Full title: I Affirm Under the Penalties of Perjury That the Foregoing Representations Are True.


The divorce document is three pages long. Two and a half really. Filling them out doesn't require much effort on Gabriel's part beyond ticking off checkboxes and rehashing what Jack's already written. But it takes him an obscenely long time to work through it. He keeps getting bogged down and side-tracked by memories he hasn't allowed himself to think about in years. All the bitterness and hostility between them, especially the stuff at the end, seeps out from the darker parts of his mind and .

But his memories aren't all bad. He's almost forgotten how over-the-moon Jack used to make. How unstoppable and alive he felt whenever they were together. It's almost a shame they couldn't make things work.

Gabriel's eyes bore holes into the line at the bottom of the final page. The form is almost complete. The blanks are filled and the boxes are checked. The i's dotted and t's crossed. Except for one thing.

All he has left to do is sign his name.

His pen hovers a few inches above the paper, and his hand poised to write. But strangely, frustratingly, he finds himself hesitant to leave the final mark. He tightens his grip on his pen and groans through clenched teeth.

This shouldn't be so difficult. He shouldn't have this uncomfortable, bittersweet feeling forming in his gut about his marriage coming to a permanent end. Because this isn't the end. It's the start of a long, drawn out process. Once he signs he'll file the papers with the Indiana state court. The court will review their case, which according to the form will take "No less than 60 days". Gabriel, holding little faith in the speed of the legal system, expects it to take longer.

And who knows what can happen while they wait for the court? Maybe Jack will demand money for the years' worth of mortgage payments on the house he apparently still owns. Or maybe he'll change his mind. Get cold feet and scrap the whole thing, only to try again in a few years.

Once the court finishes deliberating they'll set a final hearing date and he'll have to sign more documents in front of a judge. In person. The court doesn't allow virtual final hearings. Meaning he'll have to take time off work and haul ass to Cornfieldville just to sign some fucking papers.

Then once all of that's done, it will be over. He and Jack will officially be divorced.

Gabriel takes a sharp breath in, and before he can exhale he scrawls out his signature on the line.

He glances at the clock on his computer screen. It's almost midnight. By now most of HQ has shut down and gone to sleep. Gabriel's certain that Jack is still in his office burning away at the midnight oil.

SEP left them both needing less rest than the average person. Gabriel is fine with four hours of sleep plus two cups of coffee. Anything less and he's lethargic, yawning, mess for the day. Jack is lucky to get even three hours of sleep from all his overwork and stress.

Gabriel remembers his restlessness. How he would toss and turn for hours on end and wake up in a cold sweat from his nightmares. Gabriel gets that way too on occasion. Therapy helps. Sleeping pills help when it doesn't. But for whatever reason it always took a bigger toll on Jack. There were nights where he couldn't fall asleep unless Gabriel was there for him to spoon. He wonders for the first time what Jack does now.

Gabriel crosses the hall and knocks on the door to Jack's office. He can see a sliver of light shining through the crack underneath the door, and can hear him typing on his keyboard.

"Just a sec Gabe." Jack says, and a moment later the door slides open.

Jack's office smells faintly of cigarettes, which strikes Gabriel as odd because Jack doesn't smoke. He remembers that Jesse was here a few hours ago, probably puffing away on a cigar as usual. There's stack of résumés on Jack's desk, identical to the one back in his office. Not one paper is out of place. It's somehow comforting to know Jack hasn't bothered with them either.

Jack sits at his desk, staring cross eyed at the wall of news articles plastered on his giant projector screen. Headlines like "Protest Outside Watchpoint: Grand Mesa Demanding Jack Morrison's Resignation Reaches 54th Day." and "Disaster in Dorado: Has Overwatch Outlived its Usefulness?" line the wall in bold, neon print.

Gabriel studies the shelf in the opposite corner, lined with photographs from decades past. He's never paid much mind during his most recent visits. He doesn't stop in often, and when he does he wants to get in and out.

Displayed most prominently is a photo of him, Ana, and Jack taken after one of their first missions together. There's a few others, some of Jack alone, some with friends. All from when he was still young, before his hair turned grey and his heart hardened. Missing is the photo taken outside the Fort Lauderdale courthouse. Their arms slung around each other, grinning broadly, and holding up their new marriage certificate to the camera.

"It's late." Jack says, turning away from the wall of criticism to look at him.

"Touché." Gabriel quips. He walks over to Jack's desk. It only takes a few steps since his office is the size of a broom closet, and plops the manila envelope down in front of him.

Jack looks down at the envelope, then back up at him. "What's this?"

"The divorce papers you wanted me to fill out."

A flash of recognition crosses his face, and he gives Gabriel a hard stare. "You're supposed to file this with the court directly. Not dump it onto me to do for you."

"Yeah, well you're the one who filed in the first place. Shouldn't this be your responsibility?"

