crew held up their glasses and clinked a few together. Fareeha and Angela exchanged sideways glances as they both observed Amélie's exhausted attempt at a smile. Gérard wrapped his arm around her and planted a kiss on her cheek. She lifted her glass and finished off the rest of her champagne. Laughter floated around the room as everyone began exchanging stories and tales of valor. Amélie looked surprisingly interested in the various accounts that everyone gave. They went around the table as Angela stared thoughtfully at her empty wine glass. She hadn't even realized it was her turn until Fareeha nudged her in the elbow.
"What about you, Ziegler? You see it all!" The German man urged.
"Tell the one about the cactus and Gérard, Angie!" Jack smirked, causing Gérard to laugh and shake his head.
"Should I tell that one? Or should I tell the one about the time Lena recalled directly into the path of a moving vehicle?" The doctor giggled.
"Oi! It was only one time!" Lena objected from the other end of the table.
"Cactus?" Amélie inquired.
"We were stationed in the desert for a few weeks and they were running a stealth mission. I remember I had just cleaned up everything at the triage and there was a knock at the door. I opened it up and Gabriel was in tears, laughing hysterically," Angela started to laugh at the memory, "So I asked him what happened and Jack lugs in Gérard, who's screaming in French and covered in cactus needles."
The table erupted into laughter and Doctor Ziegler nodded, "We spent two hours getting all of the needles out."
"The worst two hours of my life," Gérard added, earning another series of laughs.
"The funniest of mine." Gabriel retorted before taking a drink.
They went around the remainder of the table, giving their favorite spiels. Everyone had long since finished their meals by the time the antics had settled down. Gérard covered the tab and the entire crew thanked him for his generosity. Amélie showed her gratitude once more for their presence at her show. The group got up and pushed in their chairs, filing out of the building with full stomachs and high spirits. Once outside, Gabriel looked at his watch. Angela glanced at it as well, taking note of how late it was. She hadn't taken into account how long she'd been away from her office. There was research to be done and she was itching to return to it. Still, she put on a happy face and joined in saying goodbye to Amélie.
"You'll have to invite us to the next show. The dancing was beautiful." Ana told her.
Amélie dipped her head in agreement and then received a massive hug from Reinhardt. When he released her, she ran a hand through her ponytail and turned her attention in Angela's direction. The corners of her eyes crinkled a bit as she allowed a half-smile to cross her lips.
"Are you still open to convincing Gérard to bring me around? Last chance." Amélie brought up.
"I love a challenge." Angela remarked, turning to look at the French man, "Gérard, why don't you bring Amélie to Headquarters? She hasn't met the rest of the family."
Gérard paused for a moment, a thoughtful expression materializing on his face. He couldn't seem to think of a reason not to. Jack stood a few feet away, watching the exchange with an unsatisfied look. Angela knew that he was only opposed to the idea because he didn't want gossip to get out about Gérard's marriage. He cared a lot about his comrade, but so did Angela. Still, she didn't see the harm in bringing Amélie around just once. After all, everyone was perfectly capable of keeping their mouths shut. They had done so all night, hadn't they?
"I suppose you're right." Gérard Lacroix admitted.
"You can show her around and introduce her to everyone. You'll be combining the two things you love the most." Gabriel chimed in, prompting Jack to scowl even harder.
"Alright, you've convinced me." He laughed, "I'll bring Amélie around sometime soon."
"Génial." The dark-haired woman hummed, "Thank you again for coming."
"Thank you for inviting me," Angela replied politely.
"Au revoir, Doctor Ziegler." Amélie said with a small wave.