Her routine has remained consistent since he left. Each Saturday and Sunday, she would first visit a small café on the corner. Order a small coffee, no sugar, a tablespoon of low-fat milk, and read the local newspaper. From there, she would walk to the market. It seemed to always be open. Food stalls lining the street, their products spilling out, enticing any passersby to stop and buy something. She passes by many vendors until she reaches a specific stall. It's owned by an old local farmer, Viggo. She always buys a fresh bouquet of flowers, a baguette, and a slice of her favorite cheese: brie.
"Will that be all today Miss Angela? Are you sure I can't tempt you with a fresh punchrulle?" Viggo jokingly asked. Though he knew her answer by heart, he would always ask just to make her smile.
"Oh you certainly could tempt me with that, but I'll just get my usual." She smiled.
It was intoxicating, her smile would brighten a room. It would make anyone on the receiving end feel like they were on cloud nine.
But her smiles were far and few between now. They were only reserved for special occasions. This has been the case since Jack left. When he "died" so did her heart.
She seemed more down than usual, and Viggo noticed this. His heart fell.
"Tell you what, I'll give you a free punchrulle. One on the house! Er, make that the stall!"
This was able to elicit another smile from Angela. She thanked him, paid the total, slipped a little extra to cover the price of the pastry, and carried on her way through the market.
At this point, she would return to her apartment to drop off the groceries, change out of her colorful sundress and raffia, and into something more comfortable for jogging.
Clad in form-fitting yoga pants and a breathable jogging blouse, Angela would then make her way to the local park. There she jog through the park, enjoying the smell of the flowers in bloom, and drinking in the sunlight as it poured onto her skin. Any onlookers could have easily mistaken her for an angel. Her platinum blonde hair done up in a messy ponytail. Her light complexion seemed to glow in the sunlight. And her eyes. Those azure oceans that first drew Jack to her. Her eyes sparkled when she laughed. They were awash with concern each time he'd come to her after a mission.
Now her eyes were distant, looking less like a summer afternoon sky, and more like that of a pale blue-steel.
It has been five years, and each day he kicks himself for leaving her, his angel. He's watched her eyes grow tired. Grow weary as she awaits his return every day.
Then he remembers: his birthday is tomorrow. That's why she's especially sad. They used to celebrate each other's birthday together. Now she has no one to celebrate with. Now she just has an empty seat across from her. A space still reserved for her one true love, hoping that one day, maybe he'll return. Ana has returned. Regrettably, Gabriel has returned as well. Now it's Jack's turn.
After completing her lap around the park, she walks back to her apartment, stopping by the newly renovated Overwatch Swiss headquarters.
There she stops and chats with a few friends. Always grabs an afternoon tea with Tracer, and somehow manages to pull herself out of their conversations to check on Genji if he is there. Although Tracer is a wonderful friend, she has a habit of talking. A lot. From her conversations with Tracer, and possibly Genji if they are around, she works her way to the gym where she is most likely able to find Reinhardt. There she checks to make sure he hasn't thrown out his back, and then goes on to give him tips to keeping up his health.
After visiting the headquarters, she walks back to her apartment where she spends the rest of the afternoon and evening deep in her research, and makes herself a light dinner.
At the table she sits alone, a lonesome sigh escapes her lips as she sits at an empty table. He would sit there, with her. Now she sits alone, with only her thoughts to provide her company. And many times those thoughts were of him. Making it ever harder for her to be alone. Although she cried for nights in the days after the explosion, she thought that she had no more tears to shed. But sometimes she surprised herself and would feel some tears brim in her eyes, and the occasional tear roll down her cheek, and fall to the lonesome table below.
It was purely happenstance. Jack was on his way through town to get to the Swiss headquarters when he spied Angela in the window of the café. He stopped dead in his tracks, mouth agape. She looked perfect. The sunlight danced through her hair, and her skin seemed to emit an ethereal glow. Lightly sipping her coffee, reading her paper, she neglected to notice her admirer drawing closer. Close enough to touch her.
"Excuse me," Jack started. They had never really known each other. Although they worked at the same organization, they had never really interacted. "But, why would an angel like you ever talk to a man like me?"
She looked up from her paper. She was used to getting hit on, getting complimented, and being subject to some of the corniest pickup lines in existence. But something about him was different.
"Why not?" She replied.
A smile spread across her face, instead of the usual brute stood a man who looked like this was the first time he's ever talked to a woman. A nervous smile spread across his face.
"May I?" He gestured to a chair.
"Of course!" Her bright smile washed away any nervousness that Jack had.