"Fine. I'll send you the bill for the postage." He takes the envelope and tosses it into a metal basket labeled 'outgoing mail'. "Now was there something else you needed, Gabe?"

Gabriel nods. There's more he wants, needs, to talk about. He and Jack have never had a problem maintaining a cool, working relationship. Even during their roughest patches they always kept their marital problems from bleeding over into their work. They are professionals, after all. Which means since their separation they've danced around discussing anything more personal than "How are you today?". It's time they changed that.

But Jack's office feels like the wrong place to have this discussion. The room is too small. Too cramped. The ghosts of too many arguments past linger in the air.

"Want to go for a walk?" Gabriel asks.

Jack nods, and he doesn't say anything as he grabs the jacket draped over the back of his chair.

The Headquarters feels like a different place at night. During the day the campus hums with energy and life. Hundreds of people buzz around the grounds chatting to one another and traveling to where they need to go. Like bees circling a hive. At night the Headquarters is still alive, but it's a softer, less frantic energy. Everything seems to have slowed down. Gabriel likes how easy it is to relax into the quietness.

A wide, yellow brick path runs along the outside perimeter. During the day tour guides use it to show around civilians, and agents stroll along it during their downtime. This is Gabriel's go to place when he needs to clear his head.

The path is heated so the snow melts off in the winter, and at night it's lit by motion sensors. Lights planted along the path illuminate bright blue as they walk by and flicker off behind them as they pass.

He and Jack have all the space in the world, but they walk shoulder to shoulder with only a few inches space separating them. Close enough for their hands to brush against each other. The first time it happens Gabriel apologizes, the second, third, and beyond he doesn't. It occurs to him this is the closest they've come to touching in years.

"So, did you find the terms agreeable?" Jack asks.

He nods. "They were fine. Well, except that I sold the car a few years ago. I didn't get much for it, but what I did I put in the savings account. Figured you'd use it for the mortgage or whatever." He turns to him, and gives him a soft expression. "Do I owe you anything for that?"

Jack shakes his head. "The money's not important."

There's a chill in the air, and the slightest mist of rain drizzles down on them. Gabriel feels tiny raindrops peppering his body. He zips his sweatshirt up to his collarbone and buries his hands in his pockets.

"Did you really think I'd go after Roger?" He blurts it more than he says it.

Jack looks away from him, and scratches the back of his neck. "No, not really. I don't know. I just - I wanted to cover all my bases."

"In case I requested sole possession of him out of spite or something?" He snorts out a harsh laugh. "I don't want your dog Jack."

"Our dog, Gabe."

"Roger was always more yours than mine."

"You were the one who rescued him though." Jack nudges his arm lightly. "He misses you Gabe. I can tell by the way he sniffs my suitcase every time I come home to visit. He probably wonders why he hasn't seen you in years."

A soft smile spreads across Gabriel's face. "How is Roger anyway?"

"Old." Jack says. A wistful grin graces his lips. "He's gone nearly blind from cataracts. But he still acts like he's a puppy. He always wanting to go on walks and play fetch. I think he's got more energy than me sometimes."

"And how's your Dad?" Gabriel asks.

Jack shrugs. "He says he's fine, but I worry about him. He's all alone with only Roger and some farming bots for company. I keep telling him we should sell the farm and move to Bloomington, but he's stubborn like that." Jack shrugs. He reaches up to wipe away the raindrops on his forehead, and turns to look at him. "What about your family?"

"They're good." Gabriel says. "Micaela and Sebastian just got back from Jamaica. Maya got accepted into Stanford for med school. And Adrian's getting married, making him the first of Micaela's kids to tie the knot."

Jack's eyes widen and he comes to an abrupt halt. "What? No way, he can't possibly be old enough." He holds up his hands to count on his fingers. Gabriel takes his hands out of his pockets and places them on top of his.

"I'll save you the trouble. He's 19. Just had his birthday last month."

"Damn, that's still so young." Jack whispers under his breath. Slowly, deliberately, he laces his fingers between Gabriel's. His skin is warm and calloused, exactly like in his memories. "That's how old you were when we met, remember?"

Gabriel nods. He looks down at their interlocked hands. "Of course I remember."

"Are you sure he's not rushing into it?"

He lets out a soft chuckle. "You sound like my sister. She thinks he's making a huge mistake. But I say if he wants to do it, let him. Who cares if he's young, or that he hasn't known the girl very long?" He looks up at Jack and gives him a pointed stare. "After all, it's not like waiting around for years until you're ready guarantees you a happy, blissful marriage."

"I guess that's true."

Gabriel lets go of his hands.

Jack reaches into his pocket to pull out a package of cigarettes and a lighter. Gabriel stares at him with a look of quizzical confusion. Jack definitely doesn't smoke. At least he didn't when they were together. Jack shoots him an apologetic shrug and offers the pack his way. Gabriel holds up a hand and shakes his head.