Sitting down, she eyed over Jack. He had broad shoulders, a defined jaw, light blond hair, and blue eyes. Just like hers.
Setting down her paper, she leaned in, resting her elbows on the table, and put her chin in her open palms. "Now, why would an 'angel' like me talk to a man like you?" She batted her lashes at him.
Good lord, Jack just about passed out. He stared at her, wide eyes, mouth opening and closing, but no noise coming out. Her antics had him entranced. She giggled at him. By now, Jack was blushing profusely, and could hardly stammer out his name, let alone answer her question.
"W-well, w-why not?" Internally Jack was applauding himself for managing to get that line out without completely butchering it.
To this, Angela laughed, she couldn't help herself. He was adorable. She extended a hand, "Doctor Angela Ziegler. Pleased to meet you."
A shaky hand met hers, and softly grasped it, "Commander, Jack Morrison. Nice to meet you too."
It was a match made in heaven. They both fell head over heels for each other.
Every Saturday and Sunday, no matter where in the world, they would manage to go to a café, walk through a farmer's market, stroll through a park, and make it back to a room where they sat and enjoyed the company of one another. Occasionally, a friend would join them on their weekly outing, but regardless if there was someone with them or not, they found such comfort in being together.
That was until the day the heavens shattered and fell around them. Jack had recently been promoted to Strike Commander of Overwatch, and Gabriel was livid. They had been at odds with each other recently, but Jack's promotion was the tipping point. It tore both Jack apart to see Gabriel so angry with him. Jack never wanted the promotion, it was all up to the higher-ups in Overwatch's ranks to delegate promotions. Jack and Gabriel had been childhood friends. Brothers in arms, and as close as brothers. But with the formation of Blackwatch headed by Gabriel, public dissent on any action Overwatch conducts, and recent promotion, Gabriel had enough.
No one should have been at the headquarters that day, but against his better judgment, Jack went to meet Gabriel in the hopes to settle their conflict. What happened instead blew up in his face, literally.
With what little strength he had in him, Jack pulled himself out of the rubble and proceeded to hide himself away. Though it wasn't by his own desire to take up the cowl of Soldier 76, but rather out of necessity. The public's opinion of Overwatch could best be summed up in one word. Dismal. They blamed Overwatch for all the bad that happening in the world. Even though the Omnic Crisis was by no means tied to Overwatch's operations, the public hated Overwatch for it. And Jack was the poster boy for Overwatch. He was the face people saw when the name Overwatch was mentioned.
He felt that it was best to let Jack Morrison die in the explosion, and Soldier 76 be born out of the ashes. Though looking back on the decision he made that day, he would have done something completely different. From some sources, he heard that for days, weeks, following the explosion, Angela scoured the site looking for his body. After nearly two weeks of searching, she gave up, broken, and permitted the commencement of the funeral. It was a closed casket funeral, and she cried the whole way through.
It was a new day, Sunday brought with it the beginning of a new week, the chance to start over. 76 was up early today. He swore to himself that he couldn't let Angela, his angel, go on weeping. He had to do something, anything to bring them back together. And he had just the idea.
He made his way down from the headquarters and got a seat at a table a few behind where Angela usually sat. He made sure to comb and style his hair, to the likes of what he used to, wear something other than his signature blue and red "76" emblazoned leather jacket, remove his visor, and pick up a newspaper. Now all he had to do was wait for her to arrive.
Sure enough, she arrived. Same time as always. If Angela was one thing, she was punctual.
Smoothing the ruffles in her blue sundress, she gently sat down. A waitress arrived shortly by her side and asked her the usual questions. Angela was a regular, but it never hurt to ask if she was going to get something new. Within a few minutes, the waitress returned, coffee in hand, paper rolled up and tucked under her other arm, and gave them both to Angela. After thanking the waitress, Angela took a sip from her coffee, and then opened her paper. Nothing new, same old news, same old stories, just with a different name.
That's when he approached her.
"Excuse me," He said softly, "But why would an angel like you ever talk to a man like me?"
Her breath caught in her throat. Never did she expect to hear those words again.
She looked up and saw 76, no it was Jack. The same old Jack, just with a different name.
She recognized him immediately, there he stood before her, looking just as meek as he did all those years ago.
She immediately jumped up and embraced him, pulling him into a hug, and kissing him on the lips. It was a kiss that neither had felt for years, but longed for every day.
She pulled away to catch her breath. And when she did came her response.
"Why not?"
So, two stories in one day, you can't say I'm not dedicated. I hope this one makes up for the darkness cast by the other one. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it :)