"I quit."

"When?"

"A few years ago, after Micaela and my nieces and nephews guilt-tripped me with all those health stats." Gabriel replies. He raises en eyebrow, giving Jack a hard stare. "When did you start?"

"A couple months after you left. Right before I moved back to Indiana." Jack brings the cigarette to his lips, strikes the lighter, and takes a long drag. "Don't tell Angela."

"Won't have to if your office keeps reeking of cigarettes. Open up a window next time."

The rain is getting steadily heavier, becoming less of a mist and more of a drizzle. Gabriel stuffs his hands back inside his pockets and Jack smokes his cigarette, turning his head away to exhale smoke out into the darkness. When he reaches the filter he disposes it into an ashtray attached to a garbage can.

"You know, I always thought you'd be the one to file for divorce." Jack says. "I waited around for months and years expecting to get summons in the mail. But I never did."

Gabriel shrugs. "What can I say, I just really hate lawyers."

"You're kidding me right?" Jack scoffs, shooting him an incredulous look.

"Yeah." Gabriel stares off into the darkness. He can almost make out the mountains in the distance. "I guess I figured it didn't really matter. We don't have custody stuff to worry about, our finances are pretty much separate, and it's not like either of us are going to get remarried. At least, I'm not. Can't speak for you."

Jack shakes his head. "No. There's no one."

"So we've basically been divorced for years. Didn't see the point in going through all the trouble to make it official." Gabriel's lip quivers, and he hesitates before continuing. "And I got some advice from Ana that might've factored into my decision."

"What was that?"

"She said we shouldn't end things while we're angry. That we should wait until we're exes and not bitter exes to talk about divorce. Because according to her anger clouds our judgment." He laughs softly to himself. "She's kind of right."

"So I take it you're still angry at me?"

"What makes you think that?"

"You never filed."

Gabriel stares at the ground and kicks a pebble. He watches as it bounce down the path off into the darkness.

The honest answer is yes, he's still angry at Jack. Angry about the promotion, even though it was so long ago and he's long stopped wanting the job. Angry he took credit for all his accomplishments, even if he never did it purposefully. Angry he blamed all their marital problems on work and stress and how it seemed to excuse him from any fault. Angry he let their relationship fall into a state of decay, and never did anything to stop it.

Angry about Ana. Especially Ana. How could he abandon her like that? For decades they called her their partner, their best friend, and he didn't even have the decency to go back and retrieve her body? That more than anything else makes his blood boil.

And while he could say all this to Jack's face, he decides to let the silence speak for him.

"How come you decided to file?" Gabriel asks, shifting the spotlight away from him.

"Got tired of waiting for you to do it." He says plainly. "For a while I was set to leave things the way they were. Like you said, it didn't really matter. But then everything with Gérard happened. And Ana. It got me thinking about - what if something happens to us? What if one of us got hurt, or worse, and we were still legally married?"

"Geez you're morbid. I don't plan on dying anytime soon." He says quickly, and laughs a little before his face turns solemn. "But you do have a point. I haven't thought about wills and power of attorney and all that shit. I guess it's right for you to not trust me with it anymore."

Jack shakes his head. "It's not about trust. I might not love you the same way anymore, but I still trust you with my life. That much will never change. It's a question of responsibility, Gabe. If something happened to me - would you want to be in that position where you have to make those tough decision?"

Gabriel clenches his jaw. He knows the answer, doesn't disagree with the answer, but it almost pains him to have to say it aloud.

"No."

They've circled the headquarters and they're back where they started, standing in front of several dozen flagpoles circling that larger-than-life statue of Jack, still illuminated by spotlights at this hour of the night. The rain has turned into a downpour. Gabriel can feel the wetness soaking his sweatshirt. Raindrops trickle down his face, and he reaches up to wipe them away only for them to reappear moments later.

Jack angles his body towards the entrance. "I should get going. I have work I need to finish up."

"Don't stay up too late." He says.

"I won't. I just want to look over those résumés Petras sent us. We really do need to work on that."

He frowns. "I know. I can tell he's starting to get antsy."

"He wants to meet with us first thing tomorrow, so if you haven't looked them over yet I suggest doing so before calling it a night." Jack pulls open the door. Before he disappears inside he turns around and smiles softly at him. "It was… nice catching up with you, Gabe."

"Yeah. You too."

And before Gabriel can process what he's doing, he puts a gentle hand on Jack's arm and leans in to kiss him softly, silently on the cheek. His lips brush against his stubble, and he can smell smoke and rain on his skin. It's an old, familiar feeling. There's a part of him somewhere deep down that wants to lose himself in the kiss the way he used to.

But he doesn't.

He knows this is meant to mean goodbye.


Petietecreme made some gorgeous art to go along with this chapter, but unfortunately I cannot link you.